Ship ahoy, ye ol' scurvydogs!

[AbstractCreativity]

Yarrrrrrh! I be havin' 'dis idea!
... As you might have guessed by now, I've just started working on a pirate/sailor/whatever -themed RPG. I don't know if something like this has been done already, but I want to make one nonetheless!

*THREAD UPDATE*
-Added "Islands" and "RPG Aspects" sections.
_____________________________________________________________

Concept:
A multiplayer RPG where the players sail the seven seas in search of gold, pleasure and treasures... "A pirate's life for me!"
Once the map begins, the players will choose from a selection of different pirate ships, which will be your 'character'. (Players can also switch ship type later on in the game.)

Story:
Haven't thought of that further than this: The players are a bunch of random pirates, who sails the ocean for treasure and remarkable experiences. The enemies will probably be things like... Fishies (and other water creatures), island natives, and the Imperial Navy. ("In the navy! You can sail the seven seas!..)
Friendly non-player creatures will be different pirate ports, black markets and travelling pirate ships.

Islands:
We can't have a sea without islands. But we can't have a bunch of islands that are EMPTY either! So players can send a part of their ship's crew to shores in order to interact with... Well, whatever they encounter on ground. Here, the pirates will trade, search for buried treasure, solve puzzles, fight epic battles, but most important - PLUNDER AND HOARD!

RPG Aspects:
If you were stuck with your starting boat, then this would just like every other multiplayer for WC3. And to prevent that, players will be given the ability to swap ships. This can be done in two different ways:
1. Trade Buy a new ship. There will be several ports and shipyards where you can spend your gold on ships, anything from the Viking Longboat of the savage norsemen, to the ancient, greek Trireme!
2. Hijack Any ship you encounter at sea can be taken command of. Board the ship, capture the crew, and enjoy your new ship!
There are loads of ships to choose from, and every one of them will be distinct from the others, in some kind of way. Here's a list of ships planned:

-Frigate
-Battleship
-Cruiser
-Imperial Shuttle
-Interceptor
-Fireship
-Galleon
-Galley
-Pirate "Plunderer"
-Ghost Ship
-Haunted "Destroyer"
-Gnomish Steamboat
-Gnomish Submarine
-Viking Longboat / Drake Ship
-Trireme
-Orc Catapult Cruiser
-Orc Juggernaught
-Elven Arrow Boat
-Elven Volley Ship
-Elven Ballista Shuttle

In addition, you will be able to obtain different parts for your ship, such as cannons, hulls, sails, etc...
Allowing players to capture towns and ports might also be added, but it's still under consideration.

 

[AbstractCreativity]

Posting to subscribe. Here's a lovely pirate ship image!

 

[Trillium]

please, make a realistic ship combat... like cannons being recharged, attacks only from sides, wind affecting movement, slow turn rate, etc...

 

[Sondar]

Sounds like an amazing idea.

 

[AbstractCreativity]

To Sondar: Thx mate

To Trillium: When I get to that point, I'll do as best as I can. Or more correctly; I will find someone who can do the best they can with it, as I am HOPELESS with triggers
But a realistic combat system would rock!

 

[Hijax]

A pirate map. wishes do come true....

I, and my jassing, are at your disposition.

 

[Linaze]

What's important when making a map where you control a ship is to add a variety of other stuff than just sailing around firing your cannons. Buried treasures, raiding port towns etc. are examples of such things. Also, as was mentioned above, firing from the side, a wind system etc. really helps make a map like this feel more realistic, so there are things I strongly suggest working on.

 

[HappyCockroach]

What about using my night elven Airship model as a pirate ship to the night elves? As though as they sailed across the sky instead the sea.

 

[Trillium]

nightelven airship can serve as a travelling pirate city (with proper scaling)

don't forget WC2 submarine model =)) underwater pirates! hide! uhm, where to hide though...

 

[AbstractCreativity]

[iPhone+internet on hotel= posting now ]

I've been thinking, and I've come up with a handful if ideas.
But since I hate writing a lot with the iPhone touch-screen keyboard, I'll only dish out a few now, and save the rest for later. So stay tuned :]

I figured it would be BORING LIKE HELL if everything happened out on the sea (besides, I always planned to have islands on the map, and I realized it would be a lot of wasted space if they were only "large doodads"), so players will be able to let a crew leave the ship to solve puzzles (puzzles, yay!), fight, trade, and most important, HOARD on land. And then bring any riches, goods, ship parts and other loot back to the ship.

And I'm *considering* the next idea: Letting players switch ship/boat-type... (I've already decided letting people switch ships, as it will greatly increase the RPG aspect of the map.) ... Here comes the funny part: BY BOARDING ENEMY SHIPS! And then throwing the the ship's crew off the deck. :] (If I include this feature; then it will not work on other players' ships. That would be too cruel.)

... And Hijax, I would love "you and your jassing's" help! A jasser would be totally awesome!

I'm back home on tuesday, and I'll start working on more ideas and unique concepts, terrain (and eventually a background story) as soon as I'm sitting in front of my computer.

 

[Trillium]

have you played "Sid Meyer's Pirates!" ?

 

[AbstractCreativity]

Well, I've heard the name mentioned somewhere, but I never playe it. I don't even have a clue what it's like... Do my ideas resemble anything from Sid Meyer's Pirates?

 

[Vosty]

Pirates? Very cool Idea!
I can't help, you because I'm busy making my campaign.
But anyways, it would be awsome if you raid ships, and take them over to get better ships.
To add to that, if there was ways that you could increase the size of your crew, to such a size that you couldn't fit them one one ship?
Alternative, have 2 ships!
Raid the 7 seas with a whole fleet of ships, each containing a whole bunch o' pirates!
Mathmatical Equation Time!
12 ships x 20 pirates each = 240 pirates = INSANITY

 

[Trillium]

somewhat =)
the main point of SM's Pirates is that you sail the caribbean, sink (by blasting them with cannons) or capture (by blasting away their masts or by boarding and killing the captain) other ships. you can make a fleet (though only your flagship participates in combat) or sell the unused ships. you can buy upgrades for ships (cannons, brass plating, better sails, etc.) in ports, repair damage, get crew, buy food, sell spoils, get a tip where and when can you find a rich trade fleet, etc. many ships to choose from, from canoe to a ship of the line. when you capture a ship, you don't get money right away, but you get stuff, like coffie or spices or food. food is essential (your crew can die of starvation). spices and such can be sold (different ports offer different prices). you can offer the captured ships' crew to join your crew. sometimes you will get a specialist (medic, carpenter, cannoneer, etc.), which is very useful.
what is more, you can capture ports (land combat, turn-based and very primitive)
also, there was such stuff as reputation with different countries, weather, 'silver fleets', famous pirates, items to improve certain skills and such.

i can go on for like an hour, it was a fantastic game =))
try implimenting at least some parts of it, your map will be fantastic too =)

 

[AbstractCreativity]

Hehe, sounds awesome. :]
Capturing PORTS! <---- Awesome idea! Might be included.
I've settled on including the "Capture-a-Ship" concept, for getting newships. I've thought about having a fleet, but I dunno... That's still under consideration.
We'll definitely including different ship parts, as an item system. No RPG without a shitload of items to pursue, and eventually drool on them when you fianlly obtain your phat lewt!

I've been thinking about adding more crew, and I think I'll include something like that. I'll think out how that will work later on.

Anyways, here's a list of ships I've thought of:
- Normal pirate ship
- Cruiser
- Battleship
- Drake ship/viking longboat (if I can find a model for it)
- Interceptor
- Japanese-like ship (if I can find a model for it)
- Egyptian ship (sorry, I don't remember the name. Something with a "Tri..." beginning)

 

[Trillium]

i think you mean Trireme. its an ancient greece/rome ship =))

some more ideas:
Ship of the Line (was ultimate ship in SM's Pirates)
Frigate (normally frigates were very strong ships)
Galleon (slow and vulnerable, but with great firepower)
Fireship (like in AoE2 - a ship with a flamethrower cannon in front. melee ship)
Galley (weak ranged attacks, but has a strong melee ram attack)
Gnomish Submarine (why not?)

 

[AbstractCreativity]

Ahh, ofc, yup, it was Trireme I was thinking of. If I can find a model for it anyways. They look really funky in AoE2, lol.
Thanks for the extra ideas. I forgot about a lot of those.

Drake ship/viking longboat (if I can find a model for it)

Yay, there's a f*cking IMBAH Viking Longboat model here at THW. Then I'll be including the Viking Longboat.
Plus, there is a lot of other nice ship and boat models, for Galleons and Frigates and stuff like that. (Filter search keyword "ship" )

Gnomish Submarine (why not?)

Sure, why not? In addition, let's have a gnomish steamboat too xD

 

[HappyCockroach]

No Night Elven Airship? xD
Also what about:
- Ghost Ship (Hover)
- Skiff
- Gnomish Submarine
- Dirigible (Flying)

 

[Trillium]

Giant Turtle (like in WC2 - with a cannon on its back. there was a model somewhere)

 

[AbstractCreativity]

HappyCockroach, we might include your airship as something, just not nessescarily a ship attainable for players. Like the suggestion on page 1, maybe there will be some pirate town flying around on the map

If you could tell me 'where' that model was, we might have a Giant Turtle from WC2, Trillium.

 

[Trillium]

erm, i've only seen it in map...
ask Child_of_Bodom, he seems to know all WC3 modding sites and their databases by heart =)

 

[AbstractCreativity]

Ok nvm it's not that important... We're starting to get a pretty nice amount of different ship types... -.-
Let's count...
Uhm, 12 + / -

 

[redscores]

@Trillium: Complicated Games never get popular, so forget it.

 

[Trillium]

alot of ships =/= complicated =P

 

[AbstractCreativity]

THREAD UPDATED! Additional information about the map can be found in the first post, or "Thread Origin", if you like. Lol.

 

[redscores]

@Trillium: I meant the stuff about physical correct movement.

 

[Trillium]

ah,but that's only complicated in triggering
in-game that's ok, try "Sid Meyer's Pirates!"

 

[L2love]

will u be able 2 save ur ship and crew for anther game?

 

[AbstractCreativity]

If I can find some dude to make the trigger... Of course!

 

[Vosty]

save load code is the best, but if u find the guy, can you show me how?

 

[L2love]

Do you have a idea what to do with your ship combat system?

 

[Vosty]

save load code is the best, but if u find the guy, can you show me how?

I know how to make one now, but here is a nice tut.
http://world-editor-tutorials.thehelper.net/cat_usersubmit.php?view=59201

 

[Joss]

I ahve soem ideas for you, as this sounds great to me (I would also liek to know if I could join you as some kind of writer. I can also terrain a bit):

Have the player choose two different Heroes: The ship itself being a Hero, and its Captain being the other. Allow the Flagship to purchase a small fleet of smaller ships, such as schooners or even dinghies, so that it can have them deal more damage in combat, carry more crew members for use on land, carry more loot back to port, and more! Allow the player to customize his crew, and make the crew members they choose factor in on how well the player does in certain situations. For example: A scurvy outbreak causes your ship to lose two of your crew members, if a doctor does not act soon. If you have a doctor on board, they can be kept alive until you get food for them.

Thats all for now. If'd you like me to help you out at all, just let me know

 

[marlon919]

Maybe the player could have an hideout. Like a cave or some secluded bay. That only him is capable of spot. PC and other players couldn't do this without some expensive costs.
The player must reach X level, or anything that is used in this count. Then the player will have the option to create it. Here he can safelly store some ships, crew and treasures, and even produce something. Like an particular port. But is hidden XD.

And could exist an Notoriety atribute. As level, or even a stats, that affects a couple of situations, like an notorious ship boards another ship, and they get frightened because it's a famous pirate.

 

[TKF]

I think if you're going to make a pirate/ships rpg, you should have realistic cannon system. I've already made a map called NAVAL BATTLE using a realistic cannon projectile system AND boarding combat system.

Naval Battle is a very complicated game and never got popular cuz it's not as easy to play as regular battleships.


However I've not wind factors and such things cuz my map is a battleships AoS variant and I partly kept the battleships movement style.

Random Joke

....and HappyCockroach's airship is a ELVEN MOTHERSHIP!!!

 

[DocDude]

I think that if you're going to make a pirate/ship game, you should check out some games that already did that for ideas:
Sid Meier's Pirates
Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships
even Empire:Total War has some interesting ship battels.

and that's what i can think of. but there are alot of pirates and ship games out there, after seeing your ideas (that are all already in these games) i think you MUST play some pirate/ship games.

 

[Gyrosphinx]

That turtle with a gun on its back is found in pheonix-IV's model pack, don't remember wich.