The Ship is currently being attacked or is destroyed. Can't return to Port.

[Tikin]

I see this line so often ...

_ Once it took barely 5 min for a ship to be destroyed while I was on an island. Had no warning sign whatsoever before that. If I had not been used to ship system I would probably have not even guessed it was a storm ... I mean you come back to the dock the ship has simply disapeared. Imagine what would think a beginner?

_ Just visited Brog and Guld docks. 2 ships are occupied. The other two are "currently being attacked or is destroyed. Can't return to Port.".

_ Two times I encountered this (un)fun bug (AR confirmed to me it was a bug): on a ship, attacked by another PC ship, but Hull above 30% (not derelict in any way), have allowed to be boarded and RP some kind of redition. Boarders and their ship leaves, but the grappling hook stays on my ship, and ship is "currently being attacked or is destroyed. Can't return to Port." ... Even if I take the time to destroy the (really heavily HP pooled) hook.

_ With the exception of Sencliff, once a ship is in this condition there is no way to salvage and repair it. It could be returned to port at 0% hull and PC have the option to pay (what I'd call a real) price to the quartermaster, or find (and pay?) a PC able to deal with the repairs (probably a carpenter, cause let's face it, to repair with tailoring (my toon is master tailor) is nonsensical in term of resources). I know I have once give a ship (Penny Rose) that was derelict (hull at 0%) but docked in port (probably a beginner that had been taken by a storm while docked at Brog) the first cares (like one repair with clothes, to recover like 8% of the hull), then traveled to Crow's Nest and had the quartermaster there to repair the rest of the hull ... It's not an easy way, but to have the option to do this always (and not to read "The Ship is currently being attacked or is destroyed. Can't return to Port") would be a real improvement imo.

_ I have been more than once caught in shipkillerstorm (the kind where 50 sail skill is not enough to guarantee safety for your ship) and see a ship being made unavailable to any PC (not just mine, any) within 1 or 2 hours from last reset, for a whole day. See where I'm going at ...

While I can understand the spirit behind the way it works now, I frankly believe it's mostly detrimental for Arelith as a whole. Perhaps it would make sense to have it work this way for long lease ships (the quarter ones), but not short temp rentals. Disabling a rental ship for everyone a whole day when it happens everyday is not a consequence, it's the game severing his own leg.
The good news is the sea system is so enjoyable overall that I believe it participate in having ships much used (and hence disabled), and that it was worth taking the time to express how willingly crippling it was a too bad

[Paint]

The few ship killer storms I've had the unfortunate luck of being caught in have been sudden, relentless, and can chew through a ship in minutes, yeah. And in the context of the ship system, a few minutes is practically the blink of an eye. On a flagship once, we scarce had a few moments to try to get away, and ended up having to use a pretty special item to avoid the worst of the storm.

Having these storms 'ramp up' to their full strength before chewing away at things at full force might make a little more sense. At least to give ships that have the really terrible luck of being in the quadrant the storm spawns on a little more time to respond to it.

Edit:
I like the ship destruction system, though. I think it's funny, creates risk, punishes failure, and creates context for RP. I'd prefer it stay as is.

[Tikin]

This answer has led me to believe I may have not completely been clear in my feedback. So, to be on the safe side, I'll try to clarify a bit ...

I too, think that ship being destroyed and sunk can be fun. This is not the part I believe to be problematic.

The part I believe to be problematic is this:

Devs can correct me if I'm completely wrong about it, but the way I see it rental ships are a part of the server "resources", the kind that would be problematic if there were too many. The number of Quarter Ships AND Rental Ships have grown since the new (fantastic) navigations system. But very slowly, and a soft touch here, a soft touch there ... I mean, obviously there seem to be great attention given so that these resources don't become a burden to the server. Perhaps even to some kind of balance that may elude me in other compartment of the game.
But I don't think (again, they're welcome to state if I'm completely out of the scheme in what I describe) that one specific rental ship resource is supposed to represent necesseraly only one ship ... I mean, the Penny Rose is a fishing boat and will always have the same statistic, but (and I believe it's shown by the ability to name ships at every change of temporary owner), it's a representation of any small fishing ship that could be around Arelith ... This very resource as I take it is not the very only fishing ship on such an island. It's all the fishing ships. Sure, in term of resource there is one, and only one fishing ship of that type can be used by PCs at one given time. But once the owner change, it's potentially another ship ... If it weren't the case, there ought to be something more to do than a "reset" to repair a ship after it is destroyed. I believe.

Hence, as I see this kind of resource that way...

While I agree that a crew that sees his ship destroyed for any reason should be barred from going back at sea at least until next reset, I really don't see any reason to deprive the whole server from some of his most limited resources. (still specifically speaking of rentals).

I would propose something like this (I know it looks like a suggestion but at this very moment it's more an open reflexion on the subject ... If (and hopefully when ) devs think it is ready to be transfered to suggestion section I'll be happy to comply ) :

Rental Ships ONLY

1_ When a ship is sunk, the whole crew onboard is by Arelith Rule forbidden to rent and get on any other ship (outside of the accidentals that directly follow the sinking OF COURSE -accidentals being something completely out of player's decision.) [ok I'm not completely sure of how this should be turned ... I'm french and some players are picky on the way things are phrased, and a part of this is and should in my opinion be a bit FOG, so not easy, but I'm sure one could find a clear way to put it ]

2_ When one clicks on the sign of a destroyed rental, then on the option "return to port", perhaps on top of the sentence "The Ship is currently being attacked or is destroyed. Can't return to Port." , there also could be something like an option "Pay X coin for a salvage? Beware, it doesn't repair the ship, you'll have to either make repairs or pay quartermaster to have it repaired".
Said option would bring back the ship with 0 Hull at port.

I hope I've been more clear this time ... If some part of my feedback/ideas are unclear, feel free to ask for a clarification here, or by PM.
And of course other players feedback on the subject are welcomee, as well as ideas abnout how to handle what I describe as an issue (for those who agree with me about it beeing an issue at least )

So?