Arelith

For some time, I've felt like the boat travel, particularly Captain Laurick's destinations, are weirdly inefficient. To get to Brog, you have to go to Crow's Nest (which itself seems like a fairly unnecessary hub that doesn't really connect all that much, though I understand the idea of it), turn around immediately to talk to the same guy, then go to Wharftown Ruins (which makes absolutely zero sense. Why stop at a desolate, bandit-infested ruin?), and then finally on to Brog (again, by talking to the exact same NPC). It seems like this could be made much more efficient by just charging characters 150 gold up front, instead of making them go through the steps of actually traveling to every location on the list.

There are a number of other boat travel (and cart travel) improvements that I think would really increase QOL, but this is the main one that springs to mind.

It's a physical circuit around the Isle, clockwise. Take a look at a map of Arelith. If you head west from Cordor by boat, you will pass Crow's Nest then Wharftown. Eventually you'll get to the north-western tip of the Isle, Dark Spires, which is Brog's beach. Wrapping around the Isle, you'll eventually arrive in the Skull Crags (Guldorand) on the north-eastern tip.

It's very much intentional, and the route was slowly built over time. You used to need to walk to Guldorand.

It'd probably be a nice quality of life thing that you could just go from Cordor to Guldorand by paying 200g, but then there'd need to be some sort of check in the dialogue that you aren't exiled from any of the places in-between.

I understand it's a circuit around the island, but the steps, particularly Wharftown, feel outdated. Back when Wharftown was a town, and not a ruin, it would have make total and complete sense for the ship to stop on the way. Why wouldn't a ship going past Wharftown stop there? But now it's ruins, and so overrun with bandits that they crew is often attacked when they land and Laurick's guards have to fend them off.

Even ignoring the efficiency (or inefficiency) of it, Wharftown seems like an utterly bizarre stop to make. Crow's Nest makes sense, logically, it's just a slightly tedious step.

Practically, the Wharftown ruins as a destination does get you near a lot of locations for writs and it doesn't take much to imagine Laurick dropping adventurers off at what seems to be a port that survived Wharftown's destruction to do their adventuring things. Whether it needs to be a stop for everyone going from Cordor to Guld or Brog is certainly a question.

Tbh 1 more location should be added at the Northern point in Minmir, between Brog > Guld.

I always just assumed the boat was more a shallow bottom skiff type that had to port frequently, therefore many stops. It can't go out to the deeper sea which is why it couldn't head toward Guldorand. *shrugs*

What's the difference between paying 150 to go straight to Cordor from Brog or vice versa, with the assumption that you make that roundabout trip, and what we've got now?

Other than bad game design being a good feature for real roleplayers somehow.

What I would love to see, is everything connects to Crows Nest.

• So a boat between Cordor and Crows Nest.
• A boat between Wharftown and Crows Nest
• A boat between Brogendenstein and Crows Nest
• A boat between Sibyad and Crows Nest
• A boat between Guldorand and Crows Nest

Turn it into a ship hub. Each with a different captain that makes that trip.

I would say the difference between cutting out all the stops and not is the chance of an interaction or encounter with others that may be missed. You cut travel even more, like portals do, and you lose that chance to run into someone you may have never met.

Bibliophile wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:29 pm I would say the difference between cutting out all the stops and not is the chance of an interaction or encounter with others that may be missed. You cut travel even more, like portals do, and you lose that chance to run into someone you may have never met.

Chance encounters of people loading in and immediately hitting the boat again? Also, less loading screens is good considering how many areas is like a 50/50 shot of crashing in the loading screen sometimes.

*shrugs* It was a thought besides saying someone's work was bad game design. I'm sure they had a reason when it was done and I chose to try and find or see that reason.

theCountofMonteCristo wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:19 pm What I would love to see, is everything connects to Crows Nest.

• So a boat between Cordor and Crows Nest.
• A boat between Wharftown and Crows Nest
• A boat between Brogendenstein and Crows Nest
• A boat between Sibyad and Crows Nest
• A boat between Guldorand and Crows Nest

Turn it into a ship hub. Each with a different captain that makes that trip.

I love this.

And presently dislike the artificial distinction between the Amnish Boat Pilot and Captain Laurick.

I definitely would like if there are more thematic captains. Laurick just ferries between Cordor-Nest-Wharftown, for example, and Captain North that handles Cordor-Brogendenstein-Guldorand-elsewhere.

But making the Crow's Nest a hub would be great.

The Greater Good wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:31 pm

Bibliophile wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:29 pm I would say the difference between cutting out all the stops and not is the chance of an interaction or encounter with others that may be missed. You cut travel even more, like portals do, and you lose that chance to run into someone you may have never met.

Chance encounters of people loading in and immediately hitting the boat again? Also, less loading screens is good considering how many areas is like a 50/50 shot of crashing in the loading screen sometimes.

more like 90/10

and you would be surprised how many times bumping into people on the dock or ship created more rp

I really don't want to say this is "bad game design". I think it's something that legitimately made sense previously, and is probably just outdated.

theCountofMonteCristo wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:19 pm What I would love to see, is everything connects to Crows Nest.

• So a boat between Cordor and Crows Nest.
• A boat between Wharftown and Crows Nest
• A boat between Brogendenstein and Crows Nest
• A boat between Sibyad and Crows Nest
• A boat between Guldorand and Crows Nest

Turn it into a ship hub. Each with a different captain that makes that trip.

If we want to encourage change RP encounters, I think this is absolutely the way to do it. The Crow's Nest is very clearly intended to be a hub, given its layout, but currently, with just boats to Cordor/Wharftown, and Sibayad, it isn't. Seeing it turn into a hub would be awesome, and a slight redesign of the area to make it all fit could really make it into a great area.

As a side note: Either bringing the writ agent outside, or adding stuff like bandages and supplies, and a couple standard vendors to the interior could really bring a lot of life to an otherwise mostly just transitional area. Stick a couple of things on shore to get people around the other side of the little islet and you've got yourself a nice little seaside dock/fishing village.

theCountofMonteCristo wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:19 pm What I would love to see, is everything connects to Crows Nest.

• So a boat between Cordor and Crows Nest.
• A boat between Wharftown and Crows Nest
• A boat between Brogendenstein and Crows Nest
• A boat between Sibyad and Crows Nest
• A boat between Guldorand and Crows Nest

Turn it into a ship hub. Each with a different captain that makes that trip.

I’ll being this idea up to Irongron as I like it. The Crow’s Nest could be overhauled entirely and made to feel more like a ship hub this way.

Turn it into a proper port town to replace Warftown. Draw more people into the jungle areas.

theCountofMonteCristo wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:19 pm What I would love to see, is everything connects to Crows Nest.

• So a boat between Cordor and Crows Nest.
• A boat between Wharftown and Crows Nest
• A boat between Brogendenstein and Crows Nest
• A boat between Sibyad and Crows Nest
• A boat between Guldorand and Crows Nest

Turn it into a ship hub. Each with a different captain that makes that trip.

That is a great idea, and honestly what I expected when I first went there. Also wouldn't mind if there was a tad more reliable transport to Skal.

The writs there are great. I wish there was an NPC trader there to sell to...as who hasn't been stuck in Crow's Nest with no boat money. A message board in the Tavern would be nice (I may make one myself) as well.

Think of captain Laurick, though! The inefficiency is probably putting his kids through Candlekeep with big tuition payments, 50 gold at a time.

naturaly wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 5:05 pm Think of captain Laurick, though! The inefficiency is probably putting his kids through Candlekeep with big tuition payments, 50 gold at a time.

His kids are fine, Laurick has done this for many..many..many years and has a trade buisiness on the side.