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Pirates- Can a Change be made?
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Aunt Pittypat
Aunt Pittypat
Well-Connected

Mar-14-2008 07:54

I would like to see a limit on the number of times the Pirates can attack you in a day. I was attacked 3 times going from Shangai to London. So now I am stuck in Shangai and I am unable to play a game that I am paying for. I subscribed to play 12 cases a day. Doesn't really seem fair that I don't get to play ANY.

I think pirates should attack once a day. OR put something in place so that not ALL of your cases are taken. Yes, I know about Hostage Negotiation but for new players trying to get other skills this is really bad.

Replies

topkebab
topkebab
Lucky Stiff

Mar-14-2008 19:11

ooooh, i haven't been pirated yet!! and i've finished my cases for the day.

now that i've said that, i'll probably be balling me eyes out on this thread tomorrow heehee.

do pirates attack when you are on an AVH? and how much exactly do they take? if it's a percentage of your total money then i guess it's probably a good idea to store some money in the agency safe before travelling?

Breitkat
Breitkat
Pinball Amateur

Mar-14-2008 19:47

Unfortunately, they can attack at ANY time except to or from Shangri-la. Doesn't matter where you're going or what you're doing. If you don't have hostage negotiation, they will prevent you from reaching your destination and take away the travel fee you would have paid.

No, they don't take away your entire stash of cash (unless that's all the cash you're traveling with in the first place, in which case, good luck bud, you're thumbin' it...;-), and no they don't take away all your cases at one time, just the number of cases it would have cost you for that specific trip. Yes, you can try again, as long as you have cases and cash to cover your next trip, but be warned, the pirates may very well strike again, as Pittypat and JR can tell you.

Count yourself lucky, Top, cause eventually you WILL get pirated one of these days. We all have, unfortunately. :-/

Jesse Hunter
Jesse Hunter
Bibliophile

Mar-14-2008 20:21

God know I've cursed the pirates until my throat was raw, but I'm not sure (at this time) that anything should be done about them. That's quite a statement since (ask anyone) I almost always come down on the side of change. I don't have Hostage Negotiation or Trap Detection, so I simply lack sufficient information to determine how a change would affect the game balance, so I have to default in favor of status quo.

From the more experienced Sleuths... how does being held up by the pirates compare to being booted out of the pyramids because of traps? Please consider relative frequency (pirate attacks per total #of trips vs trapping out per total # of maps tried) as well time and finances lost. I'm genuinely interested.

Vampiric Smile
Vampiric Smile
Safety Officer

Mar-14-2008 23:21

Well you will get different opinions because both sides have their supporters!
For me it is clear that only trap detection is important because is giving you endless access to packages, books, plans and the best ...Shoes.
I really consider pirates a minor problem. Just accept it and let it be !
But never lose your chance to explore the pyramids by joining the Steepers because then you will lose much of the fun of the game. Believeme without the trap detection pyramids (and all there wonders!)are almost forbiten

Breitkat
Breitkat
Pinball Amateur

Mar-14-2008 23:44

I'm one who favors Hostage Negotiation. I do a LOT more traveling around Sleuth than I've ever done in Cairo or Shangri-la.

I've been pirated, on average, probably about every sixth trip. Without HN, I would have to start back at my destination city and try again each time. I've done 17 Arch-Villain hunts, and participate regularly in treasure hunting. I'm not the most prolific hunter there is, but I have been around since the beginning of the pirates expansion. Dealing with pirates is fairly common for me.

How many times have I been to the caves of Cairo? About six. How many times have I been 'booted' because I've hit my maximum number of traps? Once.

It really depends on where your interests lie, Jesse. If you like to do treasure and AV hunts, you're going to be doing traveling. If you'd rather explore Cairo and Shangri-la, as Vampiric Smile does, trap detection is a better choice. There IS no right or wrong answer here. It's simply a question of tastes and interests.

Secret_Squirrel
Secret_Squirrel
Safety Officer

Mar-15-2008 00:03

Yeah I'm with breit. Not having trap detection is hardly prohibitive from doing the Pyramids. Maybe I've failed 3 out of a maybe 10/11 times. And twice not even on my account lol. (if you tell someone you haven't bombed out of pyramids you're guaranteed to when you try it for them lol) And the amount of times I was pirated over my 40 or so VHs yeesh if I'd had to pay or put my hunt on hold grrrr. But, yes, it IS a matter of tastes and what you're willing to put up with.

I suppose for those people who have all their contacts and are using Tea Steepers and Tigers for the 'end game' aspects of Villain Hunts and Cairo Shoes or even multi-city treasure hunts etc then it is purely a matter of 'choice'.

But to go back to the original point, for those who are at the beginning trying to get contacts then yes being pirated is frustrating as all get out.

Stooby
Stooby
Well-Connected

Mar-15-2008 00:40

I have to throw a penny into the mix here.

With hostage negotiations there is a work around for the pirates, and it is just that, a work around. It's one of the few none short cuts of the game that keep it interesting early on.

I disagree that not having trap detection isn't as prohibitive as hostage negotiations. I've been trying for the shoes but it seems to take weeks to get (not wanting to throw a big spoiler in here) the first part of the mission done and then I've failed the pyramids 5 times out of 7.

If a work around for pirates was introduced such as the ability to bribe then I for one would like a work around for the pyramids such as more detailed map you could buy that was a 1 shot and helped you negate 1 trap per go at the pyramids.

ija
ija
Sleuth About Town

Mar-15-2008 03:28

To make the story compleete, I suggest that when you have less than 1 mill xp, If you get pirated two times in a row the same day, on the same distance, the pirates will take all the money, but only take 2 cases, and then you arrive at your destination.
For sleuths with more than 1 mill xp, they should have been used to the problem, and been able to choose a different tactic... - and most important: they can more easily afford it ;-)

Vampiric Smile
Vampiric Smile
Safety Officer

Mar-15-2008 04:51

Seems that ija is right. I remember in the beginning of the game when I was not experienced and strong (financially) enough , pirates used to be a problem for me too. It seems that after 1000000 xp they gradually desapear (or i pay no attention to them).
I travel a lot and pirates may attack me once every 10-15 trips if at all !
To be honest I can not remember the last time ! (The stronger you are the less they attack ???...who knows!)

On the other hand going with the Steepers is like taking a decision to forget the shoes ! As we all know the shoes are the only really precious thing existing in the game . Are actually the dream Sleuth fetich items.

I can imagine Stooby (and he is one of the strongest players around!) having spent 4 skill points plus a week for the favor ending bleeding in the traps and having to start all over again !

Finally having chosen the tigers (and being extremely satisfied with!), i don't wish to see the pirates even softer because then who will ever choose the Steepers again ?





ctown28
ctown28
Huntsman

Mar-15-2008 07:02

Great point ans Stooby and as usual well presented. I don't necessarily think there should be a "workaround" for the pirates or even a limit on the number of times it can happen, I do however feel there should be a limit on the number of cases lost. If someone decides that they would rather have trap detection, that's all fine and well, but is it really fair to them or to new players for that matter that when trying to travel from city to city, they get hit 3 times and lose all of their cases for that day. With that hapening they basically just lost one day of the subscription that they paid for to play the game. I favor negotiations as well so it doesn't affect me anymore, but I just feel bad for people when something like this happens to them.

Espescially with a new player, if they bought a one month sub to try out the features of being subbed and experience something like this, it could very well be enough for them to decide they won't be resubbing if this is something they have to deal with.

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