Treasure Fleets should have random destinations, and their rough locations and routes disclosed to all parties

[eaglet123]

Currently Treasure Fleets give no challenges or fun: you set them a course to your nearest border, and it's almost an automatic Treasure Fleet Point in several turns. I'd like to suggest changing the mechanism:

1. The Treasure Fleets should run automatically instead of controlled by players, and have random and different destinations every time.
2. Whenever Treasure Fleets respawn, all parties (human and AI) should be notified about their rough locations, and possible routes (similar to those pirate games).
3. Anyone with privateers can attack the Treasure Fleets (no need to declare war), but only the one successfully sunk the Treasure Fleets can receive the Treasure Fleet Point.
4. Independent Powers can also have privateers, or there can be pirates respawning here and there.
5. Random effects such as smaller storms can also harm the HP of Treasure Fleets.

I think these can make the economy competitions in the exploration age more interesting, involving and rewarding.

There could be another way: should players keep controlling where the Treasure Fleets go, the further the destinations, the more points they can get when the fleets arrived. But there can be higher and higher rates of random effects each turn to harm the HP of Treasure Fleets, making it an easier target to other parties.

What do you think? Did you especially expect to play the pirate and navy game in the exploration age?

 

[JaeChunDaeSung]

The piracy possible in Civ4: Colonization was intuitive. They can aggro other Civs due to their nature as a "neutral party" and "plausible deniability."

 

[ehecatzin]

I agree in that they need to be easier to spot and interact with, Privateers are really needed to be able to plunder without needing war. The random location I don't know if it would work so well, I agree in that just reaching home continent borders seems a bit odd, the fleets should have to make it back into a home port with enough infraestructure to recieve it (maybe needing a wharf?)

 

[GeneralZift]

I wouldn't make it random due to inconsistency, some players would get the shortest route and some the longest. It would make the most sense to me to default to the longest sea routes available to the player.

 

[Melkus]

All this stuff definitely needs even better AI support for navy play as a top priority. It has improved, but ruling the waves is still trivial - is there ever a sense of danger for your treasures? Not at all.

I don't see 1 and 2 as necessary - it's already clear where they would spawn - all you have to do (in theory) is explore and let your ships hang out around the ports with the luxuries. But making the routes just a bit more complicated - at least make them reach a tile next to a port? Would be fine with that. Or give greater rewards for longer trips.

I'm sure they're going to introduce pirates. Just too interesting (and lucrative) to pass up. This can go either way, I think (be great, fall flat or be overtuned).
Doing it as a civ (only) would be odd, it needs to be a definite presence on the map. Not something that may or may not happen in a game.

No points for sinking, plz. You should have to steal it and bring it home for that. But giving them a way/chance of sinking by some mechanism - could be fun. (Privateers with splash damage? Maybe too unrealistic?)

 

[Melkus]

I would also like to see some way of collecting treasures by trading, some sort of relatively peaceful trading company mechanic.

It just seems too obvious - when sugar is right there with your overseas ally or city state, let us give them some money right away to compensate them (trade routes do that already) and bring those treasures home. You may need some sort of trading license endeavor for that - for a massive cost - but it doesn't feel right that it's impossible.

Some sort of forward port should be necessary, of course - you collect your trading riches there and still have to send them as ships.
Maybe they'll introduce that with Portugal some day? I would play that.

 

[Brian Bloxam]

Treasure Fleets?

What are they, I have yet to see one in a game. There is no indication on how they are formed other than some UTube discussions. Did exactly what they said..... nothing happened. I need more detailed info on what needs to be done for one to magically appear.