This idea introduces a new type of merchant voyage focused on escorting NPC passengers across the seas. Players must protect their NPC cargo from skeleton attacks, ship damage, and potential PvP threats while navigating to designated locations. The quests add variety, challenge, and PvP opportunities to the game.
Quest Flow
1. Starting the Quest:
- Players receive a note with the NPC’s pick-up location.
- At the location, players press X to interact and load the NPC onto their ship (appears on the top deck).
- Ships must be close to the NPC, similar to voting up Emissary Flags, to load them onboard.
2. Destination Reveal:
- Players talk to the NPC to discover the delivery location (island, sea port, or outpost).
3. Escort Phase:
- Players must defend the NPC from threats during transit.
Threats include: - Skeleton sloops that spawn with Bone Callers capable of summoning skeletons onboard.
- Other players who may attempt to board, kidnap, or kill the NPC.
- The ship sinking, resulting in NPC loss or requiring rescue.
4. Quest Completion:
- Once at the destination, players press X near the NPC or a marker to confirm delivery and complete the mission.
PvP Mechanics
1. Kidnapping Option:
- Enemy players can board and kidnap the NPC, transferring them to their own ship.
The new crew can then:
- Deliver the NPC to the Reaper’s Hideout for a ransom bounty.
- Take the NPC to their original destination for a bonus payout due to the kidnapping.
2. Killing Option:
- Players can kill the NPC, causing them to drop a Bounty Token.
- The token can be turned in at the Reaper’s Hideout for a smaller gold reward.
- Competing crews can steal the token and cash it in, adding further PvP tension.
3. Rescue After Sinking:
- If the player’s ship sinks but the NPC survives, they can be found floating on a wooden plank.
- Other crews can jump into the water and press X to rescue the NPC, transferring them to their own ship.
- Rescuing can be treated as a kidnap, allowing delivery to the Reaper’s Hideout or original destination for higher rewards, or the NPC can be killed for a bounty token.
- Players can also revive the NPC within a longer window than for normal crew revives to prevent loss during combat.
Gold Rewards
1. Standard Delivery (No PvP Interference):
- Reward: 5,000–7,500 gold for safe delivery.
2. Kidnapping Reward (Riskier but Higher Payout):
- Reaper’s Hideout: 7,500–10,000 gold for ransom.
- Original Destination: 10,000–12,500 gold for completing the NPC’s journey despite the kidnapping.
3. Killing Reward (Easier but Lower Payout):
- Reaper’s Hideout: 3,000–5,000 gold for turning in the Bounty Token.
Rewards scale based on voyage length, distance, or NPC rank (common, rare, or legendary NPCs).
Additional Features and Balancing Notes
- Bone Callers Replace Cursed Cannonball Spam: Skeleton sloops use Bone Callers to summon skeletons, reducing reliance on cursed cannonballs and balancing AI combat.
- Anti-Farming Measures: Ransom bounty hand-ins occur at random Reaper NPCs across islands, preventing predictable farming.
- Dynamic NPC Behavior: NPCs act like pets, moving around the ship, reacting to gunfire, and performing emotes like hiding or ducking to add realism without requiring entirely new mechanics.
