Retractable Ship Ladders. How to do them right. (DRAWINGS)

I agree! There needs to be a way to set traps or raise the ladder! I wouldn't even be opposed to them adding in a grappling hook that took the place of a primary weapon to keep the game balanced.

That's not a bad idea! Literal jaw clamp trap would be nice as an alternative or both even! Drop one by each ladder. Damages and clamps the player or skeleton for 5 seconds and half damage.

@cheatingpirate said in Retractable Ship Ladders. How to do them right. (DRAWINGS):

This is probably what would be best to encourage Ship to Ship fighting more instead of boarding via sword charge/ cannon launch to water. Basically, a means to raise and lower the Ladder.

THis was, as a matter of fact, a VERY old idea by the devs themselves. But, they couldn't be able to get back on the ship because the ladder was raised. But... what if there was a way to lower it from the bottom? Here is what I mean with this.

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Take example one, this is the most common means of boarding, And sure it could be avoidable or shoot the guys, but annoying and won't be as good as blazing guns. So, let's get to picture two I made.

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Basically, it adds a third rope down the middle, which is more like a guillotine rope.... where if you pull it, it drops the ladder planks, and with that a new animation of all of them dropping, which could take a second or two. Even if it was one second, it isn't enough for someone trying to board. If they drop the ladder, the ship ladder would be out of reach by the time the animation is complete.

I mean, if one drops it and another boards that's a way around it, or if they forgot to raise the ladder, but then again this WOULD encourage either ramming more, cannon firing, or cannon ark landing.

Basically, this goes around the main problem with ship combat.

Or and hear me out, or and I know this is crazy, or you could just pay attention.

@cheatingpirate Bear trap I guess you'd call it. The old fashion ones you step on with the teeth that snap closed

I do admire the thought that went into this but I am completely against it. As other posters have said, it's another form of a safe zone. Myself and my crew have 0 issues with boarders because we pay attention. We listen for the water splash, we constantly check the water when tailing a ship, everything.

Safe zoning your ship just takes away a strategy for combat and I for one am against it. Sorry.

@jonaldinho said in Retractable Ship Ladders. How to do them right. (DRAWINGS):

@MattyDove74 said:

Or and hear me out, or and I know this is crazy, or you could just pay attention.

How is that comment helpful at all? The OP is suggesting an additional game mechanic that might enrich the game experience. It’s not like this is an unrealistic suggestion. Whether you like it or not is irrelevant. At least provide a reason for why this is a bad idea in your opinion. I understand trolling comments like this when someone makes a ridiculous suggestion, but you’re just trolling to troll.

Fights already take too long. If no one boards, barrels are irrelevant, cannons are irrelevant. This is to help lazy crews. Nothing more.

This is a great idea. Boarding is currently too easy to do considering how devastating it is. The risk vs reward balance just isn't there. There is no risk for a chance of a huge reward. If mermaids weren't a thing, it'd be a different story, but they exist and ship to ship combat is dumbed down immensely for it.

@gutterangel said in Retractable Ship Ladders. How to do them right. (DRAWINGS):

The people saying boarding is too easy are possibly just being boarded often and aren't able to get their crew to gaurd the ladders. This idea seemingly just wants to take away an avenue of attack that they must be vulnerable to.

There is plenty of risk trying to board an enemy in combat. The first being, now your boat is down however many crew members are trying to board the enemy. Miss the ladder and now wait a minute or more because the mermaid wont pop up until your ship is far enough away. Die on the ladder due to alert enemy crew members. Miss a ladder attempt and now the enemy is gaurding ladders. The ladder is fine the way it is.

This suggestion is trying to make the the boat a safer place for an unaware crew. It gives nothing back in the other direction by offering hooks and axes.

This doesn't remove an avenue of attack, it adds a modicum of difficulty to one which currently has none. Swimming toward a ladder is one of the easiest things to do in this game and it has the potential to be a huge game changer. There is no reason that something so pertinent to the outcome of a fight should be so absolutely brainless. Retractable ladders make the game require more skill and planning, not less.

This suggestion is trying to make the game more difficult for the poor sailors and cannoneers. Hooks and axes are things for a different topic.

@gutterangel said in Retractable Ship Ladders. How to do them right. (DRAWINGS):

@ttargetpractice You are completely over simplifying boarding and trying to attach some buzzwords like brainless to it. You are stretching so hard to fit your argument and you know it.
Pay attention to your ladder. That's why the mechanics of water splashing, footsteps on a ladder, knocking off the ladder with one sword swipe, knocking off the ladder with one bullet, exist. You don't like being boarded by your own ladders, fine. That doesn't make it brainless and easy. Walking over to your ladder and swinging your cutlass is one of the most brainless, easy things to do, so is learning how to use the rest of the mechanics in place to repel boarders.

Retractable ladders go too far in the direction of protecting the unprepared, unaware crew and punishing the team trying to board an enemy boat. Takes away the need to pay attention at all when you have so much warning and additional time to react in addition to the easy, brainless ways of repelling from your ladder.

Swimming toward a ladder is brainless and easy, period. There is no argument that can be made to the contrary. You falsely assume that I like or don't like whatever. You're incorrect. I don't speak of my opinions, I speak of balance. This change would "hurt" me as much as anyone because the majority of my boarding comes from people stupid enough to pursue me on a predictable course. The difference between you and I is that I recognize the simplicity of the tactics I'm using and the disproportionate effect it has on the other team's ability to operate. This would add more to the game, not take away from it. It's currently easy, I would like to be challenged a bit more.

Comparing swimming toward the ladder and guarding the ladder forever is asinine. They are incomparable in regards to the skill and effort required. Guarding a ladder is a thing that must constantly be done. Swimming toward a ladder is a decision that you make and don't have to think about before or after. It's not even a decision any longer, it's the expected tactic because it's the easiest, most reliable, and most risk free tactic.

Most importantly, they're actually retractable rope ladders. The more parts of the ship that actually function like parts of a ship, the better and more immersive the game will become.

@cheatingpirate I would add one thing to the OP. Ladders fall when the ship takes damage from any source.

Worst idea iv ever heard...you’re leaving the sloop at a greater disadvantage. I personally love running a sloop and taking out galleons by boarding them, anchoring them, putting holes in them. If you were to make it strictly ship vs ship...sloop would have a great disadvantage.