Describe the Problem
Currently, when a ship (costing between 18g and 25g) is destroyed, it is permanently removed from the player's inventory.
- What the problem is: The high financial cost combined with 100% item loss makes ships a primary target for "griefing."
- Why it matters: Groups of players are currently hunting ships not for tactical gain or resources, but specifically to force other players to lose their 25g investment.
- How it affects gameplay: It discourages players from engaging with maritime content. I personally lost a 25g ship within one hour of purchase because I was targeted by a group whose only goal was to delete my progress. This makes the sea feel like a "gold trap" rather than a fun area to explore or test.
Suggested Improvement: Transitioning to a Repair Loop
While the goal is to have high stakes, the current "permanent deletion" feels too extreme for the current state of the game. I would love to see a system that incorporates our existing professions:
- The "Wrecked" State: Instead of disappearing, the ship could become "Wrecked" and require a Ship Repair Kit to be summoned again.
- Profession Integration: This kit could be crafted by Carpenters using materials from Lumber Milling and Metalworking (e.g., Wood and Iron). This adds depth to the player economy.
- Balanced Costs: A repair cost of around 5g would still be a significant penalty, but it wouldn't be as soul-crushing as losing 25g repeatedly.
- Downtime: To prevent ship-spamming in combat, a repaired ship could have a 15–30 minute cooldown or require being at a Port/Harbor to be fixed.
The sea content in Alpha 2 has so much potential, but the risk of losing a massive gold investment in minutes to targeted harassment is very high right now.
- Has anyone else felt hesitant to take their ship out because of the permanent loss?
- Do you think a repair-based system using Carpentry would be a better fit for the economy than a flat gold sink at the vendor?
Tone & Conclusion
I really enjoy the naval mechanics and the scale of the ocean! The day-to-day sailing feels great. I believe that by adjusting the "permanent death" of ships to a more interactive "repair loop," we can maintain the high stakes of Verra while making the game less rewarding for those who only wish to grief others.
