Privateers Require CB to Attack... WTF?

[WoollyMammoth]

Maybe events could provide some solace?

When you use privateers in a trade node (against a specific country), one has x percentage change one of the following event firing:

Privateers caught while pirating
Countries upset with us privateering

Choices:
a. Call back privateers (-20 relations)
b. Call back privateers pay compensation, promise not to do it again. (-0 relations)
c. Leave privateers in trade node (-50 relations, added variable (from +2 to +10 ducats) navy cost per month due to repairs)

If the other country has a more powerful navy, maybe add an event which adds higher maintenance cost to privateers as more ship repairs have to be done.

Just a rough sketch. Could have some positive events as well. Such as captured really rich fleet.

When playing with the Veritas et Fortitudo as Naples, there were events concerning pirates.
Might want to take a look at that as well, instead of re-inventing the wheel.

Edit: One could also have an event 'Privateers caught at sea', which could describe a battle, and then destroys/ damages x amount of privateer/ navy ships.
In Veritas et Fortitudo there is an event which adds ships, so the reverse might be possible?

 

[unmerged(46341)]

Don't forget that Light Ships sent trading aren't...trading. They're "protecting" trade. Now with privateers, you basically can steal trade or protect it. I like it.

Except I'm not sure why you'd ever use privateers vs stacking more trade power...

Ya, that's pretty much my take on it. Privateers are useful if you are a nation with lots of money and less naval power than your trade competitors. If you want to combat privateers without going to war, the 'soft' option would probably be to just throw more light ships at the node. This could make privateers pretty useful for sucking an enemy's time and resources without having to go to war, and could maybe even lead to a sort of trading arms race with a proper global trade war or two if the AI does it right,

 

[mocoman2001]

It wouldn't be useless, it would be too cheesy. Imagine GB gating all it's heavies with some light ships into privateer mission only to destroy France navy. They'd use mostly ships that during peacetime are useless.

I was just thinking that. In my Netherlands game i have the largest navy by far, i can just make them all pirate and ftw pwn all the other nations i don't like to keep there trade down, and my trade profits up ;p

 

[Marquoz]

Just make big ships in a node reduce privateer efficiency, problem solved to na extent.

Right now they are only useful in war, when they were also used as escorts.

I like this idea, and I hate privateers as they are currently implemented. The fact that they're unkillable and have such a large effect is way out of line, in my opinion.

 

[Darkath]

Yeah, can someone fill us in on what exactly privateers do (with numbers/statistics), and why I should ever use the functionality over trade fleets?

For instance if you're playing as japan you can go and siphon Hangzhou money with privateers. When you're done conquering china you can do the same in malacca then india etc. If you're working against the stream it's a great tool.

As a european/mediterranean nation you can also destroy trade at Antwerp, Sevilla or Venice who are otherwise end nodes.

In Multipalyer it's also great to destroy the trade income of a merchant republic (for instance if you play as ottomans, you can easily destroy venice's trade with privateers.

 

[MWSampson]

I would prefer to see privateers operate on the parts in between trade nodes. So six ships can take a fraction of one trade route, but not a whole node. I know that the WETN represents a variety of trade routes... But the reality is, how do privateers /really/ get a cut of trade between Wien and Venice?

I wouldn't mind seeing privateers receive heavy attrition in the trade node. Or for there to be a mitigation. So you can send out some heavy ships to decrease the effect of privateers. But privateers are overall a good feature so I wouldn't like to see them just get wiped out. As they're almost giving those with small navies a chance to get some trade riches.

 

[Darkath]

Unless you stick wheels to frigates, privateers are unlikely to be able to do anything between wien and venice, because, that's a land route you know.

 

[MWSampson]

That's kind of my point. Yet privateers in Venice are getting a slice of that pie for no discernible reason.

 

[Delta107]

DerOstkonig,

I get what you are saying - but I dont think its as easy as declaring war on piracy and having a couple of fleet battles.
I like that privateers are a pain in the bum that I have to use diplomacy(war) to get them recalled. The self spawning pirates of old where always more of a mouse-click pain than a game-factor. PDS is trying to make everything a game choice - if its not a choice, and you should always do a certain action, then they remove the option and make it automatic or remove the mechinic.

I like that I have to consider the rammifications of making the sponsoring state recall them - although that needs to be a diplo-option added to the current options (enforce privteers recall or something). Dont forget that a Trade War can be won through 80% win in naval battles. If his army can reach you then, well...he is allowed to pirate you because that is world politics.

These kinds of people don't read the changelogs. Do you really think that the OP would have started this thread otherwise?

Privateers were not illegal during the entire time period of the game. There was not an international treaty against them until the 1850s. The reality of the time period is that nation's could without declaring war drastically inhibit the commerce of one or more other nations using privateers. If anything is flawed about the mechanic currently it's that a war declaration would do anything to make it better. Thousands of merchant vessels were captured by competing sides operating privateers dwarfing losses and forces in flagged navies. Yes, countries did actually declare war and physically invade or try to invade a country for sending privateers against them. In fact a successful invasion was about the only thing that would make it stop. Given the size and speed of privateer forces and the small size of navies combat elimination was impossible.

This is a very good point.

 

[beckermt]

Except I'm not sure why you'd ever use privateers vs stacking more trade power...

Privateers collect money without needing a merchant present and can affect nodes you can't reach/steer from or do not fit into your trade flow.