The boat topic to end all boat topics

[Sho]

My suggestion:
A ship can dock to another ship if that ship is the right size (as currently), and is either not moving or very close. A ship docked to another ship, land or a harbor cannot be docked to.
Once docked, the crew of either ship can go onto the other only if they can go through the locks on both ships, either by having the keys or breaking the locks.
* The smaller ship can undock at any time. The larger ship can force the smaller ship to undock through a process similar to dragging.

Effects:
It will still be perfectly possible for characters to salvage unmanned drifting ships.
Pirates will find it significantly more difficult, but not impossible, to board a ship at sea.
Ship owners won't need to worry about their ships being stolen while they're docked.

Feasibility:
The first part merely involves rolling back an earlier change, and should therefore be quite easily done.
Jos said the second part ought not be too hard to implement: http://www.cantr.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=110549#110549
I don't know about the last. Programming Dept. input would be appreciated.

Related topics:

http://www.cantr.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5984
http://www.cantr.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5987
http://www.cantr.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6115


EDIT: A clarification of the asterisked suggestion: When the crew of the larger boat looks at the smaller boat, they will see a third button next to the "point" and "enter" buttons. This button, the "push" button, will start a dragging-like process for a character who presses it - they will be in a pseudo-project, and a "pushing percentage" will appear. Other characters can join in by also clicking the button (this differs from dragging in that characters do not have to help each other to join - this is because unlike with dragging, there is only one possible destination for a push). When a certain amount of strength (should differ depending on the smaller boat's size, and possibly on its cargo weight as well) is involved in the push, the boat will be pushed away. This is similar to an undock for the smaller boat, except that the boat does not move, but stays on the same spot as the larger boat. The crew of the smaller boat may immediately redock, and since there is no distance the docking will be instantaneous. If, however, the smaller ship does not redock, it will be left behind by the larger ship when it moves.
Pushing should not be affected by locks.

EDIT: Even more clarification: The pushers (the threshold should be such that at least 2 are always needed) must be on the larger ship (makes sense with the interface, too - if you can enter it, you can push it).

[DylPickle]

Nice. I went for yes.
But it's not a topic to end ALL boat debates...
Mearly the docking issues.
I'd still like my little lockable chest deal.

[kinvoya]

I didn't vote because I don't agree with your entire proposal. Please add a third option of Somewhat Agree, if you can, Sho. I like that ships can dock to docked ships. My char who is alone was able to build a dinghy and dock it to her sloop because of this.

The chars on the smaller ship should definitely not be capable of moving onto the larger ship without a key, however.

I think lockpicking tools (two or three different tools requiring steel) should be added to the game and thieves should only be able to access the larger ship:

-if it is unlocked
-if they have the key to the larger ship
-if they break the lock with a crowbar
-if they pick the lock with lockpicking tools (this would give them the opportunity to get the keys to the undamaged lock if they can kill the guard(s))

The lockbreaking would only be heard on the larger ship.

Lockpicking would have a chance of failure just like using the crowbar. It would be nice if dexterity were a skill which could improve with experience. There are many areas where dexterity could play a part. Sewing, for instance.

[Sho]

Sorry, I don't think I can edit a poll.

It's a valid point, but I think the theft issue takes precedence, and I haven't heard a solution (aside from making it completely impossible to board a locked ship without the key, even with a crowbar, which I think is extreme) that would address both issues.

Lockpicking is a separate proposal. I don't think it's relevant here - it wouldn't make a significant difference to the situation.

[Sunni Daez]

I cannot vote either...as I see that it is not just a straight yes or no...parts I agree with, others I don't.

[Black Canyon]

I didn't vote because I don't agree with your entire proposal. Please add a third option of Somewhat Agree, if you can, Sho. I like that ships can dock to docked ships. My char who is alone was able to build a dinghy and dock it to her sloop because of this.

I understand your point, Kinvoya....but the same feature that allowed you to dock to your own docked sloop is the same feature that could have allowed any other on a dinghy to dock onto it and steal it out from under you ..... while you were still building that dinghy of yours.

[kinvoya]

That's why what really needs to change is that chars on the smaller boats can't walk through the locks on the bigger boats. People have been calling for this for some time. Ideally my char could do it because she had the key to the sloop, no one else should be able to do it.

In some thread where Jos posted he seemed to be saying that he didn't realize this was happening and that it was a bug. It still hasn't been fixed, though.

[Surly]

Sorry, I don't think I can edit a poll.

Edited...

[Augery]

I voted yes. because this is what I think is the most reasonable idea put forward over the last few topics

[KVZ]

I voted for third option (I like parts). I agree with kinvoya.

[Nick]

I don't like the idea of "pushing" a boat off. Especially since it takes so long to dock. How far can you push a boat, anyway? Hours of travel away? Doesn't really make sense to me.

[SekoETC]

Umm, well it does sound reasonable but if that was added, my character might end up being screwed since he's "borrowing" locked ships with help from a longboat. Oh well, I guess it would serve him right. Just that if he would suddenly get stuck on one of the bigger ships or couldn't move from the longboat onto a bigger ship wouldn't make much sense ingame, so if this gets implemented, there SHOULD be a warning before hand so that if he's unlucky enough to be on a bigger ship when the locks suddenly pop into action, there'll be enough food to last til Siom, wait til someone comes in the harbor, explain the damn situation, wait for somebody to get a crowbar and bust him out...

[Robert]

Riiight, someone aiding a thief

[kinvoya]

There should have been a warning to the non-thieves before it was implemented that their docked ships could now be boarded.

This secrecy surounding changes in game mechanics seems silly to me. It always winds up on the forums anyway. Why not just tell us what changes have been made so our precious chars don't get killed when we thought they were safe?

How realistic is it that things our chars believe to be true about the world change from one day to the next? What if in RL we all woke up and discovered that anybody who felt like it could just walk right through our locked doors and rob or even kill us?

[AoM]

Consider the results of this poll to be your character's fair warning, Seko. Start working on that crowbar.

If your char gets locked inside a boat I will laugh and laugh.