Good evening, BOM, and other listeners,
It is with great anticipation for the future of our company to inform everyone of the return of an older, wiser Ezio Auditore to the ranks of Black Ocean Mercenaries, here on the early stages of our emergence as a maritime sea power.
We've had our ups and downs in the paths to where we have brought ourselves, and knowing that they'd eventually cross was an inevitability. That Ezio would make the ultimate decision to join the ranks of Pirate League with BOM, however, was not. Many would at first glance find the idea of bounty hunters and privateers/pirates merging companies reprehensible, but this only solidifies our push to lock horns with other maritime companies out there, including but not limited to SeaLegion, Princess Ana&Co, Royal Company, ChevaliersDuRoyaume (sp), Bristol Bay Buccaneers and Vanguard.
Ezio's addition allows for a privateer division, which only further diversifies our options. Bounty hunters follow stricter rules of engagement than privateers, as the reputation of notoriety often weighs on whether or not to engage certain maritime players in hostile or lawless waters. Privateers are not restricted here, and only certain engagements with countrymen and international relations dictate the difference between privateer and pirate. They are here to do what we may not be able to, in the way of kill-on-sight contracts on civilian adventurers and merchants, skirmishes with mixed pirate/civilian fleets, and any other situations where we may find our hands tied. This versatility will serve both sides of the coin well in forthcoming engagements.
Two brothers began this story in Venice many moons ago, and now we continue this fight as it began, in the company of one another once again.
This post may have singled out my assassin friend, but this of course touts the full rank and file of the Black Ocean Mercenary Navy. Without you, we would not be where we are, and I do implore all of you to stay the course as we continue our ascent. We were able very recently to have six Vaisseau-class ships in one area before; who's to say we can't fit 10 or even 15 there now? Time zone constraints? Feh. We'll all find the time to fight our enemies en masse so long as we keep our eyes on the prize. There are still plenty of pirates and maritime players that could best us in 1v1 fights or even 5v5.
But the teamwork we will build upon through team building exercises in the form of mock battles, duels, and joint ventures with the allies we have and may develop ties with in the coming days will prepare us to overcome all those obstacles.
Again, thank you all, and I look forward to fighting alongside each and every one of you as the battles looming over every new horizon approach.
Respectfully,
Father Gio
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Pride's Misadventures as a Pirate
BOMers,
Here's a quick reminder from Father Gio. Doing the Lord's work will not result in condemnation. In fact, it may be rewarded...
As Pride420, our resident lazy Brit that just happens to carry a hammer, found out last night.
Here's some evidence to show that our company truly is privateer-friendly.
Here's a quick reminder from Father Gio. Doing the Lord's work will not result in condemnation. In fact, it may be rewarded...
As Pride420, our resident lazy Brit that just happens to carry a hammer, found out last night.
Here's some evidence to show that our company truly is privateer-friendly.
Pride420, on a dare, made the decision to attack a French multiboxer in the waters of India. I can't be the one to chastise such actions as I find multiboxers to be pretty deplorable in the UWO universe. Even lower than indiscriminate looting pirates, because they at least give us something to do in that they motivate us to be better warfighters for when we find them on the seas.
Pride earned 1500 notoriety for his troubles, and as a result, I followed through with my promise to be his bodyguard until he once again turned white, or civilian as the game calls us. So I hustled to India en route to Southeast Asia in hopes of looting another heavily armoured sterncastle for my beast of a ship.
While there, we encountered none other than famed French bounty hunter 0lehKrysynskyi (SP), responsible for killing 98 pirates, often on his own. If you are unfamiliar, he is the bounty hunter who brought Mahir182, famed French pirate of SeaLegion, up in this game. So a formidable foe who is more than capable of squashing us like bugs caught us with our pants down outside Ambon.
We were up to the task, and I warned Pride to be ready. The son of a bitch had mines that would cripple lesser ships and fought a mean melee in the boarding attacks I engaged. But with the teamwork displayed between Pride, myself, and my trusty Turk Saladin, we were able to bring the behemoth down. A hard-fought victory resulted in getting chummy with a Frenchman and a trip to safer waters of Pegu for the evening.
Today, Pride420 will find himself the recipient of free pardons on my behalf and will once again acquire the freedom to sail the seas without the risk of bounty.
Fair winds, BOMers. And always do what you feel is right. It just might be.
Respectfully,
GiovanniBelzoni
Friday, November 9, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Financial Incentives and Proposals Moving Forward
Good afternoon, BOMers.
In light of recent turnover, we've hovered around 30 members with a solid core of active players. Your participation and contribution haven't gone unnoticed, and I appreciate each and every one of you who has endured the long, slow road to building a force to be reckoned with in the dog-eat-dog world of London maritime companies.
We still have a long way to go, but we're getting there.
And for recruitment ideas, as we discussed in ventrilo today, money talks! Here's a modest proposal for how to build a rapport with new members and current members alike.
As we all know, the company contribution meter resets around the 15th of each month. Right around that time, most active members get this done with relatively quickly and add anywhere from 12-20 to the total contribution for the company in a rather painless manner, just a few minutes of your time, usually, because MrsEdger is on point every month to hunt down contribution items in bulk, and all you are really required to do is hunt her down and make the swap. :)
This will be our means to ensure you get paid. A Deputy Director or Director (whether or not it will be me going forward) will be present to oversee that your contribution is made, and one will confer with the others to add said name member to the list eligible to collect monthly salary.
My idea to pay out what you are worth is based directly from your levels alone. While it may not be a reflection of your skill, advancement in level (rolegold.com notwithstanding) does take time and should be worth some recompense. Newer players will see a modest sum for their levels, and more advanced players will see higher salary for the time they've put in, and the sums should provide motivation to move forward to earn more for being a contributing company member!
Here's a breakdown of what I am proposing for monthly salaries:
Note the starting total levels for each tier. For Tier 1, it is assuming a balanced player is below level 30 in all three facets of the game, and this jumps to Tier 5, which assumes a player relatively close to 60/60/60, where 9 million will likely be a drop in the bucket. But still, 9 million a month for being a member of BOM isn't a bad deal if you ask me. ;)
Also, to boost recruitment for newer members that may see the monthly salaries as a raw deal, especially school chatters, there will be reward for finishing school while under the company name! This is easy to track and reward since you earn a title upon finishing any of the three advanced schools in Pisa.
Adventurer Graduate: 3 million
Merchant Graduate: 3 million
Maritime Graduate: 4 million (We're technically a maritime company, remember?)
So that's 10 million ducats to new players to form a decent financial foundation if they have no idea where Syracuse is on a map, even though I'm sure some of our more tenured players will be happy to help them with that. Also, there's a caveat for a dine-and-dash approach. Our company is privateer/player pirate friendly, and if you collect the 10 million and leave the company, I personally will consider that grounds to be blacklisted and possibly ordered to kill on sight. So choose your path carefully. :)
I know this was a lot to take in (ha ha), but I do hope to hear your feedback, suggestions, criticisms, and any other random comments (hopefully about bacon!) that you may have in mind.
Thanks for considering, and feel free to discuss when you would want this implemented, if at all!
Sincerely,
Father Gio
In light of recent turnover, we've hovered around 30 members with a solid core of active players. Your participation and contribution haven't gone unnoticed, and I appreciate each and every one of you who has endured the long, slow road to building a force to be reckoned with in the dog-eat-dog world of London maritime companies.
We still have a long way to go, but we're getting there.
And for recruitment ideas, as we discussed in ventrilo today, money talks! Here's a modest proposal for how to build a rapport with new members and current members alike.
As we all know, the company contribution meter resets around the 15th of each month. Right around that time, most active members get this done with relatively quickly and add anywhere from 12-20 to the total contribution for the company in a rather painless manner, just a few minutes of your time, usually, because MrsEdger is on point every month to hunt down contribution items in bulk, and all you are really required to do is hunt her down and make the swap. :)
This will be our means to ensure you get paid. A Deputy Director or Director (whether or not it will be me going forward) will be present to oversee that your contribution is made, and one will confer with the others to add said name member to the list eligible to collect monthly salary.
My idea to pay out what you are worth is based directly from your levels alone. While it may not be a reflection of your skill, advancement in level (rolegold.com notwithstanding) does take time and should be worth some recompense. Newer players will see a modest sum for their levels, and more advanced players will see higher salary for the time they've put in, and the sums should provide motivation to move forward to earn more for being a contributing company member!
Here's a breakdown of what I am proposing for monthly salaries:
| Player Levels | |||||
| Min Total Level | Max Total Level | Multiplier | Min total salary | Max total salary | |
| Tier 1 | 0 | 89 | 5,000.00 ₫ | 0.00 ₫ | 445,000.00 ₫ |
| Tier 2 | 90 | 119 | 7,500.00 ₫ | 675,000.00 ₫ | 892,500.00 ₫ |
| Tier 3 | 120 | 149 | 12,500.00 ₫ | 1,500,000.00 ₫ | 1,862,500.00 ₫ |
| Tier 4 | 150 | 179 | 25,000.00 ₫ | 3,750,000.00 ₫ | 4,475,000.00 ₫ |
| Tier 5 | 180 | 195 | 50,000.00 ₫ | 9,000,000.00 ₫ | 9,750,000.00 ₫ |
| Tier 6 | 196 | 210 | 100,000.00 ₫ | 19,600,000.00 ₫ | 21,000,000.00 ₫ |
Note the starting total levels for each tier. For Tier 1, it is assuming a balanced player is below level 30 in all three facets of the game, and this jumps to Tier 5, which assumes a player relatively close to 60/60/60, where 9 million will likely be a drop in the bucket. But still, 9 million a month for being a member of BOM isn't a bad deal if you ask me. ;)
Also, to boost recruitment for newer members that may see the monthly salaries as a raw deal, especially school chatters, there will be reward for finishing school while under the company name! This is easy to track and reward since you earn a title upon finishing any of the three advanced schools in Pisa.
Adventurer Graduate: 3 million
Merchant Graduate: 3 million
Maritime Graduate: 4 million (We're technically a maritime company, remember?)
So that's 10 million ducats to new players to form a decent financial foundation if they have no idea where Syracuse is on a map, even though I'm sure some of our more tenured players will be happy to help them with that. Also, there's a caveat for a dine-and-dash approach. Our company is privateer/player pirate friendly, and if you collect the 10 million and leave the company, I personally will consider that grounds to be blacklisted and possibly ordered to kill on sight. So choose your path carefully. :)
I know this was a lot to take in (ha ha), but I do hope to hear your feedback, suggestions, criticisms, and any other random comments (hopefully about bacon!) that you may have in mind.
Thanks for considering, and feel free to discuss when you would want this implemented, if at all!
Sincerely,
Father Gio
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Profile
Standard: Venice
Current Court Rank: 1st Knight
Company Rank: Director
Primary Character Focus: Maritime
Primary Combat Style: Cannoneer
Preferred Class: Cannoneer
Preferred Title: Marechal (Earned during February Battle Campaign)
* Ranks as of February 2013
Adventure 48
Trade 60
Maritime 67
Cannon Skills
R15 Gunnery (MAX)
R15 Ballistics (MAX)
R14 Penetration
R12 Accuracy
R14 Penetration
R12 Accuracy
Boarding/Melee Skills
R14 Swordplay (R10 Non-Favoured Cap)
R9 Assault
R9 Plunder
R8 Gunfire
R8 Gunfire
R6 Tactics
R5 Guard
Maneuvering Skills
R12 Evasion
R12 Steering
R10 Navigation (MAX)
R2 RowingR10 Navigation (MAX)
Combat Support/Misc
R15 Repair (MAX) - (R10 Non-Favoured Cap)
R10 First Aid (MAX)
R10 Arms (MAX)
R8 Surgery
R6 Management
R6 Mine Laying
R5 Leadership
R5 Shipbuilding
R5 Fire Fighting
Other notable skills
R5 Jewellry Trading (Primary financial mercantile skill)
R13 Sewing (Emphasis on sailmaking)
R8 Handicrafts (Endgame of building paneling when Shipbuilding is advanced)
Friday, April 27, 2012
A Brush With the Unexplained
Most of you should be familiar with my fantastic blunder in regards to thinking that the "Ghost Ship" was part of a 10-star maritime quest in London entitled "The Whereabouts of the Fleet." Many thanks to Profius, Aurelii, and -Ezio_Auditore- for being witness to this and not losing complete faith in me, and apologies to MrsEdger for not inviting her for the experience.
We all know how that ended up, so I won't go into detail. Father Gio makes mistakes, too. He ain't the pope...
But this serves as a guide to the infamous and creepy Ghost Ship that lurks the Atlantic, preying on unsuspecting sailors traveling between the Old and New Worlds... I finally fell prey to an attack by this supernatural phenomenon.
And because I was sailing on The Standard (both times!), I was ready for it.
The Ghost Ship is marked by an eerie glow emanating from the whole of the ship, from top mast to waterline. Because it has superior numbers in most cases, it will usually go for melee, as evidenced by its immediate use of Aboardage and Evasion at the onset of combat. Some hints to stay alive...
1) Stay calm. It's freaky, yes, and at first glance a formidable opponent. But rattling your nerves is the quickest way to lose this battle if you don't opt to escape.
2) Come prepared. I had at least 75 lumber and 100 cannon shot on me. And I ran out of ammo. Be ready for an extremely grinding battle.
3) Score the crits. The ship is surprisingly maneuverable for a big galleon, so find a way to let him give chase, and when he does, you square up and cut loose. His bow, depending on your armament, will take anywhere from 50-200 per critical hit and slow down any progress it's made on boarding you.
4) Stay far away. There isn't a reason any galley-type ships would be this deep in the Atlantic, so I'm speaking strictly to those in warships that can handle deep-sea travel, which I understand are a few galley-types with the drainage pump attached. But anyway, keep your distance until you're ready to strike with close quarters.
5) NO SORCERY! Yeah, where a simple blast from the sun or a whirlwind from Calypso would do the trick, I tried a turn from my Amulet of the Dead, and it did a whopping 3 damage, the equivalent of what a full broadside volley did in my less than maneuverable moments.
6) Be patient. As mentioned, come prepared for a long battle, because that's what you'll get. Plinks of cannonballs against a tough broadside, a tough-as-nails crew that doesn't rattle easily, and a ship that puts repair in high gear after taking more than 600 damage. (+80-+90 durability recovery after going below 400 dur; +15 only before that threshold)
Here is a quick breakdown of what I observed.
Basic Attributes
Type: Galleon/Square Sail
Durability: 1000
Complement: 250
Guns: Unknown, except for 4-gun bow Pedrero
Skills used: Repair, Aboardage, Evasion (confirmed)
Items used: Master Craftsman's Carpentry Tools (unconfirmed)
Attack/Defense in melee: ~270/~160 base, 2x if your crew is in disorder (not a force to be taken lightly)
Locales
First encounter: Southwest corner of North Atlantic, near to San Juan, early afternoon of 26 April 2012
Second encounter: Approximately 500 clicks south of Azores, evening of 26 April 2012
Method of Killing and Loot
First encounter: (MYSTERY!), looted a Pillage Order
Second encounter: Got lucky with a hit that caused disorder among the crew of the Ghost Ship, moved in for the kill. Ghost Ship tried unsuccessfully to retreat 4 times, killed 60+ each time. Looted 6 diamonds.
I hope you've found this enlightening to say the least. I've also included a link to a picture that captured the final moments of my second encounter yesterday for posterity, in case the picture I uploaded here directly doesn't work out so well.
Respectfully,
Father Gio
http://tinyurl.com/7hcftuo
We all know how that ended up, so I won't go into detail. Father Gio makes mistakes, too. He ain't the pope...
But this serves as a guide to the infamous and creepy Ghost Ship that lurks the Atlantic, preying on unsuspecting sailors traveling between the Old and New Worlds... I finally fell prey to an attack by this supernatural phenomenon.
And because I was sailing on The Standard (both times!), I was ready for it.
The Ghost Ship is marked by an eerie glow emanating from the whole of the ship, from top mast to waterline. Because it has superior numbers in most cases, it will usually go for melee, as evidenced by its immediate use of Aboardage and Evasion at the onset of combat. Some hints to stay alive...
1) Stay calm. It's freaky, yes, and at first glance a formidable opponent. But rattling your nerves is the quickest way to lose this battle if you don't opt to escape.
2) Come prepared. I had at least 75 lumber and 100 cannon shot on me. And I ran out of ammo. Be ready for an extremely grinding battle.
3) Score the crits. The ship is surprisingly maneuverable for a big galleon, so find a way to let him give chase, and when he does, you square up and cut loose. His bow, depending on your armament, will take anywhere from 50-200 per critical hit and slow down any progress it's made on boarding you.
4) Stay far away. There isn't a reason any galley-type ships would be this deep in the Atlantic, so I'm speaking strictly to those in warships that can handle deep-sea travel, which I understand are a few galley-types with the drainage pump attached. But anyway, keep your distance until you're ready to strike with close quarters.
5) NO SORCERY! Yeah, where a simple blast from the sun or a whirlwind from Calypso would do the trick, I tried a turn from my Amulet of the Dead, and it did a whopping 3 damage, the equivalent of what a full broadside volley did in my less than maneuverable moments.
6) Be patient. As mentioned, come prepared for a long battle, because that's what you'll get. Plinks of cannonballs against a tough broadside, a tough-as-nails crew that doesn't rattle easily, and a ship that puts repair in high gear after taking more than 600 damage. (+80-+90 durability recovery after going below 400 dur; +15 only before that threshold)
Here is a quick breakdown of what I observed.
Basic Attributes
Type: Galleon/Square Sail
Durability: 1000
Complement: 250
Guns: Unknown, except for 4-gun bow Pedrero
Skills used: Repair, Aboardage, Evasion (confirmed)
Items used: Master Craftsman's Carpentry Tools (unconfirmed)
Attack/Defense in melee: ~270/~160 base, 2x if your crew is in disorder (not a force to be taken lightly)
Locales
First encounter: Southwest corner of North Atlantic, near to San Juan, early afternoon of 26 April 2012
Second encounter: Approximately 500 clicks south of Azores, evening of 26 April 2012
Method of Killing and Loot
First encounter: (MYSTERY!), looted a Pillage Order
Second encounter: Got lucky with a hit that caused disorder among the crew of the Ghost Ship, moved in for the kill. Ghost Ship tried unsuccessfully to retreat 4 times, killed 60+ each time. Looted 6 diamonds.
I hope you've found this enlightening to say the least. I've also included a link to a picture that captured the final moments of my second encounter yesterday for posterity, in case the picture I uploaded here directly doesn't work out so well.
Respectfully,
Father Gio
http://tinyurl.com/7hcftuo
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
To my fellow BOM'ers,
I, at long last, have found my way to the production crew here at our neighborhood on the Web! Just to let you know our recent accomplishments as a top Genoan company in UWO, here is what has happened within the past couple months.
- Top Genoan Company for the month of February
- Achieved 1st Rank after month of March
- Acquired residency of 9th Company House in Genoa as a result of March company performance
- As of April 16th, ensured continued residency by meeting contribution requirements
Keep up the good work; more formal organization and kickassery to follow!
Don't forget. I'm always open for confession. *wink*
Respectfully,
Giovanni Belzoni
Company Director
I, at long last, have found my way to the production crew here at our neighborhood on the Web! Just to let you know our recent accomplishments as a top Genoan company in UWO, here is what has happened within the past couple months.
- Top Genoan Company for the month of February
- Achieved 1st Rank after month of March
- Acquired residency of 9th Company House in Genoa as a result of March company performance
- As of April 16th, ensured continued residency by meeting contribution requirements
Keep up the good work; more formal organization and kickassery to follow!
Don't forget. I'm always open for confession. *wink*
Respectfully,
Giovanni Belzoni
Company Director
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