Forum discussions are now taking place on Discord. For all account questions and concerns, please continue to contact Customer Support directly.

Keep updated on Pirate101 on Twitter @Pirate101, Facebook, Discord, and @KI_Alerts!

Making a new pirate: Companion Swapping?

AuthorMessage
Gunner's Mate
Sep 30, 2009
240
Hi everyone. Hello KI. I have a suggestion I would love feed back on. So I know that this game exists to sell itself. You guys need to make money and we need to have fun. Which is why I can understand why things like companions and ships can not be traded. However there is one issue with this. The super rare companions or specialty companions create a scarcity that can't be replaced. The most extreme of these are the buckler cat from the old boochbeard bundle and the ninja pig companions don't exist any more. So if you have one you can never delete that pirate or loose that companion forever. Other less extreme examples are the pack ones. Namely ones like baar or the aztecosaurs. You can't really expect pirates to buy all those packs AGAIN can you? Finally there are the bundle ones like nauisca. Now I can understand the starter dapple gangers or maybe ones like goronado you can expect pirates to re-purchase. But these others I mentioned seems unreasonable.

Which is why I propose this idea. KI needs to have a method of trading companions from one pirate to another but...wait for it...make it cost crowns. Now I know that last part sounds painful but hear me out. As I said at the beginning KI needs to make money. Why would they let you trade over say Temujin or Yagi or whatever for free when in making a new pirate you have to buy them all over again? Same with the bundle ones. They would much rather have you buy a whole other empire bundle to get Nausica again. However this cuts both ways. If a pirate realizes this and doesn't wanna save money...the entire account will become stagnant. They will be TOO hesitant to make NEW pirates because they don't wanna wast the money setting up their perfect team and collecting their favorite companions again. I spent 100's of dollars to get baar from those blasted packs I am certainly not going to EVER do that again. And the mega rare ones I can't ever get even if I was willing to pay through the nose for them.

So the problem with this is that if people never make new pirates and start their adventures over again...then there is less incentive to keep playing and KI will loose players. More new pirates mean longer memberships, more people playing pvp, more opportunities to buy new things etc. So what I proposed is the fix. This way KI can still make money and players can keep their rare companions. All they have to do is incorporate it into the gift system. That way when the new pirate claims the old companion it will automatically be reset to whatever level that pirate is at at the time. Further more by regulating how many crowns they cost they can ensure they continue to make money. As an example the starters cost 6000 crowns. If they made that the price I would be willing to pay that price (10+ dollars worth of crowns) to trade baar over rather than the 100's it would cost me to try and get him again. Just like resetting practice points people would go to a kiosk and pay crowns to undo/re-gift a companion.

Bosun
Apr 28, 2014
398
I think we had that discussion on central already... but yeah I'm for it :)

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Thomas Sunhammer on Sep 20, 2015 wrote:
Hi everyone. Hello KI. I have a suggestion I would love feed back on. So I know that this game exists to sell itself. You guys need to make money and we need to have fun. Which is why I can understand why things like companions and ships can not be traded. However there is one issue with this. The super rare companions or specialty companions create a scarcity that can't be replaced. The most extreme of these are the buckler cat from the old boochbeard bundle and the ninja pig companions don't exist any more. So if you have one you can never delete that pirate or loose that companion forever. Other less extreme examples are the pack ones. Namely ones like baar or the aztecosaurs. You can't really expect pirates to buy all those packs AGAIN can you? Finally there are the bundle ones like nauisca. Now I can understand the starter dapple gangers or maybe ones like goronado you can expect pirates to re-purchase. But these others I mentioned seems unreasonable.

Which is why I propose this idea. KI needs to have a method of trading companions from one pirate to another but...wait for it...make it cost crowns. Now I know that last part sounds painful but hear me out. As I said at the beginning KI needs to make money. Why would they let you trade over say Temujin or Yagi or whatever for free when in making a new pirate you have to buy them all over again? Same with the bundle ones. They would much rather have you buy a whole other empire bundle to get Nausica again. However this cuts both ways. If a pirate realizes this and doesn't wanna save money...the entire account will become stagnant. They will be TOO hesitant to make NEW pirates because they don't wanna wast the money setting up their perfect team and collecting their favorite companions again. I spent 100's of dollars to get baar from those blasted packs I am certainly not going to EVER do that again. And the mega rare ones I can't ever get even if I was willing to pay through the nose for them.

So the problem with this is that if people never make new pirates and start their adventures over again...then there is less incentive to keep playing and KI will loose players. More new pirates mean longer memberships, more people playing pvp, more opportunities to buy new things etc. So what I proposed is the fix. This way KI can still make money and players can keep their rare companions. All they have to do is incorporate it into the gift system. That way when the new pirate claims the old companion it will automatically be reset to whatever level that pirate is at at the time. Further more by regulating how many crowns they cost they can ensure they continue to make money. As an example the starters cost 6000 crowns. If they made that the price I would be willing to pay that price (10+ dollars worth of crowns) to trade baar over rather than the 100's it would cost me to try and get him again. Just like resetting practice points people would go to a kiosk and pay crowns to undo/re-gift a companion.
You can't really expect pirates to buy all those packs AGAIN can you?
Yes, they can and I've heard of and met pirates who have done that ( very nice revenue for KI. )
The main objection to trading companions to new pirates is that:
1. those companions are at a higher level than the new pirate
2. have already been trained in epics and talents.
3. some of them are unlocked companions. you need to fulfill a quest requirement to buy them. Goro and Eep are examples of this.
So the problem with this is that if people never make new pirates and start their adventures over again...then there is less incentive to keep playing and KI will loose players.
Many players ( including myself ) have used all six slots to create pirates and have made multiple accounts. It seems to me the P10 has "play value"; by having different classes, with different ways of creating a pirate the story is never exactly the same.

Gunner's Mate
Sep 30, 2009
240
anecorbie on Sep 21, 2015 wrote:
You can't really expect pirates to buy all those packs AGAIN can you?
Yes, they can and I've heard of and met pirates who have done that ( very nice revenue for KI. )
The main objection to trading companions to new pirates is that:
1. those companions are at a higher level than the new pirate
2. have already been trained in epics and talents.
3. some of them are unlocked companions. you need to fulfill a quest requirement to buy them. Goro and Eep are examples of this.
So the problem with this is that if people never make new pirates and start their adventures over again...then there is less incentive to keep playing and KI will loose players.
Many players ( including myself ) have used all six slots to create pirates and have made multiple accounts. It seems to me the P10 has "play value"; by having different classes, with different ways of creating a pirate the story is never exactly the same.
Anecorbie do you even read the entire post before replying? I made it very clear that if they incorporated it into a gift sort of system that would address the entire problem of the level being too high. So your points 1 and 2 are completely useless comments. But maybe you have never opened up a gift companion from a bundle. When you accept one or buy one from then crown shop, it has whatever level the pirate is currently at (+1 or 2). Meaning by trading them over through a similar system they don't have anything they used to have because the old companion will be reset like it was brand new and dumbed down to whatever level the pirate is currently at. If you still don't understand what i mean by this Ill try to elaborate more in even simpler terms.

As for the people that are willing to re-buy all this stuff I think those are the exceptions NOT the average (again average means the bulk or majority of people). And I really think they are shooting themselves in the foot with this one. I think they would make more money by allowing this new system then by banking on players "maybe" waisting crowns on packs. Keep in mind it would still cost crowns to trade them over. Its not free.

As for point 3. Thats an easy fix...they just have to give some of them "no trade" status just like any other sort of gear. So if they don't want a privy or something to have Peter Quint or a pirate to get Old Scratch too early then there is no problem. In fact...they can make ALL of the companions that a pirate gets for FREE via questing "no trade" and thus not allowed to be used in this system. Only purchased companions (bundle, gift card, or crown shop) are allowed.

And you completely skipped over the super rare companions that you CANT buy again. I really don't wanna loose the boochbeard bundle cat or the ninja pig. Like I can still keep my parrot and what not but the companion is gone :(

Ensign
Jul 08, 2012
20
anecorbie on Sep 21, 2015 wrote:
You can't really expect pirates to buy all those packs AGAIN can you?
Yes, they can and I've heard of and met pirates who have done that ( very nice revenue for KI. )
The main objection to trading companions to new pirates is that:
1. those companions are at a higher level than the new pirate
2. have already been trained in epics and talents.
3. some of them are unlocked companions. you need to fulfill a quest requirement to buy them. Goro and Eep are examples of this.
So the problem with this is that if people never make new pirates and start their adventures over again...then there is less incentive to keep playing and KI will loose players.
Many players ( including myself ) have used all six slots to create pirates and have made multiple accounts. It seems to me the P10 has "play value"; by having different classes, with different ways of creating a pirate the story is never exactly the same.
Valid points, except number one.
The level of companions can easily be reverted to the player's current level, and all talents acquired past that level are gone until unlocked again. Plus, we've seen pets go between accounts, and they don't change. Regardless of the randomness of pets getting powers and talents, them going to different characters can't be denied, so why deny companions? My Iago and Ridolfo would probably love to go to my swashbuckler.

Dread Pirate
May 27, 2009
2131
I think if they created a way for Wizards to trade their houses through the Shared Bank, there should be a way for certain unique Companions to be shared or transferred. As you point out, the Cat Pirate and Ninja Pig cannot be obtained anew. I think it should be only to a brand new character, not to just any random pirate in your account, and they would need to be acquired at the very beginning, same as your game-start companion.

I'm on the fence about the pack companions, because they are still obtainable, albeit for a potentially steep price.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Thomas Sunhammer on Sep 21, 2015 wrote:
Anecorbie do you even read the entire post before replying? I made it very clear that if they incorporated it into a gift sort of system that would address the entire problem of the level being too high. So your points 1 and 2 are completely useless comments. But maybe you have never opened up a gift companion from a bundle. When you accept one or buy one from then crown shop, it has whatever level the pirate is currently at (+1 or 2). Meaning by trading them over through a similar system they don't have anything they used to have because the old companion will be reset like it was brand new and dumbed down to whatever level the pirate is currently at. If you still don't understand what i mean by this Ill try to elaborate more in even simpler terms.

As for the people that are willing to re-buy all this stuff I think those are the exceptions NOT the average (again average means the bulk or majority of people). And I really think they are shooting themselves in the foot with this one. I think they would make more money by allowing this new system then by banking on players "maybe" waisting crowns on packs. Keep in mind it would still cost crowns to trade them over. Its not free.

As for point 3. Thats an easy fix...they just have to give some of them "no trade" status just like any other sort of gear. So if they don't want a privy or something to have Peter Quint or a pirate to get Old Scratch too early then there is no problem. In fact...they can make ALL of the companions that a pirate gets for FREE via questing "no trade" and thus not allowed to be used in this system. Only purchased companions (bundle, gift card, or crown shop) are allowed.

And you completely skipped over the super rare companions that you CANT buy again. I really don't wanna loose the boochbeard bundle cat or the ninja pig. Like I can still keep my parrot and what not but the companion is gone :(
And do even consider the coding necessary to implement your plan? There's a very good technical reason that companion swapping isn't allowed.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
The Bearded Beast on Sep 21, 2015 wrote:
Valid points, except number one.
The level of companions can easily be reverted to the player's current level, and all talents acquired past that level are gone until unlocked again. Plus, we've seen pets go between accounts, and they don't change. Regardless of the randomness of pets getting powers and talents, them going to different characters can't be denied, so why deny companions? My Iago and Ridolfo would probably love to go to my swashbuckler.
"Easily be reverted?"
I would like to get Ratbeard's opinion on that! Pet's are different, have always been tradable, therefore the code has been in place since the beginning of the game. What you people are asking for is a massive recoding of companions.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Willowydream on Sep 21, 2015 wrote:
I think if they created a way for Wizards to trade their houses through the Shared Bank, there should be a way for certain unique Companions to be shared or transferred. As you point out, the Cat Pirate and Ninja Pig cannot be obtained anew. I think it should be only to a brand new character, not to just any random pirate in your account, and they would need to be acquired at the very beginning, same as your game-start companion.

I'm on the fence about the pack companions, because they are still obtainable, albeit for a potentially steep price.
To trade a house, it must be emptied of all furnishings and this is done by the wizard. This isn't gear we're talking about ( and I remind you that there is gear in both W101 and P101 that isn't tradable )

Gunner's Mate
Sep 30, 2009
240
anecorbie on Sep 22, 2015 wrote:
And do even consider the coding necessary to implement your plan? There's a very good technical reason that companion swapping isn't allowed.
I bet its not as hard as you think. Like resetting your training points and buying a new bundle really. When you buy a bundle with a companion it shows up in your gift box. A little present appears that shows up on all your pirates so you can choose which pirate to give the new companion too. It would work much like that. You go and buy back or sell your companion. And then they show up in a gift box. Honestly i think most of the coding already exists. They just have to make the kiosk guy and label the certain other companions "no trade" and thats it.

Lieutenant
Nov 28, 2014
138
Very good idea, would benefit the players and workers at KI, win win

Gunner's Mate
Sep 30, 2009
240
Oh another reason I forgot to mention was WHY pirates might wanna make a new pirate then trade over their rare companions. Is 2 fold. One is the look of the pirate and the other is the origin question or "where you were raised" question at the beginning. A lot of pirates who used to be noobs but now are experienced wish they could go back and change those bits. But they are hesitant because all their favorite houses and companions and other money items have been invested into their current pirate. Well this will give them an option that will ultimately help KI to make a lot more money as well as ensuring happier players. :D

Lieutenant
Nov 28, 2014
138
How about we transfer companions over in our bank BUT it costs 3-4 thousand crowns depending on rarity and the level may switch depending on the players level who then takes the companion out of the bank. so lets say someone puts a level 65 companion into the bank and a lvl 1 character accepts it, the level will be brought down to 1 and all the talents reset

Ensign
Jul 08, 2012
20
Masonpeev on Sep 22, 2015 wrote:
How about we transfer companions over in our bank BUT it costs 3-4 thousand crowns depending on rarity and the level may switch depending on the players level who then takes the companion out of the bank. so lets say someone puts a level 65 companion into the bank and a lvl 1 character accepts it, the level will be brought down to 1 and all the talents reset
Not a bad idea, maybe companions obtained from story cost gold to switch accounts and revert, and then companions from the crown shop cost the original price to buy them in the first place to switch. Say, Iago perhaps? His crown pice(I believe is 4-5000) would cost 4-5000 to switch to different accounts. It could work a bit like stitching and unstitching items, just reordering the code to make something new.

Gunner's Mate
Sep 30, 2009
240
The Bearded Beast on Sep 23, 2015 wrote:
Not a bad idea, maybe companions obtained from story cost gold to switch accounts and revert, and then companions from the crown shop cost the original price to buy them in the first place to switch. Say, Iago perhaps? His crown pice(I believe is 4-5000) would cost 4-5000 to switch to different accounts. It could work a bit like stitching and unstitching items, just reordering the code to make something new.
Sadly story companions have to be non-trade. Or it will mess up a lot of the story. No only purchased or special code companions can be traded. But I am glad you like the idea! As for price...KI can tweak and change that stuff as they go! Thats whats great about it. We just need the system to be established then they can decide which companions cost more than others. Bundle ones might cost more cause they want them to buy the bundle again. But crown shop ones might be the same as from the shop...or KI could make them slightly cheaper as a way of saying "thank you...here is a discount for buying the same companion twice". Price can fluctuate. This system would be brilliant!