Avian Gamers Network

Adding the Great sea as a new area to explore would be a great and interesting addition to the world of warcraft.

----Vendors----
New merchants would appear in most major cities that would vendor boats supplies necessary for ocean exploration.(Nautical needs in Booty bay (its an empty shop right now)

There could also be boat designer npcs that you could pay to upgrade your ship/boat (similar to class trainers). Ex. Cannon Blast rank 2, Dark iron cannons, etc.


----Summoning Your Boat---
To summon your boat you must approach or be in a body of water your boat is capable of being in and use the summon boat item (similar to a mount). All boats can be summoned near shallow water except for the battle ships.

----Getting on Your boat ----
All boats (excluding the row boat) follow a similar control system.
To get on your boat you would have to move your mouse over the boat and right click when the action symbol appears. For passengers to board, the owner/captain of the boat must agree through a pop-up window. The captain will be able to kick anyone he pleases out of the boat at any time. For a passenger to exit the boat you can simply just off the edge or right click your portrait and select exit boat (by doing this you will be dropped into the water near the boat as if you jumped). Passengers will be free to move around the deck of the boat as they please.

----Controlling Your passengers----
When a passenger enters a boat you enter a crew very similar to the party system. You can be in a crew and in a party at the same time.
When passengers enter the boat a miniature portrait of the player (about 1/5 size of normal) would appear on the top of your screen for everyone else on the boat.The portrait would enlarge and show the players name and info when you move the cursor over the portrait. By right clicking the characters portrait you will be given some options. The options would be:
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[li]Promote to mate (if the passenger is already a mate then it would say: Demote).
Mates would be allowed to steer the boat when the captain is not.

[li]Kick off/walk plank
Kicks the passenger off the boat and into the water.

[li]Whisper, invite, duel etc.
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-----Controlling Your Boat------
Steering the boat would be fairly simple. If the captain or mate goes up to the steering wheel and action clicks it. The action casters view would change from his/her character to the boat. Seeing how boats are large, your view will be noticeabley zoomed out (you can zoom in if you like), and your abilities would change to:


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[li] Mast Scout (sailboat, and battleship)
Allows your ship to detect humanoids, beasts, other ship. This also allows the placement of a Flag (like a tabard but for a ship instead). Some flag types can give very minor bonuses I.E. mageweave flag +5 spirit bonus (this affects the ship and its crew).



[li]Drop Anchor (sail boat or greater)
Drops anchor in Boats current position stopping the wind from pushing the boat forward

[li]Fasten Sails/Engine Blast (requires sail boat or better)
Gives the Boat a short 20 second burst of speed allowing the boat to go 2x as fast as normal sailing rate.

[li]Cannon Blast (requires a juggernaught/naval battleship or better)
A weak AOE blast from the forward cannons of the ship.

[li]Call to Arms (requires battle ship better)
A macro that would play a text and voice message saying something along the lines of: All hands on deck! Man your battle stations! This message would make usher people to the siege cannons located on the floor beneath the deck.

[li]Dive (Gnomish Submarine)
Renders the Submarine invisible to the enemys eyes.

[li]Torpedoes (Gnomish Submarine)
Launches 2 torpedoes at target. Causing massive damage.

[li]-Plague Shot (passive ability of the carrion cruiser)
All cannon shots out of the Carrion Cruiser will have a 5% chance of leaving an aoe plague cloud. The plague cloud will poison all who enter or are hit with it.

[li]-Spectral Sails(passive ability of carrion cruiser)
Cannot be equipped with special Sails made by Tailors. Ship and Crew Members gain Shadow Meld ability (when Stationary only).

[li]Harpoon (available to all boats except rowboat)
A snare ability that when fired deals moderate damage (nothing spectacular) but if the boats weight is less than yours pulls the boat right to you and stuns it for a few seconds, if its weight is more then it will slow down by x% and you will move x% faster until you catch up with them. This ability must be learned from a boat designer.
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There would be various types of boats to choose from.

---- Transportation Boats----
Transportation boats are made for what they were named after, transportation. These boats fail in Naval pvp, but excel in pve. Having a transportation boat will really help with pve and in getting to where you want to go for a quest, instance etc.
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[li]Row boat (40 gold): A small one-person boat which allows you to go 50% faster than normal swimming speed. The rowboat can be used in all the sea, deep water, and shallow water.

[li]Sail boat (90 gold): A skinny, medium sized boat (about ½ the size of the transport boats of ratchet-booty bay, and menethil-theramore. The sail boat can fit up to 6 people. 150% faster than swimming rate.

[li]Goblin Sea Zoomer(130 gold)- The only boat besides Gnomish submarine and Row boat to not use a sail. The zoomer is one of the fastest Boats going at 250% faster than swim rate. The zoomer would simply be an inflatable raft with a large fan on the back. The zoomer is a very weak boat (barley stronger than the rowboat) and holds only 3 people.
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---Battle Ships---
Battle Ships will only be summonable in deep water, They dont have as fast of a speed as transportation boats, but are the only decent way to fight in naval pvp.
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[li]Gnomish Submarine (180 gold)- The stealth of the seas. Can cast dive whenever it is outside of combat. Fits 1 person, or 2 gnomes. Like the rowboat you wont have freedom to move around inside. 100% faster than normal swimming rate. Controlling the submarine would be fairly similar to swimming.
The submarine would be a gnome-specific boat. If you are not a gnome, you must have exalted reputation with the gnomes for you to to use it.

[li]Carrion Cruiser/Ghost Ship
(180G) A spectral ship, risen from the briny deeps to avenge its self on the ones who sank it! 10 Man Capacity, +125% Swim Speed, and 4 Cannon Slots. This is an undead specific boat. For other races of the horde to use it you must be exalted with the undead

[li]Juggernaught/Navy battle ship (250 gold)- This battle ship would appear different depending on which faction you are on. Both share the same features. The boat has 2 floors. The upper floor has a captains lodge, a crew lodge, and a steering wheel. The lower contains 2 rows of 5 cannons. By action clicking a cannon you will click where you want the AOE attack to hit (Very powerful).
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And more.

---Durability---
Your ship has a set amount of durability, if it reaches 0 it sinks and you cant summon it until it is repaired.

---Equipping your ship---
When your ship is summoned select it then right click its portrait. One of the options would be: equipment. Select equipment. This will bring up a screen similar to the character equip screen with a picture of your ship, armor, strength, etc. It would also have slots along the sides where the characters helmet, legs, chest, feet, slots, etc. would be. In these slots there would be a slot for cannons (subslot for ammo), armor, sail, etc.

---Professions---
Youre profession skills could also be of great value to you out on the great sea.

Blacksmiths would be able to make cannon balls, cannon parts, and armor plating for your ship.

Engineers would be able to assemble stronger cannons and other weapons for the ship.

Tailors would be able to make better sails for the ship.

Leather workers would be able to make grappling ropes (when your ship is in range of an enemys ship use the grapple rope and target their mast. This will swing you onto the enemys boat for close combat fighting).

Enchanters would be able to enchant different aspects of the ship for different effects like: +5 speed increase for sails, +20 cannon damage, etc.

------------Naval PvP----------

PvP on the great sea is very similar to pvp on land. On a pvp server you and your ship and all of the crew will be automatically flagged by entering the great sea. On a pve server you will have a choice to flag your ship. When you and your ship engage in pvp combat with an enemy factions ship, it wouldnt be wise at all to try and take on the ship with your equipped combat weapons (unless it is a transport boat or a submarine). Ships, would have the armor of raid bosses, making your weapons almost worthless against them. Instead It would be advised to use cannons.

As I have explained before to use a cannon action-click it. As soon as you have done this you would view a zoomed out view of the area around your ship. From here you would click where you want the cannon ball to strike. The cannon balls do a fair amount of aoe damage, but it does take a while for it to hit the target, giving the target time to evade the attack.

By destroying an enemys ship you and your crew would be rewarded with a ton of honor, making your efforts worth it in the end.

When a ship is destroyed everyone on board is sent flying in the air and dealt a ton of damage, enough damage that even the strongest player couldnt survive (shields wont help you).

By leaving your crew while in pvp you would receive an honor penalty, and you would die of fatigue eventually. A captain always goes down with his ship (even if you arent the captain, you get the idea).
Also, when in pvp you cannot unsummon your ship.


-----The Great Sea----
To enter the great sea sail off into the deep water out on the ocean and you will transported to the great sea through an invisible instance.

The great sea would be similar to a continent, divided into different zones. On the great sea the zones would be different minor seas. Ex. The Frozen sea (up near northrend), and the sea of blood (a sea where great naval battles had taken place adorned with sunken ships and the wandering souls of dead warriors). On these seas, there would be many islands. The size of these islands would vary. Some would only be large enough to fit 4 people, and some as large enough to be a zone of its own.

The Great sea would not be designed for a distinct level set, instead there would be areas for low levels, and mid levels which you would have to get paid express cruises to get to. Of course, most of the great sea will be designed for high levels. The great sea would also be plagued with outdoor raid bosses roaming the seas and island raid bosses and instances.

While traveling the seas on your own boat dont expect a 5-star express cruise to where you want to go. The sea is plagued with pirates, and sea monsters. The enemys threat will vary depending on which area of the great sea you are in.

----FAQ---
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[li]Will I be able to ride my ship up to an island and blast my cannons at enemies on land in the safety of my ship?

No. All islands will be surrounded with shallower water which, unless youre in a transport boat, you will not be able to enter.

[li]Why do I need a boat? Why cant I just swim across the sea?

Youve swum out into the great sea before right? You get fatigue, which will eventually kill you.



[li]Will I be able to touch the sea floor?

No. The sea is far too deep for you to reach it. When looking down to the ocean floor, it will seem like a bottomless pit.

[li]Are there level requirements?

Yes. To use a boat/ship you must be level 40+.
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Feel free to ask any questions. Constructional criticism only please.

Thanks to silverdeath, bloodthirsty, and albones for the suggestions.