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Why second page auto benching should return.

AuthorMessage
Ensign
Oct 27, 2009
38
For those who may not know, with the introduction of benching companions on test companions whose chance of appearing is less than 1% automatically become benched without using any benching tokens. What this translates to is (if no benching tokens are used) the last companion on the first page and all companions on each following page will never appear in battle. I believe this is a great update, in fact it is a needed change, but it has its detractors so let me make the case for this change.

The easiest way to explain why the 0% should stay is to explain the problems with current <1% system. In live the chance of any one companion on the second page is effectively zero. The problem is the chance of a companion from the 16th+ spot from appearing is not, it is about 2 to 3%.
Since the chance of a second page+ comp isn’t negligible we as players have to either compensate for it or risk loss due to bad luck.

The ‘obvious’ answer would be to train these companions sometimes so they can fight at your pirate’s level, but is that really practical? The problem with this answer is you don’t train a page of companions at a time. Companion training is based on that individual companion and training one whose chance of actually being used is effectively zero doesn’t make sense. The companion doesn’t even have to be bad for it to not be worth using. It just has to be worse than enough of your other companions so you would rather save your limited number of companion training points for them.

and.... The whole post is too big to fit here so I posted it on pirate central.
pirate101.centralforums.com/forums/showthread.php?28397-Why-second-page-auto-benching-should-return&p=115321#post115321
Lieutenant
Feb 03, 2012
151
I agree with this as well, all of my companions onthe second page do nothing but make battling harder for me. However, what if in the future we have more than 16 companions we want to join in combat?
Gunner's Mate
Jan 06, 2011
228
(Since we are repeating arguments....)

It should come back, but as an OPTION. I don't want to be forced to play your way and you shouldn't be forced to play mine.
Gunner's Mate
Dec 16, 2009
212
I disagree with an "auto-benching" feature. While the chance of any one page 2 companion appearing is very small collectively the chance is larger. When you factor in the amount of battles we players partake in, then the chance of drawing any page 2 companion becomes more significant. I cannot say I would prefer seeing any of my page 2 companions as often as my mains... they are on page 2 for a reason. That being said, I do enjoy their occasional appearances when I get to see their unique animations and playing style. Now if the 0% Page 2 option was precisely that...an option, then I would have no issues. But by effectively relegating us to never seeing half our rosters(despite how rarely we see them now), I feel a large part of the game's charm would disappear for me.
Community Leader
I am sorry, I must disagree.

Granting more benchmarks to provide those that want to simplify the game is fine, this gives players a choice. Changing page 2 to all 0% automatically forces a change that many of us dislike, that like the game as it is. This proposed solution of the 2nd page being 0%s isnt a compromise at all, its a force what you want down the other players throats change, with only personal opinions/preferences backing it.

The second page companions often join battles, they are not "effectively zero". If they were then this entire debate/issue about companion management would be moot (ie having no purpose). Many of us like the way it is now.

All companions are worth using if you train them as the game originally intended. The fact you dont like certain companions doesnt make them bad, or weak, or anything negative. I for one enjoy variety.

Leave it as is, plus benchmarks... Number of benchmarks may need adjusting, but I believe thats the best option.
Dr Zeppers (aka Silent Sam Stern)
Piratey parodies I like to make.
I be a crazy pirate for goodness sake!
Artist & Admin of Skull Island TV
Ensign
Oct 27, 2009
38
The multi-bench button. By pressing the button (which would cost 1 token) all companions with less than a <1% would be benched. This would make it to where we would always have 15 companions for the game to choose from (ok really 14 + the firstmate as the game doesn't choose that one). If we tried to bench additional companions the %s would shift down the list waking up another companion. This way we could use the tokens to remove one or two companions from a specific battle (removing bonnie and cogburn from a battle with lots of range epic enemies) without messing up our overall order.

The even distribution button. By pressing this button (which would cost a benching token) all of your companions after the firstmate would have an equal chance of appearing in combat. With this they would be part of your crew again.
Petty Officer
Jan 10, 2013
58
KiwiChickenz on Feb 23, 2013 wrote:
(Since we are repeating arguments....)

It should come back, but as an OPTION. I don't want to be forced to play your way and you shouldn't be forced to play mine.
Enough said... KI will never be able to please all if they chose either.
Bosun
Oct 15, 2012
364
Eric Stormbringer on Feb 27, 2013 wrote:
I disagree with an "auto-benching" feature. While the chance of any one page 2 companion appearing is very small collectively the chance is larger. When you factor in the amount of battles we players partake in, then the chance of drawing any page 2 companion becomes more significant. I cannot say I would prefer seeing any of my page 2 companions as often as my mains... they are on page 2 for a reason. That being said, I do enjoy their occasional appearances when I get to see their unique animations and playing style. Now if the 0% Page 2 option was precisely that...an option, then I would have no issues. But by effectively relegating us to never seeing half our rosters(despite how rarely we see them now), I feel a large part of the game's charm would disappear for me.
well i think it is complete sense less ness to say they shouldn't be auto bench, if you like EVERY SINGLE COMPANION and what them ALL to show up sometimes, then alternate! swich them around somewhat, just keep your top mates at the top of you list, example, you want nurse Quinn to come up this time when you go into a battle(my most hated companion) then bring her closer to the top of your list, and put someone else who you DON'T want to come up this time, on that list, this update is doing nothing bad what so ever, you cant have all your companions in the battle at one time right? right, so you accept that and move on, if you want El toro, and subodai to come into battle, put them at first and second, and then with that you know you will not lose, so the last companion is a free choice and for whatever reason you want ..say mustang sally to come up, you move her from the second page and put someone else in her place, the update is essentially giving the companions you WANT to come up a better chance of arriving, because it eliminates the chance of a few others. since you CANT want ALL of your companions to come into battle, simply because they cant, then you MUST want some specific one to, and some specific ones NOT TO.

lemme put in in a simple way so no one gets confused, what i am trying to say is, auto benching is perfect because it allows the specific companions you want to come up to have a better chance of showing up, and the few companions you don't want to come up this time are auto benched and so therefor CANT. EXAMPLE: *random person.* Mary mary loves all her companions, and she's has all the farm gear and never loses PvE no matter WHAT companion she bring, so she has no qualms with what companion comes up; she says, "this time i want my two monquistans and eltoro to come into battle" she moves them from the second page and puts them as first second and third, she says"tricky Vinnie, yakooza, weasel gambler, you three have showed up enough and i dont want yall this time around so buzz of :P" so she put them(NOT, half) on to the second page "there, and with those other three with zero percent, and, these next three benched, i should get the three i want" boom, what more could you want? (MORE BENCHES DUHH!)

i have a question for you, what are you losing by having your 2ndpage companions benched?

Xavier lvl 47
Community Leader
Speed Switch on Feb 28, 2013 wrote:
well i think it is complete sense less ness to say they shouldn't be auto bench, if you like EVERY SINGLE COMPANION and what them ALL to show up sometimes, then alternate! swich them around somewhat, just keep your top mates at the top of you list, example, you want nurse Quinn to come up this time when you go into a battle(my most hated companion) then bring her closer to the top of your list, and put someone else who you DON'T want to come up this time, on that list, this update is doing nothing bad what so ever, you cant have all your companions in the battle at one time right? right, so you accept that and move on, if you want El toro, and subodai to come into battle, put them at first and second, and then with that you know you will not lose, so the last companion is a free choice and for whatever reason you want ..say mustang sally to come up, you move her from the second page and put someone else in her place, the update is essentially giving the companions you WANT to come up a better chance of arriving, because it eliminates the chance of a few others. since you CANT want ALL of your companions to come into battle, simply because they cant, then you MUST want some specific one to, and some specific ones NOT TO.

lemme put in in a simple way so no one gets confused, what i am trying to say is, auto benching is perfect because it allows the specific companions you want to come up to have a better chance of showing up, and the few companions you don't want to come up this time are auto benched and so therefor CANT. EXAMPLE: *random person.* Mary mary loves all her companions, and she's has all the farm gear and never loses PvE no matter WHAT companion she bring, so she has no qualms with what companion comes up; she says, "this time i want my two monquistans and eltoro to come into battle" she moves them from the second page and puts them as first second and third, she says"tricky Vinnie, yakooza, weasel gambler, you three have showed up enough and i dont want yall this time around so buzz of :P" so she put them(NOT, half) on to the second page "there, and with those other three with zero percent, and, these next three benched, i should get the three i want" boom, what more could you want? (MORE BENCHES DUHH!)

i have a question for you, what are you losing by having your 2ndpage companions benched?

Xavier lvl 47
By autobenching you are losing the option of getting companions randomly from that 2nd page.

Noone "chooses" the lower level companions, however it is marvelous how they occasionally join so you keep associated with them, and continue to enjoy them as well. Its a dynamic to the game that makes it different almost every battle.

Autobenching, eliminates companions that many still want left in the process.
Autobenching, eliminates the need to manage/train/improve all your companions, creating a shortcut.

I think those that want autobenching just cant see the genius of what was the existing system that many of us do simply because it does not fall within the confines of how they want to play the game. The random nature of companion selection, not us having to go select and move things around was one of the best parts.

Autobenching of an entire page was just a bad idea to begin with... It only served one part of the community, and was not a compromise by any means.
Dr Zeppers (aka Silent Sam Stern)
Piratey parodies I like to make.
I be a crazy pirate for goodness sake!
Artist & Admin of Skull Island TV
Ensign
Oct 15, 2012
35
While it is not required that all companions on the second page be benched automatically shouldn't we at least get another bench for each companion we get on our second page? so that we can make them all be benched if we want to? does three companion benches really help when you have over twenty companions and many of them you don't like?
Ensign
Feb 06, 2010
11
This is the silliest argument I've ever witnessed...

The fix is simple...give players the following two buttons...

1) Standard config...companion mixes are as is
2) Fully random...all companions have the SAME chance of showing up (my preferance)

Then you can add the tokens if you really want...but the BETTER solution would be to allow players to FIRE crewmen. If you don't want someone on your crew, buck up and FIRE them. If they're on your crew, they should participate at least once in awhile. Those of you who want to run tiny crews would have your wish...