Captains

[Dmanwuzhere]

So I can run naught but sloop fleets and kamikaze into a bigger more expensive ship and have a 50 percent chance of taking it?

[Captain Jack]

I like the commandeer option. I am not sure which the exact effect should be for it.

Like as if we are not yet sure for the effects for hull and masts. Before these can be released initially, we need to unveil the dr changes. Let's not discuss it here and respect topic title to keep it clean. I will post these hopefully Monday as tomorrow I will do other things (I have to go to a kids party actually).

[Jackie Thorton]

Sounds good

[Lachlan]

hmm reminds me of another game I played. Anyway it sounds good

[Captain Jack]

Unfolding ideas for Aim for the Hull/Sails options, here is what we currently have on the table. We can add more on the table or pick.

Hull condition is locked with Copper plating. This means that the effectiveness of Copper Plating is relative to hull condition. For example, if the hull condition is 50%, then copper plating effectiveness is reduced by 50%.

Same with the Sails who are locked with Cotton Sails. The effectiveness of Cotton sails are relative to Sails condition.

This will create interesting scenarios for ships based on the hitpoints they have at each area. Weaknesses and Strengths will arise,depending at which ship you hit.

Another idea that can be used with or without the above, is to maintain such damage not only for the duration of the fleet combat, but also keep it with permanent effect, regardless of winner. This however can be given through a specific ship trait (Fire Attacks) so probably it will not be adopted.

We also need to clear, that if you choose Aim of the Hull or Aim for the Sails, the chances of completely sinking the ship will be decreased. This is how it should work in mechanics.

Let's assume that you have A Ship of the Line, firing against a Frigate with the order Aim for the Sails. We all know that a SoL always beats a Frigate at an even fight. The Frigate however, has no special orders.

The fight will begin and the SoL will try to take the sails of the Frigate first. There are 2 ways to go from here:
-Either let the SoL continue with the HULL, once Sails are off, normally with 1 round delay.
1 round delay, means that if the cannons hit for 50 Hit Points the sails, and the sails have 10 Hit points remaining, then the Sails will go to 0 and the rest of 40 Hit points will go in vain, before the SoL turns to hit the Hull.

This is the realistic option. But we can make this a strategic option, especially if we decide that such damage remains for the duration of combat. In this strategic option:
-The SoL continues with the Hull, with 1 round delay AND reduced effectiveness. Which means that the SoL should get a penalty for the duration of the combat with the Frigate.

The frigate at the other hand, will get no delays or penalties at either case. It will continue to hit indiscreetly either the hull of sails of the sol. If we choose the hull and sails to affect Cotton Sails and Copper plating, then SoL effectiveness will also drop as battle continues.

The 2nd option should only be chosen if we decide to make the damage stick for the duration of the combat. Alternatively, we can debut without this and without extra penalty, other than the 1 round delay, as explained above. This should not make huge differences in how battle already works and it is easier to implement.

We will only have to link copper plating to hull hit points and cotton sails to sails hit points. Then reduce effectiveness based on their shape. Then the players work out the rest strategies, based on existing design.

Later on, we can add the sticking damage during entire combat, or permanent damage through ship traits.

[William one eye]

Captains could have priority settings similar to ship profiles for Att assignments


each target region could have a unique % chance of damage to make it more of a strategy

say the captain orders are as follows

Sails
Gun decks
Hull


Sails are large and you could blow holes trough them, maybe an easy %5 reduction per round, but a mast hit while rare but in this case a single shot could take the sail hit points to 0

sample chance ratios

chance of miss 5%
chance of light damage 45 %
chance of heavy damge 40%
chance of mast hit 10%


on the second round you hit the mast and your priority shifts down one to go for the gun deck.

now gun decks are hard to attack - it is purely timing and ship position. you get a possible range of damage each round none really light, and none really heavy and this continues until guns are zeroed

by the 7th round the gun decks have zero hit points.


sample chance ratios

chance of light damage 50 %
chance of heavy damge 50%



now you move to attack the hull

the hull is hard to damage, but one lucky shot could breech the hull and flooding could start.
once the hull is breached flood damage will automatically continue until the hit points zero.

sample chance ratios

chance of no hull breech 70 %
chance of light rupture 20 %
chance of full breech 10%

captain setting would have the options
on light breech - continue hull attack / move to next assigned target
on heavy breech - continue hull attack / move to next assigned target

I am putting this here as we are not really discussing admirals yet.

would like to see a possible addition to this - fleet strategy

Preferred attack position - crossing or broadside ( possibly set by admiral )

The ratios I suggest above would be for a broadside attack
as the direction of fire both out going and incoming would be completely different for a crossing attack
it would create the following result - a ship attacking in crossing, will greatly reduce it chances of being damaged
however an effective hit will be 100% effective,
If a broadside ship is attacked by a crossing ship the damage will be limited to a much smaller part of the ship.
meaning damage per round lowers by 75%

Preferred fleet strategy ( how ships plunder in these conditions would really need to be considered I suggest this changed the order of battle to affect combat damage, however ships would always still plunder in the current order)

- line of battle approach, line of battle overtake, fight abreast, (also possibly set by admiral )

attack abreast would mean ships fight their fleet match instead of the next ship in the line.

- line of battle approach - current setup

- line of battle overtake - ships fight in reverse order