Battle Tactics

[Captain Jack]

First of all, this is a discussion that falls under ship specialization (huge) feature. Details for this feature can be found here:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=579

Many veteran players have concerned themselves with this. We have as well. Adding more battle tactics is something that even newer players will find interesting. Although the game right now needs more user engagement early on, features that keep veteran players engaged cannot be neglected.

To close up my short briefing, what we are looking to implement here is simple key options. Options easy to acquire and understand. We got pretty complicated options in the rest of the Ship specialization ideas so we do not need more.

Battle Tactics, What are these?
These can be fleet/ship options, chosen before hand by the players. When the fleet engages in battle, the options are used.

Some Examples

Example Fleet Option 1
Choose a Voodoo card to use during battle
We speak for Instant - Battle voodoo card types here, none exist at the moment.

The voodoo card will be used when the fleet engages in battle. As long as the player has enough cards in his inventory, he will keep using this card during battle.

Such cards will require zero turns. The player will simply choose it as one of the fleet options. If the card exists in his inventory at the time of the battle, it will be used.

Example cards that can be created for such usage are:
-Cards that increase combat characteristics
-Cards that determine who attacks first
-Cards that apply damage
-Etc

Example Fleet Option 2
Fleet Orders[
These can be predefined options. The fleets will try to execute the fleet orders once they engage in a battle. The fleet orders will affect battle characteristics of the ships.

Here are some example orders:
-Attempt to run away
Fleets under this order will attempt to escape combat when they get attacked. There will be several factors to decide if this order is successful or not. Factors such as attacking fleet speed versus defending fleet speed and other abilities that will be introduced with ship specialization.
If the fleet is successful, then the danger will drop like as if the fleet has been attacked but no battle will take place.
If the order is unsuccessful though, the fleet will get a big penalty to its attack rolls (as it will be more concentrated to escape).

-Attempt to negotiate
Similarly to above, the fleet admiral will "rise" the white flag and will attempt to halve the losses in case it lost. The factors for success will be relative to First Mate,special crew if the attacker has no desire for such compromises (it will be an option on the attacker window). This will be a useful option which however has a negative side as ANY attacking ship (even a lvl 1 howker) that accepts surrenders will get half the bounty price.

Example Fleet Option 3
Battle Formation
The players will get to format their ships as they like. Not sure if it will be free format or pre-determined formats.
Formations will affect things such as: which ships fires first, certain bonuses to certain ships,bonuses to specialized abilities, bonuses to fleet orders success.

Like I said above, the players may even schedule ship orders. This way, every fleet setup will practically have many options to determine the outcome. These orders will apply bonuses/penalties to ship attributes.

For example:
Attempt to conduct maximum damage
Ships under this order will get a bonus in their attack rolls but will also get a penalty to their maneuverability (not armor class).


Attacking fleets will also get these options and you will be able to either choose different orders each time, or store them (like Instant Battle). Attacking orders will be different than defending orders.

Feel free to participate in the discussion with your feedback and ideas. Once we get a more concrete base, I will come up with a specific suggestion to incorporate it into the Ship Specialization planning.

[Hawk]

I'd love to see full fleet battles. Maybe something like this.

When fleets engage each round is done simultaneously or in order of ship speed for all ships, not just two at a time.

Possible ship order options:
Target highest class enemy ship first
Target lowest class enemy ship first
Evasive maneuvers (reduces cannons fired but increase avoidance)
Shield (small chance to intercept attacking volleys but lowers avoidance)

Fleet commands
Flee: Attempt to escape, if failed enemy gets one or two free rounds of combat
Negotiate: Attempt to settle without combat for reduced losses

Ship Abilities - Passive ship specific traits
Examples:
Sturdy build - the first time this ship would sink after a volley, it survives with 5hp
Expanded Hull - 10 extra cargo space
Long cannon - Before the first round of combat deal 30 damage to a random ship in the enemy fleet
Ect..

[Hawk]

Oh and that reminds me. I believe this would go well with Battle Tactics

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=373&hilit=Ship+auto+repair

A set repair rate of hit points/hour would be nice, maybe with an option to use turns to hasten repairs for players who run few fleets (since turns = time). This would give reason to have multiple war fleets, reducing the usefulness of one single fleet. If the turns were based on hit points repaired as well that would make sense. Making hastening large ship repairs less viable, but also hampering pirates to an extent. As with few turns and a damaged fleets my ships would be unable to plunder.

Adds a whole new depth to warfare and strategy imo

[Admiral Nelson]

Possible ship order options:
Target highest class enemy ship first
Target lowest class enemy ship first
Evasive maneuvers (reduces cannons fired but increase avoidance)
Shield (small chance to intercept attacking volleys but lowers avoidance)

Fleet commands
Flee: Attempt to escape, if failed enemy gets one or two free rounds of combat
Negotiate: Attempt to settle without combat for reduced losses

+1 to these i have a few " ship order suggestions" or fleet commands that was actually used in the pacific war, first Ship order is " Follow the Splashes " where a destroyer once followed the splashes of the enemy's explosions hoping that they will not have the same " Fix " as before. to get in range, which this could be used in this game, lets say Danik approaches Stan with Large Frigates ,whilst Stan has Ship of The Lines it could " Even up the odd's".

another infamous fleet command would be " Crossing the T " where a ship would intercept the ships traveling towards a marker, so that the ships could only fire the " front guns " whereas the ship crossing the T could do a full broadside, again evening up the odds on a " Hard Battle ".