maturin

You know what has the potential for frustration? Getting hit in the face with a cannon ball. That always frustrates me. Of course it would be a good element.

Confirmed by who? Link? Every time I see people talk about cheating AI, I just write that person off as a poor player. Did you not see the thread about the log being outdated and untrustworthy? Also, where the heck is this 50% penetration rate? I see only one failure to penetrate out of several dozen shots.

But the frigates wouldn't sail over to the enemy fleet and drop anchors on their decks, immobilizing them.

Congratulations! In all seriousness, you should be an inspiration to many of the players on this forum that have many times your level of experience. Pickle is a tough nut to crack. Try saving your money and buying one. To everyone else, just buy carronades and sail slow circles around the enemy. So long as you land more than half your shots, you should win an even fight.

Where did people get the idea that whaling is "politically incorrect?" Did they not notice Hollywood just release a big budget blockbuster about a whaling ship? Herman Melville. So edgy. (That was a rhetorical question, by the way. I know that people search for any excuse to wank all over their screen by saying 'I am against political correctness, hurr durr.')

Darby was responding first of all to people that claim the AI cheat. This is a very different accusation from your valid opinion that the AI is too hard.

Why can't the 5th Rates just turn with the 3rds? I'm really skeptical that the turning radius is going to result in one group getting too far from the very large circle, anyhow.

Whining is fine. But in my post I referred to people who--long before this patch was ever released--spread misinformation about the AI because it was beating them. I never said you had to. I don't even have recording software on my PC. But someone does. And pretty soon someone has to help us narrow down what the real problem is with some actual evidence. I promise it will take less effort than all the alarmism and anguish on the forums right now. This is an earnest call for serious reporting of issues, with actionable evidence. Sooner or later, it all boils down to the scientific method.

Forum rules require warnings, but forum rules do not apply to the game. In the game the moderators can ban people for a week without warning if something especially vile was said.

The scale of warfare in NA is tiny, though. IRL the French would be perfectly comfortable launching an assault from Martinique to retake Louisiana, and no one would run short of supplies even after crossing the Caribbean Sea thrice. So the only thing that determines 'front lines' and critical areas is player laziness. Well, that and short-lived assault flags.

The ocean doesn't have any lines on it. Water isn't territory. I never understood why people always talk about front lines in this game.

I for one am trying to understand the situation. I haven't had time to get into enough PvE fights yet, so maybe I'll come around later. But in the meantime I've been looking for video or visual evidence of impossible AI and haven't found it. Many people are still jaded and fed up by the scores of forum members that have already spent months whining and telling fables about the cheating AI who sail faster, turn faster, reload faster, regardless of damage.

Please put this in one of the 8,423,723 pirate threads currently open.

So is the AI, though. Players rely on the AI wasting their shots by presenting their bow to incoming fire. With increased penetration chance, these hits now do more damage. We're now more likely to damage both broadsides, too. Basically, player tactics just got less effective, and people are still adjusting.

It's worth pointing out that Peacock was hit with 32-pdr carronades. So you have the largest caliber ordinance against a very light hull, with smaller pumps that weren't up to the task. And even so, Peacock didn't sink without warning, but the water slowly gained until the ship surrendered to try and save itself.

LGV's length on the gundeck is a bit over 120 modern-day feet. Niagara listed length is between perpendiculars, which isn't quite the same measure.

I also think that AI accuracy at long range is excessive. This could be improved. But why would anyone in their right mind fight the AI at long range? I don't think I ever have. It takes too long. So there is a disconnect between the statement 'AI hits too well at range,' and all the wailing about people being unable to win fights and quitting the game.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'any' range, but this sounds pretty realistic to me.

Let's get real for a minute. The AI changed because they fixed bugs. There was a bug where shot failed to penetrate 10% of the time. There was a bug where AI shot into the water or behind your stern. You'll get used to it; you'll get better.

In relative terms, Trader's Lynx is dramatically faster. Many ships are faster than Snow downwind, and will catch you using chasers if they are not. The only vessels that are faster than Lynx upwind have no chasers, and can only catch you after a perfect tag and some careful shooting.

Pretty sure you're wrong there, since sometimes ships fired their broadsides at extreme range for the express purpose of creating a one-ship smokescreen. Have you ever seen 60 cannon firing full charges in a space less than 200 feet long? I want to go to that reenactment.

I want pics because I haven't experienced any unfairness yet. Evidence is not too much to ask when these things are so easy to document. And I've spent the last months listening to people wailing about how the AI sail and turn faster than players can. They were wrong then, so how I know they're not wrong now?

Pics or it didn't happen. Where you were aiming isn't really the point. Show us where you hit.

It's telling that people are resorting to bizarre scenarios (Pickle gankfleets) in order to show how the changes will cause problems. Is anyone really worried about those fearsome schooner hordes on the OW? I think I'll just sail downwind.

Please just stop. I refuse to answer this question in plain English a single time more. I doubt the devs want to either, having already made a special thread about it. You can disagree with the desirability of the stated purpose, or cast doubt on whether it is achievable. That's totally fine. I'm not sure I'm overjoyed by the changes either. But you cannot continue refusing to acknowledge the clearly-stated purpose. Now you're just spamming. Stop. Frigates can run.