DeRuyter

3rd rate but it is from 1715 so really a 4th rate compared to Bellona. RL ship stats here: http://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=10765

I am all for having specific ship drafts and a height map, etc., but if that is too FPS/coding intensive let's at least have more granularity to the deep/shallow system now that we will have land in battles! The shallows should act more like the areas around the Bahamas - smaller ships can sail into it but not larger ones. We should have several gradations of shallows so certain areas can be only entered by the small fore and aft ships and some by the 6th rates and smaller frigates, etc. Adds more strategy to PB when your SOL can't sail straight up to the fort and under its' guns to blast with impunity!

I believe there are vids on YT already. Having said that in certain areas groups of players are going into "enemy" territory and getting PVP - Pirates and Spanish on US coast for example.

Nice idea. Maybe this is something for micro-transactions?

This ^^. While epic fleets and more PVE content may be a hot issue right now, I think working on the W&P plus Pirate mechanics may well make the OW more exciting without the additional PVE. With the land in battles ( varied depth in ports maybe?) and a rework of Pirates just maybe we'll not have to grind away in PVE to all get 1st rates for rinse and repeat port battles. I would go with more PVE variety - different missions, etc as #2. Although the same people voting for PVE will also be the ones complaining about sailing to far to get there!

Good suggestion. BTW - I'll be on the outlook for your snow in my basic cutter around Little Issacs

Admin said: "Lack of port capture is not going to make pirate gameplay interesting. Henry Morgan captured a lot of towns using his own forces (at some point he had 1400 infantry under his command - all buccaneers), if henry morgan could do it (he had funds and could hire people on the promise of riches) then any JackSparrow111 could do it too if he has enough funds and friends. But you can try to persuade us to the contrary." Well Henry Morgan operated in an earlier time, 1650's - 1680s when there was more government sanction of pirate activity against an enemy nation. Pirates in the core time period of NA operated much differently. Hopefully implementing the other game features such as the land in PB, etc will create more incentives for gameplay some pirates want - raiding in smaller ships etc, without a bunch of special rules or nerfs.

I have sailed on the Lynx before and would recommend it if they are doing sailing tours. Worth the extra $ over just a deck tour. They may even fire the carronades! Should be good wind in St. Pete this time of year too.

Something similar was attempted prior to EA. You had to kill a certain number of ships with a certain type of ship at each rank to advance. Could have been PVE or PVP though. This honor kill requirement was dropped. See this thread for example: http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/7571-honor-kill-clarification/?hl=honor+kills#entry144015

So the issue comes back again to the structure of PB doesn't it? Change the PB mechanics and by April we may see more variety of ships in PB. The opportunity is there with the introduction of land to change PB and slow the race to the 1st rates. More granularity of some type whether that is to introduce draft to ships and depth to ports, or something else should change this situation.

Nice example - but FYI it is Plattsburgh - on Lake Champlain in NY. This is a good example of a port battle defense where the defeat of the attacking fleet caused the withdrawal of the land invasion force. (Sorry for going OT).

+1 I am as well. But I came here for the whole MMO experience of an age of sail game. Not just getting set down in an area and fighting until the last of your 14 random team mates are killed. I do find it ironic that someone actually suggested removing wind from a sailing game - WTF!?! Wind and weather played a role in both the strategy - RvR and in the tactical aspect of combat. As many people have said if you want an area battle you have it at every port. But the real issue is that a historically modeled age of sail MMO is not for everyone and it sounds like that includes the OP. It is not whether you are hardcore or causal so much as whether this is a subject that truly interests you in the long term. I am a RL sailor and study 18-19th century naval history so for me the answer is yes. My 2c.

AFAIK your ship furls sails and stops if you are disco'd. I had this happen during a port battle - lost a dura but still got xp, gold and drops from battle.

"caveat emptor" Seems to me finding a mechanical solution would be a waste of development resources at this point in time. Hopefully the OP will only hit accept when the ship is in the trade box next time.

Good point. Question for admin is whether these are unintended consequences or something they thought through in the chat ban process. Although the limitation on trade should be rare, how many times are 2 chat banned players going to be trading? I would hope that situation won't come up often.

Nelson certainly didn't waste time salvaging what little was left of L'Orient after the Nile.

I think a good example of this was during the War of 1812 on the Lakes both the US and British pressed merchant ships (usually schooners) into service as small warships. In game this would be the Lynx. Unfortunately IRL it didn't always work out well in terms of the sailing characteristics and armament capability of the ships. Didn't the term "en flute" refer to warships converted to troop transports?

I think that is what they mean:

Which is why they closed them.

Never mind the mast, as admin said a broadside from a 74 should pretty much destroy a cutter sized ship. There is an example at the Battle of the Nile when a frigate was wrecked by a single close range broadside from a 74.

It was an advantage of having the leeward position in a line fight, your disabled ships could withdraw to repair or run. It should be harder to withdraw and repair any significant rigging damage in a 1v1 otherwise you may get the extended sail shooting drawn out battle.... +1 Exactly, it was the standing rigging that was shot away which took away the support and weakened the masts, particularly the top masts or t'gallant masts. A ship could withdraw to repair standing or running rigging, but once a section of mast fell that would be a much more extensive repair. There is a video in one of the L'Hermione threads showing the crew taking down a royal mast while underway which is helpful. The smaller spars could certainly be replaced but you wouldn't do it in close combat I like the idea of some mast and rigging repair with limitations in the OP - Just no more magically reappearing bowsprits in battle please!!

I remember during the early days of the OW you could see the storms coming and avoid them. You wouldn't want automatic damage, but I hate seeing ships in the OW or battles on full sail 24/7 without regard to weather conditions or potential battle damage. A storm does not mean gale or hurricane force either, even a rain squall like we see in OW now would cause smaller ships to take in sail or risk losing parts of their rigging. Exactly. It should also change the way ships interact, say a 74 would have to close the lower gun ports making it easier to fight in a large frigate, or that 74 is faster in high winds and can catch a smaller ship. BTW I wouldn't count the Niagara (your states tall ship I see) out - the Great Lakes can have some fierce storms as well. She'd certainly have to take in a lot of sail and strike the royal masts though!

This ^^. Awesome news!

Gold is not hard to come by, XP is....

Privateer is a good one to try first - cap one in a mission with your cutter. Equip with 18lb carros and try some missions. I'd recommend going with a Snow after that or try both! There is a reason you see lots of people sailing around in Snows. You get full crew and the Snow turns fast and has chasers for capping traders. Good ship to learn manual sailing in. Like the cutter the Snow is not exactly a stable platform (try optimized ballast mod) but takes a lot of punishment. For me I'd rather full crew a Snow vs. under crew a Merc or Niagara. It is ok against the AI but not good in PVP. But if you have the right mods penalties are reduced.