Replace escape timers

[Kokerpiraat]

Now, I have heard a lot of people defend the current way people can escape from battle. I however think it is one of the most frustrating, unrealistic things in the game right now.

 

This is both frustrating for people trying to catch ships, and those escaping. Currently, those trying to escape may be frustrated when being miles and miles away from ships yet still getting hit by a single cannonball, resetting their timer over and over and over. Those who are chasing, and do not have front guns will never catch their target even though they are going faster and they are gaining on the target. How is it fair that someone is able to escape when someone is practically on their heels while someone who is half a mile away is unable to leave entirely. 

 

Why do we not work with a ship radius?

[SteelSandwich]

A timer is effectively a radius, just in a different form.

Why should a ship with no bow chasers be able to keep an enemy 'tagged' into battle, whilst it has no hope of ever really hitting him?

 

Currently the system compliments fast ships with bow chasers, which should be the case!

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

To my experience there is a radius. Not that extended but there is. Been able to tag an AI trader at musket range while dealing with its fleet lapdogs with the counter on the white.

 

More than 400 yards I have seen a few escape.

[Kokerpiraat]

Yesterday I was chasing a cerberus. I was on it's heel nearly touching it with my front. And it popped out of battle because I did not hit it with cannonfire.. No radius there.

[Kokerpiraat]

A timer is effectively a radius, just in a different form.

Why should a ship with no bow chasers be able to keep an enemy 'tagged' into battle, whilst it has no hope of ever really hitting him?

 

Currently the system compliments fast ships with bow chasers, which should be the case!

The current system doesn't make any sense to me. The only reason I got caught yesterday was because a single brig managed to hit me with distant cannon fire whilst I was outrunning him easily. Whilst in another case, when I was right at someone's back they were able to escape. This doesn't make any sense. If you are gaining on your target, front guns or not. And you are able to get him in the long run why shouldn't you be able to do so?

[BungeeLemming]

Teamplay gone right.

 

The system as you describe works for players only. NPCs actually stay in fight once you are under a certain distance. Just as said above.

 

If you have a few players chasing you and one is sacrificing distance and speed for a desperate tack you can be stuck in fight. Rightfully so. One player is now out of the equation. You only have to outrun "x players minus one".

In your case if yo uonly had hit him once by turning in a bit you could have gotten him. your indesicion saved him.

Learn from that mistake and do better next time. Its the same system for each and everyone.

[Hawat]

In port battle some ship can escape while they are completely surrounded by enemy ships, demasted, lost all armor on one side, most armor on the other side and are in the process of sinking so when people see that kind of ship they will usually switch to another target that is still active threat because that would be like beating a dead horse hitting that ship without armor just to keep it in game. But magically if we leave that ship alone 2 min just before it sinks completely it will have time to magically disappear and escape from battle.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Thanks for the clarification Bungee.

[BungeeLemming]

[...]

Thats unfortunate. When I play I make sure to hit such players whenever possible. A few (even one) ball hit(s) can do the trick and eventually he goes down.

In RL fleet actions were not won by sinking each and everyone. You won the battle if you managed to disable the enemy's fighting capabilities.

If this one player got out its not unrealistic.

 

 

What should be remembered (maybe):

RL chases were fought over days when the conditions were good (or bad if you are the fleeing ship).

Ingame there has to be a compromise. A chase should not last for 1.5 hours each time you attack someone. Thats boring and a garanteed reason to quit for some players.

What happens if you have a cicle and both ships are about same speeds. You got closer because you sailed better. But you cannot gain one inch. What now? Stay in for over one hour of real life time? thats bad gameplay and does neither honour the attacker nor does it help the defender.

[admin]

The current timers got to its current state based on more than 8 months of OW testing. 

It always feels bad when the enemy can escape because you cannot hit him. But it always works both ways. The exit timer can save your ship as well. And when you are being chased you always think that the exit timer is too long.