Rolling Front vs Rolling Back (Tutorial)

[Ned Loe]

Rolling Front vs Rolling Back

 

Many people probably don't even know why we have these 3 gun firing options in Naval Action. 

 

Firing Front

Firing Back

Random. (Useless  ) 

 

This visual guide is made to explain people why Rolling Front Shooting is very important when two ships are passing each other. 

Timing first shot will always guarantee 100% broadside hit on enemy ship. 

Note* if you are using Rolling Back firing mode half of your shots will miss (depends on how fast 2 ships are sailing, speed times 2). 

Remember to always use Rolling front when 2 ships facing and about to pass each other. 

You can use Rolling Back when 2 ships are parallel and sailing in one direction. Ex. Catching a trader will require you to slightly angle and use rolling back.

 

Final Tip - use T and break while unloading broadside. This will make sure timing is right. 

 

Example of 9 Guns Ship.

 

[Capt. Rice]

This is nice. but they need a Fire all at once mode if it was even a thing they did back then.

[Fletch Hardy]

This is nice. but they need a Fire all at once mode if it was even a thing they did back then.

 

You can fire both sides at once by using the brackets on your keyboard [ ]

[Prater]

Random is not useless.  Many people miss many of their shots because they are on rolling instead of random.  By the time the rear guns fire, they are firing at air and sea instead of a ship, but it can be hard to know when to switch to random, and so it appears most people (myself included), for the most part, stick to rolling.

[Wilhelm von Bromme]

You can fire both sides at once by using the brackets on your keyboard [ ]

 

He meant that all cannons on either side unleash fire at once in a big cloud, rather than rolling back, forward or random.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Rolling back is highly efficient when following a turn ahead and the target gets inside the turn.

 

Also highly effective when extending from a head wind turn you don't want to follow.

[marecek05]

He meant that all cannons on either side unleash fire at once in a big cloud, rather than rolling back, forward or random.

 

Like exact same moment?

 

In loud battle, with numerous separate gun divisions and division officers all relying on loud yelling of an order to fire and then despite the movement of the ship all of those people firing the gun in the exact same moment? (all this assumes flintlock gunlock mechanisms as firing by actually touching the primed touchhole would be even more random)

[Hendrik die Seevaarder]

 

This is nice. but they need a Fire all at once mode if it was even a thing they did back then.

 

 

It was my understanding that rolling or random fire is used to prevent the ship's hull from being damaged by the combined force of all cannons going off at once. 

 

I'm basing this assumption on O'Brian's 4th book, The Mauritius Command, where Jack fires the Raisonnable's cannons in a slow methodical rolling fire to prevent her from tearing apart. So I might be completely wrong

Edited February 11, 2016 by Hendrik die Seevaarder

[Wilhelm von Bromme]

 

 

 

 

It was my understanding that rolling or random fire is used to prevent the ship's hull from being damaged by the combined force of all cannons going off at once. 

 

I'm basing this assumption on O'Brian's 4th book, The Mauritius Command, where Jack fires the Raisonnable's cannons in a slow methodical rolling fire to prevent her from tearing apart. So I might be completely wrong

 

That might actually make sense, as usually the cannon barrels were tied with a thick rope to the hull wall to catch them on recoil. Now theoretically, if you imagine they somehow manage to fire all guns almost at once, together, I can indeed imagine that when 80 gun barrels pull at the hull wall at once, it might tear apart or take damage at least...

 

Good point, sir!

[diomedesbc]

Now if we could get more explanation on the fire modes (unlocked focus fire auto, ect.) that would be awesome!  Getting frustrated with broadsides firing in strange places at time?

[Hyperion74]

To quote Steppenwolf, "Fire all of your guns at once"

I want to see a mode where ALL of the guns fire simultaneously. This would be useful when your board to board. This should also contribute to crew shock. It would look REALLY COOL too. As has been written many times, that first broadside often determined the outcome of a battle.

 

Explode in to space, baby.

[Excelsior718]

Sadly, rolling front to back doesn't work so well on a Renomme.  Front to back broadsides begin with the rear quarterdeck guns.  

[Leviathan]

Sadly, rolling front to back doesn't work so well on a Renomme.  Front to back broadsides begin with the rear quarterdeck guns.  

Disabling the top deck will help you out there.

[admin]

random broadside fires them all simultaneously from all ports

[Capt. Rice]

random broadside fires them all simultaneously from all ports

do you think they will add a fire all at once kind thing or was that never a thing.

[Henry d'Esterre Darby]

 

 

 

 

It was my understanding that rolling or random fire is used to prevent the ship's hull from being damaged by the combined force of all cannons going off at once. 

 

I'm basing this assumption on O'Brian's 4th book, The Mauritius Command, where Jack fires the Raisonnable's cannons in a slow methodical rolling fire to prevent her from tearing apart. So I might be completely wrong

 

 

The reason he staggered fire in the books was because those particular ships had older, rotten timbers/frames, and due to their age and decrepitness, would have suffered damage from a unified broadside.  Often, in a ship in good condition, the initial broadside went off nearly in a body, followed by individual cannon firing as they were reloaded/bore on the enemy.

[Prater]

do you think they will add a fire all at once kind thing or was that never a thing.

 

Random does that.  We don't have modern fire control, so it can take some time.

[VictusB]

Random does that.  We don't have modern fire control, so it can take some time.

I believe the issue is total time to get the volley off.  The Random mode does not seem any faster than rolling, so it loses all value.

 

If all guns are simply responding to 'Fire' command down the line there would be differences in firing time as there is now, but it is WAY long atm.  I have not timed it but seems to save no time over rolling if you are trying to get a quick volley off, say while turning away from a ship that is showing bow or aft.

[Prater]

 

I believe the issue is total time to get the volley off.

 

It takes time for all the guns to go off.  Especially when these cannons don't have friction primers.  That, and you have the error of humans built in.  Slow reaction, etc.

 

As I mentioned before, Random has its uses.  There are many times many people and the AI miss most of their shots because they are using rolling instead of random.

[VictusB]

It takes time for all the guns to go off.  Especially when these cannons don't have friction primers.  That, and you have the error of humans built in.  Slow reaction, etc.

 

As I mentioned before, Random has its uses.  There are many times many people and the AI miss most of their shots because they are using rolling instead of random.

PLEASE lets not go back and forth on something this simple.  TOTAL time for broadside volley vs time per gun to fire.  Random does not fire any faster than rolling, and that is an issue as rolling would imply firing order given sequentialy down the line yet guns fire in rough order. Random would imply a simple FIRE command to all guns at once...yet it takes as much time as a rolling order.  Thats the issue I believe, a simple fix would to make Random trigger a random timer on all guns to fire within realistic fuse/trigger times.

[Prater]

No really, we know what you are talking about.  Is 5 seconds too much time for you?  5 seconds to fire off an entire broadside?

[Remo]

Should be added that Rolling Back is incredibly useful for long range combat because you can range in your shots without having smoke in your face.

[ajffighter86]

I think single firing has a dreadfully slow rate of fire. You can spam the spacebar and you're not going to fire off any faster than if you press the spacebar every 2 seconds (I think that's roughly how fast you can fire 'ranging shots').

 

Say I want to fire 5 or 6 shots in a half-broadside with my cerberus. I can't really do that. I can fire a few, slow ranging shots, and get a few hits, but after that I'm either committed to completely hold my fire or let the rest of the guns loose before the target leaves my 'cone' of fire.

 

It's not so much of a problem with multi-deck ships, since you can split your broadsides up by decks, and using the function keys you can save another deck for another target.

Edited February 20, 2016 by ajffighter86

[Prater]

Yes, correct.  The devs added in a random time addition to the single shots because we were using them as machine guns and because of certain other things related to ranging shots.

[maturin]

I wish we could hold down the spacebar and fire ranging shots at the maximum tempo. Having to tap it makes raking fire a real PITA, sometimes.