Minor port battle changes next patch

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

So i have had a really good think about this and this will break the game......unless population is high all your doing is making all port battles about population at a specific time....any man and his dog can turn up to these battles and buy flags across the board so there is likely going to be very little way to make progress on an opposition because connies a day to make....

 

it wont work and i predict a failure that will be obvious in the first week with this population level

 

Actually it is a step towards the elimination of flags in the big update. Timers, yes, a rock in the way. Flags out of the game, best move yet with the open warfare it will become.

[Anne Wildcat]

The one thing I don't like is the idea of capture zones, makes me think of tank battles in War Thunder and doesn't seem appropriate to an age of sail game. But this is just alpha, so we will see. I like the idea of forts to destroy, read that somewhere but can't remember.

[Black Knight the first]

The one thing I don't like is the idea of capture zones, makes me think of tank battles in War Thunder and doesn't seem appropriate to an age of sail game. But this is just alpha, so we will see. I like the idea of forts to destroy, read that somewhere but can't remember.

The forts have been discussed and previews given in a couple of different threads.

Regarding the cap zones- it's a way to break out of the player versus tower mechanic that currently exists. That gets tiresome quick. It'll be interesting to see where it goes from there- I suspect that it'll make more sense when land makes its way into PBs. Strategic choke points and the like would make sense in the context of a port battle and holding those areas to prevent an enemy from getting through reinforcements and such strikes me as a reasonable alternative.

[Baptiste Gallouédec]

My Niagara is a brik isn't it ? :  ok for shallow ?

[Nalyd]

capture zones are a good way to force a fight during the Whole PB instead of the running around and avoiding combat that usually happen on the defense side to keep the BR difference until the end of the timer, so i'm all for it.

Now, in the future if those zones could be transformed into forts you have to capture, I would be quite pleased.

[Jeheil]

capture zones are a good way to force a fight during the Whole PB instead of the running around and avoiding combat that usually happen on the defense side to keep the BR difference until the end of the timer, so i'm all for it.

Now, in the future if those zones could be transformed into forts you have to capture, I would be quite pleased.

 

They also have some actual IRL relevance. If you google up and read about one of Europe's greatest port battles (Copenhagen) you will see how in order to bring the defenders to surrender (or in this case discuss terms under a flag of truce), the attacker had to get its ships into locations that would allow for a bombardment of the town proper. At the same time, the attackers had to either destroy or negate the defenders fleet and of great importance their Fort Batteries.

Edited May 12, 2016 by Jeheil

[Crankey]

Feature that definitely will get in

 

Port battles will split into 3 levels next patch (eta mid may)

 

Regional deep water capitals (unless its a shallow water port) - will accept all ships 

Normal deep water ports - will accept ships up to 4th rates

Shallow water - will accept ships up to brigs

 

I would like to see a greater variation of ships in all PB's.

 

Atm we have

 

Deep Water Ports = Victory's/Santi's

Shallow Water Ports = Mercury's

 

Now we add

 

None Capital Deep Water Port = Constitution

(Ingermanland may take over as ship of choice, but in essence after a dozen battles one will be favoured over the other)

 

As you can see we will generally only see 3 ship types  in Port Battles which is a great shame and not particularly realistic.

 

 

I would like to offer a system that will encourage a greater variety of ship rates in each battle within the remit of the depth and importance of the port being attacked. 'Quality/Rate of ship is dependant on the towns importance. I've suggested some examples below

 

Every 5 Ships taking part are Permitted a Flagship.

Every Flagship triggers one of the 5 being a Signal/Scout Ship

Remaining 3 ships must be lower than Flagship quality

If a Flagship class is not chosen then 4 ships may be lower than Flagship quality and a 5th 1 rate lower still.

Any slot may select a lower class than the maximum permitted.

I would suggest Bomb Vessels cannot be considered to be a scout, but could take part as the standard ship selection.

 

Caveat, If a 1st Rate SOL is permitted and used as a Flagship, then a single 2nd Rate SOL could be used as one of the three standard ships selectable

 

 

Sounds complicated but its not as bad as it seems. Just work out each 5 ships permitted depending whether you take Flagships, then throw them all into the Battle to be used as the commander sees fit. re-arranging groups etc.

 

 

Regional Capital. Maximum Ship Rate/Type if Flagship taken

<40 combatants per side (8 Squadrons)

Ship 1 - Flagship - 1st Rate or 2nd Rate SOL

Ship 2 - 2nd Rate SOL only if 1st Rate is Flagship, Otherwise 3rd rate SOL.

Ship 3 - 3rd rate SOL

Ship 4 - 3rd rate SOL

Ship 5 - 5th rate Frigate

 

Regional Capital. Maximum ship Rate/Type if Flagship is not chosen

Ship 1 - 3rd rate SOL

Ship 2 - 3rd rate SOL

Ship 3 - 3rd rate SOL

Ship 4 - 3rd rate SOL

Ship 5 - 4th Rate SOL or Heavy Frigate (Connie)

 

 

 

Std Deep Water Port. Maximum Ship Rate/Type if Flagship taken

<35 combatants per side (7 Squadrons)

Ship 1 - Flagship - 2nd Rate SOL

Ship 2 - 3rd rate SOL

Ship 3 - 3rd rate SOL

Ship 4 - 4th rate SOL or Heavy Frigate (Connie)

Ship 5 - 5th rate Frigate

 

Std Deep Water Port. Maximum ship Rate/Type if Flagship is not chosen

Ship 1 - 3rd rate SOL

Ship 2 - 3rd rate SOL

Ship 3 - 3rd rate SOL

Ship 4 - 4th Rate SOL or Heavy Frigate (Connie)

Ship 5 - 4th Rate SOL or Heavy Frigate (Connie)

 

 

 

Regional Capital Shallow Water Port. Maximum Ship Rate/Type if Flagship taken

<30 combatants per side (6 Squadrons)

Ship 1 - 4th rate SOL or Heavy Frigate (Connie)

Ship 2 - 5th rate Frigate

Ship 3 - 6th Rate

Ship 4 - 6th rate

Ship 5 - 7th Rate

 

Regional Capital Shallow Water Port. Maximum ship Rate/Type if Flagship is not chosen

Ship 1 - 5th rate Frigate

Ship 2 - 5th rate Frigate

Ship 3 - 5th rate Frigate

Ship 4 - 6th Rate

Ship 5 - 6th Rate

 

 

 

Standard Shallow Water Port. Maximum Ship Rate/Type if Flagship taken

<25 combatants per side (5 Squadrons)

Ship 1 - 5th rate Frigate

Ship 2 - 6th rate

Ship 3 - 6th rate

Ship 4 - 7th Rate

Ship 5 - 7th Rate

 

Standard Shallow Water Port. Maximum ship Rate/Type if Flagship is not chosen

Ship 1 - 6th rate

Ship 2 - 6th rate

Ship 3 - 6th rate

Ship 4 - 6th rate

Ship 5 - 7th Rate

 

 

Remember these are the maximum ship Rates, smaller ships can always be utilised.

 

 

To keep Open world risks, players travel in the best ship they wish to offer for the port battle (Same system as now).

Ideally players could pre agree ship selection before sailing following the PB restrictions. this would avoid conflict and 'magic' transfers. Otherwise perhaps a 2 minute window at battle start where groups / squadrons form up.

 

 

To Recap

Each Squadron may have 1 acting Flagship

Each Squadron with a Flagship must have 1 acting Signal/Scout Ship.

Each squadron may have any other ship smaller rated than its Flagshiip for the remaining 3 slots. Some Caveat on 2nd Ship Rate if Flagship taken.

 

I may not be strictly correct in creating balanced options but the general idea I believe is sound enough for discussion and inclusion. 5th Rate Frigate as a group for instance has ships varying greatly in ability/Strength. Some 'cherry picking' may be advisable to restrict selection to just a small number of available 5th Rate vessels for the Shallow Water battles as an example (Cerberus and Renomee for instance)

[surfimp]

Now, in the future if those zones could be transformed into forts you have to capture, I would be quite pleased.

 

Wouldn't it be amazing if you could sail LGVs up to the forts to disembark Marines who'd storm the castle, so to speak?

 

With SOLs and frigates supporting the assault?

 

I can dream, right?

[Woody051]

Maybe they should make the harbor assaults similar to how they were in Navyfield

http://www.trainworld.us/NF2/English/HA/harbor_assault_manual.html

In the context that there is a "grid" and that you would have to win a series of battles in front of the harbor to progress to the harbor tile/row before the harbor assault fight can take place.

Perhaps this could be taken a step further and certain harbors could have structure upgrades that would require marines to capture and the defenders could have installed these defenses prior to the battle. This would force an enemy fleet to change their composition and bring some ships equipped to "board" aka deploy marines to capture certain objectives.

 

 

 

[qw569😳]

Port battles will split into 3 levels next patch (eta mid may)

Regional deep water capitals (unless its a shallow water port) - will accept all ships

I painted regional deep water capitals on map available for conquest (1, 2, 3 rates).

===

Я обозначил на карте глубоководные региональные столицы доступные для захвата.

[shaeberle84]

Then in turn they will be fought with 3rd rates only, meaning Bellonas... There's a pattern and the gameplay compromise proposed is, in my opinion, sound and worth playing for a while to see how it goes.

 

There is still room for Constitutions and Ingermanland in 3rd Rate battles with a little bit of tweaking.