The definitive Battle Screen Ganking Guide

[Skully]

The definitive Battle Screen Ganking Guide

First of all we establish our main strategy here. It basically boils down to Guerre de Course. Although we won't limit ourselves to simple traders, but rather anything that is an economical target.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_strategy#Introduction_of_the_guerre_de_course

We also ensure that we have the upper hand continously. Defeat in detail works both ways, so we must always keep the initiative.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defeat_in_detail

Current mechanic of entering open world: http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/14536-to-gank-or-be-ganked-that-is-the-question/

Fleet composition:

• A couple of fast interceptors, for example Rattlesnakes.
• Anything grey that can keep up. From a profit/loss perspective this makes losing the ship irrelevant.
• Or, bring a gold escorted by a fast grey with the same wind profile. The grey will be your getaway ship after you TP back the gold.

To set up the initial battle screen there are a number of options:

• Tag a friendly smuggler. Doesn't matter what class of ship.
• Tag any form of enemy AI ship, so as to not give away our position.
• Not ideal, but coming out of a previous gank.

To ensure visibility to the outside world keep a fast interceptor out of the battle instance. Victims lovingly refer to him as the bait ship.

To deal with a revenge fleet, a scout is always send out first or called in from staging area. If the area is clear come out and prepare for the next gank, otherwise use the escape ship or log-off and boot up your alt.

Dealing with potential future mechanics:

• Invisibility. Use this to direct the gank fleet invisibly onto the victim. Perfect.
• Choosing your own spawn-in (/invisibility) be used to pass any blockade.
• Log-off timer or open world kick timer. Log-off immediately, log back on when the command comes over TS. BS waiting will become Shard waiting.
• Pop where you are. Setup gank just at visibility of coast, sail to coast and gank when trader comes past.

Once the tag on a victim starts, enter open world and gank away.

Please let me know if I missed anything.

[edit] Added pop where you are.

[edit] how-to bypass blockades

Edited August 11, 2016 by Skully

[Skully]

Let the inventory commence.

[Prater]

This isn't new and a well known tactic.  In the past pirates could use it (attack each other), or nationals could use it by attacking ai.  This is a tactic that should be heavily discouraged and is pretty low.  In fact, this should be removed from the guide section.  It borderlines on abusing the system.

[Skully]

This isn't new and a well known tactic.  In the past pirates could use it (attack each other), or nationals could use it by attacking ai.  This is a tactic that should be heavily discouraged and is pretty low.  In fact, this should be removed from the guide section.  It borderlines on abusing the system.

Everybody needs to be fully aware of how things work, so we can get properly informed suggestions and not do a repeat every month or so. Edited August 2, 2016 by Skully

[Bulwyf]

Seems like a good synopsis of how many people operate at the moment.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Seems like a good synopsis of how many people operate at the moment.

 

Yes. Now throw invisibility and 5 minute timers into what Skully posted and people crying for them might have an idea of what kind of hell it was.

 

Sadly powergamers will always subvert the systems.

[Skully]

Sadly powergamers will always subvert the systems.

I resent the generalization.

Not all powergamers will seek to subvert systems, but all powergamers will seek to attain a goal.

So recognize this for what it is, and provide goals and means to have them attain those goals.

And if we can find especially good mechanics the means should involve bringing the casuals into the story.

[Skully]

Exploit: see an enemy blockage, tag another friendly (/smuggler) player, sail pa6st the blockade, continue / dock / whatever.

[Rogues Salute]

I play historical wargames because I love the rich history. This kind of crap is just "gaming the game" and I will continue to avoid doing this kind of thing. Pour scorn on people who do it, and encourage the devs to improve the game so we can use real world tactics wherever possible..  

 

There is no honour in this, and winning with these tactics just makes you look too weak to fight like a man.

 

I will take my victories with fine sailing and accurate gunnery. If I get beaten by this tactic then it is not even a real victory.  I pity anyone who feels so weak they need to fight like this to "win."

[Skully]

I forgot to crosslink http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/15662-battle-screen-markers-timeouts-patch-proposal/

[Prince Serg]

They haven't fixed the battlescreen gank yet? Really? Why not when a battle takes place there is a historical "event" flag with the numbers of ships left in the battlespot for open world people to avoid until EVERY battlescreen holder exits the event? Is it really the intentions of the Devs for entire fleets to be cloaked? This is not historical.

 

I just watched Flying Ross's youtube vid wherein he complains of the fact that there is only a two minute timer for his Indiaman to get help. No problem there, you trader, you should be escorted or able to outrun or outgun, but for a pirate fleet to be able to sit cloaked, hehehehehehehe! Maybe I'll play Fractured Space.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Time scale of 2 minutes in ow equal pretty much to 15 minutes in battle instance.

 

So it is not 2 minutes but the distance that can be traveled inside a battle instance at best speed during 15 minutes ( roughly ) of combat.

[Guest]

They haven't fixed the battlescreen gank yet? Really? Why not when a battle takes place there is a historical "event" flag with the numbers of ships left in the battlespot for open world people to avoid until EVERY battlescreen holder exits the event? Is it really the intentions of the Devs for entire fleets to be cloaked? This is not historical.

 

I just watched Flying Ross's youtube vid wherein he complains of the fact that there is only a two minute timer for his Indiaman to get help. No problem there, you trader, you should be escorted or able to outrun or outgun, but for a pirate fleet to be able to sit cloaked, hehehehehehehe! Maybe I'll play Fractured Space.

 

I can recommend star trek.. That way there ain't too much difference with NA to be unduly stressfull