Patch 14: Part 1 experimental patch increasing realism in ship behavior

[admin]

Hello Captains

While programmers are working on the tutorial and the user interface we will address the long overdue Battle ratings, combat performance and sailing performance of the vessels in the series of patches.

This patch is first part of the final ship performance rebalance and addresses sailing performance of ships of the line (from 4th rates to 1st rates). The goal is to bring more realism into sail curves and yard power. 1000-1200 square meters of sail of the fore mast on the first rate should provide enough side force, allowing amazing realistic maneuvers and more options in combat.

Maneuvers like this become possible (to an certain degree):

 

Changes done (4th rates, 3rd rates, 2nd rates, 1st rates)
1) Exact (better) Balance between staysails and square sails
2) Exact (better) Balance between front mast and stern mast + spanker
3) Yard powers was reduced (based on agamemnon testing from 4 to 3) for better more realistic performance. Rudder power slightly increased for Aga based on the testing. 

Speed changes example 4th rates (ignoring indiaman)

• 4th rates are split into 3 groups
• Downwind sailers - excellent performance downwind due to more square sails area
  • Agamemnon (67% square sails area)
  • Ingermanland (68% square sails area)
• Universal sailers - ok performance downwind but great performance upwind
  • Constitution (60% square sails area)
  • Wasa (61% square sails area)
• Good turnrate brawlers (ok performance everywhere, but great turning)
  • Wapen

Implications

• Damage model will improve drastically due to exact calculations of square areas of sails 
• Constitution has more square sails per mast it will get an additional buff to yard power (effect on rotational force)
• Some ships will get lee on bow (bow will turn better)
• Some ships will get lee on stern (stern will turn better)
• Main mast role will be significantly reduced for turning for all ships due to mast position

Example of main gameplay change

• Constitution/Wasa will not catch Agamemnon downwind
• Agamemnon/Inger will never catch Constitution upwind

Open world speed will be slightly relaxed to give more flexibility and will be adjusted more if needed 

Remember that this is a first draft of changes and they WILL require tuning. But its a great start for finalization of the sailing model and making every ship unique

Some ships might require additional tuning based on our additional testing and research and your feedback

Known issues: 

Bots are affected and might need rebalance (especially making sternway). Bots in epic events are also affected and became dumber.
OW speeds might go down for some ships at angles closer to wind - we will monitor situation and adjust it if needed)
 

 

[Rigge1988]

5 minutes ago, admin said:

Remember that this is a first draft of changes and they WILL require tuning. But its a great start for finalization of the sailing model and making every ship unique

Nice! I like this!

Now I just need to relearn sailing again

[Yngvarr]

I'm anxious to test these changes, alas I'm stuck at work for another 6 hours.

Damn my luck

[Yngvarr]

7 minutes ago, admin said:

Remember that this is a first draft of changes and they WILL require tuning. But its a great start for finalization of the sailing model and making every ship unique

This will help every ship in the game earns it's place.

Because now it's Wasa's...... Wasa's everywhere

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

*...gasp...* ...omg... I...must breathe...

Many many many thanks for this. Extend it to all the team...

[Jarlath Morrow]

I see some changes were made to ship base speeds. Nice!

[PIerrick de Badas]

Hum an hard work to think for few result in gameplay. There is really things more important like that that we need NOW.

This features is a fake one, not desire, not needed. It won't change anything in term of fun for players, it won't bring back players, it won't make people choose to recommand the game rathen to not recommand it.

So why to make it now? One year after release i could understand but now it's just a time lost...

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

2 minutes ago, PIerrick de Badas said:

Hum an hard work to think for few result in gameplay. There is really things more important like that that we need NOW.

This features is a fake one, not desire, not needed. It won't change anything in term of fun for players, it won't bring back players, it won't make people choose to recommand the game rathen to not recommand it.

So why to make it now? One year after release i could understand but now it's just a time lost...

Quote

"While programmers are working on the tutorial and the user interface we will address the long overdue Battle ratings, combat performance and sailing performance of the vessels in the series of patches."

 

[Thonys]

4 minutes ago, PIerrick de Badas said:

Hum an hard work to think for few result in gameplay. There is really things more important like that that we need NOW.

This features is a fake one, not desire, not needed. It won't change anything in term of fun for players, it won't bring back players, it won't make people choose to recommand the game rathen to not recommand it.

So why to make it now? One year after release i could understand but now it's just a time lost...

come on peirick just test it out in the meantime

lets see how this works

[shaeberle84]

25 minutes ago, rediii said:

Wont change in big battles

In smaller battles and hunting, maybe

Wont change because it is easier to get a good wood ship (e.g. white oak) using combat marks than actually getting the good woods. =)

[jodgi]

14 minutes ago, PIerrick de Badas said:

This features is a fake one, not desire, not needed.

Dude! This is the best and most fun part of the game! We always welcome improvements. Lighten up, you'll get an ulcer.

[victor]

@admin

Thanks for explaining the examples of 4th rates (I guess that "Ignoring Indiaman" means that it stays as it is was before)

But for 3rd, 2nd and 1st rates, there will be similar differences between ships (i.e. 3rd rate good upwind vs bellona good downwind, Buce vs St Pavel, Ocean vs Vic vs Santi)?

Edited November 21, 2017 by victor

[admin]

3 minutes ago, victor said:

@admin

Thanks for explaining the examples of 4th rates (I guess the "Ignoring Indiaman" means that it stays as it is was before)

But for 3rd, 2nd and 1st rates, there will be similar differences between ships (i.e. 3rd rate good upwind vs bellona good downwind, Buce vs St Pavel, Ocean vs Vic vs Santi)?

yes
victory is good at broad reach and closed haul
ocean and santi is good downwind 

[victor]

Just now, admin said:

yes
victory is good at broad reach and closed haul
ocean and santi is good downwind 

@admin thanks again.

sorry for bothering you, but there any hints for 2nd and 3rd rates?

Edited November 21, 2017 by victor

[Milkman van Swallows]

Ok, what realism is next? Reinforcement zones gone/shrinked/or only protecting players up to a certain rank?

YES PLS

PS. Love this patch, GJ

[shaeberle84]

3 minutes ago, admin said:

yes
victory is good at broad reach and closed haul
ocean and santi is good downwind 

 

15 minutes ago, rediii said:

No.

Wont change because upwind sailing is more important in big battles were you aim to get the wind. Also ofcourse 32 pounder play a huge role in current thickness meta.

Only a BR change will maybe change it a little but 32 pounders will probably stay the favoured shiptype in portbattles. 24 pounders dont do much against pb fitted ships.

If I combine these statements, we wil see the same Victory and Wasa battles, no matter how the BR changes are!?

[balticsailor]

Yeah finally a reason to play some NA again .

[Rigge1988]

17 minutes ago, rediii said:

No.

Wont change because upwind sailing is more important in big battles were you aim to get the wind. Also ofcourse 32 pounder play a huge role in current thickness meta.

Only a BR change will maybe change it a little but 32 pounders will probably stay the favoured shiptype in portbattles. 24 pounders dont do much against pb fitted ships.

In my opinion, the best way to go around the armament "problem" is to add more ships.

Some ships will never be used in port battles. That's just how it is. Now we use wasas cause there is only 1 ship like it. If there was an equivalent ship it would get used aswell.

I really dislike the idea of a nerf through fiddling with armament. I'd rather see more ships - more alternatives. And BR balancing ofc.

For example you might wanna grab 8 agamemnons instead of 5 wasas. That kind of balancing.

I think the game would die for me a bit if we started tweaking around with the historical armament.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

9 minutes ago, Lord Bomgordel said:

only protecting players up to a certain rank?

Naval Academy along with Tutorial maybe ? It is a nice idea. Keep it in mind and make a nice suggestion about it o7

[Wojtek]

Bucentaure at open sea...

[Landsman]

20 minutes ago, admin said:

 

Great patch, thank you! What is the place of the buc now?

[Lz3]

You say you are addressing battle ratings - could you please give a list of all the new battle ratings?

[Anolytic]

2kn speed in OW - feature or bug?

I tab'ed out of my alt sailing out of a capital, forgot all about him and when i suddenly remembered I feared that I had sailed into an enemy capital area same way I've lost a few ships before. I tab'ed back to my alt, but no, he was still in the greenzone, barely any further from the port where he started than when I left him.

[victor]

Just now, Anolytic said:

2kn speed in OW - feature or bug?

I'd say just another unnecesary (and not requested by the community) change to make our game experience a pain in the ....

[admin]

3 minutes ago, victor said:

I'd say just another unnecesary (and not requested by the community) change to make our game experience a pain in the ....

I think you are looking for intent  where it does not exist. 
Speed curves were adjusted and it might affect ow speeds. OW speeds will be adjusted later to bring them up to reasonable numbers.