Hourglass - NA Timer - Navigation Tool

[z4ys]

Prologe:

Current NA Navigation is based on straight lines if not other extern tools are used like Stopwatch, certain extern maps, f11 coordinates (that will vanish with release). But what if i want to sail to a destination that is direct into the wind.

Currently we have 2 options stay on course and be slow. Or do it realistic and tack. The 2nd option is lacking some tools in my opinion therefore...

 

Suggestion:

Lets introduce the hourglass an ingame Event timer

This tool will allow the captain to keep track on time spend on a certain heading and notify the next tack to keep on track.

 

Pros:

• makes OW navigation easier

 

Cons:

• more UI stuff

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

So we could have the bells to announce time passing by Shifts instead of the hour glass also.

But it is a interesting proposal although I am finding hard to find a use for it myself given I always remain vigilant and try to optimize travel and wind.

There's two types of OW travel.

The vigil type and the afk type. On the vigil type the captain performs this action himself. On the afk type the player simply can't be bothered...

Given the travel timespace scale ( in appropriate age of sail terms - gayful fast ), how exactly will this help OW Navigation ? 

[z4ys]

14 minutes ago, Sir Hethwill the RedDuke said:

...how exactly will this help OW Navigation ? 

It would help by a courses that are not a straight line from A to B. It would therefore help by a course that has different Waypoints. Especially Waypoints that have no viusal reference point. So its actual a tool for navigation without visual landmarks. All whats left as reference there is "time spend" on a certain heading.

Ofc my suggestion is a fake feature with f11 coordinates but they are only here for testing and not part of the final game.

Edited August 6, 2018 by z4ys

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Okay, thank you, I think I get it, it is an alarm clock  but the calculations still have to be done by the player. Meaning that by learning to play the game the player becomes adept at estimating distance over time hence a easier traverse with multiple waypoints.

Should've read it the first time proper. I was kind of afraid it would be a odd mechanic to replace player input and automate tasks.

Thanks for clearing it.

 

[Thonys]

2 minutes ago, Sir Hethwill the RedDuke said:

Okay, thank you, I think I get it, it is an alarm clock  but the calculations still have to be done by the player. Meaning that by learning to play the game the player becomes adept at estimating distance over time hence a easier traverse with multiple waypoints.

Should've read it the first time proper. I was kind of afraid it would be a odd mechanic to replace player input and automate tasks.

Thanks for clearing it.

 

put an egg alarm clock next to you screen that helps to..

lets say nice workaround :prussian way

Edited August 6, 2018 by Thonys

[z4ys]

32 minutes ago, z4ys said:

Prologe:

Current NA Navigation is based on straight lines if not other extern tools are used like Stopwatch, certain extern maps, f11 coordinates....

 

 

2 minutes ago, Thonys said:

put an egg alarm clock next to you screen that helps to..

I already do it but why not make it an ingame feature?

[Palatinose]

Sounds nice @z4ys, though I fear only the passionate OW sailors would use it. Trader tool is enough to triangulate your position. As long as these (fake) features exist, probably not many will use the hourglass.

Hethwill why do you feed the troll man

Edited August 6, 2018 by Palatinose

[JoeFried]

3 hours ago, z4ys said:

Suggestion:

Lets introduce the hourglass an ingame Event timer

1. I think the proposal is good. I like items from the old days - the hourglass.

2. Better, if you could just enter the number of zigzag and instead of the coordinates. Maybe a fixed number with a mouse click such. 6, 12, 18, 24. Each course change takes 30 seconds and can be canceled at any time with a mouse click.

 

(1. Ich finde den Vorschlag gut. Ich mag Gegenstände aus der alten Zeiten - also die Sanduhr.

2. Besser finde ich, wenn man anstelle der Koordinaten einfach nur die Anzahl der Zickzackkurse und eingeben könnte. Vielleicht eine feste Anzahl mit Mausklick wie z.B. 6, 12, 18, 24. Jeder Kurswechsel dauert  30 Sekunden und kann jederzeit mit Mausklick abgebrochen werden.)

 

3 hours ago, Sir Hethwill the RedDuke said:

So we could have the bells to announce time passing by Shifts instead of the hour glass also

Yes - it only rings a bell when the maneuver starts and ends, so a total of 2 times.

 

(Ja - es läutet nur eine Glocke, wenn das Manöver beginnt und beendet wird, also insgesamt 2 mal.)

 

3 hours ago, Sir Hethwill the RedDuke said:

I was kind of afraid it would be a odd mechanic to replace player input and automate tasks.

No - why not? The captain tells the helmsman to change course with each hourglass. If you play AFK, you're always in danger of being attacked. Everyone should decide for themselves how he plays. I think it's better to get more choices to control your ship. It is important that you can never really see your position on the map. In my opinion, that's enough as a degree of difficulty.

Maybe one could skip the last "course change" irregularly. A 20% chance would be interesting? So it would be important to look up the bell if you are still on course.

 

(Nein - warum denn nicht? Der Kapitän sagt dem Steuermann, dass er zu jeder Sanduhr den Kurs wechselt. Wer AFK spielt, der läuft immer Gefahr aufgebracht zu werden. Das sollte jeder selbst entscheiden, wie er spielt. Ich finde es besser, wenn man mehr Auswahl zur Steuerung seines Schiffes bekommt. Wichtig ist es, dass man auf der Karte seine Position nie richtig sehen kann. Meiner Meinung nach reicht das als Schwierigkeitsgrad völlig aus.

Vielleicht könnte man unregelmäßig den letzten "Kurswechsel" auslassen.  Eine 20% Wahrscheinlichkeit dafür wäre doch interessant? So wäre das Nachschauen beim Glockenschlag wichtig, ob man noch auf Kurs ist.)

PS: English translation with the help of google.

[Macjimm]

I preplan my course with waypoints and timed intervals on each leg.  Then I use a timer, with alarms.  It's remarkably accurate and kinda fun.  The prep allows ; travel avoiding coastlines and less distraction from scanning for enemies.

Tacking is easy and just involves a couple extra symetrical legs.

I like using the 3rd party maps and the timer is on a phone and works very well.  I don't see a benefit for a timer in game.

I would love to have a compass, clock, chip log, and pendant in-game that can be used with the UI off. Sigh.

A sextant would be handy.  Current F11 serves.  If we remove the CoOrds with F11, on release, we can meta game, with the trade data distance on the map and triangulation.  Personally I suggest that a sextant for lats would be superior.

 

[Guest]

Hourglass is a great idea but…

I would scrap any key input, just use the mouse to flip the hourglass, have the sand drain out in 10 minutes, no chime, onus on the captain to watch and flip the hourglasses again.

Then it would be pretty close to the time period.  

Would be extremely helpful while tacking in open waters/storms if you didn't want to sail through irons while maintaining a heading. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by Guest

[Sir Texas Sir]

They need to bring back the map grid and give us cords on the map. They don’t have to be super accurate just general location so we don’t have to use F11 or external sources.  This is a game not a sim.  If I want to meet up at a location for a friendly fight I can tell some one meet me at these rough cords.

[Angus MacDuff]

And put a scale on the map.  Honestly, how do you use a map without a scale??  There is distance from ports on the trader tool and no scale on your map for you to estimate that distance.