Tips and tricks post on the Naval Action subreddit

[SirSpam28]

Hey guys, I wrote up and posted a beginners guide on the fledgling subreddit for the game.  

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/NavalAction/comments/2s68ib/tips_and_tricks_for_doing_well/

 

I figure I should let you all know, and if you have any corrections or concerns, let me know here or there.

 

Thanks!

[jgzman]

I was just trying to find that subreddit. Thanks!

[Prater]

There are two main combat tactics that you should be aware of and employing when you can. The first of these is called the Weather Gage. Having the weather gage means being to windward(or upwind) from your opponents. If you are upwind of your target, you have the advantageous position. You can maneuver at will while sailing downwind toward the target, where as they cannot sail upwind towards you and are constrained in how they maneuver. You can often jibe from port tack to starboard tack and be firing both sides of cannon at them, where they can only fire one, or if they are running, only the stern chasers. If they are running, you can jibe from side to side and be firing both broadsides at their stern.

 

There are really only 2 advantages with the weather gauge in Naval Action at the moment 1. it hinders people from sailing directly at you.  It will be harder to rake you whereas it is easier for you to rake the enemy.  2. hitting between hull and water.

 

Disadvantage:  Edit: removed

 

 

You can speed up, slow down, and changing heading at will, making you a very hard target to hit. If you have longer range guns, you can choose the range of the engagement, since the enemy will never be able to sail upwind to get closer to you(see the first fight in the movie Master and Commander). Having the weather gage, especially in smaller battles, is often the only difference between victory and defeat.

 

 

This isn't special to the weather gauge.  Lee gauge you can speed up, slow down, change course, etc, etc at will.

 

If the enemy is going to do a running fight, trying to take the weather gauge can put you out of the fight for an extended period, especially if you are for-and-aft rigged. 

 

Sometimes, when it is decided by a majority of the captains that they will do a running fight with the enemy, a few ships will split off from the group claiming that they are taking the weather gage.  They don't know what they are doing, they will be out of the fight and it will be easier for the enemy team to rush the others and take them out, then turn back and take out the ships trying to take the "advantage".

The only time the weather gauge is an extreme advantage is if the enemy has carronades.  Only maybe 1/100 people carry them so you can count that tactic out.  This might change when GL fixes carronades.

 

The weather gauge is not as important as people make it out to be.

 

 

For example, on the Snow, the stern most cannons often fire first, meaning I'll take that into account and either lead the target more or less as appropriate for both of our headings while fire ranging shots.

 

Ranging shots always fire from left to right, whichever is loaded.  Facing larboard, they go from stern to bow.  Facing starboard they go from the bow to the stern. 

 

 

slightly less strong but still pretty tough at the bow

 

I might be completely wrong, but in my opinion the bow is the strongest part of the ship.  Shots that hit the bow seem to me to do less damage.  I'm not talking about firing a broadside that mostly misses, but individual shots that actually hit.  I'd have to look at the stats in the game files to be sure though.

[SirSpam28]

Thanks for the feedback, I amended the section with consideration from your input!

[trindade]

That's a pretty nice guide SirSpam, thank you.

[Handuer]

Very nice guide thank you for posting it.

[Everlazy]

Thanks for the guide Sirspam.  I really enjoyed it and learned quite a bit.

 

Everlazy