boarding Revised Boarding Mini Game

[AeRoTR]

We all know current boarding game is not really fitting NA experience. It creates many problems, devs try to make temporary fixes like DD etc.

I purpose slight changes to the boarding game to make it a bit better. I think not much of a work needed to implement these changes.

1. Grappling Phase

Current instant grappling into boarding in a second is not good. Looks weird, happens weird.

Purposal: Make grappling phase longer. Need 5 seconds to achieve successful grappling, in which maximum distance is maintained with boarding speed during 5 seconds. A ship can steer away, accelerate in that 5 seconds to get away from boarding. Pulling bigger ships requires more time like 7 seconds, pulling smaller ships require less time like 3 seconds. A boading prepared enemy can cut ropes with a long cool down.

edit: Muskets starts firing when enemy ship within 50 yards, higher deck, more muskets having advantage. Few men dies with each volley. When hugging grenades starts. I feel like this will be introduced in future patches.

2. Boarding Mini Game

Current game sometimes requires last milisecond commands, which is very unrealistic and silly, ping related. 

In real combat you order your man to attack, first you order them to get ready, than you give them the attack command. This can not happen in 0.1 seconds. But may be in 8 seconds. Order them to defend, may be 6 seconds? Fire muskets, aim, fire, needs 4 seconds? Brace needs 3 seconds? So what I mean, all these actions need some time. If you order “get ready to attack” and give “attack” order only 2 seconds later, it will be uncoordinated, not a good attack, ineffective one.

Attack command requires preparation and 8 seconds to be executed effectively. Attack order given 3 seconds before round ends, very ineffecive and preparation is wasted.

Attack command given exactly 8 seconds to round ends, a perfect attack. But if defender selects defend at 6 second before round ends, a perfect attack against a pefect defence. Now what matters is crew numbers and boarding setup, killed crew decided on the facts. So it is what it should be in real life. No one can attack in 0.2 seconds or fire muskets at 0.1 seconds.

So we have selected musket fire at defending enemy 4 seconds before round ends and enemy braces 3 seconds before end, etc. What matters now is preparation and morale . Bad decisions cost preps. makes you lose morale.

Morale system revision: %100 morale needed to execute commands at preset times. Every 20 morale lost adds 0.5 seconds to your base times. So a defend requires 6 seconds to be executed perfectly, now requires 6.5 seconds with 60-79 morale. 6+1=7 seconds with 40-59 morale etc. So when crew loses morale, actions are not executed perfectly anymore, gets worse with low morale.

Your morale is low, you are defending as your enemy is attacking. Enemy selects muskets at 4 seconds before round ends and you brace, as you have 55 morale = +1,5 seconds, your brace time is 4,5 seconds. Your brace is not well executed, you lose more man to musket fire.

So whoever has more crew, more boading stuff, used preparation well, did not make bad decisions, managed to keep morale high, will win the boading game.

This can be further improved as this idea is just a sketch. But much better than last milisecond boarding game also using the current interface. Just add required seconds and prep next to commands like ATTACK (8 seconds/20 prep.) , 79 morale —> ATTACK (8.5 seconds / 20 prep]

This revision to boarding may have problems, so let us discuss if it is positive, better than current mini game, how to improve or correct this idea.

Main idea in this post is to make a better boarding game with little resources until the final boading game arrives.

Edited September 21, 2018 by AeRoTR
Muskets/Grenades added.

[Raf Van Boom]

I'd rather not have a mini-game but something that's completely integrated into the combat system, swivels, quarterdeck guns, muskets, melee weapons, blood etc etc. If it's not it will always suck no matter what, good ideas here though.

[Old Crusty]

I think the idea is a good start. You are right about being able to change Commands at last second. Very unfair and unreal.

[AeRoTR]

8 hours ago, Le Raf Boom said:

I'd rather not have a mini-game but something that's completely integrated into the combat system, swivels, quarterdeck guns, muskets, melee weapons, blood etc etc. If it's not it will always suck no matter what, good ideas here though.

I do agree, but my solution is a temporary fix using current system until real thing arrives, if it is ever gonna come  

[Capn Rocko]

I enjoy the boarding mini game and don't think it can get much better unless they find a way to make it fully immersive with animation. Unless the developers plan to do something like that, then I don't think they should waste their time on this. 

[AeRoTR]

1 hour ago, Capn Rocko said:

I don't think they should waste their time on this. 

Whole idea is changing the boarding from last second clicking game to a more straight forward mindfull aproach, using same interface thus minimum effort by devs. 

So devs do not need invent new perks like DD, and waste time balancing stuff. People like US or Aussy players are not at disadvantage due to latency etc. It is more natural and understandable by new players who has no idea about last milisecond musket fire or attack until losing ships. 

Edited September 21, 2018 by AeRoTR

[Bluetooth]

2 hours ago, Capn Rocko said:

I enjoy the boarding mini game and don't think it can get much better unless they find a way to make it fully immersive with animation. Unless the developers plan to do something like that, then I don't think they should waste their time on this. 

+1

Stop trying to waste devs time on something that for the majority is ok or not that important.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2018 by Crow

[Cetric de Cornusiac]

Basically fine. I just would like to bring in a factor which is not regarded yet, and that is the fighting quality of your crew (I mean physically and skillfully, not morally). What is a morale good for if you have a crew which does not know how to use weapons most effectively as taught by training? So I would like to add the ability to hire more skilled fighters as crew or have them trained on your voyages, at the cost of something (money obviously, or provisions, or lets use the obsolete muskets and gun powder resources for that). So over time your crew improves in fighting skill and adds a varying bonus to that one of morale.

[admin]

9 hours ago, Old Crusty said:

I think the idea is a good start. You are right about being able to change Commands at last second. Very unfair and unreal.

This is something that will only work if you hide enemy commands and only know them in the next round. 
Pick a command according to your knowledge of enemy ship and crew - and commit. 
This will remove ping dependence - and i think this is a way to go. 

 

[z4ys]

7 minutes ago, admin said:

This is something that will only work if you hide enemy commands and only know them in the next round. 
Pick a command according to your knowledge of enemy ship and crew - and commit. 
This will remove ping dependence - and i think this is a way to go. 

 

Other option is to make last second commands less powerful. So a attack command issued the before 12left does 100% dmg while attack after 4 sec left only does 25%.

So ontop that last sec commands cost more prep they will be less powerful as well.

Edited September 21, 2018 by z4ys

[Sir Texas Sir]

Also command need a better explanation. I think why so many button push and have no clue is cause there is no info on the command and what they do and how effective they are against certain things.

[Angus MacDuff]

I voted yes with mods to the mini game.  I believe there should be some form of "Boarding shock" applied to ships that incur severe casualties.  Obviously not applicable to the loser, but sometimes the winner is badly hurt also.  In addition, there is the possibility of disengaging.  The two ships should not be fully functional right away.  The state of your ship after a rough boarding should be a consideration before going in.  Right now it's "hit the rum button" and carry on.

[AeRoTR]

1 hour ago, Banished Privateer said:

I don't like the idea of weaker last second commands, just remove changing. Players must commit to action. I think already about last second attacks with 25% and defend last second with 25% power, it will make just the boarding last much, much longer.

The idea is, 

Attack takes 8 seconds to charge to %100 power. 

Defend takes 6 seconds for %100

If you Attack 4 seconds before end, your attack is %50 or less powerful. If enemy defends at 3-4 seconds, his defence is %50 or more powerful. Defence beats attack when all equal, but not fully charged attack is even more vulnerable against more than %50 charged defence. 

It is a bit difficult to explain, but @z4ys got the idea.

So real game is your crew number plus boarding mods and using preparation and morale. 

In this boarding game you can not defeat your Double sized and equal modded enemy unless other captain makes big mistakes. No more last millisecond attack or musket. 

One positive addition is, as you will not give last second commands, you can but you won't prefer as it will be ineffective plus waste of prep. , you will see clearly your attack killing about 50 crew against enemy defence killing 60 crew, so you can change to muskets, brace etc. with expense of spending huge preparation. So you already have to commit some of your orders. 

For this game, it is unnecessary to hide enemy commands dear @admin

Visualise it, it is like real dynamic boarding, you are the commander giving orders and deciding to counter enemy as you see clearly what they are gonna do. 

Edited September 21, 2018 by AeRoTR

[Grundgemunkey]

a quick fix for boarding game is take the ability away to see your opponents preparedness or next action away .. make it a true rock paper scissors game where you have no idea what your opponent is doing next .. in a fight you dont know what the enemy commanders next order will be ...

[Angus MacDuff]

1 minute ago, Grundgemunkey said:

a quick fix for boarding game is take the ability away to see your opponents preparedness or next action away .. make it a true rock paper scissors game where you have no idea what your opponent is doing next .. in a fight you dont know what the enemy commanders next order will be ...

You can see him loading weapons, or hiding behind a barricade. 

[AeRoTR]

1 hour ago, Banished Privateer said:

Why why have preparion from 0-100 and rounds in boarding? Make every round "charge" or "loading bar". That could make boarding more dynamic and not 1 command vs 1 command, 15 seconds waiting and looking at the screen...

I think it may be possible. A non-stop flowing boarding action, game of preparation and morale depending on crew numbers plus boarding mods. 

 

[Tom Farseer]

2 hours ago, AeRoTR said:

The idea is, 

Attack takes 8 seconds to charge to %100 power. 

Defend takes 6 seconds for %100

If you Attack 4 seconds before end, your attack is %50 or less powerful. If enemy defends at 3-4 seconds, his defence is %50 or more powerful. Defence beats attack when all equal, but not fully charged attack is even more vulnerable against more than %50 charged defence. 

It is a bit difficult to explain, but @z4ys got the idea.

So real game is your crew number plus boarding mods and using preparation and morale. 

In this boarding game you can not defeat your Double sized and equal modded enemy unless other captain makes big mistakes. No more last millisecond attack or musket. 

One positive addition is, as you will not give last second commands, you can but you won't prefer as it will be ineffective plus waste of prep. , you will see clearly your attack killing about 50 crew against enemy defence killing 60 crew, so you can change to muskets, brace etc. with expense of spending huge preparation. So you already have to commit some of your orders. 

For this game, it is unnecessary to hide enemy commands dear @admin

Visualise it, it is like real dynamic boarding, you are the commander giving orders and deciding to counter enemy as you see clearly what they are gonna do. 

 

4 hours ago, admin said:

This is something that will only work if you hide enemy commands and only know them in the next round. 
Pick a command according to your knowledge of enemy ship and crew - and commit. 
This will remove ping dependence - and i think this is a way to go. 

 

Let's make it a mix of the two ideas:

• The shorter your timer gets to 0, the higher the preparation cost of any action and the lower it's overall effectiveness.
• Captains can only see their opponents chosen action 3 seconds (arbitrary exemplary number) before each round ends. This would give you time to make last second changes albeit at much lower effectivenes, for examples simulating an officer/marine shouting "FIND COVER" right as the grenades start raining down.

Tis should result in less ping based success and give the game another tactical layer. Do I change from firing deck guns into a last second defense to save my own crew numbers or do I keep it to maximise damage against the attacking enemy? Better decide quickly! This solution may require tweaking of general effectiveness of certain actions against each other.

Edited September 21, 2018 by Tom Farseer

[Old Crusty]

4 hours ago, admin said:

This is something that will only work if you hide enemy commands and only know them in the next round. 
Pick a command according to your knowledge of enemy ship and crew - and commit. 
This will remove ping dependence - and i think this is a way to go. 

 

Except that you do have eyes on the enemy and would be able to see what they are up to. It is really hard to hide the fact that they are gathering to rush your ship in an attack, or lining up for a musket volley. The defender should have some idea of what the attacker is doing.

If you made it a blind choice then it is still Rock, Paper, Scissors, and based on luck with the advantage going to the attacker.

[sveno]

Remember the boarding game in "Treasure of Monkey Island"?

I would dig that, winning a ship with snappy answers.

[Capn Rocko]

4 hours ago, admin said:

This is something that will only work if you hide enemy commands and only know them in the next round. 
Pick a command according to your knowledge of enemy ship and crew - and commit. 
This will remove ping dependence - and i think this is a way to go. 

 

if you do that, you make preparation useless.

[Capn Rocko]

7 hours ago, AeRoTR said:

People like US or Aussy players are not at disadvantage due to latency etc.

I am a US player and I never felt at a disadvantage in boarding based on my geographic location. If an Aussie player has 400 ping, maybe the issue is greater than the boarding mini game 😉

[Sir Malachy Karrde]

8 hours ago, admin said:

This is something that will only work if you hide enemy commands and only know them in the next round. 
Pick a command according to your knowledge of enemy ship and crew - and commit. 
This will remove ping dependence - and i think this is a way to go. 

 

I think the whole system needs scrapped in favor of a real time avcom system.

[Tiedemann]

I like the idea of bording at higher speed than 3 kn because I think it is realistic, but with the current bording mechanics it is just broken..

It should be harder to get in position to board another ship, pulling another ship should take much longer and the player getting pulled should not lose sailing ability and be forced to put sails down. Personally I always considered the bording mini game to be a place holder feature, but if we where not able to see what the opponent has chosen and switch in the last milliseconds then that would make a huge positive difference imo.