Modify the names over the ships ?

[Wetworth]

I don't know how it could be implemented so that I could identify someone ship other then what we already have, the nations flag. I don't plan on memorizing every individual persons ships bling. 

[Flibustier]

The name should appear in the telescope.

The name over the ship looks ugly,

spoils the overall picture,

violates the atmosphere of age of sails,

makes the game similar to the arcade.

imho

[Wetworth]

I like Flibustier's idea though, for removing nametags except using the telescope. I know it's more realistic to use the flags, but many times they are not visible. I don't want to withhold a broadside because of uncertainty, or fire on a potential ally.

[OTMatt]

For opposing team replace name with enemy flag icon (optional to turn off totally), leave names for your own team, for tactical reasons.

 

Yeah why not do it this way? Otherwise the organization in Trafalgar will be a huge mess.

[ThePfeil]

For opposing team replace name with enemy flag icon (optional to turn off totally), leave names for your own team, for tactical reasons.

I like this idea a lot. As long as we don't have a customisation option ingame yet, I think this would be the best solution to avoid huge friendly fire incidents., while giving our "celebrities" a break from being "Public Enemy No.1" ^^.

[Illusive Tabby]

I was in a great battle (that I sadly did not film) a few hours ago with Leviathan and I have read comments that he is good. Personally, from the few games I've been in with him, he's done well. Ususally, hwoever, those who are not primaried off the start do well anyways. I've no clue on how to tell if someone is good, just going off what I've read.

 

  Anyways, guess who I called primary on?

 

  Point is, had I known he was in the game but not been able to identify him off the bat, I may of made the call not to fire on his ship. Granted I think he was in a Trinco and the enemy had but one Trinco, well, you see where I am going. The best two idea's I see sofar are either a bar over the enemies ships, or a name only though the spyglass.

 

  Howeve,r combine the two, make it so you only see bars unless you're looking though the spyglass.

[SueMyChin]

For opposing team replace name with enemy flag icon (optional to turn off totally), leave names for your own team, for tactical reasons.

 

This.

If you want to know who you're fighting you should have to work it out, the game shouldn't tell you.

Long term: maybe when you get to within biscuit-toss or hailing distance the game then identifys the captains name for you.

 

 

Please take into consideration that at Trafalgar as an obvious example, the order of battle and of both fleets was almost completely known before they were in range of each other and certainly no opportunity to read stern engraved lettering. Even ships of the same class were often not identical at all, Hull paintwork, rake of masts, colour of yards, figureheads, even if well known the colour/patchwork of sails. These were identifiable at range and so gave a name to your antagonists. In most cases they also knew who commanded those ships (On the whole), knew their reputations and their abilities.

 

How you may ask ?  Well promotion into a ship or of a transfer soon became public knowledge, either through recruiting posters or general chit chat around the naval facilities, seamen were infamous gossips. A round of drinks here, a few coins there, and local 'spies' a little grand term but nonetheless a word in the right ear a small exchange of funds and a tiny bit more info speeds away to London or Paris.

 

This is correct, however the captains had to first know that information, they wernet told it by an interface. In Open world, this will reward players for getting to know other players in their locality. Approach a ship, trade stores share information, part ways and remember the captain of the 18 gun Brig 'Resolution' as Cpt. Crankey.

 

[BilL.it]

i agree 100%

[Domox]

It makes sense, I would think, to remove the names above the ships and only show the names when you use the spyglass. 

[SYN_Bloody-Bandy]

It makes sense, I would think, to remove the names above the ships and only show the names when you use the spyglass. 

+1

[Grim DeGrim]

I'm torn. At first I am thinking what a great idea.

Then what about, stuff already mentioned, target calling or even whom to follow in fleet formation.

-1 for telescope check. I think dropping enemy names if replaced with some other indicator (A-Z,?) is an idea to allow field target calling. (names get tricky when folks purposely use Cyrillic to make it difficukt)

As crankey said, these captains definately knew each other's names and ships, so please leave friendly names. Though an argument could be made that the most prestigious enemy captains were also known on sight... Maybe your honor or prestige ranking gives you away...

[Danishviking]

So i voted yes.. but no clue what i voted for.

 

YES to remove the tag OR YES  we want tag ?

 

Please remember its a game and you are not really on a ship so the funnnnn factor need to take apart in this aswell. Focus fire is alot easyer when you have a name

spec when we dont have ts and all that comm that really is needed. type  target Grim,  insted of.  3 ship from the front with white sails nonono 4 ship didnt c the lynx

 

The harder(realistic)  you make the game the better it is for those who can play everyday, and if its to hard to learn/handel we will loose those

people that wanna play a few times a week very fast. And i have a feeling alot of you forum guys just cant get it realistic enough

 

I have NO clue how a real ships was sailed or handled, but i could imagin that they had a guy or 2 that had one job and that was to find out who

the ships they where about to fight where, and the captain just got this info, not that he, himself had to read all the flags, names signs ect ect.

 

So to me the sign over the ships is just the info the captain is given bye those of his crew that have that job.

 

yes yes i know sorry for all the misspelling and typos.

 

 

Danish

[Magnum]

Vote YES if you like the names over the ships as is.

Vote NO if you want them deleted or modified.

 

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The term "fog of war" should have "some" meaning in this game if we don't want a redo of "Asteroids" where you could clearly see the enemy. IMHO

 

Isn't "Focus Fire" just another euphemism for ganking?

 

 

snip ....

 

Focus fire is alot easyer when you have a name spec when we dont have ts and all that comm that really is needed. type  target Grim,  insted of.  3 ship from the front with white sails nonono 4 ship didnt c the lynx

 

snip ...

 

[Mr. Doran]

I know Leviathan is an instant target and for people who have instant name recognition it is frustrating to be the target and there isn't much you can do.

 

Nose into the broadside and take the wind Prater

 

Am I the only one here that thinks removing names is a bit extreme even for NA. I suppose the better question to launch here is that is this really necessary as a mandatory step. There is a line that becomes drawn at total immersion and game play practicality. It sounds like a good idea up until the point people start fumbling around because there is a sudden lack of direction via using people as a reference point unless everyone is on comms and knows what they are doing. I also do not see the issue of people being spiked out purely by consequence of name. I am at the front of the division in almost every trafalgar game I enter and I almost never die given our team does not loose and gets entirely wiped out by default. 

[maturin]

Names should be much less prominent and garish, if they are retained.

More importantly, they should change positions to prevent them being used as rangefinding aids.

[PegasusUK]

Happy to lose the tags over the enemy but would like the tags over the friendly to remain or even simplified to provide less clutter, helps with tactics and knowing who is around you.

[tarkin1980]

In my opinion it would be a bad idea to remove the names. It is after all a game. What about the info box where you see their armor, sails, ports etc? What about the wind direction indicator on the compass? The yards indicator? Why not remove the UI altogether? No thanks. Ideas like these make games a hassle to play and offer no substantial increase in enjoyment, if any at all. I want to concentrate on tactics and maneuvers, not pointless memory games.

[akd]

I would like friendly names to continue to appear at same distance.  I think enemy names could be limited to a much closer distance to enhance Fog of War.  Would also make the visual appearance of ships much more meaningful in open world, as a paintscheme, name on the stern or unique pennant might lead to recognition of prominent players before the name pops up.

 

I don't see having difficult coordinating fire on a single target as a negative of not displaying names.  Coordinating fire in that would be difficult if not impossible in reality and places a premium on using other sound team tactics.

[Robert Danforth]

Ideally, it would be the ship's name, not the player, and those could be changed before the battle. That would give us some idea for recognition of friend or foe, and while slightly game-y, it adds a bit of realism in that you can't see it until you're at a range close enough that your midshipman has identified the vessel.

 

In the meantime, maybe just the class (although with [tab] you may know who is who anyhow).

[Magnum]

Hey I'm just glad none of you has pointed out my error of an extra "o" on the title of this thread.

 

I know lose has 1 "o" - I just have clumsy fingers - hjonest.

 

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Perhaps we could kill three birds with one change?

 

1. put friendly (teammates) names on the side (not top) of their boat to cut down on friendly fire

2. put opponent red bar (or red x, or enemy flag) on the side (not top) of THEIR ships.

3. Make either only viewable through the telescope or gun-sights to declutter and beautify the videos of the game.

 

This would be a mimic of the middie telling you if the ship along side is friend or foe

[Harlock]

Why not gives us the A.I. names when we hover over our enemy. That way we can still communicate with our team and know who or team members are, but have generic names for our enemies.

[Illusive Tabby]

One thing that I don't like about the current name markers has been said. They are used as a ranging tool. Granted a well trained crew can gauge distance alot easier than a fresh pressed crew.... But. It, to me, makes aming too easy. (but then, I have games where I can't land a shot for a brick of gold) There has to be some compromise, and I stil like the idea of the enemy name only poping up in the spyglass.

 

  But I think people are forgetting the prominence of the Ensign flying off the Spanker. In a close range melee, you might think your friendly is on the far side of the enemy and go to fire, only to realize you are blasting a friendly, or you may hold fire because you think the enemy is on the far side but he is really close to you. Check the flag. I do. It really is more important at close range than a red, greed, pink, yellow, blue, orange, cyan, black or even white name over a ships masts.

[Grim DeGrim]

Isn't "Focus Fire" just another euphemism for ganking?

No. I don't believe so. A gank is multiple ships in an instance versus 1 ship, or number of ships, that are at a significant disadvantage to the point where it is impossible to achieve victory.

Focus fire, my personal definition, is the coordinated fire of a group of ships at a single target. The goal, is to remove enemy ships from the field through focused effort in order to gain a DPS advantage and achieve victory.

Focus can be applied in a "gank" or in a fight where you're out classed / shipped. But focus fire is not a gank.

[Illusive Tabby]

I consider a gank to be a lone merchant sailing on his merry way and being attacked in friendly waters by a large group of hostile ships. Focus fire, however, seems to imply, to me, a coordinated attack by a group of ships onto one, and then in theory focusing on the next and next til you win/lose.

 

  But then I ususally say 'Primary" cause EvE habits.

[Grim DeGrim]

Agreed.