Sinking - make it beautiful

[Aubrey]

This

 

 

 

Knowing that this is EA / alpha, I do not expect it right now - but I really need to know if this will be worked on later on?

The shot is from Napoleon Total War, the way ships sink there is simply stunning and spectacular to watch, it adds so much to the overall feeling of the game,

please, bring us dynamic sinking mechanics later, yes? Please?

Edited February 7, 2016 by Aubrey

[Kameradenschwein]

Well, i dont think this is to question,   i assume that they will sooner or later

[Vardin]

Please. 10/10

[Ligatorswe]

Agree

[Ned Loe]

Devs said content production will start after bugs are fixed. So, you will see game is taking shape soon enough. 

[maturin]

I twitch uncontrollably every time someone holds up TW:Empire as a positive example.

 

But there's a lot that could be done with sinking. I don't really want to see them reliably leaning towards the lowest-HP broadside, but there is always entropy and room for uneven sinking.

 

Most of all, a sinking ship should be wallowing in the waves, long heavy sagging rolls that might even result in capsizing.

[Aubrey]

I twitch uncontrollably every time someone holds up TW:Empire as a positive example.

 

But there's a lot that could be done with sinking. I don't really want to see them reliably leaning towards the lowest-HP broadside, but there is always entropy and room for uneven sinking.

 

Most of all, a sinking ship should be wallowing in the waves, long heavy sagging rolls that might even result in capsizing.

Good, no problem then, since I was talking about  Napoleon: Total War, which is considered as Empire: Fixed by most TW fans.

Other than that, are you implying that the sea battles or specifically the sinking mechanics in both, Empire and Napoleon aren't good enough, not realistic or believable?

Pretty much everything would be better than what we have to witness now, so... I don't see your point?

[Gaius Marius]

While there are innumerable ways a ship could sink, each more visually stunning than the last (I'm looking at you magazine detonations), I think at this stage in the game development hours could be better spent on other issues.  Not to say that I don't think this is a good idea- in time, I would love to see this.

[AKPyrate]

I think one way to add variety to the sinking is by causing sail and rig damage slowly over time so that the sails could slowly flog themselves to shreds and the occasional mast falling as the ship breaks up in the waves.  That said, I also think increased slow rolling could help.  And not automatically furling all the sails; just strike the flag and maybe turn out lights in the cabin or something.  Make it a bit more subtle, as when does a ship really go from floating to sinking?  Technically the boat had probably been sinking for some time, it was just still fighting.  Here might also be where 'launching small boats' could simulate crew abandoning the ship (and maybe start to disperse randomly), if we ever get that type of graphic.

[Aubrey]

And not automatically furling all the sails; just strike the flag and maybe turn out lights in the cabin or something.  Make it a bit more subtle...

i like that!

[312_JS]

I twitch uncontrollably every time someone holds up TW:Empire as a positive example.

 

Yeah me too.

[marecek05]

I am no expert, no way comparable to maturin, but from what I have read, I think the ships sink due to leaks too often. In history and at least most French ships were sunk due to the loss of maneuverability and hit the shore or were burned in action. Some of them were broken by wind and sea (if there were heavy weather conditions during the battle). From what I've read, very few of the ships of line were sunk due to leaks and comparably also not very many frigates.

 

Translated in game I would like to see it as:

 

1. Non catastrophic fires. Only a fraction of ship fires resulted in explosions a la Orient. Let the fire just slowly deplete your armor, crew and sails, with only a small percentage chance of exploding.

2. In port battles and in battles close to shore, make the loss of maneuverabilty critical. If sails and rigging are damaged enough you should be slowly pushed towards the shore, until you founder.

3. According to picture evidence and some reports I read, ships that actually sunk, usually sunk in a shallow angle aft first and with only slight list to the side.

 

In regards to capzising in battle, I have not seen a picture documenting it, by I don't doubt that it will be provided in this great community :-).

 

Note: I was not taking into account capture by the British, because that was hands down the most common reason for a loss of ships in the French navy.

Edited February 8, 2016 by marecek05

[maturin]

i like that!

It's been on the devs' to-do list for years now. 

 

 

 

Other than that, are you implying that the sea battles or specifically the sinking mechanics in both, Empire and Napoleon aren't good enough, not realistic or believable?

 

Nothing too much wrong with sinking in Napoleon, I guess (which didn't fix anything wrong with Empire's execrable naval battle graphics that I am aware of, but added steamships and a model-swapped bizarro-frigate).

[thomas aagaard]

Ships really should not sink that often... they should just surrender when the damage reach a specific point.

[Aubrey]

Ships really should not sink that often... they should just surrender when the damage reach a specific point.

Maybe, and while I agree with this in favor of authenticity, the point is if something sinks - it should be sexy, shouldn't it?

[kingck]

I would love to see the ship sink similar to WoW

Edited February 8, 2016 by kingck

[AKPyrate]

Ships really should not sink that often... they should just surrender when the damage reach a specific point.

 

I think that this is just a gameplay issue.  If the ship didn't sink, people would fight on, even if ineffectually.  This would just make battles more tedious and much longer (hove to and hammering away at a vessel nearly awash isn't exactly exciting).  Plus, if there are multiple enemies, the focus could switch to them and allow the stricken, barely afloat vessel to 'escape', which would not be realistic if they could only make a knot or two at most.  And many people would hate to be forced to surrender at any point, as they would like to fight to the last man, escape the hangman's noose (for pirates), etc.

[Hexxus674]

I could see pirates being the exception to the "forced surrender" idea. The fact is that when overwhelmed by a superior force most merchant ships or small Warships would surrender without much fight at all. But I don't think forced surrender is the answer. More along the lines of there being a reason to surrender when you know the battle is lost. Maybe some sort of mechanic that costs you some exp for "dieing" in a sunk ship? Just a thought.