Patch 13: Variability in port battles, epic events, swivel guns

[janat08]

5 minutes ago, Salty Dog on Global said:

With the ship teleport, I don't think we need more slots.  Before, I had several ships prepositioned but don't really need that now I can port in the right ship for the job.  Removing those "ready ships" has freed up several slots.

You need to keep random ships around other than 1/4 rates

[Sir Texas Sir]

3 hours ago, Aegir said:

There's a whole bunch of 5100-BR ports in shallow waters around the Bahamas.

That's 204 BR per ship even if you fill all 25 slots, so there's no way to even utilize all the BR when ships can't reach the PB, same goes for the 3400 ports too (just by not as huge of a margin).

 

I noticed a lot of 3400 BR ones and that is 136 BR split 25 ways.   Uh I'm wondering how this works?  Do ships just enter until the BR is reached an than it's locked?  That a lot of math to make sure your fleet can fit in to the BR.  Also some shallow water ports have high numbers, you can reach the Attacker area to join in deep water ships, but the defense is in shallow.  So would this mean the attacker can get DEEP WATER SHIPS and the DEFENDER SHALLOW WATER?   With BR changes does this mean Niagara now can get in port battles?  Just way to much not known. I can see some one taking in 5 Vict's into a shallow and just decimating the little ships lol

[Teutonic]

6 minutes ago, Sir Texas Sir said:

I noticed a lot of 3400 BR ones and that is 136 BR split 25 ways.   Uh I'm wondering how this works?  Do ships just enter until the BR is reached an than it's locked?  That a lot of math to make sure your fleet can fit in to the BR. 

Heaven forbid we need to think on our fleet comps, oh the horror.

Ships cant enter until BR limit is reached, and then you cannot add any more ships.

[Hodo]

Finally a decent patch.
 

Now the big question is, what is the difference between the previous LGV and the refit one?  Other than the obvious color scheme.

 

Are the guns still made of glass?   (on the LGV)

Will swivel guns be counted in boarding action, fire deck gun option?  Or is it still calculated based on the number of guns on the weather deck?

 

Still no real love for those of us who like realistic ships, like the Brig, Snow, Rattlesnake, Niagara, Prince, Privateer, Lynx and Cutter. 

 

[Raekur]

So with the change in classification of ports what can we expect from hostility missions now?

8500 6800 5100 3400 1700 is the current values for ports. Is it 10x Mercury's for 1700 and 3400 / 10x Agamemnon's for 5100 / 10x Victory's for 6800 and 8500 ?

Or is there going to be 2 more configuration of Neutral defending fleets added?

[IndianaGeoff]

Admin,

What is the goal of the adjustment to the safe zone fleets?

I feel the balance in the previous patch was good.  If the goal is to provide a place for low stress PvE, the previous setup was good.   I could quibble that the deepset ports of Charleston and KPR make the protection area too small in those specific ports, but it was manageable and encouraged people to leave home for a bigger safe zone.

If the new goal is to nerf protection until we have hunting of people in capital areas, that I will object to.   I am seeing a bit more success getting new players to move up the food chain.  I would hate to sacrifice that once again to please the bloodlust of PvP at all cost players.

On Port Battles... I do fear some issues with random players inserting themselves into port battles and ruining a battle plan.  There needs to be a mechanism for the lead clan to remove a ship from the port battle if someone goes in that is not wanted.  Yes you can ban clans, but as a practical matter, you let all clans in so that you can have the numbers on any given port battle.  You also have players who are not in team speak, or watching the chat during the hectic enter phase.  There will be a lot of frustration if we often have ships jumping in (maybe even enemy alts), or screening will so destroy the attacker's plan that they cannot get a good mix in.  While screening is already important, if it becomes more effective then it will turn into screen battles instead of port battles.  I don't think that is useful.

[monk33y]

The age of fireships is here.....

[Palatinose]

8 minutes ago, Intrepido said:

In my view, no PB should allow more than 11 first rates. Thats why I proposed a BR of 7500. 

Having only a few and very big ships in battle should not be encouraged.

Did u read admins posts? If circles arent captured by BR, how do ya wanna win with a low amount of 1sts?

 

I see pretty interesting screening battles incoming though! Whoop whoop

[Sir Texas Sir]

2 hours ago, Christendom said:

At least it tells you when ya can't join.

7 ships to cap three circles?   Uh this going to be nothing more than a bunch of guys runing around greifing the circles......I think it might be wise to go back to the old one circle thing. Cap the circle points by keeping control of it or just sink every one.   

2 hours ago, Christendom said:

Yes, I was about to join this former 4th rate PB in a santi, until we noticed how low the BR was.  it is now a quantity vs quality type of PB.

If you get your math off wrong it's going to mean some one gets let out and now why even fight inside when all you have to do is bring a fleet of 1st rates and screen them out of of the battle cause they only brought 7 ships to match the BR?  

2 hours ago, Christendom said:

Then the circle captures need to be based on BR and not numbers.  ASAP.  

And as above maybe brought down to one circle control/king of hill type way to win if you don't sink folks.  

1 hour ago, admin said:

there are 2 types of port battles. shallow water port battles don't allow ships above cerberus (as before). 
 

So I take it the Shallows have a BR lock of 100?   Does this mean the Cerberus and Niagara can get into them are do you meany all none deep water ships below the Cerberus can get in but nothing Cerberus or above (deep water).  Might be time we get that Pandora ships in game to test out lol

1 hour ago, admin said:

2 types of pb

• old shallow pb = new shallow pb and still only lets ships below cerberus
• old 4th rate port battle and old line ship port battle = new unlimited port battle letting all the ships in up to the BR limit (we will see how it works in testing).

We might need this wrote out a bit more clear.   As per above does this mean Cerberus and below ships or only ships below it.  I seen it wrote both ways so far.

10 minutes ago, Teutonic said:

Heaven forbid we need to think on our fleet comps, oh the horror.

Ships cant enter until BR limit is reached, and then you cannot add any more ships.

Getting folks set up for port battles was all ready like herding a bunch of Kittens.  This going to be a big pain in the arse getting the right numbers and ships, than keeping from being screened out by a larger bigger ship fleets.  Maybe trick will be to bring 25 folks in a fleet and only have the 7-10 guys go in as plan but the rest stay out and fight?  Trusting not that some one will just jump in that wasn't suppose too.  

[admin]

5 minutes ago, IndianaGeoff said:

Admin,

What is the goal of the adjustment to the safe zone fleets?

I feel the balance in the previous patch was good.  If the goal is to provide a place for low stress PvE, the previous setup was good.   I could quibble that the deepset ports of Charleston and KPR make the protection area too small in those specific ports, but it was manageable and encouraged people to leave home for a bigger safe zone.

 

There were no changes to fleets that will affect their ability to protect
there were some rebalances in thickness and damage

[TrackTerror]

2 hours ago, Christendom said:

Then the circle captures need to be based on BR and not numbers.  ASAP.  

Please do not, doing this would negate any advantage bringing more smaller ships.

[jodgi]

1 hour ago, Christendom said:

can confirm if PBs are still capped at 25 ships?

 

25 is a set technical limit to avoid making the server choke on too many flying cannonballs. At least last time someone asked.

[George Washington]

Here is how 25 Ship - 8500 BR PB setup Looks. I like it. 

BR used - 8495

5 - 1st

2 - 2nd

4 - 3rd

5 - 4th

9 - 5th

 

 

Toll Used - 

 

Edited October 30, 2017 by George Washington

[Christendom]

3 minutes ago, TrackTerror said:

Please do not, doing this would negate any advantage bringing more smaller ships.

 

Just now, Wraith said:

No, it has to be BR based otherwise it's just a race to the highest number of ships which will kite and cap circles. True diversity in strategy and fleet build will come from BR-based circle capping.

 

What wraith said.  If not it's just going to be 25 guys in princes sailing up wind and kiting.  Which might be a legit strategy, it doesn't make for exciting port battles. 

[Hethwill]

As long as the biggest ships do not insist in keeping in one battle group then everything is possible, including breaking the kiting loop.

[TrackTerror]

5 minutes ago, Wraith said:

No, it has to be BR based otherwise it's just a race to the highest number of ships which will kite and cap circles. True diversity in strategy and fleet build will come from BR-based circle capping.

If it is BR based it will only be who can bring the biggest and hardest ships. It will be more tactical with number advantage. I believe that aiming for a 25 man fleet should have an advantage

However; I am happy to try it out (BR advantage) 

Edited October 30, 2017 by TrackTerror

[Hodo]

2 hours ago, Christendom said:

 it is now a quantity vs quality type of PB.

 

Joseph Stalin once said, "Quantity has a quality all on its own."

Admin is just following that doctrine. 

[Hethwill]

1 minute ago, Hodo said:

Joseph Stalin once said, "Quantity has a quality all on its own."

Admin is just following that doctrine. 

"God is not on the side of the big battalions but of those who shoot best."

[Raekur]

I can see kiting large ships in OW battles but if the goal is to capture the circles how do you kite a ship out of a fixed location?

What incentive is there to have a first rate chase a small ship that is not in the circle? At near max range the small ship would not be able to do any hull damage while the 1st rate would still be able to inflict hull damage. Or am I missing something..?

[admin]

3 minutes ago, Raekur said:

I can see kiting large ships in OW battles but if the goal is to capture the circles how do you kite a ship out of a fixed location?

 

We will give it a week or less to test
Calculating capture by BR will defeat the purpose of mixed fleets. Everyone will take biggest BR ships again (up to the limit) and we will see 13v13 first rates instead of 25v25 first rates like right now
 

[Ravern]

Having ports limited to different rates would be better than the mess this will turn into.

Keep it simple

[Liq]

4 minutes ago, admin said:

We will give it a week or less to test
Calculating capture by BR will defeat the purpose of mixed fleets. Everyone will take biggest BR ships again (up to the limit) and we will see 13v13 first rates instead of 25v25 first rates like right now
 

I dont think it will

ATM You can have 10 lynxes capping a zone vs 3 santis. 

When BR is the deciding factor at capping then you will just have to have your ships in the circle and it should work out fine

[OneEyedSnake]

sounds like a good patch devs! as a smaller nation player, this definitely helps the whole community out 

[IndianaGeoff]

9 Essex vs 6 Wasa, I'd like to see that with players.

[victor]

Nice patch. It seems the game is taking the right direction.