Swivels

[Slim McSauce]

Should be fully implemented. They're almost completely irrelevant still many months after their first implementation. IMO the feature isn't being done justice, here's why and what i'd do to change that.

Why:

Swivels still only present on 2 ships, really only 1 ship primarily req only having them on the bow.

Swivels not really filling the role they should be, which is supplementary fire at close range against crews.

Swivels being treated like regular cannons, when they fall closer to the role of muskets and small arms than heavy ordinance.

 

What I would do to change swivels to better fit the role and  compliment the meta:

Firstly, add swivel loadouts for most if not all ships, especially light ships with their open decks where swivels play a pivotal role (no pun intended)

Secondly, and most importantly, add automatic fire function to swivels.

Yes pretty drastic change, but there's good reason to do this. How many times have we asked for marine musketry for fairer, more authentic engagements? We've had many threads trying to crunch out the solution of performance and visual issues with adding marines to ships. There's no need for this, the solution is right under our nose. Swivels are the active, anti-crew counter to non realistic methods of smaller ships hugging under the guns of larger ships.

I firmly believe this a must going forward. In order to complete the game, all aspects need to be as close to authentic as can be. Tactics are a result of the options at hand, you cannot argue that current meta of hugging or implementation of swivels is correct, and until a solution is implemented, the combat meta will be less than what it could be.

 

 

[Captiva]

To follow up on your suggestion, I would add a dedicated fire button that becomes active if Marines are crewed onboard a players ship. If an enemy ship gets within a predetermined proximity to a ship equipped with Marines the musket fire becomes effective against the enemies crew.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Captiva

[Galt]

I think a fair trade would be to outfit the top deck of a ship with them as opposed to the normal gun outfit, but they would greatly increase your performance in boarding

 

[Ortac]

Another solution to the hugging problem, is the use of Muskets and Pistols. If they are loaded in a skill slot, a button lights up to fire when a ship comes within about 30 yards/metres, with a cooldown/reload timer of say 30 seconds.

This doesn't require modelling of a set of swivels on all ships in NA.

 

[Slim McSauce]

24 minutes ago, Ortac said:

Another solution to the hugging problem, is the use of Muskets and Pistols. If they are loaded in a skill slot, a button lights up to fire when a ship comes within about 30 yards/metres, with a cooldown/reload timer of say 30 seconds.

This doesn't require modelling of a set of swivels on all ships in NA.

 

Ok here's the problem with that, I know not everyone has been around for every recent thread on the topic. We actually use to have this feature, the problem with it was there was no visual feedback or sound of muskets being fired, crew would tick down for seemingly no reason. In order to add actual marines with muskets, the sounds and all the effects to make it a proper feature, is beyond the limitations of NA.

This suggestion for swivels aims to make swivels the alternative to this exact feature of active musketry to simulate crew damage over time. Muskets are unfortunately not going to work visually, what will work is each ship getting a row of 6 or so swivels on each side, that automatically open fire on ships within 100 or so m that's sole purpose is to reduce crew over time.

This requires the sacrifice of current player controlled swivels, but in the long run it's a feature that will play a huge, necessary part in combat that is overdue now. Swivels atm are not prevalent at all in game, they can be made great with a bit of effort.

[Aster]

Friend swivel guns are op. Especially on the lgv refit that broadside of swivels kills like 20 crew every 25 seconds.

Edited October 16, 2018 by Aster

[Slim McSauce]

27 minutes ago, Aster said:

Friend swivel guns are op. Especially on the lgv refit that broadside of swivels kills like 20 crew every 25 seconds.

you're thinking past the suggestion. This isn't a small value change, it would take a rebalance of swivel damage and ranges. It may also call for a pass on ship hulls and thickness since crew damage over time is a type of damage that needs to be balanced for, small ships need to retain damage to larger ships so pen would probably see a increase across the board so fights can take place at longer range without bouncing at the slightest angles. I'm not asking for the swivels we have for all ships, I'm asking that swivels take the place of a mix of grenades and musketry that we otherwise won't see outside of within the boarding screen

 

[Raf Van Boom]

Please make them swivel.

[Guest]

On 10/15/2018 at 5:07 PM, Slim McSauce said:

Ok here's the problem with that, I know not everyone has been around for every recent thread on the topic. We actually use to have this feature, the problem with it was there was no visual feedback or sound of muskets being fired, crew would tick down for seemingly no reason. In order to add actual marines with muskets, the sounds and all the effects to make it a proper feature, is beyond the limitations of NA.

When did we have this feature? I've played since early 2016, and I don't remember this.

[Slim McSauce]

24 minutes ago, EliteDelta said:

When did we have this feature? I've played since early 2016, and I don't remember this.

I dunno ask admin. He's the one who said it.