Seasonal Patch: The Missing Links Part 1

[admin]

Seasonal Patch: The “missing link”

The concept existed in Darwin's time, that a chimpanzee-like missing link—that looked like something between humans and apes—would eventually be found at the root of the human family tree.Lucy found in 1974 proved this concept; Ardi further connected these missing links.

 

Just like the scientists who study the human origin, we strive to find all missing links in the sailing model to make Naval Action (and future games) better.

Missing link one: The Battle Sail

• Everyone knows why Captains of the Age of sail fought on battle sails. Battle sails allowed to have a clear deck, improved visibility and reduced the risk of fires and falling sails. Many did not know why this allowed the ships to perform, sail and turn and the sailing model did not allow for that. Ships sails worked in linear progression.
• Careful and deep study of 18^th century books on Seamanship helped us to uncover this link and connect the dots. Extra sails have diminishing power and every next sail that is set provides less and less power to the ship. As a result you will sail at very good speed and have best turning at just half of your sail set.  
• For the majority of vessels sail settings will change to
  • slow
  • half
  • battle
  • full
• Undercooked sail settings (like sails opening and closing when increasing sail) will be fixed

Missing link two: The Wind shadow

• Ships fought in lines, station keeping was important. Captains who could not - were court martialed, as lack of station keeping caused great danger to fleets and their task. Why they had to keep station and plan maneuvers carefully? One of the main reasons was wind shadow.
• Wind shadow significantly cuts the wind to leeward. At certain range (depending on the height of the mast) the wind could be completely cut. If you sail in a frigate by the leeward side of the first rate you will completely stop - No wind there. This is being implemented in Naval Action.
• Your position to the enemy or a friendly ship becomes a lot more important. Ships will get stuck if they don’t keep the station, blobs stop working, chases change, enemy ships will no longer be able to push you into the wind to board.

Missing link three: Sail setting vs Sail furling

• This one is simple but important. It takes longer to furl (remove) the sail than to set it (drop it down). In active battle captain will have to turn yards and depower sails instead of removing them.

Gunnery changes

• Multiple treatises on gunnery and ordnance were studied and the main lessons will be applied to Naval Action gunnery.
• All guns over-penetrate at close range, but long-range penetration does not diminish a lot for heavy guns
• Long range accuracy grows with cannonball weight
• The wind shadow and proper sail power will increase the battle distance on some occasions, and the changes the sailing model will help tactical variety in battles

Other changes and fixes

Visual overhauls for ports

• Dutch
• British
• USA
• Prussia
• China
• France
• Russia (eventually)

Additional descriptions

• Sailing
  • Fixed and tuned presets for all sails groups and ships
  • Fixed proportional power of yard power 
  • Sail furling is now 2x slower compared to sail setting (sail setting/opening) has the same speed as before
• Sail preset bonuses
  • Added bonuses to presets
    • Lower crew depending on sails preset: more sails will require more crew, less sails will require less crew encouraging you to fight on battle sails
    • Sail damage resistance changes based on sail preset (you get additional resistance when you have minimum sail)
      • mast resistance based on sails open is coming soon
• New mission content
  • Mission to capture ports added. 
    • Requirements
      • Capture several ports from neutrals or top 4 nations
      • Must be all in different regions
  • Front line change:
    • You can now take hostility missions for 2 nearest ports AND 1 nearest port of top 3 nations.
• Damage model rebalance
  • Full rebalance of hull penetration, cannon penetration and masts thickness numbers, giving better usability to lower calibers and giving more options in range for longer guns
    • Hull thickness difference changed
      • From 25 (cutter) - 75+ (first rates) to 70 - 100 
      • Mast thickness changed to 100 (cutter) to 130 (first rates)
    • Gun penetration changes
      • Distance change - heavy long guns can operate at 1km against unpgraded first rates, and at 1.5km against light ships
    • Almost ALL guns penetrate first rates and their not upgraded masts at point blank range
  • Re balanced  several upgrades (mostly reduced bonuses on mast thickness)
    • overall mast thickness boosts fell from 70+% from woods and upgrades to 49% total boost (max upgrades max wood)
  • Increased mast HP of lower sections and mid section
  • Increased charge penetration bonus from 10% to 20%
  • Tracking shot accuracy bonus lowered from 40% to 10% as 40% was too much in new penetration logic
• Economy and looting
  • Changed cannon prices
  • Looting: You can now loot from ANY distance after battle is over.
  • Loki invaders now count in PVE hunts (oops)
  • Rebalanced prices for clan wood delivery missions
  • Teleport to port battle is now 50,000 doubloons
• Chatting
  • Help chat and global chat is now switched off for War Server. 
  • Help chat and global chat will continue working on Peace Server.
• Added ability to redeem Trincomalee if you already have it in docks
• Visual upgrade for some nations

 

Discuss.

 

Battle sails hotfix has been deployed 22 August

Warning - DONT FIGHT AT FULL SAIL at close/medium range. 

 

Sail combinations bonuses have been updated.

Logic

• Turning bonus - You get better rudder performance due to less heel and water pressure at keel at certain sail positions 
• Yard torque bonus - same as above - due to less resistance at keel you get better yard side torque
• Crew on sail reduction = 85%. - self explanatory - less sails = less crew to operate
• Sail damage resistance = less sail open, less damage to rig and entanglement from chain
• Mast thickness bonus= 45% = less sail open results in less wind pressure on masts ,thus they are harder to take down.
• Mast damage reduction= -80% = less sail open results in less wind pressure on masts, thus they are harder to break if rig is damaged or mast is hit.

We are thinking of also adding accuracy bonuses to lower sails as you have a lot better visibility on deck for gun crews if you dont have lower main sails opened. 

 

Here is the current state of bonuses after maintenance.

Stop

• Turning bonus
• Yard torque bonus
• Crew on sail reduction = 85%.
• Sail damage resistance
• Mast thickness bonus= 45%
• Mast damage reduction= -80%
   

Slow

• Turning bonus = 5% 
• Yard torque bonus
• Crew on sail reduction = -85%
• Sail damage resistance = -75%
• Mast thickness bonus = 35%
• Mast damage reduction= -65%

 

Half

• Turning bonus = 10%
• Yard torque bonus = 10%
• Crew on sail reduction = -75%
• Sail damage resistance = -60%
• Mast thickness bonus = 25%
• Mast damage reduction = -50%

 

Battle

 

• Turning bonus  = 15% 
• Yard torque bonus = 10%
• Crew on sail reduction = -50%
• Sail damage resistance = 40%
• Mast thickness bonus = 25%
• Mast damage reduction = -30%

 

Full

• Turning bonus = 
• Yard torque bonus = 
• Crew on sail reduction = 
• Sail damage resistance = 10% more damage - due to full wind pressure
• Mast thickness bonus = -20% less thickness - due to full wind pressure
• Mast damage reduction = 20% more damage - due to full excessive wind pressure on sails

 

Several players asked us (thanks for questions @Koltes)
Battle sails - why you get a lot of speed at half sail?

Sails work the following way.

Every additional square ft (meter) of sails give less and less power when added (lower utility). First 10% of sails give approximately 30% of speed. Last 10% of sails give almost no speed bonus and could even slow you down (by increasing heel, screwing your rudder position and keel position creating additional leeway that need to be corrected constantly). The specific relationship was described in several seamanship treatises and shipbuilding books. We have implemented this relationship.

As a result like in real life you don't need full sails to sail fast. Extra sails are needed if you need to squeeze extra half knot during chase, but during battle you can get everything at battle sails. Just like in real historical battles.  

 

Hotfix 27 August 2020

• Hercules, Pandora, Xebec HP buffed, thickness buffed
• Turning curves changed slightly for more turning penalty at full speed and at less penalties at low speed.
  • Optimal turning zone is from 50 to 85% ship speed. With increased resistance the ability of rudder to turn the ship becomes worse due to resistance of keel
• Full sails receive a penalty to turning and slightly increased penalty to mast thickness and hp.
• Determined defender now requires attacker to have 30% more crew to overcome stiff resistance. 

 

[Gringo69rus]

будет ли у простых игроков доступ на тестовый сервер до патча?

[Aquillas]

This Lucy patch will be awesome.

[admin]

11 minutes ago, Gringo69rus said:

будет ли у простых игроков доступ на тестовый сервер до патча?

да тестбед для всех будет открыт

[Guest]

Very interesting to see this being implemented

@Gregory Rainsboroughno more sitting behind the stern of a 1st rate, in a snow

 

Edited August 8, 2020 by Je maintiendrai

[Aquillas]

What I really like in this game is the constant change in sailing/fighting habits. Like for IRL captains:

• They were used to Mediterranean condition, then came f... Christopher Columbus.
• The were making money off west coast of South America, then came Drake.
• They were used to galley fight, then came the galleon.
• They were used to long guns, WTF this Mr Caron!
• I can't tell what I really think of this James Watt. Lord, send him to the London Tower!

Same in Naval Action. I've to write again the guide. So cool!

Edited August 8, 2020 by Aquillas

[Hethwill]

Many thanks for the development done and attention to treatises and era documentation. This is most excellent news.

[Sea Archer]

this patch really sounds promising. Maybe you can add that when firing a full broadside with big ships (3rd rates and above) the wind will stop for a short time for the firing ship, as it is reported from historical battles. the effect should be increased, when when ships are sailing close to each other and exchange broadsides.

Maybe you can add different hull thickness in different locations, thickest close to the water line, where only the big calibres may penetrate, thinner on the upper works, where then even 4 lbs can pen., with structural damage only done in the lower section.

 

[Koltes]

Thats great, but I never heard players complaining that fighting mechanics makes this game unplayable...

I have heard a lot that poor crafting implementation together with poor RVR and Open World mechanics were the biggest problem. 

Are we getting our priorities right?  

Edited August 8, 2020 by Koltes

[Sea Archer]

For the visual overhaul of the ports, I have this old picture of Cartagena. Maybe you find it helpful.

[Liq]

1 hour ago, admin said:

• All guns over-penetrate at close range, but long-range penetration does not diminish a lot for heavy guns

What does overpenetrating mean in naval action? Damage output should remain equivalent as there are no "explosive shells" right?

Is mast thickness going to be touched when heavy guns don't lose a lot of penetration value on long range?

[Urchin]

Well I think these changes will finally bury small ships, it's going to be third rates and above only. 

 

[Henry Long Castle]

Just now, Urchin said:

Well I think these changes will finally bury small ships, it's going to be third rates and above only. 

 

Small vs Big will be harder sure but lets not get ahead of ourselves

[Lt Sekiro]

17 minutes ago, Liq said:

What does overpenetrating mean in naval action? Damage output should remain equivalent as there are no "explosive shells" right?

Is mast thickness going to be touched when heavy guns don't lose a lot of penetration value on long range?

A ball over penetrate hull of ship make less dmg then penetration. 

Why? Cause of splinter.
 

If the ball overpenetrate only the ball make actual dmg. But if the ball make a "regular" penetration , the dmg was the ball + splinter; and in naval battle its always splinter who make the more dmg in a battle.

 

 

After 4 years of playing , maybe this will change a lot of gameplay in the game.

Maybe meds will come back in the game as good gun, 

Wind shadow when you understand how it work can be a good tactique in battle for good captaine ( Good for kill small ship who perma rak :D)

Battle sail will maybe become intresting.

 

 

@admin For testbed , please don't make everyone start for low rank without ship this time

We need real testing with all ship , in small and big battle

Edited August 8, 2020 by Lt Sekiro

[Citoyen]

2 hours ago, admin said:

 

Other changes and fixes

Visual overhauls for ports

• Dutch
• British
• USA
• Prussia
• China
• Russia (eventually)

 

+ France too?

 

[Aquillas]

3 hours ago, Urchin said:

Well I think these changes will finally bury small ships, it's going to be third rates and above only. 

 

Not sure.

This depends on mast resistance for example. But for sure, if the masts of small ships can be single shot, this class of ships will be out of the game. If gun accuracy is reduced, removing mast sniping out of the gameplay, a good sloop captain can have an extended roleplay.

Also, what about the sailing model? A manoeuvrable ship can be very helpful for bigger ones, and she can be a real pain for bigger enemies.

The impact of hull angulation on bumping shots has an utmost importance.

The speed for setting sails, moving yards, etc. can also make a difference.

Last in this list, but not of less importance, small ships can be built using the best woods without major difficulty...

Again, most will depend on the sailing model. We don't know what about this at the moment. Let's wait for the testbed period before stern raking developers.

This video to explain what I mean,  in with the enemy captain (Trincomalee) concludes by "Damned Lynx did the job :)"

Edited August 8, 2020 by Aquillas

[DonH]

I hope that battle sails has a reduced number of sailors required to sail the ship, otherwise i dont think we are going to be using this new feature...

Is there going to be some kind of way to show us players that we are being wind shadowed? any icon??? a warning message? the wind arrow becoming orange when nearly shadowed and then it turns to red when fully shadowed??? This is the short of thing that many new players would not understand unless showing it on the battle interface. And also this might be the beginning for different wind strengths? and random changes in its direction? @admin 

[Georg Fromm]

Even if I express my respect for the work done, I don't understand this balancing act between realism on the one hand (ship and damage models) and such strange fantasy constructs as front lines in sea warfare.
It's been online for a while, can someone tell me briefly what the front lines have improved or what is the point behind them?

 

[Serk]

These changes look very interesting. Let’s hope the community does not reject to quickly as they did with the leeway when first introduced
 

I also wonder how the AI will handle these, especially wind shadowing. They tend to get themselves in a huge uncoordinated cluster. 
 

@admin Any chance to implement special guns for 6 and 36 pdrs?

Cheers,

Edited August 8, 2020 by Serk

[Louis Garneray]

4 hours ago, admin said:

Seasonal Patch: The “missing link”

Missing link two: The Wind shadow

• Ships fought in lines, station keeping was important. Captains who could not - were court martialed, as lack of station keeping caused great danger to fleets and their task. Why they had to keep station and plan maneuvers carefully? One of the main reasons was wind shadow.
• Wind shadow significantly cuts the wind to leeward. At certain range (depending on the height of the mast) the wind could be completely cut. If you sail in a frigate by the leeward side of the first rate you will completely stop - No wind there. This is being implemented in Naval Action.
• Your position to the enemy or a friendly ship becomes a lot more important. Ships will get stuck if they don’t keep the station, blobs stop working, chases change, enemy ships will no longer be able to push you into the wind to board.

 

 

The patch will be deployed for testing to testbed next week

Thanks for finally accepting to deploy a patch in a test server.

As for the wind shadow. I have wanted to see it in the game for many years. So that's cool.

Will you also add the effect also when a ship is (too) close to a mountainous coast?

For those who don't know much about wind shadow a good introduction video for an old sailing game:

 

[Christendom]

1 hour ago, Serk said:

These changes look very interesting. Let’s hope the community does not reject to quickly as they did with the leeway when first introduced
 

I also wonder how the AI will handle these, especially wind shadowing. They tend to get themselves in a huge uncoordinated cluster. 
 

@admin Any chance to implement special guns for 6 and 36 pdrs?

Cheers,

the community rejected leeway because it was, as it seems most things are, ridiculously overtuned.  

 

[You]

1 hour ago, Christendom said:

the community rejected leeway because it was, as it seems most things are, ridiculously overtuned.  

 

it doesent really help you any better when you have the rudder the wrong way which wants to tack the ship left when you want to tack right though, on this clip you're basically reversing straight into the beach instead of tacking the wind

Edited August 8, 2020 by You

[Revenant]

Looking for ward to testing. Sounds very exiting indeed.

S!

 

[Jan van Santen]

8 hours ago, Koltes said:

Thats great, but I never heard players complaining that fighting mechanics makes this game unplayable...

I have heard a lot that poor crafting implementation together with poor RVR and Open World mechanics were the biggest problem. 

Are we getting our priorities right?  

This.

Let me add: 

1) What has  "overpenetrate" to do with historic reality ? I have posted the experiment 2x already, but here is the link again (around 30 mins), showing what happened when a Napoleonic area gun ball hits a wooden  ships hull: it penetrated and produced splinters, or it bounced. "Overpen" happened when sternraking, but not against a ships sides....

Wooden hulls were mot paperbags and blackpowder doesnt generate the muzzle velocity of an 8.8 flak nor did they shoot with  carbide shells..

https://www.zdf.de/dokumentation/terra-x/die-korsaren-freibeuter-der-meere-100.html

2) Looks like picking reality in some areas not neccessarily needed , while neglecting it in others where it would be needed : (Indefat as 5th rate...., crafting that doesnt work like a lottery... ....sending the longboat to loot....

3) In some areas history just doesnt work for this game, Never would a trader have tried to fight a warship eg. They would try to run and would simply surrender if that failed...Nor did history offer tow/teleport

Pro:

 at least my arguments for using testbed were heard this time.

 

Edited August 8, 2020 by Jan van Santen

[Conte D. Catellani]

how testbed will  work? a new client to download or just a server to access?