Who to aim at first?

[Steel]

What are your opinions on the priority targets in a game. The largest ship first or the smaller ones.  If you target the larger ship first then you can sink the most dangerous ship. However It has more armor and small ships will struggle to damage it at long range also being bigger it will take longer to sink.

 

If you target the smaller ships you can get a small number of cannons out of the way fast and everyone can damage them. However they are harder to hit and can fall back faster to repair.

 

Do you think there is a priority that always works or that it depends on the composition of the enemy force and/or the stage of the battle?

 

Your thoughts ladies and gentlemen?

[Comandante Gómez]

 it depends on the composition of the enemy force and/or the stage of the battle?

 

 

 

That's all!  +1

[Brigand]

There is no one answer to this question. It depends on:

• the composition of the enemy force,
• the composition of your own flotilla,
• which vessel you are sailing,
• the experience of the captains, both on your side an the enemy side,
• the experience of your commander (if any),
• the availability of voice comms,
• the capability/willingness of friendly captains to actually do as they are ordered.

And I'm sure I forgot some.

 

~Brigand

[mouse of war]

If the larger ship gets separated down wind of it's smaller team mates then go for the smaller team mates. Other than that kill the large one first.

[Grim DeGrim]

All else being equal, largest ship first.

[Chustler]

There is no single "right answer". The good commanders know who is right by experience and knowledge. As in most anything in life, anyone who claims to have all the right answers or hard rules that always work is not to be trusted..

[Steel]

If the larger ship gets separated down wind of it's smaller team mates then go for the smaller team mates. Other than that kill the large one first.

 

I like this, are there any other situation that a clear choice can be made?

 

 

All else being equal, largest ship first.

 

Should the smaller 6 pound cannons also fire at the sol hull? Will they even do anything?

[Nathaniel]

Oh yes, they will. Even a Yacht can get a stern of a Santi down easily and when heavy ships brought her broad armor down to half, even the smallest ship will gain enough penetration. The wrong thing to do, always, is when all your ships go for one focus target, to try alone to engage secondary targets, or, worst of all, doing pretty maneuvres in the distance helping nobody.

[maturin]

When two fleets of mixed SoLs and frigates are approaching each other, the frigates are the main targets because the SoL's are too far away to hurt each other. Unless one fleet has decided to target masts.

[Balsafer]

I had a battle where I did something different. Fleet composition was me in a Victory a Bellona I think 3-4 surprises 2 cerbs and a yacht if memory serves me. Enemy team had 1 Victory two trins a surprise two cerbs and a few yachts.  I started out the match the usual fashion but instead of firing on the vic focus fired on the frigates later on in battle enemy fleet turned and cut behind our stern which I ordered the fleet to turn to match their direction, the enemy frigs then tried to cut behind me and my frigs at this time the I continued firing on the frigs near the Vic kind of ignoring the ones behind the Bellona moved ahead of me and kept the Enemy Vic busy and i turned to focus my attention on the enemy Trin that was behind me.  I then realized that the Bel was a bit ahead of me and I decided to engage the Victory. By this time most of the enemy frigs are sunk or badly damaged, leaving me the bel and a few frigs to deal with the enemy vic and remaining frigs.  Cutting to end My team ended up wining with most of the ships still a float.

 

 I wanted my team to focus more on the frigs the majority of that battle because for the most part it is annoying to get picked apart by enemy frigs while trying to deal with another SoL

[Prater]

Depends on situation.

 

Right now we are in a TDM style game without consequences.  In open world where there will be consequences it could very well be different than TDM.

[Rramsha]

Take aim on the ship that is easiest to sink and most direct threat. However if the enemy is in good fleet formation and covering each other well then the lead ship or the most powerful should be aimed at first so that the ship with highest damage capability is removed . As a note everything changes over time as the wind shifts and ships are separated from each other. This is a very dynamic question and is a constantly changing value, the target can Change for me even in the middle of trying to establish ranging fire on one target.

[Grim DeGrim]

All else being equal, largest ship first.

 

Should the smaller 6 pound cannons also fire at the sol hull? Will they even do anything?

 

You're dealing in the realm of general-isms and theoretic response once in combat.  If you've a ship with 6 pound'ers and you're shooting at an SOL, I guess that's not "all else being equal" now it is?

 

If I have that scenario, everyone else on Biggest ship.  Mr. 6 pound'ers should either go sails, or find another target.  Or stern camp.  Or whatever the situation dictates.  As Chustler said, there is no hard or fast answers.  But many times, for simplicity sake (as pug matches often dictate a strategy meant for the lowest skill level), you have the 6 pound'ers shoot ball at the SOL anyways

Edited March 8, 2015 by Grim DeGrim

[StormtrooperCaptain]

Everything is situational and based upon the skill set of each fleet. I've had a group of frigates demast my Santisma/Victory quickly and turned the tide of battle. I've also had enemy frigates that have tried to stay on my stern. The situation unfolds itself in different ways. You just have to be ready to call orders on a whim

[Austrum]

There is no right answer.  For example at longer ranges shooting at a SoL's hull is mostly a waste but then again you could shoot at his sails and take out a mast, or you can shoot at Lightly armored Frigates like a Trin or Surprise and do viable, possibly decisive damage to them and take them out of the game early.   Which is more effective, trying to take out masts which isn't exactly on the SoLs which isn't exactly reliable or getting rid of enemy frigates faster to prevent them stern camping your SoLs later in the game?  Tough call.   Also sometimes you have a choice of totally wreaking a Frigate who left themselves exposed at the expensive of holding your shot and merely hurting or perhaps even missing the opportunity for a good shot at a SOL.  

 

This being the case, I think it is up to each individual captain to decide what is best though having a general outline or plan is always a good thing.  Something like, Concentrated on SoLs when you have a choice between them or Frigates but don't pass up on a Frigate when the opportunity arises.  That sort of thing.

[Henry d'Esterre Darby]

As this is a discussion of tactics, and not current build game mechanics, I'm moving the thread to General Discussion, where it will not distract the developers from discussions of changes, problems, or features of the current Sea Trials build.

 

Thanks!

[Hethwill]

If in the mood to play ( and not mess up and try to find odd things ) I will prioritize the ships that shoot more frequently over the weight of shot.

 

Usually this means frigates if I am in a flagship. The less frigates there are the more exposed the flagships become.

 

Plus, the frigates cannot recover the crippling damage delivered by a flagship.

 

If I am on a frigate it becomes a food chain or wolf pack game.

 

Flagships are big fat pudding if left with no support.

[Steel]

If in the mood to play ( and not mess up and try to find odd things ) I will prioritize the ships that shoot more frequently over the weight of shot.

 

Usually this means frigates if I am in a flagship. The less frigates there are the more exposed the flagships become.

 

Plus, the frigates cannot recover the crippling damage delivered by a flagship.

 

If I am on a frigate it becomes a food chain or wolf pack game.

 

Flagships are big fat pudding if left with no support.

 

And you should eat your desserts last.

[JaM]

When two fleets of mixed SoLs and frigates are approaching each other, the frigates are the main targets because the SoL's are too far away to hurt each other. Unless one fleet has decided to target masts.

 

in reality, SoL's captains never engaged frigates, but concentrated on other's SoL's. They only targeted frigates if they fired at them first. Practically, no Frigate could survive for long against heavy broadside from SoL.. those 32pdrs were quite effective...

 

Frigates were usually kept in reserve, used as signaling ships, or used in late stages to hunt down damaged SoL's that tried to get out from fight.

[Grim DeGrim]

in reality, SoL's captains never engaged frigates, but concentrated on other's SoL's. They only targeted frigates if they fired at them first.

This makes sense, historically. But from a game "meta" point of view, would be dangerous to ignore...

Edited March 10, 2015 by Grim DeGrim

[.:Lt.Westen:.]

Depends on situation.

 

Right now we are in a TDM style game without consequences.  In open world where there will be consequences it could very well be different than TDM.

That is what i was thinking a large possibility that it could be consequential during open world but we will see. 

[ThePandanator2]

Depends really. Whoever takes on the role of "Commodore" should be the one to coordinate. It's his prerogative, do we perhaps split the forces, the small ships try to distract them from behind while the bigger ones take the helm for the large assault? Do we all throw ourselves at headfirst at the largest ships and sink them?

 

It's up to the commodore and the team. They have to take all factors in, team composition, enemy composition, even the weather. As everyone has said really, there's no one way to win a naval battle.

[Sin Khan]

You should never say, "Always do this first". That is the most certain way to defeat yourself and your team. 

 

Battle, any battle, land or sea, does not have absolutes in tactics. Instead, it is the commanders duty to learn the tactics of the battles that he will engage in. You must learn how to use your ship. You must learn the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy ships. You must learn how to possibly fight any ship with your ship. 

 

You must adapt your tactics to the battlefield in an ongoing and continuous manner. You must be like the water your ship rides upon, ever changing and adaptable to any given situation. Become a wall of absolute rules and what general patton said will hold true.

 

"Fixed fortifications are monuments to fools".

 

There are no absolute rules. There are only tactics. Every tactic has a time and place. Your job is to learn all the tactics possible and gain the experience necessary to employ those tactics effectively on the field of battle.

[JaM]

This makes sense, historically. But from a game "meta" point of view, would be dangerous to ignore...

 

depends on damage model.. Frigates had no real chance to damage SoL in direct fight. Only heavy Frigates with 24pdr guns could have some change, but definitely not light ones with 12pdr or 18pdr as main armament. At the other side, 32pdr guns from main battery would be quite lethal to much thinner hulls of standard frigate..

 

but of course, it all depends on what your enemy does.. If he uses Frigates agressively against you, its his loss... it would be justifiable if its several Frigates against single SoL, but definitely not for use in battle line.. even old 4.rate SoLs were not sufficient to play that role once 74's became standard...