Ship fires

[Ellis]

When a ship were to be set on fire, i would propose that the ship mode would automatically be put into survival mode that way to simulate the crew's immediate response to the fire.  Because were the fire be able to grow exponentially the crew would either die or abandon ship.

Edited July 9, 2015 by Ellis

[Lord Hood]

It's a tactical decision that needs to be made to prevent the fire. There would always be an order somewhere in the chain to get more of the crew to combat the blaze. Personally I believe that it should remain as is rather than the game doing it for you. This would mean that a Captain that is aware shall survive by assigning more crew (survival) to deal with it rather than one that is not aware and only leaves the original handful shall die.

[marecek05]

Also it would limit your tactical options, like being in a smaller ship on fire, chasing large frigates.

 

Once in a damaged Cerb i was set afire. Instead of dousing it, i put crew in sails and started chasing enemy Consti. Although I didn't catch her before explosion, I chased her quite away downwind from main fight.

[Capt Bubbles]

Hi,

I think it should be a player that initiates the firefighting.

It gives some tactical options aswell:

If your ship is going down anyway, its more effectieve to have it explode between a bunch of enemy ships than to have the fire put down automatically before sleeping with the fishes....

Grtzzz Bubbles

[Flavalicious]

Def should be player choice, do you fight the fire or keep your guys on the guns for that last crippling broadside?  Choices = good.  If anything the fire alarms/warning signs just need to be tweaked a bit, once had a fire in my navybrig and the flames/smoke werent really showing up through the top deck, was very hard to take notice

[akd]

It should not be player choice, or if it is, then the consequences of not taking action immediately should be much more severe. Currently we have the situation where if a player decides they are going to lose regardless, they go into suicide bomber mode the moment they (inevitably) catch fire and steer towards the nearest enemy, all the while continuing to merrily work their sails and guns as the ship burns. When they explode, they deny their opponents all the potential damage that could have been earned against them (or the greater value in their ship if they had instead surrendered), they potentially take out or severely damage one or more enemies, and it costs them nothing more than losing honorably would have. A tactic which was impossible or highly improbable in the Age of Sail will become routine in game. Al Qeada VBIED tactics should not be part of this game.

Anyways, no crew would stay on the ship carrying out captain's orders until the entire ship was engulfed in flames and exploded. They would be overboard long before then. Furthermore, the sails would be one of the first things to burn (especially if full sails were set), leaving the ship totally crippled in place.

My suggestion is that once a fire progresses beyond the initial local stage, it rapidly starts consuming crew (representing both those killed and gone overboard), blocks all further gun reloading and sail changes (raising/lowering sails or swiveling yards), blocks hull and sail repairs, and if full sails are set spreads quickly to sails, destroying them. There should also be consequences for letting your ship burn and killing all your crew and officers.

[Hugh Latham]

Completely agree with you akd. Suicide acts of the entire crew should not be possible. If a ship becomes a fire ship (an actual tactical act) It should be handled by a very limited crew, unable to maneuver well nor fire the guns.

[akd]

Fireships were not maneuvered on fire into the enemy at all. They were maneuvered with small crew to attack position, set on course toward the enemy (who was always stationary, afaik), set afire and immediately abandoned, leaving the ship to hopefully sail on the desired course (or simply be carried to the enemy by tide or current). Of course this had to be timed carefully so that the ship wouldn't burn up entirely too early. It was an extremely complex operation requiring a great deal of planning and preparation, not an on the fly tactic adopted in the middle of battle (although no doubt there is some improvisation anecdote out there).