Bar Shot

[Forvet]

Is there a possibility of putting Bar Shot into the game? Specifically for use against Masts? We have chain but from what I've been told it's near useless against masts.

[maturin]

I don't think bar shot would be much better against masts. You'd lose a little less velocity with the stiff short bar instead of the long chain, but the mass would be less when you hit.

 

Basically, chain should start doing more damage to masts once the sails are shredded. 300% damage boost against target with sail HP < 60% or something.

[mirror452]

I don't think that there is any need for that... For sails you have chain, for masts you have ball shot.
Maybe you could add a damage boost to BALL shot against masts when the sails are shredded, since that would mean that also the ropes that support the masts are partly gone, but I am not sure if this would be a good decision gameplay-wise. It's difficult to find a good balance in this whole demasting topic.

[VehoNex]

Chain shot wasn't used to break mast. It was used to tangle in the rigging while bar was used to some effect on taking out the mast. It seems quite difficult in this game to take out mast but it could be that I'm not a very good shot with ball.

[maturin]

Chain shot wasn't used to break mast. It was used to tangle in the rigging while bar was used to some effect on taking out the mast. It seems quite difficult in this game to take out mast but it could be that I'm not a very good shot with ball.

Take out all the shrouds with chain and the mast will fall.

 

How is chainshot going to tangle in the rigging? Remember that Mythbusters where they eviscerate a pig by shooting a length of chain at it? Chainshot will shred everything in its path, exempting large spars.

 

And roundshot is better at taking at masts because of its higher velocity. I imagine barshot would be more of a longer-range chainshot.

[AKPyrate]

Chain and bar shot really would be equivalent in game (the slight differences really wouldn't matter).  I do wish that chain would take out the shrouds and stays a bit better instead of just sails, but fine tuning the dismasting feature has been an ongoing process.  Also, I second what maturin said: chain would not 'tangle' in the rigging.  It would slice through sails as well as standing and running rigging.  It would cause havoc, but not necessarily have the ability to take out spars themselves (unless by severing the rigging holding that spar in place).

[Yankee jack]

The Devs have already indicated that (for game purposes), dismasting is not going to be historical (easy).  Unless they change their mind, I think we have about as much as we will get.

[TheSlickOne]

Chain shot wasn't used to break mast. It was used to tangle in the rigging while bar was used to some effect on taking out the mast. It seems quite difficult in this game to take out mast but it could be that I'm not a very good shot with ball.

 

Yes, you're probably not very good with ball   Nobody is without practice. We've done a whole serious of missions with a small group last night specifically to practice de-masting and boarding. It is challenging enough to be able to hit the mast consistently with single shots of ball so that when it finally falls and the crew cheers you cheer along with them!

 

Word of advice: every single cannon shot has to be re-aimed at a slightly different point. You learn this by watching how each cannon's shot of your particular ship flies in relation to the aim marker. Each ship is different in this regard owning to their deck and cannon arrangements and each cannon aims a certain amount off-center from the aim marker. It is one of the more rewarding challenges to get to know your ship and cannons to be able to shoot a whole broadside worth of cannons (one at a time, of course) with every one of them hitting the targeted mast!

 

Keep at it and practice, it's worth it!   

 

And as for regarding the OP's suggestion, I would not want to see de-masting made any easier (bar shot or not). The game is too easy as it is. Replayability is in the challenges you face...