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Rolling Broadside?

C

Capitan

Landlubber
Okay, so this isn't really a big gameplay modification, but it would look cool. Is it possible to modify the game so that your cannons fire one after another, since I imagine it'd be pretty hard to coordinate 42 cannons to fire all at once like in the game right now. It'd be more realistic and it'd look alot cooler to have your cannons fire one after another. So instead of just one big BOOM, it'd be boom-boom-boom-boom. Until all your cannons have fired. So is it possible?
 
Depending on your cannon skill, the cannons will fire more or less at the same time. With a cannon skill of 1, the firing of the cannons takes quite a while and is not coordinated in any way. With a cannon skill of 10, all cannons fire about at the same time.
 
My feeling on the matter is, if anyone thinks they can tell me *why* ships used rolling fire (HINT: it had nothing to do with stress on the hull of the ship) then we can discuss whether anyone wants the game to actually do it. There's a restriction involved that I don't think people will like, and the AI won't be able to cope with it.

Hook
 
heh as a low level player, with low level officers my cannon fire is all over the place - my crew just shout for joy when we actualy hit something(other than sea), and i always worry that one of my cannon might not have fired yet - so i dont want to run around deck just in case it goes of and crushes my ankles!
I can live with the idea that as you and your crew improve it gets better cordinated, it will be a relief for me when i get to higher levels.If you need sporadic fire just hire/keep a low level gunner - or i can give you my good for nothing cur? probably easier that way? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=166285:date=Oct 8 2006, 08:58 AM:name=Hook)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hook @ Oct 8 2006, 08:58 AM) [snapback]166285[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
My feeling on the matter is, if anyone thinks they can tell me *why* ships used rolling fire (HINT: it had nothing to do with stress on the hull of the ship) then we can discuss whether anyone wants the game to actually do it. There's a restriction involved that I don't think people will like, and the AI won't be able to cope with it.

Hook
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I have no idea why they did it, and I don't really care if it is instituted into the game, but I am curious as to why it was done during the Age of Sail. If no one is able to answer the trivia, let us know why, Hook. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
I think they used rolling broadsides because for the gunners who fired after the lead gunner (i.e, the one who fired first, often the one at the front of the ship), they could see where the ball hit on the enemy ship and, I dunno, use it to help them aim maybe. To be honest I always thought rolling broadsides had something to do with the hull integrity of the Man-o-war.
 
<!--quoteo(post=166353:date=Oct 8 2006, 01:58 PM:name=Capitan)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Capitan @ Oct 8 2006, 01:58 PM) [snapback]166353[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
I think they used rolling broadsides because for the gunners who fired after the lead gunner (i.e, the one who fired first, often the one at the front of the ship), they could see where the ball hit on the enemy ship and, I dunno, use it to help them aim maybe. To be honest I always thought rolling broadsides had something to do with the hull integrity of the Man-o-war.
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Have a look at the picture attached to this post.

[attachmentid=738]

Notice how the side of the ship is rounded, not straight. With the guns run out flush against the hull, the forwardmost gun would be aiming forward of 90 degrees to the side, the aftmost gun aimed aft of 90 degrees, with the rest spread in between.

While it was possible to traverse guns, it takes some time, and when two ships are maneuvering, where exactly should you aim? By the time you've manhandled the gun around to aim at a ship, the ship is no longer there and you have to repeat the process.

Basically, in a battle where ships are maneuvering, an individual gunner's only hope is to run his gun out flush with the hull (which means they'll be spread out the way I mentioned in the first paragraph) and wait for a target to be alligned with the gun.

The order would be given, "Fire as your guns come to bear." The ship would turn, each of the guns would align with the target in order from forward to aft, or from aft to forward, depending on which way the ship turned.

Now, how to implement this in the game, assuming we can order individual guns to fire? Each gun would have to have a very limited firing arc, and the ship would have to turn to get the entire broadside on the target. The AI won't know about doing this, so the only place you'd normally see a rolling broadside,on an enemy ship, we couldn't really produce one.

What if you're attempting to fire high to hit sails, and your ship rolls, so that you cannot get enough elevation on your gun when it's supposed to fire? In real life that would have been a problem. The game simply ignores the max elevation of the gun in such cases.

I agree that rolling broadsides look cool. But I think the only way to implement them would be using the method described above. And even then I'm not sure it could be done. And how would the AI know to use it that way? And would you want such a restriction on your firing?

Land artillery batteries fired individually from left to right or right to left, by doctrine, and the reason might have been to help the battery commander adjust fire. Or it might have been to to make a more continuous effect on the target for morale purposes. Six cannonballs hitting a line of troops at the same time will have less morale effect than the same number of cannonballs spread over several seconds, because the individual target troops will notice the effect more if it's spread out. If it happens all at once, they'll really only see what happens right next to them.

But ship guns can't be aimed with such precision, because of the pitching and rolling of the ship. And target morale was less of an issue.

If we can find a way to implement the effect, I think it would look great. But I'm not sure how to do it.

Hook
 
lol, I could see quite a few complaints if that were implemented! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Basically, in a battle where ships are maneuvering, an individual gunner's only hope is to run his gun out flush with the hull (which means they'll be spread out the way I mentioned in the first paragraph) and wait for a target to be alligned with the gun.
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Ye mean the guns closer to yer bow and stern didn't just fire warning shots into the water forward and aft of smaller enemy vessel?

And all this time ... that no good ly'n excuse for a gunner ...
Edgar! Edgar Attwood!!!!!!!!
 
Toooo funny! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=166411:date=Oct 9 2006, 01:17 AM:name=Petros)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Petros @ Oct 9 2006, 01:17 AM) [snapback]166411[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Basically, in a battle where ships are maneuvering, an individual gunner's only hope is to run his gun out flush with the hull (which means they'll be spread out the way I mentioned in the first paragraph) and wait for a target to be alligned with the gun.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Ye mean the guns closer to yer bow and stern didn't just fire warning shots into the water forward and aft of smaller enemy vessel?

And all this time ... that no good ly'n excuse for a gunner ...
Edgar! Edgar Attwood!!!!!!!!
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oh no you have Edgar Attwood also, could he hit a barn door at 20 paces? its just difficult to say! i think he has some explaining to do <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/duel_pa.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":ixi" border="0" alt="duel_pa.gif" />
 
I've got a bloke named Jonathan Duncan. He's got a 10 cannon skill and a 10 accuracy skill. Yep, pretty sweet. And you're all stuck with Edgar Attwood. Heheheheh. I wonder if Edgar Attwood is of any relation to the producer of the Atwood F100 sabres?
 
<!--quoteo(post=166532:date=Oct 9 2006, 04:49 PM:name=Capitan)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Capitan @ Oct 9 2006, 04:49 PM) [snapback]166532[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
I've got a bloke named Jonathan Duncan. He's got a 10 cannon skill and a 10 accuracy skill. Yep, pretty sweet. And you're all stuck with Edgar Attwood. Heheheheh. I wonder if Edgar Attwood is of any relation to the producer of the Atwood F100 sabres?
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hmm that would make sense - if he is actualy meant to be a blacksmith, or from the same family.....no wonder his gunner skills leave a lot to be desired, he chose the wrong profession. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=166532:date=Oct 9 2006, 11:49 AM:name=Capitan)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Capitan @ Oct 9 2006, 11:49 AM) [snapback]166532[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
I've got a bloke named Jonathan Duncan. He's got a 10 cannon skill and a 10 accuracy skill. Yep, pretty sweet. And you're all stuck with Edgar Attwood. Heheheheh. I wonder if Edgar Attwood is of any relation to the producer of the Atwood F100 sabres?
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That's what I'll be do'n, <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/duel_pa.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":ixi" border="0" alt="duel_pa.gif" /> acquaint'n ol Edgar with his namesake! Arrrghh
 
<!--quoteo(post=166285:date=Oct 8 2006, 10:58 PM:name=Hook)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hook @ Oct 8 2006, 10:58 PM) [snapback]166285[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
My feeling on the matter is, if anyone thinks they can tell me *why* ships used rolling fire (HINT: it had nothing to do with stress on the hull of the ship) then we can discuss whether anyone wants the game to actually do it. There's a restriction involved that I don't think people will like, and the AI won't be able to cope with it.

Hook
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Rolling broadsides would be used when "crossing the t" on an enemy ship; this would allow every single gun of the broadside to be fired into the enemy's stern as your ship passed, for maximum horrific effect... And yes Hook, the AI definitely couldn't deal with it; it would seriously unbalance the game... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/boom.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":boom" border="0" alt="boom.gif" />
 
If ye think on the skill descriptions, ye would notice that a higher cannon skill also decreases reloading time. Using the method with low cannon skill would therefor be a noticable disadvantage. To avoid this, ye could add that skill into precision - what would somehow unbalance the different skills...

But I totally agree regarding coolness - especially it sounds much better when firing various times on one "broadside"...
 
if someone could make it, even if it's just this experimental one, i'd be willing to try it out when i get the game from Amazon.com. if i find it successful, i'd let you guys know, and it could be worked on with little comments. my current suggestion is that, since each ammo type has a certain firing arc [ie cannonballs have a higher arc and firing range than grapes]. we set the one we want a rolling broadside for the most with a low firing arc, as Hook suggested. we then try it out in game, ranging from the smallest to the largest ships, and see what happens. if it does work partially, we can find the bugs in it, and see if we can improve it in any way. we'll never know how possible it is to do it none directly, unless we try our options. what say you, mates!? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/jackhat.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":j2" border="0" alt="jackhat.gif" />

as soon as i get the game, i'll announce myself a mod tester here, to try things out on weekends [Thursday and Friday for me] and holidays, and test the mods in any way possible. who agrees to my idea?
 
<!--quoteo(post=166285:date=Oct 8 2006, 07:58 AM:name=Hook)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hook @ Oct 8 2006, 07:58 AM) [snapback]166285[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
My feeling on the matter is, if anyone thinks they can tell me *why* ships used rolling fire (HINT: it had nothing to do with stress on the hull of the ship) then we can discuss whether anyone wants the game to actually do it. There's a restriction involved that I don't think people will like, and the AI won't be able to cope with it.

Hook
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It's because they took aim at the mast of the opposing ship when they fired.

<!--quoteo(post=168806:date=Oct 25 2006, 01:36 PM:name=Capn_Tucker)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Capn_Tucker @ Oct 25 2006, 01:36 PM) [snapback]168806[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
<!--quoteo(post=166285:date=Oct 8 2006, 10:58 PM:name=Hook)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hook @ Oct 8 2006, 10:58 PM) [snapback]166285[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
My feeling on the matter is, if anyone thinks they can tell me *why* ships used rolling fire (HINT: it had nothing to do with stress on the hull of the ship) then we can discuss whether anyone wants the game to actually do it. There's a restriction involved that I don't think people will like, and the AI won't be able to cope with it.

Hook
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Rolling broadsides would be used when "crossing the t" on an enemy ship; this would allow every single gun of the broadside to be fired into the enemy's stern as your ship passed, for maximum horrific effect... And yes Hook, the AI definitely couldn't deal with it; it would seriously unbalance the game... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/boom.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":boom" border="0" alt="boom.gif" />
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Not only that, though.
 
i'm sure it would be great sailing with the HMS victory and then give silehards fleet a rolling broadside .. i love the smell of gunpowder in the morning
 
ok...that's it. Yuke's killing me. anyone for a mod tester?PotC is on it's way from the US. it'll be with me sometime this week or next. when i get it, i'll test whatever mods involving cannons that you like.
 
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