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Ship Numbers

N

NathanKell

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The current max number of ships in sea mode is 32.
Up to 10 of those are accounted for by player and CRs (4 + 6).
So we have between 31 and 22 slots for fleets.
Is that enough?
I've limited encounters (and thus fleets) to 10 ships each (and of course the smaller enc types have less)--but that means basically two fleets at once when near an island, or ~3 when not.

Plus we also have to think about tempfleets (per the town thread), i.e. local traffic.

So. Is 32 enough? If not, can we take the performance hit having more would incur (if, that is, it's possible to have more)?

Just something to think about.
 
It should be, I think. I´ve yet to see a fleet of more than ten ships, I think. The largest convoi I met had eight ships, IIRC and <i>that</i> was one frightening experience. And well it should be, coming across a Battleship, three Frigates, two Corvettes and two Galleons while sailing a Corvette myself.
 
32 should be enough, yeah... <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> Grimm, I had the same experience, but only with 3 MoWs, 1 battleship, 3 frigates and 1 corvette. My little Corvette MM was crushed by the MoWs, but I managed to capture one of them, so no harm done. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/happy.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="^_^" border="0" alt="happy.gif" /> Not to me, that is. Hell, that was one massive bloodshed. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dev.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":d:" border="0" alt="dev.gif" />
 
I think 32 is more than enough. If you are not sailing a MOW, a battle with more than 8 or 10 ships would perhaps get too time consuming if you have a life besides Pirates too. Also impact on performance might not be worth it. Thing is, that there is no such thing as fleet management either, for example selecting formations for your fleet (Line of Battle or maybe something else, V-shape, U-shape whatever), so there is no real tactical element in such battles, AI is too bad too but improving it would perhaps also have some significant impact on performance.

Even fights with way less ships can get really time consuming:

Sailing my shooner on a cargo run to Conceicao i think, i got ambushed by 4 pirate vessels arriving there at the island.

Cowardly as i am, i first tried to get rid of them firing knipples. But these sons of guns shot down my sails fairly fast and i couldnt escape and really had to start fighting for my life (with my newbie skills).

Well i could actually shoot down 3 of them enough to have them flee (below 25% hull or so) but the last one, some tricky shooner captain as well, stayed clear at the edge of my firing range. Meanwhile during the battle i have lost one mast and the bowspriet, only 2 sails left in the air, my speed was down to 0.5 to 0.7 knots.

I managed to get his sails down to 7% as well and now we were there. He still was racing at a speed of like 1.3 knots ! so still couldnt get out of fighting range nor could i hit him really with my canons, his hull still having 80% and me out of bombs.

It would have taken *hours* (or days?) to crawl to Conceicao port, to get him managed by the fort.

It was a tough fight tho, for a level 8 captain and his humble ship.

The point is: size doesn't matter in this case to make a fight an interesting adventure
 
<!--QuoteBegin-DocMoriarty+May 10 2005, 10:13 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DocMoriarty @ May 10 2005, 10:13 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->The point is: size doesn't matter in this case to make a fight an interesting adventure<div align="right">[snapback]104834[/snapback]</div><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--><img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" /> Ah, so very true! The best battles, to my mind, are when you <b>are</b> outnumbered or outgunned and you have to scramble and be inventive to win the day.

That's why I always, first thing after I've hired my first officer, tell him that I want to be notified of ALL sightings. I'm not looking for an equal battle to sharpen my skills upon, I want a CHALLENGE! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/diomed.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":dio" border="0" alt="diomed.gif" />
 
can't someone make a hack to make an enemy nation's ships come at you in force [ like large battle fleets and scratch patrols]?
%00.001 of enemy ship encounters are battle fleets and large powerful scratch patrols and that is with the crew informing me of ALL sightings. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" />
it would be excellant to have more big battle fleets sailing after me.
everyone loves a challenge, and i think many people would love this hack as well <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=104953:date=May 12 2005, 03:58 AM:name=CatalinaThePirate)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CatalinaThePirate @ May 12 2005, 03:58 AM) [snapback]104953[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
I want to be notified of ALL sightings. I'm not looking for an equal battle to sharpen my skills upon, I want a CHALLENGE! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/diomed.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":dio" border="0" alt="diomed.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I second that.
 
I think the size of fleets is more then ample as is, my computer would likely explode if more then 32 ships appeared at once. I like the Haack idea Lord Nelson suggests above though, maybe if your status with a nation falls low enough there could be a possibility of privateers or military convoys out looking for you to collect a bounty or something would be fun.

Say if your ststus with a given nation is -60 or worse have a 10% chance that any encounter with ships of that nation be someone hunting you or something to that effect.
 
<!--quoteo(post=150865:date=Jun 11 2006, 07:55 AM:name=Jason Maffettone)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jason Maffettone @ Jun 11 2006, 07:55 AM) [snapback]150865[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
... maybe if your status with a nation falls low enough there could be a possibility of privateers or military convoys out looking for you to collect a bounty or something would be fun.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
According to what I've read in the code, we've already got that. I haven't noticed it in the game though.

What I did notice once, after reading the log files the game produces if you turn 'em on, is that I had a fleet of 3 Usurer_avenger ships ambush me once. I had a schooner. They had a brig, a sloop and a xebec. And that xebec was *fast*!!

Now... I'd gone to the loanshark to pay him back, but first time I didn't have quite enough money to cover the original amount plus interest, and the dialog was messed up. I sold some stuff, and paid him off. But later I got the "-20" reputation hit you only get if you fail to pay back a loan shark, so for some reason paying him back didn't take. Well, if he was mad at me before, he's really mad at me now: I captured all three ships and sold them. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

Hook
 
There's some weird bug where it won't register that you've paid the loansharks back. I avoid them completely except to stash loot and divide plunder when articals are signed.
 
<!--quoteo(post=151024:date=Jun 13 2006, 05:34 PM:name=Jason Maffettone)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jason Maffettone @ Jun 13 2006, 05:34 PM) [snapback]151024[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
There's some weird bug where it won't register that you've paid the loansharks back. I avoid them completely except to stash loot and divide plunder when articals are signed.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I was looking at the code for paying loansharks back today. I've got a handle on how most of it works, but I'll have to run a bunch of tests and that will take time. A month of game time, to let interest accrue. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Is it just the Oxbay loanshark that can't be paid back, or is it all of them?

Hook
 
Found it. When you get a loan, it adds a "quest" to pay the loan back. But even if you pay the loan back, the quest isn't removed.

In the file Usurer_dialog.c, change the following around line 66:

<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->    // Pagliarini -->
    if (CheckAttribute(Pchar.Quest.Loans, NPC_Area) &&
        CheckAttribute(Pchar.Quest.Loans.(NPC_Area), "TotalSum") &&
        makeint(Pchar.Quest.Loans.(NPC_Area).TotalSum) > 0 )
    {
        Log_SetStringToLog(XI_ConvertString("Debt") + " " + makeint(Pchar.Quest.Loans.(NPC_Area).TotalSum));
    }
    else
    {
        DeleteAttribute(Pchar, "quest.Loans." + (NPC_Area));
        DeleteAttribute(Pchar, "quest." + (NPC_Area));      // LDH - removes the indicator that you owe money to this loanshark.
    };
    // Pagliarini <--<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

I changed the test so that it wouldn't cause errors if the attributes didn't exist, and added a line to remove the payback quest.

Hook
 
NICE! Thanks, Hook! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" />
 
Needs one more change (that I know of!) and I think it's complete.

<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->    // Pagliarini -->
    if (CheckAttribute(Pchar.Quest, "Loans") &&
        CheckAttribute(Pchar.Quest.Loans, NPC_Area) &&
        CheckAttribute(Pchar.Quest.Loans.(NPC_Area), "TotalSum") &&
        makeint(Pchar.Quest.Loans.(NPC_Area).TotalSum) > 0 )
    {<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

Otherwise you get an error if Loans does not exist.

Hook
 
Will you put the fixed file(s) onto the FTP? Or send them to my e-mail?
 
<!--quoteo(post=151149:date=Jun 15 2006, 12:43 PM:name=Pieter Boelen)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pieter Boelen @ Jun 15 2006, 12:43 PM) [snapback]151149[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Will you put the fixed file(s) onto the FTP? Or send them to my e-mail?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Already did, Pieter. Check the Hook folder. There are a lot of fixes there, mostly to turn off errors if you don't have the gunpowder mod enabled. The zip file has all the changed files in their proper folder structure, so that you can run WinMerge on them to find out what's been changed.

I think the CheckAttribute tests can be combined into a single line, but I'll have to recheck the syntax on how to do that. Multiple attibutes can be checked with one test.

Hook
 
<!--quoteo(post=151203:date=Jun 16 2006, 12:29 AM:name=Hook)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hook @ Jun 16 2006, 12:29 AM) [snapback]151203[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
I think the CheckAttribute tests can be combined into a single line, but I'll have to recheck the syntax on how to do that. Multiple attibutes can be checked with one test.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Not sure if that works for PotC-code as well. It might be that way in real C++, but PotC-code is almost C++, but is, in fact, a different language.
 
<!--quoteo(post=151030:date=Jun 13 2006, 08:27 PM:name=Hook)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hook @ Jun 13 2006, 08:27 PM) [snapback]151030[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Found it. When you get a loan, it adds a "quest" to pay the loan back. But even if you pay the loan back, the quest isn't removed.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Shows you how bad debt really is. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="8)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />
 
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