Mod Release Build 14 GAMMA [Last Update: 31st December 2021]

[Pieter Boelen]

I didn't know there were multiple routes through "Tales of a Sea Hawk". Some minor variants, such as exactly how you get Silehard's treasure collection from the Bonaire pirates, yes (buy them, threaten the boss, or capture the ship), and a few different ways to get from Bonaire to San Juan after you're washed overboard.

I think it was written with the intention of having multiple routes.
It probably ended up with less than there were meant to be.
I also suspect different parts were written by different programmers.
No wonder then that it's messy...

 

[Grey Roger]

Sorry to put you to think about this although I think it is a very interesting topic in terms of the main story.
I did not know that flushdeck was so good.

If I remember correctly, someone else found the same loophole some time ago, so this is certainly something which needs to be fixed. Therefore, thanks for pointing it out!

Normally I always made the mission content to escape and in the way expected in the mission, but it occurred to me to try to capture only the Aurora because it was the smallest and in this way I could have a better ship than the Oiseau.

The Oiseau is only a little barque! If you can capture a "Centurion" while you're in a damaged frigate then you should be able to take a barque even if you only have the original lugger. Otherwise, look for random encounters on the high seas, preferably unescorted merchants this early in the game. Merchants start with low morale so they are more likely to surrender after a few broadsides of grapeshot. A schooner is nice; a fast merchantman, which is literally an "Aurora" with fewer, smaller guns and more cargo, is even better.

 

[Grey Roger]

I think it was written with the intention of having multiple routes.
It probably ended up with less than there were meant to be.
I also suspect different parts were written by different programmers.
No wonder then that it's messy...

As I understand it, the story was supposed to have two very different routes as you were supposed to be able to play as Danielle; there are traces of code from that version, especially in dialogs.

But that doesn't explain why, right after case "Story_SilehardCongratulateWith2ndComplete" (part of the code for you, Rabel Yverneau and Tobias in Silehard's residence), the next quest case is "Story_DanielleWaitsInMuelleTown" (part of the code for when you've been washed overboard in a storm, made your way to San Juan, and are about to meet up with Danielle). Then comes the code for events in San Juan, going to Barbados lighthouse to meet Clement, and capturing Bridgetown to free him. Next is the journey to Cozumel, the sea battle there, landing on the island and entering the temple. Danielle has just decided to go off down one passage at case "Danielle_split_exit" - and then it's back to Bridgetown for Silehard's counter-attack at case "danielle_AfterGreenfordSiege_exit". After the code for the battle, there's more code for events at Cozumel, including the final battle against the Black Pearl, ending with case "end_game2". And after that is case "exit_from_silehard_complete", which is just after you've given the frigate to Silehard and are about to try to go to the tavern when you meet a pair of cursed pirates.

Then factor in that some quest cases have no obvious triggers in "quests_reaction.c" because they're triggered by dialogs. It can be easier to find your way through the maze in the temple than to find your way through the quest code.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

It can be easier to find your way through the maze in the temple than to find your way through the quest code.

Sounds like the code at work.

 

[Hijodeleon]

if I may say how I would like the story to be, I would ask that in some way the player be allowed to know why the flushdeck would be the best boat for him and that he intends to try to get one in the game. That he was allowed to test his characteristics at some point in the game so that later it would be the goal of the player to get one with the option as prize or goal at the end of the story. The players love the good prizes.

 

[Grey Roger]

Ask 10 different players what the best ship in a given period or storyline is, and you'll probably get at least 8 different answers. I happen to like the flushdeck frigate because to me it represents a good balance between speed, agility and firepower. Other people prefer other ships.

You are allowed to test the characteristics of the frigate. You are just not allowed to keep this one. If you like it, go and find another one for yourself. You can sometimes find them in random encounters on the worldmap, which is how I get mine.

Don't worry about good prize ships at the end of the story. If you haven't already seen what you get at the end, you're in for a treat...

 

[Hijodeleon]

I happen to like the flushdeck frigate because to me it represents a good balance between speed, agility and firepower.

I think the same. So, 2 of 10...8 diferent choice. Flushdeck win.
yep. No problem to hunt one an try other ones too.
Thanks for your Replay @Grey Roger.

 

[Grey Roger]

Another nice ship to try, especially when it's early in the game, is the fast merchantman. This is literally an "Aurora" with fewer cannons, which are 9 pound instead of 12 pound, and with more cargo space. (This is realistic. Some real frigates were converted exactly this way.) Merchant ships in the game start off with much lower morale than naval ships, so they're more likely to surrender after being hit with grapeshot. It has most of the speed and agility of a frigate, a large enough hold to do some cargo quests (or the "Cargo for Thomas O'Reily" and "Smuggling for Thomas O'Reily" sidequests), and enough firepower to take on a small warship.

 

[Hijodeleon]

Yep. I noticed that you had said it before and it caught my attention. I have seen enough fast merchantman at the beginning of the game and I have decided to hunt one to taste it. Thanks for your good advice @Grey Roger.
But what do I do with the flushdeck? Return to a saved game and take it to Silehard or can I just continue the story after saving it for me?.
Actually I prefer to try different boats and I can sell it and hunt another one later, tastes better. But will I be able to continue the story without problems if I do this last? What has been done is already done and I prefer to continue.

 

[Grey Roger]

Any changes I make aren't going to take effect until they go into the next update and until you then download that update. I can't change anything directly on your PC! So regardless of what I do, for now at least, Silehard still won't check which ship you give him. And he certainly won't take revenge later if you have already hidden the frigate and given him the tartane; that part of the story is done and the new code will not return to it. So you can do whatever you like with the flushdeck frigate.

Do you have a savegame from just before you went to Silehard? If so, please upload it. It will make my job of testing the new code much easier. Otherwise I have to start a new game of "Tales of a Sea Hawk" and get to that part myself.

 

[Hijodeleon]

Yes. I have several. Just before going to Port Royal with the 4 frigates and before taking them. Which one do you prefer? or better i upload all of them.
MEGA

 

[Grey Roger]

The one just before going to Port Royal would be best, please. Then all I have to do is choose a ship to give to Silehard, then go to see him.

 

[Hijodeleon]

I think the penultimate in the file on the Mega link in the post above, is the one you want. Or maybe the last one. The diference must be, before sell the boats and after sell it

 

[Grey Roger]

This ought to close the loophole. Download, extract and copy into the top level of the game installation folder.

And now, if you return to Silehard and don't have the flushdeck frigate under your personal command:


And to remind you what you need to do:

 

[The Nameless Pirate]

Was that bug in the main game? If so, i don't remember it from when i was playing on the XBOX version.

If it existed then this was, a way to get my favourite ship early, the Corvette, not that i would had used it, since i believe cheating ruins games.

Good thing, that it got patched!!

 

[Hijodeleon]

Silehard is not a Silly-hard anymore?
My flushdeck frigate is gone.
Congratulations. It looks very good work.
thanks for taking your time @Grey Roger

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Silehard is not a Silly-hard anymore?

 

[Grey Roger]

Was that bug in the main game? If so, i don't remember it from when i was playing on the XBOX version.

It probably was in the stock game, unless some modder actively removed a check on which ship you had when you talked to Silehard.

But in the stock game, Redmond was very close to Oxbay, so you'd have to take a significant detour to get yourself a new ship to present to Silehard. By contrast, it's a long way from Speightstown to Port Royale so you have plenty of time to do something sneaky on the way.

My flushdeck frigate is gone.

Don't worry, you should be able to find another, though you'll have to take it the hard way.
Typically I'll start by capturing a fast merchantman because merchants surrender more easily and their captains are easier to duel. Once I have better melee skill, sword and armour, and can survive boarding a warship, I'll go looking for an "Aurora" or "Kreyser". And once I have that, I'll hunt for a flushdeck frigate.

 

[Hijodeleon]

Don't worry, you should be able to find another, though you'll have to take it the hard way.

You're right, the easy way takes away from the game the taste of fun. There are no merits in cheating.
I'm glad you covered this hole.
If more powder is added to the ships that try to prevent escapes it may not be possible to capture them either. although it is not so easy to capture them. But it is possible if you do not get shot. And it is very easy to earn a million gold in this way. If these boats are so valuable they should also give more fight.

Anyway all of you have done a magnificent job with this modification of the game so much that it is my favorite of the saga. I thank you for your effort.

I like the way to get the Flusdeck frigate that you mention to me. I'm going to try it
What I did to hunt good frigates was to buy an Indianman: it is a bit slow but with a good firepower to destroy masts besides allowing me to earn a lot of money while I wait for good targets. I liked it so much for its load capacity that later I did not want to get rid of it and I definitely included it in my fleet.

 

[Bartolomeu o Portugues]

Anyone could tell me how to stop the parternship with Claire Larousse after finishing her quest? I thought there could be an option in the dialogues...
Another point. After the Larousse's quest, I tried to land in a shore from my ship deck (in Cuba if I remember) and I was reloaded in the lighthouse shore of Barbados
EDIT: I was playing the FreePlay mode when these things happened...