The attached is number 1 in my line of recent experiments (which will mostly be posted throughout today and tomorrow). All have been tested and work with the latest 4.1 zip file.
Tagging @Eskhol , who has expressed interest in trying some of these experiments. Also, @imado552 if you like, you might find some of these interesting. I encourage you to only try out those that personally appeal to you.
Completely compatible with current campaigns. INCLUDES Levis's recent reinitilization of officers patch (officers.c), since it is needed to work correctly with current campaigns. Officers.c is only included for his fix since it is not yet in the main download, and is not part of the experiment.
Installation: Just extract to your game directory, should replace 3 files. Press F11 to reinitilize if continuing a saved game.
Connections to other experiments: The files in this version are more moderate versions of what will be posted later (ie, the first mate/doctor and further tweaks, and the reworked perk requirements, all of which will be posted in future experiments). Just pick the experiments you want, and install in order (ie, if you want experiments 1 and 3, then install 1 first, then 3). Only install those you find interesting!
DIFFICULTY EFFECT
The game will become more difficult in sea battles, but only because the player will no longer be given unfair access to statistical bonuses. You will have to win through your superior skill.
WHY THIS EXPERIMENT?
Previously, sea combat for the player was effectively on easy mode. AI Captains currently do not have officers (though when they do get them later, this will be solved), meaning, the single AI Captain had to compete with the player's entire officer team for perks.
A level 20 player probably fields officers covering 15-20 relevant perks that make his ship sail faster, absorb less damage, hit harder, and board better than normal.
A level 20 AI captain might have had 5 or 6 of these perks. The player was getting the kind of statistical advantages over the AI that, say, you would get if playing Sid Meier's pirates on the easiest difficulty level.
Even a level 45 navy captain commanding a tier 1 ship, was blocked from ever obtaining sailing perks to improve the speed and maneuverability of his hulking vessel.
This was both because AI captains were missing essential perks, and because their lists included perks that did not help in sea combat but would consume their valuable and limited perk points.
The perk lists were well crafted to create an immersive roleplaying experience, and would be perfect if AI ships had officers. But for gameplay purposes, until AI has officers, they make sea combat on easy mode even on swashbuckler difficulty.
In summary, before the player won against the AI both because of actual player skill and because the game gave him substantial statistical bonuses. With this installed, the player will still win through superior skill, but it will be a fairer fight statistics wise.
WHAT IS CHANGED
AI Captains given full sea warfare perk list, and roleplaying type perks removed to conserve points. Non contributing perk chance removed from those who had it. Sea Wolf now has prereqs of maneuverability and ship speed, rather than previous prereqs, to allow for a tigher AI captain ship perk list progression.
Merchant Captains are slightly less boosted, because they keep basic commerce wasting perk points, but they still get the full sea warfare list minus boarding perks (a merchant captain is only going to have enough perk points to buy these up if sailing a giant low tier vessel, and at that point, they presumably have someone halfway competent manning the guns).
Some distinctions kept (pirate captains extra good at boarding, merchant captains have no boarding perks at all)
None of this is intended for the main mod at this time. Anyone wanting to try one or more of the experiments is welcome to--I've tried to make them mostly independent of each other--and provide feedback on what parts you hate or like of any given component. The changes are meant to be dramatic, and may be subject to further revisions to remove undesirable parts or tweak how things work. Feedback will be invaluable for that. Everything should end up being saved game compatible, even if things are changed and then reverted.
Tagging @Eskhol , who has expressed interest in trying some of these experiments. Also, @imado552 if you like, you might find some of these interesting. I encourage you to only try out those that personally appeal to you.
Completely compatible with current campaigns. INCLUDES Levis's recent reinitilization of officers patch (officers.c), since it is needed to work correctly with current campaigns. Officers.c is only included for his fix since it is not yet in the main download, and is not part of the experiment.
Installation: Just extract to your game directory, should replace 3 files. Press F11 to reinitilize if continuing a saved game.
Connections to other experiments: The files in this version are more moderate versions of what will be posted later (ie, the first mate/doctor and further tweaks, and the reworked perk requirements, all of which will be posted in future experiments). Just pick the experiments you want, and install in order (ie, if you want experiments 1 and 3, then install 1 first, then 3). Only install those you find interesting!
DIFFICULTY EFFECT
The game will become more difficult in sea battles, but only because the player will no longer be given unfair access to statistical bonuses. You will have to win through your superior skill.
WHY THIS EXPERIMENT?
Previously, sea combat for the player was effectively on easy mode. AI Captains currently do not have officers (though when they do get them later, this will be solved), meaning, the single AI Captain had to compete with the player's entire officer team for perks.
A level 20 player probably fields officers covering 15-20 relevant perks that make his ship sail faster, absorb less damage, hit harder, and board better than normal.
A level 20 AI captain might have had 5 or 6 of these perks. The player was getting the kind of statistical advantages over the AI that, say, you would get if playing Sid Meier's pirates on the easiest difficulty level.
Even a level 45 navy captain commanding a tier 1 ship, was blocked from ever obtaining sailing perks to improve the speed and maneuverability of his hulking vessel.
This was both because AI captains were missing essential perks, and because their lists included perks that did not help in sea combat but would consume their valuable and limited perk points.
The perk lists were well crafted to create an immersive roleplaying experience, and would be perfect if AI ships had officers. But for gameplay purposes, until AI has officers, they make sea combat on easy mode even on swashbuckler difficulty.
In summary, before the player won against the AI both because of actual player skill and because the game gave him substantial statistical bonuses. With this installed, the player will still win through superior skill, but it will be a fairer fight statistics wise.
WHAT IS CHANGED
AI Captains given full sea warfare perk list, and roleplaying type perks removed to conserve points. Non contributing perk chance removed from those who had it. Sea Wolf now has prereqs of maneuverability and ship speed, rather than previous prereqs, to allow for a tigher AI captain ship perk list progression.
Merchant Captains are slightly less boosted, because they keep basic commerce wasting perk points, but they still get the full sea warfare list minus boarding perks (a merchant captain is only going to have enough perk points to buy these up if sailing a giant low tier vessel, and at that point, they presumably have someone halfway competent manning the guns).
Some distinctions kept (pirate captains extra good at boarding, merchant captains have no boarding perks at all)
Then be prepared to pay for it. They were a captain before, they have options to work as one again, so expect them to require higher salaries in proportion to the other options they have available (ie, your best shot is a desperate pirate captain, he doesn't have too many other options).
And if you are trying to bribe a decorated navy officer int0 betraying his country and fighting against his countrymen, well, you better bring Benedict Arnold money to the table. Side effect is, if your officers gain levels while commanding prize ships, their salary will rise slightly more than otherwise (hey, give them a share of that prize ship money
Won't be noticeable really, given how salaries are currently calculated, unless when you hire someone they are already a captain)
And if you are trying to bribe a decorated navy officer int0 betraying his country and fighting against his countrymen, well, you better bring Benedict Arnold money to the table. Side effect is, if your officers gain levels while commanding prize ships, their salary will rise slightly more than otherwise (hey, give them a share of that prize ship money
Won't be noticeable really, given how salaries are currently calculated, unless when you hire someone they are already a captain)
Last edited:
i think this game is getting better and better by each day
