[HELP] A few starting questions...

[D1zzy]

1. Can any of the more experienced folks explain what the Point-of-Sail rating on the ship characteristics screen means? I feel like I'm not getting the most out of my ship in terms of speed and I'd imagine it is partly due to not sailing it properly with the wind.

2. Why do some of the characters start with ships that are overloaded with goods that are considered contraband in the starting ports? I can't seem to sell it to get rid of it, and the ship won't sail if it is overloaded, so I can't just sell it to the smuggler since you have to sail to meet him.

3. The shopkeepers all tell me that they are busy with other customers, and that I must "come back tomorrow". The next day they say the same thing. This is problematic as I can't buy food. I'm not far into the game, so I'm not sure what I've done to piss them off.

4. Are the gambling games rigged?


Thanks for any replies.

 

[modernknight1]

Don't get frustrated mate. This is a freakin hard game and starting out can be an absolute b*&^h. It gets way better.

Point of sail has to do with how fast the ship will go while at an angle to the wind. A fully square rigged ship will go faster with a following wind directly behind it, but will be much slower than a schooner or xebec on a beam reach (the wind direction at 90 degrees from the head - directly towards one of the ships sides) The schooners, ketches, xebecs, gaff rigged ships will move faster "close hauled" sailing into the wind.

We started the characters off with extra goods so you could sell them off right away for cash to get started. I generally sell off all my round shot, bomb shot, half my powder, all my timber, and only keep a little grape and bar shot. Your gunnery skills and ship are so weak at the beginning that I just try to avoid confrontation until I've delivered a few passengers and cargo loads. I buy the minimum rum amount. By selling off most of what you have, you're more likely to get a cargo mission - dependent on the beginning ship you start with. I use my cash to get a couple officers and to max out my crew as well as get myself the best possible sword and pistol available and some health potions. When I want to get my first better ship I will often linger outside of a port with a prominent fort and wait for a pirate to appear in world view. Then I lure him under the guns of the fort until his manpower is low enough that I can get my first prize. Often there will be another patrol ship there from the port to help you as well.

Keep trying at the merchant - it may take a couple nights spent at the tavern.

The gambling is based on your luck vs the NPC your playing against. There is a modicum of randomness there too. I suspect a simple Monte Carlo routine. However, YES, sometimes the NPCs will cheat. I always talk to them after I lose (especially when it's just rediculous luck they;ve had) and see if the option to accuse them of cheating pops up. If it does, you can duel them, kill them and take their stuff/gold.

Keep going - this game is FUN!!!

MK

 

[N3H3C]

I never really have any of these issues, the only thing that bothers me is that smuggling always turns up a patrol and ships never surrender, even if they are out of ammo and have no crew left they still follow you and the battle never ends. (If they got a fast ship) The pirate quests in the tavern are poorly written and the length of time to finish them is too short as well.

 

[buho]

[...]
Point of sail has to do with how fast the ship will go while at an angle to the wind. A fully square rigged ship will go faster with a following wind directly behind it, but will be much slower than a schooner or xebec on a beam reach (the wind direction at 90 degrees from the head - directly towards one of the ships sides) The schooners, ketches, xebecs, gaff rigged ships will move faster "close hauled" sailing into the wind.
[...]
MK

Please, MK: what are Akella's figures actually saying?

I can understand a ship sailing better close-hauled at some angle or another ship sailing better while reaching, but I can't relate it to Akella's figures. The tooltip says "the higher the rating, the close to the wind the ship sails"... how it is related to some tangible point of sail? 10 is what? Close-hauled at what angle? Close reach? And what is 3? Beam reach? Broad reach? Nearly running?

I look at the ship and after seeing how the sails are I more or less know how to sail her, but I must confess I'm disregarding the PoS figures because I can't understand them ops2.

TIA.
buho (A).

 

[modernknight1]

[...]
Point of sail has to do with how fast the ship will go while at an angle to the wind. A fully square rigged ship will go faster with a following wind directly behind it, but will be much slower than a schooner or xebec on a beam reach (the wind direction at 90 degrees from the head - directly towards one of the ships sides) The schooners, ketches, xebecs, gaff rigged ships will move faster "close hauled" sailing into the wind.
[...]
MK

Please, MK: what are Akella's figures actually saying?

I can understand a ship sailing better close-hauled at some angle or another ship sailing better while reaching, but I can't relate it to Akella's figures. The tooltip says "the higher the rating, the close to the wind the ship sails"... how it is related to some tangible point of sail? 10 is what? Close-hauled at what angle? Close reach? And what is 3? Beam reach? Broad reach? Nearly running?

I look at the ship and after seeing how the sails are I more or less know how to sail her, but I must confess I'm disregarding the PoS figures because I can't understand them ops2.

TIA.
buho (A).

There's lots of room for improvement here Mate. We had a modder that was trying to improve the sail handling in POTC a couple years back. I was hoping to take her numbers and apply them to COAS, but she quit for personal reasons. I applaud your efforts to do anything with the ship handling you can. I think you are on the right track. Luke has worked the wind and weather to be much better, but we haven't really done that much with regards to ship handling now that we have the more accurate wind behavior.

The vanilla settings do in a very rudimentary way - mimic sail handling, but the thing that bothers me most is that the ships will still turn in circles when there is no wind to be had, when in reality, they'd be dead in the water.

In a perfect world we would not only improve ship handling, but also have the sail models better. Wouldn't it be neat if when "in irons" to have the sails blowing backwards so you could see the masts through the fabric. Wouldn't it be neat if you could "heave to" so that the masts sails overlapped so that we could sit in one spot in the wind and launch boats.

So I'm sorry I don't have better answers for you. I'm glad you are on our team and I'm elated you are trying to tackle this. I will be glad to help you test any numbers you are playing with.

MK

 

[buho]

You are glad I'm in your team...? :?

Gosh! Yes, I see it now...

Thank you guys. Many thanks.

- o -

No no no no, MK... I'm NOT trying to change the sail handling. I'm trying to understand Akella's PoS figures. Only that.

- o -

Yes, it will be very nice having a more realistic sailing. But don't look at me. At least no for a time. It is far too much for my actual knowledge.


Cheers.
buho (A).

 

[Asquinol]

1. Can any of the more experienced folks explain what the Point-of-Sail rating on the ship characteristics screen means? I feel like I'm not getting the most out of my ship in terms of speed and I'd imagine it is partly due to not sailing it properly with the wind.

2. Why do some of the characters start with ships that are overloaded with goods that are considered contraband in the starting ports? I can't seem to sell it to get rid of it, and the ship won't sail if it is overloaded, so I can't just sell it to the smuggler since you have to sail to meet him.

*snip*

Thanks for any replies.

1: Yeah, this bothers me too, but I accept the answers already given.

However # 2 really bothers me and was never answered.I know why the goods are in the hold, to give a head start. I have a few save games of characters I cannot play because I can't sell their contraband and I can't sail to the smugglers.
Very annoying.

I suppose I could just throw it overboard, but that is kind of lame.