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navigation

We'll make the navigation as realistic as we can get it.
I am a former seafarer myself and wouldn't be able to stand it is we didn't try to do just that. ;)
 
Using a sextant, a Nautical Almanac and Microsoft Excel. That's what I did.
Made a nice program that does everything for me because I am too lazy to do the same calculation twice. :razz
 
Pieter Boelen said:
Using a sextant, a Nautical Almanac and Microsoft Excel. That's what I did.
Made a nice program that does everything for me because I am too lazy to do the same calculation twice. :razz
Click to expand...
I will set difficulty to "Noob, gets lost on the way home from the pub" where sextant mastery is not required...:pirateraft
 
I don't think the idea was that the player will actually do the navigation manually. Though perhaps.... when the time comes.... we could actually make that optional.
The main thought that I have is that we simulate that these things do happen as realistically as possible, but with an officer of the player taking care of the actual shooting and calculating.
 
The sky system that @Captain Murphy picked up some time ago, allows sun's movements according to geographical location and time, so my hope was too, for manual navigation.
I think it plays nicely into the game if proper navigation with small vessel, as well as for rank progression in the naval career required learning to use quadrant, or sextant. That would also give a sort of a upgrade to position's accuracy, when acquiring improved instruments. On bigger vessel it could always be automated task performed by dedicated officer with relevant skill.
 
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Hmm and when I'm leaving Cadiz and heading west without adjustment, where will I land? Maybe some where on Hispaniola like Columbus? :p

Is navigation really required can't I just go where my nose is pointing? :bonaparte
 
I bet first change of wind would blow your bow to some Berber coast :D
I actually think manual, but at some point automatable navigation is very appropriate for the concept of HoO. In Lesser Antilles, you could always hop from island to island just based on sight, if that shiny brass isn't for your ragged smuggler's purse.
 
Ashinokami said:
I think it plays nicely into the game if proper navigation with small vessel, as well as for rank progression in the naval career required learning to use quadrant, or sextant. That would also give a sort of a upgrade to position's accuracy, when acquiring improved instruments. On bigger vessel it could always be automated task performed by dedicated officer with relevant skill.
Click to expand...
Should not be related to ship size, I think. You just need an officer to delegate to task to.

In the early game, I do like the idea of requiring the player to be a bit more "hands on" in a lot of the running of the ship.
But it must at all costs NOT be annoying. So if it is required to shoot celestial bodies, the calculations should be done automatically.
Alternatively, force the player to remain limited to coastal navigation or just "point your ship some way and see where you get" because you cannot do celestial navigation just yet.
 
If anyone is interested, see attached some examples of the Excel file I made for celestial navigation.
It works pretty darn well and does everything automatically apart from the actual shooting and looking up some values in the Nautical Almanac.
 

Attachments

  • Celestrial Position Fix.zip
    1.8 MB · Views: 321
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