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Period Play

M

Mad_Jack

Patron of the Tarts
Storm Modder
I've restarted my gameplay (partly due to a complete bloody meltdown of my previous computer), and decided to try to adhere to the way pyrates actually operated circa 1690. My ship is rather small (a 16 gun corvette), and I eschew keeping larger ships for long. She's fast and well heeled, and can hold her own in a fight. However, the game hardly plays by period rules. Prey, whether they be men-of-war or merchantmen, have guns that can too easily outreach mine, and their accuracy is uncanny. Thankfully I can overcome them if I can quickly gain the weather gauge. At least that part is realistic. I fear that I shall have to abandon my efforts to play by 17th century rules, and keep a lineship as my own. God help the Spanish, Dutch, and French. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/danse1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":dance" border="0" alt="danse1.gif" />
 
Harrr! Mad Jack Matey,thar be no rules the pyrates way <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" /> I'm no big fan O' bigger ships,true enuff some O' yer enemies have excellent cannoneers and can get a bead on ye rather quick enuff. I'd be sail'n with a sloop O' war ur a fast schooner with a hearty crew and eat those buggers ye mentioned fer breakfast.Don't give up on yer corvette,although ye may wanna try a fast schooner,faster and more agile,God help all nations if Ol' Skull decides to sail with one O' them larger buckets <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/buds.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":drunk" border="0" alt="buds.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
Interesting idea to play in a more 'authentic' pyrate fashion (though what does authentic mean anyway?). The trouble is the game world/universe would need to be brought into alignment in order for it to be feasible to play as a real pirate might.
I am inclined to think the game seems to have far too many military vessels compared to trading merchantmen and the like. It seems like every vessel you encounter is military (unless I just have bad luck), with minimal trading ships following the trade lines between the islands.

Could NK's surrender Mod be tweaked/altered so that some vessels might surrender either immediately they see you raise the black flag, or immediately upon boarding (so not as currently based on the ship's class or guns)? I guess I mean like the way the muggers mod etc uses the chance of an event occuring.
Otherwise the pyrates' main weapon, <i>terror</i> (in terms of reputation) is lost. Knowing pirates would punish crew who fought back, and knowing many ordinary crew members were badly treated and very badly paid, surely more ships should surrender without a fight?
I wonder whether using a flag matching the target vessel would be useful whilst sailing right up close to the vessel and either raising the Jolly Roger and boarding or firing a broadside. Would you get attacked prior to declaring yourself a pirate? That is the way it was done is it not?
Course you'd have to decide whether to slaughter the crew if they resist, and then typically sink the ship rather than take it and sell it as per normal.
 
<!--quoteo(post=140521:date=Feb 24 2006, 08:04 AM:name=Cpt Fabris)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cpt Fabris @ Feb 24 2006, 08:04 AM) [snapback]140521[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Could NK's surrender Mod be tweaked/altered so that some vessels might surrender either immediately they see you raise the black flag, or immediately upon boarding (so not as currently based on the ship's class or guns)? I guess I mean like the way the muggers mod etc uses the chance of an event occuring.
Otherwise the pyrates' main weapon, <i>terror</i> (in terms of reputation) is lost. Knowing pirates would punish crew who fought back, and knowing many ordinary crew members were badly treated and very badly paid, surely more ships should surrender without a fight?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Your personal reputation, how well you are known, is also taken into account so later in the game some merchants will surrender after just one broadside.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
I wonder whether using a flag matching the target vessel would be useful whilst sailing right up close to the vessel and either raising the Jolly Roger and boarding or firing a broadside. Would you get attacked prior to declaring yourself a pirate? That is the way it was done is it not?
...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

That is the reasoning behind the "raise the flag" mod and I believe it is still being worked on.
 
<!--quoteo(post=140538:date=Feb 24 2006, 03:33 PM:name=Petros)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Petros @ Feb 24 2006, 03:33 PM) [snapback]140538[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Your personal reputation, how well you are known, is also taken into account so later in the game some merchants will surrender after just one broadside.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hmm, so there is an advantage of being 'Horror of the High Seas'? Normally it kills the game without a concerted effort to reform one's character.

<!--quoteo(post=140538:date=:name=Petros)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Petros) [snapback]140538[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
That is the reasoning behind the "raise the flag" mod and I believe it is still being worked on.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Can't say I've actively tested whether sailing upto ships of hostile nations using their flags causes them to ignore you or open fire, but I <i>think</i> at present it's the latter...I'll try it out later. Certainly be nice not to need a huge great ship to get anywhere in the game (well, ok you probably don't need one anyway if you know how to play it well enough). Here's hoping the 'raise the flag' mod can enable some authentic tactics...it'd add a lot to the game experience.
Still, pity there's no tresure fleet/ships to raid as per Meier's Pirates! I never seem to find merchants except in close proximity to their native ports, and accompanied by huge warships.
 
It is not the reputation listed on the Character screen but the one at the bottom of the International Relations screen ... I think.
This one takes much longer to increase and I think rank and personal wealth/land is factored into it as well.

So you can be a good "Hero" and still be well known internationally, that merchants will surrender.
 
<!--quoteo(post=140543:date=Feb 24 2006, 04:23 PM:name=Petros)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Petros @ Feb 24 2006, 04:23 PM) [snapback]140543[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
It is not the reputation listed on the Character screen but the one at the bottom of the International Relations screen ... I think.
This one takes much longer to increase and I think rank and personal wealth/land is factored into it as well.
So you can be a good "Hero" and still be well known internationally, that merchants will surrender.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Ahh, right. Yes I wondered what that was for. I think my fledgling ne'er-do-well seaman went from something like Cutthroat to Promising Pirate or something. Might help of course to know where any of the terms fit on the scale...I mean is that better or worse than before? Always fancied being a Stede Bonnet 'gentleman pirate' type...
 
<!--quoteo(post=140545:date=Feb 24 2006, 12:09 PM:name=Cpt Fabris)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cpt Fabris @ Feb 24 2006, 12:09 PM) [snapback]140545[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
.... Might help of course to know where any of the terms fit on the scale...I mean is that better or worse than before? Always fancied being a Stede Bonnet 'gentleman pirate' type...
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

In the Common.ini file you find these strings:
I'd guess that one's status increases down the list.


string = Unknown Freebooter,"Unknown Freebooter"
string = Unkown Pirate,"Unkown Pirate"
string = Freebooter,"Freebooter"
string = Cutthroat,"Cutthroat"
string = Promising Pirate,"Promising Pirate"
string = Well-known Pirate,"Well-known Pirate"
string = Famous Pirate,"Famous Pirate"
string = Infamous Pirate,"Infamous Pirate"
string = Dread Pirate,"Dread Pirate"
string = Scourge of the Archipelago,"Scourge of the Archipelago"
string = Scourge of the Caribbean,"Scourge of the Caribbean"
string = Scourge of the Seven Seas,"Scourge of the Seven Seas"
string = the chief,"the chief"
 
Historically, flags were pretty much useless. The common practice was to show your true colours seconds before firing your first volley. Even then deception was common, and the rules were more or less "guidelines". Recognition of tactics was key to discerning the true nationality (or lack thereof) of a vessel.
 
My most excellent Mad Jack,
There is an even easier way to play the game the way you suggest, and I'm surprised that you of all people haven't thought of it, get a very large bottle of very strong rum, drink the greater proportion of it and then start playing POTC. I have found that they all look like merchants when I follow this advice! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/keith.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":keith" border="0" alt="keith.gif" />

On a semi-serious note, could the existing settings, via talking to your officer, be tinkered with so that you are only notified when ships of equivalent or "takeable" size are near? It has been a while, so I may not be remembering this quite right, but I thought that was an adjustment you could already make.

I really like your idea, and I may have to get some POTC time in to try your suggestion, that, and a little rum running, sounds like a good use of my time right about now. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/beer2.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":beer" border="0" alt="beer2.gif" />

Captain Fabris, Welcome to the site! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" /> Those are good ideas, and it does my old black heart good to read another enthusiastic discussion on how POTC can be improved.

While we're at it, It has struck me, especially if you are playing more as a privateer than a pirate, that it might be fun if you could stop a ship, putting a shot across their bow, and asking to see the ship's papers to determine the ship's nationality, before making a determination of whether or not to take them as a prize. If it turns out that you have taken a ship that you shouldn't have, you might have to come up with some fairly hefty bribes to soothe the governour's ruffled feathers or wind up at a hemp going away party. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/piratesing.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shock" border="0" alt="piratesing.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=140575:date=Feb 24 2006, 08:14 PM:name=SirChristopherMings)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SirChristopherMings @ Feb 24 2006, 08:14 PM) [snapback]140575[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
...
On a semi-serious note, could the existing settings, via talking to your officer, be tinkered with so that you are only notified when ships of equivalent or "takeable" size are near? It has been a while, so I may not be remembering this quite right, but I thought that was an adjustment you could already make.
...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" /> SirChristopherMings <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

F1 key/Options Screen / Difficulty Level / Notification Settings

Toggles between:
... won't be notified of too powerful sightings <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/keith.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":keith" border="0" alt="keith.gif" />
... will be notifies of all sightings <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/keith.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":keith" border="0" alt="keith.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=140586:date=Feb 25 2006, 03:00 AM:name=Petros)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Petros @ Feb 25 2006, 03:00 AM) [snapback]140586[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
F1 key/Options Screen / Difficulty Level / Notification Settings

Toggles between:
... won't be notified of too powerful sightings <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/keith.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":keith" border="0" alt="keith.gif" />
... will be notified of all sightings <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/keith.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":keith" border="0" alt="keith.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'll take a guess that the notification setting decides what's too powerful based on a ship's class level 1-6(?). 'Course not much use if you routinely sail in a battleship or ship-o'-the-line as everything would show up then.

However, does it take into account just the ship you the player is in command of, or if in your little fleet you had a ship of a higher class than your own (say you sail a sloop, but have a merchantment for storing your booty) would notification be of ships of <= than your own ships class, or of the highest class in your fleet? Lets face it sailing a sloop and having a corvette or frigate as your companion is going to make taking little ships perhaps rather easy.
 
Don't know. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shrug" border="0" alt="dunno.gif" />

It might even take into account the number of enemy ships vs. yours.

Some coder out there might know.
 
Hi all,

having played some on the hardest and next hardest difficulty I have observed some things that IMO hint on serious unbalance in the game, at least if you are interested in some RL resemblance:

- disregarding total loss of manouvre abilities on the hardest setting, even in a really agile and fast ship(lugger being outsailed and outturned by a FLEUT... or galleon... or pinnace) if you persist the buggers start capitulating. You just board them one after one upon seeing the grappling hook and voilà you`ve taken 3-4 fat prizes without engaging some of them at all.
It would be interesting to know BTW what speed/manouevre bonus AI ships get on the hardest settings.

- you heave to under "protection" of a fort and the fort ignores pirate vessels running amok in the harbour and sinking your pissed off self. Oh, and they sail into the harbour against the wind and stern first... AFAIK seeking protection under fort guns was often a practical solution for many captains.

If this is AKELLA`s or anybody elses idea of providing a "challenge" I beg to differ. This is no challenge, it`s ineptitude of game designers to provide/bother with realistic seafaring/combat and challenging missions/campaigns.

All this needs attention IMO, lots of attention. The differences between difficulty settings are not proportional and difficulty at harder levels seems to be massive AI bonuses in seafaring/combat grossly outside of anything remotely resembling RL, while totally neglecting increasing difficulty of missions, reducing chances to find things, increasing the rep building intervals and so on. An example of providing a challenge could be being set up on missions meant to fail and kill you, by your at the beginning unknown enemies. You have a chance to survive, of course. Missions in general could include many more checkpoints on the way to completion with a chance to fail on any of these.

Regards, Oldtimer
 
With any luck, these problems will be addressed by Akella, Ascaron, or anyone else purporting to use "advanced physics" in their game designs. At least Sid Meier managed to get that much right...
 
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" />
"they sail into the harbour against the wind and stern first"= ships are in "irons" and wind blow
them to harbor not that thy want to go there. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
"fort ignores pirate vessels running amok in the harbour " = Maybe fort has no more cannonballs.
"hardest and next hardest difficulty " = Ask Pieter how to change settings and when you have
more "realistic settings upload them to ftp. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
"If this is AKELLA`s or anybody elses idea of providing a "challenge" I beg to differ. This is no challenge, it`s ineptitude of game designers to provide/bother with realistic seafaring/combat and challenging missions/campaigns" = maybe modder made it. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huhh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":eek:k" border="0" alt="huhh.gif" />
Bye CapHawk <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/type_1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":nk" border="0" alt="type_1.gif" />
 
There were no difficulty levels in the stock version of the game. The entire difficulty level stuff was modded in by someone many years ago. I don't know how the code works though. I suppose it is possible to improve the difficulty settings, but I don't know how to. I normally play at the lowest difficulty anyway; the hardest difficulty seems to be virtually unplayable.
 
<!--quoteo(post=140559:date=Feb 24 2006, 09:13 PM:name=Mad_Jack)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mad_Jack @ Feb 24 2006, 09:13 PM) [snapback]140559[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Recognition of tactics was key to discerning the true nationality (or lack thereof) of a vessel.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Aye matey, tis true. A good cap'n would also have an eye to a ship's lines, rig, paintwork, gun ports and all. He'd do well to see how her helm and rig are handled while he's about it.

O' course a cunning sea dog would have a crew trained so good they could appear bad and make the ship a terrible eyesore when needs be but them caribbean cap'ns were mostly all brass polish and straight spars with no sense o seamanship.

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bookish.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":mm" border="0" alt="bookish.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> but them caribbean cap'ns were mostly all brass polish and straight spars with no sense o seamanship.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'd be partial tew tham kinda cap'ns mate,much easier fer me cannons ter blow holes in thar spiffy hull <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/boom.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":boom" border="0" alt="boom.gif" />
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
A good point, to be sure! A standard tactic was to make your ship appear a much poorer sailer than what she really was. Why not have the prey come to you? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/danse1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":dance" border="0" alt="danse1.gif" />

And there we a great many ship's masters that didn't know the weather gage from a fish scale. Missing stays or over-reaching tacks, paying more attention to the guns than navigating the ship, etc. Sailing is as much an art as it is a science. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bookish.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":mm" border="0" alt="bookish.gif" />
 
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