TotalRog
Mariner
posted 05-06-09 02:17 PM
EDT (US)
1 / 22
I've wondered this as well.
It seems to me that I pound them with full broadsides and they are using fire at will against me. When I hit them it seems I do just as much damage to them in one shot as they do to me over the same time between my broadsides. It seems the same to me.
What I like to do in major actions is set all the ships on full broadside and as they past the first ship I fire and then leave them on fire at will after just because it gets hairy. I do like the effect of broadside with grape shot.
the04dude
Mariner
posted 05-06-09 02:52 PM
EDT (US)
2 / 22
I tend to use broadside when I want my ship to NOT fire at the first target it comes across...
I don't think there's a real difference between fire at will and broadside since it's the same number of cannon being fired.
nerdydodge
Mariner
posted 05-06-09 08:29 PM
EDT (US)
6 / 22
Cannonballs also travel a little way further than the range shown on the cone projecting from the side of the ship. You can broadsides that are just out of range of the gunners on fire at will.
remulu
Mariner
posted 05-06-09 11:03 PM
EDT (US)
8 / 22
"Honestly what's the difference between 30 cannonballs hitting a ship within 30 seconds as opposed to 3 seconds? "
Morale is a huge factor here, manual boradsides from close range can absolutly devastate an enemy boat.
halberd
Mariner
posted 05-06-09 11:47 PM
EDT (US)
9 / 22
I've found the best time to use broadsides is when an enemy ship is trying to board you. A single blast can reduce an enemy ship to half hull strength.
TotalRog
Mariner
posted 05-07-09 11:46 AM
EDT (US)
12 / 22
I totally disagree that the sporadic fire 'as she bears approach' is just as good as a saved broadside, especially in a bow or stern rake. In real life (and I know this is a game) there were reports of held broadsides in a stern rake at close range shattering the stern of a ship effecting putting it out of action. One shot! The sterns aren't protected and a ball can do a lot of damage. 37 of them along the length at once could be catastrophic. At least the bow has some deflection. The big part of the hit is the effect on the morale of the crew. You didn't want to put your ship in this situation, ever. Not to mention the fact that the rudder would be blown away along with cutting masts from the interior of the ship.
But since this is just a game it is hard to manage this through a big naval battle. Pausing setting ships position and toggling broadsides is time consuming and takes away from the battle experience. Just setting to fire at will is easier but I don't think it should be considered as effective especially when it comes to raking fire.
I agree totally with Gaius. Getting that stern rake and letting them have it is satisfying. That is what you want from naval combat.
Geordie
Mariner
posted 05-09-09 07:19 AM
EDT (US)
18 / 22
I don't think it's a matter of the balls striking simultaneously (which would be practically impossible to achieve anyway), but more of how close together the balls impact. Three balls hitting an oak plank within inches of each other will probably = one big jagged hole. Three balls hitting the same plank five or six feet apart = three much smaller holes, or maybe only splinter damage.
Placement of shot though, is just one of the many variables involved. Range will play a critical part also. Remember that energy transferred (which will be determined by mass (weight of the ball) multiplied by velocity, will drop sharply as the ball travels through the air and loses much of its velocity.
I guess what it all comes down to (in a game scenario anyway) is personal preference based on our own Naval Battle Experiences.
Good topic though.
DietrichStahl
Mariner
posted 08-28-09 04:59 AM
EDT (US)
22 / 22
Bones has a very good point.
There are many more factors to be included here.
Situation of own ship. Situation of enemy ship. Preference.
Whether the game distinguished damage of either, I do not know.
Since this topic is on when to use, and NOT use broadsides, I will point out that the posts have veered towards how much damage each does, rather than when to actually use them.
I like to start off with a broadside, get as many shots out at once as I can. If I disable x number of their cannons at once, those are -x number of shots they can pour out, whether fire-at-will or broadside. If I use fire-at-will, I would like to point out that the rate of possible enemy cannons disabled decreases, not in total, but in a period of time, which is an essential point, though only if you wish to keep damage to own ship at a minimum.
Let me put it this way.
If you're a "hell-with-it, lets kill 'em!" person, then stick to fire at will, mayhaps with a killing broadside.
More of a "God save The Queen*" kind of person, use broadsides as often as you can, unless the situation states that fire-at-will would be more effective, such as stern shots.
Wow... I have NO idea what I just said.
*name of ship