builds

[Gadin]

Ok, just started teh game recently and came here. I have yet to experience any of the bugs i have seen written about here, but im wondering if its worth it to install the Build 12. Will it wreck my current game and make me start over? Do i just install 12 over the game and go from there or do i have to install some earlier versions first? Well, thanks for any info or links anyone can provide.


Gadin

 

[cwineman]

Gadin,

I'm sure you will hear the same advice from most people on the forum. And that advice is, YES, absolutely play the game with the builds. If you are playing the out of box game and haven't seen any bugs yet, you've been lucky. Without the builds, the game is pretty much a steaming pile. The builds fix a ton of bugs, and add a bunch of new missions.

I can't give you reliable information on how to install the builds, but others on the forum will surely help you out. As far as losing your current games, I think you probably will lose them. And even if you have to start over, it's well worth it.

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" /> <b>Gadin, </b>and welcome aboard! Have an ale! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/beer2.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":beer" border="0" alt="beer2.gif" />

You should be okay with installing Build 12 only... The errors that have been happening are due to slightly different EURO or UbiSoft versions of the stock game. I'm guessing from the American flag that you've got a US/UK version of the game.

If you do not have any mods yet installed, you will have to start a new game to get B12 to work for you. Don't despair, you will soon be enjoying a whole new gaming experience with PotC, and loving every minute of it...

How far are you into your present game? Another suggestion would be to continue playing until you finish the main quest, and then install B12 and start again (because you'll have to start again anyhow). The changes the mods make will have more of an impact upon you if you play the game stock, before trying the mods.

You'll LOVE the mods, especially after finishing up stock PotC! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />

I'm a *mite* biased, but just ask any `non-modder` who plays the modded game... <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

 

[Iggly]

Ofcourse you should download the builds! but, i would recomend you got a hour or so free when you do that, the updates that the installer downloads can take about an hour if you have broadband, if you have dial up..., well.... its gona take a little while. But well worth it! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />

 

[Gadin]

Ok, after getting used to the regular game, i decided to install the build and see what it added. Wow, thanks to all the modding folks for that, its truely impressive. I woulda installed it for the ability to trade from ship to ship without sailing to each one alone!! Anyways, i have some questions on some things that i couldn't find.

1) Wheat/Rum. I see now that i need them, but whats the general ratio required per man? Also, can i just have both items in bulk on one ship in my fleet? or do i need to spread them around per ship? Also, why is it that i can only buy so much at a port. I have money left, the shop has stock left, i have space in the hold, but it wont let me buy it. This happens at every port, so isn't just one with wheat as a contraband commodity

2) Whats the benefits of a letter of marque? I understand what they did in history, but what are the `in-game` effects?

3) Why is it sometimes i will board a vessel and im all alone, especially on the harder difficulty settings. I will have a full crew, and be hitting a smaller vessel that i have liberally sprayed with grapes and a musket volley and still i get to go it solo.

4) Im not sure if its just a bug or what, but on the standard version my spyglass gave me info on my ships, the little bars red/white/blue showing hull/sails/crew. Now its all messed up, sometimes its not even showing, other times its showing half when my ship is at 100% etc. Also, as a side note, is says my masterwork glass shows my gun type, loads, and ship name...where do i find that info during a fight?


Ok, i think thats all the questions i had, thanks in advance.



Gadin

 

[Kiffer]

1. This is taken from the BuildSettings.h file, and i think will explain how much is consumed:

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->//for wheat and rum, the button will buy this many days' worth of wheat, or rum, for your current crew size.
//note that this is for /double/ rum rations; so normally set this to half the number of days' worth of rum.
#define WHEAT_DAYS 30.0 // suggested wheat_per: 30.0
#define RUM_DAYS 15.0 // suggested rum_per: 15.0, 30 days at normal rum rations.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

However, you can set it so that Wheat/Rum is NOT needed by setting #define FOOD_ON to 0.

2. The Letter of Marque, in this game, is the first rank. After you get the LoM, and go off to pillage and plunder, you earn yourself promotion and land. Land earns you income, which means more money,

3. Did you get any of your officers along, i.e. in the passengers screen?

4. Not sure about this one. I'm sure the others know better. Or... can you take a screenshot so we can see whether it is a bug or something that occurs to us too?

 

[SirChristopherMings]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Also, why is it that i can only buy so much at a port. I have money left, the shop has stock left, i have space in the hold, but it wont let me buy it. This happens at every port, so isn't just one with wheat as a contraband commodity<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is not a bug.
My understanding on this is that Nathan, and numerous others, set it up so the towns have populations, and as a result the town will not let you buy all the wheat they have or the population will starve. This is also supposed to effect the numbers of sailors that are available to hire in the tavern. I'm pretty sure that this is an editable feature, you can make more wheat and sailors available if you feel that the settings are interfering with gameplay. I, personally, turn the food thing off because I am lazy. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/oops3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="ops2" border="0" alt="oops3.gif" />

By the way, welcome to the site! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

<b>Gadin, </b>here are my thoughts on your questions:

#1 - This is just as Sir Christopher reports. There will be times when you cannot buy wheat because of the needs of the town. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/no.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="no.gif" /> In that case you need to travel to another town to get wheat, or plunder it from a ship! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/duel_pa.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":ixi" border="0" alt="duel_pa.gif" />

#2 - Answered well by Kiffer! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

#3 - You need to add officers from your passenger list to your landing/boarding company - look at your passenger list in the F2 menu, and find officers that have good melee skills. Click on an empty square below the scrolling portraits, and then double click on the centered portrait of the officer you wish to join you on land and during boardings. Their portrait will transfer to the square below, and you will have the beginnings of a boarding party! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />

A couple of tips here - once you have your officers selected, when you are on shore you can give them better swords and healing potions to help keep them alive during attacks. Face them and hit the "Enter" key - you will see a set of icons pop up - select the two arrows in a circle icon and you will be able to give him swords, potions, pistols, and even other items to help enhance his stats.

#4 - Your spyglass works when you are sailing, only if you are in first person - when at sea, hit the "TAB" key to go into first person, and you will see an aiming reticle. Point this at another ship, and then press and hold the "Ctrl" key. You will get a `close-up` view of that ship, and info underneath that view.

Those red, blue, and white bars above your ship's icon tell you the "health" of your ship at a glance, and are a little bit screwed up from NathanKell's last tweak - this is a known issue, and I think Nathan was going to try to figure out why this was happening, but he has been absent of late because he's been pretty busy with "real life" (whatever that means!)... I'm sure he'll pop back sometime soon and he may have a fix too! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />

Hope this helps! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

 

[Gadin]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. Answered all but one of my questions.

The boarding part. My officers die way too often when boarding, even when i kill my guy fast and help the others i just can't get around the ship fast enough to save them all. They all have great weapons and potions, and maxxed out melee score and abilities. Now, early on in the game i would tell them all not to fight (great addition in the mods.) Everything was fine for a while, if i had to fight, some random crew would come with me, sometimes doing well others not so well, but i had a fighting chance if i did it quick and right. But all of a sudden, no crew goes with me. Its literally me against the entire enemy ship. I can't seem to find a middle ground, i either grape shot down the enemy till they surrender, or fight 6 on one get stomped. So not sure why my crew wont come over with me anymore. Morale is great, leadership is 10, i just dunno if its a bug or WAD.


Gadin

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> That's a weird one, Gadin! Does it happen all the time, now? How far are you into the main quest? When did you notice it happening (in conjunction with the main quest storyline)?

I haven't played in a while, and just getting back into it to test some mods - I've already found some troubles - so I'll see if I get that same problem...

Isolate a savegame where it happens just after you've saved, and then check in your PotC directory to see if you are getting any error logs. If you post them here, perhaps we can figure it out. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />