Getting started

[Groggsy]

Hi

I've got a question of me own here <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bookish.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":mm" border="0" alt="bookish.gif" />

One of the annoying things i find with the game is the speed at which you are thrown into when you are in map mode. Shoulnt a map be erm.. a map? So you can plot your course and select go. Not looking at some cartoony mario cart on speed game from above the moment you click 'go to map'?
Does anyone else find this lack of control and depth a bit of a jump from the style of the game? I mean when i last played it I remember being in port and after 'bouncing' of some rocks like a toy in a bathtub i found my self floundering all over the map as ships, pirates God knows what flew all around me whizzing past at lightspeed! Then being trown into a storm that you have no chance to avoid or getting caught up in a battle in an instant. Surely there should be some comprimise - you are at sea and usually you should have some degree of control over what ships you steer towards. Theres no inbetween it seems. I'm usually being thrown round like a fart in a whirlwind. So for example it would be good if you could plot your course to investigate those mysterious mast shapes in the distance or steer well clear if you think theres a storm brewing up ahead or something. Its just too fast when you are in the map screen. I'd like to plot my course, check the crew are happy.. see hows the rum and food holding out. I know you can jump to ship mode but if you want to go to a port you have to use the sea map which i dont like having to do for the above mentioned reasons. Or is there a way to just sslllllooooowww it down just a little?
Thanks <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

 

[v_Grimmelshausen]

Yes, sometimes the Map mode IS a bit fast, but you get used to it rather quick - at least, I did.

You can actually avoid storms, they start as dark clouds and you see the storm icon, just sail away from them. When caught in one, it´s a good idea to strike sails down to battle sails and to head directly into the wind. That decreases damage a bit, as does having the "Storm Helmsman" ability.

 

[Groggsy]

cheers v_Grimmelshausen, I'll ty my best to increase that ability. Thats how most of my ships managed to get sunk - during a storm. In one case, just after having survived a massive battle with a pirate brig only to be sunk by a poxy storm only 'inches' from a safe port <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":c" border="0" alt="mad.gif" />
Well i am learning - I'll get used to it I'm sure. Anyway its not as bad as Pirates - thats just crazy speed!

There is one other thing. Can you actually sail part of your journey in ship view mode if you wanted? I mean if I was in the middle of the sea in map mode then jumped to ship view and sailed for say, 15 minutes real time at fast speed, if I went back to the map view would my dinky little ship icon have acknowledged that and moved the equivilent distance? Or does it stay in the same position as you left it? The same applies to encountering ships. If in map mode you were fairly close to other ships in the area and then you jumped to ship view would you encounter them eventually? Or does it have to be a certain distance when in map mode before it will let you 'see' them when you go to your ship?

 

[v_Grimmelshausen]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Anyway its not as bad as Pirates - thats just crazy speed!  <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
My words precisely <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" />

As for the storms, it does not help if only your character (or one active officer on your ship) has the Storm Helmsman ability, but your prize captains need it as well.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->There is one other thing. Can you actually sail part of your journey in ship view mode if you wanted? I mean if I was in the middle of the sea in map mode then jumped to ship view and sailed for say, 15 minutes real time at fast speed, if I went back to the map view would my dinky little ship icon have acknowledged that and moved the equivilent distance? Or does it stay in the same position as you left it? The same applies to encountering ships. If in map mode you were fairly close to other ships in the area and then you jumped to ship view would you encounter them eventually? Or does it have to be a certain distance when in map mode before it will let you 'see' them when you go to your ship?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No they won´t. As a matter of fact, if you change from Map to Sailing mode and back, the "ships" on the map get deleted and new random ones are generated.

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

Use the "Tab" key to see the rest of the map when you are sailing in the overhead map mode, that should help. You can scroll around with the mouse to see where you are MUCH easier!

Also make sure to sail out of a difficult harbor (like Devil's Throat on Redmond) at sea level before you go to map mode.

Liberally use your "S" key to stop your ship if you need to - there's no penalty except time... Using the "S" key will stop you so you can then turn your ship sharply using the "A" or "D" keys.

USUALLY I try to sail looking well ahead of my ship - you'll see a flash and a darkening of the map in spots when a storm is coming up, so you can easily sail around it or otherwise avoid it... Watch those icons in the top left corner; if you have a "huge wave" icon it means you will encounter a storm at sea level if you hit the spacebar and go back to sea level...

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" />