It's not a matter of "free to not play" it is a matter of this game is not playable.
A good simulation written by competent coders and schemed by knowledgeable developers does not use gimmicks (childish gimmicks) since the play is the enjoyment not the Dungeons & Dragons invocation of supernatural events by the master on a whim and just to be irritating.
Just try to reduce the La Tortuga fort... for example. the SAVE GAME does not work to save advances during the play since all it does is reset the game to start over and over and over, you get the idea. Anyone here tried to play that scenario? Where in the Carib is there such a geological structure as this caldera of granite? Why so much cannon in such a small harbor that has nothing in it other than a ridiculous (impossible) fort. The Russian developers must have had a childish mentality to think this in any way resembles what is reasonable in the Carib. Just google Tortuga and see what the island and harbor look like... that should be the working model for this to be an adult simulation game.
While laying siege I had one of my War Pinnace suddenly transported into the fort area where it was quickly destroyed. A full-frontal attack is not the right tactic in this situation... just gets a lot of ships destroyed and people killed (even simulated), for no benefit... after all, it's just a huge granite donut with no commercial or ag enterprise, not even a military target with the French fleet as a prize. This is so gimmicked it amounts to malware. Approaching the outer ring my cohort (fleet) is bombarded by shot, raining out of the sky.. often collated onto my ship with unreasonable accuracy. The cannon of the time did not use high trajectory, such as land mortars, which could fire accurately over high barriers such as the 400 Meter ring-cliff, with accuracy to hit a small target sailing, but without observation or fire-control watch towers to guide the artillery this is not possible and needs to be removed. The 100 tonne cannon could not be rapidly or easily elevated to higher than 45 degrees, nor could they be moved in arcs at the mount so as to track a moving target. Mounted on trunnions the cannon recoil moves the cannon back to a restraint position where it can be serviced (reloaded) then pullied (run-out) into firing position. Turrents and rotating platforms capable of the weight and movement were not yet created, which is why long lengths of side-by-side cannon were used to cover a firing-field that would intercept a moving ship at range.
My cohort ships ordered to stand-down (heave to boarding drill ?) so as to not get in the way or other stupid antics such as ramming me or sitting with lowered sails in front of a fort while being destroyed, will randomly fire broadsides into the cliff face, for no reason, benefit, or direction. If my ship happens to be passing alongside I get the full broadside... now, will anyone explain why this is reasonable and not malware? This needs to be removed.
Ships in a fleet also need a command to take station and not move about on their own without command guidance. This is nonsense and more gimmick malware. Coordinated attacks by the cohort have no resemblance to rational battle of the time. A little time reading some of the literature of the period would be all that is needed to understand the tactics and coordination used. Think of it as a football game... do players "swan about" on their own or does the coach direct the play action and give assignments for key players to carry out in the scheme to win the game?
The firing angles from the attacking ship is distorted terribly. When positioned at the entrance slot presenting a broadside to the fort the shot strike the cliffs to one side or the other at about a 45 degree angle from the line of sight. Often the cannot will not fire on the command, using the space bar. No information is given as to why the shot is not taken. As the captain has 10 rating in cannons and accuracy, as well as a gunner who has the same maxed ratings, along with every enhancement charm for gunnery and accuracy, there is no rational reason for this to happen. What is need is a gunnery information line providing sighting and readiness needed to make a firing solution. Anyone up to this task?
People working on cleaning up this game and making it into something fun and exciting should focus on shiest like this. Make Tortuga look like Tortuga (google it). Make the play rules consistent and reasonable to the limits of the available technology. I realize nobody is getting paid for this, and likewise I am disgusted that people were paid to creat shiest like this. Those that enjoy a good challenge and appreciate good craftsmanship, the normal coder, would really have fun fixing this trash. Just make the scheme consistent instead of being so variable you never know what will happen when you take an action or push a button. Good game play, like reality, is consistent. We live in a Newtonian existence, of cause and effect that is predictable and consistent. Would you enjoy a football game where the referee changes the rules of play on a whim or just to make one side disadvantaged. This game is designed to disadvantage the player, hence the malware.
If you hate malware, fix this game and have fun doing it.
A good simulation written by competent coders and schemed by knowledgeable developers does not use gimmicks (childish gimmicks) since the play is the enjoyment not the Dungeons & Dragons invocation of supernatural events by the master on a whim and just to be irritating.
Just try to reduce the La Tortuga fort... for example. the SAVE GAME does not work to save advances during the play since all it does is reset the game to start over and over and over, you get the idea. Anyone here tried to play that scenario? Where in the Carib is there such a geological structure as this caldera of granite? Why so much cannon in such a small harbor that has nothing in it other than a ridiculous (impossible) fort. The Russian developers must have had a childish mentality to think this in any way resembles what is reasonable in the Carib. Just google Tortuga and see what the island and harbor look like... that should be the working model for this to be an adult simulation game.
While laying siege I had one of my War Pinnace suddenly transported into the fort area where it was quickly destroyed. A full-frontal attack is not the right tactic in this situation... just gets a lot of ships destroyed and people killed (even simulated), for no benefit... after all, it's just a huge granite donut with no commercial or ag enterprise, not even a military target with the French fleet as a prize. This is so gimmicked it amounts to malware. Approaching the outer ring my cohort (fleet) is bombarded by shot, raining out of the sky.. often collated onto my ship with unreasonable accuracy. The cannon of the time did not use high trajectory, such as land mortars, which could fire accurately over high barriers such as the 400 Meter ring-cliff, with accuracy to hit a small target sailing, but without observation or fire-control watch towers to guide the artillery this is not possible and needs to be removed. The 100 tonne cannon could not be rapidly or easily elevated to higher than 45 degrees, nor could they be moved in arcs at the mount so as to track a moving target. Mounted on trunnions the cannon recoil moves the cannon back to a restraint position where it can be serviced (reloaded) then pullied (run-out) into firing position. Turrents and rotating platforms capable of the weight and movement were not yet created, which is why long lengths of side-by-side cannon were used to cover a firing-field that would intercept a moving ship at range.
My cohort ships ordered to stand-down (heave to boarding drill ?) so as to not get in the way or other stupid antics such as ramming me or sitting with lowered sails in front of a fort while being destroyed, will randomly fire broadsides into the cliff face, for no reason, benefit, or direction. If my ship happens to be passing alongside I get the full broadside... now, will anyone explain why this is reasonable and not malware? This needs to be removed.
Ships in a fleet also need a command to take station and not move about on their own without command guidance. This is nonsense and more gimmick malware. Coordinated attacks by the cohort have no resemblance to rational battle of the time. A little time reading some of the literature of the period would be all that is needed to understand the tactics and coordination used. Think of it as a football game... do players "swan about" on their own or does the coach direct the play action and give assignments for key players to carry out in the scheme to win the game?
The firing angles from the attacking ship is distorted terribly. When positioned at the entrance slot presenting a broadside to the fort the shot strike the cliffs to one side or the other at about a 45 degree angle from the line of sight. Often the cannot will not fire on the command, using the space bar. No information is given as to why the shot is not taken. As the captain has 10 rating in cannons and accuracy, as well as a gunner who has the same maxed ratings, along with every enhancement charm for gunnery and accuracy, there is no rational reason for this to happen. What is need is a gunnery information line providing sighting and readiness needed to make a firing solution. Anyone up to this task?
People working on cleaning up this game and making it into something fun and exciting should focus on shiest like this. Make Tortuga look like Tortuga (google it). Make the play rules consistent and reasonable to the limits of the available technology. I realize nobody is getting paid for this, and likewise I am disgusted that people were paid to creat shiest like this. Those that enjoy a good challenge and appreciate good craftsmanship, the normal coder, would really have fun fixing this trash. Just make the scheme consistent instead of being so variable you never know what will happen when you take an action or push a button. Good game play, like reality, is consistent. We live in a Newtonian existence, of cause and effect that is predictable and consistent. Would you enjoy a football game where the referee changes the rules of play on a whim or just to make one side disadvantaged. This game is designed to disadvantage the player, hence the malware.
If you hate malware, fix this game and have fun doing it.
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