• New Horizons on Maelstrom
    Maelstrom New Horizons


    Visit our website www.piratehorizons.com to quickly find download links for the newest versions of our New Horizons mods Beyond New Horizons and Maelstrom New Horizons!

Why so very good starting ships?

Jack Rackham

Jack Rackham

ex train dispatcher
Quest Writer
Storm Modder
So now you can start the game with such good ships as a xebec or a schooner. Maybe we should delete the lugger from game then? The next moment I found a brace of large pistols on the beach. No I don´t like it at all. The way I see it it´s more fun to work your way all the way up from a very low start level.
 
<!--quoteo(post=151242:date=Jun 16 2006, 05:28 AM:name=Jack Rackham)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jack Rackham @ Jun 16 2006, 05:28 AM) [snapback]151242[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
So now you can start the game with such good ships as a xebec or a schooner. Maybe we should delete the lugger from game then? The next moment I found a brace of large pistols on the beach. No I don´t like it at all. The way I see it it´s more fun to work your way all the way up from a very low start level.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Just because you *can* start with a xebec or schooner doesn't mean everyone will. And I've started a *lot* of games, testing stuff, and sometimes I find good stuff at the beginning, other times I find junk. It's the luck of the draw. Most of the time you have to work your way up. From a low start level.

And if you start with a bigger ship, you don't always have enough money to repair it, or even sometimes to hire enough crew. I've had this happen to me a few times starting with a schooner.

When you have to start several games a day, it's useful to be able to select your starting ship. Trust me on this one. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Hook
 
I think if it was possibe to start with a frigate I could not resist it. But at the same time I shouldn´t like it! I know about starting testgames all the times. Ship may be changed in Build settings for that reason.

Why not link the starting ship level to the chosen difficult level. An apprentice, well maybe ok with a xebec. A swashbuckler maybe not. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sailr.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":sail" border="0" alt="sailr.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=151248:date=Jun 16 2006, 07:07 AM:name=Jack Rackham)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jack Rackham @ Jun 16 2006, 07:07 AM) [snapback]151248[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I think if it was possibe to start with a frigate I could not resist it. But at the same time I shouldn´t like it! I know about starting testgames all the times. Ship may be changed in Build settings for that reason.

Why not link the starting ship level to the chosen difficult level. An apprentice, well maybe ok with a xebec. A swashbuckler maybe not. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sailr.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":sail" border="0" alt="sailr.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You could always start the game with a frigate, even in the original unmodified game, if you knew where to change the code. But try sailing a frigate with no sailing skills. It's not fun.

Right now we're given a choice of several smaller vessels that shouldn't be too hard for a beginning character. If someone's going to select swashbuckler difficulty, he should know enough be able to chose whichever of these ships he wants.

We can change the starting ships easily enough. The choices of ships there are to prevent mistakes, not eliminate fraud.

I recently started a game with a schooner, which was promptly sunk. I got respawned in an unarmed tartane. So I played it through. First captured another schooner, then boarded a surrendered battleship and ended up with that instead. I took the battleship to Oxbay and captured all three French ships guarding that fort, and the character is currently sitting on over 17 million gold... while still at a fairly low level.

I don't think it really matters what ship your character starts off with. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> Except to a beginning player, who doesn't know how to capture better ships yet.

Hook
 
Right... so is this mod for the casual gamer, or the die hard player?

The starting ships should all be low class, to fit with the new low skill character.

Then, make a toggle in the BS.h file for "modders_testing" to allow bigger ships to be chosen as a starting ship for those of you who are the modders and are restarting the game over and over. However to those who are downloading this Build Mod to play as a gamer... giving them the choice right off the bat to get a level 3 ship???

No ... no that is not right.
 
I was wrong, the old possibility in BuildSettings.h to change start ship seems to be overrun by those new optional ships. And where the ... are those placed?

JRH
 
"Right... so is this mod for the casual gamer, or the die hard player?"

Both, obviously! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

"The starting ships should all be low class, to fit with the new low skill character."

The starting ships are Lugger, Tartane, Galeoth, Xebec, Sloop and Schooner, all fairly low class ships. Which ones would you prefer to see removed?

Tartane: class 7
Lugger: class 6
Galeoth: class 5
Sloop: class 5
Xebec: class 4
Schooner: class 4

Other class 6 ships are Yachts and Barques, not including all the new ships that have been added.

"Then, make a toggle in the BS.h file for "modders_testing" to allow bigger ships to be chosen as a starting ship for those of you who are the modders and are restarting the game over and over. However to those who are downloading this Build Mod to play as a gamer... giving them the choice right off the bat to get a level 3 ship???"

The modders can change any of the starting ships to get what they want without problems. No reason to add a switch.

Hook
 
Ah.

I coulda sworn I was given the option to pick a Brig on my new char... I must have been hallucenating.

Maybe:
Tartane
Gun Boat
Lugger
Yacht
Sloop

Thats five choices for the normal gamer who doesn't know how to edit in other boats. I think it would be fun to start out in the Gun Boat <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> Wee little thing with a couple cannons! LOL! And possibly a override, for if someone picks Swashbuckler for difficulty, it limits ship selection to JUST the Tartane. No cannons, barely a crew to speak of... and start them out in the middle of the storm <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=151272:date=Jun 16 2006, 02:03 PM:name=IncredibleHat)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IncredibleHat @ Jun 16 2006, 02:03 PM) [snapback]151272[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
I coulda sworn I was given the option to pick a Brig on my new char... I must have been hallucenating.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

For all I know, you were offered the option to pick a brig. We may have different versions of the code. The options I mentioned were from the June 11 update.

If you feel strongly enough about this, dig into the code and try to mod it yourself. But please make it toggable so that I don't have to use it. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Hook
 
I'm not even sure what this thread is about... You can set ALL the ships to luggers in buildsettings if you want, it's all a matter of taste. Personally I replaced all the starting ships with class 3 and 2 ships and start new games with my character at 10th level because I've played through it a dozen times and I'm past the point where scratching-out a megar living from 1st is any fun.

If you can't resist the temptation then... I don't know WHAT to say about that, it can't be all that important to you can it?
 
Not all that important to me, no. Not important to anyone who knows how, and where to edit such list in the BS.h file.

I was mearly concerned for the casual gamer who wants to pick up this Build Mod and play it with the stock settings (not really understanding how to change them), and having a good time.

That is all.
 
<!--quoteo(post=151313:date=Jun 16 2006, 10:24 PM:name=IncredibleHat)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IncredibleHat @ Jun 16 2006, 10:24 PM) [snapback]151313[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Not all that important to me, no. Not important to anyone who knows how, and where to edit such list in the BS.h file.

I was mearly concerned for the casual gamer who wants to pick up this Build Mod and play it with the stock settings (not really understanding how to change them), and having a good time.

That is all.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The casual gamer, or first time gamer with the new start screen, is going to ignore everything and click on the New Game button at the bottom and end up with the Lugger. I'd started several new games before I realized I had the option to change the nation your character starts with.

And now Jason mentions starting at level ten? If there's an option to do that, I haven't found it yet!

You wanna start with a different ship, start with a different ship. I feel that the ships offered on the starting screen are quite appropriate. Especially for a new player.

Hook
 
Yes offering only the tartane, yacht (YES a nice ship), lugger, sloop, gunboat should really upgrade this mod.
And maybe follow it by linking the difficult level to offered ships somehow. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
There's no need getting worked up about this one. You can easily change all the start-up options at the bottom of BuildSettings.h:
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->#define NEW_SHIP_1        "Lugger1"
#define NEW_SHIP_2        "Tartane3"
#define NEW_SHIP_3        "Galeoth1"
#define NEW_SHIP_4        "Xebec1"
#define NEW_SHIP_5        "Sloop1"
#define NEW_SHIP_6        "Schooner1"<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->
The Brig is not a starting option.

If many people disagree with these startup options, we can change them easily. Which of the following ships do you think should be startup options? I like the idea of adding the Gunboat. Are there any ships there that are too good to be a startup ship?

Tartane
Gun Boat
Lugger
Yacht
Sloop
Xebec
Schooner

<!--quoteo(post=151320:date=Jun 17 2006, 07:36 AM:name=Hook)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hook @ Jun 17 2006, 07:36 AM) [snapback]151320[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
And now Jason mentions starting at level ten? If there's an option to do that, I haven't found it yet!
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
BuildSettings.h: #define START_LEVEL (top of the file).
 
Schooner & xebec. Not worked up at all. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
Ok, I'll change that then. I like the schooner as start-up vessel, but you might be right that it is too good a ship. I can always change it for myself again. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
 
I tried starting with the sloop once. I like the sloop as a nice personal ship, unfortunately, as was stated, since my character had no officers, and he himself had no sailing skill... navigating with the sloop was a serious PITA. It got better when I hired a navigator though when I finally arrived to a town after the storm <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

Gotta love that new begginning to the game!!! KUDOS.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top