Storms

[colin]

I'm a little confused as to what I am supposed to do in a storm. The view changes from the map to third person and I dont exactly know what I am meant to be doing as they do not mention it in the manual.

 

[Xiathorn]

Hey again <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

A storm is basically something you've just got to weather out. You'll notice that you're gaining experience as you survive the storm, but your ship will take damage. If you get the anti-storm ability, which I confess I can't remember the damned name of, you take considerably less damage.

Basically, when you enter a storm, drop your sails immediately. Sails take the most damage in a storm, and you're basically trying to conserve your vessel as much as possible. Then just wait it out. Press either R or G to speed up time if you get bored, and soon enough a map icon will appear in the top left. Hit f3, you're transported back to the map screen, and you're saved from the evil sea god once more.

Note : Engaging in a storm is almost always pointless. If you see a ship you want to engage, but you're near a stormcloud, make sure that when you hit spacebar to engage there isn't a storm icon in the top left. Engaging in a storm is almost impossible, and storms don't go away, so you'll either need to run (Crippling your sails) or sink the enemy vessel to be able to get back to the map screen.

Note 2 : This information may be inaccurate for the latest version of the build mod (Version 13, 14 is still in alpha). Every hour, the weather apparently changes. I've never had a storm disappear without me retreating to the map screen, but I think it might be possible to wait out a storm and continue to sail - if this is the case, then perhaps getting the anti-storm-death ability and engaging a large ship in a storm would be beneficial; you'd be in a much better position because you'd have taken significantly less damage from the storm.

Hell, I've seen Frigates and such strike their colours in a storm. Just don't rely on it. I wonder if you'll get a ship of the line to strike in a storm?

Do ships of the line surrender at all? I don't know. I've never encountered one at sea, only third rate 74s.

 

[Grey Roger]

<!--quoteo(post=190533:date=Apr 20 2007, 06:54 PM:name=Xiathorn)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Xiathorn @ Apr 20 2007, 06:54 PM) [snapback]190533[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->A storm is basically something you've just got to weather out. You'll notice that you're gaining experience as you survive the storm, but your ship will take damage. If you get the anti-storm ability, which I confess I can't remember the damned name of, you take considerably less damage.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Make sure any officer who you plan to put in charge of a prize ship has that ability too. It can actually be worthwhile to deliberately go into a storm if you and all your prize commanders are suitably qualified! As Xiathorn says, strike your sails - and order all ships under your command to do the same.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Note : Engaging in a storm is almost always pointless. If you see a ship you want to engage, but you're near a stormcloud, make sure that when you hit spacebar to engage there isn't a storm icon in the top left. Engaging in a storm is almost impossible, and storms don't go away, so you'll either need to run (Crippling your sails) or sink the enemy vessel to be able to get back to the map screen.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Of course, although you're taking damage from the storm, so is he. I can't shoot accurately from first person in a storm, so I stay in third person and press the spacebar every time a firing arc is pointing at an enemy ship. Having said that, boarding and capturing isn't an option, so you won't make any profit from a battle in a storm, so don't fight in a storm if you can avoid it.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Note 2 : This information may be inaccurate for the latest version of the build mod (Version 13, 14 is still in alpha). Every hour, the weather apparently changes. I've never had a storm disappear without me retreating to the map screen, but I think it might be possible to wait out a storm and continue to sail - if this is the case, then perhaps getting the anti-storm-death ability and engaging a large ship in a storm would be beneficial; you'd be in a much better position because you'd have taken significantly less damage from the storm.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Unless he has the anti-storm-death ability as well. If he hasn't, he won't survive the storm anyway. And you won't earn any experience if he's sunk by the storm instead of your cannons...

 

[morgan terror]

storm helmsman.

 

[colin]

Many thanks again for all your help. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />