how come chain shots take out cannons?

[Slaists]

Whenever I use chainshots, I end up eliminating about 1/3 of the enemies cannons in the process of getting the sail down to zero. Meanwhile, despite losing guns, the enemy ships' hulls stay healthy.

Is that accurate? I thought, chain shot was supposed to carry chains quite high rather than penetrating the gun-decks...

[Durallan]

depends how the shot was aimed and if the enemy ship may have been just out of range or moved away from the firing ship so instead of hitting the sails they sailed across the deck. Don't really know, I haven't noticed chain shot taking out enemy cannons

[A Very Super Market]

Well, they wouldn't be particularily bad at taking out cannons, so I'm guessing that for whatever reason, they were aimed too low.

[Hooahguy]

believe it or not, the waves matter. a lot. if you press "insert" when in a sea battle with small ships (it gives you a first person view), you will see that when the ship is moved higher because of the waves, the shot goes higher. when riding a wave down, your shots tend to either hit low or miss.

[Didz]

Well your basically talking about two cannon balls joined by a bar of iron, so it will cut through men just as effectively as rigging if it hits at the correct angle, and would probably be able to dismount a gun.

But I suspect the most likely cause is actually stuff falling on the deck from the rigging and knocking the guns off their carriages. To be honest as long as its not causing a lot of hull damage I'm not too bothered if it destroys guns and kills crew as well as the sails, as I only really us it as a prelude to boarding or when I'm hoping to earn some prize money.

[al Roumi]

Well your basically talking about two cannon balls joined by a bar of iron, so it will cut through men just as effectively as rigging if it hits at the correct angle, and would probably be able to dismount a gun.

But I suspect the most likely cause is actually stuff falling on the deck from the rigging and knocking the guns off their carriages.

You think that degree of detail would have been modeled?? :laugh4:

If only...

[Didz]

You think that degree of detail would have been modeled?? :laugh4:

If only...
No, not modelled in the game. I was merely pointing out that in real life chain shot would probably disable cannon, and crew as well as rigging. However, having said that if you look closely the dismantling shot itself is correctly modelled, you can see what look like little 'dumb-bells' flying through the air rather than cannon balls. Whether the shape actually makes any difference to the damage done at the other end is less certain.

[AggonyDuck]

What seems to happen is that the falling masts can and usually will kill crew and cannons on the upper deck. Two or three fallen masts can do a good deal of damage against the men serving on the upper deck and additionally chain shots hitting the level of the upper deck might just sweep over it killing men and guns while not really damaging the hull.

[Slaists]

What seems to happen is that the falling masts can and usually will kill crew and cannons on the upper deck. Two or three fallen masts can do a good deal of damage against the men serving on the upper deck and additionally chain shots hitting the level of the upper deck might just sweep over it killing men and guns while not really damaging the hull.

Ok, that makes sense. The irony is: frequently I find chain shots more efficient at taking out guns than the round shots...

[Didz]

Ok, that makes sense. The irony is: frequently I find chain shots more efficient at taking out guns than the round shots...
Thats probably true at least on single deck warships, but it largely depends on what your goals are in the battle and what the odds of victory are. I rarely, bother with dismantling shot unless it looks like I'm likely to win the battle easily and plan to use boarding to capture some prizes. If the odds are that favourable then the faster I put holes in the enemies hull the better.

[Hooahguy]

No, not modelled in the game. I was merely pointing out that in real life chain shot would probably disable cannon, and crew as well as rigging. However, having said that if you look closely the dismantling shot itself is correctly modelled, you can see what look like little 'dumb-bells' flying through the air rather than cannon balls. Whether the shape actually makes any difference to the damage done at the other end is less certain.

look at this:
http://www.privateermedia.com/Props/shot2xf.jpg

[Slaists]

Thats probably true at least on single deck warships, but it largely depends on what your goals are in the battle and what the odds of victory are. I rarely, bother with dismantling shot unless it looks like I'm likely to win the battle easily and plan to use boarding to capture some prizes. If the odds are that favourable then the faster I put holes in the enemies hull the better.

Nope, I was actually referring to 3rd rates and 2nd rates. I almost always try to demast those first. While doing so, I find I kill a good chunk of their guns too. The hull stays undamaged though.

[Zarky]

If I'm not wrong, amount of cannons you can fire depends on how many crew members are alive, and if you look closely enough you can see lots of little pixel sailors climbing up and down the masts. Could it be that the chain shot is killing those, and because they die, men occupying the cannons must go climb masts up and down uselessly.

[AggonyDuck]

If you look closely on the cannons, you can see a lot of smashed cannons after a ship has losts its masts, especially on the uppermost deck.

[resonantblue]

You think that degree of detail would have been modeled?? :laugh4:

If only...

Actually yes.

The physics engine in ETW, from what I have seen, is actually very detailed.

I don't know if that is modelled for fact, but I would hardly be surprised if it were.

I'd prefer they had not modelled that and invested the time on the AI, but AI doesn't sell games, graphics/physics do.

[Oaty]

Nope, I was actually referring to 3rd rates and 2nd rates. I almost always try to demast those first. While doing so, I find I kill a good chunk of their guns too. The hull stays undamaged though.

Actually I've found it hard to take out cannons on 3rd rates and better wether it be chain grape or round. Chainshot is probably a better personnel killer than cannon balls because its flinging through the air. The way I look at it is that the chainshot may not be capable of taking out the cannon but it can take out the cannon crew. I've noticed a xebec is about on of the easiest ships to take out cannons with chainshot. A xebec has a completely open top making their crews vulnerable to cannon fire whereas higher quality ships have a deck(cover) above their guns making the chainshot less effective against the guns.