Can't capture enemy ships?

[Maleficus]

I don't know whether I'm doing something wrong, but whenever I board an enemy ship, and it surrenders to me, it doesn't appear in my 'captured ships' panel on the battle result screen.


Anyone else found this?

[pevergreen]

It seems to be very very picky. Perhaps its like M2TW, you can only capture it if you have it in your unit roster.

[Fisherking]

This was brought up yesterday in another thread.

As fast as things are moving it may be back on the 3rd or 4th page by now though.

I had hoped that one of the CA staff could clarify what the problem was or if it were some undocumented procedure we were missing.

Their lack of response leads me to conclude that it is a problem, but they have been made aware of it, by reading here if nothing else.

It seems to be hit or miss and sometimes you get a ship, but most of the time not.

[Maleficus]

I always seem to get one if I auto-resolve, but not if I actually go to all the trouble of fighting an (annoyingly difficult) naval battle myself.


I beat the Prussians yesterday, boarded 3 of their ships, sunk one. The 3 I boarded all surrendered, although 1 then spontaneously combusted, that still leaves me an Indiaman and a brig, right?

Apparently not.


Very annoying. CA need to resolve this fast.


But I bet the modders get there first.....

[pevergreen]

But I bet the modders get there first.....

Oh I wouldnt.

What is with everyone and presuming we can mod stuff?

[alby]

i managed to capture 3 galleys yesterday so they definetly dont have to be in your build roster (my 1st win at sea hehe), couldnt get the board button to work so when they started to route/surrender i didnt fire anymore at them and they were prizes at the end of battle

[Polemists]

What is with everyone and presuming we can mod stuff?

I don't think everyone knows you can't mod stuff yet

[Maleficus]

You can mod some stuff. Scripted events, certainly.

[Megas Methuselah]

But we need the tools from CA to get the full McCoy.

[hoom]

There may be the issue of the Prize Crew.
In order to capture a ship, you need to have enough crew to spare that you can sail both the captured ship & the capturee back to port to get repaired & recrewed.

If it was a close battle, or to start with your ships aren't carrying all that much crew but you capture a ship with high manning needs, you might not have enough crew.

[pevergreen]

You can mod some stuff. Scripted events, certainly.

Not really. All the scripted events call for massive amounts of data we can't read.

For example, the scripts that give you the chance to get historical figures (of which there are HEAPS) are about 5 lines, just calling info from files we can't read.

[Polemists]

ETW the least moddable TW yet lol.

Somehow I think CA intended to release tools to help but I think they are too bogged down with ETW to do much at moment. Maybe April

[pevergreen]

They will release tools, but yes, as of now its hard to mod. But so is every new engine. Remember, it hasnt even been out a week.

[Polemists]

So wait....autocalc gives you captured ships?

How does that work?

[foop]

On the other hand, I was told that I'd captured a ship when I didn't even try to board it. In the battle report, and after the battle, the captured ship was nowhere to be seen.

[Ja'chyra]

When you finish the battle if you've managed to capture any ships they'll be listed in the box underneath the one showing your ships, you have to highlight the ones you want to keep and click the button to add them to your fleet, otherwise you sell them and get some cash.

I don't know how the game decides if you capture them though.

[Mister V]

I have captured enemy ships plenty of times without boarding (chainshot them to death). Is this an issue with boarding only?

[Maleficus]

All the ships I've captured have been by boarding. I didn't know you could take them without boarding them.....

[Mister V]

Well I haven't done a lot of naval battles, but usually all the enemy fleet surrenders (with several vessels being sunk). Then when the battle is over, there's a screen with prize ships. There's an "Add ship to your fleet" button there.

[Bob the Insane]

It does seem picky though...

I have finished battles with surrendered enemy vessels and have gotten prizes, and I have had similar finishes where I didn't get prizes. I can see how it works one way or the other...

[Tartantyco]

-Oddly enough, every time I sink a ship(Click continue when they rout and sink them) it pops up in the captured list...

[pevergreen]

I just found the Flying Dutchman! I better capture it...

[A Very Super Market]

You have?

Oh wait...

Is it just a UP gentlemen with wings?

[knoddy]

ive had no issues capturing ships. every time i take one it appears and yes ive even got a few through auto calcs. without sounding like a tool, are u sure u are actually capturing them, i tried to take a trade vessel in one battle with 14 crew and they fought off my brigs crew of 60 odd :S

[pevergreen]

You have?

Oh wait...

Is it just a UP gentlemen with wings?

Its a Pirate ship.

its bloody fast in game as well. Was running past all of my ships. Sloops, Brigs, SOL's, everything!

[Mr Frost]

Its a Pirate ship.

its bloody fast in game as well. Was running past all of my ships. Sloops, Brigs, SOL's, everything!

There's no ship as can match the interceptor for speed .

[Shahed]

I only had a few successful sea battles in my 1st campaign and I got both ships that I boarded in 2 seperate battles. I hope it's always like. It's a hassle to board so I'm hoping there's no random chance factor.

[NimitsTexan]

I have experimented in a couple of battles with making sure at the end of the battle I had ships in close proximity to the onse that had surrendered . . . I captured all the surrendered ships in those cases.

[MadKow]

I have experimented in a couple of battles with making sure at the end of the battle I had ships in close proximity to the onse that had surrendered . . . I captured all the surrendered ships in those cases.

I think the key is to make sure they are effectively surrendered, not merely panicked or in still fighting.

I found the trick is to "Continue battle" even if they are all flashing white and you have a victory. Once you get the victory and the ships are efecctively under your control, the battle ends (without possibility of continuation).
Hope this is clear enough.

I managed to capture the whole pirate fleet you find near Curaçau when you start a United Provinces campaign. Thats roughly 1500 coins, or, in case you want it, the Flying Dutchman (a brig, IIRC).

If you have doubts, i recomend saving the United Provinces 1st turn, as you have always that pirate fleet there to try out naval battles until you understand better whats happening. Thats what i did.
And yes, chain shot is your friend.

[Leviathan]

In the couple of naval battles that I've done, one particular thing has earned me a few ships.

Hit a ship with a bit of chain and or grape shot, as usual to soften them up.
If they try to run, make sure to hit the "Continue Fight" button.
Board them with one of your ships
When the grapnels are flying from your ship and you're winching them in, let off a broadside of grape shot into them.

Three battles this has immediately brought up the "Decisive Victory" or whatever screen, and the ship has been in my "Prize" panel.