Quote Originally Posted by pevergreen View Post
The problem is, as CA have said, they have to cater for everyone.

If I was handed the naval combat part of ETW, I would eventually figure out which way the wind was going, but then i'd have no idea of how to go that way, apart from sailing directly to a point.

If a wind is going south, to me that means you cant go north. Or anything like north. Because the wind would just push you back. Also, as CA have said, gameplay > realism when they clash.
As a historical strategy gamer, how long did it take you to learn about protecting the flanks of your battle line, or the use of archers, or the proper use of cavalry? How to lay seige to a castle, or defend against a seige? How to use horse archers?

None of that is intuitive, for gamers living in the 21st Century. Isn't learning about how to use these battle tactics, which have nothing at all to do with modern warfare, part of the fun with games like this?

Sailing isn't rocket science. Really, it's not that hard to figure out, and it's the only available tactic when you're fighting on the high seas without the use of engines. It's been done before, in other games. If square rigged ships can sail directly upwind, you will learn absolutely nothing about how naval combat worked in this historical period.

edit: I can imagine you as one of the people annoyed about RTW allowing unlimited fatigue and missiles, saying that makes all Horse Archers imbalanced. (which it does, but complaining about something that can most likely be changed doesnt help)
If the sailing mechanic of sailing directly upwind can be modded, and if the AI can deal with that, then I withdraw all objections. Until that's confirmed, I'll remain a skeptic.