Awful, awful naval battles......

[A Very Super Market]

Fluyts have 42 guns for some strange reason.

[Maleficus]

Fluyts have 42 guns for some strange reason.

I just sent CA an email suggesting they actually do a little research next time. I doubt they'll pay any attention now that they've made their money, but it had to be said.

[Miracle]

I think they made Fluyts fairly strong because UP lacks shipyards in the beginning of the game. And given the importance of UP's overseas possessions, this is a big deal.

[Dayve]

I agree, naval battles are very strange right now... i hate fighting them until they are fixed in a patch. Last time i played as United Provinces, at least i think it was united provinces, i abandoned all use of any ship whatsoever except for Fluyts, which are simply amazing in battle, AND can dock at trading posts too!

Brigs and sloops get disbanded at the start of every campaign and i never recruit them afterward... what's the point?

In my first campaign as Britain i made several smaller fleets headed by a 4th rate admiral with brigs and sloops, these fleets were for pirate hunting duties. They were all destroyed.

Also, be careful when you're in the Atlantic close to the new world and all the little islands east of it that Spain/France/GB own, there's a mega pirate fleet that sails around there, a full stack of 20 ships, all of them 4th rates and galleons. They will destroy you, no matter what you bring to the battle.

Which is strange, considering that when you capture the pirate ports the only things you can built are brigs, sloops and indiamen... Makes me wonder where they acquired such a beautiful fleet of such quality ships!

[knoddy]

Also, be careful when you're in the Atlantic close to the new world and all the little islands east of it that Spain/France/GB own, there's a mega pirate fleet that sails around there, a full stack of 20 ships, all of them 4th rates and galleons. They will destroy you, no matter what you bring to the battle.

Which is strange, considering that when you capture the pirate ports the only things you can built are brigs, sloops and indiamen... Makes me wonder where they acquired such a beautiful fleet of such quality ships!

i know its a minor point but navies are restricted to 14 ships i believe at least in my camp i could never have more than 14 ships in a stack.

Cheers Knoddy

[Dogfish]

Brigs and sloops get disbanded at the start of every campaign and i never recruit them afterward... what's the point?

It's a damn shame that there is zero incentive to ever build a brig or sloop. They really are worthless until there's some changes to the naval combat.

I took 4 sloops up against a Fluyt and got dominated. I thought I was gonna win. I was raking all over the place, but the fluyt had full green bars on port and starboard at the end of the battle. A trade ship should not be able to take 4 military vessels.

[Miracle]

A trade ship should not be able to take 4 military vessels.

A light galley shouldn't be able to carry a full stack of troops either, but this is a game and not a historical simulation.

i know its a minor point but navies are restricted to 14 ships i believe at least in my camp i could never have more than 14 ships in a stack.

In the beginning you are restricted to 6 ships/stack. I believe the limit increases as naval infrastructure/technology increases, but it could be some other factor as well.

[Dayve]

I saw a pirate fleet with every slot filled up, i know i did.

[TB666]

It's a damn shame that there is zero incentive to ever build a brig or sloop. They really are worthless until there's some changes to the naval combat.

I wouldn't say that.
I found brigs to be very useful if you need a quick fleet.
They only take one turn to build and if you got multiple shipyards you can build a big fleet up in no time.
Sure it wouldn't be the world's most powerful fleet but enough to keep medium fleets at bay.

[MrWhipple]

I wouldn't say that.
I found brigs to be very useful if you need a quick fleet.
They only take one turn to build and if you got multiple shipyards you can build a big fleet up in no time.
Sure it wouldn't be the world's most powerful fleet but enough to keep medium fleets at bay.

I have also found sloops and brigs useful in the same way that they were used in period, as communication ships. I use them on the strategic board to ferry gentlemen, rakes, priests and troops around where there are no bad guys about.

[Murmandamus]

Which is strange, considering that when you capture the pirate ports the only things you can built are brigs, sloops and indiamen... Makes me wonder where they acquired such a beautiful fleet of such quality ships!

Did pirates ever build their ships, historically? I thought they were all pretty much captured ships

When you saw all slots full, was that on the bar next to the flag or on the unit panel? The bar next to the flag doesn't show all unit slots.

[Polemists]

Did pirates ever build their ships, historically? I thought they were all pretty much captured ships

I think that's the point, none of us have the technology at start of the game to build those level of ships so who did they capture them from?

[A Very Super Market]

True, a light galley can't carry that many, but you could say that it was the escort for a group of transport ships with incompetent captains, making sure that they didn't all crash into each other.

The fluyt vs. 4 sloops is actually a game-breaking thing that doesn't contribute to gameplay.

[Ordani]

I think they made Fluyts fairly strong because UP lacks shipyards in the beginning of the game. And given the importance of UP's overseas possessions, this is a big deal.

Bingo. Fluyts and Galleons are both behemoths of doom because otherwise they'd have to give Spain and UP 3rd rates or whatever in their starting lineup to allow them to realistically play a trade game. It's an understandable, if infuriating decision; although I think the better answer would have simply been giving them a bunch of special low-upkeep starting units they couldn't build again, named ships of the line from the period or whatever, to enable them to defend the trading fleets they are supposed to need to survive.

Seriously, compare the upkeep cost of a full fleets of fluyts versus their equivalent 3rd rates. Then keep in mind when your fluyts aren't annihilating squadrons of fast-attack sloops, they are making you thousands of doubloons in profit in the south pacific.