What's the deal with the indestructable pirates?

**Willowmound** · March 06, 2009, 01:11 PM

Are these guys sailing tanks disguised as ships? Take the Barbary States. I was attacked by a small fleet of light galleys. Now, I've had a look at these things. They are tiny oar powered relics from a different age. They carry four cannon. Yet, for some reason, they have a firepower rating of 256! Compare that with a sloop with 18 cannon and a firepower rating of 76.

Or take the unsinkable pirate fluyts. I engaged one -- yes, one -- with one sixth rate, one fifth rate, two brigs and a sloop. The fluyt sunk all of them, not because I'm that rubbish a sailor, but because the bastard simply would not sink.

What is the deal here? Why do the pirates have the best navy in the game? If this was done to add spice in the form of, I don't know, some sort of floating boss battle, I'm sorry but I'm not enjoying it.

Not one little bit.

**Gigahertz** · March 06, 2009, 01:14 PM

You should try the pirates in the caribean i decided to attack their port and up came about 6 or 7 Galleys and a load of other stuff completly wiped out my fleet when i had 2 fourth rates 3 5th rates and about 6 sloops

**Xugaa** · March 06, 2009, 01:14 PM

I agree, unless I really was doing something wrong - a single pirate galleon destroyed my HMS Victory alone with ease, oh noes!

**Abel12512** · March 06, 2009, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by Willowmound

Yet, for some reason, they have a firepower rating of 256!

Isn't that a known/unofficial reported bug?

**Willowmound** · March 06, 2009, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Abel12512

Isn't that a known/unofficial reported bug?

That would explain a few things. Or one thing, at least.

**Ishoss** · March 06, 2009, 01:21 PM

I have only lost one battle against pirates, and that was with 1 Brig and 1 Sloop versus a flutye and a 5th rate.

Since that fight I have butchered them.

**~~Magic Man~~** · March 06, 2009, 01:23 PM

I figured firepower meant marines too, hence Galleys having a lotta firepower since they're good at boarding.

**shoop** · March 06, 2009, 01:24 PM

I fought 1 flutye pirate ship with 6-7 brigs and i lost, I was gutted.

**Abel12512** · March 06, 2009, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by Willowmound

That would explain a few things. Or one thing, at least.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=232895

Under naval battles. It's the unofficial community list, haven't checked the official though.

**Willowmound** · March 06, 2009, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by Magic Man

I figured firepower meant marines too, hence Galleys having a lotta firepower since they're good at boarding.

Well, the light galleys are tiny and wouldn't be very good at boarding at all.

**Foeke1** · August 26, 2012, 05:06 PM

Yes, I'm replying to this after all those years...
But what I wanted to say is: Everyone knows trade is Holy in this game, so to secure your trade from the Pirates, destroy their bases at Leeward and Windward Islands as soon as possible, and then take Trinidad and Tobago.
The Pirates are destroyed, and you have a vital strongboard to take the Gulf of Mexico, Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, and The Bahamas, so all of the Carribean...

**terrapod** · August 26, 2012, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by Willowmound

Well, the light galleys are tiny and wouldn't be very good at boarding at all.

If I Remeber correctly in history the galleys of the Barbary states were very good at boarding and captured many Christian ships

**Wesleyan** · September 14, 2012, 09:46 AM

Don't waste time fighting time fighting naval battles against the pirates. Just take their islands with land armies.

**Vighardur** · September 19, 2012, 02:56 AM

since others have already raised the dead, I'll join the crowd. lol...

The ship thing may be a bug, but when you look at the stats of Dutch Fluyts and Spanish Galleons (the ships the pirates like the most), you'll see they're equal to something between 4th and 3rd Rate ships of the line. Yeah, they're pretty bad. Of course, if you're the Dutch or Spanish, it is easy to counter this early, but for others it takes time to build naval tech up that much.

I don't know about the Barbary ships being so over-powered. That might be an issue in auto-resolve, but I've faced a whole stack w/ a half-stack or less and the only losses I suffered were from their matchstick boats exploding right next to mine...should have used Grape Shot instead of regular cannon.