Inaccuracies in naval gameplay

[jjja494]

I'm new to the forums at this moment, so I don't know if this has been posted, if it has, please direct me there. But I wanted to make a short and annoying problem I find with Naval combat. The inaccuracies in the gameplay. I understand that ETW is the first TW game to use naval warfare in game, but I don't understand that every single navy has the same stats. Some things are historically noted, such as in campaign, the Spanish will load up on galleons, but thats all I can see. The fact that when I bought this game, I was exited: NAVAL GAMEPLAY!!!! OH MY GOD!!!! I CAN'T WAIT TO KICK the Spanish at Gibralter with a smaller but more experienced and smarter British navy. BUT NO!!!! It seems that British dicipline is worthless... That a Spanish 36 gun frigate could even get close to matching a British frigate of this time is disgraceful. But thats not all. And it would be hard to show the stupidity that is reflected in the game dynamics. I really can't seem to find a way to win naval battles unless I have the ships able to match the ships in size. And I haven't been able to find ANYONE who can beat a Spanish 3rd rate on Hard with a British 36 or 38 gun frigate. I know it shouldn't be unfair so that Britain, and the Dutch, and such will win every naval battle, but in campaign, I don't want the naval nations to just spam 6th rates, or Galleons, or such, instead of having better navies by standard. Not a proposal, perhaps it could be, but CA should have given special tech. to perhaps increase the dicipline of sailors, and to give technologies that would improve the entire aspect of recruited ships, instead of just having canister shot and such in the campaign. I feel that CA had a great idea, but an undeveloped result. I've looked for naval mods, but the closest thing to having true diversity is imperial splendour. And I don't even think that covers naval aspects. I know also that the idea of 2 turns per year is fine. BUT HELL, look at the tiny distance carried in 6 months, about the bay of biscay, for a large fleet. In the movie, "Master and Commander" (I'm not saying this is accurate completely but...) the privateer can sail 280 miles a day. thats almost the length of what a TW ship can carry in 6 months. I know that Master and Commander is in the Napoleonic era, but I don't think a century would make that big of a difference. If they were to carry that far in 6 months, they would have to row! Or worse, paddle with their hands. I'm just saying this to bring this note up. Pardon me for my spelling issues, I'm ranting.

[Maturin y Domanova]

The campaign movement and building speeds are never designed to represent reality. 280 miles in a day is absolutely phenomenal, and only a fast ship in top shape with perfect conditions could achieve that during the era. It's probably something like a constant 12 knots. If you want inaccuracy, look at the vanilla ships in the battles that are probably making 25.

[jjja494]

Thats true, but they are trying to advertise Naval action, and didn't want it to be boring, as many naval conflicts lasted hours, and that would discourage anyone playing them.

[Maturin y Domanova]

Slowing down the ships wouldn't make the battles noticeably longer.

[♠ Thomas Cochrane ♠]

You have to take into consideration the comparative size of the map, and especially the size of the control zones for ships. if you increased the movement to make the 6months 'realistic' then most ships could sail from St Petersburg to Jerusalem, and half way back, in one turn. think about it. Note that ships were never really loaded with stores to supply a cruise of more than 6 months, so if that were the case in-game then you have to finish every turn in a port, or your entire fleet would starve and die . on a separate note, you'd also see armies marching on Moscow from Paris. It's just stupid. In a naval mod i'm working on atm for NapoleonTW i'm actually REDUCING the campaign movement of line of battle ships (4th rates and up) so as to increase frigate actions and individual ship abilities.
My point is, you can't play these games on a perfect timescale. the 6 month turns are purely torepresent national developments and extend gameplay.
SPQR