Naval Power-Useless?

[Spazza]

I had a quick look at the forums to see if a similar question had already been asked and couldn't find anything so if its been asked before I'm sorry.....Is Naval power used for anything other than blockades and moving armies and agents around?.Does having naval power in a region protect trade routes from pirates, rebel or other enemy fleets....Personally, I rarely build a large fleet because I see it as a waste of resources........Am I wrong and that there are hidden uses for having a healthy navy!:hmmm:

[Warwood11]

well, say your spain and you join a crusade to the holy land, you have a full stack with a few of your favorite generals, some priests ,and other agents but only a few ships. so you set out across the sea and 1 turn b4 you arrive an egyptian navy sinks your favorite generals and your armies and your agents.
Well now your in a pickel arent ye.

[Spazza]

well, say your spain and you join a crusade to the holy land, you have a full stack with a few of your favorite generals, some priests ,and other agents but only a few ships. so you set out across the sea and 1 turn b4 you arrive an egyptian navy sinks your favorite generals and your armies and your agents.
Well now your in a pickel arent ye.

Thats true Warwood and I must confess this has happened to me and I have also managed to sink the occasional invasion fleet, however this aside is the actual upkeep of a large navy worthwhile long term if is only function is transport and blockade.....Is there more too having a navy!:hmmm:

[ginger_hammer]

not really, if you're ports are not blocked then they just have a large upkeep. Wait till empire I reckon

[Marcus Fulvius]

Wait till empire I reckon

yep...

until empire comes out, navies just dont serve much of a purpose other than as transport.

i will be interested to see what impact navies have in empire though besides just transport.

it'd be interesting if having a strong navy will, in addition to the other benefits, will somehow also correspond to an increase in trade due to the seas being less infested with pirates and privateers.

[Yoda Twin]

I find having a navy very useful. Playing Aragon it is neccesary to close of the Gibraltar strait once the moors have been kicked off and having a navy to protect your shore. Also genoa and Sicily liked to try and take Palma.

[eskrogh]

I find having a navy very useful. Playing Aragon it is neccesary to close of the Gibraltar strait once the moors have been kicked off and having a navy to protect your shore. Also genoa and Sicily liked to try and take Palma.

in my campaign Moors, Aragon and geona, all try to take panama, so if you own that island fleet is a very good idea, so you can sink the enemy ships and trap the armies on the island

[AnthoniusII]

As byzantine player huge fleets kept away egyptians and templars from Cyprus and when i defeated most of the rebel fleets my income from ports increased!

[Sarpedon]

Actually, closing off a strait doesn't seem that cheap to me (at least nowhere near stakes at the castle door).
It makes sense that a reasonable naval force could close off a strait to ground troops and their barges in real life.
But generally I agree. The cost of maintaining a substantial fleet to blockade a port generally means you are paying more upkeep for the fleet per turn than that blocked city loses.
All the naval shortcomings really make me look forward to Empire, I agree with that comment.

[AnthoniusII]

Actually, closing off a strait doesn't seem that cheap to me (at least nowhere near stakes at the castle door).
It makes sense that a reasonable naval force could close off a strait to ground troops and their barges in real life.
But generally I agree. The cost of maintaining a substantial fleet to blockade a port generally means you are paying more upkeep for the fleet per turn than that blocked city loses.
All the naval shortcomings really make me look forward to Empire, I agree with that comment.

In the new "Basileia ton Romaion"submod fleets will be crusial for the byzantines to keep ennemies away from their capital!!!

[delra]

Closing Giblartar is a cheap trick close to cheating. Don't do that. It's evil. Generally closing a strait is a cheap trick (AI can't figure out to hire a boat and use it to land on the other side) and I wouldn't do it unless there's a Mongol jihad waiting on the other side of it (been there done that :-().

But back on topic, I don't use navy much. Usually I keep a ship in most strategic ports, I load cargo on them, make a drop and return to port on the same turn.

And when on crusade, I just stop by all those islands and unload units there at the end of the turn in case a naval battle occured. Worst case scenario, I lose a ship and have to hire another one. Best case scenario, I don't lose a ship and can hire an additional one. So I usually build up my fleet on my way to the Holy Land. And then get rid of it after my army is back home.

Oh, and one last thing, when you're Spain, you shouldn't be crusading to the Holy Land! You have your own infidels to deal with, crusade on the Moors.

[King Sama]

I actually find blockading quite useful, if you are invading. The enemy has to move troops by land slowly allowing you time to get 2 or 3 settlements before any really threatening force comes to stop you (if the invasion is well planned). plus, while your economy might suffer from upkeep, the enemies will be totally destroyed, with the loss of sea trade, settlements, and new upkeep costs. once you take care of their navy, its enough to just put single ships to blockade and have one or two larger fleets to take care of any new ships or pirates.

[crsutton]

Well, so far I have found that the naval game has gotten so boring. I am not seeing many ships at sea at all. And none of the AI powers are building large navies. No threat on the high seas at all. Kind of nerfed.

[Wolfgrin]

Well, so far I have found that the naval game has gotten so boring. I am not seeing many ships at sea at all. And none of the AI powers are building large navies. No threat on the high seas at all. Kind of nerfed.

Interesting. In most of my games I see some very large fleets, especially from the Moors, Byz, Genoese, Fatimids and Danes.

I like having one kick-a$$ navy and one or two single fleets for ferrying. My main navy I use for invasions and destroying the ships of invaders, either before they invade (best case) or after their army has retreated to the ships. After the Moors' fourth or fifth invasion of Palma (when I'm Genoa or Aragon) I find it perversely gratifying to destroy their army and then kill their fleet containing the survivors. TOTAL WAR.

[Tetsu]

I have fleets where needed, but usally only half stack and made of holks (as England). They suffice for transport and defence needs.

[BLASPHEMER]

I didn't think blockading had any effect on the AI economy? Due to wealth scripts and so on.

[Skooma Addict]

I didn't think blockading had any effect on the AI economy? Due to wealth scripts and so on.

I haven't noticed any changes in AI behavior from blockading either. Honestly I use ships as little as possible in all Total War games. Mainly because of random pirates attacking me five times a turn. I could have a fleet next to France and when I end my turn it'll end up next to the holy lands somewhere. Cursed pirates. It doesn't bother me that a inept fleet of like two ships gets attacked and sunk, what bothers me is the 3 minute wait while rebels repeatedly attack a useless fleet.

[King Sama]

I didn't think blockading had any effect on the AI economy? Due to wealth scripts and so on.

oh really, maybe i got mixed up with rome total war. It made a big difference there...

[Oddball_E8]

i usually only get gangraped by pirate fleets if i go by sea...
even if i do win the first few battles, they just keep coming and wearing me down... and i mean in the same turn... not over a couple of turns, but its like they all know exactly where i am (well they do as soon as one of them see me i guess, but still)

[Furor_Mancunia]

i use fleets loads when ive got the dosh. e.g as byzantium, the fatimids declare war on me. first thing i send my fleets to blockade all their ports/destroy fleets. now i can land my force unapposed at their weakest spot.

edit: cant wait for that baseilia ton romaion mod btw