Naval Dominance Paradox
Has anyone else experienced the "naval dominance paradox" wherein the player's faction is so strong by the time First, Second, and Third Rates become available that it's seemingly futile to produce them.
This certainly has been my experience in my current campaign as GB, as well as my previous campaign (until it was killed by CTD bugs in 1756). In the summer of 1741, my first four First Rates launched from my shipyards: two regular Firsts, an Admiral's First, and a Heavy First. I declared war against the Spain the same turn, and the next turn I used my "First Rate Fleet" to blockade Spain's mainland ports.
Unfortunately, the Spanish "home fleets" refused to fight my vastly superior navy, and they remained holed up in their harbours for several turns while I conquered Spain's colonies and provinces in Italy, and sank most of their trade fleets. Finally I figured out a trick to lure out the Spanish fleet by sending a lone ship into their interception zone, and then relying on nearby reinforcements to win the battle. This trick succeeded -- although I made the mistake of using my Heavy First as bait and it was severely damaged -- and I captured a Spanish Second and Third Rate in one battle, and two Fourths in another battle.
Now the only two Spanish fleets remain, which are mostly comprised of Fluyts and Galleons, as well as a few Fourths, Fifths, and several smaller ships.
My point is that if the player is successful in his/her campaign, it's far too easy to outclass and overwhelm enemy factions' fleets.
After I destroy the Spanish, the only naval power that remains is the Ottomans, and from what I've seen, their fleets are mostly comprised of countless light ships, as opposed to "Rated" warships like the Western European factions' navies. Likewise for the Indian factions, whom I haven't declared war on yet.
So now that I have the most powerful navy in the world, I have no worthy enemies to fight.
This is why I wish the AI was much, much smarter than it is, so that another faction could be a worthy rival. Or, better yet, that CA patched in multiplayer campaigns -- as they claimed they would. At least competing against another human player would be a challenge, and ideally both players would establish mighty, global empires before they inevitably fought each other for world domination. I'd love to compete in epic naval battles in a campaign game -- instead of just lame multiplayer battles.
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Originally Posted by Preussen Gloria
