Enemy Navy just sits there?

**MaskedWaltz** · April 18, 2012, 09:20 AM

Is it just me? Because the few times I did decide to actually play a naval battle ( I would play them more but I suck at navy battles ) the enemy navy just sits there with their broadsides facing toward me and just turns around whenever I attack them from their flanks.

Can't get close to them at all without being hit by a volley from their cannons

**Greek Firethrower** · April 18, 2012, 09:26 AM

It happens only when you attack their fllet, isn't it?

**A Barbarian** · April 18, 2012, 09:26 AM

Yes, they just sit there. You have to maneuver your ships in a wide angle to the left of their position so that you get your broadside to fire at their left side. Which is quite annoying since it takes a while even with highest game speed.

**eXistenZ** · April 18, 2012, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by A Barbarian

Yes, they just sit there. You have to maneuver your ships in a wide angle to the left of their position so that you get your broadside to fire at their left side. Which is quite annoying since it takes a while even with highest game speed.

yep.

also annoying (this is q abit unrelated but i just had to share it) is how fast copper ships catch fire

**Hellhound1** · April 18, 2012, 09:27 AM

Yeah it usually happens to me when i outnumber them. Makes tactical sense though.

**Cathal** · April 18, 2012, 10:03 AM

It makes sense that they do it. I do that when I am attacked. There's no reason for them to attack you, so you have to sail your ships pretty much right at them and then have them turn to their sides. There isn't too much you have to do in a naval battle.

**Slaists** · April 18, 2012, 10:23 AM

Just sail to their flank (while staying out of AI's range). Arrange your fleet so that it faces the AI with broadsides and anchor it. Then, with one gunboat advance towards the AI until you are able to hit any of the AI's ships with the boat's front gun. Once you able to shoot at the AI, hit "astern" button on the boat. The gun-boat will slowly retreat towards your main fleet while shooting at the AI. AI's fleet fill duly follow right into your awaiting broadsides... Later, when you get ironclads, can use them instead of the gunboat. Ironclads have longer range (and a more powerful frontal gun).

**Agostinos** · April 18, 2012, 10:28 AM

Tbh its retarded BS...
Did the ships have bow thruster or whats their secret for their turning speed whilst not moving? Makes naval battles a bad joke of what they could have been in Fots. I'll have to mod this or I'll never enjoy naval battles.

**Slaists** · April 18, 2012, 10:35 AM

To be fair, the ships in FOTS seem to be propelled by the wheels mounted on their sides. With such, it would be possible to turn while staying in one place.

**Agostinos** · April 18, 2012, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Slaists

To be fair, the ships in FOTS seem to be propelled by the wheels mounted on their sides. With such, it would be possible to turn while staying in one place.

You mean by turning one wheel in another direction than the other one? Dont believe this would have been possible back then, maybe I'm wrong. Nevertheless the propelled ships must have been using some kind of ancient bow thrusters in this arcadish game that we call TW

**visser300** · April 18, 2012, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by Agostinos

You mean by turning one wheel in another direction than the other one? Dont believe this would have been possible back then, maybe I'm wrong. Nevertheless the propelled ships must have been using some kind of ancient bow thrusters in this arcadish game that we call TW

Yes, the warships of 19th century can do that.

**Humble Warrior** · April 18, 2012, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by MaskedWaltz

Can't get close to them at all without being hit by a volley from their cannons

That`s because you`re just sauntering up to them in a straight line. Just use a bit of brains- Go wide then come in at the end of their line and pop them off one by one. It`s easy. The ship AI barely reacts until you start shooting and by then they have to come to you while you hit them with volley after volley.

In fact, it`s too easy now. I`ve defeated whole lines of ships by doing this again and again. In fact, I now think the ship BAI needs to circle, especially when it has 4 or more ships as soon as you get half way near them. This way it wouldn`t be so easy to flank them and destroy them.

The ship tactical AI needs updating.

**flonky** · April 19, 2012, 05:49 AM

I much preferred it in ETW/NTW when the navy at least actively moved forward to engage whether they were attacking or defending. Having navies just sitting there, in the open water, just makes no sense anyway; completely unrealistic. Naval battles in open water (ie not ports) would involve navies pretty much sailing into eachother, not one sitting completely and utterly still saying "come at me, bro".