Line Formation

[Baracus]

Is line formation in ship battles just broken or is it me?!

When are you supposed to switch it on? Whenever I try my fleet just goes into a mad mess crashing into each other and sinking each other without the enemies help!

What am I doing wrong?

Also, I really wish they would make the Surrender button have a confirmation coz I've accidentally surrendered 2 fleets tonight when I wanted them to flee!

I know it needs to be a quick action for the desparate times you may need it, so maybe the button would be better at top left of screen?

 

[delra]

To form a successful line you need ships with similar speeds. It's good to have your formation leader a bit faster than other ships, but not too much. I like to use Brigs or Frigates as formation leaders.

You should form the line right away when battle starts, then switch to your flagship/formation leader and tell it to sail to some distant point far away from your fleet, keep your line moving at all time. Your ships have fire at will turned on by default and they will fire at enemy as you sail past him. Don't tell your formation leader to attack enemy! Use move command to sail your line by enemy in a serpentine pattern nd fire from multiple ships.

There's a whole thread on this forum called "Battle tactics". Check it out for more details.

And about confirmation for surrender, I completely disagree. Sometimes you need to surrender very fast (10 hull and enemy firing at your ship) and confirmation button in such situation would get your ship sunk!

 

[Baracus]

To form a successful line you need ships with similar speeds. It's good to have your formation leader a bit faster than other ships, but not too much. I like to use Brigs or Frigates as formation leaders.

Aha! I assumed they would match speed to the slowest of the fleet like in the map view! Will try that again

And about confirmation for surrender, I completely disagree. Sometimes you need to surrender very fast (10 hull and enemy firing at your ship) and confirmation button in such situation would get your ship sunk!

Yes I realised that, absolutely. That's why I also said maybe better to have the button up to the top of the screen (actually top right would be better as there is a gap there) but I meant WITHOUT the confirmation if it's moved away from the row of other actions... just to stop accidental trigger of it (very annoying hehe!).

Thanks for the tips again m8

 

[Weresmilodon]

And about confirmation for surrender, I completely disagree. Sometimes you need to surrender very fast (10 hull and enemy firing at your ship) and confirmation button in such situation would get your ship sunk!

Only if there isn't a auto-pause on it. That would be logical on any confirmation boxes in time-sensitive situations.

 

[unmerged(137907)]

That's why I also said maybe better to have the button up to the top of the screen (actually top right would be better as there is a gap there) but I meant WITHOUT the confirmation if it's moved away from the row of other actions...

We just yesterday talked about adding "general surrender" button to the upper right corner. After confirmation, it would make all your ships surrender at once, if things are going straight to hell and you just want to end it all.

 

[unmerged(149566)]

I'm wondering why all of a sudden my line leader is starting at the back of a line of ships. Hmm maybe it is a galleon hiding behind some frigates? but why would a tiny ship like a xebec be line leader in a mixed group of brigs? one would think the brig would be more powerful.

I'm a little confused because the flag ship is supposed to be the most powerful ship and at the front of the line at the start of battle, isn't it? Shouldn't the line leader always be the flag ship if the entire fleet is in the line?

Then again the ships didn't always start together, is that still possible in 1.06?

 

[delra]

In one formation you start with your flagship in the middle of your fleet with other ships on his left or right. It's the one that's hardest to switch to line from. When I get this formation I form a line with my flagship and ships on his left or right depending on the wind and other ships I just order to attack.

 

[iblanco]

Problem with line formation is that you can only make one formation. I mean, sometimes your ships are in two groups, three on the left and two on the right, with your flagship on the right. If you try to make two groups to form two lines, one of them will be broken. This doesn't happen if you just make one, I usually take the one on the left. But I don't understand why it isn't possible to make two lines, mainly when it's not me who choose to put ships far from each other. Although, to start with, I don't understand why sometimes ships are in two groups, others with your flaship in the middle and so on.

 

[delra]

I like this 3+2 starting position a lot actually. It's kind of an assassination formation in which if you do it right you quickly can outgun enemy flagship, send it to the bottom of the sea and make other ships surrender.

Just form three faraway ships into a line and tell them to get close shooting chainshots and buckshots at enemy rear while you jump into your flagship and with the help of the other ship you have with him sink enemy flagship right away.

When I see my ships started 3+2 I know it will be a fast victory. I very often have four enemy surrenders in such battles.