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Broadside combat WAY too difficult

AuthorMessage
Lieutenant
Sep 29, 2010
122
KI I really do love the broadside combat, but you're giving us a little raft and asking us to do quests that pit us against rank 5 ships. Maybe lower their ranks a little bit, maybe down to rank 3 or something. I just have a very hard time winning broadside battles. Love the game, its just a little too hard.

Dread Pirate
May 27, 2009
2131
You've got to be sneaky with that leaky little raft. Take a little time to scope out the enemy and choose the ship you attack wisely. They are usually grouped in a ragged circle, and one is able to be picked off without the others joining in. Don't fly straight into the bunch, and keep your targeting circle orange. Use the down arrow and space bar to move back and stop. Ship equipment upgrades are available in both Skull Island and Blood Shoals. Get some gold and buy a rudder and cannons, etc. -- that will help a lot.

Good Luck!

Ensign
May 09, 2009
2
There are Level 3-5 Ships generally.
You just got to search around.

Also, if it helps, I suggest to not Board the enemy's ship.
You can get Nautical Experience this way, and it seems a bit
easier than Boarding and defeating each and every enemy on the Ship.

Petty Officer
Mar 18, 2009
81
CaptainAureus on Oct 9, 2012 wrote:
KI I really do love the broadside combat, but you're giving us a little raft and asking us to do quests that pit us against rank 5 ships. Maybe lower their ranks a little bit, maybe down to rank 3 or something. I just have a very hard time winning broadside battles. Love the game, its just a little too hard.
Have you upgraded your ship equipment? The equipment from the ship vendor in Blood Shoales were adaquate for me to defeat numerous level 4 and 5 Cutthroat ships.

Community Leader
CaptainAureus on Oct 9, 2012 wrote:
KI I really do love the broadside combat, but you're giving us a little raft and asking us to do quests that pit us against rank 5 ships. Maybe lower their ranks a little bit, maybe down to rank 3 or something. I just have a very hard time winning broadside battles. Love the game, its just a little too hard.
I would recommend going to the ship part vendors and buying upgraded equipment, and giving yourself equipment where it was missing (your raft does NOT come fully equipped).
Stay back, keep your distance, and if you get "yellow" try backing up to avoid being boarded before you can sink the ship. It takes a little practice, but actually I have had no problem with the stock raft. I do have a few months experience though from beta...
Keep at it matey, you can do it!

Dr Zeppers (aka Silent Sam Stern)
Piratey parodies I like to make.
I be a crazy pirate for goodness sake!
Artist & Admin of Skull Island TV
Ensign
Jul 04, 2009
3
There are rank 3 and rank 4 ships out there, just go look for them.

Commodore
Apr 28, 2012
962
CaptainAureus on Oct 9, 2012 wrote:
KI I really do love the broadside combat, but you're giving us a little raft and asking us to do quests that pit us against rank 5 ships. Maybe lower their ranks a little bit, maybe down to rank 3 or something. I just have a very hard time winning broadside battles. Love the game, its just a little too hard.
I had trouble until I replayed the introduction which teaches how to use your ships weaponry. When in combat, the 1 key fires the cannon (if you have one equipped - recommended), the 2 key uses the Ships Figurehead's power (if you have it equipped - also recommended), the 3 key heals based on what wheel and equipment is equipped, and the number 4 Key uses the Mainsail's power. If you click on the ship while it is distant, you can see what type of ship it is, who it belongs to, and if you want to attack it. At a far distance, the cross hairs are grey. When you are close enough to another ship to fire at it, the crosshairs turn red. That's when you start your attack. That's it in a nutshell.

You can fight other ships with your Raft and win. I know, I've done it.

Ensign
Feb 11, 2011
3
i love the broadside combat it's the easiest way of fighting ever sure the ship they give you in beginning isn't too pretty but i can defeat a galleon with a raft i mean isn't that just funny if you know how to circle the enemy with your ship at perfect length then you can be an expert but leter on they give you a great ship and if you give your ship great equipment and stuff it can be the terror of the skyways

Ensign
Dec 11, 2008
5
The issues have have faced are when you get in combat with Multiple ships. I have spent several minutes trying to take a ship down to only get attacked by another ship passing by. Once you board you fight one ship so why to I get hit by cannons from multiple ships?

Ensign
Dec 13, 2009
44
1) DO NOT run around in circles. This is just begging for another enemy to get aggro'd. Rather, pick a spot that is away from other enemies, get within range of your target, and stop.

2) The target circles has 2 colours. Orange is "Long Range", red is "Close Range". Check out your figurehead "card". It will have 4 numbers on it. Top left and top right is "Long Range" accuracy and damage modifier. Lower left and right is "Short Range" accuracy and damage modifier. Some figureheads do much more damage at long or short, so fight where you get the biggest bang for your buck.

3) DO have a figurehead and horn equipped. I recommend you purchase the horn called "Iceshot" (or Icebolt? I forget) from the ship parts vendor on blood shoals (that little island you get sent to right after you get your ship). Iceshot does double the damage of the horn the raft comes with.

4) When your health goes in the yellow, back up slowly. There is no need to run. Just keep a little distance from the ship you are shooting and keep shooting. It'll probably die before you unless it is WAY overpowered for you.

5) Get the better ship wheel asap. Reinforced Wheel. It will heal you for 20% of your max ships health. Much better than the 10% of the default "Broken Wheel" your raft comes with, though it has a longer recharge time. Also, time your heals. Don't use it the first time you get hit. Watch your health, and make sure you are going to get the most from each heal. The recharge time is kinda long after all.

6) Join in with other ships you see fighting. There is no kill stealing, and no loot stealing. Anyone who gets even one hit against a ship will get xp and rewards when it dies, as long as you are within visual range when it dies. And *everyone* gets the same reward - it doesn't get split up or anything. Win-win situation!

Gunner's Mate
Oct 22, 2011
210
It does take practice to figure out how to win broadside ship combat. Sometimes you have to be sneaky when you're trying to find a ship that's a little away from the others (so you don't get hit from two ships). Be sure to upgrade your ship equipment as soon as you can .... either through ship equipment vendors, or through drops you get from picking up the enemy ship debris after you win.

Practice, practice, practice.

If you have people that can help you with ship battles, that's great! If not, I know it takes time and a bit of strategy to figure out how to win more often than you lose.

Remember, if your ship health goes yellow, the enemy ship will come towards you to board you. Use the down arrow on your keyboard to s-l-o-w-l-y back away, but still be within firing range. If you have to flee to the travel lane to regain health, then feel free to do so. You can always try again.

Petty Officer
Mar 18, 2009
81
BrynnerOfReign on Oct 12, 2012 wrote:
It does take practice to figure out how to win broadside ship combat. Sometimes you have to be sneaky when you're trying to find a ship that's a little away from the others (so you don't get hit from two ships). Be sure to upgrade your ship equipment as soon as you can .... either through ship equipment vendors, or through drops you get from picking up the enemy ship debris after you win.

Practice, practice, practice.

If you have people that can help you with ship battles, that's great! If not, I know it takes time and a bit of strategy to figure out how to win more often than you lose.

Remember, if your ship health goes yellow, the enemy ship will come towards you to board you. Use the down arrow on your keyboard to s-l-o-w-l-y back away, but still be within firing range. If you have to flee to the travel lane to regain health, then feel free to do so. You can always try again.
QueQueg has a great point about knowing when to flee. If you are outnumbered and your ship equipment cannot withstand a two ship assault.....it is usually better to boost/flee to the windlane. Recovering ship health is just a few seconds and you get to try again. A ship defeat (or boarding) is a significantly more time consuming option. But if your characters are better equipped for hand to hand combat, you might find the more time consuming option a better alternative.

Ensign
Jul 26, 2012
1
One way to win is look for a fire near one of the bridges between the ships, if it on the enemy's side its even better. get you crew on or near that bridge so th enemy will have to be adjacent to the fire to attack you, this way they will take a little extra damage every turn. At lower levels this will help greatly.