Naval Action coming to Steam EA on the 21st......

[MengJiao]

It's faster than historical rates of fire, but it feels right and it does simulate naval combat a lot more realistically than anything I've ever played.

This is my feeling as well.  The tempo of these battles does seem to have a much closer relation to what the real sea-fights might have been like.
There are long periods, even with 3-4 ships on each side when no one is firing and you usually have time to watch most of the cannon fire even when there are a lot of ships around.  On the Brig with 8 guns and a full crew and powder monkeys, even when shooting individual shots, there are long pauses while the guns reload and yells of joy when a series of shots blows chunks off the enemy ship.  It's pretty convincing as an experience if nothing else.

[RedArgo]

Had a new one tonight, in my Niagara fighting an AI pirate Snow.  Had him on the ropes and I was moderately damaged.  We passed close by each other, each firing broadsides.  He caught fire, then a few seconds later, exploded, killing us both.  I lost the mission and a durability on my Niagara.  Wish I could have gotten a screen shot though.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I've yet to see an explosion.  I've started 4-5 fires on ships but their crews always manage to put them out.

[SirAndrewD]

The Snow apparently has an exposed powder magazine.  I've read a thread or two on the GL forums that have mentioned this particular ship has a slightly higher tendency to blow up, though I have also not witnessed this.

I guess best policy is that when a fire is set, get some distance just in case.   

[RedArgo]

I didn't know that.  I was probably a ships length or a little more away when it blew up, moving away to practice some long range gunnery.  Too slow I guess.

[AchillesLastStand]

The Snow apparently has an exposed powder magazine.  I've read a thread or two on the GL forums that have mentioned this particular ship has a slightly higher tendency to blow up, though I have also not witnessed this.

I guess best policy is that when a fire is set, get some distance just in case.

Yep it does, a friend and I were in battle and his snow just exploded to bits after taking a volley. It was actually pretty glorious to watch.

[SirAndrewD]

Did anyone here put their Exceptional Niagara on the open market?  If so, how much were you able to get for it?

I've finally upgraded to an Exceptional Cerberus and I have no intention of ever going back to that wobbly little lake ship, but I never see one on the ships market.  I'm not sure how much of a demand there'd be for a redeemable that most people should have already.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I never see them up for sale.  I think most people just break them up for parts.  I'm still using mine most of the time.  I like it better than my Mercury.

[SirAndrewD]

I never see them up for sale.  I think most people just break them up for parts.  I'm still using mine most of the time.  I like it better than my Mercury.

The cost of putting something up for sale is pretty prohibitory, can't really afford to have it end up not selling, so I can see how that might be the case. 

The Niagara is actually not bad at all, and I agree it's stronger than the Snow/Mercury/Navy Brig.  It's just seriously outclassed by the frames you can get access to at Lt. Commander and above, and it should be, that's where you're moving from brigs to frigates.   I was lucky to keep mine at full durability, just can't see any use for her going forward.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I went with a Cerberus once I made it to Lt. Cmdr but I went back to my Niagara fairly quickly.  I found I could do better using cannonades on the Niagara than I could using long cannons on the Cerberus.  I don't remember what the max weight was for the Cerberus but I think it was like 6 or 9 lbers on the sides and piddly little 4-lbers as stern chasers.  I just didn't think it could dish out enough damage and was kind of ungainly.  I'm still a hell of a long way away from my next rank but once I finally do hit it, I think I'll go with the Renommee.

[JasonPratt]

You are all making me want to buy this game. sigh.

O0

[RedArgo]

Yuck, the Cerberus does not look like much of an improvement, if any, over the Niagara.  I've still got 2000xp to get to Lt Cmdr, then another 10k for the next rank to get into the frigates.  Kind a takes the excitement away of advancing.  At the rate I go of about 150 xp per battle against the AI, that's about 80 battles, so a minimum of 40 hours.

I guess PVP would go faster, but I don't really see a lot of those at the time I play.  I got over 300 xp for participating, not doing much, in a battle of 6 US frigates and 2 smaller ships against one British 3rd rate.

I went with a Cerberus once I made it to Lt. Cmdr but I went back to my Niagara fairly quickly.  I found I could do better using cannonades on the Niagara than I could using long cannons on the Cerberus.  I don't remember what the max weight was for the Cerberus but I think it was like 6 or 9 lbers on the sides and piddly little 4-lbers as stern chasers.  I just didn't think it could dish out enough damage and was kind of ungainly.  I'm still a hell of a long way away from my next rank but once I finally do hit it, I think I'll go with the Renommee.

[SirAndrewD]

Yuck, the Cerberus does not look like much of an improvement, if any, over the Niagara.  I've still got 2000xp to get to Lt Cmdr, then another 10k for the next rank to get into the frigates.  Kind a takes the excitement away of advancing.  At the rate I go of about 150 xp per battle against the AI, that's about 80 battles, so a minimum of 40 hours.

I guess PVP would go faster, but I don't really see a lot of those at the time I play.  I got over 300 xp for participating, not doing much, in a battle of 6 US frigates and 2 smaller ships against one British 3rd rate.

I went with a Cerberus once I made it to Lt. Cmdr but I went back to my Niagara fairly quickly.  I found I could do better using cannonades on the Niagara than I could using long cannons on the Cerberus.  I don't remember what the max weight was for the Cerberus but I think it was like 6 or 9 lbers on the sides and piddly little 4-lbers as stern chasers.  I just didn't think it could dish out enough damage and was kind of ungainly.  I'm still a hell of a long way away from my next rank but once I finally do hit it, I think I'll go with the Renommee.

At least in my opinion so far, the Cerberus is a big improvement over the Niagara. 

It's a much more stable gun platform, has better firepower and it has significantly more armor and hitpoints while only being slightly slower and less maneuverable. 

Both the Cerberus and Niagara can mount either Long 9's or 32lb carronades, but the Cerberus can mount more of them, and because it doesn't roll as badly in rough seas, it can hit more accurately.  With an optimized ballast it's even better.

The Niagara is a good ship at its level and the ability to mount 32lb Cannonades is nice at 1st Lt.  but it can't take a pounding.   The Niagara actually has less hitpoints than a Mercury.  This was giving me big problems when I was trying to take the Niagara up against heavier ships.  The carronades, while they absolutely wrecked brig class vessels, were sometimes bouncing off the hulls of Renomee's and Cerberus' with their thicker armor.   So while I was dishing some damage, it ended up not being enough compared to what I was taking and I had to run away.

All of that said, it's a matter of preference of course.  I just wouldn't write the Cerberus off, or long 9's for that matter. 

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I agree it's a matter of personal preference. The Cerberus is by no means a bad ship.  I just found it to be a disappointment after the long bring to reach Lt. Cmdr. rank.  I was really hoping for a step up to 12 lbers.  I find that the Niagara is a much more nimble ship when I use manual sails so I'm better able to get on a big ship's stern and pound away while minimizing return fire.  With the Cerberus it's much more of a slug fest.  I kept running into Renommees and it would take me an hour or more to sink one and my ship would little more than splinters by the end of the engagement.

[SirAndrewD]

I completely agree, the Niagara is much better for staying on the stern of a larger ship.

My style is more to force running battles and get into a slugfest, so the Cerberus seems to be more my style.

Both the Cerberus and Niagara have the ability to mount the same kind of weapons though.   I've run the Cerberus with 32lb carronades and it performs better, firepower wise than the Niagara, which uses the equivalent weaponry.

I've gone away from carronades with the Cerberus though, because the ship is not as good closing to point blank range with smaller ships the way the Niagara could.  Also, other players are really good at keeping out of carronade range, so the long guns keep me in the fight with them.

I will say, one thing that is vital to make the Cerberus properly effective is to use manual sails.   With the auto-skipper on, she turns like a freight train.  With sails set to manual I've had her pulling almost as tight as the Niagara, enough that I've kept pace and on target with more nimble prey like Snows and Pickles. 

I'm absolutely looking forward to getting to Master and Commander though.  From what I've seen the Frigate and Surprise are much more suited to how I like to sail.