Captains

Grape shot has been buffed and improved to bring more variability to battles.

Previously
There was no reason to switch to grapeshot during battle unless you wanted to board. If you wanted to destroy the enemy combat power you had to shot cannon balls. Compared to 10-15 grapeshot broadsides to de-crew the enemy through side it took around 5-6 broadsides to destroy structure. As a result grapeshot was used during boarding or before boarding with only intent - to capture.

New grapeshot usage.

• Grapeshot damage now depends on cannon damage. Heavier calibers destroy more crew.
  
• Grapeshot works best if planking HP has been reduced to below 15-20% as before
  
• Grapeshot also work if you shoot into areas where crew is located on open decks or shoot through unprotected areas (windows or stern galleries)
  
• One proper broadside into locations of crew will send the enemy ship into crew shock
  
• Crew shock will stop ALL activities on the enemy vessel for 1 minute and lock the rudder due to inability of the crew to operate the ship
  
• This will allow you to remove the determined defender advantage and board the enemy if you shocked the enemy crew in the right moment
  
• Crew cannot be destroyed completely - you kill less and less people per broadside once you get below 40% crew, Thus unlike rigging shock - crew shock can only be applied ONCE until you repair.

Example of usage
If you see one of the enemies close to you with low planking HP but high structure it might be beneficial to switch to grape shot, send enemy to crew shock and board his ship. This will get you an intact ship if you win the boarding. if you have press gang and combat repairs it will also recover some of the crew and will reset your repairs. This could work particularly well if you enemies are not well organized and have weak focus fire.

Such high risk high reward play was not possible before at all. Grape shot was weak. Not anymore.

ps.
Don't forget that if you are already sinking but have boarded the enemy the game gives you the "last chance" which will automatically place you in command of enemy ship if you win the boarding.

We will actively monitor the changes to grape and your feedback and will tweak it further if needed.
Next week we will buff rewards for hunts and S&D missions for PVE and will roll some additional buffs to rare guns.

Captains,

Diana event will run from daily maintenance on November 25th until daily maintenance on November 28th.

Captains have to find rare ships like Diana, Santa Cecilia and Admiraal de Ruyter in the search areas provided below. These ships may carry a very rare ship notes and special loot coins, rare wood and rare guns:

• Gold Ducat
  
• Gold Rouble
  
• Gold Sultani
  
• Gold Thaler
  
• Strange Gold Bar
  
• Rare wood
  
• Rare guns

Coins might be exchanged in the Academy building to receive:

• Additional outpost permit
  
• Additional dock permit
  
• Diana permit
  
• Admiraal de Ruyter permit

If you already have the Navy Connection using the item will add even more outposts or docks (up to a total limit).

Search locations

• South Antilles
  
• East of Tumbado - area between Cuba and Tumbado
  
• South of Hispaniola

In case of capture of certain ports in the area, the nation of ships will change.

• Damage from grape shot and crew shock were tuned
  
• Crew shock duration was increased. In addition to current limitations (repairing and sail control) it is no longer possible to fire a broadside, change crew focus, extinguish a fire, control the helm and activate brace during crew shock
  
• Brace mechanics changed: players can no longer control sails, but helm control and pump work added instead.
  
• Splinter damage to crew from round shot was lowered
  
• Ship explosion now cause damage to nearby friendly ships too (exception: friendly NPC ships)
  
• Server name was added on the character selection and character deletion screens

*Spotlight image from Captain Junan from the January screenshot competition.

Captains,

Where is my shipment? Event will run from daily maintenance on November 18th until daily maintenance on November 21st:

• All traders carry increased numbers of crafting resources and rare woods.

Spotlight image from Captain Junan

Captains,

Diana event will run from daily maintenance on November 11th until daily maintenance on November 14th.

Captains have to find rare ships like Diana, Santa Cecilia and Admiraal de Ruyter in the search areas provided below. These ships may carry a very rare ship notes and special loot coins, rare wood and rare guns:

• Gold Ducat
  
• Gold Rouble
  
• Gold Sultani
  
• Gold Thaler
  
• Strange Gold Bar
  
• Rare wood
  
• Rare guns

Coins might be exchanged in the Academy building to receive:

• Additional outpost permit
  
• Additional dock permit
  
• Diana permit
  
• Admiraal de Ruyter permit

If you already have the Navy Connection using the item will add even more outposts or docks (up to a total limit).

Search locations

• South Antilles
  
• East of Tumbado - area between Cuba and Tumbado
  
• South of Hispaniola

In case of capture of certain ports in the area, the nation of ships will change.

*Spotlight image from Captain banymark from the December screenshot competition.

Captains, following changes were deployed today, November 10th:

• Fixed a bug that prevented NPC ships from properly using yards in close range engagement.
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented players from capturing certain ports on the Caribbean server.
  
• NPC Raiders now carry more doubloons on board.
  
• Craft experience on certain ships was adjusted.
  
• Improvements on localization (boarding).
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented diversity of nations of NPC ships in patrol zones on the Caribbean server.

P.S.: Grape shot damage tunes will be deployed within 3-4 working days

Captains,

• NPC raiders start to attack clan owned ports starting Monday November 14th
  
• NPC raiders will prefer attacking low tax income ports due to low money for defense
  
• NPC raiders will carry doubloons and some will carry supply of wood to rebuild the towns they capture

Captains,

St. Kitts loot event will run from daily maintenance on November 4th until daily maintenance on November 7th.

• St. Kitts 5 modules are available in the Admiralty, they can be exchanged for Broad Pennants that occasionally drop from 5th rates and higher
  
• Broad pennant will drop from military NPC ships

*Spotlight image from Captain Fezzola from the December screenshot competition.

Old design

• Previously grapeshot (a bag of metal balls ) anti personnel damage was based on flawed theory that caliber of the gun does not matter. We believed that if a small ball or a large ball hit a crew man the result would be the same: 1 casualty.
  
• Unfortunately this made all guns equal in terms of grapeshot damage and it did not take into account the initial velocity, stopping and penetrating power of larger metal ball compared to a small one.

In addition

• There was no reason to switch to grapeshot during battle unless you wanted to board. If you wanted to destroy the enemy combat power you had to shot cannon balls. Compared to 10-15 grapeshot broadsides to de-crew the enemy through side it took around 5-6 broadsides to destroy structure. As a result grapeshot was used during boarding or before boarding with only intent - to capture.

Adding more situational uses to Grapeshot.

• From the next patch - grapeshot damage will be based on basic gun damage, and will be increased to the level allowing de-crewing the enemy ship in 5-6 broadsides if the side planking or stern planking is destroyed to below 15%
  
• Artificial upper and lower limits on grape damage will be removed. Damage will depend on your skill of hitting right areas of the ship.
  
• With more damage to crew captains will receive another option to destroy enemy ship without relying solely on cannonballs.

Addendum.
Grapeshot damage systems

The grapeshot damage depends on multiple of parameters

• Casualty: Crew member unable to perform the duties due to injuries or death, or the need to help injured teammates. Not all casualties are deaths, some casualties can be recovered by use of Rum.
  
• Direct crew damage: Damage to crew located on open decks, or through the gun ports and windows.
  
• Through planking damage: If planking is destroyed below 15% grapeshot can hit crew directly through planking.
  
• Crew locations: Crew is located on deck and around guns. Hitting other areas will not result in crew damage.
  
• Crew density: Killing crew in certain location will result in less and less damage in the same area. Spread the damage around other crew locations.
  
• Length of grapeshot flythrough: The longer the grapeshot bullets fly through the crew - the more casualties you will inflict. That's why hitting the crew through stern and bow results in the longest length of grapeshot flythrough and thus more damage.
  
• Crew shock - destroying significant amount of crew in one shot can result in crew shock (morale shock) which will stop enemy ship from doing some basic functions.
  
• Brace command: Forces your crew to take cover and allows significant reduction to crew damage you receive.
  
• Upgrades to reduce damage: Some modules and wood types reduce damage to your crew, use them for your advantage.
  
• Boarding crew focus: If your crew is preparing for boarding - damage you receive from grapeshot is doubled. This parameter is under review now and might be decreased.

Captains,

Martinique loot event will run from daily maintenance on October 28th until daily maintenance on October 31st.

• Martinique 5 modules are available in the Admiralty, they can be exchanged for Broad Pennants that occasionally drop from 5th rates and higher
  
• Broad pennant will drop from military NPC ships

*Spotlight image from Captain BotaQ from the January screenshot competition.

Change List

Battle Experience

• Rank Experience levels have been lowered for faster progress due to short first season (ends end of the year). All levels will adjust retroactively, meaning all battle experience points you have earned - even if you played before this hotfix - will count towards progression levels.

Shipbuilding Level and experience

• Starting shipbuilding experience levels have been lowered for faster progress.

Battle Mission Availability

• 5th rate hunt and search and destroy missions are now available in county capitals and national capitals.

Good luck at Sea.