St Johns

[Rose Temple]

I want to thank all the British Captains who accepted invites to the St Johns battle and decided not to fight, but grief, taking away my chances of enjoying the game and getting experience in Port Battles.

I understand you don't want to loose ships, I accept that, I don't agree with that but I accept it. But if you don't want to risk loosing ships, then please don't accept a position just to run, taking away a chance for those of us who want to actually learn how to run a real PB.

At the very least we can be using this as a training excersise for future PBs, and we won't be able to win a PB by constantly going on the defensive. That aside, I could have learned something, but people decided to take my positions up in order to not loose a ship.

[Eggi]

So to clarify, Members of the British Nation are now bringing their griefing tactics to PB's?

Nice........

[Kal Shakai]

People need to work out their issues before coming to the PB vent. I had to leave the ready room because it was so bad. I wish you had gotten my spot Rose. Apparently, it went to someone else.

[Phaze]

When deciding what nation to play, most of the people that are poor PvP players obviously would not choose Pirates. They are left with 3 choices.... Spanish are clearly low population on every server.... French are in a similar boat and are also generally disliked and an unpopular nation... that leaves the high population British.

The thinking is that choosing British will give them protection in a herd allowing them to mostly or possibly completely avoid PvP, while gaining the benefits you would think would come to the most populated nation. All of this is a fairly typical thought process for carebears in an MMO with PvP. However, in the unique PvP world of PoTBS.... many young cats do not equal a few strong pvp'rs.

To make things worse, a decent amount of the British on Antigua are refugees from Blackbeard; young cats that fled from the Pirates. Consequently, the young cat percentage of British on Antigua is even higher than one would normally expect.

Is there a solution? Probably not. We must all just accept that the Brits are (largely) a useless and pathetic trash nation. The few exceptions should probably xfer to one of the 3 legit competitors for a better gaming experience.

[Kal Shakai]

Never mind..............................

[Zapor]

Originally Posted by Kal Shakai Never mind..............................

He's just playing with ya Kal.

[jdf]

We talking about the St. John port battle?

24 Brits in real ships fighting...and losing...details to follow

[Strato68]

Originally Posted by Phaze Is there a solution? Probably not. We must all just accept that the Brits are (largely) a useless and pathetic trash nation. The few exceptions should probably xfer to one of the 3 legit competitors for a better gaming experience.

All that typing just to insult the Brits for the hundredth time. Yea yea, we know you hate the Brits. "Blah blah blah...look at me, I hate the Brits...."

We get it. We got it 2 months ago when you said the same thing. We got it 6 months ago when you made it absolutely clear where you stood.

Redundant Redundant Redundant Redundant

Try helping instead of insulting players "for a better gaming expereince."

[Carty2]

Seems I've become something of a lightening rod since my past post, so I'll try again since you couldn't get a rational word in in nations vent post battle.

There are three basic strategies in PB's. Might be more, but there are at least 3.

1) Don't Play. This includes totally shunning the fight, showing up in griefboats for some kicks, running to the fort in the hopes of a miracle transfer to the town and avcom somehow, etc. It is designed to frustrate the opponent. Maybe they will go away and find something more fun, maybe they will roll the map, but its a mind game strategy.

2) Traditional Battle Line: 3 heavy groups of SOL equivelents and 1 of privateer bundle boats to protect the ends. Tactics incude static battle lines, the "wagon wheel", 2 line maneuvers, etc. Its about putting shot into their sides faster and harder than they can and force preservation (giving folks time and protection to heal, etc).

3) Battle of Maneuver: This is a frigate fight based entirely on speed (the old rule of thumb was nothing under 20.5 knots raw but with all the greens that may need to climb a little). You move to create separations in the enemy and using your superior speed, you take on their light group away from the main battle line, you engage the ends of the line and withdraw and repeat, you board targets of opportunity (the difference between a Herc/Capri/Conq and a HH/PH in boarding is only a single wave), etc. The goal is to lose non-bundle boats while taking down some of theirs. It is highly unlikley you outright win the map, but it is possible. We've seen the rats pull off the surprise win in the past when they were outgunned using this approach.

SJ was NOT PROOF that the advocates of denial were right. SJ wasn't a true battle of Maneuver. First, and this is not a criticism of the individual captians, Alex's came. Balcom started with a Maneuver strategy, zip up the outside of the island and engage the northern end of their line. Only there was no zip. Not wanting to leave the Alex's to certain death, the group moved at battle sails and was taken from behind. Fast boats then died to save the Alex's by breaking formation/shrouds/blocking and the original strategy was out the window. The one critisicm I will voice and I've already shared it with Balcom was that once we committed to fighting the southern group, we needed to really commit. Bal did all the right moves for a line fight -- keeping us together, creating spaces for damaged boats to heal, etc. -- but we weren't in a line fight. To the good, a couple of captians were on a great line to take the southern Frenchies in a charge that would have avoided their broadsides (wind set up for us to take their rear), he ordered us to stay, and guys followed orders. I wish he had ordered otherwise, but I was damned surprsied and glad folks listened.

NoMad's post-fight in-vent rant that we broke with the "national strategy" and to no end, was wrong in principle, but sadly right in part. The loss of 24 non-bundle boats is economically trivial and his going on about feeding MOV/T's is silly (a fifth of a bundle and writs for 2 Mercy's doesn't mean a hill of beans compared to daily production in this game). Unfortunately, it turned out that some folks did bring their bundle hercs, and their loss is to be mourned and regretted.

If we are doing a line fight, we need to roll heavy and adopt appropriate strategies. If we are doing a denial, we need to roll tiny and again match tactics to boats to mission. If we are doing a Maneuver fight we need to roll fast and most critically adopt OS PvP tactics appropriate to the ships and mission. Fighting about what we're doing even after the invites are out and showing up as a mixed bag of stuff won't work. SJ surely proved that.

[Balcom]

Excellent post Carty - well said.