The Power of Fluyts (against SOLs)...

[headrock]

has been braught very recently into debate (by me, heh heh). I've just uploaded a Scenario into the mods section of a savegame where your fluyt is sailing ENE perpendicular to a French SOL that just happened to be sailing out in the middle of the ocean.

This is an engineered scenario! I do _NOT_ recommend to ANYONE to sail around in a cargo fluyt looking to pick fights with anything! The scenario was made using Chronowerx' excellent Pirates! Trainer (Go CyberOps!), I simply switched my flagship to a fluyt before the battle. This was in fact an encounter between said SOL and my War Canoe in one of those quirky "War Canoe Fastest Career to 126" games. The funniest part, of course, is that I wasn't even looking for SOLs in that game, and one just happened to come by, even though I hadn't messed with the French at all (*Sigh*, yes yes, I spectacular have luck with spotting SOLs, I know).

AAAAAAaaaanyhow. The Cargo Fluyt is fitted with maximum upgrades, and carries 75 men aboard as well as 8 cannon. Incidentally, this is exactly what I had on my War Canoe - yup, the two ships have exactly the same crew and cannon specs, except the war canoe is actually USEFUL. However, even with the OUTRAGEOUS amount of 8 cannon on board, I specifically implore you NOT to engage in cannonplay with the hulk, unless of course you owe Davy Jones a visit.

If you want a hint, the tactics are very simple - sail right into it and board the bugger as fast (heh) as you can. doing ANYTHING else, like trying to avoid cannonfire, trying to fire back, or anything, will probably get you destroyed. Obviously, you've got to be a really good swordfighter to survive a 300-to-40 swordfight (Which is an optimistic estimate of the number of men you'll have left after being pounded by 48 cannons at least twice).

The MOD will be up on the site very soon, I hope, otherwise all this is just bullshit.

If you don't know how to install mods, go into your "Saves" directory (it's linked to from the main Pirates directory) and rename the save to slotX.pirates_savegame, where X is an available slot from 1-15. If you've got no available slot, consider renaming one of your savegames to a different name temporarily.

Peace.
_________________
Blondebeard: "Madre de Dios! Es el Pollo Diablo!!"
<Spanish Guitar Riff>
Guybrush: "Si! He dejado en libertad los prisioneros, y ahora vengo por TE!"

[headrock]

The battle started with me southeast of the enemy. Unfortunately i failed to notice that the win was blowing almost directly south. Made a turn southwest, partially hit by two salvos (And actually avoided another one, and returned one! Whee!) when the hulk suddenly turned to pursue! Hah hah, a grave mistake on their part! The wind changed direction, and so did I. The swordfight was bloody, I won with 6 men.
_________________
Blondebeard: "Madre de Dios! Es el Pollo Diablo!!"
<Spanish Guitar Riff>
Guybrush: "Si! He dejado en libertad los prisioneros, y ahora vengo por TE!"

[headrock]

OH CRAP does anyone have any idea why the SOL would have 80 cannons?!

(I WISH I had 80 cannon on my SOL!!!)

So that's why his salvos seemed so bloody frightening.
_________________
Blondebeard: "Madre de Dios! Es el Pollo Diablo!!"
<Spanish Guitar Riff>
Guybrush: "Si! He dejado en libertad los prisioneros, y ahora vengo por TE!"

[headrock]

Ok this is seriously strange.

I reloaded the original War Canoe scenario and attacked - 48 guns, 150 men. Changed the ship to Fluyt and attacked - 48 guns, 150 men.

Reloaded my posted scenario - 80 guns, 300 men.

I dunno, I guess this is just a WORST CASE SCENARIO



It's still possible to win, though, proving my original point.
_________________
Blondebeard: "Madre de Dios! Es el Pollo Diablo!!"
<Spanish Guitar Riff>
Guybrush: "Si! He dejado en libertad los prisioneros, y ahora vengo por TE!"

[Captain Squid]

Ah, the horrors - I mean, the fond memories - this brings back. While you were wandering around China I accidentally started a contest to score 126 points using nothing but a fluyt. The thread is here:

http://www.hookedonpirates.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2687&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

You will find out more about fluyt tactics here than you ever wanted to know, but you have already stated the main lesson those who tried it learned: never try and maneouver, just ram and board as fast as possible and hope your ship holds together long enough.
_________________
"Have you struck? Do you ask for quarter?"
"I have not yet begun to fight!"

[headrock]

Whoa squiddy! That's quite a topic you started there, too!

I was completely oblivious

I don't have the energy to read the whole thing, but I understand the jest of it. I'm quite glad I didn't try it, though. I was thinking of starting a Merchant career, but as of now I'm only formulating the rules to myself.
_________________
Blondebeard: "Madre de Dios! Es el Pollo Diablo!!"
<Spanish Guitar Riff>
Guybrush: "Si! He dejado en libertad los prisioneros, y ahora vengo por TE!"

[rupertlittlebear]

Sounds like you got a faulty trainer.
But it is so funny to have an 80 gun sotl in the game.

Maybe you should leave it.

[headrock]

[TheDon]

You should post a warning with this scenario:

NOT FOR THE SANE OF MIND OR FRAIL OF HEART.
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TheDon
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. - Napoleon Bonaparte

[headrock]

[rupertlittlebear]

[QBRADQ]

A fight against an 80-gun SOL? Heh, I gots to get this one

QBRADQ
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Tell him about the Twinky.
What about the Twinky?

[fossaman]

Perhaps I could attempt this lunacy...

Crazy? I was crazy once. They put me in a round room and told me to stand in the corner...
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Like my fossa? He's a pirate!