Just keep thrusting!

jack sparrow842 · Powder Monkey Posts: 9 **86 Gold** -

most agreed, at the higher levels of difficulty your strategy can mean the difference between a sack of swag and a month or two in the local prison.
just like in most close quarters combat games at the novise levels you can get away with being a cheep shot but once you reach the higher levels you need to step it up. in s.m.p. i sugest that you wait untill your enemy atacks then block and counter.

ps: its allways fun to get a low slash to the gut in on the enemy capt. after a sussfully ducked high chop Smile

oldman · Rigger Posts: 1152 **483 Gold** -

Anton · Powder Monkey Posts: 41 **735 Gold** -

Fencing is fun, but it's costly...for me anyway.

When my current character was younger, I used the cutlass and never got hit.

As I got older, I was too slow to counter efficiently with the cutlass. Battles were taking a long time, which was fine in a one on one.

BUT.
It's no goodie goodie when your crew keeps on dying.

I had to switch ot the long sword in battles where numbers were close to even or I was outnumbered and I use the Rapier when I have the obvious advantage in numbers.

That way I can end the battle quicker, and save lives. Because after a while, stocking up your fleet 8 men at a time at every tavern you go to gets a little old. When yer young and dividing the plunder...you can recruit 40+ at a time, but that's not always the case when yer old.

oldman · Rigger Posts: 1152 **483 Gold** -

I rarely fight with cutlass at the swashbukler mode when I am old... Unless, I am very inclined to see cutlass when doing the fancy movment.

For the most part, I use rapier... it is lighter and faster... with my character getting older later in the round... that becomes very crucial. I find myself having to block and attack... rather than trying to out slash my opponent.

I can't really tell the difference between long sword vs. rapier... since, once you get old... you become slow... the real difference still lies with cutlass vs long sword... or cutlass vs rapier.

Cp. Kain · Gunner Posts: 535 **4815 Gold** -

- Being a swashbuckler you'd have problems with using thrust all the time. The enemy would get the bar red and slash faster than you thrust!
- That's why me be lovin' low-slashin'...
_________________

Perhaps on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands an act of Rock'n'Roll, Rock'n'Roll itself can be the right course?

SlipperyJim · Cutthroat Posts: 427 **2045 Gold** -

FWIW, I tried using the Rapier and the "Just Keep Thrusting" tactic against Monty, and he handed me a humiliating defeat. So I grabbed my trusty cutlass, tried again, and managed to win.

(That was on Adventurer level, at failing health, without any Fencing skill. Oh, I had all of the fencing gear, of course.)

I really think that defense is the key to the tougher fights. Yeah, using a rapier and pounding on the 4 key will get you a quick win over a Spanish merchant captain, but those guys are too lame for words. With an fast opponent, especially if he's using a Rapier himself (as Monty does), you really need a solid defense.
_________________
Steal the crew, set fire to the gold, and make the ships walk the plank!

What? Oh, NOW I get it....

Karnik · Swabbie Posts: 109 **3329 Gold** -

Cp. Kain · Gunner Posts: 535 **4815 Gold** -

- When you you successfully avoid the attack, you get that bar in your favour, right?
- Now be gettin' the secrets of the cutlass...Arrrr!
- You may not even taunt. Marvellous! Winnin' those swordfights became easier on high levels...But still, attacks ARE slow.
_________________

Perhaps on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands an act of Rock'n'Roll, Rock'n'Roll itself can be the right course?

kvollmer · Cutthroat Posts: 310 **6103 Gold** -

Ok your constant attack idea only works on stupid merchant captains. I could defend and counter attack with ANY one in the game on Rogue. I did ok on swashbuckler doing this too the only problem was my men kept dying. With the fakes you need to time it just right. Perhaps I have a great sense of timing but I can do this. You have to wait for him to begin his forward swing. If you duck before then he could fake and get you.

Basic fundamentials

Don't defend until the attack starts comming in.

Don't counter attack until you know you've blocked the incomming attack. (It can be easy to jump the gun and attack before especially if your opponent is fast.)

If your opponent is really fast block one and taunt til he's a little easier to manage.

I just don't get the advantage to the constant attack when all you can take on is Merchant captains without having tons of gear to help you out. I don't even have the stupid fencing skill and I kick the crap out of them. I'll take navigation thank you very much

Plus when you dodge or block an attack it swings the advantage bar toward you. If you keep attacking and he dodges a few that advantage bar is going to go toward your opponent too much and even if you do beat him it will hurt your men quite a bit.

If they swing high, duck and then swing low. If they thrust parry then thrust. If they swing low jump and then swing high. On the swings I always go opposite of what they just did cause it seems to make it just a tiny tiny bit faster of an attack.

If anyone who can take on a military crew while at a signifcant disadvatage in numbers by constantly attacking without any of the items or the fencing skill. If you can't do that then its not nearly as effective as defending and countering because I've taken down fully loaded flag galleons with about 80 men on my royal sloop without firing a shot (from the cannons) on Rogue level.
_________________
Sincerly,

Kirk Vollmer
Don't ever call me Captain Kirk.
Valparaiso University Alumni; Class of 2004

Cp. Kain · Gunner Posts: 535 **4815 Gold** -

- Ha! You can always change a jump into a duck...This means "don't start defending" is for newbies. You defend from high slash, wait for the enemy to start attacking...
- If it be a high slash, counter. If not - change block and taunt. Be workin' excellent on me cutlass. Twisted Evil

_________________

Perhaps on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands an act of Rock'n'Roll, Rock'n'Roll itself can be the right course?

DJ1 · Cutthroat Posts: 257 **11541 Gold** -

kvollmer · Cutthroat Posts: 310 **6103 Gold** -

Its possible but it takes a major major blunder like not reading the instructions thouroughly.

Ok the first time I loaded it up I hadn't read through the manual throughly (I had just browsed through it.) I figured out how to steer the ship but when I started a sword fight I couldn't figure out the controls and was just so freaked out that I didn't even bother to check the lower left hand corner of the screen and instead choose to start pressing random buttons. Of course I did get a few thrusts in but I couldn't figure out which of the 10 buttons I was pressing at 1 time did that.

Just before he poked me the final time I realised how it all worked by looking at the lower left hand corner. (As well as comming to the relisation that the num pad controls everyting). Didn't lose after that of course.

I now play on Rogue and beat a military crew with 140 men with 36 men of my own with no fencing skill or upgrades. (I'll take the upgrades but I don't need a stinking pantsy fencing skill)

Ok you can all laugh at my beginning stupidity if you can say you've never tried a game without reading through the entire manual (cover to cover)
_________________
Sincerly,

Kirk Vollmer
Don't ever call me Captain Kirk.
Valparaiso University Alumni; Class of 2004

DJ1 · Cutthroat Posts: 257 **11541 Gold** -

kvollmer · Cutthroat Posts: 310 **6103 Gold** -

I typically browse through the manual while I'm installing a game. The thing is, no matter how well you read the manual your eventually going to have to learn a lot just by doing it. More often then not after I've played the game a bit I will look stuff up in the manual or go and just read the manual for the sake of it.

Its useful if a game has a good tutorial. (Medieval Total War and Rome Total War come to mind). Apprentice is sort of a tutorial but lacks any clear direction.

The only thing I don't like is when a game (Like Pirates) forces you to play on the easiest level or do the tutorial when you install it. I had to reinstall Pirates and Rome total war when I got my new computer. On pirates I had to start and apprentice game and immediatly quit it. (Before I had my first mate's touge removed for constantly asking me about where we were going.) On Rome it was worse cause I had to go through a 40 minute tutorial when I already knew how to play. Its kind of like sitting in a Finance class when a senior business student asks what the dividend tax is. Oh wait I've already done that!
_________________
Sincerly,

Kirk Vollmer
Don't ever call me Captain Kirk.
Valparaiso University Alumni; Class of 2004

rupertlittlebear · Helmsman Posts: 4545 **10381 Gold** -

waves hands enthusicatically

"Read Me"
"Read Me"
"Read Me"