Cannons Don't Work

[darkstarmike85]

After several attempts in a naturally occurring fight, I'm pretty sure not a single one of my cannon shots has hit. It's early in the game and I have no officers yet, but I can't actually fight other ships at all. I'm not sure if that's by design (if so that's AWFUL design) or if I'm not doing something right. Either way, it's bad. Do I have to randomly find a gunnery officer in order to actually be able to fight at all, or are the cannon mechanics just needlessly obtuse?

[GqM]

Lower your sails, it'll help by a lot. Of course go and hire a cannoneer to make your life easier.

[StormRangerX]

Your character has no idea how to aim so obviously you're going to struggle with the cannons at first.

[Dixi]

Early Game, you need a gunner. Any hit you land would be pure luck.

Save before entering a tavern, go in, check if there is any officer, that has some skill in cannons and accuracy. If yes, hire him. If not, reload.

You can savescam for good officers like this, if you want to spend the time.

[original shyster]

Is there a breakout point in stats where they start becoming useful? I'm using the dude you free from prison in the beginning for both navigating and cannons and....jesus, he can barely hit the broad side of a ship pointblank. And for aiming the cannons, do I want to aim at the ship or above it to compensate for distance, if that's a thing.

[StormRangerX]

Oh if you're manually aiming then you absolutely need to be accounting for speed and drop.

[original shyster]

Originally posted by StormRangerX:

Oh if you're manually aiming then you absolutely need to be accounting for speed and drop.

Okay but the cannons seem to be....shooting in random directions than where I'm aiming. Is the cannon skill like the % of where the cannons will shoot where you want? So at 25 skill it's 25% of the time it will go where you want?

Also, thank you for writing the guide, It has been a god send because this game isn't intuitive at all xD

[StormRangerX]

Yes the accuracy skill and the defense skill of your opponent impacts how accurate your cannons are. If you're also aiming manually then you need to account for how fast the ships are moving and how far away it is. Generally at low levels you kinda just want to get in close enough to not miss and then just board after a volley or two.

[original shyster]

Originally posted by StormRangerX:

Yes the accuracy skill and the defense skill of your opponent impacts how accurate your cannons are. If you're also aiming manually then you need to account for how fast the ships are moving and how far away it is. Generally at low levels you kinda just want to get in close enough to not miss and then just board after a volley or two.

Is there a point where having more skill is noticeable? Is 30 different from 25? 40? 50? I'm still more or less in the beginning of the game, doing the carribean in a nutshell quest right now.

[StormRangerX]

I would say by around 40 you shouldn't be a bad shot anymore. Finding a proper cannoneer is critical.

[original shyster]

Originally posted by StormRangerX:

I would say by around 40 you shouldn't be a bad shot anymore. Finding a proper cannoneer is critical.

Well ♥♥♥♥, I shoulda done that then xD Uh, if you don't mind me asking more questions....
In taverns, I'll randomly see some dude who says he's a specialist of some sort or will train and offers to come on for 1000 coins. When I give him the money, I say I'll see him when I come on board but uh...Nothing seems to happen when I go back to my ship. What is his function?

Wait, am I paying 1000 coins for single sailor?

[StormRangerX]

As far as I've seen with that, it gives some experience to your crew. So if he says he's good with cannons, it increases the cannons skill of your crew.

[darkstarmike85]

I've seen some people mention manual aiming. Are you supposed to place your player character behind a singe cannon, and aim and shoot it? Also, is it actually supposed to be this complicated just to use your cannons? I feel like the developers are telling me that this game is really about saying no to violence and crime, and living an honest life as a mail/passenger carrier.

[GqM]

Originally posted by darkstarmike85:

I've seen some people mention manual aiming. Are you supposed to place your player character behind a singe cannon, and aim and shoot it? Also, is it actually supposed to be this complicated just to use your cannons? I feel like the developers are telling me that this game is really about saying no to violence and crime, and living an honest life as a mail/passenger carrier.

No. Just look around while you're on deck. Whenever there's a reticle, it means your cannons can be aimed at the direction you're facing. When it turns red, it means that you're aiming at the enemy. Once you left-click, it fires all the cannons that can reach the direction you're aiming at.

Usually you wouldn't have to aim manually unless it's to trigger an event.

[Elenoe]

Originally posted by darkstarmike85:

I've seen some people mention manual aiming. Are you supposed to place your player character behind a singe cannon, and aim and shoot it? Also, is it actually supposed to be this complicated just to use your cannons?

new here, it just looks like "old school" mechanic. Manual firing you go walking around the ship (camera switch + right click to walk) and just left click to fire. You can still steer the ship, you see the gun arcs, you fire when the reticle is red (meaning you need to aim way above the target, not at it), and while it's supposed to be more precise it's still crap but crap >0% I guess. Normal balls are most useless. Sails and crew balls may hit something but it's still meh.

Getting officier to get higher stats. And rather board ships then sink them seems much easier. Guide suggested using mines (consume 200 gunpowder) to do significant damage early.

[darkstarmike85]

Originally posted by StormRangerX:

I would say by around 40 you shouldn't be a bad shot anymore. Finding a proper cannoneer is critical.

My run is like 5-6 hours old an I'm still level 1. All I can do is carry mail and passengers.