Captains We plan to deploy significant improvements to grapeshot damage this or next week.
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.