Fleet AI & Naval Combat Overhaul

This update focuses heavily on fleet behavior, formation logic, autonomous captains, and 3D battle presentation.

Enemy fleets are now far more capable of maintaining their own formations, reacting to losses, choosing targets, and breaking away from the line when close combat begins. Player-controlled fleets have also received major improvements to spacing, collision avoidance, autonomous combat behavior, and command handling.

Enemy Fleet AI

• When the lead ship is sunk, the next ship in line now automatically takes over as the formation leader. Previously, ships could continue following a vessel that had already been destroyed.

• When an enemy fleet splits into multiple groups, each group now follows its own formation leader instead of merging into another fleet's battle line.

• Once ships enter close combat, enemy formations can break apart and transition into individual combat behavior instead of remaining in line while taking fire.

• Aggressive captains may leave the battle line on their own initiative, including in historical scenarios.

• Ships no longer fire while continuously turning. They will briefly wait for the ship to settle before firing a broadside.

• Enemy ships can now select ammunition according to tactical intent:

  • Chain shot against fleeing targets.

  • Grapeshot against targets they intend to board.

• AI ships can independently attempt stern-crossing and raking maneuvers.

• Target selection has been improved so that multiple ships are less likely to concentrate unnecessarily on a single enemy vessel.

• Retreat detection has been corrected. Fleets charging downwind toward the enemy should no longer be incorrectly interpreted as retreating.

• Fixed an issue where formations could collapse into a dense cluster immediately after battle began.

Player Fleet

• Ships that leave the battle line can now fight autonomously under their captain.

  • Sail management.

  • Approach course.

  • Firing decisions.

• Ships in line now regulate their course and speed based on the vessel ahead, producing more consistent spacing throughout the formation.

• Collision avoidance has been improved. Ships are now better able to give way instead of blocking each other and forming large clusters.

• If ships in the middle or rear of the line move ahead of their intended position, they now reduce speed and wait instead of attempting to reverse back into formation.

• Ships that surrender or are captured are automatically removed from the battle line and withdraw from formation.

• The 1 key will now always select the flagship carrying the admiral.

3D Battle Presentation

• Masts can now physically break during combat.

  • The mast structure is severed and falls.

  • Associated sails, rigging, and ropes are removed with it.

  • Crew stationed aloft can fall together with the collapsing mast.

• Sails with damaged or severed running rigging now deform and flutter more naturally instead of folding into sharp, paper-like shapes.

• Fixed an issue where fragments from destroyed masts could appear unnaturally white.

• Cannonballs can now tear visible holes through sails.

• Remaining sail area is used to recalculate the ship's effective sailing performance.

• Sail settings now have three distinct levels:

  • Full Sail

  • Cruising Sail

  • Battle Sail

• Damage numbers have been rescaled so that they remain visually consistent with ship nameplates when zooming in.

UI & Controls

• The historical date of the battle is now displayed at the top center of the screen.

• A notification now appears when the admiral transfers ships or when fleet command becomes vacant.

• A new indicator shows when signal flags are in the process of being hoisted.

Fixes

• Fixed an issue where cannonballs passing completely through a hull could fail to register as a hit.

• Fixed formation spacing that could cause ships to push into one another.

• Fixed mast warning sounds being audible from excessive distances.

• Fixed an issue where cannons could fail to render on certain ships.

These changes are part of the continuing effort to make fleet combat behave less like a collection of individually scripted ships and more like a naval force commanded by captains with their own responsibilities, tactical judgment, and ability to react when the original battle plan begins to fall apart.

May fair winds be with you.

— The Developer of Ship of the Line