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[laiocfar]

Cat, bad start? you got a 180 crew galleon with suplies and 10.000 gc.
You should make piracy over europe and by the way, you should get more navigators(the most you got, the most ship that you can capture to sell later, try of getting capable sailors for capture ships and some expirates for when you build more ships), an armor (Cat is good in swordplay, with passable weapons can win all duels but for be sure for 300.000 you can got Errol´s armor at Copenhagen), a sword(same as armor), invest in Bristol for good ships (A good idea can be to exchange your early galleons, that arent easy to manouver for Xebec). When you complete that make a new fleet of frigates and enjoy the power.
But you say that problems are at start, allocate more of the crew to war (with 35 sailors at nav Cat can move the ship at 15Knt). And when come into battle attack the flagship of merchant fleet without delay, rushing it is the best way. Duel, only when their cap sucks at swordplay and only if you got some decent weapons.

[Macha]

Usually there was a wall of ships between mine and the flagship or that flagship would charge in and duel me. I didn't think you could force a duel if you had less crew but I guess the CPU can?

I finally did manage to catch a merchant fleet and immediately went to buy cannons which has helped.

What percentage of crew do you actually need on lookout?

Playing UW before playing UW:NH give you a better appreciation for the game too I just finished UW...it's kind of fun once you get the heavy galleons with a hundred cannon.

[another_guest]

No, you can't force a duel when you've got less crew.
And yes, it's terribly annoying when you can't reach the enemy flagship...

In the very beginning, flee from pirates but attack merchants from preferably 1 country. And I still think the easiest way to make money is to trade, even if you want to be a pirate.
*spoiler* There's better armour somewhere in or nearby Italy. And in South America you can find the very best sword in the entire game. Get both (costs you about 600000 each) and you'll never lose a duel anymore. Max out the crew on your flagship and rush into duels...

10-15% on the lookout should be enough, unless you're going for an adventurer's career.
Then increase the % of crew on navigation until your ship's speed reaches its maximum (and take into account that the slowest ship determines the speed of your entire fleet), then assign the rest to combat.
50% on combat should be possible if you don't have a small crew.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Macha @ Jun 15 2006, 12:39 AM) [snapback]236903[/snapback]</div>

Usually there was a wall of ships between mine and the flagship or that flagship would charge in and duel me. I didn't think you could force a duel if you had less crew but I guess the CPU can?

I finally did manage to catch a merchant fleet and immediately went to buy cannons which has helped.

What percentage of crew do you actually need on lookout?

Playing UW before playing UW:NH give you a better appreciation for the game too I just finished UW...it's kind of fun once you get the heavy galleons with a hundred cannon.
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[Ahnassi]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(another_guest @ Jun 16 2006, 01:12 AM) [snapback]236965[/snapback]</div>

..........
10-15% on the lookout should be enough, unless you're going for an adventurer's career.
[/b]

What did they looking out?
I have 30% for lookout but only on 1 ship. Other ships have 0% on lookout.

From my experience I learnt that:
lookout is important in locating villages and new ports.
if you trading on known route then you don't need a lookout.

[another_guest]

That's something I didn't check yet, if it's enough to have lookouts on 1 ship rather than on every ship.

I do keep some lookouts even when trading, so I can spot pirate fleets in time. Early in the game that's necessary to avoid them, later in the game it's useful to seek and destroy them

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ahnassi @ Jun 16 2006, 12:32 AM) [snapback]237059[/snapback]</div>

What did they looking out?
I have 30% for lookout but only on 1 ship. Other ships have 0% on lookout.

From my experience I learnt that:
lookout is important in locating villages and new ports.
if you trading on known route then you don't need a lookout.
[/b]

[laiocfar]

lookouts are only for explorers, you can live with 0 explorers in pirate or merchant campaing. Is the same to got 1 lookouts per ship iwith 10 ships or 10 lookouts in only one ship.
Playing Cat or Otto that start with a galleon, you remodel the ship to 200 crew, i set 18% to nav and rest to war, i dont uses cannons they are too expensive to build and mantain and is easier to rush them. To buy best equipment Copenhagen and Naples got 300.000 and 600.000 for on of the superarmors. For the superblades, 300.000 in timbuktu, 240.000 in some chiness port, there are also superblades in Margarita(SouthAmerica) and somewhere in India. Merchants fleets of six ships as naos with 80 crew and carracks of 100 crew, there are a piece of cake even for one galleon with 200 people. At begining of game, the merchant fleets are poor and the rich cargoes are always rare, the only money comes from captured ships so better to rush enemies flagships when the fleet is toughrder than when most of them have runned away. Only attack flagships and should do it in 3 hand to hand attacks as max.

[Macha]

I just stripped Cat's ship and started with trading...once i've gotten enough gold i'll convert back to being a pirate. I need 1,200,000 to get the best weapon and armor for dueling(shop at 2AM) and then the cost of building better ships.

[laiocfar]

Bad done, anyway there is another super armor inCopenhagen at 2 am and only cost 300.000 gc + the most espensive sword is in Timbuktu for 340.000, gc never 1.200.000. Anyway if you will make some trade before start as pirate, not use old Cat´s galleion. It got only 72 durability(life), captured galleons will come with 80 and investing in Bristol to got Frigates (my favorite ship)

[another_guest]

Well, if you want the best armor it's the one costing 600.000 + at least 300.000 for one of the best swords
--> totals close to a million

I think there's a more expensive blade than the one in Timbuktu, seem to remember I once paid 360.000

Anyway, the cost for a really good fleet (think full rigged or those japanese ships) is much higher than that 900.000, especially if you want good figureheads and cannons.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(laiocfar @ Jun 20 2006, 08:56 PM) [snapback]238273[/snapback]</div>

Bad done, anyway there is another super armor inCopenhagen at 2 am and only cost 300.000 gc + the most espensive sword is in Timbuktu for 340.000, gc never 1.200.000. Anyway if you will make some trade before start as pirate, not use old Cat´s galleion. It got only 72 durability(life), captured galleons will come with 80 and investing in Bristol to got Frigates (my favorite ship)
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[laiocfar]

Well, if you want the best armor it's the one costing 600.000 [/b]

Why you ignore Herrol´s plate with (*) rate, it cost 300.000 at 2AM in Copenhagen and it is as good as crusader armor.
You can build passable war fleets of xebecs, galleons or La Reales. Without good figureheads and with normal cannons. Or better capture them.