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Monday evening's sailing lessons went pretty well. Here is the results of what we did.
Sailing Solo
When sailing a frigate solo, you have a nice advantage. If you want to park and use the cannon, there is one on either side of you, and you don't have to run 'around' the staircase in order to use it.
Most enemy ships are better at turning clockwise than they are at turning CCW. Use your PORT (left) side cannons, and circle CCW around them in order to minimze them shooting back at you.
Also, use your sails to help you. Once in awhile, raise your sails and stop, pause for a few seconds, then drop the sails. The enemy will shoot behind you.
Remember, your broadsides can't shoot near as far as your manned cannons. Ideal range is about 3/4 the compass distance, when the compass has been zoomed in. That is close enough to do good damage, but far enough that the enemy has trouble finding you.
Try to stay in FRONT of the enemy ship. Don't circle so far around it that you are facing their broadsides. Again, use your sails to help you.
BROADSIDES
Broadsides (Bs) can only hit a certain angle. About 30 degrees in front of you, to about 60 degrees behind you. The most effective Bs is when the enemy is slightly behind you. About 15 degrees. Use your compass to guide you.
Sailing in small crew
Have your gunners use the front cannons. The Capt aims directly at the target enemy. Your gunners should tell you when they "Tag" the enemy.
As soon as you see the enemy health display, STOP. let the enemy ship come to you. Watch your compass, and when it is about 3 ship lengths in front of you (Compass distance) use the Down arrow key to start backing up. Keep backing up until either all the sails are removed, or until the enemy is sunk.
The Capt is responsible to watch for other enemy ships approaching from the sides, or behind. If something big starts hitting you, run forward, toward the original enemy. Use broadsides, or run right past him, if you have to. Don't risk losing what plunder you already have, just to get one more.
Sail for rep for the gunners. The person at the wheel will setup the gunners for the best shooting. (Even if the capt doesn't shoot, he will still earn rep.)
Next, we will sail for Gold. Let the gunners shoot the enemy, but just before the enemy sinks, the gunners stop shooting, and the Capt finishes the ship by broadsides. If the Capt has treasure sense, it provides extra royals if he does the final shot.
Sailing with a large crew
If you have up to 7 gunners, you can have everyone on one side of the ship. I use Starboard. Front right upper and lower, 3 on main deck, one on mid deck, and one on Capt's gun. The trick here is to place your ship at the right angle that everyone can hit the target. Knowing your guns and their range of motion is important.
Stop the ship. It is much easier for your gunners to hit a target coming right at them, than it is if you are circling. Keep your distance. Don't drive right up against the enemy ship.
If you have 6 or more Gunners, you can split them in half, and attack enemies on both sides. For 6 , 7, or 8 gunners, I prefer the Galleon, but the frigate can be pretty effective, too.
Once the crew goes above that limit, they are too big for the Gall, so then I come back to the frigate.
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