Bring WINDCATCHER back please!

[Edward Edgemenace]

On thing I do notice on pirates that have windcatcher, is that NPC ships shoot behind my ship, instead of at me. That does not mean (nor even imply) that my ship is traveling any faster. Many tests now, repeated by other people, confirm that this is the case: windcatcher is broken. But you personally, I am not asking to believe, anything.

[MacIronhawk]

Originally Posted by Edward Edgemenace

On thing I do notice on pirates that have windcatcher, is that NPC ships shoot behind my ship, instead of at me. That does not mean (nor even imply) that my ship is traveling any faster. Many tests now, repeated by other people, confirm that this is the case: windcatcher is broken. But you personally, I am not asking to believe, anything.

I apologize, then.
I just went on a while ago and asked a friend to help me test this.

While I used a rank four windcatcher and got close to an enemy ship I had my friend sail next to me.
My speed didn't show an increase as I sailed neck and neck with him and the enemy fire went behind me.
My question is, why would POTCO waste time making enemy ships do that anytime we use windcatcher when it would be easier to make our ships go faster?

Talk about a good optical illusion.

[Edward Edgemenace]

Originally Posted by MacIronhawk

My question is, why would POTCO waste time making enemy ships do that anytime we use windcatcher when it would be easier to make our ships go faster?

To give advantage to people who knew about the defect, an initial advantage in SvS when it was first released. (There was no "re-training" back then.)

Yup, very obviously harder to go to the trouble of making the convincing optical illusion, instead of just making the ships go faster (exactly as described.)

[Arioch]

Ok ......so we all know (most) of us that windcatcher does not make your ship (any ship) faster in any way shape or form... This I have known for months however the fact that it causes the affect of throwing off the aim of enemy ships?

This has not been noticed by me as I stopped using the skill entirely a long time ago.

So with that being said if you use lets say windcatcher 5 there is a possibility that you will be a hard ship to hit with broadsides in svs?

Just throwing this out there as I have noticed a lot of ships that seem to be harder to hit with broadsides and was blaming it on the server (abassa)

This is food for thought as it seemed to be the weaker ships (nubes) and evidently people who were not informed wind catcher does not work.

going to have to do somes tests concerning this in the near future. quite possibly it might also throw off the aim of gunners as well but I seriously doubt that.

[Edward Edgemenace]

The point is that before SvS, windcatcher did make my "Driftwood Express" go almost twice as fast. With the introduction of SvS, the windcatcher skill became negligible (broadsides "aiming" patch in Nov/Dec may have been what introduced the optical illusion thing.)

[Arioch]

Well did some tests in SVS with windcatcher..... worthless utterly worthless
that whole hing where it makes enemy ships fire late is only NPC ships only as it has no affect on player ships. actually the opposite as I normally can dodge cannon fire with ease.

With windcatcher maxed it was like sailing with the anchor tossed over board.

[akamystic]

To make things more frustrating....some of the enemy ships have inner-cooled turbo chargers. Then sail and turn in a very unrealistic fashion. This started a couple of months ago with one of the major updates.


Robert Darkskull
Pistols N Bladez

[Edward Edgemenace]

Originally Posted by Arioch

Well did some tests in SVS with windcatcher..... worthless utterly worthless

Thanks for confirming that, also.

When they first released SvS, windcatcher stopped functioning. I was hopeful they would correct the mistake after the official contest, but apparently they don't get enough daily complaints about this. (Man, it would be nice if they did this to the twenty-dozen-glitches TAKE COVER, but restored windcatcher instead.)

[Arioch]

Originally Posted by akamystic

To make things more frustrating....some of the enemy ships have inner-cooled turbo chargers. Then sail and turn in a very unrealistic fashion. This started a couple of months ago with one of the major updates.


Robert Darkskull
Pistols N Bladez

Yeah since my pirates are fully mastered for quite some time rarely sail other then in SVS and yes any time you encounter one of those enemy ships in TURBO mode either sink it fast or run like the ****ens and pray it is not one of the really nasty ships like a dreadnaught. even an ogre in turbo mode is pretty nasty as a war galleon in turbo mode is no longer a slow puppy.

[akamystic]

Any rumors of Windcatcher being fixed in any upcoming patches/updates? I'd hate to waste more $$ moving skill points if it will start working again.

[akamystic]

Originally Posted by akamystic

Any rumors of Windcatcher being fixed in any upcoming patches/updates? I'd hate to waste more $$ moving skill points if it will start working again.

Somebody? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller....? Bueller.....?

[Edward Edgemenace]

As of today, the only advantage of unlocking windcatcher is that NPC ships shoot behind you, instead of at you, to maintain the optical illusion of speed. Ship speed is still not corrected.

[akamystic]

Originally Posted by Edward Edgemenace

As of today, the only advantage of unlocking windcatcher is that NPC ships shoot behind you, instead of at you, to maintain the optical illusion of speed. Ship speed is still not corrected.

We've been bamboozled!!! Arrrrrrrrr!!!!

[Edward Edgemenace]

Just now, time testing on TEST server gave my light sloop 47 seconds with windcatcher 2, 60 seconds with no windcatcher. Run was Port Royal to Devil's Anvil. I'm now too stunned for words...

[akamystic]

Originally Posted by Edward Edgemenace

Just now, time testing on TEST server gave my light sloop 47 seconds with windcatcher 2, 60 seconds with no windcatcher. Run was Port Royal to Devil's Anvil. I'm now too stunned for words...

WOW....that's smokin' news! Now we'll have to test all ships....and test some more. If they really did fix it I'll have to spend more $$ reallocating skills. Thanks for the 411 Edward.