October 1 — practical sailing lessons and consistent handling

Marque & Reprisal · build 25658332 · published

On SteamNotes only · this build shipped before we watched the app

This update rebuilds the optional sailing lesson around the same handling, controls and feedback used during an ordinary voyage. It also makes early voyages, parcel delivery and market comparisons easier to understand.

Sailing lesson and ship handling

  • Reworked the sailing lesson to teach the real wind direction and points of sail, including downwind sailing, beam reaches, close-hauled courses and the no-sail zone.
  • Corrected the tacking lesson. The destination is now genuinely upwind, and the guidance adapts whether the player chooses the northern or southern tack.
  • Replaced the tutorial's heavy galleon with the nimble, cannon-armed Coastal Pinnace so steering and combat are easier to learn.
  • Added a marked route through the hauling channel. The route changes colour when hauling is actually available, and the ordinary stamina display shows its cost.
  • Restored the normal voyage status panel and menu button throughout the lesson, using live tutorial hull, crew, cargo and stamina values.
  • Unified the sailing simulation used by voyages, the tutorial, Duel and historical battles. Wind, oars, turning momentum, acceleration, hull drag and top speed now follow the same rules in every mode.
  • Tutorial rowing, hauling and underway sounds now use the same feedback as an ordinary voyage.

Early voyages and ports

  • Hostile ships and shore batteries will not proactively attack during the first two minutes of a voyage. The captain may still initiate combat.
  • Sealed delivery parcels can now be handed over at their destination even when the port is otherwise closed to the captain.
  • Market comparisons now use explicit wording such as “96% below world price.” Favorable prices are shown in green and unfavorable prices in red, while the wording remains clear without relying on colour.

Interface and world presentation

  • Fixed dark seams appearing between terrain cells while the surrounding map was still being prepared.
  • Ship-capture comparisons now allow a third line of explanatory text instead of prematurely replacing the final words with an ellipsis.
  • The ordinary cargo and supplies panel no longer covers a city assault or its casualty report, and stays hidden behind naval casualty reports.

Thank you to everyone whose reports and questions helped us make the sailing lesson match the game it is meant to teach.

October 1 — practical sailing lessons and consistent handling · Marque & Reprisal build 25658332 · SteamPeaks