Just want to gather some different opinions on this: do you guys pre-load your cannon before fighting or not? and why.
Pre-loading your cannon
@pellahh It depends on the situtation and ship. If your on a sloop esspilally solo then no as you may need to shoot off at anytime or load a specific ball any little error or hiccup will cause you a loss. However if your on a brig or gally having at least one cannon preloaded on each side will save time without hindering you.
As a solo slooper i hate seeing cannons preloaded unless i know we are entering a fight. Fights are so slow to start you have loads of time to prep before engaging unless you are ambushed in which case your most likey loss that fight already.
No, having them empty makes it easier to launch yourself. Having to take the time to unload it can spoil a good opportunity for a boarding attempt. Fights don't come out of nowhere in this game, as long as you pay attention, there is plenty of time to stuff a cannonball in before shots are in range.
You also have the benefit of unloading it if you want to exchange the munition type. Having it preloaded while having a full inventory prevents you from unloading it, you can't hold that extra ball. This means you have to rush to offload some supplies just to pull out that one ball. Its smart to have a full inventory before a fight, having that one extra shot isn't worth it in my opinion when you can't exchange out a more opportune explosive. Scenario might change where having chain-shot instead of a cannonball might arise. Ultimately, its about being malleable to what might come.
Depends... on a galleon we have 2 loaded, the rest empty. But as a general rule (for myself), cannons empty. Its a problem if you need to fast get some chains shots, or anchor balls away and have 10 cannonballs in your inventory and the cannon is loaded. The fastest way in that situation is to fire the cannonball in the cannon, but that is a waste of a ball, and it will alert the enemy (in some cases)... also it takes time.
One thing we have tried out which is semi OK on a galleon, is 2 first cannons with regular cannonballs, the next 2 with chain shots, and the last 2 (closest to the ladder) empty for fast travel.
@nabberwar It depends if Im on A galleon one cannon is for firing off and fhe others are preloaded sometimes with an anchor ball.
Regardless of ship type, its just a good habit to develop. Having Galleon habits while on a sloop isn't a good thing when the moment arises. At least that is just my take on it.
I use to sloop a lot and in most cases id not ever preload, but rather make sure I always had in my inventory to save taking the extra time to hit the barrels.
However, when I'm helming a Gally, (I tend to specialize in canons only recently work the helm) I always have my crew preload the back two canons closest to the wheel so I can use the canon in those few seconds of a window I have in a fight.
Usually front two are always kept unloaded so that boarders can be shot out, middle two canons ill load when I know a fights coming, usually I know what play I want to make by the time im rolling up on a ship or vice versa.
@pellahh nope, don't pre-load until I know that I will be in battle and am planning on firing - generally there is time to load in the ball of choice before an angle is created to shoot anyway.
Everything is empty. I know some crews that have some cannons loaded and some not, that is very annoying. There is no reason to have a single cannon ball loaded before any fight ever.
Like @CotU42 and @Nabberwar said, you will always have more than enough time to load a cannon before any battle starts, so its better to not keep it loaded just incase you need to shoot off. There have been times when I'm on a ship with a rando crew and they are rolling up on a ship and we are full billow. Roll up to the cannon to shoot off and I am having to unload it, by the time I unload it, we are way past a good angle so now I have to swim.
Also if you haven't noticed, the PvP'ers all agree to keep them empty until you know you are about to be in combat.
@xultanis-dragon I don't get why you guys all try to unload, FIRE! and just get in... and hope that is fast enough.
Yeah I do it for 2 reasons.
First reason is because, I myself listen very intently for cannon fire and become very aware of it. Show I try to give as little heads up as possible when rolling up on someone. You always have a better chance getting onto an enemy boat if your first shot is the boarding shot. At least its what I believe, honestly most ships don't watch ladders, but its a habit I want to keep just incase I roll up on a good crew.
The second reason is because I have a problem with supplies. Even if I knew I'm only staying on for 30minutes or about to get off, I will harpoon every barrel and jump into the water for them. I will shoot off to every island. I have a problem hoarding supplies lol.
SIDE NOTE honestly its pretty bad. Even when I have over 150 planks I'll still get more planks. I have NEVER in my entire time playing this game have ever needed MORE planks after 100 yet I still hoard and hoard and hoard. Yeah, I gots a problem
@xultanis-dragon I joined a crew that I sail with a couple days back and they had 1800 planks.... I'm used to having about 30
To be fair one of the guys had been awake for 26 hours
@xultanis-dragon I get it... but if it is loaded, I haven't been able to unload and line up and climb in on time... one of the reasons I don't pre-load XD at that point while I am lining my shot I just try to land the hit on them, the surprise element is gone and speed is all that I am going for... though have had some nice surprises like lobbing a chain shot against the mast by doing this.
I myself am also a stock hoarder, but that allows me not to care about that one shot... which is why I stock hoard to begin with.
OH yeah, I've rimmed one of my own crew mates for continuously pre-loading cannons. I take the cannon out, run it back to the barrel and then HOPE I can still get into the cannon and get a RELATIVELY good shot, which I get only like 10% of the time if that. He eventually stopped doing it which is good. Its all about habits and forming them. Even when the crew is just doing voyages we call out when we are swimming towards the boat and when we are shooting off/leaving the boat.
Its one of the reasons why I just can't play with rando's anymore. I just can't accept the lack of urgency of worry. As if because they purchased the game they are entitled to being left alone as long as they leave other ships alone. The constant "oh it doesn't matter, theres no one around" phrase when I ask them to prep the ship before leaving to do quest on the island.
Then when we get into a fight no one is calling what they are doing and everyone is leaving to board, getting shot by cannons and dying. Watch 1 person shoot off, then the next one 10 seconds later and I ask why both of them left and one of them answers "well I didn't know he was gone".
I just can't do it anymore, honestly now that I think about it, I think its more because of all the time limited events they used to have. I couldn't be bothered wasting time with randos' having to teach them with what limited time I had left to try and complete the event.
I hope they stop adding new stuff every month. If they do add stuff every month at least remove the time limited aspect of it. I would more inclined to play with rando's if my time wasn't limited.
5 out of 16
