Fix Shrinking Circle

fights are now decided by who gets lucky enough to not be out of zone

Fights have never been decided by this “skill” always by who can’t out play and perform the other. Most cases who can out smart, out play and follow with “who makes bigger waves”

Most cases. Your skill is useless when kegs and special cannon balls are used tactical

i mean at some point if you like play the game you will learn to get good with the circle, or where you exploiting spots and are just mad you cant anymore?

@worst-tdmer they were already very clear in insiders that they don't care

@worst-tdmer give it sometime, we just got to get better. once we learn to play the circle better it will feel more natural and intro fights that aren't just eternal double demast

My issue is that it forces you to play in unnatural ways

Best kind of way is breaking the meta fighting.

@worst-tdmer

you're joking right? It's literally what some of us have been asking for, for years.

Well, I’ve been waiting ever since the update for someone to complain about this change... It didn’t take long, did it? LOL

@zeyrniyx

and a lot of them are in insiders...they tested this. "approved it" :p

The shrinking circle in general is a good thing. People trying to frustate their opponent into quitting rather than fighting made hourglass extremely slow and boring. Plus it should get rid of the cheeese spots. I do have an issue how it handles double de mast situations though. This was forseen during insiders and many manty people brought up the potential problem. I just had a great fight, we were broadside to broadside, masts down and it was cut short by the shrinking circle.

Very easy fix, if both ships masts are down simply pause the shrinking until and unless the ships get moving again. It would be far better than the coin flip scenario we have now.

@capt-greldik said in Fix Shrinking Circle:

@fry9889

But how will the game recognize if both ships are demasted?

I would think this is a simple AND logic gate? The game can surely recognise when a ship is demasted, and just check if both are. If they both are, pause the circle until at least one has its mast up.

@capt-greldik

I'm no programmer or game designer, so I am to be corrected, but it doesn't seem like an insurmountable issue

As an almost exclusively solo hourglass gamer, I (so far) love the shrinking circle. It seems to have gotten rid of the hard resetter capabilities and really sped up the pace of play.

Hot (or maybe not so hot) take: demast v demast scenarios have always been an awful slog experience where you're often fighting game performance more than you're fighting the other player's/crew's skill.

I'd much rather the fight end (win or lose) more rapidly because one of us got put into a bad situation. That's part of the strategy. Learn the new strategies. The meta gamers historically ALWAYS do when Rare makes some changes. This is no different.

Sail to center, drop anchor and allow the enemy to “miss 20 shots at a non moving target. Wait to sink and reset for next match.

Gone up 20 levels without an issue.
Heck…I won one match because the enemy forgot there own ship as the boarded… shrinking made things better, for the silly silly and nonsense players XD

Don't agree. Fights have been way better from what my crew and I experienced yesterday. Less nonstop running/frequent resets. Sure, maybe you need to be more wary of your positioning, but frankly that's how it ought to be anyway. You're also the same person who thought hourglass was "fine as is" beforehand, meanwhile basically no one other than hardcore folks touched the mode - it's good to see the mode actually get some much-needed love and additions.

As some in this community like to say "adapt and git gud" ¯_(ツ)_/¯ I'm glad changes aren't made to specifically cater to the 1% of the most hardcore players.

@capt-greldik I've had enough fights on brigs and sometimes even gallys (but I don't play gally a lot), where crews would start a strong offense, then just keep running after they see they can't win in navel.

It's less effective than with sloop crews, but these people exist. Even encountered one yesterday that was forced to re-enter the fight due to the circle.

I have only ever done Hourglass before accidentally - Reduce X to Hold putting my Grade V flag and ship full of loot to the bottom of the Sea.
Till last night.

Played Hourglass for several hours and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Won every match. Almost killed by a TDM'er who's own ship sank while they were on board my ship.

Either the new focus and Fight Nights increased the player base of the mode with a lot of Noobs - or I am actually pretty good at PvP when it's a fair fight and not overly reliant on boarding meta as it is in Adventure with bigger crews.

@worst-tdmer said in Fix Shrinking Circle:

Shrinking circle is an awful addition for good players who actually want good fights. Instead of being decided by skill, fights are now decided by who gets lucky enough to not be out of zone.

Evolve.
It's not luck staying in the zone.