Anchor for Ship

@sgt-palooggoo said in Anchor for Ship:

@vision-mintz
I guess the reason Rare never made an anchor program was because it's next to impossible to program.

In video games nothing is impossible. With the right amount of effort and time the could make that.

@vision-mintz ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Maybe its a problem to balance between the ships,
If u anchor right next to an island it wouldnt take much time to lift it, but at open waters its nearly Impossible to set an Anchor there is no space on Board to store Miles and Miles of anchorchains and ropes... i guess an realistic Anchor mechanic dont work in a usefull way for SoT.

@vision-mintz
This topic has been raise before . No pun intended. ;o)

@sgt-palooggoo said

I guess the reason Rare never made an anchor program was because it's next to impossible to program.

It is no different than raising sails. In fact it could be done even easier than sails.
If it was an instant drop (visible) / raise (invisible) which could be implemented at the end of either action.
Drop: the anchor nestled under the hull disappears and the chain appears.
Raise: the chain disappears and the anchor reappears nestled under the hull.

@crafek said

I do not think an actual anchor is required. Just a visual indication from underneath the ship that it is anchored.

For example, a chain that fades into obscurity, this chain can clip through terrain as much as it wants. It dropping and raising can also be animated somewhat with the anchor being visible if there was someone there to see it.

Thats it, no need to actually implement physics of the anchor, just have a visual impact that it is there.

Exactly right.
The chain could poke through the sea bed in shallow waters and just dangle in deeper water (with or without anchor) so as not to poke through the skybox.
It really wouldn't need any animation because, let's be honest, how often would someone be under the boat while the anchor is being raised or dropped?
It would hardly ever occur except to see if there was an animation. We change outfits and armory weapons without animation.

@chewywarden said

What if you could cut the enemy's anchor with maybe 5-10 swings of a sword to make their boat sail away...

Yes, this was also discussed without any real opposition.
The anchor chain could even have a life expectancy with a gradual decline in health.
This would also open the game to new strategies with boarders attempting to drop anchor that perhaps even the vessel's own crew have already sabotaged.
Have it so a new anchor and chain could be purchased at the shipwright of any outpost.

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I think it all comes down to the executives being clueless as to how little effort would be required to make this and other suggestions (i.e. in-game boat size swap) a possibility.
The time required is extremely minimal.

@vision-mintz i see already the whining if they would add an anchor:
Why does the anchor just stop the ship when it's all the way down, and when you pull it up again, the ship doesn't move until it's all the way up...that makes no sense...

No need for an anchor, when you ask me

@dutchyankee
It's doubtful the anchor chain of any ship reaches "the dark depths".
Where would all of that chain be stored when the anchor is up?

@Schwammlgott
I don't think people are whining here, we're having a calm discussion about a game and how it could be implemented.
It may not suit everyone's opinion but then no topic does.

I agree that the current anchor system makes no sense but neither do a lot of things such as firing yourself out of a narrow cannon barrel or firing flintlocks under water. It's just a game and though there is no need for a visible anchor it's still a topic many have had a say in before this thread.

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In general (not aimed at anybody).
The best ideas are created by discussing them respectfully among others and brainstorming as a collective group.
If people don't want to participate in the conversation then they can opt out without inciting unrest. Like a wound, leave it alone and it will heal. :o)

@octopus-lime
Yes you are correct on both counts. It wouldn't warrant the resources as it's not exactly game-breaking.

Yeah no matter how sharp your sword is, to break an anchor chain under water would be a mammoth task, especially without a hard surface to rest it on.