Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea

@mri1ama So you are just going to sail in a straight line until...what?...red zone? So basically your argument for why 4 man is fine is that "It's ok, since it's impossible to fight back just trash your ship in the red zone, all in a days work" Your common sense lacks foresight....so...yeah...try that next time. If you want to have any hope of saving your loot you have to turn at some point. Then there is also the issue of changing winds, islands, other ships that join in, and the storm. Still think you can sail in a straight line forever to escape? Two objects sailing in the same direction at the same speed will never meet...until one hits a wall. Sigh.

@solysdayga L***O, because this doesn't happen already? Against a good 2 man crew I could make the exact same argument as a 4 man crew as a solo player. The only difference is now people are going to be more scared of a sloop because there is a chance there is 3 or 4 players instead of "oh look theres a sloop it can have a maximum of 2"

You clearly have never went against another good crew while solo, your best option is to flee and wait until they get bored. You say I lack foresight well I say you lack experience. I have over 100 hours and have sunk sloops and galleons alike, adding 2 more people to the sloop will make NO difference to a solo player than the experiences you are having already. Not to mention, solo slooping is meant to be HARD MODE if you can't handle it, don't do it. I see solo sloopers on these forums complaining so much about every little thing and it gives the experienced players a bad name. If you can't sail alone and deal with the problems that come with it, go play with randoms or get a party together.

Also even if you turn the other sloop has to turn, both turning the same direction at the same speed will keep the same distance? Like are you joking? have you EVER taken a physics course? The sloop behind CANNOT catch you unless you are bad, it's that simple. As for other ships, HOW DOES THAT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHEN IT COMES TO A 4 MAN SLOOP. All of these problems you are saying have nothing to do with the 4 man sloop and are general things that have to do with sailing solo, sounds like you need to get a crew mate.

I can't believe I read that whole thing... 4 man sloop is still a very, very bad idea. Sorry.

@mri1ama Yeah, you dont have more experience than me bud. And a duo has to sacrifice their sailing advantage to try to board. Its 100% different from them have two sailors and two free to board with no repercussions. I have gone against plenty of crews good and bad..most probably better than you since you are crying that 2 isnt enough for you to fight the big bad galleons. If you cant handle a cap of 2 on a sloop, go play on a galleon with 4. I am tired of all you scrubs crying on the forums that its too hard to have only 2 "The game isn't easy enough wahhhhh".

When you are being chased...it's not like pulling a ball behind you...they can see where you are turning to and turn earlier than where you started your turn, this will set them in a position to head you off should you try to loop around...or if you turn the other way they can do the same thing and eventually you will be cornered....its really amazing that you think you are actually giving a logical argument by saying "BUUUUH Physics!" Sounds like you need a friend to show you how ridiculously flawed your arguments are haha.

The reasons for the 4 man sloop is they are unlocking the ship crew size and four is the max party size. Unlocking the crew size and having private parties will allow friends to jump on board without logging in and out, which should help the servers as a whole. It will also help with the brig griefing not having to allow randoms to join your crew. They had this planned before so something may have come up that they feel it's ready to implement now, otherwise why have a brig on the sloop. I wonder if having more crew members on a sloop will be affected by the extra weight and be a little slower? If that mechanic is in game, then it shouldn't be a problem for solo players to avoid one. We should have a sloop race with extra crew members on one vs a solo and see if that's true. If not it might be something to consider adding with the 4 man sloop.

4 man sloop will ruin the game. It’s just too easy to repair/maneuver in and powerder keg and get out. The galleon will be completely useless. Call Riot games and ask them how to balance a long running game. They will teach you.

@solysdayga First off if you actually read my post (maybe you did but your comprehension skills are at a 1st grade level?) I said I have sunk both galleons and sloops alike as a solo player and I play solo 90% of the time, so how am I going to benefit from being able to get 3 more players when I play solo? Your logic is flawed.
If you want to call someone inexperienced i'll say it's you for complaining that you as a solo can't take on a 4 man sloop. I say bring it on.

YOU

I am tired of all you scrubs crying on the forums that its too hard to have only 2 "The game isn't easy enough wahhhhh".

ME literally 10 minutes before your post

I see solo sloopers on these forums complaining so much about every little thing and it gives the experienced players a bad name. If you can't sail alone and deal with the problems that come with it, go play with randoms or get a party together.

You just read what I said and disregarded it, then copied it in a more childish way? Like what are you even trying to do with your comments? lol

Also how does someone see where you are turning and turn earlier than you? Are you a psychic? Can you turn the wheel faster than I can? Literally 0 sense.. I see your sailing skills are sub par if you ever think you can get cornered in this game. If someone is sailing to your left side, pull a slight left and force them into an island or rock that is on your left, they will have to pull to the right, increasing that gap. This is sailing 101 do you need me to teach you how to outsail someone?

@mri1ama Sigh...you have some issues. When you see someone turning 50m in front of you...you can see them turn in real time from your chasing position (this means you dont have to be where they were to see what they did there). You can start your turn 1 second later from 45m before the position that they started their turn...this is seriously elementary school maths.

You dont have to be sailing right beside someone to chase them or corner them...therefore your "force" point is not a point.

I am kindof resigning myself to the fact that you may just be 10 and unable to understand this stuff. Sorry, we can try again in a few years if the game is still around then.

@solysdayga in a clear open water scenario yes but when there is obstacles it is so easy to fake someone out who is trying to anticipate your movements as you are saying.
And you are resorting to personal attacks because I'm destroying you with logic and calling you out on the silly things you have been saying lol.
From how you've been responding you read tid bits from my post and disregard the rest then post as fast as you can so yes do please run along to another thread. No point in arguing with someone who has no reading comprehension or a grasp of basic physics or gameplay.

P.S if you are going to argue points with someone a tip is to have their post in another window while you are writing so you dont make a fool of yourself like you have.

Boarding galleons via the sails is pretty viable, I have done it many times so you don't get much of an advantage there but I do know the weight in gold actually has an effect on the speed of a sloop as well as how low it rides in the water. If 4 players in a sloop actually impact its overall speed this will go a long way to balance it out. Not to mention if they increase the galleons crew to 6-8 players it certainly will not be outmatched in any regards. I am excited for the 4 man sloop myself but unless they do a little tweaking to the galleon it might just be outmatched in theory but only time will tell on these reservations about the change.

As for claims it will ruin the game, this seems to be an exaggeration to say the least.

@wetworksrpg Agreed I say let this change happen and we will see how it affects gameplay then they can balance accordingly. Instead of being put off from making changes because there is a bunch of scared people who thinksomething will be imbalanced.

To be honest I think the game needs a public test server so we the players can test out some changes they are deciding on so we can ease some of this fear of change. I think I may open another thread with that idea.

@mri1ama Like I said, we will try again in a few years when you understand this stuff.

@solysdayga yes when I comprehend this STUFF lol I have made my points and countered all of yours time and time again. If that's all you have you can go now.

I comprehend quite well and have read over your posts which is something you should get into the habit of doing it you are going to debate. Because as i showed above with my quotes you didn't even read my posts before trying to counter them. Ciao

@mri1ama Don't be so sad man, you will get it some day. Just give it time.

@cows-n-muffins said in Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea:

@d4u2s0t Realistically, in a combat situation, only one side of the sloop will need repairs, which means the sloop is not sinking as fast as it is in the red death. Given that I can keep the sloop afloat in the red death, having only half of the water coming in from only one side of the sloop being damaged should allow me to repair between bails of water. Unless I am sailing in circles in close range to the galleon, I am probably just sailing away from the galleon in some direction waiting for my mates to say that they have taken the galleon, or waiting for my mates to respawn to go at the galleon again.

The #1 vulnerability of the sloop is being boarded and losing a crew member because it a 50% drop in manpower. With a crew of 4 being boarded is not even a concern because you have more than enough manpower to watch the ladders and losing a single crew member is only a 25% drop in manpower.

A galleons 4 man crew has far more things to do, and less time to do those things in comparison to the sloop. If the sloop has 2 extra people that are literally just there to board the galleon non stop, the galleon suffers a 50% drop in ship operational capacity because at least 2 of the crew members are fighting the 2 boarders constantly. While the sloop is still operating at 100% because they have 2 more crew members to man the ship.

This completely flips the balance in the sloops favor because now the galleons have to be worried about being boarded by a small nimble vessel that keeps functioning at 100% capacity with 2 people on board, and 2 people trying to kill the galleon crew.

Many are incorrectly assuming the roles needed in a galleon, I think because of lack of practice as the game is new. A well coordinated crew can drive at 100% on a galleon just as easily as a sloop with 2, but they have way more firepower. Can fire 4 shots in a row without a reload, and it only takes 1 of those to kill a player. If a ship suffers a 50% drop in effectiveness because someone hops off, I think that's a sign that they need to learn how to multitask a bit more. The driver doesn't need to hold the wheel the hole time, that's a mistake imo.

@ik0tt0n said in Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea:

A 4 man sloop would get demolished by a 4 man galleon in a battle. 1 cannon firing vs 2 or 3, and the top deck being exposed to the taller galleon would mean the captain and the gunner would most likely get killed super fast, while the other two guys struggled to patch the holes while getting knocked around.

Sloops don't fight toe to toe. We ram, cross in front and drop kegs, circle the galleon while landing shot after shot against a big target or stay in their blind spot. Also all that can be done with one guy, that means three people can board the galleon. And as everyone knows, it is boarding actions that sink ships. Well maybe you don't know...

@mattydove74 said in Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea:

@ik0tt0n said in Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea:

A 4 man sloop would get demolished by a 4 man galleon in a battle. 1 cannon firing vs 2 or 3, and the top deck being exposed to the taller galleon would mean the captain and the gunner would most likely get killed super fast, while the other two guys struggled to patch the holes while getting knocked around.

Sloops don't fight toe to toe. We ram, cross in front and drop kegs, circle the galleon while landing shot after shot against a big target or stay in their blind spot. Also all that can be done with one guy, that means three people can board the galleon. And as everyone knows, it is boarding actions that sink ships. Well maybe you don't know...

Boarding isn't the only way to sink ships. Better put, killing the crew sinks ships. Turreting a galleon is one of many tactics applied to take out aggressive sloops. It's a defensive move that makes it hard to approach with a sloop and not get pummeled by volley after volley of cannon fire. You may not have run into it yet as it is a newer tactic good galleon crews have been using, but taking out the crew of a sloop is really quick if you don't sail out of range. Once you are out of range, the galleon drops sails and sails away from what sloop crew might be trying to board or just picks them off from the deck. It is a defensive tactic so it isn't used that much as sloops attacking galleons isn't as wide spread as the other way around. Bad galleon crews don't need to be boarded either as usually they try and sail and turn with a sloop and you can pick them off the deck and wheel with cannon fire just out of their cannons range. Skill is more of a factor then anything to do with the amount of crew a ship has at this point and conjecture about how bad a 4 man sloop is influenced by personal experiences that don't really ring true 100% of the time. We will not know until it is live in the server. The change has to do with making the party system better, not to balance ships for PvP so much. It will change some dynamics but again, not as bad as some are going on and on about. The benefits of having a crew that your friends can join even when you are out and about without griefing randoms by putting them in the brig or exiting game losing your voyages/loot out ways the negatives.

@mri1ama

This post is plain wrong in very many levels. You talk about those who are opposed to 4 man sloops just making assumptions, yet that is exactly what you are doing here as well.

A galleon is VERY easy to hit, even below the waterline. Sloops are much more difficult to hit. Assuming normal distance between these two ships, the galleon would miss more shots. You are guaranteed to have at least 1 galleon member on repairs at all times. One person needs to steer, assuming we are sailing. That leaves 2 on cannons. Meanwhile, a 4 player sloop could perfectly steer, manage sails, repair AND shoot the cannon at all times.

The only chance a Galleon would have, would be to raise all sails and stand perfectly still and turn around after the sloop. If this was a moving battle, the sloop would absolutely dominate. On this sloop you would be unsinkable, as repairs are so easy and you dont need to travel anywhere to bail water.

The only thing a galleon could really do to have a chance would be to stand still and constantly turn around. If it does that, then maybe it could win. But this essentially would make the sloop the more powerful ship, as it forces the Galleon to stand still. If the galleon moves, the sloop will outperform it, as the galleon crew would not be able to fight back, adjust sails and repair damage half as efficiently as the sloop would.

Remember these are two different ships, they are not supposed to be equal, they are DIFFERENT. One is very small, the other is a big warship. It is fine that the galleon has a big combat advantage. IT SHOULD HAVE, otherwise, what is the point?

I have plenty of experience with both ships already, and I have to say the galleon feels slightly undermanned even with 4 players. In a battle you might need to adjust sails, repair the ship and shoot cannons all at once. The one steering the sloop can easily adjust the sail alone, faster than a full galleon crew working together could adjust theirs. Meanwhile the other guy can repair and shoot cannons.

As it is right now, a 2 man sloop is almost, if not fully, equal to a 3 man galleon in a ship battle. And this is in a battle..with only 3 men on a galleon, they have no hopes of catching a 2 man galleon, since they can not adjust sails and position fast enough.

4 man sloops is a TERRIBLE idea and would RUIN the game balance. Please leave things as they are. If the sloop becomes the most powerful ship, as it would be with a 4 man crew, the game is a joke. A 4 man sloop, imagining it would only be equal to a 4 man galleon, still breaks the game and makes the galleon a joke.

A galleon is supposed to instill more respect and be a more powerful ship than a small sloop!! And it is fine that it is this way in the game.
We don't need EVERYTHING to be equal. And remember, sloops can outrun galleons anytime they want to, anyway. So there really is not a problem.

If RARE feels like we need more options on crew sizes, fix it by adding a new ship and thus also enrichening the game experience, dont bloody break it by making the galleon a joke.

While we are on topic: we do NOT need a bigger ship. The galleon is plenty big already, and can arguably feel undermanned at times already. If we need bigger crew sizes, increase galleon to a 5 man ship. Also introduce a new 2-3 man ship.

Anything more than 2 on a sloop makes it too powerful and easy to manage.
And what are 4 players supposed to do while sailing a sloop during normal travel? Even in a storm, or if the wind kept changing every 10 seconds and a new hole was made every 10 seconds as well, there still would not be enough for everyone to do. They could easily manage perfect sailing regardless. Meanwhile, a 4 man galleon in this situation would be struggling.

@mri1ama

A sloop, even a solo sloop, can outrun a galleon any time it wants to.
A solo sloop can not outrun a 2 man sloop, only at best maintain the same distance.

If you are playing on a sloop, you are on a small, nimble ship that can outrun bigger ships by going against the wind. If you see a galleon, you should rightfully be weary. But as stated, if you want to run away and escape, you can. This is the balance of the game. If the sloop could NOT avoid a galleon no matter what it did, then yes it would be a bit unfair.

But please tell me how it is okay and balanced that a very nimble and easy to operate sloop should get the power to rival a galleon in a fight?? It makes no sense and will completely ruin the game and make the galleon a laughing joke.

Half the charm of the galleon is that it gives off this boss vibe. I would say I play 50% solo, 30% on a two man sloop and 20% on a galleon. I have no problems with the galleon while I am on sloops. It is a much more powerful ship with a bigger crew, and I need to take heed of them. I'm level 30 across the board for all factions, and the times I have been hunted down by galleons unprovoked is absolutely minimal. It is MUCH MUCH more common that a solo or duo sloop comes after me. If a galleon does come after me, however, I can run successfully run away.

Please explain to me how you think it is okay that a small sloop should become powerful enough to outright fight against a full galleon crew and be on* (for discussions sake. I believe a 4 man sloop would be more powerful) even grounds?

It is fine that 4 mediocre players team up on a galleon to beat out 2 skilled players in a fight. Why shouldn't it be?

4 player sloops is literally the worst idea I have heard yet for this game, and that is saying A LOT.

@natsu-v2 said in Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea:

@nebenkuh Here's the major problem with turreting as a galleon like that against a skilled sloop. The sloop technically has greater accuracy than the galleon. There's a range that is pretty far out where a good cannoneer will hit about 1 in 4 waterline shots on a sitting galleon, but that same cannoneer on a galleon at that same range will hit only 1 in 20 shots on the sloop. Part of the reason for this is that the galleon doesn't bob around on waves as much, and you can visibly measure the range due to how much taller the galleon is (aim 1 inch over the crow's nest).

What I would do as a 4 person sloop in the event that a galleon tries to pivot-fight me is just sit in this range and move around with about 1/3 sail. I would fire shots and get random waterlines every 30 seconds or so, while the galleon lands next to no shots at all. I can also send up to 3 players over there in the middle of my barrage. So the galleon is in a situation where they are facing all cannons at me but just don't have the accuracy to compete from that range, and they will have random waterlines occurring in conjunction with random boarders. If just one person gets the anchor down, I can move in and apply even more pressure. It's kind of hard to explain, but the sloop really does have a much, much easier time waterlining galleons from the range I am thinking of than a galleon has of coming close to hitting the sloop.

That's not to say that the sloop would definitively be overpowered. But I really don't want every fight to be as annoying as that. This game needs less boarding action involved in the fights, not more. Having all those disposable players on the sloop is such a bad call to me because it encourages those extra players to attempt to board constantly.

A sloop does not have greater accuracy then a galleon and it is easier to hit farther out with a stationary stable platform then something bobbing up and down like a sloop. That doesn't mean it wouldn't require skill to hit a smaller moving target, but that's the crux of it, skill. A skilled galleon crew wouldn't have a problem defending against a 4 man sloop as a 2 or 3 man sloop at that distance. There is such a difference between crew skill levels right now, it is hard to say what the out come of the change would truly turn out to be. There are other factors involved as well. Rumor has it that weight might be factor and 4 on sloop might be a bit slower then a 1 or 2 man sloop. I'd like to do some testing to be sure but that might balance some things. I know a good cannoneer can wipe out a sloop crew in a few seconds with some well placed hits due to the cramped spaces. I don't know if it will cause people to not use the galleon or not but it will likely be due to the galleon being a pain to crew more then how great a 4 man sloop is. I think a 3 man would be a greater threat. And how boring it might end up being that 4th member of the sloop crew with nothing to do while sailing. Only a few play with 4 players as it is. Most are 1 or 2. It is just too early and without enough info to be freaking out about a 4 man sloop right now.

@natsu-v2 said in Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea:

@grim042 I personally have a dramatically easier time waterlining a galleon from obscene distances than hitting sloops from those ranges. That's taking into account the bobbing of the sloop vs. sitting still in a galleon.

You're right that it's hard to say which is more balanced. But it will definitely make it tough on solo players. I routinely pick fights with co op sloops as a solo player because I've gotten so good at placing my first shot directly on the cannoneer and the second shot directly at the helmsman. I can rest assured that I've won the fight in half a salvo most of the time. A quad sloop is going to be able to always keep that one player down there to save the ship. It's just a bad change all around regardless of balance issues. Different ships should have different roles.

And they still will have the different roles. Also fixing a sloop with incoming cannon fire is not that easy as the cannon balls go right through. I've died and killed players fixing a sloop. I understand your concerns but there is a possibility that other things can mitigate some of them. I would be much happier with a 3 man brig, but that's not going to be for awhile and that's not what this change is about. It's about playing with friends regardless of ship.

@grim042 - "Turreting" a Galleon?

You mean simply raising sails and turning in the water, yes? This is a new tactic?

Shoots. I did this from day one when I was captaining a Galleon facing off against an aggressive Sloop. It just made sense.

Here's the truth that no one really wants to openly state - the boarding meta is simply absurd.

It isn't that 4-man Sloops are that much better in ship-to-ship combat versus a 2-man Sloop or a 4-man Galleon.

It's that a 4-man Sloop can keep shooting/dropping players into the water without losing any effectiveness - as a really good player can do all the tasks required on a Sloop by themselves. A Galleon at least loses some actual helpful manpower when players are trying to board another ship.

Which brings me to the larger point - the boarding meta sucks!

The fact that this is how 95% of all fights are resolved is absurd. The fact that I am FAR more concerned about a couple players drifting in the water than I am of a fully crewed Galleon firing cannons at me is absurd.

We need to be able to raise the rope ladder.

Make it like turning off lanterns. Remembering to bring up the ladder is a tactical advantage.

Now, to compensate and still allow for boarding - we can allow it to be unfurled by shooting it. (Even with cannon fire) You'd hear it unfurl ... and would be required to roll it back up to remain safe. This makes boarding more difficult, but still possible.

Additionally, another long term solution could be grappling hooks that can be used to hook onto the deck with a good throw. Players on the ship would have to cut the ropes or opposing players could use the ropes to board.

This, in my opinion, is much better than abandoning cannons and ship-to-ship combat to board other ships with impunity.

@captainsloopdog said in Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea:

@grim042 - "Turreting" a Galleon?

You mean simply raising sails and turning in the water, yes? This is a new tactic?

Shoots. I did this from day one when I was captaining a Galleon facing off against an aggressive Sloop. It just made sense.

This is a new tactic to a lot of people. Come on man, the games has only been out for two weeks. Most are only starting to figure out how sails work. Wasn't there a topic a week ago about raising sails is an exploit?

@captainsloopdog said in Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea:

Here's the truth that no one really wants to openly state - the boarding meta is simply absurd.

It isn't that 4-man Sloops are that much better in ship-to-ship combat versus a 2-man Sloop or a 4-man Galleon.

It's that a 4-man Sloop can keep shooting/dropping players into the water without losing any effectiveness - as a really good player can do all the tasks required on a Sloop by themselves. A Galleon at least loses some actual helpful manpower when players are trying to board another ship.

Which brings me to the larger point - the boarding meta sucks!

The fact that this is how 95% of all fights are resolved is absurd. The fact that I am FAR more concerned about a couple players drifting in the water than I am of a fully crewed Galleon firing cannons at me is absurd.

We need to be able to raise the rope ladder.

Make it like turning off lanterns. Remembering to bring up the ladder is a tactical advantage.

Now, to compensate and still allow for boarding - we can allow it to be unfurled by shooting it. (Even with cannon fire) You'd hear it unfurl ... and would be required to roll it back up to remain safe. This makes boarding more difficult, but still possible.

Additionally, another long term solution could be grappling hooks that can be used to hook onto the deck with a good throw. Players on the ship would have to cut the ropes or opposing players could use the ropes to board.

This, in my opinion, is much better than abandoning cannons and ship-to-ship combat to board other ships with impunity.

I agree. I like the idea of something you have to shoot to drop the ladder though I wouldn't mind only crew members can do it as well. Boarding should be ship deck to ship deck or with the cannons like true pirates! Well ship to ship, the cannon thing isn't real.

@d4u2s0t said in Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea:

@themustamissed said in Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea:

@sackard said in Why a 4 man sloop is NOT a bad idea:

You've totally ignored the 4 man sloop v solo sloop argument.
What's your take on that?

His take and many others is....Oh well. Well when they sail for 5 hours and see no players due to idiot ideas like this he will be back here crying. The amount of brain function on some gamer's today is scary.

I'm sorry, but I think you would agree, if you're playing solo, taking on a 4 man crew is a bit silly regardless of what boat they are on. Let's not blame poor player decisions and low awareness on "game issues".

I solo 4-man galleons all the time. At first I didn't really know how, but after losing a fight to one, I decided to experiment with strategies when I had nothing to lose. Now I can confidently sink galleons solo on a sloop, not even with a 2nd player, while not losing my ship.

Granted, a good 4-man galleon crew that works together shouldn't lose to a solo sloop, but that just further supports the argument. That same 4-man galleon crew, on a sloop, would be a terror on the seas.

Nearly every aspect of the sloop makes it better for combat than a galleon. An agile sloop that can speed past a galleon and drop off a 3-man boarding crew while the helmsman keeps the floating respawn platform safe would be nearly unstoppable.

I feel like most peoples reservations concerning the 4 man sloop is mainly due to the tactics employed by sloop players in general. I know when I see a galleon and I am in a sloop the first thing that pops into my head is an easy target. this is not because I feel I can take a galleon in a strait on fight, which in fact I know I cannot.

The majority of sloop runners I see anchored side by side to a galleon or even ramming them never survive long. The reason I feel they are easy targets is simply because one I know they cannot catch me if I chose to retreat and two because I know I can sink them via exploding barrels or boarding them. times this by 4 players and you have them at even more of a disadvantage than before. I imagine 4 players all boarding a galleon at once and trying to stay alive or trying to micro manage a high maintenance ship while fending off 4 players constantly harassing you on a nimble and nearly impossible ship to catch. These I believe are the main concerns and extremely viable.

I am excited to try a 4 man sloop myself but I also remain painfully aware of how unbalanced it would be. The galleons main weakness is the multitude of underhanded tactics that can be employed to sink it as well as its high maintenance to remain operating at optimal efficiency.

Yes sloops are weaker, yes you can kill and knock the crew off the deck with more efficiency, yes they both have pros and cons that give them weaknesses and strength and those may change on a case to case moment. But the initial condition of a strait up fight it appears the galleon has the upper hand, its suppose to be harder to sink its suppose to have superior manpower and firepower on its side. you take away the manpower on its side and everyone knows its a one sided fight.

I feel the only way to balance this is to increase the player count on galleons. the 4 man sloop might not see a galleon as easy prey if it had 8 people aboard all waiting to get within swimming distance to board them or able to repair, round the clock any damage taken. adding 4 men to a sloop and not increasing any men to the galleon is indeed reducing half its strength right there. I don't think the resolution should be to not add 4 men sloop since players are already operating 4 men sloops outside of the what the game restricts. It is a balancing issue and I can only imagine if a 4 man sloop all swim at a galleon each armed with an exploding barrels and this is saying nothing for the poor solo players who just want to enjoy the game to the degree that they can alone.

I would like to see how this plays out but without them taking a serious look at the galleon in the same respects they are the sloop I also fear that it will be underdeveloped as well. Of course there is a chance for a captain worth his salt to be able to take on 4 man sloops in a galleon even with the odds against them and come out on top for it but the average player has no such patience for what they see as an unbalanced mechanic and I am not sure I disagree with their view.

In the end I hope the developers take all of our concerns to heart and find a way to not only allow us an expansion in just manpower but also balance and playability for both ships.

@wetworksrpg sweet jeebus almighty, paragraphs man.