Naval Combat!

[Swellick]

So guys, what up with the Naval Aspect of 0 A.D.? I really haven't seen or heard much about it. I feel that naval warfare has been extreemly innacurately portaied in nearly every RTS game. I really hope that 0 A.D. doesn't follow that tradition. So, I have some suggestions:

1. Fleets should be placed in formations just like infantry.

2. Ships should be MUCH larger (I understand that it is impossible to get the correct scale do to map size issues but.... i think they should be atelast a little larger)

3. Ships should hold a garrison count.

4. Ships should have an upgrade system - instead of building a catapult galley, simply upgrade individual normal galley to catapult status. (or ballista increased garrison count... etc depending on civ.)

5. Ships should be boardable. Example: you have 12 units garrisoned on a galley and you attack an enemy heavy galley that has only 4 troops... a little on board skirmish is fought and your remaining guys take the heavy galley.) You would simply choose the stance of your ship: Defensive, Agressive, Stand Ground, or Boarding stance. If placed on boarding stance it will auto board the first enemy ship.

[Aeros]

feel that naval warfare has been extreemly innacurately portaied in nearly every RTS game

We do too

Points 1, 2 are what we are aiming for. Ships will be too scale and will function accurately to how they really did. Units will be portrayed on the ships. I like your 4rth idea too.

The reason that not much information on naval battles in 0 A.D. isn't out there is because the way we handle naval gameplay is very expiramental. We'd like to test out things and see how they work before saying we'll have them. Perhaps someone from the design department could answer more questions about ships than I can.

[Mythos_Ruler]

Well, let's just say Swellick is on the right track.

[Phoenix-TheRealDeal]

'The Ships' have been near and dear to my heart ever since even before we started this lil project several years ago. Our 'intention' is to give you as much of what you propose as is possible for us to work out... 1., 2., 3. are almost a certainty though 1 modified somewhat for the ships and 4. may not be 'necessary' if we can work it out so that you can 'configure' your 'ship's complement' (garrison) pretty much as you, the player, desire (or the AI 'decides'). Boarding in 5. may be beyond our 'ken', ramming which you didn't mention may be possible, stances in certain respects are 'possible'.

We are being somewhat vague because certain 'issues' which we've placed in the design document as requirements have yet to be worked out as to how they'll be implemented, as CheeZy has stated... and we have a way to go with them yet.

You can rejoice in the fact that, as Mythos_Ruler said, you are "on the right track". So are we.