by: SurveyorPete – Wednesday, 30 May 2018
Originally posted in https://www.seaofthieves.com/forum/topic/61168/sailing-close-to-the-wind
Now, I know this is just a game, and there many things that are not realistic, if not fantasy: such as fighting skellies and firing oneself from a cannon.
However, there is one unrealistic aspect of the game that constantly irks me. That is the ability to sail directly into the wind. This should not be possible. If you want to get to that island to the North, and the wind is blowing to the South, you should have to tack, alternately NE, and NW, to work your way to your destination.
I would argue that our ships should not be able to sail any closer than 30° to the wind; which is still generous for square-rigged ships. Possibly, different ships could have different abilities in this regard, e.g 30° for a sloop, 40° for a galleon. If you turn windward with momentum you should not stop at once, but start to slow down, until your tack is complete, and your sails have been swung around to catch the wind on the other side.
I would not change the ability to spin on the spot, if stationary with both the sails and anchor raised. Thus if you find yourself "in irons", facing the wind and motionless, then you can turn your ship until you are far enough off the wind, to get going again.
Apart from being more realistic, this would add much to the richness of the game. Battle tactics would be much more considered, and having the "weather gauge" will be a distinct advantage, as it was in real life.
Successful pirates, above everything else, needed to be good sailors. So let's #beMorePirate
