Question about Privateers...
These seem to be one-off units, as they have no upgrade path beyond Heavy Privateer. They're good for harassing shipping, but they eventually become obsolete when steam frigates enter the scene.
Was there an historical upgrade path for these ships or are they intended to dead-end and lose the built-up experience?
This depends on how good your neighbors are. Mine were good - but behind in tech, so I've managed to get my Heavy Privateers to 200+ xp (BY FAR the most experienced unit I've had - even my favorite artillery cannons that i've been using to rain on any enemy getting close had around 70 exp - and those are the most experienced ones), had no problem sinking Steam Frigates and occasionally Cruisers (especially damaged ones - but that's to be expected). Still, even Heavy Privs mostly sit in the dock once everyone is past steam frigs - with the exception of an occasional freighter or two, there's not much work for them. That's probably not the issue - pirates did go pretty much extinct by modern era and those that haven't rely on raids and capturing civilian ships, not directly contending with the world blue water navies.
The issue are these:
- Ordinary Privateers are mostly pointless. They're too weak to even kill a sloop, and have trouble against much earlier units like Galeass.
- The AI uses privateers in a mindless way - sends them out one by one into the open where they get picked off easily, uses them to guard their own fishing boats so that anyone can kill them, still builds Privs well into Industrial era.
Still, there sometimes just aren't enough targets for privateers. One solution would be to give Privateers experience for pillaging tiles - after all, they already have the relevant promotion and their task seems to be mostly that.
For those who would like to build Privateers and use them for fun and profit above all else - here's a small guide.
- Forget about small Privateers. Heavy ones are the only usable Privateer, unless you're 4 eras ahead.
- Forget about Open Borders. It's not a big deal since you're already running Protectionism which doesn't (or shouldn't) allow foreign trade, but your privateers absolutely need a safe place to hide and transit. Since after devouring an unsuspecting opponent your Privateer will most likely be damaged, ending a turn anywhere but friendly waters is likely to be a death sentence even for a Heavy Privateer - see p.3
- Never end turns outside of friendly cities or forts (ideally. Friendly waters are ok but if you're damaged heavily you're still vulnerable to caravels and enemy privateers). No units can enter your cities or forts without an open border agreement - not even the ones that "can explore rival territory". This means that your privateers are pretty much limited to raiding your neighbors - but there is no other option due to how fragile they are and how anyone can attack them. Start your turn in a city, pick a target not far away that will allow you to get back to friendly territory, kill it and get back into the city if you can, but certainly don't leave your Priv outside of friendly waters.
- Try, and ideally, succeed in grabbing every possible bonus to naval movement speed which includes but is not limited to (I forget all the bonuses) proving the Earth is round, getting both Navigation promotions, getting the Sea Wolves bonus to ocean speed. Privateer is a hit and run unit. Mine had 13 movement alowing it to strike far, get back, LIVE and rake in experience.
- Free Navigation 1 promotion is crucial - you'll save 2 perks for other purposes. (Rationale: you need as much speed as possible on your Privateers, therefore it's absolutely necessary to have Nav 2 promotion. In order to get it normally you'll need Flanking 1 -> Nav 1 -> Nav 2. Getting free Nav 1 out of the gate requires you to take just one promotion - Nav 2, saving two other perks for more kill - suitable needs. Flanking is pretty unnecessary - withdrawing grants you no experience, you need to kill targets, so I'd advise the Sea Wolves chain + as much Combat as you can get).
- If your odds of winning an engagement are low, you can stack some units that provide support - don't forget, these exist for the navy as well. Man'o'Wars are good example - they can follow your privateers anywhere to the rival territory and they give them an inspiration bonus of 5% str. Advanced into the Industrial Era and want to sink damaged vessels passing nearby due to the endless wars the AI constantly find themselves in? Destroyers give Screening Aid and Battleships give Long-Range Fire Support. Sure, your privateers are mostly obsolete at that point and they won't bring a Pre-Dreadnought down, but they still can finish off damaged units and help you create Great Generals.
- Build forts - but don't sacrifice usable tiles for those unless canal forts allow you to rapidly transit beteen different seas or oceans (last map I played on had an outstanding system of lakes that allowed rapid transit between three neighbors). Build forts in the 3rd tier culture expand tiles that you'll never use - like the ones on the far islands or something. These forts are cruciual hiding places for your privateers (or other ships, for that matter). Like I mentioned, leaving damaged ships in the open is often a death sentence, but the cities are probably too far away from your sea border so you'll be losing valuable movement points traversing your own territory. Build a fort out there, in the farthest reaches of your culture and use it as a hiding/healing place for your strike fleets (works well for national fleets in time of war too - and also airplanes).
Thanks for the wonderful mod and good luck in the high seas!
.
But at least much less known
