Neverseas - Developer's Log №4

Ahoy, Captains!

Today we’re diving into the ship armament system of Neverseas. This topic turned out to be so broad and complex that it sparked numerous heated discussions and several complete overhauls and redesigns.

The main challenge was that the 16th–18th centuries marked a true revolution in the development of firearms and naval artillery. A vast array of weaponry emerged—from massive bombards and small-caliber mortars to falconets and demi-cannons. These technological advancements drastically altered naval warfare, opening new tactical and strategic possibilities. This revolutionary period was followed by relentless testing and field trials, where sometimes an admiral’s strategic brilliance was paid for by the lives of many brave sailors.

Our goal was to maintain historical authenticity and variety while crafting engaging game mechanics that would make each weapon feel distinct and genuinely authentic.

To implement such a wide variety of ballistic systems, we developed robust mathematical models and an intuitive user interface. Ship armaments were tied to specific slots, each corresponding to a particular deck and position on board.

While this approach allowed for extensive customization, it unfortunately turned out to be overly cumbersome, especially on ships equipped with numerous cannons. Setting up, managing, and keeping track of each cannon’s unique characteristics quickly became tiresome and uncomfortable for players.

In the image, you can see the initial interface prototypes for interacting with the weapon mounting system.

We were forced to retrace our steps and choose an entirely different path. We completely reworked the system: smaller weapons were handed over to the crew's control, requiring players to set priority targets. The main weapons were unified by ship sides and standardized. This decision greatly simplified installation and management, but unfortunately, gameplay lost depth due to lengthy reload times of the main weapons and limited flexibility for detailed combat adjustments. This forced us to rethink our approach once again.

We wanted to resolve this issue decisively, leaving no room for doubt. We studied how armament was arranged on real ships of that era:

• On the main gundeck (lower gun deck), heavy demi-cannons and culverins were positioned to maintain a low center of gravity.

• Medium-caliber weapons—falconets and lighter demi-cannons—were mounted on the forecastle and quarterdeck.

• Small-caliber weapons were located on the upper decks (foredeck and stern), intended to target enemy crews and damage their rigging.

Our battleship in cross-section is still a work in progress, but as a demonstrator of the differences between weapons on different decks, it’s absolutely ideal.

The main distinction from previous, less convenient systems is that we’ve taken control of light armament away from the crew and implemented a convenient “360° view” when aiming. The primary guns have been divided into different groups by caliber. When a target moves from one sector to another, the game automatically switches you to the weapons on the appropriate broadside and selects the best type of armament.

We now consider this implementation optimal and hope it stays that way for a long time. =)

An illustration with cats perfectly demonstrates the variety of installed weapons.

Firing from small-caliber guns has eliminated the tedious wait for the main cannons to reload. Thanks to the precision and excellent ballistics of these weapons, you can effectively hit specific modules of enemy ships. We also added two new mechanics:

• The ability to fire either in volleys or single shots.

• The option to choose the firing sequence: bow-to-stern, stern-to-bow, or maximum rate of fire with minimal pauses between shots.

Additionally, we’ve introduced mortars, significantly expanding tactical possibilities.

Now players have four weapon