I swore off the series after slogging through Assassin’s Creed III as Mr-absolute-lack-of-personality Connor – but everything I’ve seen about Assassin’s Creed IV so far has me rather excited to jump back in to the animus. One of the things I was most excited for though won;t be in the game.
With such a huge focus on naval battles in this sequel, I had expected it to be included in the game’s ever-expanding multiplayer offering; firing cannonballs in to a friend’s ship and leaving him to drown would have been a multiplayer highlight – but it’s just not going to happen. Ubisoft has confirmed that there will be no multiplayer naval battling.
“You have to take into consideration that it took a very big dedicated team in Singapore about two-and-a-half years to do it for the solo [play],” lead multiplayer game designer Tim Browne told VG247.
“In Black Flag it’s even better, but for solo. We’ve looked at it and we’ve considered it. We seriously considered it. We think it would be cool, but at the same time we tried it, and for technical reasons it’s impossible.”
One of the biggest problems in getting multi-layer naval battles working was simulating the ocean in an online setting, which just wasn’t possible, according to director Damien Kieken.
“One of the big added values of the naval battles in single-player is how they simulate the ocean. The ocean is really a toy. You have big waves, waves that stop your cannon balls: you have to play with the ocean. If you want that to be good in multiplayer, it means we have to perfectly replicate the ocean.”
“Over seven other consoles,” Browne said, before Kieken added: “It was one of the big hurdles. We didn’t want to go into that. It definitely wasn’t feasible in the time [we had].”
On top of that, it just didn’t fit in with the game’s established multiplayer.
“We looked at the DNA of multiplayer, and we thought that ship battles aren’t really being the cool assassin. With multiplayer it’s all about you working either as a team of four players or in free-for-all, where you want to be the best player. It’s not so much about piloting a ship and using cannons to destroy the opponent’s ship.”
Dammit.I really, really want to use cannons to destroy opponents ships. Boo! Instead, AC4 will include an expanded version of the previous game’s Wolf Pack mode, and a brand new feature called Gamelab, that’ll allow the game’s host to tailor multiplayer sessions using a ridiculous number of variables.
Guess I’ll just have to play some old school battleship.
Last Updated: July 30, 2013
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 09:19
Hmmm, so no playing with sea men with your friends it seems
John Ambitious
July 30, 2013 at 09:45
Here we go
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 09:20
Battleship turn based strategy HD!!!!!!!!!
Why has no one made this????
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 09:24
Who here played computer battleship AGES ago?
Where you had to program your ship locations in and then you program your shots to fire? (fancy board game)
Am I alone?
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 09:30
This? 😛
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ltbwovpkEC1qgpf5zo1_500.jpg
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
July 30, 2013 at 09:37
that’s winning.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 09:38
That’s what I thought too 🙂
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 09:48
Its Tuesday morning, and I already have my plan for the weekend, thanks LC
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 09:49
It’s a pleasure!
John Ambitious
July 30, 2013 at 10:05
Battleshots. Legend
Trevor Davies
July 30, 2013 at 09:36
eh, when I was young, we had to play battleships with a real board… and actual pegs… and lie about when something was hit or not
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 09:38
Or stack them on top of each other. Because stuff logic right
Trevor Davies
July 30, 2013 at 09:44
Exactly. I had a fleet full of submarines, not my fault he didn’t fire depth charges :/
Hermann Schwindt
July 30, 2013 at 09:46
ROFL
RinceDAmasterdebata
July 30, 2013 at 09:46
I’d just move them each time they were hit. I thought I was the only one #vindcated
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 09:47
We were all cheats at Battleships at some point cc @disqus_DoEH3TsffU:disqus
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 09:48
Not me, I was just damn good!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 09:48
I do not believe that hehe. You must have cheated at least once!
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 09:49
Pffff. I took my Battleship seriously
RinceDAmasterdebata
July 30, 2013 at 09:49
LIES!
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 09:51
Oh like I lied about my Lagz tshirt?
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 09:52
Oooooh. Apply cold water to burn for at least 15minutes
RinceDAmasterdebata
July 30, 2013 at 09:52
0-O It’s not even 10am, and I am only on coffee number 2. How could you be so insensitive, especially with Gavin having spent all our T-Shirt money on his new Beiber cosplay outfit 🙁
RinceDAmasterdebata
July 30, 2013 at 09:48
Yeah, this is true, but I BET @disqus_DoEH3TsffU:disqus was the biggest damn cheat out there, trololo!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 09:49
Welllllll…… I kinda once didn’t place any ships……
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 09:49
He sounded like a primary school kiddie asking the teacher to go pee!
MISS
MISS
MISS
MISS
MISS
RinceDAmasterdebata
July 30, 2013 at 09:50
HAHAHAHAH!
RinceDAmasterdebata
July 30, 2013 at 09:51
That or he was auditioning for the role of Simple Jack 😉
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 09:57
Your new nickname sounds like you like to pleasure yourself…
#JustSaying
RinceDAmasterdebata
July 30, 2013 at 10:00
It’s not new, was from last week, and was totally aimed at portraying that! #catchup
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 10:01
Sorry that I don’t keep up with your personal habits old boy
😛
RinceDAmasterdebata
July 30, 2013 at 10:02
*shake my hand? HAHAHA
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 10:03
Moving on SWIFTLY
😉
RinceDAmasterdebata
July 30, 2013 at 10:04
What should my name this week be then? Was appropriate for last week’s flaming, but need something new now…
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 10:05
RinceJigglyboobhater
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 10:06
Whats wrong with those?
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 10:23
No no. Last night’s article that got @rincethis:disqus all worked up because they are adding jigglyboob physics to the new Final Fantasy
RinceJigglyboobhater
July 30, 2013 at 10:12
WINNER!
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 10:07
RinceWhereMahTShirtAtFool
RinceJigglyboobhater
July 30, 2013 at 10:12
!!! OI! #toosoon
Trevor Davies
July 30, 2013 at 10:09
It was the way of life when my siblings & I competed. It was more fun seeing who could cheat the most without getting caught than actually winning 😉