The wind rose: what's changed and what's next
Captains! Let's talk about one of the most-discussed mechanics in the game: the wind rose.
In this article, we'll explain why the unique rose was introduced, what changes in Update B21, and how we plan to develop this mechanic going forward.
For a shorter version, check out our dedicated video:
Wind rose terms and types
For convenience, we use a few real-world sailing terms, adapted to the conventions of the game:
Broad reach: the familiar “green arrow.” The most favorable sector, where the ship reaches its highest speed.
Downwind: sailing almost straight before the wind, with the wind coming from astern.
No-go zone: the unfavorable headwind sector, where the ship loses a great deal of speed.
The standard wind rose is used on square-rigged ships. Its sectors are arranged symmetrically around the direction of the wind.
The unique wind rose is used on fore-and-aft-rigged ships. Its sectors are offset, so the favorable headings differ from those of the standard rose.
Why the unique rose was introduced
We created the unique rose to make your choice of heading relative to the wind matter more, give ships their own sailing characteristics, and give players more ways to gain an edge by working the wind well.
In addition, in the old version, sailing ships could in some situations sail almost directly into the wind, which made the advantage of oared ships less noticeable.
Why the wind rose ran into problems
unique rose before the changes
After the unique rose launched in B19, it became clear that it conflicted with the seafaring system—oared ships in particular—and that it still wasn't clear enough to players.
On top of that, the size of the no-go zone could depend on a particular ship's stats. As a result, its boundaries varied from vessel to vessel, which made the rose even harder to use.
So we decided to make a series of changes that will make the unique wind rose easier to use and its advantages more noticeable.
Changes to the unique rose in Update B21
diagram of the rose as updated in B21
Broad reach
Broad-reach sectors will grow by about 33%.
Speed within them will increase by 0.5 knots.
The right sector will shift closer to the no-go zone, and the left one closer to downwind.
The effective headings on each tack will still differ.
It will be easier to bring the ship onto a favorable course and to hold it there longer.
Downwind
The downwind sector will shrink by about 33%.
It will now point straight downwind, as it does on the standard rose.
That makes it easier to get your bearings when sailing with the wind, and to move from downwind into the adjacent broad-reach sectors more quickly.
No-go zone
The no-go zone will shrink by about 22%.
Its right boundary will be brought in line with the standard rose.
The size of the no-go zone will no longer depend on a particular ship's stats.
You'll still be able to sail fairly close to the wind on one tack.
There will be fewer headings where the ship loses a lot of speed, and the no-go zone will behave more predictably.
All changes at a glance
+33% to broad-reach sector size.
−33% to downwind sector size.
−22% to no-go zone size.
+0.5 knots to top speed on a broad reach.
The no-go zone's right boundary has been brought in line with the standard rose.
The broad-reach sectors have been repositioned.
The no-go zone's size no longer depends on ship stats.
What happens after Update B21
The unique rose demands more attention than the standard one, but in return it gives you more room to maneuver. Once you know where the broad-reach sector sits on each tack, you can choose your course more precisely and make better use of your ship's strengths.
To make the mechanic easier to understand, we've also added a dedicated Wind Rose section to the Encyclopedia, and going forward we'll make the system more approachable with additional hints.
Once B21 is out, we'll keep watching how the new configuration performs in the game and take your feedback into account as we develop the mechanic further.