...I've got a new idea...

[Captain Maggee]

Haha, sounds like one of my courses at uni as well... We have not done it once yet either :

 

[FireBat]

I love it FB! Folks assume because of Hollywood that western fighting was just a slog match. That is so wrong. Western Martial Arts were just as defined and formal as Eastern, just lost to history and importance very quickly over the course of a couple centuries because of extremely rapid European technological innovations. It is being vigorously rediscovered. Wrestling forms the ground basis of most European fight books. Fiore alone has over 130 wrestling moves that need to be mastered and understood before adding weapons to the mix. Talhoffer is two centuries dated by the age of Piracy and that's why I added the Petter wrestling screenshot and quote/explanation, but this is fine, just cause it looks so damn cool.

MK

Thank you. I'm glad you approve. Seeing as you are our resident expert on medieval combat, I found it important to pass it by you first. I will continue with the medium and heavy weapon treatis. I have always been a fan of the western martial arts. (not that hollywood crap) Of course to the same note, I also enjoy the eastern martial arts as well. I have a tiny arsenal of weapons in my basement, along with training weapons. I am finding that these manual that you have directed me to are proving to be a valuable resource.

Awesome job FB! Those look absolutely fantastic mate!

I do owe you an apology though, I should have uploaded my new blank PNG template to the FTP last night, but I forgot! It is up there now mate, that one looks much better than my original. The text should look much more readable on the PNG blank. Also, HERE is the link where I originally got the book, if you would rather start with that.

MK, checking out those fonts now, good stuff mate, thanks! Looks like there might be a prospect or two.

Just ran across these, they are based on authentic 17'th century fonts.

Thank you. No worries mate, I resized the book myself, and each mistake i make is a chance to learn. I have snatched up that copy on your ftp section. All that needs to be done is the pages lightened up a bit.

As each book is created, I will be expiermenting with different fonts, yet as this these are tier 3 books, the fonts will reflect the high level of quality that these books should have. Each author would have their own font style, and that is why I am not worried about changing the fonts up a bit, so long as they reflect the quality of the book.

If at any point during the creating process that you want to have a crack at higher tiered book, go ahead. I think it would be fun to experiment with all the different fonts moving forward. As well, the way each of us write is different, just as professional authors write differently as well. If I write all the tier 3 books, then the word usage will reflect my writing style, and it will be quite obvious that 1 author pened all the tier 3 books, which is something I want to avoid.

Nice one. I do also find the font a bit hard to read on the first two versions, though not impossible. To read, personally I generally like extremely clear fonts like Arial or Verdana, but I wouldn't recommend you use those here.
The third and last edition does look very good.

Thank you. I sometimes forget that not all players have excellent vision like myself. Actually I am slightly ashamed of this oversight as both my parents have limited to no eyesight (dad has prostectic eyes) A juggling act it is to find that balance between readability, decorative font, and enough space for all the information I wish to post.

BTW: I like the text you've written on discipline. I especially like the fact that you're suggesting they should give debriefings and congratulations in the 16th/17th century. That's what they were also suggesting at the Bridge Team Management course I had several months ago. And it STILL DOESN'T HAPPEN!

: Being a retired airforce officer myself, I dug up some of my old training. As you know, just because its in a manual, or on course, doesn't mean it gets done. :

 

[FireBat]

More Updates:

Medium and Heavy Weapons manuals are done. You may notice that in the medium weapons manual, the pictures look a little strange. I believe due to water damage the original drawings were damaged, so the translator fixed them. I fixed them a little more, to make it less noticable. I added a head to the second picture that had colour, and a bit of colour was added to the sword. I would have used other pics, but there were none to depict a medium weapons fighting style.

This next book was originally ment for the medium weapons style, however, upon re-examination, I noticed that they were referring to longswords, which are clearly heavy weapon types.

I suppose i will now move on to the tier 3 pistols book...

(FB EDIT: As suggested I will post my Tier 3 Pistols manual for proof reading)

Most injuries due to the use of pistols happen to the target, yet the leading cause of injury to the user of the pistol is due to over-charging the weapon. The goal of this manual is to ensure that user loads their weapon and discharges it without injury, yet is still able to take down their target.

The most common mistake, and leading cause of this type of injury is not measuring out the correct amount of powder in the proper fashion. Tho it is much easier and quicker to pour your powder-horn down the muzzle, this will result in either a large amount of unburnt powder after discharge, or a breach of the barrel, resulting in injury or death. Also, if there is a hot spark resting in the base of the barrel, the powder-horn may explode. Use your deer-horn powder measuring tool to measure 20 grains of powder. There is no sense in loading more powder, as it may not burn.

Also, be sure that you have plenty of spare patches, as without them the powder is free to move around the base of the barrel and will cause the explosion to be slower, thereby reducing the muzzle velocity.

After setting the ball, then set the cap on the nipple. Be sure that this is the last step! It has happened on occasion that a loose hammer strikes the cap during loading and the user of the weapon gets shot right between the eyes.

If you follow all these steps, your enemies will lay dead, and you will be without injury.

 

[Darkhymn]

Sorry I haven't been working on this much. I've just not been motivated. I'll try to get back on it tonight. Great job on the books, they look amazing.

 

[FireBat]

Sorry I haven't been working on this much. I've just not been motivated. I'll try to get back on it tonight. Great job on the books, they look amazing.

No worries. At this point I can't stop...I will continue moving forward, and if the motivation is still lacking, just tell me how you got the 2 pages to show and I can implement the changes.

You have done great work on this and deserve a break anyway : )

 

[Darkhymn]

I'll upload Everything I currently have after a bit of refining this afternoon / tonight. That way you can go ahead and do what you need to do, whether I am available or not. In fact, I may go one step further and just write in the code so that all 45 (46?) books are readable, and point to their .tga.tx, so all that will need to be done is actually naming the textures accordingly and putting them where they need to be. It may not be ready until morning, but I'll make sure to get it done.

 

[FireBat]

Excellent. Thank you very much....
If all goes according to plan, I think we can have this finished by the start of next week.
(FB EDIT: Yet another submission for proof reading...thank you in advance )
Stealth Tier 3

When enemy patrols are hunting your ship down, there are a variety techniques that one can use to evade battle or capture, aside from changing the flag.

In order to use any of these techniques, you must be able to see the enemy, before they can clearly see you. Be sure to own a spyglass of the highest quality, and your watchman must always be on high alert for enemy patrols.

One such technique is a quick name change. Be sure that if you are to do this, that you are well prepared with spare signage to nail over the existing name. Scaffolding in place and ready for use does not hurt either.

In conjunction with this technique you may wish to employ another tactic. This will only work on vessels of reputable standing, and for the most part will not work on pirates.

If your pursuers are English, then have your crew wear uniforms of a nation who are at peace with the English. Of course, you will want to change the flag to match the uniforms as well. Do not have them wear uniforms of the same nationality of your pursuers as they may be more likely to want to come aboard and chat, most likely to find your whereabouts.

If your pursuers are Pirates, then changing your flag to a solid black or red flag will usually be enough. Pirates rarely attack one of their own

Be sure to not make any movement to flee while employing these techniques. Wait for the other vessel to leave the area first, and sail away slowly. Any attempt to flee the area may arouse suspicion.

 

[FireBat]

Luck Tier 3

After the battle aboard an enemy vessel, the fun part may commence. Looting. Unfortunately still a large amount of loot goes undiscovered, and upon destruction of the ship, many valuables get sent to the bottom of the sea. However, after this manual has been read, a sharp eyed sailor can discover the best loot, hidden away in some fairly common places.

The first such common place is under the false bottoms of chests. Many captains will have such false bottom chests to hide items of high value. To discover such false bottoms it is simply a matter of measuring the length of the outside of a chest and the inside of a chest. If there is a difference of more than the length of a thumb, there is more than likely a false bottom.

There are many ways to access what is under said false bottom, the most common is to destroy the chest. Doing this, however, will likely end up in damaging whatever it is that has been hidden away, and demonstrate foolish behaviour. A much less destructive path to discovery is to simply look on the outside and inside of the chest for any abnormalities in the grain of the wood. Usually this is shown as a seam in the design of the chest, where there should be none. Simply insert a dagger into the seam, and it will just be a matter of prying a small plank from the chest. It is at this point that one must use intelligence to figure out how the false bottom was constructed. It should be only a short matter of time until the treasure hidden away is exposed, and in the hands of the one whom discovered it.

There also may be hidden compartments in the floorboards of the vessel. These take a bit more skill to discover, but are usually characterized by a hollow sound when knocking upon the boards

Navigation Tier 3

Because the sky lies overhead, we designed the map to be held above your head. Let's start our tour in the western sky. Find the big yellow "W" on the map's right side, and orient it so the "W" lies at the bottom as you look due west. Late on April evenings, you'll see the stars of winter descending toward the horizon. Only part of Orion remains visible, while the bright star Procyon and Gemini's twin stars, Castor and Pollux, appear prominent higher in the west.

Next, shift your gaze to the southern sky. Turn the map 90° counterclockwise and place the yellow "S" at the bottom. More than halfway up in the sky, you'll see two of spring's bright constellations: Leo and Virgo. The planet Saturn currently lies in southern Leo, below it as you look up.

Note that as you face south with the map overhead, east lies to your left and west to your right. This arrangement looks odd when you look down on the map, but it's perfectly logical as you look up.

Go back to Leo and Virgo, then crane your neck and look straight overhead. Here you'll see the large constellation Ursa Major, with its group of seven bright stars known as the Big Dipper. To find the other bright stars and constellations scattered across April's evening sky, simply turn the map to match the direction you're facing.

Accuracy is completed also, but seeing at is it nothing but mathematical formula, there is no need for proof reading

 

[Thagarr]

Looks good and very logical FireBat! Nicely written mate!

BTW, thanks for saving me a headache ...I have no desire to see advanced calculus!

I was doing Luck tier 1 in my head at work, and trying to come up with the start of a couple of other. Just gonna go write that up now ...if I can remember it!

Ok, this is what I have for luck so far, it will probably change a bit.

There are some enlightened individuals that proclaim a person is capable of making his own luck. This is complete balderdash! One can no more create luck, than one can turn led into gold! Unless of course you happen to be Irish, but that is covered in an entirely different book, Leprechauns, for fun and profit!

We normal people must find luck the hard way, by acquiring good luck charms, and avoiding black cats at all costs! In this book, we will cover five easy to find good luck charms that will change your fortune in ways you can't even imagine!

1.Four Leaf Clover
Finding a clover with four leaflets is rare, and since exceptionally good luck is also rare, it is obvious that a four-leaf clover will bring exceptionally good luck!


2.Rabbits foot
there are a few conditions for rabbits feet as a good luck charms, and they must all be observed! First, not any foot from a rabbit will do: it is the left hind foot of a rabbit that is useful as a charm. Second, not any left hind foot of a rabbit will do; the rabbit must have been shot or otherwise captured in a cemetery. Third, not any left hind foot of a rabbit shot in a cemetery will do: the phase of the moon is also important. The rabbit must be taken in the new moon on a rainy Friday the 13th.


3.Horseshoe
Horseshoes have long been a source of good luck, both on land, and at sea. For a horseshoe to work as a lucky charm however, it has to have been worn by a horse at some point! On land, an iron horseshoe on your door is a convenient way to ward off faeries and other bothersome critters! At sea, horseshoes on a ship’s mast will turn away storms. This is a proven scientific fact!



4.Tattoos
Tattoos and piercing ward off evil spirits, for a sailor to wear gold hoop earrings is good luck!

5. Figurehead
A figurehead in the form of a naked woman perched on the bow of a ship calms the sea, and her open eyes will guide the ship to safety

 

[FireBat]

That one looks good mate...keep up the hard work

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Question based on those book texts: Does it actually make a difference in CoAS if you change the name of your ship? In PotC Build 14 Beta 1, it does.

Also for your Advanced Navigation one, the text sounds like the book comes with a star chart. However, since the earth turns, only the most Northern and Southern stars remain at their spots and the other ones could be either in the West, the East, right above you or somewhere else depending on the date, time and your location on the world. So a star chart as you describe wouldn't actually work in real life, unless it's made for a specific date, time and location.

Can you show the Accuracy mathematical formulas as well? I'd be interested to see what you made of that one and see if I understand any of it.

 

[Thagarr]

Thanks FB! This work thing is seriously interfering with my creativity though!

 

[FireBat]

Question based on those book texts: Does it actually make a difference in CoAS if you change the name of your ship? In PotC Build 14 Beta 1, it does.

Also for your Advanced Navigation one, the text sounds like the book comes with a star chart. However, since the earth turns, only the most Northern and Southern stars remain at their spots and the other ones could be either in the West, the East, right above you or somewhere else depending on the date, time and your location on the world. So a star chart as you describe wouldn't actually work in real life, unless it's made for a specific date, time and location.

Can you show the Accuracy mathematical formulas as well? I'd be interested to see what you made of that one and see if I understand any of it.

Yes, the text does come from a book from a star chart. Since I am not an expert on reading the stars, I did have to pull the information from somewhere. Since you sound to be the resident expert, perhaps you wouldnt mind writing a blurb on this particular area.

Again, when it comes to trig, not my forte, but i will gladly pull up the information that i found and post it here.

range = v0^2 sin(2 theta) /g

Where:

Vo = Launch velocity in m/s
Theta = launch angle in degrees
g= 9.8 m/s^2


For max height


d = 0.5 at^2
d = 0.5 * 9.8 * (1.02/2) ^2 (Time up = time down so divide total time by 2)

d = 0.5 * 9.8 * 0.51^2 = 1.27 m


The initial velocity is 10m/s at 30 degrees. Resolve this vector into it's horizontal and vertical components: Vxo = 10cos(30)=8.66m/s Vyo=10sin(30)=5m/s Neglecting air resistance. How long is the cannon ball in the air? Solve for when the vertical component is zero at peak altitude:
Vy(t) =Vyo-gt =0 So Vyo/g = t =5/9.8 = 0.51s at peak altitude. To find the peak altitude: d(t)= Vyot-.5gt^2= 5*.51-4.9*.51^2 =1.28m ANSWER
To find the horizontal distance traveled: It takes that same amount of time to fall back down. So the total time in the air is .51 + 51 = = 1.02s
d(t) = Vox*t = 8.66*1.02 = 8.84m Remember the cannon ball does not have lift. If a rifle bullet is fired parallel to the ground and a another bullet is dropped the same instant the rifle is fired, both will hit the ground at the same time.

Finished up Tier 3 Cannons

The key to be being a successful Master Gunner is often limited by the training that he provides the cannoneers with. This manual will ensure that the cannoneers and powder monkeys under your command are properly trained for battle.

To ensure such readiness, training drills must be done. If there is plenty of time between battles, not only will these drills train your men, but also keep boredom at bay.

Most men know how to load a cannon, and most people know how to carry loads of powder from below deck, the problem is that most of the time, the muscles are not ready for such loads.

For the cannoneers, simply have them lift cannonballs to breach of the cannon, then bring them back to the deck. We suggest using larger cannonballs than the ones used for battle. In this way, during battle, the shot normally used will seem light. Also, if the cannonballs are larger than the breach of the cannon, then the cannon balls will not accidentally be loaded without being able to be shot out.

The same applies for the powder monkeys. Saving a few empty powder kegs aboard will come in handy. Fill those with heavier-than-powder sea water, and have the monkeys run from below deck carrying the water.

A bit of friendly competition doesn't hurt either. Set up teams, each one with their own powder monkey and cannoneer and have a race. The team that fires off their cannon first wins a prize. (Perhaps a gold coin, or extra rum rations for the day) Be sure that the powder monkeys use the training keg, as the less that the powder is moved about, the less of a chance for an accident. To turn what started as a fun event into the loss of one or more crew members will very quickly lower moral.

Grappling Tier 3

Getting aboard an enemy vessel can be a tricky prospect, especially if the enemy is trying to board your ship at the same time. There are, however, some practical steps that can be taken to ensure boarding success.

Most importantly, boarding hooks must be prepared at all times, and in designated areas on deck.

Also, having spare weapons on board available to not only the boarding parties, but those defending the ship will go a long way to ensure success.

Setting up squads is also a good idea. Preassign each crew member in the event that boarding is underway. Squads should be divided as follows:
Defenders: Those who remain on board, and defend from enemy boarders. A number of crew efficient with Muskets may be used as they can engage boarders before they actually get aboard your ship.

Attackers Alpha: Those who board the enemy vessel and engage the enemy on their deck. These front line boarders need to be very efficient with melee weapons, as the battle will fierce here.

Attackers Beta: Attackers who board the enemy vessel and immediately head below deck and engage the enemy there. Usually the enemy below deck will not be prepared for attackers, and may still be firing their cannons. Those in this squad may be of lesser skill with melee weapons for this reason.

Additional squads may be created for reinforcement purposes.

Be sure that your Doctor has the proper medical supplies to deal with casualties.

 

[FireBat]

Defence Tier 3

When the enemy boarding your vessel greatly out numbers your crew. It helps to have some 'surprises' in store for them.

Traps can be effective in two ways, killing enemy boarders, and making any remaining enemy boarders unsure of where the next trap may be. This will not only lower the moral of the enemy boarders, but will also serve as distractions.

When setting traps, brief your entire crew on where these traps are set, so that they don't accidentally injure themselves.

Caltrops are a very effective means of injuring enemy boarders. Stepping on one these, will easily put a hole through the foot of your enemy, and make killing them that much easier. Placing these on deck close to the edges of the ship will result in the highest amount of injury to the enemy, but the least risk of injuring your crew.

Slicking up stairs with oil is also an effective trap. In addition to this, setting caltrops at the bottom of the stairs can cause some serious damage.

Lashing a loaded pistol to the inside of a doorway at chest level and setting a trip line that pulls the trigger at ankle level is also an effective way of eliminating an enemy. Using a multi-shot pistol will be even more effective.

Do not hesitate to experiment with different forms of traps. Just be sure that the damage is done to the enemy, and not to your crew or ship.

Tier 3 Repair

Often, careening your vessel is the only way to fully repair it after a difficult battle or harsh weather. It is then necessary to have all the materials on board to make such repairs.

The aim of this manual is point out different non-essential parts of the ship to patch holes and other battle damage, if said materials are unavailable.

Using the fardage is common practice. It may be used keep the cargo dry, but everything will be wet if the vessel sinks.

Depending on the amount of damage, the ships hatches may be enough to patch the vessel up and make it to port where a proper job can be done. For larger amount of damage, you may want to look to using solid wooden doors, like the one on the Captain’s Cabin, but that is not recommended to be the first piece of wood used.

Another common practice is to use the bilge to repair the outer hull. It may not be pretty, but again, it will suffice until the ship reaches port.

The taffrail is another one of those pieces of wood used to fix a ship. The taffrail is often used to strengthen a damaged mast.

Oakum may be difficult to come by as well. A resourceful carpenter may have to cut some cordage to keep the ship from leaking like a sieve. Even with the hull repaired, without ‘caulking’ or Oakum, she’ll take on quite a bit of water.
Be sure to have all these parts replaced upon arrival to a shipyard.

Note: Under no circumstances should stemsons be tampered with.. Disrupting the supporting timber of a ship will have major consequences!

I take it that so far no errors have been found...I will move on to the last book of this tier, Trade.

 

[FireBat]

And finally finished Tier 3 books...phew.

Trade Tier 3 (Dutch trade manual)

Reliable trading partners is what has made the United Provinces such a force to be reckoned with. As our great nation moves forward into the 18th Century, we will continue to dominate the trade lanes. To aid our nation do this, below you will find the listings of our reliable trading partners

Joao d’Ylan is the owner of the store in Willemstad, Curacao. While all his prices are most reasonable, there is much money to be made by trading the Sandalwood from his store to other colonies.

Pascal Vousie of the Free Port in Bermuda, purchases gold at great prices. It is no wonder that many pirates go here to cash in their booty.


Huzeoe Lyoza is the manager of the store in Puerto-Bello on the Spanish Main. He imports nearly all matter of ammo and powder. He also directs one of the main exporting operations of gold and silver in this area. Be warned, as pirates roam these waters looking to cash in.

Zherner Shuasi owns and operates the store in Tortuga. His low prices on Tobacco are second to none, and there is usually a place near by to sell it to. It is rumoured that he also owns the plantation that this crop comes from, and is how he keeps his prices so low.

Dwayne Dirkham exports Paprika out of his store in Antigua. He is also one of the main suppliers of Copper and Iron to the English Navy, and is always looking for more product. Just don’t stick around for long as this guy is a “klootzak”

Do not be afraid to do business with the smugglers in all non-dutch colonies. Just be sure to have a fast tongue, and a faster ship.

So I am going to take a break from this now, and start back on the loot mod I've got going...

 

[Pieter Boelen]

What's with the profanity?!?

 

[FireBat]

What's with the profanity?!?

Ah ha! So that is a swear word! A dutch friend of mine called me that on occasion, till i asked her what it meant. Should I leave it or take it out?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

It is basically the Dutch equivalent of "asshole". (Though the literal meaning is "ball sack".)

Technically, the word "kloot" originated as a nautical term. The wooden balls on the ropes that hold a sail to its mast are called "kloten".

 

[FireBat]

It is basically the Dutch equivalent of "asshole".

oh yes, I know what it means...that's why I put it there. : I can't remember if there is other strong language used else where. That's why I wonder if I should take out Klootzak or just leave it.
(nice info on the history of it too....I'll have to tell her that next time I talk to her)

 

[Pieter Boelen]

That's up to you, mate.

I updated my previous post with a bit more background information on the term.