Hello :3
I'm just playing devil's advocate, but I notice that many of the WIP projects involve giant ships. Not to say they aren't impressive but...
How many privateers sailed huge ships? How accessible are they to a player?
They went out in schooners, sloops, xebecs, small fast boats that handled well upwind and could mount "a few cannon", where a larger ship would probably get ganged up upon easily and eliminated.
Not to mention, it's difficult to provision one much less manage the finances of one. Second rate ships of the line were deployed as overseas flagships (so realistically, only a couple in the Caribbean at any one time, if ever), first raters were always kept in ordinary in their home port outside of war to save wear and tear, and also because they're so expensive to operate.
If anything, the sort of "huge" ships we actually need for historical gameplay are galleons. Big, mighty Spanish galleons of the Elizabethian era and little English ones that not only circumnavigated the world but were regarded as "pirates" as well. Little being, Golden Hind had "merely" 14 light guns. A little galleon that is a delight to sail can add a lot of flavour to early-game class 6 or 7 gameplay because one can have an option other than the "PT" boats which (outside of WBT) sail at unrealistic speeds.
In POTC/Build, there are way too many huge ships. As I've counted, we have something like a hundred ships frigate sized and larger. At least 30 ships 3rd rate or later. It's great for a Battle of Trafalgar type affair, but the Caribbean?
And correct me if I'm wrong, but for the time taken to model a first rater... more small, easy to model ships can be created. Or, essential modifications to existing ship types - experimental steam frigates for a late/fictional era, mortar ships to take out those forts, USS Constitution without the US decor so I can use them as generic heavy frigates etc etc. Oh and how can I forget, historically accurate Spanish Galleons :3
I'm just playing devil's advocate, but I notice that many of the WIP projects involve giant ships. Not to say they aren't impressive but...
How many privateers sailed huge ships? How accessible are they to a player?
They went out in schooners, sloops, xebecs, small fast boats that handled well upwind and could mount "a few cannon", where a larger ship would probably get ganged up upon easily and eliminated.
Not to mention, it's difficult to provision one much less manage the finances of one. Second rate ships of the line were deployed as overseas flagships (so realistically, only a couple in the Caribbean at any one time, if ever), first raters were always kept in ordinary in their home port outside of war to save wear and tear, and also because they're so expensive to operate.
If anything, the sort of "huge" ships we actually need for historical gameplay are galleons. Big, mighty Spanish galleons of the Elizabethian era and little English ones that not only circumnavigated the world but were regarded as "pirates" as well. Little being, Golden Hind had "merely" 14 light guns. A little galleon that is a delight to sail can add a lot of flavour to early-game class 6 or 7 gameplay because one can have an option other than the "PT" boats which (outside of WBT) sail at unrealistic speeds.
In POTC/Build, there are way too many huge ships. As I've counted, we have something like a hundred ships frigate sized and larger. At least 30 ships 3rd rate or later. It's great for a Battle of Trafalgar type affair, but the Caribbean?
And correct me if I'm wrong, but for the time taken to model a first rater... more small, easy to model ships can be created. Or, essential modifications to existing ship types - experimental steam frigates for a late/fictional era, mortar ships to take out those forts, USS Constitution without the US decor so I can use them as generic heavy frigates etc etc. Oh and how can I forget, historically accurate Spanish Galleons :3
