so THAT's what sloops are for...

[fredmiracle]

My 6 year old was a bit put out that the older one got to spend the day with dad playing the battle of the Nile yesterday. So today, after work, he decreed that he would play his own Sails of Glory game against dad, with older brother banned.

I was a bit dubious, because up until now he's never made it through a whole turn of the game. But I got out a couple of sloops, and he got to be the Americans (Thorn) and I was HMS Fairey. It turns out this is a great format for a young player with short attention-span.

We did basic rules, pretty much straight-up, with me suggesting which way he might want to turn (good refresher practice on left and right). Luckily I didn't have to fudge anything to make sure he had fun, because his first seven damage draws were zeros.

Sound thrashing of dad, and everyone is happy

[Nightmoss]

Good story! Wow, seven zeroes!? Amazing.

[Diamondback]

I've been considering the idea of a campaign mechanic where EVERYONE starts with a sloop, and once enough sculpts are available you have to EARN your promotions up through post-ship/corvette to light frigate, medium, heavy, 64-gun SOL, and so forth... something to replicate a real naval career.

[Nightmoss]

I've been considering the idea of a campaign mechanic where EVERYONE starts with a sloop, and once enough sculpts are available you have to EARN your promotions up through post-ship/corvette to light frigate, medium, heavy, 64-gun SOL, and so forth... something to replicate a real naval career.

Something like the "Pathfinder Adventure Card Game", but focused on the Age of Sail and miniature naval tactical battles? I'd play that, or buy it?

[Diamondback]

The rub is, figuring out how to accrue "seniority" to move up the ranks--basically in the RN you generally only moved up when the guy above you retired, screwed up or died, and there were a bunch of other guys competing to move up.

[Nightmoss]

The rub is, figuring out how to accrue "seniority" to move up the ranks--basically in the RN you generally only moved up when the guy above you retired, screwed up or died, and there were a bunch of other guys competing to move up.

Agreed. If it's historically accurate then it's probably going to be pretty slow moving, almost stagnant?

OK, let's move to pirates then. The game just opened up a tad.

[7eat51]

Very cool, Fred.

I had not thought about smaller ships to be used in such a way.

As for progression, I would consider something akin to what we're trying to do in the solo campaign - points for taking ships and points for achieving strategic objectives. The higher the rank, the more points needed to move up.

[Diamondback]

Agreed. If it's historically accurate then it's probably going to be pretty slow moving, almost stagnant?

OK, let's move to pirates then. The game just opened up a tad.

Or expedite things a little--compress time-in-grade between actions, and accrue points based on merit as well. Maybe score it as combined Time In Grade + Merit Bonuses...

[DeRuyter]

Sounds like fun. My son is more interested in trade deadlines and transfer windows than pushing model sailing ships!

[Diamondback]

As for progression, I would consider something akin to what we're trying to do in the solo campaign - points for taking ships and points for achieving strategic objectives. The higher the rank, the more points needed to move up.

That also lends itself to another angle: "Prize Payouts." Given that a ship captain was allowed a certain amount of leeway for things he was willing to pay the costs for out of his own pocket, like Sir Charles Douglas paying to have HMS Duke's guns upgraded with flintlock firing systems, that could also be another path for "buying upgrades"... especially since if you wanted to do live-fire gunnery training YOU had to pay for it.

[David Manley]

The rub is, figuring out how to accrue "seniority" to move up the ranks--basically in the RN you generally only moved up when the guy above you retired, screwed up or died, and there were a bunch of other guys competing to move up.

Err, no, thats not how it worked at all, not until you had made post and were waiting to go on the Admiral's list. Despite popular belief the RN (like many other navies, especially those that modelled themselves on the RN) was far more or a meritocracy than many people imagine, and was certainly far more so than most armies of the period. Whilst "interest" could help get you promoted being good at your job was also the way to start the rise from lieutenant through to post captain.

[Diamondback]

Thanks for clarifying, David--I was thinking primarily once you got your post captaincy, didn't think Time In Grade with automatic promotion had been invented yet...

[csadn]

Drake's "Daniel Leary" series covers this effectively -- Leary is highly effective at his job, which attracts attention from the higher-ups, who call on him for more interesting jobs, which he accomplishes, which accrues him more interest.... (And note his reaction to anyone foolish enough to assume he got where he is because "his father is a former Speaker of the Republic" -- let's just say: Danny-boy has Daddy Issues. >:) )

It's in peacetime that the rot sets in, and "looking good" becomes more important than "being good" -- I recommend the commentaries of Col. Tom Kratman on the subject (a word of warning, "Politically correct" is not his metier :) ).

As to "scoring": 1 pt. per broadside factor of enemy unit sunk; double points for a capture. (The typical Famous Captain made his bones by capturing ships.)

[Diamondback]

It's in peacetime that the rot sets in, and "looking good" becomes more important than "being good" -- I recommend the commentaries of Col. Tom Kratman on the subject (a word of warning, "Politically correct" is not his metier :) ).

"In times of peace you need an officer and a gentleman; in times of war you need a rebel and a son-of-a-b****."
--Douglas MacArthur to George Kenney, explaining why he'd asked for Kenney by name despite heated past disagreement

"Jesus, General, I don't mind being called a rebel..."
--Kenney's reply

[David Manley]

Thanks for clarifying, David--I was thinking primarily once you got your post captaincy, didn't think Time In Grade with automatic promotion had been invented yet...

Even then working up the "seniority" ladder wasn't the only way to get promoted, it was just the automatic way. If you shone as a Post Captain it was perfectly likely that you'd make Admiral. "Time served" admirals were more likely (due to their advanced age on achieving promotion) to end up in shore posts than commanding squadrons and fleets.

[Diamondback]

Still, a better deal than Collingwood got, and his only offense was being Nelson's second-in-command. (Basically told "you're only coming home as a corpse, if you're not buried at sea"--at that point I would have IMMEDIATELY filed paperwork for retirement and told them "Retirement or Resignation--either way I'm OUT at end of this campaign. Your Call.") Reminiscent of the tale of Philip Nolan there...

[David Manley]

Ah, but Collingwood was a patriot who would do anything for his country and his navy, even when it took liberties. He was allowed home, but died as he began his return voyage.

One of the RN's best. The stories of him, his dog Bounce and the acorns always brings a tear to my eye

[csadn]

"In times of peace you need an officer and a gentleman; in times of war you need a rebel and a son-of-a-b****."
--Douglas MacArthur to George Kenney, explaining why he'd asked for Kenney by name despite heated past disagreement

"Jesus, General, I don't mind being called a rebel..."
--Kenney's reply

And then Kenney got hold of 5th AF -- and the Japanese learned to fear the sound of Pratt and Whitneys in the distance....

Same with Nelson: "Oh, the Spanish are about to come around our line -- can't have that." [stuffs a single 74 into the path of half-a-dozen Spanish SoLs, including that 4-decker everyone's waiting for >:) ]

"You may be younger than me; you may be more handsome than me, hell, you may even be *smarter* than me... but you will never, *EVER*, be as crazy...." [Judge Harold T. Stone, _Night Court_]

[7eat51]

Patton reminds me a bit of this type of officer.

[Diamondback]

For the record, David, I wasn't comparing Collingwood to Nolan on character, only on the sense of both being "exiled to sea".

[csadn]

Patton reminds me a bit of this type of officer.

I've often wondered what it would have done for Patton's career if he hadn't been screwed over on the scoring in the 1912 Olympics... General, *and* Gold Medalist....

[Diamondback]

Yeah, the problem is he was frequently Just Too Damn Good For His Own Good. Anybody SANE would see two bullets in the same hole as A Good Thing... but since when have the Olympics sorts been known for sanity?

[7eat51]

The manner in which Patton died will always, I am not sure what the right word is. In some ways it seems so absurd given his military experience.

I have always enjoyed George C. Scott's portrayal of Patton.

Can anyone recommend a good film on Nelson?

[Diamondback]

Re Patton, his death will always be under a cloud, if for no other reason than that Stalin had an NKVD unit that specialized in vehicular assassinations whose preferred technique looked just like how the fatal accident played out.

Supposedly the assessment by the general's family re the movie was that all of the appearance and audio details were dead wrong, but Scott was dead-on in capturing GSP's spirit. (Besides, anybody who'd rather blow off the Oscars to watch a hockey game's gotta have SOMETHING going for 'em... :) )