The optional rule "Continuous Fire:" Why would you NOT use that (if being used)

[Pseudotheist]

I also don't think this rule is particularly well balanced or thought out. My current opinion is the the quick pace of Continuous Fire should require both a Reload and Fire action dedicated each turn, so that ships can only sustain it if they're not using actions for repairs, muskets, or the other set of cannons. That seems to me a simpler solution than thirding damage (not that that's particularly difficult).

You will also notice that once you start continuous fire, you can't issue a reload action. That means you will have a longer delay to fire a normal broadside after using this rule should you need to. You will also not be doing as much damage each turn, which might not knock out full boxes on the target ship damage track. This could leave them doing more damage over the course of the firefight since they would be filling your boxes at a faster rate. Plus, the more chits you deal your target in one shot, the greater your chances of giving them the higher damage and special damage ones.

I don't see how the inability to reload after continuous fire is any different than the inability to reload after a standard broadside, so unless I'm missing something in the rules, there's no loss of pace there.

Doing half damage on the reload turn and half damage on the fire turn does not lessen the total damage dealt over two turns, and I believe it actually increases your odds of filling more target boxes. For example, say you have a ship that fires a broadside of 6. In a single broadside you pull a 4, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1. Against a 3 burden ship, you will apply the 4 for a box, then both 2s next for a box, then the 1s for a third box. If you split those same damage chits over 2 turns, your worst case scenario is 3 full boxes, but if you split the 2s on two separate turns, you're going to fill a box with the 4, a pair of boxes with a 2 and a 1, and the remaining 1 will spill into the third box. Simply put, if you can deliver the same number of damage chits to a target by multiple methods, it's better to break the damage into as many turns as possible, and it's better to deliver damage earlier than later.

It's an open question wether it is better to deliver 0 damage chits on turn one and 7 damage chits on turn two as compared to 3 damage chits on each turn one and two (the damage delivered in turn 1 could well reduce the damage received on turn 2), but for 0 & 6 vs 3 & 3 it's always better to split. In even cannoned situations the only variables are range and raking, and I'll wager you have to be pretty sharp to coordinate broadsides to take advantage of those vicissitudes over hedging your bets with half damage every turn.