William the Drake
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Posts posted by William the Drake
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Mutiny will get ye hung.
When referencing the punishment/act of hanging, it is said/written as "hanged". (i.e. "Mutiny will get ye hanged" "He is to be hanged at dawn" etc.)
Continuing:
Sailors would eat hardtack (their daily bread ration, sometimes called 'biscuit") in the dark, so as to not see the many weevils that had made it their home.
Friendly fire isn't.
Smaller ships with smaller draughts have a distinct advantage over larger ships, as they can sail in shallower waters where ships with deeper draughts cannot go.
There can be a number of reasons for having a red x on your guns: this can be due to flooding, having pressed the corresponding F# key, or after having all cannons for that deck destroyed (more likely for bow and stern chasers)
Also, any of the (interesting) definitions from this post should do as well: Naval and Nautical Terms
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I came across this picture, provided by the Queen Anne's Revenge - Blackbeard facebook page.
The image seems to be fairly accurate of the captains and their respected flags, though there are some discrepancies, Such as Mary Read and Anne Bonny having their own design, when they would should have the same as Jack Rackham's, since that's who they sailed under/with.
The map also does not accurately show where the pirates operated, as the flags are simply strewn across the coast at random.
I do not know how authentic this picture is as a source from the era. (and I am going to assume that it is not)
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Quotes:
"If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable." -Seneca
"You can't direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails." -Unknown
"One doesn't discover new lands without losing sight of the shore." - Andre Gide
"The winds and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators." -Edward Gibbon
"He who commands the sea has command of everything." -Themistocles
"Perdidos! Perdidos, perdidios, perdidos!" -Admiral Churruca of the Royal Spanish Armada at the Battle of Trafalgar, upon seeing Villeneuve turning to engage the English fleet.
"This is too warm work, Hardy, to last long." -Lord Horatio Nelson to his first mate, as they charged the combined French and Spanish line at Trafalgar.
"Tell the men to fire faster and not to give up the ship; fight her till she sinks." -James Lawrence, US naval captain, his last words
"Don’t give up the ship!" -James Mugford, US naval captain, his last words
"I have not yet begun to fight!" -John Paul Jones, US naval captain
"No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy." -Lord Horatio Nelson, British admiral
Tips and tricks:
The wind is your ally, try to keep yourself between the enemy and the wind.
Know how you intend to fight and prepare accordingly.
Double shot is useless at long ranges.
Carronades are great for close-quarter engagements.
When using chain shot, aim for the sails, not the hull.
The ship does not make the captain.
(Funny) Tips and Tricks and Quotes:
Remember to keep your powder dry.
Fruit prevents scurvy.
Don't go off half-cocked (reference to musket loading)
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I believe one of her stops; Philadelphia, will be for the Tall Ship Convention being held there, which I hope to attend myself
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Says Pacific Standard Time in the title, that'd be around 10:00 (22:00) for me (central), and 11:00 (23:00) for Eastern time.
Ah, I don't need much sleep anyway, Sure, I'll see if I can show up.
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The moniker "Devil Dogs" for U.S. Marines isn't coined until WWI.
I was thinking along the lines of "His Majesty's Royal Marines" or something of the like.
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I dabbled in M&B Napoleon for a little bit (I also arrived quite late to the game), but never turned to truly organized fighting. Mostly I simply wandered from match to match.
If you gentlemen are keen on getting a regiment going, I suppose I can lend my support and my musket.
As for a name, seeing as we are sailors going on land, perhaps a Regiment of Marines would be appropriate.
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Hmm... the waters be startin' to get a wee bit saturated with pirates already. Nonetheless, I wish ye the best captains. Fair winds and swift sees to ye, and may we all wreak havoc on the navies and their purses.
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I was informed that a similar conversation was already under way here, so i will copy over mine:
For now it is very difficult to visualize what each of the towns would look like in the final product, but I simply wanted to open the discussion here in the forums, and offer some suggestions for architecture styles and colour/material schemes. These are mostly from other video-games that take place in or around the same time period as Naval Action.
First, I would like to present the architectural styles used in the game Sid Meier's: Pirates!
For the most part, the layouts for the building were very similar, however the color and art styles used were utilized to distinguish each of the four factions (Spain, France, England, and Holland).
Spain utilized mainly red-terracotta roofs and clay-esque bodies. Tall doorways and arches can be seen as well, supposedly hallmarks of Spanish architecture at the time:
France's models were simple, and mostly uniform, using dark blue tiled roofs and some brick, some simple bodies:
England was the second best in variety: using what looked like thatched roofing, as well as black and brown tile roofs. Bodies were of either stone, wood, or the medieval style wood and plaster.
Lastly was the Dutch cities. these were extremely vibrant and colourful. So much so that the best I can do is to simply let the image speak for itself:
Next is a collection of building from various factions of the Game Age of Empires III. For those who have not played the game, the time period ranges from the Discovery age to the Industrial Revolution. There are about 3 different types of architectural styles used in the (vanilla) game for all of the factions. (i.e. the factions of Portugal, Spain and the Ottomans all use the "Latin/Mediterranean" architecture style.) Here are just a few examples of the key structures form each style.
Western Europe (Factions who use: England, France, Holland)
Town Center:
Dock: 
Market:
Eastern Europe: (Germany, Russia)
Town Center:
Barracks: 
Mediterranean: (Spain, Portugal, Ottoman Empire)
Town Center:
Market: 
Docks: 
The Churches/Temples for each Faction use unique models:
Simply judging by what the devs have posted, there seems to be a good bit of similarities. I was just curious if there were any other trends for architecture that were around that other members may notice or know of.
Cheers
William Drummond, the Drake.
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Isn't it supposed to be Great Britain? Not England.
Why is England or the UK sometimes called Britain?[/size]
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Metal guitar riffs with traditional instrumentals (such as flute, fiddle, accordion, and the almighty hurdy-gurdy!)? Yes please!
Been watching this for a bit, and the first thing that caught me was the fusion of heavy metal and Irish-esque sounds and tempos, closing in on the lines of "Celtic rock". Ignore the fact that it's from an anime if you must, but there's no denying that, with that Irish/Celtic air and hard hitting riffs, these tracks have a salty sound-o-the sea about them to make any pirate yearn for plunder.
The entire OST is filled with pieces like this, far too many to put here, so take a look if you're interested in more. (Season 1 is about as far as I have made it however. Future seasons may hold even more gems)
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Hmm yep, I was browsing around a bit an found this: http://www.saburchill.com/history/chapters/IR/037f.html
I do distinctly remember the professor putting emphasis on the coke used in the iron-working process as well. Unfortunately the course was one of my first and has been a good two years since I have taken it. I curse myself for not holding on to the notebook I used for the class, aas I remember taking dubious notes on this topic.
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It has always been in the interest of nations to "hero-fy" their leaders, even in some extreme cases to the point of propaganda. No man, no matter how meritorious, brave, or successful, is still only a man.
The U.S. historians can look to George Washington: so often elevated as the great hero and father of the country. Indeed his political and administrative successes may have been noteworthy, however his military exploits left much to be admired, yet we paint him crossing the Delaware River in heroic fashion.
Anyway, I will say this about Nelson: My knowledge, research of him is limited, with my best insight being the historical novel Decisions at Trafalgar: Nelson revolutionized the sailing world looked at the Line-fight: charging in and breaking the enemy line, otherwise known as the "Nelson Touch"
Regardless if his exploits where deserved, this alone does much to make him a major factor in the development of maritime warfare. (Also, the above book notes that the French fired upon Nelson as he approached, citing Nelson saying "This is too warm work ,Hardy, to last long" referencing his Flag Captain Sir Thomas Hardy.)
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Concerning the ship plans, not all plans presented are set to be in-game, and are mostly just suggestions. The devs will pick their own favorites and will often have poles for community chosen ships.
As it stands, it seems that they have modelers for creating ships, but more could be useful to them.
ATM however, they have stated that the majority of resources have gone to working on the open world and the new damage model, so the modeling and addition of new ships may not be the prerogative for the time being.
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Changing your in-game name cannot be done at the moment.
Admin states we will be able to do so later down the line of development
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Do they get Aurora borealis in carribbean?
That would love be nice on occasion.
Unfortunately, no. Aurora Borealis, sometimes known as the Northern Lights (Aurora Austeralis being the "Southern Lights") are the effects of when light rays from the sun interact with the discrepancies of the Earth's Magnetic field. These discrepancies only occur near the poles, where the magnetic field dips into the earth.
This can't happen near the mid section of the Earth because the Earth's Mag Field is far above the atmosphere acting as a barrier to the sun's light rays. this is a good thing as it is this Magnetic field that shields us from the suns more violent solar flares.
Auroras only occur around where the red circles label.
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[...]However, the other side of the coin that needs to be watched for is looking for evidence that backs up a myth. For example, saying that pirates were in favor of equality for all is completely false. For example, some people claim that Blackbeard left Topsail inlet in Revenge with a 'crew' of 40 white men and 60 black men. However, many sources make it clear that the black men were slaves, not crew. Additionally, just because something may have happened once or twice does not make it 'normal among pirates'.
What needs to be considered her is context. What the modern idea of equality does not equate to equality during the 16th, 17th, and 18th century. I do not recall any source that names (for example) African natives serving on naval vessels, as Captain, officer, crew or otherwise.
Any limited or light inclusion of African, Female, criminal or the like, would have been noteworthy in comparison to the limited, segregated navies.
General History...Notorious Pirates, by Capt. Charles Johnson (primary source, though with its inaccuracies as well. Often considered a good first place to look). Sometimes attributed to Daniel Defoe
Here is an online version of the book I am currently looking into (I think this is the same book. It definitely appears to be the same author).
Lastly, the history channel is not known for it's amazing history these days. Though satire, there is much to this video's claims: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us52tqtn7TA
Although the History Channel does have some very good, well researched documentaries, there are three words that put their credibility on shaky grounds..."Ancient Alien Theorists"
As stated many, many, many times over, the current history channel repertoire is by no means educational nor "history". However, during the time of Modern Marvels, the History Channel had actual history programs, such as How It's Made, Engineering an Empire, America, The Revolution, etc. and weas in fact educational and rather accurate. Before the guy with the big hair.
In reality we know pirates were not quite exceptional. They were people, just people. Everyone seems to be getting worked up over how awesome pirate democracies were. I'm not. These guys were bands of highwaymen. Do you really think no where in the world some group of bandits didn't get together and talk things over? That suddenly, you put bandits on a ship and they get smacked on the head by a brick that says "LIBERTY" in big bold letters? I suppose, since they were relatively large groups something could be said for holding some vestiges of democracy. But well, better informed minds than I have pointed out that not every pirate ship was great soil for democratic ideals.
Again, I think this is a case of pirate inflation. A few pirates were democratic, so suddenly they all are! This is sort of what disgusts me about modern views on pirates. Don't even get me started on the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, I to this day have yet to be able to sit all the way through any of them.
Again. whhat is important here is the context of time. While yes we, living in our modern democracies with Female and race-neutral suffrage, we look at the pirates and see little democracy. However, when you look at the time pirates operated; when almost all of the world powers were some form of despotism or monarchy, even the very limited democracy the pirates utilized was revolutionary for the time.
We say that Athens was a democracy and praise it as such even now, even though suffrage and citizenship was limited to Athenian-born, landholding males who could prove their parents' and grandparents' citizenship. Very limited even to modern eyes.
I would also remind you there is a major drawback to this method. You can't choose always what is at hand. That can mean somewhat a mish-mash of parts. It also means your ship isn't going to get the high class maintenance naval vessels get. All this can lead up to a sub-par sailing vessel.
Long story short, pirates were not magic. They were small ships that hid from bigger ships, mostly found in the more remote corners of the world.
this is true, maintenance on a single ship would not have been possible for pirates. This is why, whenever possible, pirates would make off with another ship (usually attempting to find a superior vessel to their previous one if possible). Upkeep was avoided by constantly switching out ships. And as noted, many ships carried varied assortments of guns and gear.
The tactic the pirates preferred, as noted in the OP, were hit-and-run tactics, and avoided fighting larger, more heavily armed vessels. However pirates thrived for some time in the Caribbean, which was also heavily trafficked by European powers, hardly remote.
I for certain, have never claimed that pirates wield supernatural powers.
Part of performing excellently is in fact, proper discipline and drill. Do you really picture pirates doing gun drills to any sort of intensity compared to a proper fighting ship? This goes too for handling, part of sailing smart is good attention to detail and practice. I contend that as fine as these seamen once were, I expect there performance may have actually suffered a bit. And this doesn't include any poor souls that lack much training at all, but find themselves reduced to piracy.
The thing about pirates in comparison to the navies is that pirates never had peace. Pirates were never at eas and almost constantly practicing their craft. Were they ever on par with naval discipline? No, no one is making that claim (at least I am not). However, as they are under almost constant chase by national powers, they are constantly fighting and using the skills needed to sail and fight. A sprog who knows little of the craft will either learn quickly in a "baptism of fire" or they would perish.
In short, the pirates that survived to make a name for themselves were the ones who knew what they were doing and how to do it well. Those who did not, led a short career.
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Decisions at Trafalgar, of the Heart of Oak Sea Classics series is a splendid read.
It gives a small bit of dual perspective of English and French and Spanish sailors, captains and admirals, but still heavily focuses ob Nelson and the English position.
Decisions at Trafalgar is the only book of the Hearts series I have been able to get my hands on (at a reasonable price), but if the other books are in a similar format, I should imagine they are quite good to peruse.
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There are probably more myths pervading about piracy than actual known facts. Thanks to literature and hollywood glamorizing pirates, there has been a move to find anything that might be good about them and inflate it.
It's true that the information that we do have about piracy is very subject, and that Hollywood no doubt does "romanticize" and distort the images of pirates (as it does with pretty much anything it portrays), however there is also the fact that often times there is some truth to myth. Many things deemed "Hollywood-esque", such as eye patches, peg legs, and the rum swilling pirate, all have basis in historical prevalence. The second issue is to understand that most primary sources from the era are most often times biased against pirates and piracy, and with good reason! These accounts were usually written by the powers that were actively hunting pirates down, so they would most likely not want to paint pirates any any type of redeeming light. (We know that Herodotus most likely embellished his account of the Battle of Thermopylae in order to have the Spartans successful against greater odds initially, in what is today considered one of the earliest instances of fudging facts for propaganda-ish effects)
With any historical study, it is key to understand that a text is not always 100%, and that by using multiple sources and accounts, we find the things most common are usually the closets to the truth. Archaeological evidence used in tandem with literary ones can paint a completely different picture than the literary supplies alone.
There was no 'pirate code'. In general, each pirate ship was run differently, so it's impossible in most cases to say "pirates did/did not do _____.
As discussed earlier, while there was no single, universal pirate code, each ship and captain had their own code, and often these had similar elements as others. Again, a romanticized idea that has historical roots.
Many pirates were hanged, many were pardoned, many died of disease, some were very religious, some were not religious, some had political connections, some had political leanings that affected their actions, some ended up being knighted and governing their own islands. Heck, John Paul Jones was called a pirate by the British, who didn't acknowledge their colonies' ability to appoint him as an officer, but he's now considered the United States' first Naval officer. Both sides were technically correct.
I agree with this whole-heartedly. It is my general observation that we are often presented with two images of pirates: the Hollywood Pirate and the Heartless Cutthroat Pirate, and are told that we can only agree that one or the other is the truth, with no in-between. This, in my opinion, is a fallacy, and that in truth, the majority of the average pirate did in fact populate the middle ground between these two images (although most probably leaning heavily in the cutthroat direction).
The blurry line between pirate and privateer also did not help this concept.
http://www.stopmove.com/video/viewvideo/636/pirate-tech.html?template=orient__screen_blue
you are welcome:) enjoy
Ah bless you my lad! I been searching high and low for this!
Generally this topic have a near total lack of sources. What to make statements about history? back it up with proper sources.
Like books that itself use sources that can be looked up and verified...
The above was the main source that I used for this piece, however I used some others in its place (again, avoiding wikipedia at all costs). I also point to the common themes throughout the sources as the biggest factor. While I do not have the written books to back it up (I'm in the process of reading a few primary sources now, however, as a university student, my free time is limited and heavily strained), I believed the testimony by professors in the videos would approach a descent substitute.
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Timbers - the planks that make up the outermost layer of a ship's hull, though "timbers" sometimes more specifically refers to the planks of the ship's broadside only.
Shivers - splinters, usually from the wood of a ship
"Shiver me timbers!" - A term of exasperation or surprise, it refers to the splintering of a ships' timbers when hit by a cannonball.
"Blow me down!" - A term of disbelief
Give no quarter - to show no mercy and accept no surrender
Jack Ketch - another name for the hangman
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Wealth - the overall amount of wealth you possess. This includes all actual gold and silver bullion, as well as factoring in the value of the ships one possesses, value of luxury trade goods (coffee, cocoa, spices, etc.) Invested trade ventures, stocks and the like.
Social- track things like how many other players you have assisted, how many group/epic missions done. Gold/resources gifted to others. Emphasise teamwork and friend aspects
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Parley- lit. "to speak" in French, a meeting between opposing captains, usually concerning terms of surrender or conversation prior to battle. All captains are expected to agree to a formal parley (even pirates), and cease any local hostilities so a parlay may take place
Windward- facing the direction from which the wind is blowing (facing into the wind) and leeward- facing the direction with which the wind is blowing (facing with the wind)
Rigging monkey -same concept as a powder monkey, but instead these sailors are tasked with climbing the many masts and rigging of a ship to furl and set sails
Looking Glass - a telescope
hatch- window or covering for an opening in a ship
Shot - any type of ammunition for a cannon or firearm
Gun - a cannon that is used upon a ship [is referred to as a gun] (land= cannon, ship=gun)
Cannon - cast Iron, black-powder weapons that make up the primary armament of tall sailships.
Swashbuckling - form of swordplay utilizing the short, wide cuttlass
Flogging: beating, usually a punishment employing the cat o' nine tails
grog- a mixture of water and liquer (usually whiskey or rum. Also sometimes beer) in order to make old, stale water more potable and/or to extend water supplies
Shanty (chanty)- choral song, often sung to a specific beat/rhythm that lines up with the pulling of rigging or other activity
Beat to Quarters - A predetermined rhythm beat upon a drum that signals all sailors to prepare for battle by moving to general quarters (positions at their respective battle stations)
Sprog/Greenhorn- a new and inexperienced sailor
Revision: Should batten be more specifically "batten down"?
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I recall a lecture by one of my first history professors concerning New World trade and war. More specifically he was discussing the phenomena of English Imperialism of the time. The lecture ranged from trade to warfare and from locations from the colonies to the East Indies.
However it was one detail that caught my attention: the unique status of English Iron. The professor asserted that one of the elements of English success was the uniqueness of their iron. He claimed that the iron found in England contained fewer impurities and when smelted down and sequentially molded into cannon, it meant that English cannon were far superior to other Nations' as English cannon would last longer, were more durable, and could handle more stress (less exploding cannon scenarios). This meant that English cannon could also handle slightly larger powder charges, resulting in slightly farther range/velocity, among other things.
The text assigned to us made no mention of this detail, nor have I seen a reference to this anywhere else. I was wondering if any of you have come across something similar. And if the above case is true, could/should some in-game mechanic/national perk be implemented?
Cheers,
William Drummond, the Drake.
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Fantasy ships, on the other hand, like Pirates of the Caribbean crap or other fantasy ships that have significantly less connection to reality and would be very out of place alongside the historical ships... just no, IMO.
Except that, as stated here and on other, similar topics concerning PotC ships, a majority of the ships depicted in the films (how many are there now? Five? I haven't seen them all) are either historically based, use actual historic ships with changed names, or use seaworthy models. We've found that one of teh more robust of the designs, the flying Dutchman, uses an actual ship design under all that seaweed.
The Only ship from the PotC series I recall being "completely" fictional is the horrendous depiction of the Queen Anne's Revenge (the design is just ludicrous, straight up. The actual ship would have been a modified medium/heavy corvette type ship).
That said, no whacky designs please. No Black Pearls with tattered sails and magic.
I don't recall the Black Pearl ever using magic (unless id did so during later movies). The only magic ships I remember were the Flying Dutchman and the QAR
Things that float and things that don't
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Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!