William the Drake

Pirate ships were some of the first democracies of the new world. The selection of a captain, the nature of a cruse, any major decision was done via election. Captains were usually selected as the best-of-the-best sailors on board, as well as being charismatic and a sufficient leader. If the crew felt that their needs were not being met, a captain could be voted down and replaced. While the presence of major wars may have been what kept piracy afloat, it was in fact the absence of war that helped start major piracy in the Caribbean. After peace had been brokered between the major euro powers, many sailors found themselves out of work and without pay. With so much gold bullion flowing in and out of the Caribbean, piracy was considered as a viable option to sitting around the docks with nothing to do. Pirates would have started off as any other regular sailor, and as stating before, telling the difference between a pirate and average sailor would have been hard to do. Pirates would have just around the same skill with sailing and weaponry than sailors, if not better, however fear was the best weapon in their arsenal.

I recall similar things being stated about the wide spread of cannon weight on pirate ships, however, whenever taking on new guns, the captains preferred the lighter variants he could get his hands on. Whenever capturing another vessel, cannon was often swapped. And about going up against the navy? Well yes, as I said, the ships were utilized for hit-and-run tactics. The idea was to be able to hit the merchant, get the booty, and then high-tail it out of there and outrun any naval vessels. The sloop was the most well-preferred pirate ship because of it's ability to sail beam and close haul better than the more common square rigged navy ships. It's small size was not a deterrent for pirates. The pirate ships of the era were those redesigned not unlike the muscle-cars of the U.S. prohibition era: vehicles refitted for (mainly) raw speed. Thus the comparison being made in the title.

There were instances where pirates had to fight with intent to sink, usually when facing Naval vessels. Pirates had cannon that had this capability, but utilized them more often to disable a ship rather than sink it. Sailing on an unarmed ship was risky for anyone at the time, especially pirates that were perpetually wanted and hunted down.

I can't seem to find an internet version of my preferred source, which was the History Channel's Modern Marvels: Pirate Tech. However this suffices as a close second. As well as an assortment of texts, videos, shows and games I have viewed, read and played over the years. If you find any issues, by all means please make them known. I fancy myself a pirate enthusiast, and any chance I can get to gain new knowledge or correct faulty knowledge I welcome it!

The ships that pirates used to practice their deadly craft were unique in their own right when compared to standard navy and merchant vessels. Very rarely did pirates actually build their own ships from scratch. Often, they captured ships and refitted them to serve the sole purpose of piracy. They were "souped up" and made increasingly deadly. There were a number of goals that every pirate captain wanted their ship to achieve. Often, standard merchant vessels (and very rarely naval vessels) did not fancy a pirates' designs. So Pirates would go about refitting a ship, almost always looking to improve upon three crucial aspects : speed, firepower, and cargo capacity. No matter what vessel was to be used, the captain made sure that it would be refitted to utilize, if not over-utilize, these three aspects. Speed: in order to acquire the most speed possible (needed for outrunning the navy) pirates would tack on as much extra sail as possible to catch any and all stray wind that could be caught. Stunsails (studding sails) of all kinds were used, anything that could get you that extra knot. Firepower: One of the first priorities for a pirate captain would be to add guns to a newly acquired ship. any space on the decks that could provide for a cannon was utilized. Extra gun-ports would be cut out of the hull and more guns added. However, pirates would not rely on heavy cannon when fighting. Often, they would swap out heavier cannons for lighter variants. The idea was to not sink the ship, as a pirate wanted the ship in tact in order to plunder whatever was on board. Thus lighter guns would be used as well as demasting shot. Cargo Capacity: As a pirate, you wanted to take as much from an enemy vessel as possible and also wanted to be able to carry as much crew as possible for boarding. This meant carving out their own vessel in order to carry as much cargo and/or crew as possible. This meant removing any frames and bulkheads that separated the hold (also lightening the ship, increasing speed). Anything deemed "unnecessary" for piracy was removed, increasing space and sometimes speed. Now pirates also fancied a specific type of ship to suit their needs. Pirates were masters of hit-and-run tactics, and thus relied on smaller, faster and more maneuverable ships for piracy, such as sloops, schooners and brigs (there are a few large exceptions, such as Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge, which was originally a frigate, or Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind, which was a Race-built Galleon). The pirates especially favored ships with low draft hulls. These ships would allow them to maneuver shallow waters where larger, deep draft ships would be unable to follow. Pirate ships were meant to get in quick, strike fast, and leave even faster. They did not want to stick around for reinforcements to arrive. Pirates were usually former sailors, and knew how to sail. Often, pirate crews would be able to pilot a ship with the bear minimum of sailors needed, should the situation call for it. However, pirates needed more crew in order to attack and board enemy ships. Edited: To clarify that the tripping out of the lower decks for extra space not just for cargo but also for more crew. Main Source: Modern Marvels: Pirate Tech Other Sources: The Great Ships: Pirate Ships, The Pirate Ship, A brief History of Piracy

No. Simply because the primary faiths of the time were Catholic (Spain & France) and Protestant (England) while both of these are Christian faiths, the differences between the two caused wars between these powers during the established time of Naval Action, prior to it, and even now in the present. I see lines that would divide players rather than bring them together. Now, I think what you should consider isn't faith, but superstition (i.e. Having a woman on board a ship is bad luck, tearing a page out of a bible is bad luck, the black spot, ghosts, etc. Black cats, voodoo, that sort of thing. Not real, but would have a real effect on the morale of crew for example. PLEASE do not have the funky supernatural stuff like in PotBS)

There have been a few discussions about this. It seems that this will follow after the combat system has been finished and the open world system implemented. it is a later stage priority it sounds like. Here is one of the more recent discussions is here. The above topic is for an early stage implementation, mostly for early stages of production. However full maneuverability and exploration of one's ship has been discussed and the community has expressed their want for it. Again, the full free-movement version will most likely happen later on down the line of production.

The Messengers of Death Dragon [MoD] The Horned Dragon has long been the mascot for the Messengers of Death. While in battle, the Messengers of Death moved with such precision and unity, ebbing and moving in orderly unison. The force with which they struck their enemy was that like a great fire. They were tough, their rough and strong skin able to take great abuse. However, they were smart, and proud. They were cunning, and shrewd. They were protective and kind to friends, and ruthlessly sharp with those that crossed them. Surely it was true when it was said "...the fiery destruction left behind them was like that of a great dragon... they surely did fight like dragons..." And so, the dragon was chosen to represent the Messengers of Death, a wing-ed messenger, reigning death and destruction from the sky, on land, and at sea. Placed upon the sails of our ships, the steel of our tanks, and the wings of our fighters, and the arms and shields of our followers. All who faced us knew what they faced; the Dragon. Its mouth agape and clear snarl show that the Messengers of Death are fierce and proud fighters. Its eyes, poised on the enemy, show we are determined to achieve victory. It was a symbol of security and unity to our friends, and a warning of destruction to our enemies. So, are you willing to join the deadly Dragon? Do you want to be one of the wing-ed messengers? Then sign on, and show the world to respect and fear the mighty Dragon!

I will have a post soon on the uniqueness of pirate ships compared to more traditional ships.

Like I said, it is indeed a debated topic, even today! However, the distinction that I like to make is that, in the case of the Navy, their first priority is to engage enemy naval vessels, anything else second. The Privateer's main objective is to seize enemy supplies. At the open of the American Revolution, the U.S.'s only option was to rely on privateers as they had no commissioned ships (they couldn't exactly build a warship without being conspicuous.) These privateers avoided Naval vessels because they could not match up to heavier ships, their only real option was to attack smaller, non-combat/non-navy shipping vessels. Lastly, there also tends to be a sense of "honor" between Navy Captains: when a Naval Vessel is captured by a navy captain, the opposing officer usually "presents" the ship to his captor (usually done by giving the opposing officer a sword). There should also be a distinction between the seizure of private, individual property (Merchants and shipping vessels), and property of a crown or government (Commissioned Naval Vessels) There also tends to be a lot of bias depending on who's talking: if we have an English privateer, the English will definitely defend themselves saying that it is legitimate privateering, while the Spanish would say it is piracy, since they were on the receiving end.

One of the ever nagging questions in nautical history is how to discern a Pirate from a privateer. History and popular culture have portrayed a picture that shows Pirates as ravenous cutthroats and Privateers as more civilized men of the sail. The truth is that, at a glance, the two would have been indiscernible from each other. They would have sailed very similar ships, and participated in the same types of combat and actions as each other. many times they would have even dressed and acted like each other. Again, Naval Action promises that Pirates will be present in the game, so it would be fair to say at some point privateers would be introduced as well. So what is the difference between the two? Privateer: A privateer can describe either the captain ad sailors that take part in privateering or the actual ship that they sail upon. With the latter, privateers are privately owned ships that take part in wartime activities and combat with the sanction of a sovereign world power (e.g. England or France) that is at war. The privateers are allowed only to attack the ships of the Nation with which their patron is at war with. Any any action with other nation ships would be considered "Illegitimate". Pirate: Any ship and/or crews that participate in the illegal act of piracy, acting against any and all sovereign nations. Now, since privateers were privately owned ships, they were (usually) paid for by their own captains. The respective Nation would not commission and pay for the ship like it would with Navy vessels. This said, privateers tended to be smaller (and therefore cheaper) vessels, not unlike the types of ships that Pirates favored. And because they were usually much smaller, seldom did Privateers take part in large naval engagements, especially with larger frigates and ships-of-the-line. Therefore privateers could only engage smaller vessels, usually trade vessels of the opposing nation, seize their cargo, and thus cripple the supply line of the enemy (One wagon of my enemies resources is worth ten of my own -Sun Tzu) So again, we see that privateers are not unlike pirates in many ways. So what makes Privateers legitimate? Letter of Marque: On paper (literally), what separated privateers from pirates was the possession of a Letter of Marque. A LoM was a legally binding commission from a sovereign nation allowing a private individual (i.e. non-military) to take part in the harassing of enemy merchant vessels on behalf of said nation. So a privateer was a private citizen with a Letter of Marque who went out to seize the supplies of enemy ships. this sound very similar to pirates does it not? Long has the line between Pirate and Privateer been debated (some even debate that no such line even exists). the best way to determine the truth is to look at the definition of piracy. According to Merriam-Webster, Piracy is "the act of attacking and stealing from a ship at sea" So in effect, because of the actions that Privateers take part in, it could be said that Privateers are Pirates, but pirates are not Privateers. (Not unlike "Cubes are Rectangles, but rectangles are not cubes") That would be the defintion difference, but there is one aspect not found in the definition that is crucial to separating the two. Privateers were sanction by a Sovereign power, meaning they could be protected and effectively had a safe haven to retreat to unlike pirates. If captured by an enemy vessel, privateers could have been tried as pirates or considered PoWs. For pirates, there was no such distinction, the hangman's noose was the only destination if captured. Lastly it was more likely that a privateer could have a more secure and prosperous retirement compared to Pirates, seeing as they had a nation in which they could be protected. The best example of this is Henry Morgan, an incredibly successful English privateer (although some argue he was a true blue pirate) was able to retire and even become Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. Others of the like Include Laurens de Graaf and Benjamin Hornigold. The issue of the legality between Pirates and Privateers has been clouded by the actions of pirates and privateers themselves, as well as reactions by their respected Sponsoring nations. First take for example Henry Morgan: by the legal standard of the day, he should be considered a pirate, as his sacking of the port of Maracaibo took place while Spain and England where at peace, and Morgan's Letter of Marque officially revoked. The issue was that news traveled slowly in the New World, and Morgan did not learn of the peace until later. Spain was livid about the sacking of Maracaibo and called on England to try Morgan as a Pirate and hanged. England, not exactly on the best of terms with England, knighted Morgan instead, as a sort of snub. Next we can look at the rather sad account of William Kidd, who sailed to the southeastern coats of Africa to act as an English Privateer. Unfortunately for Kidd, the pickings in the area were not great, and the idea of piracy began to grow in the minds of his crew. Then he engaged what he thought was a French ship, which would be a legitimate prize. Unfortunately, the ship was actually an Armenian envoy ship. Much to the lament of his rather desperate crew, Kidd ordered that the ship be released as it was not officially French. The crew defied him, and faced with mutiny, Kidd relented and took the ship as a prize. While this act was not explicitly Piracy, the English government saw it as an opportunity to make an example of piracy. Kidd was ordered home, given a less than legitimate trial, and subsequently hanged as a pirate, though he technically never committed an act of true piracy Finally, we can look at the case of the Baratarian pirate Jean Lafitte: Acting initially as a pirate and smuggler out of the port of New Orleans, Lafitte and his crew were offered official pardons should they help the Americans under Andrew Jackson defend the city against an English Invasion. Lafitte agreed, was given a pardon and after the battle acted as a privateer for America...only to return to piracy a short time later plundering the Spanish coast of what is today Texas. What the above cases show is that not only was the line between Privateer and Pirate very thinly drawn, but in the eyes of all parties, including National Sponsors, these lines were also very flexible. In short, one man's pirate is another man's Privateer. If it suits him. Sources: Henry Morgan, Letter of Marque, Laurens de Graaf

Apologies, the example was just being used to express that, whatever effect may come to be attributed to the red Jolly Roger, it would be attributed to the crew.

Thank you gentlemen. The age of sail is one of my favorite parts of history and Military history, and I especially love the part that Pirates play in it. I intend to post a few more topics about Pirate history concerning the Spanish Main and the time span that Naval Action takes place.

My understanding is that, at least the events leading up to the Battle of Trafalgar, there were a myriad of reasons that France (And Spain in this case) were doomed. First, as stated before, Most of the French Navy's officer corps had been hauled off to the guillotine, and their successors were chosen based on their patriotic fervor, not their skill as captains. Any attempt to return to the old ways as far as practice and command goes would have been considered unpatriotic/anti-revolutionary, ans they too would have met the same face as their predecessors. Second, and I'm basing this off of the book Decision at Trafalgar by Dudley Pope, which claims that the very materials that England had at its disposal to build ships were superior to France's. He claims that the French ships were in a deplorable state of neglect compared to the English Fleet (Both Fleets had ships with issues originating from lack of maintenance and upkeep, however it was asserted that France's condition was far worse than England's) Lastly, the English sailors would have had the greater reason to fight (at least in the case leading up to Trafalgar): The defense of their home. The English crews were considered to be more seasoned and better trained than their French and Spanish counterparts. The English were renowned for their gunnery skills and accuracy. Ultimately, I think the brunt of the blame falls on French leadership. France had the tools and potential to be great at sea, however they shot themselves in the foot militarily speaking with the Revolution. (Again, I emphasize that this viewpoint is based on knowledge leading up to Trafalgar)

Yer askin' fer a book matey, with all the content I have fer me PotBS characters (half because i'm somewhat of a writer, and half because I also like to pirate RP) Sittin' down and puttin' it all together may take me some time, but I'll give ye a yarn.

Piracy has long been a part of the sailing culture. As long as there has been maritime trade, there has been Piracy (Not even Caesar was immune!) The Discovery Age, and the years of sea trade and travel following helped promote piracy to incredible levels during the 17th and 18th century, so much so that when speaking of the Spanish main, this era is also referred to as "the Golden Age of Piracy". It is no secret that pirates will be included in Naval Action, at least as NPC enemies. Unlike navies, which flew the flags of their country as their main jack, Pirate flags were mostly unique. The Pirate flag was used not only to identify the ship and crew as Pirates, but also to intimidate and send a message. Many Pirate Captains decided to use their own designs for their own needs and to send their own unique message. Here I will present a brief description of what different symbols and flags used by Pirates meant (so you may better prepare yourself when you see one of ours heading your way ) The Jolly Roger: Although a specific captain's flag, the term "Jolly Roger" quickly became a blanket term for any and all pirate jacks. pirate captains just starting off or less notable may have simple black or red flags with no design; this still would have been considered a Jolly Roger and would still identify them as pirates. A few captains' designs compete for being considered the actual Jolly Roger, however it the general consensus that it was either Edward England's or 'Calico' Jack Rackham's design that was considered the Jolly Roger (NOTE: Not the first pirate flag). The main purpose of any Jolly Roger would be to first intimidate the opposing crew in the hopes that either they would surrender without a fight, or would be fear stricken and thus be less effective in combat. Black and Red fields: Pirates of the Golden Age followed a practice where the color of a flag's field sent a message in and of itself. A black field (the most common) symbolized that quarter would be given to the enemy crew if they surrendered without a fight, or should they fight, quarter would still be given to any survivors. The reason for this is that often pirate captains were looking for A: New crew, and the best way to acquire new, seasoned sailors as pirates was to coerce them to leave behind "legitimate" sailing for piracy, B: prisoners to ransom or sell back at a pirate port, or C: Political personal reasons (There are accounts of varying pirate captains acting differently to certain nationalities; an English pirate captain would give quarter and be lenient to English victims while being ruthless and giving no quarter for French victims). A red field symbolized that no quarter was to be given. No surrender would be accepted and no survivors would be taken aboard. Here is an example of when a pirate was known for flying both versions of the flag, Henry Avery: Symbols and their message: As stated before, many pirate captains used their own unique designs for their flags. However, there were a number of common details used in many pirate flags that also carried a message. Skull and Bones- The most common and well known of pirate flag facets, the depiction of any combination of skulls and/or bones was an easily identifiable symbol for death. Death- The depiction of Death, or the Grim Reaper (or in some cases, the Devil), on pirate flags was a common practice. Often depicted as either a skeleton, demon, or ghoul, Death would be used to symbolize that "Death is upon you" or Death has come". Death would also often be depicted with a spear in hand in some cases. The Hourglass- Another common practice for pirate flags was the image of a simple hourglass, such as the one depicted under the skull in Emanuel Wynn's flag. The hourglass could be depicted by itself or in the hands of Death, symbolizing that "Your time has come" or "Time is running out (for you)". The hourglass could also be depicted with wings, symbolizing that "Your time is flying away": Blades and Arms- depictions of swords and daggers can be found on many pirate jacks, along with a raised arm (by itself or part of a body ) symbolizing that the crew was ready and willing to fight. Heart- Not exactly the first thing to come to mind when thinking of pirates, the orientation of a heart on a pirate jack can be very important. If a sword or spear was pointed at or piercing a heart , it meant that no quarter was to be given, even if it was depicted on a black field. This is just a quick background of famous pirate flags and designs. The information here is true to the best of my knowledge, using a number of sources and prior knowledge, some of which are linked throughout the post (I used Wikipedia mostly for images.) I hope you all enjoy this quick into the "Hidden messages" of pirate flags. Cheers! P.S. - i felt this was more history than off-topic discussion, but if this needs to be moved to the Tavern, please do so. I wasn't 100% sure where to put it. Cheers again.

Aye, but remember our... services... tend to be a bit pricey, ha har! I be sure that the English navy will give us more than enough reason to find common ground. Surely America could sympathize with us freedom loving vagabonds.

Arr, I'll eat buckshot 'fore I let ye Navy toms have all the recruitin' space! The Messengers of Death was one of the largest societies in Pirates of the Burning Sea on the Roberts Server (EU). Fer over two years these folks have been sailin' with each other. We were heavily active in all aspect, including PvP, RvR and economy. We were mighty organized, and were driven and lucky enough to secure one of the most recent Pirate map victories in PotBS, no small feat for the Pirate faction: for it hadn't been done in over three years! Alas, PotBS is on its last legs now, and most MoD has moved on to other games, Such as ArcheAge and Warthunder (And now Naval Action) The MoD Leadership be structured as such: there be 3 Triumvirs. The first being Lydia Fry, the harbinger of MoD, and leader in the ArcheAge MoD. Second be Morgan McKinnon, one of the original founders of MoD, and co leader at Archeage. And finally there be me, William Drummond, leader of the WarThunder Squadron and (now) Naval Action Flotilla. In Naval Action, we intend to sail as free captains, able to pillage, plunder, and be merry as we see fit. And If'n the makers decide that Piratin' be not a proper way to go about business, then we be prepared to sign up with either (first option) the United States Continental Navy or (second option) the English Royal Navy. Arr, we be not the sort fer the navy, but ye need pay to buy grog! We strive to be a close knit group o' respectable players that any gaming community can look up to. Griefing, flaming, and trolling simply not be our way. We invite English speaking players from pretty much anywhere to join up with us if they wish, and lay to it, we'll treat ye as our own. We follow the code, and follow in the footsteps o' gentlemen o' fortune before us. So if'n ye be interested, sign on! -William Drummond Lord of the Messengers of Death Captain of the Naval Action MoD Flotilla

Uhm.... Both Ubisoft sooo.... Anyway, They aren't the first to come to mind for 17th-19th century sailing, but I think a number of 2 Steps from Hell pieces would fit nicely. This one happens to be my favorite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDnJp9404Xk This one sound pretty good too, even has 'Pirate" in the name This one is also very good. There is also a version out there without the choir. 2 steps has some seriously good stuff that I think any gamer should look into. Epicness in music form

Given that the community is so small, I'm sure setting up duel/training can be done. I'm sure if you ask nicely enough at any time there is bound to be someone willing to lend you a hand. Otherwise, just like the others, feel free to contact myself via the NA forums or ask away if you see me in-game. (Also, TS helps: especially since all battle chat fades away quickly and real time speech can be clearer) This invitation extends to all players who are looking for guidance in game.

IRC is a form of text chat I believe. Although my experience with it has been a simple live chat room. This said, and the fact the the game is in alpha stages and probably does not support any outside modules, I would have to say no, but I am not 100% on that.

A number of captains flew a red fielded jack right from the get-go (Christopher Moody is the first that comes to mind, and Henry Avery had both a red and black version of his flag) basically saying to any ship they came across "You're screwed no matter what". The reason for not giving quarter from the start could be a number of things, from lack of space for extra crew or prisoners, or that the crew was happy the way it was, or that some captains just didn't care to take extra crew or prisoners. I would like to see a game mechanic though where flying either a red or black jack would affect performance in some way. Perhaps a pirate flying a red flag would have better boarding parameters? More deadly grape shot? A heavier morale bonus on pirate crew/heavy morale fall of enemy crew? Henry Avery/Every's flags:

I'll see ye to it gentlemen! Know this: should I see yer sails on the horizon, I'll present ye with a respectful tip o' me hat, and an equally respectful broadside! 'sides, I figured the U.S. Navy would be keen to work with us rapscallions, seein' as they employed privateers during their revolution, and then asked fer help from none other than Jean Lafitte -a pirate no less!- during the Battle o' New Orleans.

Incorrect. The S&CB was in fact what was considered THE original "Jolly Roger" .The Scull and Cross Swords however (not shown), flown by "Calico" Jack Rackham, is the other jack to be considered the original Jolly Roger. Later, the term "Jolly Roger" would come to represent any Pirate jack. the less well known pirates would have leaned more toward using just the skull or S&CB, if anything, for their simplicity. Here and Here are a more in-depth source on the jacks.

Here's to ye, fellow gentleman o' fortune! I look forward to to seein' yer flag flyin' should we find ourselves sailin' the same seas. Good luck, and give the Navies hell!