New Amunitions

[Celtiberofrog]

would it be possible to imagine "explosive canon balls" as well as "red heated canon balls" ?

If i'm not mistaken, those type of special amunitions were used from 1790's by French Navy. It was extremely tactical when shooting at the rear of the ships and inflincted devastating damages, with a jackpot when reaching the ship pouder magazin...The ships were exploding instantly in that case, apart from dramatic crew casualties and setting fire. 

note: The "red heated canon balls" were very dangerous to manipulate as it could easily set fire in the user decks, only expert canon crews could dare to use this amunition. 

[Anolytic]

I don't really see a big need for more ammunition types. It is not something I would prioritise. 

But I guess it could be cool with explosive shells for mortar brigs.

If we were to have heated shots in the game, the way it should be basically be: When you reload guns with heated shots, you have 15 seconds to fire each gun, or they each have a 10% chance of being permanently destroyed. And in addition a 2% chance of an explosion devastating the whole ship.

[LeBoiteux]

The Revolutionary programme of 1793, led by engineer Forfait,  planned to build heavy corvettes carrying up to 14 x 48-pdr guns, a furnace for heated shots and a 12-pdr mortar. Built in 1793-96, those corvettes actually carried 20 x 24-pdr, instead of the 48-pdr. Other smaller corvettes were also built with 16 x 18-pdr, 20 x 18-pdr or 24 x 12-pdr guns and still a 12-pdr mortar and a furnace for heated shots. Etc.

However, this programme was a total failure. Corvettes are small ships made to be fast and carrying a light armament, not to be floating batteries.

According to Boudriot (La Créole, p. 30), using a mortar and heated shots on corvettes were more dangerous for the French sailors than for their enemies. Thus, those innovations were abandoned without being ever used. And the armament of those corvettes were replaced with a more normal one. Even then, those ships were disliked, being considered as  too heavy.

Surrounded by threatening European royalist neighbors, the French Revolutionaries certainly thought that over-arming some of their corvettes was a good idea. But, it was not knowing what corvettes were (1).

Another example of that kind of arms race and overarming Corvettes is the building, still by Forfait ca. 1794, of heavy corvettes with 24 x 8-pdr and 6 x 4-pdr, such as L'Unité, then captured by the British and renamed HMS Surprise, the very ship that is in game. But this time, this project was more viable.

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(1) : However, French Revolutionaries also built 'more standard' Corvettes, ie with 20 x 6-pdr guns or 20/22 x 8-pdr guns.

Edited November 18, 2018 by LeBoiteux

[admin]

It was already proposed by @Crimson Sunrise 

no plans for new ammo

[Celtiberofrog]

ok

thx for info

As you got well done the ship explosion design I thought more spectacular events such as instant blowing could be a plus.

cheers