The importance of lighthouses

[The MetaBaron]

They are not just glorified rock markers. Anyone that has done any real sailing or navigation in real life knows their primary role is just that, navigation. Through a combination of timing of the light rotation, to its placement and even color in proportion to other lighthouses allows you to accurately determine your location and approach to ports. In a game that does not even give you latitude and longitude lines on the map these navigational aids would be invaluable and fun to use in low visibility situations or even just regular navigation.

 

Before the invention of an accurate clock and thus the ability to find longitude, these navigational aids were very common and necessary. With no light pollution to tell you where land masses were, running aground at night was a common occurrence, lighthouses were common well before the Romans.

[Captain Boneboys]

Where exactly were these lighthouses positioned in the time frame concerned ?

 

Good suggestion which has led me to read up on the history of the US coast guard and and architecture in the Caribbean.

[ObiQuiet]

That is all true, though I'm not sure "common" is justified until the 1800s.

http://uslhs.org/chronology-lighthouse-events

Is it significant that there were no lighthouses in the game map regions until after the period we're playing? There are some earlier threads about that around here somewhere.