Craft ship classes not individual ships.

[Salty Dog.]

One thing that has been bothering me about ships in Naval Action is the mix between ship types/classes and actual named ships.  Having a entire fleet of Bellona's or of Constitutions is just weird as the those are unique ships, a fleet of 3rd rates I can accept.    Here is the suggestion I would like to make.

Change crafting so we craft a ship of a specific classes/type instead of named ships.  Then use figure heads to specify which ship of that class the ship is named.  All the ships of that class would share the same model but the name of the ship would change depending on what figurehead the ship has.  Where possible, the ship names would be sister ships or other ships of that class  A ship without a figurehead would simply be named for its class.

This would reuse the existing models in game and at the same time add a bit of realism/diversity and give another captain some idea how the other ship will sail.   

AI Ships will always be the generic "Third Rate", "Heavy Frigate" or perhaps if new ships get added they could be named called based on the class of the ship "Bellona Class" 

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Example: Third Rate.  Using the ships similar to HMS Bellona

No figure head:  Third Rate

Gazelle:  Bellona

Katherine: Superb

Lion: Dragon

Rattlesnake:  Kent

Thor:  Arrogant (Arrogant Class)

Whale:  Defence (Arrogant Class)

Elephant:  Cornwall (Arrogant Class)

Phoenix:  Edgar (Arrogant Class)

Hydra:  Golliath (Arrogant Class)

____________________________________________

A heavy Frigate class or "United States Class" (Constitution)

No figure head:  Heavy Frigate

Gazelle:  United States

Katherine: Constellation

Lion: Chesapeake

Rattlesnake:  Congress

Thor:  President

Whale:  Constitution

Elephant:  Hudson

Phoenix:  Philadelphia

Hydra:  Independence

 

[Salty Dog.]

I think "classes of ships" would be something like

Baltimore Clippers/ Trading Clippers (Lynx/privateer)

topsail schooner (Pickle)

Brig/Trading Brig

Navy Brig

Snow/Trading Snow

Heavy Snow (Niagara) 

Heavy Brig (Mercury)

Privateer Brig (Rattlesnake)

6th Rate (cerberus)

Corvette (Surprise)

5th rates (Frigate)

French 5th rates (Belle Poule)

Trading Frigate (LGV)

American 4th rate (constitution)

ect.....

ect..... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2017 by Salty Dog on Global

[Hodo]

Problem is each of these ships were different.

Let us take the obvious one, the Constitution.

The USS Chesapeake was smaller than the USS Constitution, closer to the USS Essex in size, or the Indefatigable.  

The Chesapeake was a 5th rate, while the Constitution and President were nearly identical.  
 

Adding a figure head, while I like the idea of adding more to it, does take away from it a bit more also.  

[Salty Dog.]

17 minutes ago, Hodo said:

Problem is each of these ships were different.

Let us take the obvious one, the Constitution.

The USS Chesapeake was smaller than the USS Constitution, closer to the USS Essex in size, or the Indefatigable.  

The Chesapeake was a 5th rate, while the Constitution and President were nearly identical.  
 

Adding a figure head, while I like the idea of adding more to it, does take away from it a bit more also.  

Right, I totally get that.  This isn't to provide 100% realism, only to provide more diversity and give an attacking captain a little more information about the ship he is about to attack.  

You see a ship named "United States" you know it's a heavy frigate (connie) with gazelle.

Doesn't it make more sense than the current system of having an entire fleet of Constitutions?

The main thing I would like to get away from is using named ships like Surprise, bellona, Belle Poule, Constitution  for AI.  Player ships I think should be named and using the figurehead seemed like the easiest method of easily named ships to players.  AI should be sailing "3rd rates", players should be sailing "Bellona's".

Edited July 11, 2017 by Salty Dog on Global

[Hodo]

4 minutes ago, Salty Dog on Global said:

Right, I totally get that.  This isn't to provide 100% realism, only to provide more diversity and give an attacking captain a little more information about the ship he is about to attack.  

You see a ship named "United States" you know it's a heavy frigate (connie) with gazelle.

Doesn't it make more sense than the current system of having an entire fleet of Constitutions?

Honestly they just need to make that stuff visible in game.  If you have a gazelle on the front of your ship you should HAVE a gazelle on the front of your ship.  I know they can do it, because in OW none of the AI ships I see have figure heads on them, even the ones that are supposed to, like the Essex and Trincomalee.  

[Salty Dog.]

4 minutes ago, Hodo said:

Honestly they just need to make that stuff visible in game.  If you have a gazelle on the front of your ship you should HAVE a gazelle on the front of your ship.  I know they can do it, because in OW none of the AI ships I see have figure heads on them, even the ones that are supposed to, like the Essex and Trincomalee.  

Sure they can do it, however that would require changing parts of the graphics model for each ship.  10 different graphic models for each ship. Which would be far more taxing on the engine then just displaying a different ship name based on what figurehead the ship has.   Plus you would know before engaging the ship.

[Varden]

Maybe we'll see this with the new engine. I don't agree with removing any of the specific ships, but i do like the idea to customizing names somehow