Ship damage and how it affects (or doesnt) the crew

[KilroyWH78]

During naval battles  what i have noticed is that every penetrating shot doesnt really do much to change the tide of battle.

What i would like to see added is a "spalling effect" where a penetrating shot could incapacitate some crewman and wound others, with wounded ones still being able to fight but with a penalty to their effectiveness or make them prone to dying should another wounding event happen to them

[Hullabaloo]

I think it is already there. Penetrating shots do kill crew, and you can look on this as 'wounding' if you like by simply viewing the total number of crew as a representation of your crew's overall effectiveness, rather than an actual headcount, (particularly as they can be 'resurrected' with a bit of rum anyway). 'Spalling', as you put it, occurs, as crew damage is heavily influenced by the wood type and it's splinter resistance and the angle of shot penetration. Crew numbers have a massive effect on the battle, affecting sailing, reloading and boarding.

LOL, apologies, this is not a Naval Action post

Edited March 10, 2020 by Hullabaloo

[bwc153]

It seems really hit and miss. Sometimes I'll unload a good broadside into a 7th rate from dozens of cannonballs, all the shots penetrate, and beyond the hull damage nothing seems to happen to the crew or cannon.  Other times I'll rake an enemy ship and kill 5, sometimes 10, men with one cannonball.

[KilroyWH78]

i know shots can kill crew, the issue is that it is limited to the actual projectile instead of the subsequent damage.

for simplicity sake im gonna keep it at round shot. there have been several occasions where a full penetrating broadside somehow didnt hit a full crew of a ship