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Another ship card question(s)


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#1 Brian Weathersby

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Posted 29 September 2015 - 01:15 PM

In putting together some ship cards to run Strachan's Action for a convention, I noticed something about French and Spanish 74s, as opposed to their British counterpoints.  All British third rates require 2 crew boxes as the minimum crew for handling sails.  French and Spanish ships are required to keep 3 crew boxes as minimum crew.  This also applies to the three-deckers for each country.

 

My question is: Are the different crew requirements a way to show that French/Spanish ships normally had larger, but less experienced crews than their British counterparts?  As a related question, if that is the case, could French/Spanish ships ever reach a state of crew quality (say, in a campaign game for instance) where they would only need 2 crew boxes for this instead of 3?

 

Now, to go really far afield, would this 3 crew box requirement apply to other navies with large, but poorly trained crews?  I'm specifically thinking of the Russian and Otoman Turks here, as the 1806-1812 war between them is an interest of mine.

BWW



#2 Cpt M

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Posted 29 September 2015 - 09:41 PM

"My question is: Are the different crew requirements a way to show that French/Spanish ships normally had larger, but less experienced crews than their British counterparts?  As a related question, if that is the case, could French/Spanish ships ever reach a state of crew quality (say, in a campaign game for instance) where they would only need 2 crew boxes for this instead of 3?"

 

Yes, that is the case.  British (and American) crews were probably the best sailors of the period, thanks to long at sea experience.  As for whether the French or Spanish could ever reach the same level, I'd say no.  That level of expertise requires long and extensive training (something neither the French could engage in nor the Spanish would engage in).  

 

"Now, to go really far afield, would this 3 crew box requirement apply to other navies with large, but poorly trained crews?  I'm specifically thinking of the Russian and Otoman Turks here, as the 1806-1812 war between them is an interest of mine."

 

I would apply that to both navies.

 

BTW, Strachan's Action (or the Battle of Cape Ortegal) is one of the scenarios planned for release.  The scenario is currently being edited and should be posted within the next 2 weeks.

 

 



#3 Brian Weathersby

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Posted 30 September 2015 - 02:15 PM

Well, I'm running Strachan's Action for the convention held on board the USS Texas on October 10-11.  I'm also running it on October 9, but that's a GM only day.  It's a way of saying "thank you" for those people who come out and give their time (and $$) to help support the battleship. 

 

Given that I've been playing with sailing ship miniatures since about 1981 or so, designing your own scenarios really isn't all that hard. :)  For years, Heart of Oak was my go-to set of rules for small engagements, with Kiss Me, Hardy by TFL being my choice for larger engagements.  I really think that I can now retire my battered HoO rulebooks.  Post Captain really fills that bill for me now.  Our test game of Constitution vs. Java the other day came off really well, even if we did mess up some of the rules.  The outcome, and attendant casualties were all quite historical.  I played the Java, and at one point crossed the Constitution's stern at 37 yards only to realize that, thanks to doing rigging repairs, I had not yet reloaded my port side guns.  AARRGGHH!  The rest of the crew was busy loading the other guns, since it was a turning fight just like the original.

 

Now that I know the rationale for the crew sail sizes, I'm inclined to agree with you.    About the only people who could get anything close to that sort of sea time might be the frigates and some smaller vessels.  And, as you said, the French couldn't and the Spanish wouldn't.  Of course, given the Spanish manpower problems, that's not too surprising either.

BWW 



#4 HalC

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Posted 29 October 2018 - 10:59 PM

If I might be so bold for perhaps future publications of the rules in this regard?  Why not make it such that minimum crew required be the bare minimum for a given crew quality, and that varying levels of crew quality should change times to handle tasks or to handle sailing etc.?  This way, if one were to play an "alternate timeline" style game, or perhaps a "What if" type scenario, the people playing the game have all the tools they need to create their own scenarios and rules for handling atypical situations.

 

I rather like the idea that more attention is being given to the Great Lakes campaigns - and would LOVE to see rules come out for that.  I would also love to see some form of campaign rules for those who might be so inclined.  Heck, something on the order of campaign rules for finding replacement spars for when your own spar supply is gone, or rules for finding replacement cannons, or having crews be decimated by disease and then have to be replenished somehow.

 

Ah well, enough on my foolish dreams right?   *teasing grin*






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