The ideal number of ships per player in a game.

[Popsical]

So, after a few games of SoG with my daughter ive come to the conclusion that 2 ships aside is ample at this moment.
What have you, my fellow admirals, found as the ideal or maximum number of ships per player in a game?

As a side note, if a tournament scene were to start in the future, i really couldnt see a greater number than 3 ships per player being viable.
You could modify this total by ship class i suppose, say, SotL, frigate, sloop.

SoL = 3
frigate = 2
sloop = 1

What say you all?

[Warspite]

I generally do 2-3 at 300 points either
1st rate + heavy frigate
2x 3rd rates
3rd rate and 2 frigates

My friend/main opponent LOVES the frigates and does 4x of them he finds it too much to handle and they usually are running into each other lol

[fredmiracle]

2 vs. 2 is fine, but perhaps a bit sparse. We more often use 3-4 ships per side, which we find quite manageable. Most often they will all be SOLs or all frigates/sloops, although sometimes we mix it up

[Nightmoss]

Let's see, the last time I faced a human opponent there were 27 people on the British side and 26 on the French. Each person had control on one ship. This was the Ares world record event at Gen Con 2014.

Seriously though, when playing solo scenarios I find it difficult to handle more than 2 ships per side because it's very easy to lose track of what's going on. But if you equate that level of concentration to a face to face game I expect I could handle 3 ships easily enough, maybe four if there's some variation on the ships involved.

[7eat51]

I think it depends upon what level of rules you're using. For Basic/Standard, I would think up to 3 is manageable without too much downtime due to planning, etc. Once you start adding crew actions, etc., I would say 2 so more time is spent on the game than record keeping, if you will.

[Popsical]

I will stick with the basic rules with my daughter as she would like 2 to 4 ships a side.

[Naharaht]

I think it depends upon what level of rules you're using. For Basic/Standard, I would think up to 3 is manageable without too much downtime due to planning, etc. Once you start adding crew actions, etc., I would say 2 so more time is spent on the game than record keeping, if you will.

I agree with Eric.

[Union Jack]

I agree with all the above but would add that time is a constraint as to which set to use. If you have enough time then advanced rules and multiple ships to enjoy all the nuances of the game. Limited time then basic or standard as required. More ships, more time.

[Warspite]

We have found the game is quicker with the advanced rules because of the special damage effects like fire that destroy ships quicker.

[Devsdoc]

I think the smaller the number of ships the more detail the game needs to be. As you add ships to the game I think you will need less detail for each ship. Once you start Squadrons and fleets size games, what individual ships do is less impotent as long as they fire there guns at the right ships as fast as they can.
Be safe
Rory

[Capn Duff]

I and my group have found, 2 easy to handle and keep track of.
3 ships can get confusing but is do-able. 4 ships takes a lot of concentration, easy to mix up damage and the correct movement card. Not tried any more than 4.
This using the advance rules

[stuh42asl]

For the FTF games I have played 4 ships per side can be a challenge, I was teaching a well as playing, so I had trouble keeping track of the cards and counters.
I find three is good for me. I run mixed battles so all rates are used. My favorite is three 1st rates, except in variable winds.....more often than not my ships end
up "locked in irons" and either run a ground or into each other. I like battle lines, with enough room to manuevor. All though the last game I played with my mates
each side had three 3rd rates and it was a hull to hull brawl.......both sides were limping away by the time we were done.

[Herkybird]

I like to run 1 ship using the advanced rules, I feel more in touch with what is going on that way. I find if using solo rules, a key thing is to allow yourself to take time to do everything right rather than rush! :question:

[stuh42asl]

I tried a 4 on 4 battle with my group each side had 1 first rate, 3 3rd rates.... map is set with both squadrons entering from opposite corners. French versus British the win was from the north east,with out variation. We used the entire rule set, it took a while but it was a lot of fun. Both sides chose in-line on a closing bearing, we met mid way and exchanged broadsides at almost point blank range. Both sides chose double shot and both lost the lead ship. The French first rate lost 3/4 of her crew, two fires and two masts shot away.
Double shot bloody well hurts, the English 3rd Rate was pumelled to snail snot, lost all her masts , 90 % of her crew and had more leaks than a sieve....she sank. The French 1st rate could not control the fires and blew up. That was the first four turns. Both sides disengaged, with the French turning in line to starboard and the Britsh to port. By this time the first rate blew up taking the rest of her crew with her, and the British were abandoning ship( we assumed the resulting explosion pretty much finished of the crew that were trying to get off the 3rd rate since they were faily close to one another when the 1st rate blew up).All in all shock and awe forced both sides to lick their wounds .

[Pseudotheist]

The ideal number of ships per player is clearly one. If your battles aren't interesting enough you need to add more players. :beer:

[fredmiracle]

The ideal number of ships per player is clearly one. If your battles aren't interesting enough you need to add more players. :beer:

No doubt that's best *if* you can gather a good crowd...

[David Manley]

I think the biggest number I've seen in a proper battle is 50 :)

[fredmiracle]

If we're talking about monster games, in the Nile battle Walram organized, there were 2-3 ships per person. In that scenario I thought it worked really well, because the ends of the lines took a long time to get engaged. So on the one hand, a player had a ship toward the front, that got into action pretty quickly, and on the other hand, a ship toward the back, so they still had something to command if their first was put out of action...

[CSherrange]

i have run everything from a single sloop in sloop vs. sloop to 6 3rds rates on my own. I've found advanced rules sink ships faster, and a smal print out of the order to do everything in is super helpful.

[7eat51]

I like to run 1 ship using the advanced rules, I feel more in touch with what is going on that way. I find if using solo rules, a key thing is to allow yourself to take time to do everything right rather than rush! :question:

I, too, prefer one for the feeling - same with WoG, though when playing with a wingman in mind, flying two is not too bad with respects to feeling in touch.

As for solo games, not rushing is key for many reasons, part of which is sheer enjoyment. I can take my time and not worry about adversely affecting someone else's experience.

[Devsdoc]

Hearing a lot of the above. It seems that to have time to plan moves and think what to do, is key to some of the games. I think this is a bit un-life like. In a smaller game say 1 to 1 maybe using a timer to put some pressure on the player would be more life-like. One would not have the time to sit back and think about it in real time.
Be safe
Rory

[Warspite]

Hearing a lot of the above. It seems that to have time to plan moves and think what to do, is key to some of the games. I think this is a bit un-life like. In a smaller game say 1 to 1 maybe using a timer to put some pressure on the player would be more life-like. One would not have the time to sit back and think about it in real time.
Be safe
Rory

having time to think is the basis of strategy games (or games in general), in this game and others its just an unavoidable fact that it takes more "focus" to coordinate an increasing number of units. Gaming isn't meant to be life like otherwise you would have to play in blistering cold sea winds with scurvy ridden comrades lol. That is more the scope of historical societies/recreation.

But for gaming Analysis paralysis is quite annoying.

[Drkangell]

I haven't played yet with more than 2 ships a person. Yesterday played with a sloop each. Unless I am introducing someone to the game I play with advanced rules, and along with that many of the optional rules are used as well. After having some battles and getting used to the additional rules, I don't think it would be too difficult to add additional ships. That being said I also run 3-4 planes in wings of glory and that is fine as well. Ideal number of ships per person? I don't think there is such a thing. It all depends on the sizes of ships and such. I still think three sloops vs a single frigate would be interesting. So it all depends on the situation.