Movement without using the Movement Decks

[Dobbs]

A while ago, Jonas was lamenting about not being able to sail really slow. It set me to thinking how do incorporate slower speeds in the game, and this is what I've come up with:

I made the assumption that a turn was one minute. I calculated in 1/1000 how far a ship would move in a minute at different speeds. I made the fastest speed (the G Deck) 6.5 knots, since historically ships fought with simple sail configurations to simplify sail handling and free up crew.

Instead of selecting cards, a player indicates on a Movement Plot the course and speed he wants to sail.

Here are two Amazons using the different movements side by side.

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Here are two sloops that started out side by side.

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The frigates turn to 2 points to starboard.

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The frigates turn 4 points to starboard.

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Of course, these are demonstrations of the maximum speeds, but with my system, a ship can sail as slow as 0.5 knots. Using the cards, 3.5 knots is about the slowest a ship can go.

[TexaS]

It's an interesting idea. It easily handles the different maximum speeds of different ships, but it'll get more complicated plotting the moves.

I makes the possibilities of having maneuver quirks for each ship impossible (turning badly at low speeds, sailing better at high winds...), but that's not used by Ares anyway.

[Baxter]

What a good idea. With one exception my group is either nearly 70 or older and using the cards we find it a bit difficult sometimes to avoid nudging the bases of our models. Arthritis etc. Having a template like the one you are working on would be a boon to the "oldies". :drinks:

I have thought from time to time about a magnetic base but getting a map with a surface that each magnetised model would attach too seems a bit hard.

[Bligh]

Interesting, and raises a few questions Dobbs. How easy is it to use in a close combat situation where several ships obstruct the line of the template? It is hard enough to deal with overlapping cards in these situations, and this seems to be the point at which ships get nudged out of place in our games. However it is an interesting idea and well worth experimenting with if you are playing a simple one on one game.
As Jonas says things could get complicated with more ships in play.

Rob.

[Dobbs]

Here's what I came up with for close quarters conflicts. It may be useful with cards as well.

Players reveal their movements and the ships are in each other's way for the movement templates. The American ship wants to turn 8 points to starboard and the British plan to turn 2 points to starboard.

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The American ship uses the sideways temporary movement template to move out of the way.

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After the British move, the American ship returns to its position, but the British ship is blocking the template. Using the fore and aft temporary template it moves out of the way.

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The British ship is moved back to its actual position.

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Regarding ship flaws and strengths, I thought that they might be expressed best like the Captain's cards, only if your ship has a flaw, your opponent gets the card and chooses when to play it.

[TexaS]

That "move out of the way" template was a good idea.

[Bligh]

Certainly takes the bodging of the move, and keeps it accurate.
Good one Dobbs.

Rob.

[Dobbs]

Thank you, Gentlemen, for the rep!

I have been pondering templates that fit to the other side of the ships, but they seem more challenging to make.

I have also begun considering sticking with the card format and making cards to handle slower speeds.

[Bligh]

Any developments you can provide will be most acceptable Dobbs.
Thanks.
Rob.