Capturing Ships

[Pantsalot]

Maybe they could make it that you have to escort captured ships back to a friendly port before you can use them in battle, to drop off the captured sailors and replace them with a friendly crew

Although this would be more realistic, it would be too complex & time consuming if the original plan
for your ships was to attack a port & end up randomly finding another fleet, which after u capture
plenty of their ships then have to return to ur port before they're usuable. & also the fact that if
u were to get attacked b4 u got back to the friendly port then what would happen to the captured
ships?

This is quite a mystery what they will do about capturing ships but my guess is that it will be to
complex for me to be bothered for..

There will be a number of ships that only certain countries may have the main splits will be between African, Indian, Middle-Eastern, medditeranian & Northern European + 13 states as these countries
would have different makes of ships to suit they're area or just isolation from other countries makes
of ships. So people in Europe would more likely end up fighting each other with the same ships with
just different flags attached. If they do the same as what Imperial Glory did & make ships have
different colours on the trim or hull outside then I'd rather disband them. I want my armies PURE
like my civilians, that means NO IMMIGRANTS

[pevergreen]

From the IGN preview, it seems you gain control of the ships the next turn.

[PBI]

Although this would be more realistic, it would be too complex & time consuming if the original plan
for your ships was to attack a port & end up randomly finding another fleet, which after u capture
plenty of their ships then have to return to ur port before they're usuable. & also the fact that if
u were to get attacked b4 u got back to the friendly port then what would happen to the captured
ships?

I'd quite like that; you'd have to choose between scuttling the captured ships and keeping your own fleet at full strength or weakening your fleet in the short term to escort the captured ships back to port. I'd like there to be some situations where capturing isn't a good idea, otherwise I fear I'll always go for the capture rather than the kill and never get to see the pretty graphics of ships blowing up and sinking.

Unless I take your approach and go on a Dalek-like extermination of all opposition.

Of course it's moot, because as pevergreen points out, the ships will simply become yours next turn. But I wonder, do they automatically get crews for free, or do you have to make up a crew from the crews of your own ships?

[Pantsalot]

If it does indeed become urs next turn then I'd guess that CA will make the crew magically
appear, they could be smarter & make it that all the cannons can't fire & the ship doesn't
move as fast due to lack of crew therefore holding the fleet up & making a little backfire in
ppl's dreams in wanting to own a collection of ships from every country. Maybe the crew could
get captured during boarding? Maybe if it is a ship that ur country does not posses then it could
be unrepairable due to the lack of blueprints of the ship? Who knows, all we can do is make dim
guesses.

[Nepereta]

if there is capture can we also scuttle? Perhaps some last ditch activity by a crew desperate enough not to see their tub join the other side.

[Tamur]

if there is capture can we also scuttle?

Oh, good question. There was an economic sim a few years back called Port Royale with naval battles where that was indeed a possibility, and I ended up taking it on a regular basis. Poor sailors, but at least the English didn't get my hard-earned rum!

[Sabuti]

I read in one of the FAQS that you can replinish crew through impressment. Maybe not accurate but good for game play.

[Martok]

Do you remember where you read that, Sabuti? I've not yet seen any info on impressment myself, and would be curious to see what CA has said about it.