Capturing Ships

[PBI]

Well i'd definitely hope that Ships dont automatically get changed to ships of your side, because this might be an opportunity for a player who's good with naval battles to get Ships his Faction otherwise couldnt even build, Ottomans capturing a British first rate or something like that.

Not sure I understand why this would be a problem, in fact it seems like it would be an excellent incentive to go to all the trouble of a boarding action rather than just blasting a ship to bits once it is crippled. Like pevergreen, I fully intend to start my own collection of exotic captured foreign ships.

And bear in mind that while the ships may be foreign, the crews will be your own; if the game represents crews from some countries as being better than others then you will still have to put up with your fancy captured ship being crewed by a bunch of landlubbers.

[Salazar]

Err, yes, that's exactly what i said. It would be an opportunity to get Ships you couldnt build, and that opportunity would be ruined if they would automatically get changed to one of your factions shiptyeps.
I guess i should have explained that better, im not against the ottomans capturing a british first rate if they can manage to do so.
On the contrary i was afraid that the rather rigid concept of faction ownership might prevent them from doing that, or perhaps even worse might automatically change the Ship to an Ottoman Ship, so they wouldnt have a first rate but rather some oriental Ship they could have built themselves.

[PBI]

Er, yep, reading your post again I probably should have picked that up, sorry. That's what I get for posting at 1am.

[rajpoot]

It's all fine with Ottomans capturing a first rate, but what I ask is, did they in reality have the sailors to sail it? I'm a total noob when it comes to ships and sail all right, but, what I mean is, when the Ottomans never built a ship of the line, how can the sailors recruited from their ports sail one? Aren't different ships supposed to have different sailing mechanics? Specially such giant warships? I really doubt that sailing an Ottoman galley would be anything like managing a SOL.....

[Martok]

Well I would imagine the basic principles of operating a deep-water vessel would still be more or less the same, regardless of the size of said vessel. Handling ropes & sails, navigation, etc., has to be at least somewhat similar no matter what.

That said, I'm sure that any ships you capture will start with a "green" crew to reflect their inexperience and/or unfamiliarity with their new prize.

[PBI]

Would be a bit silly if a native faction in canoes can capture a ship of the line and immediately use it; maybe if you capture a ship that is too different from your own could mean that you can tow it back to port and use it and its captured crew as diplomatic bargaining chips, but you won't be able to use it yourself until you reach the appropriate tech level.

[A Nerd]

RIght on! Green ships make good targets for your well trained rookies...right!?

[Elmar Bijlsma]

May I point out the Ottoman Empire did have Ships of the line in use during the time in which Empire TW takes place.

I hope that the capturing ship goes a little something like this:
After the battle is done and you are returned to the strategic screen where prizecrews are subtracted from your ships and these are used to man the captured ships. Thus undermanned the captured ship and indeed the own ships are pretty much forced to head for a friendly port to retrain. Simple, effective and very much close to history.

The ship I am most looking forward to capturing isn't some monstrous 1st rater but a lowly French 28 gun frigate. Patrick O'Brian fans will know what I'm talking about. People who aren't fan of the Patrick O'Brian books: WHY THE HECK NOT?!? :D

[Mr Frost]

It's all fine with Ottomans capturing a first rate, but what I ask is, did they in reality have the sailors to sail it? I'm a total noob when it comes to ships and sail all right, but, what I mean is, when the Ottomans never built a ship of the line, how can the sailors recruited from their ports sail one? Aren't different ships supposed to have different sailing mechanics? Specially such giant warships? I really doubt that sailing an Ottoman galley would be anything like managing a SOL.....

Turkish warships became more like European ones during this timeframe . The Ship of the Line wasn't simply an European "cultural" design , it was a very logical design of warship for the technology of the day .
Ottoman Turks {and for that matter Barbary pirates or sailors of any of the Indian Kingdoms that had a navy or Imperial China} would soon adapt to a captured 1st Rater from England or France as the sailing technology wasn't that different and neither was the design of cannon .

[anders]

regarding the crew, the ships should probably start out with a skeleton crew only capable of a minimum of manouvre( and certainly no combat)( in norwegian, your crew on a captured ship would be a prize crew, is that so in english too?) when they come into your hands after capture, and need retraining( and repairs) in your docks to reach full strength.

[Martok]

regarding the crew, the ships should probably start out with a skeleton crew only capable of a minimum of manouvre( and certainly no combat)( in norwegian, your crew on a captured ship would be a prize crew, is that so in english too?) when they come into your hands after capture, and need retraining( and repairs) in your docks to reach full strength.

Agreed. I think that any enemy ships you capture should have to automatically put in to the nearest friendly port for repairs and to take on a full crew complement before putting back to sea as part of your navy. (Yes, it's called a "prize crew" in English as well. )