You've Got Mail? - What does it mean?

**Didz** · 04-29-2009, 13:34

Just been fighting a naval battle and one of my frigates suddenly got what looked like a 'You've Got Mail' symbol come up and shortly afterwards surrendered (must have been hate mail.)

I am aware of the 'Your on Fire!' symbol, what it means and what to do about it, but this symbol isn't mentioned in 'the manual'

or in Spraeter's Guide. It looks like a little pale blue envelope with a number 1 on it.

Any idea's what it means and how to deal with it?

**Discoman** · 04-29-2009, 13:50

Have any pictures? It could be the ship sinking icon. When your ship sinks it has blue waves and an arrow pointing down. Now it may appear/disappear every so often because the ship is sinking slowly. The more rapidly the faster it's sinking.

**Didz** · 04-29-2009, 15:28

Originally Posted by Discoman

Have any pictures? It could be the ship sinking icon. When your ship sinks it has blue waves and an arrow pointing down. Now it may appear/disappear every so often because the ship is sinking slowly. The more rapidly the faster it's sinking.

No forgot to set-up Frapp so no piccies I'm afraid.

But it sounds like it could have been the 'Ship Sinking' symbol, (it was blue anyway, and the envelope flap with the 1 it might have been an arrow.) the only puzzling thing about that would be that the ship was hardly damaged. I think it was 'Yellow' on one side of its hull, so are we talking about some sort of critical hit feature being invoked, and if so is there anything one can do to save the ship. Like a 'stop-firing-and-man-the-pumps' option.

I mean we are talking about a 6th Rate here but what if its your 2nd Rate flag ship just got kicked in the goolies by a sloop.

**TinCow** · 04-29-2009, 15:49

I know the symbol that you're talking about, and I am also uncertain of what it means. I have a suspicion that it has something to do with hull damage and possible sinking potential. Based on observing damaged ships during battles, I feel like the more damage a ship has, the greater the possibility of it just randomly starting to sink. It seems to me that heavily damaged ships also have greater odds of sinking if they are moving (waves coming in through the damaged hull?).

I cannot remember whether it was this icon or the water/sinking icon, but I do remember in one battle seeing one of those two icons and ordering the ships with those icons to drop anchor, after which the icon went away. I did not move the ships for the rest of the battle and the ships did not sink. It's possible I'm imagining things and/or it's just a coincidence though.

**AussieGiant** · 04-29-2009, 16:03

I've seen this before and it does have a relation to sinking.

At least I'm certain in my own little world. I had a nice new 3rd rate which took a pounding along the water line but was still armed with 60 odd guns.

I took a nice hard turn to port and the big old tart just buried herself into the sea. All hands lost!!!!

**johnhughthom** · 04-29-2009, 16:03

There is a hit below waterline symbol, could have been that.

**TinCow** · 04-29-2009, 16:23

Originally Posted by johnhughthom

There is a hit below waterline symbol, could have been that.

That would explain what I have experienced. Ships with that symbol should not be moved or they risk sinking.

**Ethelred Unread** · 04-29-2009, 16:45

I've had that one - for some reason galleys seem able to do it especially well against ships of the line.

The only way to stop them going under as mentioned before is dropping anchors asap. Of course, I don't usually notice it until too late then it's

for my jolly jack tars.

**hoom** · 05-01-2009, 14:15

It depends a lot on the extent of the damage I think.

I've had a ship giving nearly constant blips of the taking on water icon for quite a while & she was able to still play a major part in the battle without sinking.

Definitely making tight turns & using full sail seems to be a sure-fire way to have a holed ship sink though.