System and Battle Maps

Ad hominem attacks are rarely in good taste. There are better ways.

One interpretation of what Walks Alone said is that some people will take a comment as verbal abuse that most people would not.
Fortunately the standard to be met is set by Duckk, not by overly sensitive people.

I wouldn't like to have your desk, I can't imagine how long it would take to walk around it...

tlb wrote:

Jonathan_S wrote: He wanted (initially) ship combat based loosely on Napoleonic age of sail and you don't slam HMS Victory into reverse - I don't think the mast and rigging is laid out or stressed for it.

Except that a square rigged ship can go in reverse, just not do it very well. It is true that you cannot slam into reverse, or out of reverse.

Hornblower does it (I think in Captain Hornblower) to free a fouled anchor. Once the ship is moving backwards, Hornblower has all sail taken in before the anchor chain jerks on the anchor.

Imagine the wind is coming from the side, if you shift the yards so the ends on that side are slanted ahead of the mast then the sails will push the ship forward; but if you slant the yards the other way then the thrust is toward the stern and the ship backs up.
This is something a fore and aft sail plan can not do, but fore and aft can sail closer into the wind than a square rigger.

cthia wrote:When sailing, whether you tack, jibe or bear off (according to the wind) is akin to the flipping of Honorverse ships to decelerate.

Or simply start flapping the sails -- trimming them so wind passes through with no effect. Provides instant breaking, akin to taking your foot off the accelerator. Or, the flipping of H'verse ships.

phillies wrote: Harland's Seamanship discusses this in great detail. He provides an example of taking a square-rigger up a narrow river, including points where the ship was being sailed due sideways and being turned without translation. Of course, the wind had to be favorable. There was a US vs UK naval engagement, I think War of 1812,as in which the American ship raked the British from the stern and then threw the ship into reverse and raked the British ship again.

The captains of USS CONSTITUTION, and the men-of-war HMS CYANE and HMS LEVANT, had no way of knowing that the War of 1812 had ended three days prior to this battle.
Sailing off the coast of Madeira, Spain, “Old Ironsides” encountered two smaller British ships in the afternoon. Outfitted with 52 guns, USS CONSTITUTION began exchanging fire with both ships, the 24-gun HMS CYANE (commanded by Capt. Thomas Gordon Falcon), as it sailed in formation behind the 18-gun HMS LEVANT (commanded by Capt. George Douglas). What followed would be one of the most brilliant examples of seamanship and tactics in the war.
In his official report, Capt. Stewart described the battle’s beginnings, at 6:05 p.m., “…commenced action by broadsides, both ships returning fire with great spirit for about 12 minutes, then the fire of the enemy beginning to slacken, and the great column of smoke collected under our lee, induced us to cease our fire to ascertain their positions and conditions.”
When the heavy gunpowder smoke that enclosed the three vessels cleared, USS CONSTITUTION was sailing parallel to HMS LEVANT, and delivered a broadside that prompted HMS LEVANT to disengage for repairs. At about that time, Capt. Stewart noticed HMS CYANE coming up on USS CONSTITUTION's stern. To avoid being raked, Captain Stewart ordered his men on the masts and the yards to "back sails," or sail the ship backward into a position where he delivered a crippling broadside to HMS CYANE. Capt. Falcon attempted to disengage, but after being raked again, had little choice but to strike HMS CYANE’s colors at 6:45 p.m.
Damaged but not yet defeated, HMS LEVANT returned at around 8:40 p.m. After 90 minutes of pursuit and at a range of about 50 yards with “Old Ironsides,” HMS LEVANT struck her colors shortly after 10 p.m.
With the two prize ships in company, Stewart turned his British prisoners over to the Portuguese in the Cape Verdes, but British frigates recaptured HMS LEVANT shortly afterward. HMS CYANE was sailed to America, where she was purchased by the U.S. Navy and recommissioned USS CYANE, and served in the fleet until in 1827.

Walks Alone wrote:I was just thinking, one thing that I would find very useful while reading would be if there was some kind of animated map of the battle or the star system while the action is happening...

I try to imagine it, but it would be much easier if I had my own holotank like the characters do.

I was wondering if anyone has ever made or considered making such a thing?