New Rules for Maritime Territories and Naval Battles (Rev. 1)

[Vextor]

Maritime Territories and Naval Battles

Like the forests and mountains on land, nations can claim parts of the sea as their own territory to exert their sovereignty. But beware, foreign powers, pirates, and monsters will take charge and disrupt trade and commerce on your waters. If a nation doesn't control all waters between two separate regions and they don't belong to an allied nation, they can negotiate with other powers to gain safe passage or even try and fight their way through the waters to get to their destination (Sailing from one point to another will happen over the course of one phase). You could in theory fight a battle for every body of water (dot) you cross, meaning that your ship could be totally weaken before arriving if you took the longest route.

In order to enforce one's territorial waters, a nation must maintain a fleet composed of a number of combat vessels in order to ward off hostile forces. Otherwise, monsters, pirates, and other unwanted forces will occupy these waters, damaging trade and commerce, and without a vessel you won't be able to explore the high seas or attack a port region via the grimy blue. Losing to these pirates and monsters will have the same consequences as a normal battle, but you can possibly also take the pirates ship (You will not be able to kidnap the pirates or any other sea goer.)

Any nation can construct ships and fleets as long as they have at least one port, although the construction of vessels will cost potch depending on the class of the vessel and other factors (such as the port region's "Development" status, to determine if a port can build any given ship use "potch needed to buy ship/10000, This is the minimum Development status needed").

Mercenaries can also purchase ships that need up to 25 "Development" status points.. A mercenary can even hire out their ships to other nations (allies to other nations cannot do this), becoming more like a ship-merchant than a mercenary. The Mercenaries having no land to call their own will port and leave from the ports of the nation that has hired them. Mercenaries can hire themselves as captains of their ships, or independently hire their ships out at the same Phase and to different nations! But if the vessel you hire out and it's under someone else's command and they win you will not get any victory points.

Vessels

Vessels are required for a nation to attack or defend navally against enemies and other hostile forces. Each vessel class have same base stats, but there will be some variations. For example, Sigurdr the Black's Caravel has better stats than an average caravel.

Without vessels, enemies will be able to attack your port region directly. Meaning if the Magenta nation had a fleet and the Cyan nation did not Magenta could skip the battle for maritime supremacy and directly attack any of Cryn's ports.

Navy Units

Each vessel must have a Captain. Any member can be a captain, but the captain's stats along with whether he or she is a naval regiment will affect his or her effectiveness of the vessel. Like Naval Forces even if they are not used in sea battles they can still fight like a land lubber.

A vessel can also have an Artillery commander and a Marines commander.

Artillery is in charge of long-range, anti-vessel combat. Only members that command regiments with long-range attack capabilities (Archers, Magicians, Rangers, and Crossbowmen) can fill this slot unless the ship has special weaponry (Described under "special"). The captain's regiment will fill in if this slot is vacant, but with reduced efficiency.

Marines are in charge of direct hand-to-hand combat after ships get close enough for boarding parties to launch attacks. Regiment types that require mounts will be treated as infantry unless otherwise specified (and magicians will gain advantage over infantry during these battles also Spearmen and Crossbowmen will retain the same strengths/weaknesses). The captain's regiment will fill in if this slot is vacant, but with reduced efficiency.

Assigning the Captain, Artillery, and Marines is free with the purchase of the boat, and they can be changed at the beginning of each new phase. Units can still become Naval Forces and gain the normal bonuses and penalties and perform well as artillery regiments and as marines.

Vessels also have functional statistics which are affected by various factors (But they do not gain victory counts), such as the vessel's class:

Maneuverability (MNU): Measures how easily the ship is able to turn around. This allows long-range attack damage to be dispersed more evenly among various sections of the vessel.

Speed (SPD): Allows the ship to out-pace other vessels, and even avoid battle altogether.

Training (TRN): Shows how easily people can be trained for a particular vessel. Affects how much damage is done or received.

Range (RNG): Measures how far your vessel can attack long-range, and also how many cargo vessels the combat vessel can adequately protect during voyage.

In addition, each vessel has structural defense values which decrease as it gets attacked. Once more than two structural sections decrease to a value of zero, the vessel sinks. Structural values also do not heal unless the ship can get fitted at a port (which costs money and is done at the end of the phase).

Bow: The defense value of the front portion of a ship.

Port: The defense value of the left side of the ship.

Starboard: The defense value of the right side of the ship.

Stern: The defense value of the rear side of the ship. Stern damage can also result in a damaged rudder, which will reduce maneuverability.

Mast: A damaged or destroyed mast will result in reduced speed.

Attack Power: Attack power is not listed within the vessel's profile, because attack power depends entirely on the regiment put in charge of attack. If the vessel has special weaponry, the attack power of such equipment will be added.

Vessel Types

There are many classes of vessels that can be used in naval warfare. Each of these have different characteristics, and some will not be available depending on your port region's development level. Once ships are bought they useable on the phase they were bought. Any ship (except a Cargo ship) can be a flag ship leading a fleet of troops. Also if a nation loses every single one of their ports they will lose their ships to the latest invaders of attacking their nation (the nation that took the last port) or instead of handing them over they can choose to sink the ship (they will not be salvageable).

Cargo Ship (0 potch): A barge used to transport supplies and troops. They sink pretty easily, but are necessary for any voyage. You don't have to buy these at all, you are automatically assumed to have max number of cargo ships allowed for your fleet. These do not need captains and can be used to carry normal troops(Cavalry, Mages ,..ect) to a battle.

Schooner (100000 potch): A light, fast vessel that is not terribly hardy.

Trireme (150000 potch): A combat vessel that is oar powered, and therefore lacks a mast, making the ship slower, but resilient to attacks compared to Schooners.

Xebec (250000 potch): A versatile vessel that is fast and reasonably hardy. It is often equipped with a Corvus for quick boarding attacks.

Longboat (150000 potch): A single-sailed vessel that can also be rowed. The vessel has a very short range, but can withstand long voyages.

Caravel (400000 potch): A very fast vessel with a relatively sturdy hull. It tends to have a well protected stern castle, which protects the rudder from enemy attacks.

Dromon (400000 potch): A fast vessel with a tower, giving it excellent range. Ideal for long-ranged combat.

Frigate (650000 potch): A large vessel with three main masts. It is fast for its size and is quite hardy.

Galleon (800000 potch): A massive war vessel equipped with various weapons and protected with thick lumber. This class tends to be slow, but its range and defenses more than make up for that.

Quadragintareme (? potch): A massive vessel with three hulls connected by a huge platform, making it look more like a floating fortress. The vessel is oar powered and thus lacks a mast, making it pretty slow.

Ironclad (? potch): A Galleon covered with metal plates, giving it incredible defenses.

Windjammer (? potch): A vessel with a metallic hull, powered by four main masts. It is surprisingly fast, but maneuverability is among the lowest.

Man-o-War (? potch): A gargantuan galleon made by master shipwrights. This vessel is reasonably fast for its size and possesses great defenses. They also tend to be armed with powerful weapons, making them a dangerous foe to encounter in the high seas.

Vessels can be purchased at the beginning of each phase by paying admins and submitting required information, such as ship name, captain, and descriptions. Changing captains and other crew members can also only be done at the beginning of each phase.

Voyage

"Voyage" refers to any action involving the use of ships to pass through territorial waters. Attacking other nations will still cost 5 PP, and raids/explorations will cost 3 PP.

When going on a voyage, a fleet must be put together. A fleet can be made of 1~3 combat vessels, and one of the captains of must be named as a commodore. Also, an unspecified number of cargo ships (maximum number will be the sum of the RNG of all ships within the fleet) will tag along. Each cargo ship can carry up to 5000 soldiers. A fleet must also choose a strategy, which will determine how the fleet fights the battles, but the type of the ship will have no real bearing on success or failure of said voyage.

Strategies

Break Through: Focus on breaking through enemy ranks while sustaining minimum damage.

Focus: Focus attacks on one enemy vessel.

Disperse: Disperse attacks among all enemy vessels.

Sabotage: Focus attacks on enemy cargo ships.

Encounters

When fleets enter foreign waters, there is a chance they will encounter other forces. An encounter may result in the intruder being allowed to pass, pay a toll (one potch/soldiers carried), or may result in a battle. If a nation ends up boarding the opponent's ship and vice versus the loser will lose the ship, and the winner takes it as their prize. Also all the occupants of the winning vessel gain victory points but only when an enemy vessel is destroyed or captured by that vessel.

Naval Battles:

Attack on Port/Water Regions

Much like before nations can launch an attack on a port via the open blue. But now there are many new variables to be considered. Variables including the type of ships they have to attack versus the defending nation, and what route they should take. The nation may have multiple routes to get to the port to attack alternately, a nation can decide to go through uncharted waters to avoid going through another nation's territorial waters. However, uncharted waters have their own danger.

Another variable is if a vessel sets off from a cut-off region from the capital, they will fight at 75% effectiveness. Also on areas of a nation cut-off from the home nation, unless they can negotiate terms with nations who control waters in between these regions the nation will be cut off and won't generate PP and setting sail from there will damage effectiveness, but they can send supply convoys (2PP) to provide provisions to their people. Unless the convoy is detected and then defeated, they'll be able to provide supplies. Also, if they have allies who can help out, they can get supplies from them.

Once you take a region of water it will be much like holding a region of land, but the water will return to being under the command of the port located next to it if the nation cannot actually send a ship to the area they captured (this being used to balance out the old way of taking a port). Also to take a body of water that has no control by a nation requires only 2PP and no battle.

Combat

When combat starts, your fleet will start far away from each other (determined by the max RNG from both fleets), where only long-ranged attacks will reach each other. Battle progression will be determined by the fleet formation and tactics set by each captain and can be changed after each battle. Each tactic will have different effects in naval battles:

Back Against Open Water: The ship will charge into enemy formations and attempt to board enemy vessels.

The Fast Arrow Pierces: The ship will charge into enemy formations and penetrate through enemy defenses boarding enemy vessels deep within enemy formations, or firing from behind.

The Dragon Coils Around A Pearl: The ship will follow the same tactic chosen by the commodore.

A Crane Opens Its Wings: The ship will try to keep a distance away from friendly vessels, focusing on long-range attacks.

Hiding Within The Shell: The ship will try to distance itself from enemy vessels, focusing on long-range attacks.

Minute combat maneuvers will be determined by the "personality" of the captains, determined by their stats. No input by members will be necessary for the duration of naval battles.

Battle will continue until one side is defeated, retreats, breaks through enemy lines, or loses all of their cargo ships. Also if the commdore's ship (the flagship) is defeated, the entire fleet is defeated. Whomever is left would return to their port of origin. A commodore can not be in a cargo ship.


Salvage

If a vessel is captured before it is sunk (that is, if a vessel is boarded and captured), the vessel will become the property of whatever force that captures it.

Special Characteristics

Each vessel can have special characteristics to distinguish itself from other vessels. These give each vessel an added edge (or penalty). Special Characteristics sometimes come with ships, or can be gained through other special means. Here is a list describing some of these characteristics.

Battering Ram: A metal-tipped bow that gives a ship extra attack power at close range.

Corvus: A mechanical bridge that gives an offense bonus when boarding enemy vessels.

Ballista: A siege weapon that allows a ship attack from medium range regardless of artillery regiment type.

Rune Cannon: A rare weapon that doubles damage done by artillery regiment, and increases range to 10 (Maximum).

[Ninjar]

If a ship is captured, would the captain be captured as well? Or would he have to walk the plank?

[Vextor]

Nope, the captain will magically turn into a pink dolphin and escape unscathed. Next!

[Hawk Thanatos]

Will invaders automatically be detected now that you've got rid of patrols or is there a chance they can get by?

[Vextor]

Yep, they'll get detected always.

The only time "chance" comes into play would be when you choose to go through uncharted waters. For example, if Falena wishes to send a supply convoy without going through the Island Nation's controlled waters, they can take a longer route in the outer seas, but they'll have to make a number of "checks" to see if they encounter any hostile forces before they can actually arrive at their destination.

[John Layfield]

Are 'special characteristics' seemingly chosen at random for a ship or are they implemented at the request of a nation? Or, indeed, are special characteristics earned through exploration and the like much the same as special unit types and territories are normally found through land exploration?
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One day, I shall come back. Yes, we shall all come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.

[Vextor]

Yeah, primarily through explorations. However, if people are very creative with their initial "present" ships, I may include something special.

[Username]

[John Layfield]

One ship per port each with a value of 40k or less. Is that what you mean?
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One day, I shall come back. Yes, we shall all come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.

[KoRnholio]

Um, its one ship per nation that has at least one port.

With a value of 400k or less.

[John Layfield]

This is what happens when you stay up for twenty-eight hours. Don't let it happen to you, kids!
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One day, I shall come back. Yes, we shall all come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.

[Username]

[Kalidor]

[Vextor]

Yep

[Noot]

How often can the ship's crews be changed prior to the beginning of a Phase?

And are you sure it's only one free ship for each nation with a port? I thought a nation would get a free ship for each port they currently occupied.... :?
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