[Capt John Sparrow]

I do hope so. Am six games into a great campaign between my son’s Romans and my Britons.

Support for SPQR seems to have dropped off. I love this game. It has its issues with the rules and if I thought Warlord would listen I would make some suggestions. I can only presume that it is because v2 is coming. I don’t blame them for delaying release until the ‘vid is conquered and gamers can meet for dice rolling without censure.

[Capt John Sparrow]

Thanks, Tim.

[Capt John Sparrow]

Wie gehts, Halvarson?

Black Seas is focused on the period after the golden age of pirates and before the rise of desperate Somalis in the Indian Ocean. However, my son constantly wants to play pirates and so invariably one of the ships is a privateer.

I have found that an inexperienced, “up-gunned” large merchant ship is ideal as a pirate ship. I used a third-rate, reduced the number of guns and changed the mast configuration. It just needed a shabby, unnavy-like paint scheme…
…and a Jolly Roger. Obviously.

Enjoy.

Pieces of eight, all round.

[Capt John Sparrow]

I like very much!

[Capt John Sparrow]

Microsoft picture manager gives you the option in edit to change picture (and thus file) size. Choose large or small web and you will probably drop from 4mb to 100kb.

Am assuming you are loading them onto a photo hosting site like photobucket and trying to put the links in the text box?

[Capt John Sparrow]

If you get a crew hit critical AND fall below your break point is that effectively an automatic surrender? It appears to be as you have to take an immediate skill test and you fail all skill tests.

Yes. Auto surrender

COLLISIONS – we had several collisions and were not too sure what to do after the collision had occured, take a simple case of 1 ship heading due north, a 2nd ship (friend or foe) is heading due west and hits it amidships. Both ships roll to avoid the collision
a) assuming the collision is avoided what does the ship heading west do next?
b) assuming the collision is not avoided what does the ship heading west do next?

a. If the ship has enough movement, it is moved beyond the evaded ship. If not, stops short of ship.

b. Consult collision chart. Apply damage as listed.

[Capt John Sparrow]

You are correct. You only need to pass one skill test as, if you pass, you may turn beyond your natural turning angle.
My mistake that became obvious in this evening’s game.

I will keep playtesting but think you should always require a skill test to tack. Possibly.

[Capt John Sparrow]

I just use the 45deg dead zone from the advanced rules. That is essentially 90degs you have to tack through, requiring at least two tests. I like it because that is close to real life.

You should be carrying as much speed as possible as close to the wind as possible when you tack. So at the end of the turn (in a ship with a red turn) you should be ‘almost’ head to wind. Off by a couple of degrees, because mathematically you cannot be beyond the 45degree point.

On he next activation, the ship will move forward its base allowance and then you take a skill test to turn. If failed, you essentially stop with no turn.

If passed, you turn and stop, because, again mathematically you are still in the dead zone. However, on the next turn there should be no forward momentum. You will need to pass another skill test to complete the tack out of the dead zone. If you fail that test prepare to take some damage.
You are, after all, in irons (and in real life, your ship’s in a world of trouble).

[Capt John Sparrow]

Although, my Bolt Action queries used to get answered and errata’d quickly enough…

[Capt John Sparrow]

That’s an excellent point that I hadn’t considered. I guess I’ve been ‘spoilt’ back as a child playing GW stuff and more recently with X-Wing, where questions get answered quickly and biannual FAQs and errata are officially released.

Still, currently happy with the game and as my main opponents are my children, there’s some fudging of rules to enable smooth gameplay.

#yettowinagame

[Capt John Sparrow]

Crikey. Great rigging but I’ll being going simples.
My eyes grow dim, I cannot see…

[Capt John Sparrow]

And on my millionth rereading of the rule book, I discover that you add the characters after calculating upgrades and experience.

This is relatively straightforward except for merchant ships.
So the process is as follows:

Choose ship

Select upgrades
Total points
-20% for inexperienced or +20% for veteran
Round up to get total

But large or small merchant is:

Choose ship (inexperienced bonus already reflected in points listed)

Select upgrades
Total upgrade points
-20% for inexperienced
Add to ship cost
Round up to get total

Straightforward?

This does mean that a fleet list will always total to tens, 490 or 1000

[Capt John Sparrow]

Disappointing, isn’t it? Especially when they ask for votes for customer service awards.
I regard this forum as part of customer service.

Speaking to some retailers recently, they said if I thought this was bad, try being a retailer dealing with Warlord Games. It explained why there was so little WG stock in their stores.

[Capt John Sparrow]

I’m still using them. Their absence helps to remember a ship is “anchored” for one thing.

[Capt John Sparrow]

Roger. Many thanks

[Author]

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