My idea I would hope, could tie into the current system and/or with the new Ship Specialization coming out.
Much like a Gold Smith or a Shipwright, you can choose to build a Foundry. The higher the level the more options you unlock in both Cannon size, type and shot. Once complete you can sell 'new cannons' on the cannon market.
Players will be able to "customize" their ships with newer cannons. These newer cannons will have options like Reduced Weight, Increased Accuracy, Increased DMG and even type of DMG with certain Shot Type.
http://brethrencoast.com/Pirate_Weapons.html wrote: There were several different sizes and types of ship cannon. These guns also fired a variety of shot types. By the end of the 17th century, cast-iron had replaced bronze as the most common metal used in making cannon. This material made it much easier and less expensive to produce them in large numbers. Cannon usually required a crew of three or four men to effectively fire and reload. Taking a couple of minutes for a trained crew to repeat the firing process. It took a lot of practice and training for a gun crew to be effective. In later guns, a flintlock firing mechanism began to replace the slow burning match and touch hole. This proved to be a safer and more reliable method of fire. It worked by pulling a lanyard to activate the firing mechanism. The main guns were normally placed along the sides of a ship. Battle tactics for attacking another ship were usually a broadside style attack. This required a ship to expose it’s side cannons to the enemy ship, then fire all of these guns repeatedly.
A ships cannon was referred to by the weight of the shot that it fired. The cannon itself usually weighed around two hundred times the weight of the shot it fired. Hence, an 8 pounder cannon weighed some 1600lbs, but fired a 8 pound ball. The weight of gunpowder needed was approximately half the weight of the shot fired. Ship cannon were made in various sizes from small 2 pounders, to large 24 pounder ship wreckers. Shore fortifications often boasted even heavier cannons. The big 32 pounders were commonly used for this. A typical gun size on a pirate sloop or small schooner would be 4 to 8 pounders. They could fire a cannonball over 1,000 yards. But the maximum effective range was more likely 100 to 200 yards. Cannonballs did little damage at long range, and cannon fire was notoriously inaccurate. These guns also wore out relatively quick. Normally becoming unsafe to use after around 500 to 1,000 shots. Since pirates did not normally intend to sink their prey, their guns were usually loaded with a selection of ammunition effective against personnel or rigging and sails.
I envision a feature where a sailor can customize his ships through cannons. He can carry a 24 pound ship wrecker, but will sacrifice speed and turning. He can carry 8 pounders and gain speed and turning, but decreases damage out put.
This leads me to type of Shot. There were several used back in the Golden Days:
http://brethrencoast.com/Pirate_Weapons.html wrote:ROUND SHOT
The standard iron cannonball. They were made in several common sizes but because of production quality, no two were exactly the same. These relatively loose fitting balls were not very accurate at long distances. But they could travel farther then other types of shot, making them a popular round at medium to long ranges anyway, especially in a defensive role. The cannonball would have been used at close range for it's overall destructive effects. Damaging enemy cannons, crew, masts, and particularly a ships hull in an attempt to sink it. They were also used against shore fortifications.
BAR & CHAIN SHOT
These odd looking shots consisted of two cannonballs or two halves of a ball attached together either by iron bars or chains. They were designed specifically to damage a ships rigging and sails. These shots could cause major damage, wrapping around masts and reducing them to splinters, or taking out whole sails by simply ripping them to shreds. This type of shot was generally not very effective against a ships hull, and did not have the range of a standard cannonball.
BUNDLE SHOT
This was simply several short iron bars bundled together with a length of rope. The bundles were custom made to fit snugly inside each cannon. When fired, the rope would loosen and the iron bars would begin to spread apart. Once these bars hit something they would begin to tumble, creating devastating damage to flesh and bone, or wood and sail. Bundle shot was said to be quite impressive when used at relatively close distances.
GRAPE & CANISTER SHOT
Small iron balls about three quarters of an inch in diameter were packed in bags and used as grapeshot. The bag disintegrated when the powder ignited releasing a cluster of balls in a wide shot pattern. This load was very deadly against crewmen at extremely close range, and often used to repel boarders. Canister shot had a large metal container that was filled with gravel, nails, or musket balls. The container would burst when fired and scatter its lethal contents similar to grapeshot. Canister was more effective than grapeshot at closer ranges and began to replace it during the 1800s.
EXPLOSIVE SHELLS & HOT IRON SHOT
These two specialty rounds came into use at the height of the great age of sail. An explosive hollow cannonball fitted with a crude fuse that was lit just before it was fired. The intent was for the shell to explode when it reached the enemy ship. Timing was critically important to be effective, and also to not have it blow up in one’s face. The hot iron shot was heated to a red hot condition just before being fired. The purpose of using this shot was to set the victims ship on fire. This type of round could also be extremely dangerous to a gun crew, as the heat of the shot inside the cannon could cause the gunpowder to ignite prematurely. They should have coined the phrase "Don't try this at home" with these rounds.
My idea with shot comes from NOT WANTING TO CAUSE A SHIP TO LOSE LEVEL. Many pirates/privateers know the feeling when going against a nice lvl 10 SOLT or MOW only to get it and its now a lvl 9. I want a player to be able to customize their shot as to not do dmg to ship and/or dmg to crew. With 5 ships in a fleet you could have a cool combo of different cannons and shot.
As stated above and to continue a profitable market, these player made cannons would have a shelf life of 500-1000 shots. At which point they would need to scrap for 30% of purchase value and buy new ones.
With the new Ship Salvage feature coming out, I see this as a way for a player to find some cannons and put them on the market as well.
Lvls - Assuming that the game starts you out with Bronze 6 Pounder Cannons right now. *Cast Iron weighs less then Bronze*
LvL 1 - Bronze 8 pounder (-2% Speed, +2%dmg) - 500 shot usage
Lvl 2 - Bronze 9 pounder (-3% Speed, +3% dmg)- 500 shot usage
Lvl 3 - Bronze 12 pounder (-4% Speed, +4% dmg)- 500 shot usage
Lvl 4 - Bar and Chain Shot (+10% dmg)
Lvl 5 - Bronze 18 pounder (-5% Speed, +5% dmg, +2% accuracy)- 500 shot usage
lvl 6 - Bronze 24 pounder (-6% Speed, +6% dmg, +4% accuracy)- 500 shot usage
lvl 8 - Bronze 32 pounder (-8% Speed, +8% dmg, +8% accruacy)- 500 shot usage
lvl 9 - Bundle Shot (+10% dmg, Kills 25% crew, Crew cannot be killed below minimum requirement to sail the ship, 15)
lvl 10 - Bronze 36 pounder (-10% speed, +10% dmg, +10% accuracy)- 500 shot usage
lvl 11 - Cast Iron 6 pounder (+10% speed, +2% dmg) - 1000 shot usage
lvl 12 - Cast Iron 8 pounder (+8% speed, +3% dmg)- 1000 shot usage
lvl 13 - Grape Shot (Kills 50% crew, Crew cannot be killed below minimum requirement to sail the ship, 15)
lvl 14 - Cast Iron 9 pounder (+6% speed, +4% dmg)- 1000 shot usage
lvl 15 - Cast Iron 12 pounder (+5% speed, +5% dmg)- 1000 shot usage
lvl 16- Cast Iron 18 pounder (+4% speed, +6% dmg +4% accuracy)- 1000 shot usage
lvl 17 Explosive Shells / Hot Iron Shot (+25% dmg, Kills 50% crew, Crew cannot be killed below minimum requirement to sail the ship, 15)- 1000 shot usage
lvl 18 - Cast Iron 24 pounder (+3% speed, +8% dmg, +8% accuracy)- 1000 shot usage
Lvl 19 - Cast Iron 32 pounder (+2% speed, +10% dmg, +10% accuracy)- 1000 shot usage
Lvl 20 - Cast Iron 36 pounder (+15% dmg, +15% accuracy)- 1000 shot usage
Currently you do not have to buy and stock Cannon Balls or Shot on your ship. I would like to suggest otherwise. This will tie into having to "buy" balls/shot at a market.
This is just a rough idea of course. Would like feedback on how to improve or Scrap
**edit** you will always have access to the Bronze 6 pounder the game starts you out with. There should be a message displayed if your current cannons are unusable. "These cannons have fired their last shot, head to market or replace with your Bronze 6 pounders"
