Feral Blue: How to Win Sailors and Influence Crew Members

The ship’s crew consists of 3 separate castes: warriors, freemen and serfs.

The warriors fight during boarding actions and handle the artillery in naval engagements. Outside of combat, they can do jobs suitable for warriors. Warriors can be assigned to work as service personnel if necessary, but that would hurt their morale. In this case, they still remain combatants and do their combat duty when a fight happens.

The serfs function as sailors and service personnel, they do not fight during engagements. They can be assigned to do the warriors’ duties if necessary, but will likewise suffer morale penalties. Serfs can be permanently promoted to freemen.

Freemen are sort of in between, capable of doing both the serfs’ and warriors’ duties. Freemen can be relegated back to serfdom if necessary. Once a freeman becomes a full-blown warrior, he can’t be made serf any longer.

Every day a serf consumes 1 unit of food and water, a freeman consumes 2, a warrior 3. Upgraded galley decreases the food expenditure by 25-50%, when functioning at full capacity.

Yes, in this society there is no such thing as social justice.

Every character is defined by 5 basic attributes, ranging from 0 to 10. These attributes affect the characters’ efficiency at any given job (every job is associated with two specific attributes), as well as their combat performance.

● Strength – affects damage the character can deal in melee.
● Agility – affects shooting accuracy.
● Endurance – affects the amount of hit points the character has.
● Knowledge – important for many jobs aboard the ship.
● Discipline – affects the character’s dedication to his duty. When discipline or morale are low, there is an increased probability that the character slacks at his job and fails to contribute anything.

These basic attributes are mostly constant, although there is a small probability to increase them while doing respective jobs.

The dynamic attributes reflect the character’s condition and change depending on the external factors, such as combat wounds, feeding or events:

• Life – current hit points, with the maximum being capped by endurance. Hit points are decreased when the character is wounded in battle. When an epidemic causes а crewman’s health to fall to 0, he begins losing hit points as well.
• Health – the character’s physical form. Capped at 10, health can decrease due to starvation, sickness, events and, sometimes, battle wounds.
• Morale – mental condition of the character. Capped at 10, morale can falter due to starvation, events, lack of work or being assigned to inappropriate duties. If the crew’s morale reaches 0, part of the crew will start a mutiny. To maintain morale, have a supply of alcohol; keep the galley running and assign your crewmen to appropriate jobs.

Every compartment on the ship is associated with particular task. The task’s efficiency is calculated in points produced by the crewmen assigned to the compartment. Once the required value has been reached, these workpoints are converted into produced goods or a positive effect.

The amount of workpoints generated by a character depends on his basic attributes relevant for the job in question. The likelihood of increasing a respective attribute after a day of working ranges from 1 to 10% per day depending on the initial value.

The tasks most and least suitable for a given character are highlighted in his job list:

1) The jobs he would be particularly poor at are highlighted in red.

2) The jobs he would be very good at are highlighted in blue.

The efficiency wheel of the works performed in a compartment displays the accumulated workpoints as N/Ef, where N is the current accumulated points and Ef is the target value.

Current speed of workpoints accumulation is shown below, at the center of the wheel. Points accumulate every hour; at the end of the day the compartment produces the fruit of its labor and the points are reset. The job in question might be anything from producing items to feeding the crew, maintaining artillery or taking care of the sailors’ health.

When the crewmen fail to accumulate the necessary amount of workpoints by the end of the day, it may result in all kinds of unpleasant consequences, such as losing morale or health across some parts of the crew, suffering malfunctions of artillery, receiving no healing and so on, depending on the compartment’s function.

Living spaces reflect the vessel’s crew capacity, separately for warriors and serfs. If a respective part of the crew is greater than the living space permits, its morale falters.

The orlop provides accommodation for warriors and freemen. Here they stay while not preoccupied with some other assignment. Serfs moved into the orlop may lose 1 point of morale per hour with a probability of 5%.

All ships feature orlops. An orlop can upgraded to greater size providing the vessel’s type permits that.

Assignment: Rest in the orlop.

The living hold provides housing for serfs. When serfs are not preoccupied with work, they tend to grow complacent. After spending two full days at the living hold, a serf may start losing 1 point of morale per hour with a probability of 5%.

Warriors or freemen moved into the living hold may lose 1 point of morale per hour with a probability of 5%.

All ships feature living holds. A living hold can upgraded to greater size providing the vessel’s type permits that.

Assignment: Rest at the hold.

The cargo hold is always present on the ships. It serves to store goods and resources, depending on size of the hold. Crewmen assigned to cargo hold to combat vermin infestation help maintaining the crew’s health and preventing epidemics.

When the laborers fail to accumulate at least 70% of required workpoints per day at the hold, every crewmen may lose a point of health per day with the probability of up to 8%.

Assignment: Rat catching (agility, discipline)

The helm is always present on the ship. A crewman assigned to this compartment steers the ship on its course. This duty is often taken by the captain himself. Both warriors and serfs can be assigned here without morale penalties.

If the helm is damaged or unmanned, it slows the ship down greatly.

A freeman laboring at the helm learns the trade of the warrior and has a small probability to end up being promoted to such.

Assignment: Helm.

The weapon decks house the ship’s artillery. Some of them are always present on the ship. During the naval engagement these decks are manned by warriors and freemen, allowing to fire at the opposing vessel. The number of warriors and freemen aboard affects the reloading speed.
During peacetime warriors assigned to the weapon decks maintain the artillery pieces. If they generate insufficient amount of workpoints, artillery might suffer damage.

Upgrading weapon decks increases their capacity and hit points of the ship’s artillery, depending on ship type.

Freemen laboring at the weapon decks learn the trade of the warrior and have a small probability to end up being promoted to such.

Assignment: Servicing artillery.

The deck is always present on the ship. Keeping it clean and orderly helps maintaining the morale of the crew.

When the laborers fail to accumulate at least 70% of required workpoints per day at the deck, every crewmen may lose a point of morale per day with the probability of up to 8%.

Assignment: Deck scrubbing (endurance, discipline)

Upgrading the ship’s locomotive system increases their crew capacity and hit points. The number of serfs assigned to locomotion directly affects the ship’s speed and maneuverability in combat.

Locomotive systems check for workpoints hourly. Warriors assigned to labor on the locomotion have a probability of up to 6% to lose a point of morale daily, and half as much for freemen.

Locomotive system on sailing vessels. If the masts are damaged or lack personnel, the ship slows down significantly on the strategic map.

Assignment: Working sails (agility, endurance)

The steam machine powering steam ships. It consumes coal to work. If the machine room is damaged or lacks personnel, the ship slows down significantly on the strategic map.

Assignment: Machine stoking (endurance, discipline)

A deck containing rowers on oar-powered vessels. If the rowing deck is damaged or lacks personnel, the ship slows down significantly on the strategic map.

Assignment: Working oars (endurance, strength)

Upgrading these compartments increases their capacity and improves efficiency of their output.

The ship’s kitchen. The cooks ensure that the crew eats well and in a timely manner, boosting their morale and preventing the loss of health. The workpoints are accumulated over the day, while the outcome is triggered at midnight. When the volume of accumulated workpoints are insufficient to serve warm food to everyone, some of the crew will lose morale.

Galleys upgraded to highest tier decrease food consumption aboard.

Assignment: Cooking (endurance, knowledge)

The workplace of the ship’s physician. Restores hit points and boosts health for the wounded in the infirmary. When the infirmary is not used to full capacity, the physician watches over preventive treatment of the whole crew, granting everyone a small probability to increase their health.

Assignment: Treating patients (agility, knowledge)

A place to contain the wounded being treated by the physician in the operating room. As long as the crew has enough food and water and there is personnel generating enough workpoints in the operating room, the patients restore some of their hit points and health daily. The effect is triggered at midnight, so it is important to keep the patients in the infirmary by the end of the day.

Assignment: Patient

Here the ship’s chaplain administers service increasing the morale of the crew. As long as the compartment is intact and manned, the personnel inside grant everyone a small probability to increase their morale.

Assignment: Preaching (knowledge, discipline)

Sailors producing spare parts at the workshop increase the efficiency of repairs anywhere on the ship. The more workpoints are generated here, the faster the compartments’ hit points are restored all over the vessel.

Warriors and freemen assigned to work here have a probability of up to 2% to lose morale. Serfs working here have a chance to increase their respective attributes.

Assignment: Repair assistance (agility, knowledge)

Produces ammunition for ship’s artillery. Ammunition is produced every hour. The more personnel is assigned here, the higher its hourly output.

Warriors and freemen assigned to work here have a probability of up to 2% to lose morale. Serfs working here have a chance to increase their respective attributes.

Assignment: Ammo making (knowledge, discipline)

Produces sabers, muskets and armor. The more personnel is assigned here, the higher the smithy’s hourly output.

Warriors and freemen assigned to work here have a probability of up to 2% to lose morale. Serfs working here have a chance to increase their respective attributes.

Assignment: Weapon crafting (knowledge, endurance)

Purifies and distills seawater into drinking water, using chemicals and wood. Hourly water output depends on the number of serfs assigned here.

Warriors and freemen assigned to work here have a probability of up to 2% to lose morale. Serfs working here have a chance to increase their respective attributes.

Assignment: Water desalination (knowledge, discipline)

Burns wood into charcoal. Hourly coal output depends on the number of serfs assigned here.
Warriors and freemen assigned to work here have a probability of up to 2% to lose morale. Serfs working here have a chance to increase their respective attributes.

Assignment: Coal charring (endurance, discipline)

Uses wood to distill the mash made of fodder into alcohol. Hourly alcohol output depends on the number of serfs assigned here.

Warriors and freemen assigned to work here have a probability of up to 2% to lose morale. Serfs working here have a chance to increase their respective attributes.

Assignment: Alcohol distillation (knowledge, discipline)

Mixes coal and chemicals into gunpowder. Hourly gunpowder output depends on the number of serfs assigned here.

Warriors and freemen assigned to work here have a probability of up to 2% to lose morale. Serfs working here have a chance to increase their respective attributes.

Assignment: Gunpowder mixing (knowledge, discipline)