Post by TomTango on Sept 19, 2013 12:06:07 GMT
A Vessels hull design is the shape of its bows, stern and the shape of its cross section along the length of the hull, in nautical tems this is called its hull form.
For the sake of simplicity we have created four categories of hull design that can be applied to boats and ships that define how much space they have in the hold, how they handle in the water and how much draught they have below the waterline. Our interpretations are not 100% historically or nautically accuarate but they are designed to give a wide range of options to a player whilst maintaining playability and a manageable workload for the development team.
The four hull design types are named after the four colonial powers in the region depending on which was most popular in that nations ship building industry at the time, however note that a Spanish ship might have a Fench hull design or any other possible combination.
BRITISH HULL
British hulls are built for ship to ship combat, they have bluff almost hemispherical bows, a sharply sloped stern section ending in a flat transom and a pronounced tumblehome design (The width at the deck is narrower than the width at the waterline) with a wide flat bottom. They have good cargo capacities, tend to roll less in large waves and have very stong hulls that can withstand a lot of cannon fire.
However they also tend to handle less well than some other designs and respond more slowly to the helm, taking longer to tun and manouver.
SPANISH HULL
Spanish hulls ae built for long voyages and rough seas, they have a bluff hemishperical bow, a rounded stern and a rounded cross section with a less pronoounced tumblehome design. They are stable hulls that handle well in heavy seas but have a tendancy to be easily blown backwards when turning against the wind, something a clever captain can use to his advantage. They have large cargo capacities.
However they are not stable platforms for firing from as they roll more in any but the smallest waves and have deep draughts meaning they can not sail in shallow waters without risk of runnng aground.
FRENCH HULL
French hulls are built for speed and manouverability. They have sleeker more streamlined bows than the other hull designs and more steeply sloped sterns meaning they can turn quickly and respond well to manouvering. They have narrower hull cross sections than the other hull designs.
However they have a reduced cargo capacity and tend to heel (lean to one side) more in the wind, a clever captain can use this increased heeling to increase the range of the guns on one side of the vessel at the expense of range for the other side.
DUTCH HULL
Dutch hulls are built for carrying large trade cargoes, they have bluff hemispherical bows and wide hulls with flat bottoms and shallow draughts. They can carry large cargoes and can sail into shallow waters to unload and load. They handle averagely and on the whole make reliable, easy to sail vessels.
However their wide hulls and flat bottoms mean they can not make as much speed as sleeker hull designs.
For the sake of simplicity we have created four categories of hull design that can be applied to boats and ships that define how much space they have in the hold, how they handle in the water and how much draught they have below the waterline. Our interpretations are not 100% historically or nautically accuarate but they are designed to give a wide range of options to a player whilst maintaining playability and a manageable workload for the development team.
The four hull design types are named after the four colonial powers in the region depending on which was most popular in that nations ship building industry at the time, however note that a Spanish ship might have a Fench hull design or any other possible combination.
BRITISH HULL
British hulls are built for ship to ship combat, they have bluff almost hemispherical bows, a sharply sloped stern section ending in a flat transom and a pronounced tumblehome design (The width at the deck is narrower than the width at the waterline) with a wide flat bottom. They have good cargo capacities, tend to roll less in large waves and have very stong hulls that can withstand a lot of cannon fire.
However they also tend to handle less well than some other designs and respond more slowly to the helm, taking longer to tun and manouver.
SPANISH HULL
Spanish hulls ae built for long voyages and rough seas, they have a bluff hemishperical bow, a rounded stern and a rounded cross section with a less pronoounced tumblehome design. They are stable hulls that handle well in heavy seas but have a tendancy to be easily blown backwards when turning against the wind, something a clever captain can use to his advantage. They have large cargo capacities.
However they are not stable platforms for firing from as they roll more in any but the smallest waves and have deep draughts meaning they can not sail in shallow waters without risk of runnng aground.
FRENCH HULL
French hulls are built for speed and manouverability. They have sleeker more streamlined bows than the other hull designs and more steeply sloped sterns meaning they can turn quickly and respond well to manouvering. They have narrower hull cross sections than the other hull designs.
However they have a reduced cargo capacity and tend to heel (lean to one side) more in the wind, a clever captain can use this increased heeling to increase the range of the guns on one side of the vessel at the expense of range for the other side.
DUTCH HULL
Dutch hulls are built for carrying large trade cargoes, they have bluff hemispherical bows and wide hulls with flat bottoms and shallow draughts. They can carry large cargoes and can sail into shallow waters to unload and load. They handle averagely and on the whole make reliable, easy to sail vessels.
However their wide hulls and flat bottoms mean they can not make as much speed as sleeker hull designs.