Capt Wolf

Actually, Prio did not need to mark their forms to attack non-Black Flag Sea Rat vessels. From the Black Flag rules posted in February: "When a player submits his/her MRCA orders and wishes to go "all pirate," but not have it reflect on the faction, he/she can choose a new "black flag" option on the ship's MRCA order. All ships listed on that order will then, rather than be considered Sea Rats (or whatever faction the player is from), be considered “black flag” pirates. Once a ship has been registered as a “black flag” pirate AND committed an act of piracy, it retains its “black flag” status until some external event (capture, trial, pardon, etc.) wipes its slate clean. A player won't be committed to being a pirate going forward, but each black flag ship will be." And from further in that thread: "IMPORTANT: Note that ships sailing in a convoy with a black flag ship will be treated as black flag ships. Don't mix black flag ships in with a trade convoy; the whole trade convoy will be treated as black flag pirates as a result." Note that this means that if there's one black-flag ship in a fleet, even if all others are not flying the black flag, all are considered to be black-flag ships then and in future MRCAs, whether still sailing with the original black-flag ship or not. Furthermore, the black-flag status cannot be voluntarily removed but must be resolved by in-game actions. If none of the original offending ships ever raised the black flag before they committed the act of piracy, they don't get to say "but we weren't flying the black flag" and are free and clear. They still committed an act of piracy, and the failure to raise the black flag prior to it simply stains the entire faction rather than just the offending ships. As with the black flag, they are considered pirates subject to retribution. If they never raised the black flag, then the faction should have taken action to make sure that their act of piracy did not reflect on the rest of the faction. Just curious, but, prior to the Sea Rat capture of the Palmetto, what did Prio ever do to suggest they were nasty toward the Sea Rats? So Prio, after requesting the return of the Palmetto and being denied, needed to give diplomatic notice before attacking the exact ships that were involved in the capture? Interesting argument.

Oh, for editorial oversights! I guess they are asking for the release of three innocent ships! But I am not an official Prio spokesman, just an overworked KPA editor. Perhaps we can get an official statement from Prio to clarify their current position.

You may. And I can see how the Sea Rats may have thought the matter was settled. But did you really think Prio would say "Oh, they got away. Oh well."? Is that what your reaction would be if someone captured one of your ships? And OOC that probably factored into the Corries letting you leave Jameston before they had to seize the ship. But getting away doesn't resolve the matter. So we've got a case of the scorpion and the frog? What attack does this refer to? The Dark Narwhal and Misfortune's Wrath were considered to be black flagged after they captured the Palmetto. That matter must be resolved with the offended party (i.e., Prio) before they are considered to be in good (non-black flag) standing again. Just lowering the black flag does not remove the status if offending acts have not been resolved. No, quite the opposite. What happened before does matter. Prio attacked the exact ships that had captured a Prio ship the previous month. They were not innocent vessels; the attack was a response to a previous attack. And that was a good negotiating stance, giving Prio a way to get their ships back without having to admit they were paying a ransom. And after still not getting admittance of guilt, return of the ship, or payment for it in the matter of the Palmetto, instead you detain the Peacock and Pearl (and note that they were not the ships that sunk the Dark Narwhal and captured Misfortune's Wrath). And now you're surprised that Prio has decided to arm itself against Sea Rat aggression rather than pay the Sea Rats some DBs and say "Thank you sir, may I have another?" That's how Prio sees it. You could always release the Peacock and Pearl. That's all Prio is asking for: the release of two innocent ships. That would end the whole thing.

You didn't. It did. Actually, it started in February, when the Dark Narwhal, Misfortune's Wrath, and The Drunken Monkey attacked a Prio trade squadron and captured the Palmetto (see "More Sea Rats / Corrington Diplomacy in our Future" here). When the Sea Rats snuck out of Jamestown to avoid the Corries seizing the pirated ship, Prio responded in April by sinking the Dark Narwhal and capturing Misfortune's Wrath (see "Prio Gets Revenge" here). In May the Sea Rats responded by refusing to let the Prio ships Peacock and Pearl (coincidentally, these were the other ships in the Prio trade squadron when the Palmetto was captured) leave Bastion, and they have been detained there ever since. Prio refuses to pay for the release of the Peacock and Pearl because they claim it is a ransom for piracy, while the Sea Rats claim it is the cost of an unpaid bar tab!

And add to that list: Romantica = name used in the game accounting for licenses and DB transfers

I'm not sure that the AMRCA could handle that, but in general I agree that the AMRCA is an overlooked gem for cool stories and rewards.

Bloody Bill is already looking forward to his new gunboats!

@Roadmonkeytj, leadership is taking into consideration your points about shipbuilding rates for PCs and NPCs. It may not be as clean as a formula, and it may be a bit uneven at times, but it will be part of the process.

That is in large part because Mardier was granted a large treasury when the ESL-MAR war began, plus I think 20,000 from Oleon at that time. Prio's account has only been accruing MRCA result funds for a few months. The DBs in their accounts are not a good measure of their comparative strength/size.

And I would agree. I wouldn't even say there's anything to be at fault about as far as playing a game goes (OOC). Well, why should they pay DBs? And I wouldn't say things are out of hand. The situation didn't produce the quick result the SRs hoped for and is escalating. But the SRs have had plenty of success so far, and still have plenty of advantages. I'll also add that Prio's reaction is determined by a leadership committee made up of reps from all the factions to decide NPC actions when called for, and there's been agreement on their response. They aren't. They're just reacting to PC actions. Why did Oleon make an alliance with Mardier? Why did Corrington care about some Mardier refugees? Why does ESL's MAESTRO care about Prio? In all cases, the players are the driving force, but the NPCs are part of the game. Our problem is that the precedent is for crazy changes to come out of nowhere so we are reasonably worried about it happening again. Different leaders are determining NPC actions currently than before. Believe me, I absolutely don't want crazy changes to come out of nowhere. Actually, the raid rules are being pushed because we thought the SRs wanted to be able to raid settlements. We're trying to cater to your unique game needs. Traders don't raid settlements, but pirates do. Well, looking at context and game history helps. Prio has fought a war, on its own land, so that suggests some things (forts, troops) that haven't been spelled out. Relative size is another. It is certainly reasonable to expect Prio's forces to be smaller than any of the PC factions, and you may note that they've got a mere fraction of the ships of other factions. It's also reasonable to expect them to replace those ships when lost. And when in doubt, ask leadership. There's an NPC development group that is working on more details on all the NPCs. If we know one is going to come into play, we can prioritize work on that NPC. Getting harassing (looting) raids re-introduced is a priority toward that end. I am also working on an experiment with regard to other pirate activity. If it works, you'll be very happy. My point is, we're trying. If you have suggestions, tell us what you want.

The current state of Alexport defenses is being determined. NPC settlements are not as clearly defined as PC settlements. They were in a war, so it is logical that there are some existing defenses. What those are, and whether they expand them at all in the immediate future, will be clarified shortly.

Just emphasizing this point. MAESTRO is acting as a trade company, like the RNTC or WTC.

Thanks to everyone for the comments! Much appreciated. As everyone has mentioned, the tooth pieces really help give this ship its character. Thanks. The high forecastle and bowsprit are key to that, I think. Thank you very much, both of you! It's not all that complicated. On this one I used hinged bricks to create the curve, whereas on my previous one I used wedge bricks of various angles. The key is that the railings with the line of teeth/shields are only locked down on a couple of studs (one at either end), and otherwise float over the deck tiles. There are wedge plates under the deck tiling, and they were harder to fasten securely on this one because I can't use the hinged bricks as an anchor point the way I could use the wedge bricks (the inverse slopes of the bow are the main attachment point on this one). Dark colors and careful photo angles are also important, because the jagged edge of the tiles along the outer angled edge have to be hidden, both on top (by the railing) and along the side (by dark colors, overhang/shadow, viewing angle, etc.) I hope that helps.

That information is not specified by the results generated. Sometimes I add specifics in my write-up, sometimes I leave it to you to decide. What you do know is that Scavenger II, Little Scavenger, and Dirty Harry survived the battle for Bloody Bill. Given that Ravenclaw was sunk, it was likely in the middle of the action and involved in the kill. And I'd guess it would be easier for his smaller ships (LS, DH) to maneuver and board the gunboats than it would be for his flagship. If you want to say Ravenclaw sunk the one, and that Little Scavenger and Dirty Harry were each responsible for a capture, that works.

FYI, the ship doc doesn't show the proper level for NPCs. Each NPC pirate starts with 10 ship levels, just like players. The chart currently thinks they are 0; that's why it reports them as over their limit. And factions start at 25, but Mardier is working with a limit of 50 because it is a larger faction, more on par with the player nations. Again, the chart incorrectly thinks they're all 0. Also, remember, you can own more ship levels than your limit, you just can't use them all in a given MRCA. But I'll look into the Oleon and player situations. Thanks. Does this mean that a fleet can simply pay the cost of a licensed build to Trador without actually building anything? Or is an actual build required? Because Trador will quickly become a ghost town if the latter.

NOTICE: We have become aware that we received an erroneous report that the WTC had reached an agreement with the pirate Sinbad. We now hear that the agreement with Sinbad was reached by Captain Ansa Mesabi, sister of the WTC leader, but in no way part of the WTC herself. We apologize to Sinbad for suggesting he was in league with the WTC. Furthermore, this month's subscription fees to all involved have been waived.

Results by flagship: Results by destination: Results by DBs:

Kings Port Advertiser and Ship List New Terra’s independent source for shipping news. July 618. Vol 3, Issue 5 War Between Prio and Sea Rats? Our man in Bastion reports that, despite threats of war from the Duchy of Prio, Bastion authorities did not release the Prio merchant ships Peacock or Pearl. Furthermore, our man in Alexport sends word that the crew of the man’o’war Pegasus report taking heavy damage from the Sea Rat ship-of-the-line Odin’s Scorn, and that the Sea Rats succeeded in capturing the flagship of the Prio trade fleet, Prince Alex. Diplomacy may play a part in Prio retrieving their ship, however, as the Sea Rats did not take their prize home but rather towed it into the Oleon port of Fatu Hiva, from where the Prio trade squadron had just set sail. Our man in Fatu Hiva tells us that lights were on all night in the Duchy’s consulate here, and that would-be privateers in pubs throughout the port were already readying plans to apply for letters of marque if they are forthcoming. By our calculations, Lord Alexander Prio has lost 80% of his active trade fleet to Sea Rat attacks in the past months, so we would be shocked if he does not appeal for help in some fashion. Komodo Dragon Sunk! From King’s Harbour we hear that the crew of the Corrish man’o’war HMS Ironsides, on anti-piracy patrol, sank the infamous black-flagged Sea Rat ship Komodo Dragon, but that the Corries’ patrol mate HMS Badger was captured. Meanwhile, from Lavalette we can confirm that the Sea Rats did indeed capture HMS Badger, as she was towed into the bluecoat port by the Killer Frog. Observers in Lavalette tell us that the Killer Frog and Morning Fog appear damaged, with only the smaller Warped Wood appearing no worse for wear among the Sea Rat ships. But knowing how Oleon officials have dealt with pirates in the old world, we expect dim prospects for the black-flagged fleet ever leaving the colonial port. Oleon and Corrington Spring Traps on Pirates, Harrison Torn Captured! From Granoleon we hear that the bluecoats have captured yet another pirate! Crews from the Gladiateur, HRS Ville de Granoleon, and HRS Eltina II are telling the tale of how they lured in the infamous pirate by using a ship captured from another pirate. The Blue Bayou, formerly belonging to Bluebeard’s fleet, was used to lure Harrison Torn into believing a friendly encounter was about. When the Oleon squadron came into sight, they had a commanding position and captured all three ships of Torn’s fleet! Another public trial and hanging is surely in our near future. But at what cost was this victory over the pirate? Torn’s fleet succeeded in sinking the Oleon squadron’s flagship, the ship-of-the-line HMS Tiddlywinks, before striking his colors. And from Port Raleigh we hear that the redcoats tried a similar tactic, but without quite the same results. A large squadron led by Commodore William Hawthorne used the former Sea Rat ships Pineapple Revenge and Priest’s Bounty to draw in the pirate Montroy, but he was more clever than Harrison Torn and detected the subterfuge before it was too late. Montroy’s flagship, Neptune’s Scream II, was captured, but not before the Montroy transferred to the cutter-rigged sloop Harpie and sunk the HMS Perseus. The Corrie crews report that they hit the Harpie with considerable firepower, but not enough to keep Montroy from escaping to fight again another day, but the crew of HMS Perseus were rescued. Additionally, our man in Breshaun tells us that the squadron led by the HRS Tonnant used the Poisoned Peach, captured from Gregory Decker, in a similar manner near Baskers Island, but that pirate Jan Van Sud did not fall for it, sinking the Poisoned Peach before making a clean getaway. Eslandola Experience Pays Off Our man in Freeport tells us that a greenies’ trade squadron came into port with Zublius Von Wreck’s brig Hades’ Hangman in tow! This particular squadron has been attacked by pirates three months in a row. The crew says that ZvW ambushed them near Sabre Island, but that the battle-tested crews of the escorts Long Beard and La Salamandra quickly turned the tables on the pirate. The Long Beard was lost in the battle, but her crew were instrumental in taking ZvW’s brig and largely survived. ZvW escaped aboard his flagship Reaper. Meanwhile, our man in Trador tells us that the crew of the Piece of Eight II, recently commissioned into the MCTC trade fleet, were able to ward off an attack from a pirate they are calling “The Dragon” due to the flag flying from his ships. The crew say they were set upon east of Port Raleigh and claim to have damaged one of The Dragon’s ships before making their escape. PIRATE ROUND-UP Bluebeard in Azure Sea? Our man in Calisto reports that the ETTC ship Tuna King had a narrow escape. Her crew claim to have been attacked by none other than Bluebeard in the Azure Sea, and say they damaged one of the pirate’s ships while making their escape. LeColeon Strikes The ETTC’s luck wasn’t as good in the Cocovia Sea. Sailing from Mesabi Landing, the trade squadron led by the Belson first spotted a suspicious group of three ships somewhere south of Tortuga in the South Prio Sea. As the Belson and her mates made their way west, it became clear that they were being stalked by none other than the pirate LeColeon! All attempts to lose the pirate were fruitless, and the ETTC ships were finally set upon west of Stephanique. Only the crew of the Golden Filly made it to King’s Harbour: they report that the Dancing Dogfish was sunk and that the Belson was captured! We have no word at this time on the fate of either crew. Bloody Bill Ravages WTC Defenses Again For the second month in a row, Bloody Bill has put a large dent in the WTC’s gunboat fleet. Our man in Mesabi Landing tells us that Bloody Bill sank one gunboat and captured two more, leaving only two to make it back to port after the smoke cleared. It does appear that the gunboats were able to send one of Bloody Bill’s ships, a brig not previously seen in his fleet, to Davy Jones’ Locker. However, if encounters like this continue, Bloody Bill may have more WTC-built gunboats than the WTC! Captain Gore’s Revenge Escaped from an Eslandolan prison on Bardo, Captain Gore wasted no time in attacking a small Oleon squadron near Le Bellan. Our man in Breshaun reports that while Gore sank The Athena and Pulsar and damaged The Resurrection, the latter’s crew claim to have sunk Gore’s flagship, Decker’s Revenge, while damaging Gore’s brig Escape Artist. Fair Weather for Most of Brick Seas Very few weather-related mishaps were reported this month. A sudden squall in the Sea of Storms forced the Sea Rats’ HMS Pendragon and Oleon’s The Taurus to divert to Arlinsport on their way from Dortanix to the island of Le Bellan when encountering rough waters entering the Sea of Storms. And from Rassillon we hear that the Sea Rat ships Viper and WTC Judgement had to rescue the crew of Calamity Strikes as that ship sprung a leak and sank in the Sea of Thieves before it could make it back to port. -page 2- Oleon Terrified of Things That Go Bump in the Night Recent reports from Fatu Hiva suggest that Oleon and Ile de Or’s native population are terrified of some unknown threat lurking in the island’s jungle. While the logical course of action would be to investigate, Oleon’s colonial authorities are either too incompetent to do so or too afraid of their own shadows to venture outside. This inaction on Oleon’s part has created a huge opportunity for adventurers, as the island’s governor is offering rich rewards to anyone who can help restore peace and tranquility. Oleon Abandons Naval Defense of Eastern Colonies Practically three quarters of all bluecoat ships on the Brick Seas are anchored in Breshaun today, and the other quarter are in Granoleon. In fact, we could only find reports of two Oleonder ships west of the Sea of Storms: FTA The Gargoyle and Supreme, currently in the port of Bastion. Perhaps the terror in Fatu Hiva has driven bluecoat shipping sailing away in fear. Sea Rats and WTC Reach an Agreement Finally negotiating with their moral equals, the WTC appears to have made a deal with the pirate Sinbad to free the ships HMS Red Angel and Lightning. After a brief detainment, it appears that both vessels will be free to go after paying a nominal ransom to the pirate lord, who is no doubt content with his prior victory over these ships. Nonetheless, given some of our more recent combat reports, it remains to be seen if the pirates will be so generous the next time. Mardier Not Deterred by Port Taxes, But Are the Greenies? Mardier trade fleets sailed into Kings Port and Nova Terreli this month, despite those ports’ new taxes, making a statement that they will not be deterred from visiting any port they choose. Here in Terraversa we are relieved to see some shipping returning after the disastrous results last month, but other than Terraversan ships, Mardier’s trade fleet were the only other visitors to our capital. From Nova Terreli we hear that Mardier’s trade fleet were the only ships in port other than a handful of Eslandian ships. We also hear from Pontelli that some Eslandian ships that usually visit Nova Terreli chose the smaller tax-free port this month. Corrie Ships Still Protesting Oleon Port Taxes The ships Dolfijn and Sapphire Seas remained in the ports of Breshaun and Lavalette, respectively, for the second month in a row. The Montoya estate appears to be making a statement by refusing to pay the Oleon port taxes, and neither side has budged on the matter. From Lavalette we hear that the Sapphire Seas’ crew is getting a little stir crazy, but our man in Breshaun tells us the crew of the Dolfijn is out on the town every evening. -page 3- Corrington Looks to Ship Off Disappointing Heirs As part of its effort to help provide the disgraced offspring of nobles with a motivation to leave polite society and travel to the obscure colonies, Corrington has created the Royal Society of Natural Discovery. No doubt this organization will soon prove a lure for those young rakes who have no chance of living in civilized society, as they will now have the chance to enjoy their selves taking government-sponsored day trips throughout Corrington’s colonies. No doubt they will make many new discoveries of an intoxicated nature, but perhaps Corrington’s efforts would be better spent if they bothered to properly raise their children at a young age. Eslandola Music Festival Ends After weeks of drinking, music, and celebration, the MCTC officials in Bardo have declared their annual music festival to be over. A musician going by the name of Miss Kitty was granted the title of The Golden Bard of Bardo, though our sources report that The Tone-Deaf Terror would be more appropriate. RNTC Dividends Disappoint Coming off a very successful first quarter, the RNTC’s shareholders will no doubt be disappointed by the fact that the company is not paying a dividend in the second quarter. While still showing a profit, the company’s board seems to think that they can spend the doubloons better than the monies’ rightful owners. And they may be right, considering that the last quarter saw over 2,700 DBs spent to acquire licenses, more than the company spent in its entire first year. Our financial analysts remain astonished that anyone would continue to hold this stock, but perhaps its status as the only publicly traded stock in the Brick Seas has earned it a special place in many portfolios. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ships Captured in July (ship stats will be provided to new owners by PM) -------------------------------------------------------------- Belson (ETTC) (class 5, MOC) captured by LeColeon Bloody Compass (Harrison Torn) (class 5, no MOC) captured by Oleon Devil’s Barnacle (Harrison Torn) (class 2, no MOC) captured by Oleon Gray Lilly (Harrison Torn) (class 3, no MOC) captured by Oleon Hades’ Hangman (Zublius Von Wreck) (class 4, no MOC) captured by Eslandola HMS Badger (Corrington) (class 5, MOC) captured by MKJoshA Neptune’s Scream II (Montroy) (class 5, no MOC) captured by Corrington Prince Alex (Romantica) (class 5, no MOC) captured by Roadmonkeytj and professor thaum WTC Agnes Y2 (Drunknok) (class 0, MOC) captured by Bloody Bill WTC Agnes Y4 (Drunknok) (class 0, MOC) captured by Bloody Bill Ships Lost at Sea in July ------------------------------------- Calamity Strikes (MKJoshA) Dancing Dogfish (ETTC) Decker’s Revenge (Captain Gore) HMS Perseus (Corrington) HMS Tiddlywinks (Dukesc) Komodo Dragon (MKJoshA) Long Beard (Puerto Desafio) Poisoned Peach (Bodi) Pulsar (Dukesc) Ravenclaw (Bloody Bill) The Athena (Kotz) WTC Agnes Y5 (Drunknok) Results by ship: Results by owner: Results by nationality:

"Ship List" refers to the results tables; it's just part of the full name of the newspaper. You're welcome. @Captain Genaro should get a lot of the credit, as he's really got things clicking with the automation. Even when we run into some problems, he's able to get thinks worked out quickly. It's allowed me the luxury of not having to rush so much to get the written report out.

It's that time again. The Kings Port Advertiser and Ship List is seeking submissions. The editorial staff is busy assembling the latest edition, as reports are coming in from across the Brick Seas. If you want to see something printed in the new edition, contact our editorial office via PM to @Capt Wolf. Thanks.

I missed this earlier. Wonderfully detailed bow and a good story for Sea Rats getting a bigger boat! Great job!

Headrails now installed, with a couple of photos added. The bow still looks a little stubby to me, though.

I've been there with the "just finish it" mindset. And even with that, it still looks great. Perhaps not a masterpiece, but it's a good-looking ship, properly impressive for its class. The large ship classes are very difficult in real bricks, and you pulled it off. Well done! And I hope I don't run into her on the Brick Seas!

Thanks for the replies. I'm glad this humorous build had the intended effect. It is indeed! Thanks. Fun is the name of the game! As for who is who, if you mean the text, there are clear clues. If you mean the bricks, one is wearing blood red and the other is wearing blue and has a beard -- I'll let you figure it out!

"almost"?