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[8.2] SHIP UPGRADES
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Note: all ship upgrades are done in port, and every shipwright has only one
specialty. These are random in every game, so you have to find out where to
get which upgrade done. Best way to find out is to talk to bartenders, who
will often hint at possible upgrades your flagship doesn't have yet if they can
be done in nearby ports. Your first ship in every game starts with the Grape
Shot and Chain Shot upgrades already in place, and ships captured from the
enemy might have any number of upgrades. Warships and pirates tend to have
some, and named enemies (like the most famous pirates, or the various evil
Spanish noblemen) tend to have most or all.
GRAPE SHOT
Allows the ship to use Grape Shot as an alternative ammunition type. Switch
to Grape Shot in battle by pressing 1; this can be done while the cannons are
loading and even when they're already loaded. Grape Shot has the shortest
range of all shot types and is hard to hit with. However, it mostly does
damage to the enemy crew, doing only very light damage against sails and hull.
It is perfect for weakening an enemy crew before boarding while leaving the
ship as intact as possible.
CHAIN SHOT
Allows the ship to use Chain Shot as an alternative ammunition type. Switch to
this by pressing 7 in battle. As with Grape Shot, you can do this at any time.
Chain Shot has better range than Grape Shot but not as much as regular Round
Shot does. When it hits, it mostly damages the enemy's sails but leaves its
hull intact. This is particularly useful if an enemy is threatening to outrun
you or maneuvering around you. A good broadside of this can cripple an enemy
ship without any real danger of sinking it before you have a chance to plunder
it.
COTTON SAILS
Cotton Sails improve the overall sailing speed of a ship, both in and out of
battle. Out of battle its usefulness is limited as, unless you get this upgrade
for all your ships, your flagship will still have to adapt its speed to
whatever the slowest vessel in your fleet is. But in battle the advantage of
Cotton Sails is too important to pass up; it can be the difference between
catching an enemy or not. Or when you're the one who is in danger, it can be
just what you need to escape.
IRON SCANTINGS
Iron Scantings provide extra protection to a ship's hull, making it harder to
damage. Your ship will take less hull damage from enemy broadsides, allowing
you to sail that much longer. Only hull strength is affected, so damage to
your cannons, crew and sails is the same as always.
BRONZE CANNONS
Bronze Cannons fire more accurately than regular iron ones. Your shots count
as hits more readily than usual. This is of course also affected by the
difficulty level, but overall your broadsides will do considerably more damage
this way.
FINE SHOT POWDER
Fine Shot Powder gives your cannons a better range for all three ammunition
types. Especially with the short range on Chain Shot and Grape Shot, this
difference can be significant.
TRIPLE HAMMOCKS
Triple Hammocks increase the maximum crew size of your ship by 50%. This
allows you to carry larger boarding parties into battle. Your crew size is hard
capped by the maximum carrying capacity of your ships (contrary to what the
manual states you are not allowed to overload), so this is one improvement you
might want to get for *all* your ships, not just your flagship. Particularly if
you're putting together a large crew for an imminent attack on a large Spanish
port.
COPPER PLATING
Copper Plating lets you turn your ships faster in battle. The importance of
this upgrade can't be overstated, as all your success in battle - be it with
gunnery, catching and boarding an enemy, or running away from a very angry Flag
Galleon - depends on being able to turn swiftly and outmaneuver your opponent.
While this upgrade won't turn a Galleon into a Sloop, it always helps, and
should be obtained as soon as possible.
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