...I've got a new idea...

[FireBat]

well, I think i'll leave it. I don't think any of our dutch players will be offended by the term ballsack...lmao!

 

[Thagarr]

Those are fantastic FB, well done mate! I did notice a couple of minor things in Grappling Tier 3

These front line boarders need to be very efficient with melee weapons, as the battle will fierce here.

Should read "These front line boarders need to be very efficient with melee weapons, as the battle will be fierce here."

And :

Be sure that your Doctor has the proper medical supplies to deal with casualties.

This might read better as "Be sure that your Doctor or ships carpenter has the proper medical supplies to deal with casualties.", as on a lot of ships, they were one and the same.

Everything else looks fantastic mate! I am even learning dutch swear words!

 

[FireBat]

excellent. Thank you for pointing those out. I will make the necessary adjustments.
(FB EDIT: Due to my extraordinary ability to get side tracked, I will focus my attention on moving forward with the tier 2 books. I will start with Leadership. If anyone wants to take a crack at typing up a blurb for any of the tier 2 books, let me know, and I will set it aside for you)

 

[FireBat]

Tier 2 Leadership

Mutiny is a constant threat to all captains. Every smart alack sailor thinks that they can do a better job than you, and usually these smart alacks have friends on board too. Before you know it there is a mutiny, and you are standing on a deserted island watching the stern of your ship fading into the distance.

There are a few things that you can do to stop this. Hopefully this book will help you.

1.Make sure your sailors get paid.
Nothing angers the crew more than getting their dues late. Always have the ship’s money needed for upkeep on-hand. This way you wont be caught off guard when the treasurer tells you that payment is due.

2.Play a game called “Find The Arse”
As mentioned earlier, usually a mutiny starts with one idiot. If you learn to spot this guy before he can cause any trouble. How this character is handled is completely up to you. You may want to leave him at the nearest port, or keep him in your sights later for a long walk off a short plank.
3.Pay your crew plenty of kick backs.
If you’ve had a good week plundering vessels, then pay your crew a nice little bonus. Be warned, this may backfire. If there is a dry spell, and a lack of easy targets, your crew may be quicker to turn on you. To avoid this, have on pay the bonus if the plunder gets above a certain amount.

4.“Kill-off” any hint of a mutiny

Simply, at the first sign of disrespect towards you as Captain, shoot the bastard right between the eyes That will quickly get the rest of the crew to rethink going against your authority on your ship.

 

[FireBat]

Trying out an actually 17th century font with this one.

I dont really like tho, its not...i dont know...wrighty enough...

Tier 2 Light Weapons

The idea behind the footwork drills are to get your body used to doing simple and then complex series of footwork exercises so that you can use them better in a bout. Just like you would practice a beat-disengage as one unit and not two, so you would practice an advance-lunge as one unit.

With that in mind, here are 12 drills that you can do. It helps to have a small group doing these with one person the designated reader. Keep a close feel on your body balance and make your steps short

1.Lunge/on-guard: advance-lunge/on-guard: double advance-lunge/on-guard: triple advance-lunge/on-guard: lunge/on-guard: lunge/on-guard-retreat: lunge/on-guard-double retreat: lunge/on-guard-triple retreat:
2. Advance-retreat: lunge/on-guard: advance-lunge/on-guard-retreat: double advance-lunge/on-guard-double retreat: advance-fleche/on-guard-retreat (sabre fencers do triple advance-lunge):

3.Retreat-lunge/on-guard: advance-lunge/on-guard: double retreat-lunge/on-guard: double advance-lunge/on-guard:

4.Jump forward-lunge/on-guard: advance-lunge/on-guard: jump forward/jump forward-lunge/on-guard: advance/advance-lunge/on-guard:

5.(The killer) Lunge-on guard: lunge/on-guard: lunge-redouble/redouble/on-guard: lunge/on-guard: lunge/on-guard: lunge-redouble-fleche-on guard: (sabre do jump lunge instead of fleche)

6. Jump forward-lunge/forward on-guard: jump forward-lunge/forward on-guard: jump forward/jump forward-fleche-on guard: 4 retreats-lunge/on guard:

7. Triple retreat-fleche-on guard: triple retreat-fleche-reprise fleche-on guard:

8. Lunge/on guard-retreat: fleche (or jump-lunge)/on-guard-retreat: lunge/on-guard-retreat: retreat-flech(or jump-lunge)-on guard-double retreat:

9.Jump forward-lunge-short fleche/on guard: jump forward-lunge-redouble/on guard:

10. Advance/advance-fleche-reprise fleche: retreat/retreat-fleche-reprise fleche:

11. Fleche-on guard-double retreat: fleche-on guard-double retreat: fleche-reprise fleche-on guard-4 retreats:
12. Jump forward-fleche-on guard: advance-fleche-on guard: triple retreat-fleche-on guard:

As you can see, these drills emphasize quick changes in direction, what we call "turning the corner". If you are good at making these fast, quick changes in direction, you will be able to take advantage of those fencers who can't.

The best example is when you are being attacked. You and the other fencer are going at full speed: you backward, them forward. Once you catch their blade, if you are faster at turning the corner than they are, you have a much higher chance of getting the kill.

 

[Darkhymn]

Wow. This is really coming along. Great work. I wanted to take part in the actual writing, but I've had a headache for days that is making it very difficult for me to focus. I'm surprised I got what I did done yesterday, but it took me all day, and I did relatively little work. I would be happy to edit the text for you, though, should you feel like putting it together in a .txt or similar and uploading it to ftp. Keep up the good work! Also, I don't know who, if anyone, has been testing any version of this starting with 0.9.1, but has anyone seen the books for sale in the stores at all? I still haven't, and it's starting to worry me a little.

 

[FireBat]

I have yet to see a book in a store yet... I've not had the chance to do enough testing...but things are looking grim in this regard.
I will upload the text files tommorrow.morning, i have to go to bed as i have work early tommorrow morning.

All the text can be found in this forum...

 

[Darkhymn]

I'll keep testing it, as well as prodding around the files to see if there's something we have missed. First things first, I'll make a couple of them extremely common and see if they show.

 

[FireBat]

I've uploaded all the Tier three 2 pages txt's to the ftp Here Once I have the rest of the Tier two 2 pages written up, I will upload those, and post them here as i go. After that is done, I will devote my attention to testing this bugger. I would like to have this mod squared away soon as there are other mods calling my name (kinda creepy really

And away we go...

 

[Thagarr]

Looking good FB!

I really like the idea of using different fonts for the books instead of just one, it does make more sense that way. I'll try and at least have the texts for the books completed by the end of the weekend. It shouldn't take long after that to get them into the books, just a matter of copy and pasting really. I'm off work for the next 3 days, so that should help.

I hope you get to feeling better soon Darkhymn, modding is tough enough when your feeling 100%! Just don't push yourself mate, we will still be here when your feeling up to it again.

 

[FireBat]

Thanks!
I'm trying to motor through as next week I am going on a 4 day vacation with my wife, and will be away from the computer (tho i am bringing a laptop, it doesnt have the power to run much of anything, especially COAS ( ) There is so much to by then..but luckily I am working, and i can done much more here than I can at home (figure that one out..

BTW the text for the Medium Weapons Tier 2 book "Caring for your cutlass" is done

The key to cleaving flesh from bone is keeping your weapons clean and sharp. The only benefit from attacking someone with a rusty cutlass is that they may die later.

The reason for keeping your blade sharp is a no-brainer. Without a sharp weapon, you might as well be bashing that guy with a stick. But why would we tell you to keep your weapon clean?

Its simple, a dirty blade rusts faster.

Here are some things to do to keep you from having to replace your sword as often.

1.Clean you sword after every battle.
A bloody sword rusts faster. Sea water is really effective at getting blood off a sword, even dried blood. Don’t be afraid to scrub your sword down a bit, and get all the dirt, dried blood, and whatever else might be in there out of all the nooks and crannies. It is important to completely dry the sword off after or it will rust. Use good clean cloth to dry your sword. If you happen to use a sheath for your weapon, be sure to clean and dry that too. There is no sense if having a clean weapon if you are going to put it back into a dirty sheath. Your friends may laugh at you for taking so much time in maintaining your weapon, but you will laugh last when theirs breaks long before yours does.

2.Sharpen your sword.
The only person served having a dull sword is your enemy. At the end of each day pass a smooth stone over the blade of your sword. You may want a blacksmith to sharpen your sword every once and a while. DO NOT OVERSHARPEN! If the blade is too sharp, that means that the metal on the blade is very thin, and will chip easier, and will shorten the life of the blade.

3.Have a spare.
If you can afford it, keep a spare weapon. If you serve on a ship, when you go ashore, leave your ship weapon on board and carry a land weapon. This way, if you do get into a scuffle on land, and damage your blade, you will still have a nice sharp blade if you happen to get boarded (or board) at sea. If you can’t afford it, the next time you get into a sword fight, keep the blade of your fallen foe.


If you heed these directions, you will always have a sharp and trusty companion at your side, ready for battle.

For more information, contact your local blacksmith.

I should have all the tier 2 books done today.

What I do is type the texts directly onto the 2 pages picture, that way I know when I have to add more material, or I need to figure out how to have less. There is less messing around, and I kill 2 birds with one stone. All i have to do is save them as the photoshop pics, and then convert to .tga later once they have been proof-read

(FB EDIT: Another one down. If you notice Capital letters where they arnt supposed to be, don't worry about it. That was done mainly to stylize the font.)

It takes quite a bit of power to wield a heavy weapon such as a claymore properly. Without the right strength training, and food to go with it, you’ll be exhausted in the first 5 minutes of a battle.

Lets start off by talking about food. Without the right food, training is pointless. You need to pack on the muscle, and to do that you need plenty of something called fat. Fat is found in meat like cattle and fish, in chicken, lamb and swine. Eating plenty of these meats will go a long way in putting on the pounds. You can also get the same kind of nutrients from eggs. Don’t forget to eat some fruits and vegetables also because they have sugar, and will give you enough energy to start burning off the fat. Here are some suggestions for meals, and work out schedule.


Breakfast: Six Strips of Bacon, three eggs, covered in a slightly watered down tomato paste. A cup of coffee will help to digest, and get you moving for your workout. After thirty minutes go out for a run or swim. Be sure to rest between your meal and exercise or you get terrible cramps. After an hour of swimming or running find the heaviest axe you can get, and clear some land. If you can get paid for it, all the better

Lunch: Two or three Chicken Legs,or equal portions of fish, Half a loaf of bread, a couple of apples, and a large cup of Fruit Juice. Go to the local store and offer to unload cargo from a vessel, or other manual labour until supper.

Supper: Steak or rack of Lamb, Two or three baked potatoes, a handful of cooked green vegetables and pastry for dessert. Go out and chop down trees until dark. Then if you wish, head down to the local tavern and have yourself a yard of Ale.

Following this regiment of food and exercise will not produce fast result, but the results will be sustainable. Before you know if, your muscles will be in prime condition for heavy weapon mastery.

You may also notice that I have used the word 'fat' instead of the more accurate protien. I did this to keep the book period accurate

 

[FireBat]

Motorring along here....
Tier 2 Pistols

Reloading a pistol under fire can be a scary process. With the right training you can reload a single shot pistol in less than ten seconds.

In this manual we will cover where to keep ammo, patches and powder so that they will always be easy to grab.

Safety note: When reloading, do not pour powder directly from the horn to the barrel as a spark in the barrel could make your powder horn explode in your face!

Have your powder horn on a rope tied around your neck, hanging just above your left chest muscle. Keep whatever it is you use to measure out your powder around your neck hanging below your right chest muscle.

Patches and ammo should be kept in a pouch on your right hip, so that they can be grabbed together. Your ram rod should also be hanging from your right hip, as you will be doing most loading with your right hand as the weapon is your left hand.

Caps should be kept in another pouch on your right hip. Keep these separate from your ammo and patches as the ammo shaking around while you move about could damage a cap.

To practice loading your weapon, use the following:
A hollow stick (same size as the barrel of your pistol)
Dried sand (to simulate gun powder) Have a powder horn just for training purposes as you don’t want to be putting sand the powder horn you would normally use. Do the same for the measuring tool.

Only with lots of practice will you get faster.

 

[Darkhymn]

Good work, FB. I'll update my files to reflect Caring for Your Cutlass as the tier 2 medium weapons book. I must have missed that memo
It's what we get, I suppose, when we're developing this mod in no less than two distinct threads.

 

[FireBat]

lol. We could always start another one...that'd be fun )
okay, please proof read this one...thank you
Luck Tier 2

: just kidding...

 

[Darkhymn]

:

Sad thing is, I did... I read the whole thing, my head nearly exploded, and then I got to the bottom and the "just kidding..." and I cried a single tear for my lost minutes. bahahaha.

 

[FireBat]

LMAO!!!! oh man...thats good...
sorry about that...:

Tier 2 Stealth

You are heading into a port where you know the guards will be looking for your face. Sometimes shaving off your beard will be enough to throw them off. But there are other things that you can do.

If you don’t have a beard, glue a fake one on. Try using the hair from your head. Do not glue the hair directly to your face, but use a thin piece of canvas. in the shape of a beard, and sow the hair into the canvas.

Another neat trick is wearing a fake peg leg. To do this bend your leg at the knee and lash the lower leg and thigh together. Then attach the fake limb by lacing a strap attached to the top of the limb behind your knee. Be sure to cover all but the bottom half of the fake limb by wearing short breaches. It will take quite a bit of practice to walk with the fake limb.

In addition to these techniques, try wearing a cape that covers both your head, and the rest of your body.

When speaking, try using a fake accent, so long as the accent used isnt the one of the primary language of the colony.

Adding little things such as an eye-patch, walking with a limp or just ‘gruffing’ your voice will all help to make it more difficult to identify you.

(FB EDIT: Navigation Tier 2 Is done now too)

As formidable a piece of ironmongery as one would wish to encounter. In actual fact it is merely an instrument that measures the angle a heavenly body (star, planet, sun, moon) makes with the visible horizon. It derives it's name from the arc at the bottom which is one sixth of a circle. The principles of a sextant are easy to master but its use requires some skill and practice. Small errors make for large discrepancies in one's position.
The sextant basically consists of a telescope, a half silvered horizontal mirror which the telescope "looks" through and a moving arm on which the index mirror is fixed. By manipulating this arm a star or other celestial body can be made to appear on the horizon. Accurate adjustments are made by means of a micrometer knob. The angle can then be read off the arc and micrometer. The shades are to use when the object being looked at is bright - such as the sun.

I pulled this off a how-to site, as I have no idea how to use a sextant

 

[Darkhymn]

Nice work. From what I've been reading, most of these aren't in any real need of editing. Which works for me, as I'm still having trouble with the endless migraine. I've got an appointment with my doctor for early in the week.
I get all of my information for things I'm doing for CoAS off of wikipedia or the first page of Google

 

[FireBat]

yup. So far most of the 2 pages i've wrtten up has been original material, but if I can get more accurate info of the net, I'll do it
Accuracy Tier 2

No one handling a cannon for the first time can just go out and hit a sloop 150 yards away on their first shot. It takes plenty of skill, and practice to pull it off. Hopefully with a bit of direction, you will be on your way to be an efficient user of cannons.

1.The further away the target, the higher the angle:If you don’t gauge the distance of the target, your shot will hit the water every time. Always take the time to gauge the necessary distance.

2.Lead your target: A moving target is the most difficult to hit, especially over a large distance. Take into account the distance, and speed and direction of your target, as well as the pattern that they are moving in. If the ship tends to circle as it fires its cannons, take this into account.
3.Keep in mind the condition of the powder. Sometimes during battle the quality of the powder can change from one powder keg to the next. If you notice more smoke after a shot, it may mean that there are impurities in the powder, which will mean a slower burn, which means less power.

There are so many variables to take into consideration when firing a cannon, and only a few have been mentioned here. Firing cannon is more so an art-form than a science. As you fire more cannons, you find that there is no target that you can’t hit.

 

[Darkhymn]

Seems like you're sort of mixing cannons with accuracy there. Perhaps if the cannons aspect had more to do with recognizing and troubleshooting issues (like the powder) as well as maintenance, reloading, etc? Just my thoughts.

 

[FireBat]

Yea I'm running out of brain juice...That one is supposed to be for Accuracy...
The Tier 2 Cannons is the ammo type bit...
(FB EDIT: Speaking of which here it is)

This Catalog of ammunition types, both standard and inventive will help you select the right ammo for the job.

Cannonballs: The best to cause damage to a ship’s hull

Grapeshot: Used to gun down sailors on aboard their ship
Knipples/Chain-shot: Most effective for de-masting a vessel

Bombs: Will cause damage to everything on a ship, and kill sailors.

Stone-shot: Outdated cannonball type still somewhat effective.

Nails: Large spike type nails. Most effective for damaging sails, and killing enemy crew.

Cutlery: Really only works for killing enemy crew.

Melee Weapons: Much the same as cutlery, but will also work well at slicing up the enemy sails.

Booty: Not a popular choice, but will work in a bind. Only effective for killing enemy crew.

Goods: Depending on what your ship is transporting, what is in your cargo hold may be used as ammo.

A good guideline for choosing improvised ammo: If it breaks when hit with hammer, it will turn to dust when fired from a cannon.