So I will be uploading a ships_init.c file here soon with some improved encounter chances to be included in the next build (along with improvements Hylie Pistoff made, see fixing the build mod ships for details) but I was wondering what people thought of bending the rules on national textures just a tad? the reason I ask is because I was thinking of doing the following, among other, less contreversial changes.
1) make the Hannah available to all nations. It does not even have an "official" american color scheme (which is good b/c historically it didn't) and as a small trading schooner, which wouldve been a very common type of ship in the Carribean for all nations. the design is american, but not in the way one thinks of for an "american schooner" It is not particulary fine lined, and definately does not have the baltimore clipper hull type or proportions. Especially now that it has fixed gaff sails (thanks Hylie!) I think it would make the game environment richer if it were more common.
2) Make the Raa available to Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands. I realize that the black and yellow scheme is officially british for game purposes, even though it was common in every navy at some point or other. However, these countries really are in need of some frigate type ships for the later periods, especially seeing as the stock frigate is being upgraded by Armada (practically a new model) to represent the Frigate Rossiya of 1728, which will not be available in the last two periods. the spanish and dutch navies tended to build relatively small frigates compared to other navies during the last part of the 1700s, though they did build some larger ones too. Both spanish and Dutch ships remained more heavily ornamented than ships in the navies of Britain and France, and the Raa would fit this bill perfectly. Ideally some new national textures could be brought in for these countries, but I think this would work well until then.
3) Make the Movie suprise encounterable. there is no real Aubrey Maturin quest ingame, and there are none in the works, so I see no reason to make this pretty ship so hard to obtain. also, because it was french built ( and even though the movie suprise was originally the HMS Rose, it was made to look french with the horseshoe style stern, and the steep tumblehome makes it look more french too) Craiggo made a french texture for it, but as far as I can tell it was only ever used in COAS, not POTC