Contest: The Fluyts of War

Captain Squid · Seaman Posts: 191 **4360 Gold** -

So I figure I'm pretty good at this game by now. I can dance all night and never stumble, my swordplay is unbeatable, and my tactics carry me through any sea battle. So why not try a new challenge? Use a fluyt as my pirate vessel and retire as a governor!

(From the log of Captain Calvin Barbados)

March 27, 1660: At last, the fluyt I have dreamed of is mine! We took her right outside St. Martin. I immediately sailed her to St. Kitts, where we sold off the sloop and equipped the fluyt with grapeshot. We also renamed her. Now to plunder the Carribean!

April 10, 1660: The first test of the fluyt was a success! We intercepted a pirate brigantine heading for Nevis. It made no attempt to evade us or fire on us, but simply headed straight for us to ram and board. I quickly dispatched the pirate captain in a sword duel, and the demoralized pirate crew immediately surrendered. The fluyt easily holds all the captured cargo, which is a big advantage over the sloop.

April 18, 1660, 10 am: Sailing south past Guadaloupe. The lookout reports an English brig of war on the horizon, and rumor says it carries the military payroll for Nevis - a rich prize! We are closing to attack.

April 18, 1660, 10:30 am: The battle is off to a rough start. We can't seem to manouver fast enough to get off an accurate broadside, and so far we have yet to evade a single English cannonball. About a third of the crew is dead. Yet I have confidence that we will close with the enemy and carry the day yet.

April 18, 1660, 11 am: I am ordering my remaining four crewmen to the lifeboats.

April 18, 1660, 1 pm: This seems like a nice island. I wonder how long it will be before I can catch the attention of a passing ship?

(log ends)

Okay, so the concept needs some work. Next time I will make sure I have a copper bottom and cotton sails before taking on a warship. Stay tuned...
_________________
"Have you struck? Do you ask for quarter?"
"I have not yet begun to fight!"

rupertlittlebear · Helmsman Posts: 4545 **10381 Gold** -

Run this as a contest, declaring the minimum allowd difficulty level and post a prize for the first to retire with 126 fame points (Using a Fluyt)

b4lazarus · Cutthroat Posts: 286 **4739 Gold** -

ledhed · Cutthroat Posts: 271 **3392 Gold** -

I would much rather pound rusty nails soaked in brine into my testicles with a fish head.
_________________
"No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside the enemy "

Captain Squid · Seaman Posts: 191 **4360 Gold** -

All right, I'll do it. I will award a prize of 400 gold to the first person stubborn or skilled enough to pull this off, with 200 gold to the second person. Minimum difficulty is Adventurer or above (the regrettable experience I started this subject with occured at Rogue level). If I accumulate enough gold meanwhile I may up the reward, but right now I'm a little short. I finally purchased the brig I always wanted!

Documenting that someone actually used a fluyt for the entire game will be a little difficult. I think that I am going to have to trust folks, which with this crowd I have no trouble doing. Send me your save game files taken at 5-year intervals, and your final save game file.

rupertlittlebear · Helmsman Posts: 4545 **10381 Gold** -

PrinceScamp · Gunner Posts: 891 **213 Gold** -

sure, i will just remember to get the other 25 points and and a fylut or whatever you spell it, before i retire in my current game (at adventurer level. Twisted Evil

ps, what happens when you get morroned? you ALWAYS get picked up by a sloop.......
_________________
LORD COMMANDER OF THE PLANK
CULT OF THE POLLMEISTER
CHA CHING!!!
320.9 SCAMP'S STOP

Cussler · Cutthroat Posts: 373 **2686 Gold** -

Take heart, Captain Squid.

That was a very entertaining adventure, if a tad short.

But very entertaining. Have read it five times. Very Happy

100 Gold coming your way to help pay for the contest awards.

Captain Squid · Seaman Posts: 191 **4360 Gold** -

Airsaw · Rigger Posts: 1840 **3281 Gold** -

ahar!

funny story

Vulture · Gunner Posts: 509 **606 Gold** -

Aye Captain Ledhed. I concur. You would have to be daft to sail a fluyt into battle against a well armed royal sloop or frigate. The rusty nails will be fer yer coffin. Davey Jones locker be the only holds ye be fillin with that pig as yea flagship. ye should name it CANNON FODDER for Teach's sake. Confused

_________________

32 brightly polished cannons, a bottle o'rum, ahh..... a pirates life for me!

rupertlittlebear · Helmsman Posts: 4545 **10381 Gold** -

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

It would be better, perhaps, to demand relatively good stories of the games and how they went as one part of the competition's conditions. It would perhaps make it easier to spot possible cheaters.

BTW: As I talked with Governor Marriott about this, he also found himself interested in this competition and decided to award the winner extra 300 gold, provided that he gets a detailed account of the winning pirate's adventures as well, over a dinner at his countryside manor. Wink

Runner-ups with good stories may also get prizes...
_________________
It is much better to be armed with a sword that has two edges than with an estoc [...], which is nothing more than a stick with a point. (Rapier Master G. Morsicato Pallavicini, La Scherma Illustrata, p. 14.)

PrinceScamp · Gunner Posts: 891 **213 Gold** -

what if your not good with stories?
_________________
LORD COMMANDER OF THE PLANK
CULT OF THE POLLMEISTER
CHA CHING!!!
320.9 SCAMP'S STOP

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

Well, perhaps the Governor's sub-competition here can be its own thing, so that you can still get the normal prize, but the gov givs his prizes for good stories.

I'll think about it...
_________________
It is much better to be armed with a sword that has two edges than with an estoc [...], which is nothing more than a stick with a point. (Rapier Master G. Morsicato Pallavicini, La Scherma Illustrata, p. 14.)