• Clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      5·
      6 days ago

      Mats and spars? Bar.

      Rigging? Chain.

      Crew during close action? Grape.

      Clearing the decks with the quarterdeck swivel gun before boarding? Canister.

      Hulling below the water line, long distance attempts, and knocking away their guns? Round.

    • qualia@lemmy.world
      81·
      6 days ago

      Loved this Gilliam banger as a kid. Robin Williams, Uma Thurman, and Gilliam’s Monty Python alum Eric Idle are in it for those who haven’t seen. As an adult I see a lot of parallels with that movie and Tarsem’s “The Fall” (2006). They’re giving hopeful yet melancholic fairy tale energy.

  • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
    5·
    6 days ago

    Langrage.

    Kind of just the kitchen sink of whatever the fuck you had around. Often used by pirates because at close range when attempting to board you can shred a lot more people and also do a lot of damage to sails in quick time

  • Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.caEnglish
    5·
    6 days ago

    Okay, so each has its use but I would offer this assuming we’re in a stern chase. Chain and bar to disable or at least lower speed and maneuverability so that the foe is unable to escape. Rake the stern with round to disable guns as you come up alongside, if you’re able to slow them enough, try to get raking shots from both broadsides by zig zagging your course. Canister and grape from your upper deck guns to sweep the foe if you intend to carry them via boarding, if not pound away with round shot and if you can, rake them again from forward if you over haul.

  • hector@lemmy.today
    5·
    7 days ago

    Carcass shot was at least originally out of howitzers with a fuse to blow over the heads of the fired on. And it was like gunpowder and I think turnpentine and I forget wrapped in canvas with iron rings around it, the iron rings would turn into shrapnel when it exploded.

    Every so often the fuse would fault and blow up the gun crew.

  • QuinnyCoded@sh.itjust.works
    2·
    5 days ago

    every time I see bar shot I think of a tiktok post that said “giants exist, here is proof” implying it’s a giant nipple piercing

    • Quetzalcutlass@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      7 days ago

      In Sid Meier’s Pirates! it was the objectively correct choice 99% of the time. Even a tiny ship could take out a ship of the line with a few well-placed chain shot barrages, and ships would pretty much always surrender the instant they lost their mast.

      I think the story battles were an exception to the instant surrender rule, but without their sails you could switch to grape shot and pepper their helpless vessel until they had no crew left, then board for an instant victory.

      I miss that game. I should redownload it and see how it holds up.

      • mech@feddit.org
        9·
        7 days ago

        In that game the OP tactic was ramming ships of the line with a war canoe (it sails faster than cannonballs fly so you can evade them), then beating up the captain so his 2000 trained Marines will surrender to your 50 brigands.

        • Quetzalcutlass@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          7 days ago

          I could never get the timing down on the dueling minigame. Chain shot is risk-free (and cost-free since dueling risks your crew), plus the dueling minigame gets harder as your character gets older but your sailing muscle memory remains reliable forever.

          • mech@feddit.org
            4·
            7 days ago

            The dueling minigame goes into muscle memory, as well.
            And it uses the same timing, mechanics and keys as the dancing minigame.

    • Kraiden@piefed.socialEnglish
      33·
      7 days ago

      I was gonna pick bar shot for similar reasons. I feel like the flexible chain would allow for too much loss of energy. Pure guess though, IANA 18th century naval warfare expert

        • YellowParenti@lemmy.wtfEnglish
          3·
          7 days ago

          First thought was shooting parallel to floor, then ppl where talking about masts. I was like oh, ok that makes sense too.

          there’s also that a lot died of infection.

          The vast majority of wounds documented during the Civil War were caused by the Minié ball, while the rest were from grapeshot, canister or other exploding shells. Few men were treated for saber or bayonet wounds and even fewer for cannon ball wounds.

          Unfortunately for the soldiers and the surgeons, the Civil War was fought just years before the widespread acceptance of the Germ Theory and the understanding of antisepsis and the sterilization of instruments and equipment. The Civil War surgeons performed their work as best they could, but did not have the knowledge of the role germs played in causing infection. While some antiseptic substances like iodine and bromine were used, the reason for their effectiveness was unknown. The discovery of antibiotics was still decades in the future.