Pirate Crew - roles and duties

[Hercules]

This seems an obvious thread to start with. So post your dream crew position now that you have escaped from the strictures of the Unity command structure. If there is a tie for some positions we'll poll.

First decision to think about; is the team leader (Hercules) also the Admiral, Captain, Commander of the Fleet?

That is, who is to be our designated turn player and first officers (deputies)?.

[Makahlua]

I googled the Royal & USNavy's ranks for reference:

British/US (blank=same)
{the Queen maybe? } / Fleet Admiral (wartime only)
Admiral /
Vice-Admiral /
Rear Admiral / RA {upper half}
Commodore / RA {lower half}
Captain/
Commander /
Lieutenant Commander /
Lieutenant /
Sub Lieutenant / Lieutenant (junior grade)
Midshipman / Ensign

I'd suggest Admiral or Commodore for our current 'player'; then you as team leader are Vice Admiral or Captain; the rest of us being Rear Admirals or Commanders. Or maybe I'm following that rank chart too closely Ok, another alternative: teamleader = Commodore, player=Fleet Admiral; everyone else=Vice-Admirals ?

Digging thru the Royal Navy's site - perhaps we should throw the Sea Lord and/or Commander-in-Chief titles in there somewhere? I'll suggest Air Marshal or Wing Commander for out Air Forces leader later on

[johndmuller]

I see us as an alliance of fiercely independent anarchist types, not particularly fond of taking orders from anybody else - like Hell's Angels and/or (Grateful) DeadHeads. We represent the Head Captains of (currently) 5 Pirate Clans, not the various crew members of a single ship. This view would suggest that we are all equal, and that hierarchal structures would be inappropriate, so if there are going to be titles, they should be lateral rather than vertical relationships. We are also kind o crude, so fancy sounding British titles, if we use any, would need to be mispelled, at least, or parodied - like Sea Dog instead of Sea Lord or Cuspidor instead of Commodore.

The suggestion to rotate the various responsibilities such as playing the turn is a good one, say every (5,10 or 20) years at the beginning.

I think that we might want to divide up strategy and decision making along functional lines, such as Colonization, Research, Diplomacy, Military, Treasury, Base Operations, Terraforming.

We could also or alternatively divide things up geographically into zones of authority or by different groups of units as in separate task forces or sub-fleets, or just by Land Operations, Sea Operations and Base Operations.

In any case, the people playing the turns would likely be following general guidelines alread laid out in our general policy and/or detailed plans for each base/unit. They could give everyone else a fixed period of time after the turn is available to make comments/suggestions and then make the moves. If some serious unexpected development occurs, they could email the others for special consultations.

[FlameFlash]

Originally posted by johndmuller
I see us as an alliance of fiercely independent anarchist types, not particularly fond of taking orders from anybody else - like Hell's Angels and/or (Grateful) DeadHeads. We represent the Head Captains of (currently) 5 Pirate Clans, not the various crew members of a single ship. This view would suggest that we are all equal, and that hierarchal structures would be inappropriate, so if there are going to be titles, they should be lateral rather than vertical relationships. We are also kind o crude, so fancy sounding British titles, if we use any, would need to be mispelled, at least, or parodied - like Sea Dog instead of Sea Lord or Cuspidor instead of Commodore.

I like the sound of this. Perhaps we each have a special ship and home base (once we've expanded properly for such, of course.) I can see me sailing the seas in the ship: Valkyrie.

The suggestion to rotate the various responsibilities such as playing the turn is a good one, say every (5,10 or 20) years at the beginning.

Sounds good.

I think that we might want to divide up strategy and decision making along functional lines, such as Colonization, Research, Diplomacy, Military, Treasury, Base Operations, Terraforming.

Well, some of us may have better strengths in some areas than in others in the game. I know I for one would really enjoy the Diplomacy/Colonization element while suck at the Research option.

We could also or alternatively divide things up geographically into zones of authority or by different groups of units as in separate task forces or sub-fleets, or just by Land Operations, Sea Operations and Base Operations.

This would be good when we really start expanding... an easy way to do so would be to add to the base name 'Valkyrie:' for instance for all the bases I command. But early on we should most certainly share in the responsibilities and decision-making.

In any case, the people playing the turns would likely be following general guidelines alread laid out in our general policy and/or detailed plans for each base/unit. They could give everyone else a fixed period of time after the turn is available to make comments/suggestions and then make the moves. If some serious unexpected development occurs, they could email the others for special consultations.

I like that... do we have all of our e-mails posted somewhere so we can each make a quick e-mail group in whatever programs we use? That way each of us can quickly get hold of the others.

IM services would also be a good idea.

[Hercules]

Regions of pirate clan control are fine with me. We'll leave the detail about energy allocation until nearer the time, they are established.

I love the name 'Chartroom' for strategy and tactics, just the sort of appropriate seafaring name I 'd expect.

Now we need a similiar thread name to discuss our diplomacy. We have a number of pirates especially interested in this aspect of the game and I suggest we leave it to them to come forth with a discussion venue.

[foolish_icarus]

At the time I am unable to get the save to work, so I'm not completely sure of what's going on, but that doesn't seem to matter at this time as it looks as if you've got it all under control. Will try to come back with (hopefully) useful suggestions when I get it working


....

if later on we divide up the work I'm willing to do any of it but I don't particularly like doing tedious stuff (is anyone here into that "Ah, if we do a partial hurry for rec tanks then disband the crawler for the tree farm then build the mine two turns after that we come out 2 minerals and an energy ahead..." kind of stuff?)

[johndmuller]

What is the problem with the save files?

I seem to be having minor but annoying problems downloading (if I just click on it, it doesn't work right, but if I Right click on it instead and select save to disk, it works OK).

I think someone else said they were having problems too (FlameFlash perhaps?) and said they were using a Mac.

Do the "linked" saves work better? (the ones in the private forum - stored on Poly's Upload area)?

If necessary, someone who can access them can email them out to those who can't.

[FlameFlash]

No... any of the 'poly downloads I have problems with for some reason... all I get downloaded are the .php codes for directing me to the file... but it's generally in HEX and I don't feel like decoding it to get an URL.

[Atlantian]

Hand me an important title and i'll be happy
something sort of like:
Deepsea biological xenorum reasearcher
Yum!

[johndmuller]

Congratulations Cap'n Atlantian (or is it Cap'n Yum?), you're the new Deepsea Biological Xenorum Reasearcher

Of course, its traditional for newly appointed Pyrocrats to stand the whole crew for a round of the GoodStuff (that would be something other than your latest experimental batch - we can use that in the umbrella drinks for the landlubber tourists).

[Atlantian]

I was thinking about sending the experimental bacth to the hive personally.
Mwahahahahaha

Just to be sure it isn't bad or anything

What a shame...

Oh Well.

[Hercules]

As soon as we contact them in game, that would be a clever gesture.

[ThePlagueRat]

[roleplay]

Ohoi... My name is Pippi, and this is my monkey Nelson. (avatar)
I was the captain on a ship where my crew were all monkeys.
It ran into a cliff and sunk... Luckily, Nelson managed to sneak up on a sealurk and he engaged mind-control. So we rode across the sea until we saw this base, now I am trying to find a new job here.
- Pippi

[/roleplay]

[Hercules]

I suppose its possible to have a monkey on one shoulder and a parrot on the other. A parrot....

Ehem Mr ThePlagueRat (what do people who know you call you anyhow. Thep?
Plague, Oh No!, Banana,) (Clicks, 'vote for xenobanana' comment).

I know you were a tad hungry after the journey on the sealurk, but the parrot's OK isn't it? What did I say, don't eat the parrot. I hope it is just out socialising with the other parrots.


Re Jobs
I am sure we can find you a role in our Green Witch research Inn. We might have to send you on a ship's steering course though.

You aught to learn your sea way code.

[ThePlagueRat]

Yeah, you can call me that if you like.

Uh... I realize now it wasn't a good idea to hire those monkeys as crew members. I did it because they required pay in bananas, instead of those precious energy cells...

I also admit I wanted to chew the head of that parrot, it was chitchattin' directly into my ear, and it drove me crazy, but I taught it some nasty words and released it. That was one dinner less...