SHIP-GENERAL

Description

Ah, to sail the four seas of Alyria! The sea-faring Adventurer's dream. Through use of Materia Magica's unique ship system, it is possible to buy, control, sail, and even pillage the wide blue oceans.

Ships allow one to voyage between continents and other landmasses. Some ships are controlled by the denizens of Alyria (non-player characters), such as the Merdraco, Hallowhold ferry, or Riddenmast ferry. (See HELP for more information on these ships' routes).

Not all mariners have peaceful intentions, however. The seas are home to hostile pirates that are known to attack unwitting seafarers. Many of these pirates are known to carry valuable treasure in their cargo holds. An enterprising crew could well make a fortune for themselves as well as gain valuable experience for engaging these pirates in ship combat.

To use a ship, you must have a title to one. Ship titles can be purchased at cities with harbors and shipwrights, which are usually found near or on the city docks. Ships are quite expensive, running in the millions, and must be cared for just like any large purchase.

Ships require much manpower to operate. Luckily, it is easy to contract crew members at most ports. In addition, a captain may designate worthy officers to help assist in commanding the vessel.

To sail a ship in a specific direction, the anchor must be raised and the ship speed set. Be careful with the speed - if you run into obstacles with your ship, you risk damaging it and sinking. Most obstacles are visible - some, like underwater coral reefs, are not, so you should use extreme caution when exploring close to an uncharted isle or other location.

Ships take damage through their hull. Hull points are a measure of how much damage the ship can take before it sinks. When a ship reaches 0 hull points, it will sink. But fear not, sunken ships can be RECOVERed at a shipwright for a hefty fee, and it may be necessary in addition to recruit a new crew and to replace any lost weapon upgrades.

When you board a ship, a prompt similar to this one will appear:

(336hull NEdir FLANK Nwind 100%shld)

The prompt displays the current hull strength of your ship, the direction you are currently traveling, the speed, and the wind direction. If you have an onboard sextant (an available ship upgrade) your current coordinates will appear on the prompt. Additionally, if you are in an area where you can be targeted by other ships for attack (or attack other ships yourself), [SPK] will appear on the prompt in red.

Ships can be upgraded via options available at most shipwrights. The upgrades available vary based on the shipwright, and some upgrades may not be available at all locations. To purchase an upgrade your ship must be docked at the shipwright's pier somewhere, and you must be holding the title of the ship.

You must be holding the title of the ship to use most of the ship commands. Holding the title designates you as the ship's captain.