Cotton

[spruce]

hey Gil, thanks for your feedback - I understand your stance on the matter. We'll have to address first priorities when the game comes out and only look then for improvements. However, my extra post was meant to show the big lines being "how does the South distribute its blockade runners, how does the North distribute its blocaders, and can the railroad network cover some ports that are being blockaded"... you know, so you can have some freedom in handling the matter - otherwise it's more a lottery "ship A tries to catch ship B" ... [:'(]

it was the game from Adanac - Frank Hunter - I was refering to - the blockade runner thingy was modeled quite easy and big fun. For sure I don't want to turn this game into a very complex history buff thing.

good luck for the upcoming release then ! [:D]

[andysomers]

Spruce - you are on the money - I agree with you.
 
I think that Gil has resolved this issue to my satisfaction.  To me, a blockade-runner just successfully running the blockade and making it back to port will inherently say that something has been exported on the run out, and something will come in on the way back (one of the 5 resources).  This satisfies me.
 
One future resource could perhaps be "agricultural product" representing cotton, tobacco, et al.  There would be a CS domestic production and a CS domestic consumption requirement, with the production far outpacing the consumption.  The surplus could be transferred to a port, shipped out, and another resource comes back in its place (most needed would be war materiel obviously, i.e. guns and money)
 
I'm satisfied with this issue - ready to see the product!
 
AS

[dh76513]

Speaking of Blockade-runners, can the CSA build submarines? I am certain we can all recall the infamous CSS Hunley as it was the first submarine to attack a warship successfully. In 1864, the Hunley rammed the Union's corvette Housatonic in Charleston Harbor, successfully setting a torpedo into the ship's hull. This was the method used to deploy torpedoes before the self-propelled torpedo was developed a few years later. The Housatonic sank. Something went wrong on the Hunley, and it also sank shortly after the Housatonic, taking its crew of nine to a watery grave. It is reported that the Hunley signaled that its mission was completed and was never seen again. Most agree that Lieutenant Payne mistakenly stepped on the device causing the ship to dive with the hatches still open, flooding and sinking the vessel while the crew was rowing. Payne and two other men escaped while the remaining five crewmen drowned.

Also, what about the torpedo? The successes with mining ports to destroy Union ships eventually resulted in their application to ships directly, bringing forth the modern torpedo. One early approach to torpedo warfare was to tow an explosive charge on a line about 200 feet (61 metres) back from the submerged attack craft. After the attack craft had passed beneath the target ship, the towed torpedo would hopefully contact the hull and detonate. This method was supplanted by a technique of applying torpedoes directly by means of a spar rammed into the hull of the target ship. Shortly after the war, self-propelled torpedoes became operational.

[Gil R.]

We do have a submarines upgrade, which give an attack bonus, though they are not actually seen as icons (the way ironclads are).

We also have a torpedoes upgrade, which is used for improving harbor defenses.

[dh76513]

Excellent!

[Jonathan Palfrey]

I bought Frank Hunter's ACW game in 1996 and played it quite a bit, including a couple of complete games by e-mail. His model of cotton shipments seemed quite realistic, but I found it tedious to operate and would welcome something simpler. The FoF approach sounds quite promising and worth trying.