Start :
My 1.99 centimes worth:
The issue is not which trade/war ship is best but that neither should be fishing commercially in the first place.
Realistically there were hundreds of different fishing vessels : each designed for specific waters and catches. The Dogger and Whalers were more like factory ships than anything else with smaller craft actually catching the prey and bringing it to them. The majority of fishing is inshore and carried out by small vessels. Deep-sea fishing where boats are away for weeks or months is a more industrial process and their vessels reflect that.
But for Avonmora I suggest the following compromise looking to keep the flavor but not over-complicate the stew with too many!
1: We keep the existing structure of fleets working in a specific port either selling or storing their catch there. They can still be lit via voodoo or carelessness.
I see little point in cluttering up the skirmish screens with them as being in port for bare minutes and returning to sea empty then any skirmish is going to gain little plunder. They will also displace more worthy targets given the current listing limitations.
2: Only the dedicated fishing vessel types may fish. No trade or warship type can do so.
3: All fishing is 'inshore' : fleets may not travel port-to-port but can only work in the port they are built , captured or purchased in. If a merchant wants to supply into a port in which they have no fleets then the catch must be transported there in regular trade fleets or they must build/purchase/capture new fleets there.
4: I propose the ship type already known as the Dogger be the dedicated fishing vessel. I also propose that a hefty Gold Bar premium be added to the build cost.
Type: DOGGER
Build costs:
Turns: 20 / Coin: 15000
Wood : 120 / Iron : 60 / Tools : 20 / Cotton : 80 / Gold bars : 10
MaxHP 40 / Very slow / Cargo 30* / Crew : 30 / Guns : 0
Every new level will add 5 cargo and cost the usual stepped increase plus 2 Gold Bars giving a maximum of 75 cargo.
Traits : Most will have little effect but the Extra Level and Extra Cargo ones will be valuable.
This ship will be expensive to build and max out but will return many years profitable service
5: I propose that to reflect the wear and tear of fishing such as damaged or lost nets that each fleet shall gain a percentage of damage per voyage. This damage will reduce effectiveness by an equivalent amount : i.e A fleet with 10% damage will take 10% longer to fill its holds.
Each fishing voyage shall have a base time of 2hrs.
This will be extended at the end of the 2hrs by an equivalent percentage of time to the %damage still on the fleet.
Each fleet shall gain 1% of damage on arrival in port together with 1 DP per arrival.
Damage may be repaired manually or via voodoo such as Royal Fleet Auxiliary or Emergency Call.
Potential income is variable on ship levels/damage/prices. But a 'perfect' fleet should manage 11x375 catch or about 4000 crates per day (allowing time for docking between voyages).
Hostile Natives and FoJ will act the same as on any other fleet.
Lit fleets will be displayed on the plunder board. Doggers can be captured same as all other vessels. The only difference is the new owner can only operate them in the port of capture. They can still be sold to the shipwright or market.
Damage voodoo such as Worms, Fireship, Kraken, etc, will act to extend the journey according to the level of damage inflicted on any ship in the fleet.
This will stop the 'allocate and forget' brigade ignoring them for too long and also provide an attack tool via Swarm of Worms etc. RFA will fix damage thus also providing an incentive to run more Brigs!
I await your -'s.
End repeat.
The above provides a good framework to which specialist officers, techs or voodoo can be bolted on at a future date.
Starting with this 'inshore' only method still allows for additional future ship types to develop 'off-shore' fishing such as Whalers, Trawlers or Kraken-Catchers.... which might be a fun occupation for the terminally suicidal.
