#shipshape game

finally... the blonde sailor collection...

(l -> r: ben hawkins, jack aubrey, william laurence, røde ruben, alexander smollett, chadwick goodfellow, & gwilym parry)

It has rather occurred to me that some of our sailors and observers may not be so well versed in the life on board a naval Man o' War, and so I shall reserve this post for the collation of links and resources that may prove useful in the upcoming weeks!

I would also like to... gently is not such the term for it, but to bring your attention to the deadline of the first Action Report's submission to tomorrow at Monday 20th of July GMT 12am / GMT+10 10am. I do promise to be far less bothersome in the following weeks, but as you can imagine, this being our very first report, there is no small amount of worry and excitement on my behalf!

But yes, let us proceed. I shall be citing the works of @ltwilliammowett, a fantastic naval history web log dedicated to charting the unknown waters of history. Reading these are by no means required, but it may enrich your understanding of the world of this game - but of course, you do not need to be entirely accurate, for this is but a game!

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Masterlists

Here is a masterlist of various posts about a sailor's life in general

A masterlist of posts about sailors' superstitions

And a masterlist about medicine in the age of sail

The various crafts and handiworks associated with the sea

Ranks or people on board

Naval slang

Posts

A day aboard a man of war

Weekly duties aboard a man of war

A post about the etiquette in the wardroom, where the commissioned officers and the wardroom warrant officers ate and socialised

Games played on board

Punishments

Combat between Men o' War

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Other Links

Another blog I heartily recommend is @marryat92 for excerpts from the works of Captain Frederick Marryat, a naval captain who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and wrote novels inspired by his experiences! These give quite a good impression of the life and times of the world that Shipshape is set in, as accompanied by quite suitable art

This is a glossary of Age of Sail terminology

This is a fansite for Age of Sail fiction with some information and resources

Living Conditions in the 19th Century U.S. Navy

If one would like to peruse some books, I also recommend:

The wooden world: an anatomy of the Georgian navy by N A M Rodgers

Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Man of War (a very colourful illustration of the setup of a man of war!)

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An in-character journal for @mostshipshape​, run by @cadmusfly​

[written in precise and unembellished hand] If there are two things a Peggram knows, it’s how to start fresh on a new ship without the luxury of leaving one’s reputation on land. As per usual, this reputation, which precedes me like so many other members of my family, seems to be written on my face. [written in a stilted cursive] A Peggram! Oh jolly, they’ll be able to weather any storm as long as there is still a table to saw apart for lumber! I envy the younger members of our ship who come aboard with what will someday become ambition, but for now is only wonder and curiosity. This may sound dreadfully glum, but some days it does feel like I am my name first, and myself only second. Aboard the Pickle I am sure to learn this second kernel of ancient Peggram knowledge: how to be utterly alone aboard a packed brig sloop.

I am, nonetheless, or perhaps because of this, overjoyed to finally have a carpenter’s mate of my own. After serving on two ships under the watchful eye of my dear mama, I do hope that the new-found freedom will enable me to be a helpful figure for Parry in this journey. No matter how much you learn from the manuals and guidebooks, the true rules of the sea (shut up and do as you’re told, unless you’re being told to shut up, then that’s the last thing you should do) are the ones that your mentors and those who believe in you teach you. Still, it is nice to not be entirely among strangers aboard the Pickle - First Lieutenant Davies and I saw each other again for the first time in many years. Once you change ships, you assume that you will lose sight of who you once sailed with, so it’s all the merrier to know someone has successfully risen within the hierarchy. Trust goes a long way at sea and it’s a relief to know there is someone aboard who surely still holds on to old promises. 

The reports of our captain staying away from the ship puzzle me - I am sure Parry and I will spend most of our time before we set sail with checking out every nook and cranny of the ship. I would hope that our Captain does the same - we’d gladly take them along if they’d only so much as ask.

While I do not care for the countless rumors that are whispered behind their back, I do care whether the person I am working for has the ship’s and crew’s interests in mind. [scribbled in the margin of the journal, as if addressed to an imaginary audience:] This is not an accusation of any sort, but rather an observation! I know they trust me and have proven this to me on multiple occasions as well; it is merely a question on how far this trust goes on both sides.

drawing for @mostshipshape again! 

chaplain james tillbury is played by @gniew777, carpenter minna peggram is played by @rhaill.

been really really enjoying watching @mostshipshape play out over these last few weeks and thought I might draw some guys!

lieutenant david price is played by @clove-pinks, carpenter’s mate gwilym parry is played by @sailorpants.

shipshape! shipshape!! shipshape!!!

Welcome to Shipshape, an experimental play by post tabletop game running on Tumblr for six weeks, where you can sign up, create a sailor to board a Royal Navy ship in the Age of Sail and fight for King and Country!

For six weeks, the story of Shipshape will be told in six weekly posts or "Action Reports". These "Action Reports" will provide a few prompts for characters to respond to and reveal the results of the previous prompts, telling the story of a naval man o' war and her crew.

Mechanics will be hacked from the tabletop RPG Beat to Quarters, resolved during Action Reports.

This game is set up for people to participate as much as they wish, for we recognise that real life is full of its own trials and tribulations. If you miss a week, your character will simply be assumed to be continuing on as normal, without an explicit mention in the Action Report. Your actions do not need to be overly detailed, and we welcome any level of skill or familiarity with roleplaying games.

There will be a limit to how many players may participate, but even if you are not a player, you will still be able to contribute by submitting ideas for oppositions to our brave sailors and vote in polls directing the fate of the ship.

In fact, let us start with a poll: Where should Shipshape start, and how realistic should Shipshape be? There are two options: one for a game set in our history with the realism and prejudices that apply, and one set in a fantastic other world still inspired by our own.

Wherever this story is set, you may be assured that this story has no interest in dwelling overmuch on matters of bigotry directed at specific characters, player or otherwise. The British Empire is an imperialist and colonising force that has irrevocably disrupted countless cultures, and it will not do to ignore that; but at the same time, this is not a story about directing such horror at ourselves. And if we end up with an entire ship of people concealing their genders and loves, then that is a feature, not a bug.

The poll is attached to an expression of interest form for those who are interested in playing characters. This poll will be open until the 3rd of June, 12am GMT.