Rules Setup for N4.5

[Carthaginian]

Ok, everyone... Snip and I have hammered out a basic system for the ships, allowing us to get started.

Firstly- there won't really be any 'research' per se.
'Research' will be governed by Treaty Conference... the players will basically allow research to move as quickly or as slowly as we would like it to. We will require a 2/3 majority to amend the treaty, so any major change in shipbuilding tech will be as gradual or as abrupt as a majority of the players would like it to be. I think this kind of 'fits' the setting- we're not really 'discovering' the technology, we're merely deciding just how much technology we want to allow into the arena of warfare.

Secondly- there are going to be very few restrictions, and we are used to them.
The basic Gentleman's Agreement on Ship Design that was originally conceived by WW and was adopted for use here will continue virtually unchanged. As we reach certain 'milestones' (tech years), some things may be added or removed; the system, however, will never change greatly.

Thirdly- there will be no 'treaty-busting'; this is a sure ticket out of the game.
The treaty entitled AN AGREEMENT UPON LIMITATIONS FOR NAVAL VESSELS is the Rules as Written for this game. Nations may debate, threaten, or even produce misinformation about treaty-busting vessels; Players will abide by the restrictions of the treaty. If a player thinks the treaty is too restrictive, then there are mechanisms to make it less restrictive... get some other nations to support your idea and jump on it.

Finally - Snip and I are open to suggestions... but only very small changes before startup.
One of the biggest problems with the attempt to restart last time was that the rules attempted to please everyone. The ultimate effect is that the rules became so overwhelming, that they eventually became too big to succeed. They sucked so much time from the people that were generously working on them that they couldn't be completed without causing major havoc with their Real Life world.
Snip and I tried to distill things down to the smallest amount of rules while not allowing everything to happen all at once. No one will have to spend days, weeks or months researching the changes except the person wanting the change. If the change will add to the game, it will be approved by the players; if the change is felt to be detrimental to the game at that time, it will be voted down. This represents a minimum amount of time invested for all.

Thanks to everyone for sticking around for this long; and thanks to the efforts of those that tried before us. I hope that the rules framework that we have built will be workable. We looked heavily at WesWorld, not just because it's the biggest example of something like this but because it has endured for so long and worked pretty well. We then tried to add more fluidity to the play style, because the people here seemed to want a more dynamic world.
*crosses his fingers*
Hopefully, we have got it right.


Jamie



So... without further fanfare: The Rules

[Carthaginian]

RULE #1:Common sense my not be common, but it is the LAW here. If you try to do something with no chance of succeeding in real life, it will fail here as well. You can't make airships armed with naval cannons, you can't conduct an amphibious landing from a liner, you can't make a flying tank, etc. If you try this, the Mods will gently suggest that you don't try it. If you insist, then that armored corps will be allowed to drive up ramps onto your liner, and the thin decks will collapse under the load and the ship will be a total loss. So, be warned.

Springsharp 3.0b3 shall be the version of Springsharp used, and the version of Springsharp used shall be Springsharp 3.0b3.
I've contacted the programmer, and he stated that he's about to resume work on Springsharp, though, and the engine slider feature will be implemented in the next version. If this happens, we will debate the merits of switching to the new version at that time... and any necessary adjustments to 'grandfathered' ships.

Startup Vessels shall be under the following special restrictions:
1.) No Turbines in Capital Ships, Heavy or Medium cruisers, Coast Defense Ships or Monitors; turbines may be used on Light Cruisers, Destroyers and Torpedo Boats.
2.) No Oil-fired ships; coal must make up 90% or more of the ship's bunkerage
3.) Direct Drive only; drive options become available in 1910, and after that whenever SS allows.
4.) Protected Cruisers are allowed; use an upper belt of 5'/1.525m to sim the slope of the deck.
5.) All ships are to  be of pre-dread type- with either a "twin main gun turrets"/"secondary battery"or "twin main gun turrets"/"intermediate turrets" OR "AQY twins"/"light guns only" layouts. Ships must have main and end belts- AoN armor is not allowed; upper belts are optional, but wise in some designs.
6.) The starting cap for a fleet is 500,000 tons. You can have less- but you can't build more.
7.) Until 1910, there can be no cruiser or larger ship that can fire more than 6 turret mounted guns into a broadside. Hexagonal layouts are OK as long as they don't violate this. Deck Mount & Hoist guns are not exempt, Deck Mount are exempt. Casemate guns are exempt. Broadside mount guns are exempt. Do not expect Deck Mount, Broadside or Casemate mounts to fire large shells as fast as other mounts... that just didn't happen.
8.) Starting Navies may not exceed 500,000 tons of payed ship construction.

Engine Year/Gun Year = Laydown Year... the only exception is if you vanguard older guns or engines into a vessel.

Length to Beam Ratio shall be no greater than 10:1 in any Capital Ship or Cruiser category, and shall be no greater than 12:1 in any Light, Fast Combatant (as defined by Springsharp). Length to Beam ratios as low as 3.5:1 are allowable for Coast Defense Vessels. Vessels refitted to feature bulges may never exceed a modified Length to Beam ratio of 4.5:1

Block Coefficient shall be no lower than 0.38 on any vessel, and shall not exceed 0.65 on new-build ships. On vessels refitted with bulges, the Block Coefficient shall not exceed 0.68.

Aircraft Carriers are currently prohibited, and have no rules as a result.

Medium Cruisers shall have a Composite Strength of 1.0 and a Cross-Sectional Strength no lower than 0.5.

Light Cruisers shall have a Composite Strength of 1.0 and a Cross-Sectional Strength no lower than 0.5.

Light, Fast Combatants shall have a Composite Strength of no lower than 0.5 and a Cross-Sectional Strength no lower than 0.5. They will use Guinness's Trial Speed Calculator to determine maximum speed.

Transom Sterns are currently prohibited, and have no rules as a result.

Submarines are currently prohibited, and have no rules as a result.

Torpedoes shall use the following rules: Rules For Torpedo Construction

Mines shall use the following rules: Rules for Mine Construction

Guns of 5"/120mm or less may be considered to fire at full ROF without power assist, and thus do not need mounts with integral hoists.

Guns of greater than 5"/120mm can not be considered to fire at full ROF without power assist, and thus need mounts with integral hoists.

Miscellaneous Weights  shall be required as follows:
1.) Torpedoes: for each torpedo, as laid out by Springsharp; this includes both torpedoes in the tube and reloads, whether above or below deck. Make sure weight allotted for reloads is allocated in the proper location!
2.) Mines: for each mine, as laid out in the Mine Rules section (small = 500 lbs, medium = 1000 lbs, heavy = 1500 lbs). Minelaying equipment is 1 ton per 10 mines, and minesweeping gear is 10 tons per 1000 tons of ship displacement (min. 10 tons).
3.) Embarked Personnel: any personnel over the Crew Requirement as stated by Springsharp will be accounted for with 4 tons per person for long-term deployment . For vessels like landing craft, there will be 1 ton per 4 combat-ready troops.
4.) Extra Ship's Boats: extra small craft may be carried on a ship to facilitate landings or passenger transfers. 'Lifeboats' are assumed to be equipped with the following items: a sail and mast, 1/2 gallon of water per person for 2 days, 2 days survival rations (think 'jerky and hardtack') per person, a compass, a sextant, a lantern, a bailer, a sea anchor, 100' of rope and a pair of oars for every 10' of length. A 'Steam Launch' contains all the items of a lifeboat and enough coal to travel 25 nautical miles.
    (a) Large lifeboats, which may accommodate 50 people (in fair weather) are 2 tons each and 60' long.
    (b) Small lifeboats, which may accommodate 24 people (in fair weather) are 1 tons each and 30' long.
    (c) Steam launches, which may accommodate 30 people (in fair weather) are 3 tons each and 60' long.


Change Log:
19APR12: Wording on ship type layouts clarified to indicate that ships must conform to either one of the two 'twin main gun turret' layouts, or to an 'A-Q-Y/light guns only' layout.
22APR12: Added weights for Ships Boats.
02MAY12: Added Point #7 to Startup Ships.

[Carthaginian]

AN AGREEMENT UPON LIMITATIONS FOR NAVAL VESSELS

Article I.   Basic  Guidelines

   The purpose of this agreement is to set, amongst the Nations which are heretofore signed, an agreement upon the construction and regulation of naval vessels constructed by  or for the High Contracting Powers. The terms and conditions of these limitations shall be agreed upon by the High Contracting Parties and shall remain binding for a period of five years after the effective date of the treaty, after which the option to modify the terms of the treaty shall be available. In the absence of a vote for modification, the pervious terms shall remain in force for a period of one year, after which the option to modify the treaty shall again become available.
   All vessels built after January 1st, 3910 shall conform to the terms of this treaty, or any addendum to or replacement thereof. The High Contracting Powers agree that no vessel which does not conform to the terms of this treaty shall be either constructed by or constructed for the High Contracting Powers, either  in shipyards belonging to one of the High Contracting parties, nor in foreign shipyards for one of the High Contracting Parties. All signatory nations shall obey the terms of this treaty, or face immediate and cooperative retaliation by all the remaining High Contracting Powers. This action is compulsory and mandatory for all High Contracting Powers.

Article II.   Guidelines for Retention of Existing Vessels

Section 2.01   Retention of Vessels for Front Line Service
   All vessels less than 15 years old the time of the implementation of this treaty may be retained in fully armed and functional condition for front-line service. These vessels shall be allowed to serve in unaltered form regardless of their confirming to the terms of this treaty. Vessels which exist at the time this treaty takes effect will count against the total tonnage of the least valuable type for which they qualify.
 
Section 2.02   Retention of Certain Special Vessels
   All vessels greater than 15 years old are to be scrapped, sank, or rendered unfit for military service by the time of the implementation of this treaty, save certain special vessels agreed upon by the High Contracting Powers. These vessels must be rendered unfit for active service by the High Contracting Powers.
(a)   No more than two former battleships shall be retained for purposes of use as target ships, and neither of these vessels may mount any form of weapon.
(b)   No more than two former light cruisers shall be retained for training purposes, and neither of these vessels may mount more than two guns of 6"/150mm.
(c)   No more than one squadron of six former destroyers shall be retained for training purposes, and none of these vessels may mount any naval gun or more than two torpedo tubes.

Article III.   Guidelines for the Construction of New Vessels

Section 3.01   Ships Laid Down Before January 01, 3910
   Vessels existing at the time of this treaty are not required to be altered to meet these terms. Vessels under construction at the time this treaty takes effect are subject to the following restrictions:
(a)   Vessels under construction and >75% complete may be completed as designed.
(b)   Vessels under construction and <75% but >50% must be altered to meet the terms of the treaty, or they must be scrapped.
(c)   Vessels under construction and <50% complete shall be scrapped  in accordance with the terms of the treaty.
   Vessels eligible for completion as planned will count against the total tonnage of the least valuable type for which they qualify. Vessels eligible for completion with alterations will count against the total tonnage of the most valuable type for which they qualify.

Section 3.02   Ships Laid Down After January 01, 3910
   Any vessel laid down after the effective date of this treaty must abide by the terms and conditions of this treaty without exception.

Section 3.03   Definition of 'Ship Type' in the Treaty
   Vessel types in this document shall consist of 1.) a generic name to describe the type of vessel, 2.) the listed restrictions on tonnage, gun caliber and torpedo capacity for the type of vessel and 3.) any optional non-weapon equipment which may be featured on the vessel.
Item 3 may include- but is not limited to:
(a)    embarked aircraft, surface craft or submersibles
(b)   embarked vehicles intended for amphibious landings
   According to these guidelines, vessels shall be judged against the tonnage of the most valuable category which they can be grouped within.

Article IV.   Capital Ships

Section 4.01   Battleships
   A Battleship shall, for the purposes of this treaty, heretofore be classified by the following qualifications. Any ship meeting one of these qualifications shall be termed a Battleship and shall count against tonnage allocated for Battleships, even if it does not meet all the qualifications.
(a)   a vessel with four or more guns of no greater than 12"/305mm.
(b)   a vessel with no more than two guns of 12"/305mm, and which mounts an equal or greater number of secondary guns equal to or greater than 10"/254mm.
(c)   a vessel with four or more guns greater than 10"/254mm but less than 12"/305mm, but which mounts an equal or greater number of secondary guns  greater than 8"/203mm.
(d)   a vessel with a displacement of >15,000 tons normal load.
   A Battleship may not in any way exceed the following qualifications.
(a)   a vessel with a displacement of greater than 20,000 tons normal load.
(b)   no aircraft may be embarked in any way aboard a battleship.
 
Section 4.02   Aircraft Carriers
   An Aircraft Carrier shall, for the purposes of this treaty, heretofore be classified by the following qualifications. Any ship meeting one of these qualifications shall be termed an Aircraft Carrier.
(a)   A vessel designed with a flying-off deck for the purpose of operating aircraft.
(b)   A vessel which possesses  an embarked air wing of more than eight aircraft.
   As of the effective date of this treaty, the construction of Aircraft Carriers is strictly prohibited by the High Contracting Parties; none of the High Contracting Parties may construct such a vessel in their yards, nor may they order such a vessel to be constructed in foreign yards.

Article V.   Cruisers

Section 5.01   Heavy Cruisers
   A Heavy Cruiser, shall for the purposes of this treaty, heretofore be classified by the following qualifications. Any ship meeting one of these qualifications shall be termed a Heavy Cruiser.
(a)   a vessel with four or more guns of no greater than 10"/254mm.
(b)   a vessel with no more than two guns of equal to or greater than 9.45"/240mm, and which mounts an equal or greater number of secondary guns equal to or greater than 7.64/194mm.
(c)   a vessel of more than 10,000 tons normal load.
A Heavy Cruiser may not in any way exceed the following qualifications.
(a)   a vessel with a displacement of greater than 15,000 tons normal load.
(b)   no aircraft may be embarked in an y way aboard a heavy cruiser.
 
Section 5.02   Medium Cruisers
   A Medium Cruiser, shall for the purposes of this treaty, heretofore be classified by the following qualifications. Any ship meeting one of these qualifications shall be termed a Medium Cruiser.
(a)   a vessel with four or more guns of no greater than 7.64"/194mm.
(b)   a vessel with no more than two guns of 8"/203mm, and which mounts an equal or greater number of secondary guns greater than 6.1"/155mm.
(c)   a vessel of more than 6,000 tons normal load.
A Medium Cruiser may not in any way exceed the following qualifications.
(a)   a vessel with a displacement of greater than 10,000 tons normal load.
(b)   no aircraft may be embarked in any way aboard a medium cruiser.

Section 5.03   Light Cruisers
   A Light Cruiser, shall for the purposes of this treaty, heretofore be classified by the following qualifications. Any ship meeting one of these qualifications shall be termed a Medium Cruiser.
(a)   a vessel with four or more guns of no greater than 6.1"/155mm.
(b)   a vessel with no more than two guns of 7.64"/180mm, and which mounts an equal or greater number of secondary guns greater than 6.1"/155mm.
(c)   a vessel of more than 3,000 tons normal load.
A Light Cruiser may not in any way exceed the following qualifications.
(a)   a vessel with a displacement of greater than 6,000 tons normal load.
(b)   no aircraft may be embarked in any way aboard a light cruiser.
 

Article VI.   Destroyers and Torpedo Boats

Section 6.01   Destroyers
   A Destroyer, shall for the purposes of this treaty, heretofore be classified by the following qualifications. Any ship meeting one of these qualifications shall be termed a Destroyer.
(a)   a vessel with four or more guns of greater than 3"/76mm.
(b)   a vessel with no more than two guns of 5"/120mm, and which mounts an equal or greater number of secondary guns greater than 3"/76mm.
(c)   a vessel of more than 500 tons normal load.
A Destroyer may not in any way exceed the following qualifications.
(a)   a vessel with a displacement of greater than 1,250 tons normal load.
(b)   no aircraft may be embarked in an y way aboard a destroyer.

Section 6.02   Torpedo Boats
   A Torpedo Boat, shall for the purposes of this treaty, heretofore be classified by the following qualifications. Any ship meeting one of these qualifications shall be termed a Torpedo Boat.
(a)   A vessel of less than 500 tons carrying a primary armament of torpedoes

Article VII.        Miscellaneous Vessels

Section 7.01   Submarines
   A Submarine shall, for the purposes of this treaty, heretofore be classified by the following qualifications. Any ship meeting one of these qualifications shall be termed a Submarine.
(a)   A vessel designed with the ability to submerge.
(b)   A vessel which possesses  the ability to launch torpedoes while submerged.
(c)   A vessel which possesses the ability to sow mines while submerged.
   As of the effective date of this treaty, the construction of Submarines is strictly prohibited by the High Contracting Parties; none of the High Contracting Parties may construct such a vessel in their yards, nor may they order such a vessel to be constructed in foreign yards.

Section 7.02   Coast Defense Vessels
   A Coast Defense Vessel shall, for the purposes of this treaty, heretofore be classified by the following qualifications. Any ship meeting two of these qualifications shall be termed a Coast Defense Vessel as long as it does not exceed the maximum speed restriction; if a vessel exceeds the maximum speed restriction, it shall qualify as a ship of the most valuable type for which it may qualify.
(a)   A vessel with no more than two battleship caliber guns.
(b)   A vessel with no more than four cruiser caliber guns.
(c)   A vessel of no more than 6,500 tons normal displacement
   Additionally, no vessel classed as a Coast Defense Vessel may exceed a maximum speed of 16 knots.

Section 7.03   Gunboats
   A Gunboat, shall for the purposes of this treaty, heretofore be classified by the following qualifications. Any ship meeting one of these qualifications shall be termed a Gunboat.
(a)   a vessel with no more than four guns of no greater than 6.1"/155mm.
(b)   a vessel with no more than six additional guns o no greater thanf 3"/76mm.
(c)   a vessel of no more than 3000 tons normal load.
   A Gunboat may not mount armored belts during peacetime, but a provision for an armored belt of no greater than 3"/76mm may be made for mounting during time of war. Additionally, a Gunboat may not exceed 20 knots maximum speed.
 

Article VIII.   Modification of the Treaty

   Any modification to this treaty shall require a 2/3 majority of the High Contracting Parties. Representatives of the High Contracting Parties must attend the Conference, and all High Contracting Parties must vote. Representatives of the High Contracting Parties may vote 'Yea' or 'Nay' only; there shall be no option to abstain from the vote.






CHANGE LOG PRIOR TO START:
20APR12 - due to 1910 date for restart and need to prevent destroyers from becoming outsized from the start, destroyer tonnage adjusted to 1,250 tons (normal) for start.

[snip]

Will be attached for now. Formatted post will come later.

[Carthaginian]

Torpedoes

1.) A  torpedo's length is measured by overall length in METERS and the diameter is determined by overall diameter in CENTIMETERS; any non-metric  torpedoes will use the nearest size in meters/millimeters rounded down for determining their maximum range.

2.) A torpedo must be at least 5m in length but cannot exceed 10m in length. A torpedo and will have a maximum base range (MBR) of 1000m X (length in meters). MBR will be modified by diameter and speed settings, and the modified range can be either <4000m or greater than 10,000m due to these factors.

3.) A torpedo must be at least 350mm in diameter, but can be no larger than 650mm in diameter. Torpedoes will receive  the following modifications to MBR according to diameter: 350mm-399mm = -1000m, 400-449mm = -500m, 450mm-549mm = no modifier, 550mm-599mm = +500m, 600mm-650mm = +1000m.

4.) A torpedo's maximum base speed (MBS) is measured in knots and is determined by its diameter: 350mm-399mm = -10 knots, 400-449mm = -5 knots, 450mm-549mm = 35 knots, 550mm-599mm = +5 knots, 600mm-650mm = +10 knots. Additionally, the torpedo's MBS is modified by the torpedo's overall length, with each meter over 5m in length adding +1 knot.

5.) A torpedo will have three range settings, which modify its MBR and MBS accordingly. A torpedo's modified range will be rounded down to the nearest meter and modified speed will be rounded down to the nearest knot. Slow - +50% range, 75% speed; Normal - no modifier; Fast - -50% range, +34% speed. Range settings must be declared at time of launch, and cannot be changed thereafter.

6.) Torpedo warhead strength is set by Springsharp estimates. This cannot be modified in any way due to the way that Springsharp estimates the mass of the warhead relative to the overall mass of the torpedo. All torpedoes will use the Springsharp estimate for number of non-critical torpedoes of that size to sink a given ship.

[Carthaginian]

Mines

1.) Mines are available in three sizes- Large, Medium and Small- which shall relate to torpedo diameters in order to easily establish the explosive power of the mine.

2.) Small Mines shall weigh 500 lbs/227 kg/0.25 tons, and have warheads equal to 18" torpedoes. Medium mines shall weigh 1,000 lbs/455 kg/0.5 tons, and have warheads equal to 21" torpedoes.
Large mines shall weigh 1,500 lbs/682 kg/0.75 tons, and have warheads equal to 24" torpedoes.

3.) All mines have sufficient cable to be deployed in coastal waters (200 ftm/180m). Mines may have their cables lengthened to be sufficient for deep-water deployment (1000 ftm/1830 m) for a fixed addition of 500 lbs/227 kg.

4.) Minelaying gear shall weigh 1 ton per 10 mines carried by a vessel; vessels with such equipment may load mines from a supply vessel at sea. If a vessel carries 10 mines or less, it is assumed to have only light-weight rails and may only take on new mines in a port.

5.) Minesweeping gear shall weigh 10 tons per 1000 tons for vessels specifically designed for minesweeping (minimum of 10 tons). Any ship equipped with minelaying equipment is assumed to be able to function as a minesweeper as well.

[Carthaginian]

The construction of civilian ships will use the following rules:
1.) construction costs for merchant vessels are 1/4 that of a military vessel of the same tonnage.
2.) a civilian vessel can carry only either one gun of up to 6.1" bore or two guns of up to 4" bore; light anti-aircraft weapons (up to 1" bore) may be mounted at a rate of 2 per 100' of length.
   (a) liners must devote the following Misc Weight to each passenger:
         1st Class - 10 tons
         2nd Class - 7.5 tons
         3rd Class - 5 tons
   (b) liners shall be required to carry lifeboats sufficient to evacuate at least 25% of the passengers simultaneously; these lifeboats require 2 tons each and can hold 50 people.
   (c) when aircraft are allowed to be mounted on any size warship, they shall also be allowed to be mounted upon civilian vessels at the same cost in Misc Weight; no more than 2 aircraft may be carried on a civilian ship without prior treaty approval and no more than 6 aircraft may be carried under any circumstances.

NOTE: guns for these merchant vessels are considered 'free' and are mounted only in wartime. They are obsolete models that will be pulled out of storage... you might even see land-based artillery piece hastily placed on such a ship.

==============================================================================================

The construction of military 'auxiliary vessels' will use the following rules:
1.) construction costs for auxiliary vessels are 1/2 that of a military vessel of the same tonnage.
2.) no auxiliary vessel vessel will be allowed to
   (a) carry any form of armament greater than 6" bore.
   (b) carry any form of armament greater than 12 in number.
   (c) carry any form of armament mounted in barbettes or in armored gunhouses.
   (d) carry armament and armor which exceeds in weight 1% of its normal displacement.
3.) any weight of armament and armor must be paid in full, rather than at '1/2 actual tonnage.'
4.) if an auxiliary is designed to provide fuel for fleet vessels, 1/2 of that tonnage must be counted as carried cargo weight, the remaining 1/2 may be counted as own ship bunker.

==============================================================================================

CHANGE LOG:
22APR12 - per request, allowed civilian ships to carry modest armament during wartime.

[Carthaginian]

To calculate the trial speed, first find the base bonus derived from it's light displacement, starting with what "band" the ship is in:
<=210: 6 knots
<=250: 5 knots
<=500: 2.75 knots
<=750: 1.5 knots
<=1000: 1.125 knot
<=1500: 0.75 knots
<=1750: 0.6 knots
<=2000: 0.5 knots
over 2000 tons: 0 knots

In each band, then divide the bonus for that band by the value of the light displacement divided by the upper limit of that band..

So for instance, for a 450t (light) dd, do this: 2.75 / (400/500) = the "base" bonus of 3.44 knots.

Then mix in the machinery modifier, which is simply the normal displacement percentage of machinery/0.6 (so that a machinery weight of 60% = 1), then multiply the base bonus above by that figure.

For one example ship:
Displacement: 250t
Mach %: 51.7 (or after divided by 100, 0.517)
Speed: 28.08

Base bonus: 5 / (250/250) = 5
Mach modifier: .517/.6 * = .861667

So the bonus = 5 * .861667 = 4.31 (rounded to 2 decimal places), or 4.5 (rounded to the nearest half knot), giving a new clean water optimal condition trial speed of 32.5 knots (using the half-knot rounded figure).

Or for ease of use, use this calculator: