Getting rich with firgates!!!

[Shorty]

The best way to get really rich is to build a fleet of Firgates. They are faster than Galleons,so they can put up quite a chase. Then, give each ship a certain attack mode to be teached in, if all of the schools are full, stall by sending out a raid. Then, send ships that have their reseasonable skills,(4.2-5.0), to places with trade routes, put ships with Board'em in richest places, ships with pound'em in places with average loot,and ships with Harrass'em in places with low average of captives but average in loot. Try to send the ships all out at one time, that way they can help the other ships with their attack. Then, they all should get back at a reasonable time with the other ships, and watch the gold come in, and your wealty captives srccuy around waiting to be ramsoned.

;DFiragtes are the key to lot's of loot!

[Shorty]

i think brigs are pretty good too

[Severous]

Snow Snow quick rich Snow.  

That is until the danger level in a zone rises.

[Captain Elvis]

I like Frigates myself, but I have found that a mixed fleet seems to do well for me.  When you send your fleet of Frigates out, they do bring in good hauls, but when they return sometimes it takes a Loooooong time to resupply them.  I've found that by building a 2-3 Frigates and a schooner or two, that I can make quick runs in local waters while my "big boys" are getting restocked..

[Severous]

Hi Captain Elvis

Welcome back.

Do you lose any Frigates when you team them up with something else?  All too often a lone Frigate, especially a first built Frigate, is lost at sea.  Has to be because it meets another big ship.  But when you gang up mob handed on others...good tactics

Could that loooooong resupply time be repair time ?  Biggest ship ive used in a long time is a Sloop - that takes a fair time to repair if heavily damaged.  Only when repaired will the ship take on new supplies stocked at the dockside.

Any one know if there is a way to speed up repairs?

[The Mad Hatter]

I'm partial to frigates myself...either sending them out in pairs, or sending one out with a galleon.  Some of my best hauls have been in these two combinations.

As far as losing them, I have found that I've lost just as many galleons as I have frigates, if they are sent out alone in "questionably" dangerous waters.  Henry Morgan's track record with frigates in my last game was atrocious...he managed to lose three over a period of almost 20 years.  After that, I made sure he stayed in the little leftover sloop I had sitting around...

[madrigalchick]

Not having the manual available, can anyone tell me how to send out all my ships at the same time?  I hadn't known you could do that to make a mission more profitable - sounds cool, so I'd like to try it.

[Severous]

Ahoy there madrigalchick

This is a good question and one not answered in the manual.

The usual issue is we build our crews with best abilities.  However you also need to build crews with their proximity to ships in mind.  You dont want to wait a month for one skill 5 gunner to arrive if you have a skill 3 to hand.  Check all crew where abouts and also where they are walking - some could be close to ship but actually heading away to some farm over the other side of the island.

Make a few changes to get a closer crew.

Now whos furthest away ? Ok ?  This is the one you watch.    If the other ship depart before this last one arrives then consider departing without a full crew.
EDIT: Yes use the 'sail immediately' button. The other way is just fire the laggard crew from the ship roster - if you have already sounded the boarding call no one else will fill the position and the ship will leave with a vacant berth..or two.

An additional technique is to use the temporary demolish order on entertainment...if you are aware of the downsides its a really powerful way of getting those sea dogs back on ship at the same time.
http://dynamic3.gamespy.com/~tropico/cafe/index.php?board=19;action=display;threadid=8159

Post a picture if you get it to work?

[madrigalchick]

Interesting - I will have to try that.  And I had forgotten about the "leave now" button on the ship's page.  That's what you're talking about, right?  I will try to get a screen shot if I get it to work . . but no promises.  The game is not mine, and I play it on a friend's computer - so the logistics are tricky.  But thanks for the tip!

[Privateer0]

Somebody from the thick ranks of frigate-lovers please explain to me what's so great about these ships.

They're not the fastest; they're not the strongest; they're very expensive; they seem to give captains a false sence of security causing the loss of a ship. Finally, they are pretty expensive, so the loss does hurt.

I must confess that I don't have a lot of experience with frigates, so my disliking them is more theoretical. I've only ever built one frigate and it sunk on its maiden voyage in the very first battle, despite the fact that it was ordered to pound, had an average cannonier skill of 4.8 and a full load of cannons.

For a big ship, I'd think a Galleon would be better, even though it can't catch anything. A shadowing Schooner can do the catching, while the Galleon can blast anything to bits.

My personal preference is Schooners. Just Schooners. Somehow, these little ships survive longer than anything else I ever tried in cruises. Probably because they run from most combat encounters, yet scoop up all those lovely defenceless merchants, who surrender at first sight. Hey, pirates, not warriors. Preying on the defenceless is their specialty.

[kindsgt]

I send three frigates at the same time tot the same area. It is usefull. But on the other end it is a long time to resupply those fat b*stards. I useally buy the lost sea portions in the black market.

[Shorty]

Somebody from the thick ranks of frigate-lovers please explain to me what's so great about these ships.

They're not the fastest; they're not the strongest; they're very expensive; they seem to give captains a false sence of security causing the loss of a ship. Finally, they are pretty expensive, so the loss does hurt.

I must confess that I don't have a lot of experience with frigates, so my disliking them is more theoretical. I've only ever built one frigate and it sunk on its maiden voyage in the very first battle, despite the fact that it was ordered to pound, had an average cannonier skill of 4.8 and a full load of cannons.

For a big ship, I'd think a Galleon would be better, even though it can't catch anything. A shadowing Schooner can do the catching, while the Galleon can blast anything to bits.

My personal preference is Schooners. Just Schooners. Somehow, these little ships survive longer than anything else I ever tried in cruises. Probably because they run from most combat encounters, yet scoop up all those lovely defenceless merchants, who surrender at first sight. Hey, pirates, not warriors. Preying on the defenceless is their specialty.

Friagates are good becuase the have the speed close to A Brig but more firepower and more crew, it is a ship that lasts a long time.  

But its Expensive to keep a fleet of 5 like i have on my island that i have run fer 50 years only losing about 3-4 ships in combat (plus a sctulled schooner)
but since i have welahty captives that can be ramsoned for 2000$ each i could use that money . but i like firagtes


argh matey