English Speaking Officers

[EDB]

Re "Google Spanish translator". Does that thing work for english speaking guys. For me the German translation is as good as my own spanish. Which is not too impressive. It is kind of a latin language, I catch a few words here and there and the rest I make up....

Common words are fine, but it fails with any subject specific terms, for example, full sail, etc.

[capitanduff]

Re "Google Spanish translator". Does that thing work for english speaking guys. For me the German translation is as good as my own spanish. Which is not too impressive. It is kind of a latin language, I catch a few words here and there and the rest I make up....

Common words are fine, but it fails with any subject specific terms, for example, full sail, etc.

But the sails are very easy to translate.

In this game we use an abbreviation to indicate the sails, like in English:

Kind of sails                  abb. Spanish                 abb. English
Full sail                            TV                                 FS
Medium sail                       MV                                MS
Easy sail                           PV                                ES (I thik that it's the correct word in English because I never use it)

I think that Google translator it's a good tool because, althought it doesn't give a exact translation, we can understand it just with a little will.

[stieli1]

Having found each other now is fine. But what do we do with it?

How about forming an english speaking fleet, which fights on the same (British) side on a regular basis?

With sufficient training (like they do it in the "Massive Multi Player On Line Games", we even might understand each others flag signals after a while.

[Munrox]

I'm thinking about a new "offensive" in the next weeks to get new "international" players, code name CESNaW  "Catch an english speaker naval wargamer".

It would be great if you could form a team.

I'm also trying to keep always one battle with one side being the english language official side in an attempt to support international players.

[Peon9]

Other measure that it could help a lot i think it is to introduce in the Escenario Editor Data Base, the United States Navy  

I have the data if it is necessary but i supose that other friends too   and even better founded for sure... writing form USA directly  

See fighting the wonderful USS Constitution(44) although in an hypotetical scenario or Campaing, would be great... There were also some ship of the line too... and very powerful indeed (although in the last years of the Napoleonic Wars... some late)

With all the types of ships in the Editor, every hypotetical (of course too the historical althouth were small actions) battle could be possible and i think very attractive for both spanish and foreginer players  

Regards

[stieli1]

Again: For the US I have various material from WS&IM and the Clash of Arms Naval Battle game. Perhaps not really "scientific", biut god enough to design a scenario.

Especially CoA offers some pretty big actions (though most of them hypthetoical, of course).

[stieli1]

Hmm, one thing EDB (sort of) brought up after our Minorca game:

We may have to think about the bidding process with our British Fleet. We are only a few, so bidding (even pre-battle arrangements) is/are much easier and less costly for us, than for "the others". Which may be kind of unfair in ranking games....

Otherwise: Who starts the next "Britsh Fleet" game?

[stieli1]

Munrox, Gentlemen: Are there any intentions to start a new battle with our "english speaking fleet"? I certainly would love to try it again.

[Munrox]

Yes, we could start a new auction this week. What battle and side do you prefer?

[Fluffy]

I think it is spannish lazy captain's fault for not commenting more in english. Many of us speak english good enough, yet we fail to do it when talking about velmad topics.

If we could force some part of the game to be discussed in english, something like new games or I dunno, to engage with everyone.

[Pepcock]

You are right, Fluffy. Sometimes we spend days without taking a look at the english forum. Albeit, I think we lack yet a critical mass in the number of english captains to push the english forum along.

Greetings

Pepcock

[stieli1]

Munrox: Considering the 10 to 15 english speaking Captains, I think a smaller battle would be appropriate. Camperdown looks very playable to me. And, of course, we englsih speaking Captains would like to have the Britsh Fleet.

However, we should start actual playing only next year. Otherwise the x-mas holidays would cause quite a disruption at start....

[Munrox]

Ok, let's wait till new year. 

[edward pellew]

Mr. Stieli,
I admire your sense of fairness concerning bidding by the English speaking fleet (not British). As this is the 2nd time you have mentioned this issure, let me assure you it isn't unusual for one side or the other to have higher bids, but I doubt the English speaking players will be able to corner the market on large ships because they get them at a tremendous discount. Remember the number of ships per side is not elastic, it is fixed, so if the English Speaking players grow vastly wealthy, they will begin bidding higher against earch other and so the problem will become self adjusting.

Often the price jump is not nearly between fleets so much as it is between large, veteran, strong hulled ships versus the rest. Indeed sometimes 1st rate Div. ships are a bargain at half the price of a simialar non-command ship.

As one who finds it both unrealistic and... unseemly for new players to command Div. when sometimes senior players end up in sloops, I think there are more fundamental corrections to consider than whether the total amount for the English speaking fleet is a little less than the other fleet in a few battles.

edit: I re-read your post and noticed another point you mentionedI , " Considering 10-15 english speaking captains..." That may be the average number of captains, but not of bidders. That is to say many players bid on 2 or more ships. Many DivC. prefer at least one repeater ship finding that getting valuable information out quickly & correctly at tleast 1/2 way to the fleet is worth a few points. Others find having the critica lead ship of their Div. directly undert their command reduces both delays in confusion & failures in confidence. Then there are many regular C. who enjoy the added cordination of having several shiiiops underder therir command.

i often start bidding on 3 ships and it is the rules and the system that keeps the prices from going out of sight, not the lack of competitors.

[edward pellew]

My compliments to Fluffly & Pepcock,
and with respect to their posts, as someone concerned about the IF for 2 years, I think the problem is rather complex, involving a number of issues.

In fact, a couple of years ago , there was significant participation here by many spanish players for about 1/2 year, during which time I had no need to visit the SF.

edit: actually I didn't feel the need for that time. In fact, I learned when I began to visit the SF, it would have helped all along, there is much that is not discussed in the IF. You just can't have the same discussiion, the same way, twice.]

I think it was the englilsh side that didn't keep up its end. But the reasons for that are really broad from possible cultural differences, to the inescapable fact that the powerhouse players & "assistant game designers" are all spanish, some spanish only, the rest native sp. and limited english. Naturally they will always sp. more naturally, as well as accurately in that lang. That is just the way it is, just as the bias for Packman is english.

I think the total size of the player population is more a factor, because it probably is not enough to support a development platform & a productioon platform. The reason that is important is because of the Regulation translation delay between spanish & english that is a drain on total resources and puts the english only players at a disadvantage.

So there are many fundamental issues that cause the uneven success of the 2 forums. Having thought about the problem, I'm not sure the resources exist yet to make the changes. Which is why I asked if there was the interest for a group to do an indepth "report or study" rather than the off the top of our heads suggestions we usually make in these posts.

Perhaps it is Internet culture & perhaps some laziness, but I notice we are completely resistant to traditional problem solving by a task group who comes back with ideas & suggestions to either the leader or the group. I suggested this concerning surrender/ capture/prizes about a year ago and not one person was interested. So we still wrestle inch by inch with the same issues now and while some may be quite pleased with the incrimental improvements, others think that maybe we are walking 2 sides (maybe 16 sides) of the triangle to get to the goal. [just 2 days ago I was furious with the grappling/surrender system having to guess what was happening to my ship,   hich I am still not clear about, though it lost to the enemy.]

While "Internet based" fast expression & decision making helps many issues, there are some things it does not help ... looks like the boiler has run out of steam