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[Sheb]

Dynamite Gun: It was only produced in the 1880, but I don't see why we couldn't make one now. It's nothing but a very large Victoria after all. You're right that we'd also need some decent explosives too. We can probably roll them into the design, but then we should expect to spend our revision phase fixing defects.

Navy: As long as it's not an issue, I'd rather design other stuff. Worst case I'd rather attempt to steal a good navald esign when it becomes an issue, rather than spend several designs and revisions phase catching up.

I kind of like your gun too, but to me that's a revision, no a design. If we're going to fix our artillery with a revision, we could design a grenade or rifle grenade this turn.

Alternatively, we're going to get more ressources next turn. Why don't we design a cheap, 3 lbs. field gun/howitzer? Or a steam train, to get even more ressources (and eventually, armored trains).

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Stealing is very unreliable and not the way to catch up. I am very adamant against - 'lets ignore naval side until we capture everything on the big island.' strategy

What we can't do is trying to win the naval game by copying what loyalist do. But we can and should try a different approach. Also, I am 90% sure that will go for killing our navy this turn, designing any anti-ship cannon, upgrading our gunboats and spending one focus on defending our shore or even doing hit and run attacks if vessel revision will be successful.

My gun can't work well as revision, because it is different in everything but munition used.

Steam train looks like trying advanced stuff for trying advanced stuff. I'd rather spend revision upgrading equine equipment trying to improve horse and carriage, wagonways and cavalry. Simple, boring but practical

[Ukrainian Ranger]

I think this kind of cannon is a little... too ahistorical, but here one more idea.

Victorious Cannon
Large, heavy, long-barrelled stationary compressed air powered cannon that fires standard 6lbs cannonballs. The cannon is created for forts including coastal ones. Usually protected by a brick wall. Linked to a large underground compressed air reservoir that can be "charged" by a cannon crew by using special pumps. While relatively slow firing it is designed for a long range and accuracy. 

Main problem of air powered cannon is logistical nightmare because it need huge reservoirs that are hard to reload, by making it stationary we solve that. While it gives no help in offensive operations, but it does help us in defence, especially against loyalist's vessels. They will have serious trouble destroying a cannon that is protected by a wall and have no explosive gunpowder nearby.

What do you think?

Also, I have an idea for a revision.

Equip cavalry with cheap to produce cuirasses,  full helmets, gauntlets and some horse armor. One of purposes of armor is to block damage from exploded air pistols, another to resist shrapnel and be more deadly in melee. Also, add lances to standard equipment of cavalry

Yes, I want heavy cavalry. It can be very deadly in open area

[Sheb]

So far, the "Let's ignore the navy" strategy is working just fine. Look at last turn: the Brits attacked the Monarchist and not us (because we don't have a navy). In the meantime, we got ahead on land.

Sure, the Brits are going to grab our part of sea next. So what? We don't get any benefits from it anyway.

Steam train is indeed advanced stuff for the sake of advanced stuff, but then we KNOW that steam is going to be the Next Big Thing, so getting it would be of great advantage. Also, steam-powered dynamite guns.

Edit: If we want artillery that is special, what about rocket artillery?

Edit 2: If you do not want to entirely give up ships while still maitaining most of the benefit of the "Land Only" strategy, we could have a "Land First" strategy of focus on land, but with a fleet of defense-oriented gunboats or torpedo boats watching our shores.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

At some point of time they will take one of our coastal cities without any effort and we will be unable to do anything against their bombardment. In fact I see no reason for them to not start landings this turn. If we are lucky they will strike monarchy, but we are closer to them. And I do want cheap defensive ships, perfectly ones useful in rivers\lakes

As for rocket design....
We need to focus our techs, not spread even more into rockets.  I prefer new designs to use some of technologies we got from other designs

And Steam is big thing starting from something like 1850s not now

[Playergamer]

Compressed air weapons are, almost certainly, a dead-end technology. We shouldn't try to shoehorn normal cannons into something like that.

As for the dart rifle, why do we need this? A metal dart with a bit of gunpowder on the end won't cause a huge explosion, it'll just burn, or even more likely, explode in the user's face when lit. Plus, there's no way we'd get a good enough roll.

[Sheb]

Well, we don't need a tech that stay good forever, we just need a tech that stay good long enough for us to win the game.

Anyway, I spoilered the rest of the strategy discussion, because both me and UR seems to agree that what we need is a better cannon. Here is my proposal:

Spoiler: Van Karsten System (click to show/hide)

Based on the highly successful système Gribeauval, the Van Karsten system is a new system of artillery, aiming to standardize the artillery pieces and increase their performance. Instead of casting them around a clay cylinder, guns are cast as one piece, and the bore is then drilled into it.

The smoother bore allow tighter-fitting projectile, increasing range and precision, while decreasing the overall weigh of the cannon. Cannons in the System are standardized with 3-, 6- 12- and 24-lbs variant available.

Spoiler: Strategy (click to show/hide)

I think you overestimate what the loyalists might be able to accomplish with naval superiority. If they land, we shall simply repel them. We did it already on turn 1, and if we keep focusing on land, it'll be easier and easier to do as time progress.

Moreover, the stronger we are on land, the less tempting a target we make for a landing, and the more likely they'll choose to attack the Monarchy instead.

Just look IRL for a comparison. Britain had absolute fleet superiority over France for much of the Napoleonic wars... And yet it didn't take many French cities. When it landed on the mainland, it got owned hard.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

I like powergamer's simple gun but... it looks way too heavy to field in decent numbers and I doubt that we can achieve that kind of range. When we will get 3rd point of resource it may work.


How about going very different route with artillery? 1 Ore - Large Infantry weapons (for muskets, greater than ~1 inch (25 mm)) are Expensive.  Artillery greater than 3 lbs is Very Expensive.

How about a simple?:

Overhelmer
3 pounder mobile mass-producible cannon.

Yes that simple. It is great for mobile warfare. Nice for stopping landing parties and we can revise gunboats to carry them instead of 6 pounders

[Funk]

How about going very different route with artillery? 1 Ore - Large Infantry weapons (for muskets, greater than ~1 inch (25 mm)) are Expensive.  Artillery greater than 3 lbs is Very Expensive.

The thunderbolt dart rifle mk.1 is under 1 inch bore and 3 lb weight so it shouldn't be expensive.
It an old technology used in a new way.

Compressed air weapons are, almost certainly, a dead-end technology. We shouldn't try to shoehorn normal cannons into something like that.

Don't be so pessimistic we are due a good roll.
As for air weapons being a dead end?
For what? heavy cannons? Then Yes,
But infantry rifles? No not until till smoke less powder.
We can always try useing a compressed air reservoir as the missile, gas bottles fly really well.

P.S.
 I think that the G.M. took pity on the automatic pistol and made it awesome, it should be simple enough to revise it to be at least vaguely safe.

Removeing the auto fire would do it.

[Baffler]

Early torpedoes used compressed air at the back as a propellant. I don't see any particular reason we couldn't use the same principle to launch grenades, but if we want it to actually go anywhere it'd need a good deal of air, which isn't really practical to lug around.

I would prefer that we get a small field gun over a big siege gun, but if we can get the multiple variants of the Van Karsten system Sheb proposed in one design action I'll vote for that. Just making a 3 pounder gun isn't quite as ambitious as I would like on its own though. If the Van Karsten system with the various sizes isn't something we can go with I'd support doing the same but with just the 3lb variant.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Hmmm, torpedoes propelled by compressed air... Isn't it a weapon that can win us seas? Or at least make enemy too scared to approach our shores.

[Wolfhunter107]

I think that the options with 12-pounders are the best ones.l, as we need a medium field gun, and preferably one that we can apply to our ships as well, if needed.

EDIT: If we can get it, the Van Karsten system seems like a safe bet.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

12 pounder is not medium for our war. And we have no ship to fit it in

I vote for any 3lbs gun

[Sheb]

UR, don't forget that we're going to get one extra ore next turn due to stealing the wagonway. Plus, we've got to spend our production on something now that we have cheapish Victorias.

[RAM]

Well that is easy, bump up the price with three-pound rifles...