The Lexington - a question

[dualhammers]

I am not really sure where else to post this, but since it most closely relates to model design and in-game implementation I thought I would post it here in hopes of hearing form one of the devs or some such. I have been examining the different ships in game and I am really confused about the Lexington brig.

I have looked it over and it seems to have a hull that is single decked, with only a small cargo and berth deck below - not even having a enclosed cabin in the stern for the officers similar to other ships her size. When examined alone based on features she seems to fit more into a a size similar to a slightly larger version of a Mediator or Bermuda.

But she dwarfs a Postilion. How is this possible? Is my understanding of ships of that time simply misinformed, or was she scaled incorrectly to fit a certain ship need? She is a beautiful model it just seems that she is just a wee bit out of proportion.

[Xaphod]

She's about a hundred years more modern than most of the rest of the ships in game.
We could really do with an alternate Brig that fits with 1720, but alas, period plans are hard to come by.
Not sure, but I don't think just fitting a Brig-style rig to a frigate hull would really work.

[IronShamrock]

I'm guessing it was designed after the Brig "Mercury"? That was a Brig built in 1819-1820 and has the same look as the one in game. I'm currently looking around trying to find a little older plans for a Brig. Although there is a lot of Brigantine Plans around and they are what the Brig come from.

Brig is just what they called Brigantines after a little change to their Rigging around 1720ish time which is perfect...now just have to find a good Brig from there or maybe it would work for FLS to just find a good Brigantine model from then and put Brig sails on it and it'll be as about accurate as you can get.

EDIT: Oh this is a good little definition of a Brig.
"The Oxford English Dictionary (with citations from 1720 to 1854) defines brig as:

1. a. A vessel

(a) originally identical with the brigantine (of which word brig was a colloquial abbreviation); but, while the full name has remained with the unchanged brigantine, the shortened name has accompanied the modifications which have subsequently been made in rig, so that a brig is now

(b) A vessel with two masts square-rigged like a ship's fore- and main-masts, but carrying also on her main-mast a lower fore-and-aft sail with a gaff and boom.

A brig differs from a snow in having no try-sail mast, and in lowering her gaff to furl the sail. Merchant snows are often called brigs. This vessel was probably developed from the brigantine by the men-of-war brigs, so as to obtain greater sail-power. Also they were often used by pirates."

Capt. "Iron Shamrock" O'fahy

[Michael O'Dwyer]

In the early stages of development the game used a lot of rather out of period ship plans mostly due to there not being enough known plans for ships of the period. Since then we have uncovered a lot of plans of better period ships (the St Peter Brig, is a better period brig). Since fls has a lot of work and money invested in the older models I am sure they would like to keep them and use them.

The Lexington is based on the Lexington which I think is an American Revolutionary era brig but maybe she dates later than that.

[Xaphod]

Originally Posted by Michael O'Dwyer Since fls has a lot of work and money invested in the older models I am sure they would like to keep them and use them.

Well if that's the argument why not just automatically approve every ship that's made purely because of all the work invested in it.
Oh, and bring back the 74, all is forgiven.

[akdavis]

I may be wrong, but I think he means they paid Akella for it.

[Michael O'Dwyer]

Augustus' opinion of the 74 was pretty low, and since he made it I think I would listen to him.

Well, I don't make the rules, I just enforce them, sorry.

[dualhammers]

I think the Brig model is perfectly fine, it just seems so very large when placed next to small frigates. Considering the hull has the feel of a vessel similar to the Bermuda with a larger number of cannons and a different rigging. Would it be possible just to scale it down?