Each month we take a moment to talk with you about the development process and progress from the past month, while also highlighting contributions from the Ahoy community.
Our master shipwright, Loïc Derrien, has done it again – Another month, and another new ship!
Stinger is the final vessel in a trio of ships inspired by the foundational work of Fredrik Henrik af Chapman. A Swedish shipbuilder, scientist, and naval officer, Chapman was a key figure during the historical period in which Ahoy is set. His seminal work, Architectura Navalis Mercatoria, serves as the foundation for the design of our three mercantile ships: Bumblebee, Seamule, and now, Stinger.
Stinger is a merchant sloop with a clear purpose reflected in her design: to carry as much cargo as physically possible. She features several unique details that make her stand out within the Ahoy fleet, even as she fits seamlessly alongside her other mercantile sisters.
She offers a spacious, open deck that provides a commanding view for those stationed at the tiller. Although she lacks carriage guns on her deck, her defences are far from lacking. She is well-armed with six swivel guns to deter threats, with potential room to mount additional swivels if desired.
Stepping into the captain’s cabin, we find a comfortable yet functional space. This where the captain would host meals with the ship’s officers, featuring a large bench that spans the entire width of the cabin.
Leading out of the captain’s cabin, the passageway features a striking turning staircase which is a unique detail within the current fleet. The skylight above allows natural light to pour into the space during the day, brightening the area and making it easier to navigate the tight turns.
From this corridor, you can access the officers’ bed places as well as several storage rooms. Interestingly, very little space in the original plans had been allocated for regular crew hammocks and mess areas—a detail commonly observed on ships of this size. It raises interesting questions about how we might depict the daily life of the crew aboard these smaller vessels.
Stinger stands out as the most well-suited of the three merchant vessels for cargo transport. A significant portion of the space below deck is dedicated to the hold, offering a substantial capacity for storing shipments and supplies.
Future Journals will delve into the precise cargo volumes across the Ahoy fleet and explore how the diverse range of cargo is managed before, during, and after each voyage.
Adjacent to the open expanse of the hold is a dedicated area for managing and preparing the crew’s provisions. This space serves as the ship’s galley, equipped with a modest stove that, while functional, requires careful handling to ensure safety.
Beneath much of the interior lies an additional storeroom, tucked away from the noise and the cramped living quarters found on the deck above. This secluded space offers a quieter, more isolated area, ideal for storing supplies securely and away from the more active areas of the ship.
This concludes our showcase of Stinger, as well as the presentation of our three Chapman-inspired merchant vessels. We hope that these recent Developer Journals have been a good showcase of the ships that will likely serve as the starting point of your journey—whether merchant or otherwise—in the West Indies.
Taking a brief break from discussing ships, we’re excited to share some fantastic progress we’ve made on the uniforms for other navies within the Ahoy world. While our initial efforts were focused on the design of the British captain and crew uniforms, we’ve now expanded our work to include the French navy. This has involved extensive research to accurately reflect the period.
Our first look at the French uniform introduces the Capitaine de Vaisseau’s grand uniforme by our incredible clothing artist Jacopo Murru. This set is the French equivalent of a British captain’s “Full Dress” uniform. This set would be worn during official ceremonies and significant events both aboard the ship and on land. The design reflects the prestige, authority and refinement of the French navy during this period.
Accurately recreating this uniform required an enormous amount of research by our team of advisors. Unfortunately, unlike the British equivalent, no surviving examples of the Capitaine de Vaisseau’s grand uniforme are available today, though we did find one well documented reconstruction.
As a result, this process involved a thorough investigation into naval regulations, contemporary paintings, historical documents, and other sources to accurately capture the design. It was a challenging but rewarding deep dive into the French navy’s formal attire during this era.
As we near the end of 2024, we find ourselves on the brink of an even busier year ahead in 2025. Unfortunately, many of the plans we had at the beginning of this year did not come to fruition, primarily due to the funding we had anticipated sadly falling through. This setback required a full review and reworking of our priorities to ensure that both the project and the team could navigate the challenges of this year, while still making significant progress where possible.
As you may know, our plan since then has been to take the project to Kickstarter in an effort to secure funding directly from those who are most interested in it. This could provide us with the necessary resources to develop the Arena, and potentially the full Ahoy experience, as we originally envisioned, without relying on third-party financing or needing to sacrifice the Ahoy vision in any way. This approach has proven successful for many projects in the past, and we’re hopeful that what we present in 2025 will be worthy of your support.
This is why we made the difficult decision to delay the Kickstarter campaign from its original August 2024 launch. We didn’t feel the package we had prepared would have made as strong of an impression as we want. Kickstarter only gives you one shot to make an impact, and we must ensure the campaign is as compelling as possible, both to long-time followers of development and new faces alike.
Additionally, it was crucial for us to secure a suitable event to showcase the project to new audiences alongside the Kickstarter launch, which means working within the tight calendar windows presented by these events.
With this in mind, we are now targeting a Kickstarter launch sometime between March and July of 2025. The exact timing will depend on how we feel about the campaign as the 2025 event season approaches, and whether a few more months of focused effort would improve the outcome. As you know, we will always prioritise quality over speed, and this campaign really is no different.
We’ll, of course, keep you updated on any changes to this schedule. We understand that many of you are eagerly waiting to see the work we’ll present before committing to supporting the project financially. As always, we ask for your continued patience as we work towards that day. For us, it can’t come soon enough!
As for what else we’ll be taking a look at over the first months of 2025 – Perhaps another ship will whet your appetite! We have not one, not two, but THREE new ships on the way, and we are so excited to share information about those in January, February and the final one alongside the launch of the Kickstarter campaign. All we can say for now is that you are not prepared.
Each month we ask some of the community questions asked since the last Journal update. We’re really enjoying this process of Q&A, and we would love to hear your thoughts on this month’s Journal.
On marketing plans:
– Respondent, Journal Questionnaire.
- How do you plan on marketing this masterpiece? A unique genre but little known of this golden era of history, making it a very narrow niche. I’m interested in how you’ll make your ideas known to the more expansive public.
We believe there is a passionate and dedicated audience for this historical era, especially with the recent rise in popularity of historical games. While our focus has always been on grassroots efforts and building community support, we understand that a broader marketing strategy is necessary to reach people who may not actively seek us out. Though the subject matter may seem niche at first glance, we feel that the allure of pirates, sailing ships, and the adventure they represent has a broader appeal than it might seem. Many games in this genre have attracted large audiences in the past, and if we succeed in bringing our vision to life, we may find that those same people are drawn to Ahoy.
Beyond social media engagement, we're also exploring opportunities at gaming events and preparing for our upcoming Kickstarter campaign. Moving forward, we aim to collaborate with content creators and influencers who share a passion for history and similar games. Our goal is to create a community-driven marketing approach, where word of mouth and player enthusiasm play a major role in expanding the game's reach.
While the idea of something grand—like a fully animated cinematic trailer or advertisements on streaming platforms or TV—sounds appealing, the reality is that our current resources don't support that level of marketing just yet. Additionally, we feel that rapid, large-scale growth might disrupt the close-knit and welcoming community we've built over the years on platforms like Discord. With a small team, managing an influx of new members can be both a blessing and a challenge! :)
On positions of power:
– Respondent, Journal Questionnaire.
- Kingston/Port Royal had a dynamic political system that governed it for a long time. Will there be a singular governor of the island along with a “Jamaica fleet” commanding officer? I understand everyone can become an officer if they work hard enough in the game but will singular positions like this be in the game?
Yes, we are planning to include unique positions as part of the broader political and diplomatic systems in Ahoy. Each port will have the potential to be governed by either an NPC or a player-appointed governor. The governor will propose local governmental actions, including changes to the port's laws, customs policies, by-laws, and event schedules. Once proposed, these decisions will be decided by a vote of the port’s population, which includes both NPCs—who are organized into different social classes and vote based on historical tendencies—and players, who can cast their votes as they see fit.
Voting will take place regularly, but it’s important to note that players must be present at the port to either initiate or participate in these votes. Governors will be rotated periodically by default, although some may hold their positions indefinitely, depending on the specific voting regulations set out in that port.
Larger decisions are then carried to a council of governors for each region of the Ahoy map. For example, while Jamaica may have 3-4 port governors, they convene and report to a single govenor of the island or region. This position is only ever occupied by an NPC but can be influenced by the port governors in one way or another.
In addition, high-ranking military positions such as Admiral or Commander of a fort or naval station will be held by NPCs. This decision is aimed at maintaining historical accuracy and ensuring the inclusion of key historical figures who can serve as the origin of missions and influence the direction of the narrative.
While players will have opportunities to rise through the ranks and potentially attain leadership positions, we want these significant roles to remain in the hands of NPCs to maintain the flow of the game’s story and the political dynamics of the West Indies. Players will have the chance to interact with these figures as they progress through their own careers.
On navigation:
– Respondent, Journal Questionnaire.
- How will navigation be handled in Ahoy? Will you be able to navigate using traditional methods and tools or will it be more simple map with a moving boat icon?
The goal is to immerse players in the complexities of navigating the seas. Reading charts, calculating courses, and adjusting for winds and weather will all be primary to anyone navigating for a ship.
While an interactive map will be present - It will take the form of a collection of charts representing each region and sub-region of the West Indies. Your ship and others like it will not just show up on the map at all times. Instead, you must carry out navigational tasks, such as locating landmarks, celestial navigation, and depth sounding with a lead and line to determine your whereabouts.
Over time, with these actions, an approximate location will appear on the charts, providing you with a sense of continuity in your navigational readings, but never really pinpointing your exact location. Imagine a circle defining the area your crew think you are located within, and this circle grows smaller the more effort you put into identifying your location.
On starting ships:
– Respondent, Journal Questionnaire.
- Will there be a determined starting ship for players with plans for ship building and customization or would there be an option to start without a ship and have to work your way up to something even like a fixer upper?
We plan to offer flexibility in how players begin their journey in Ahoy. Players will have the option to start with a small, modest ship tailored to their chosen career path. Different career options will provide various routes to obtaining a first ship. For example, joining one of the navies will often grant players a ship suited to their rank, though it technically remains the property of the navy. Alternatively, for those who prefer a more challenging start, players may begin without a ship and work their way up by taking on tasks for others and gathering resources, eventually allowing them to afford or capture their own vessel.
Another option for reducing initial costs is purchasing a ship in poor condition. Players can then repair it and either sell it for a profit or keep it for their own use. Whether starting with a fixer-upper or acquiring a ship through naval service, our goal is to give players the freedom to shape their career at sea and decide what kind of captain or naval officer they want to become.
Please do keep sending in your questions about Ahoy. If you have more questions for the team and would like them answers next month, please submit your questions below.
Submit your questions:
https://forms.gle/1w9MRgU3qrvTNkqn7
Any guesses?
Until next time, happy holidays from the Capstan team! ❄️⛄
Sincerely your most humble servant,
Tyler – Project Lead
Our Journal updates are often discussed at length in the official Ahoy Discord server. Whether you have questions about the topics covered in this update, or you would like to leave your own feedback or suggestions, please join our Discord server to discuss!
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