Wooden Ships & Iron Men

Release Date: November 30, 1996

Strategy, turn-based, Board & card, Napoleonic era, ships, 19th century, multiplayer, singleplayer, PBeM, hot seat

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Turn-based strategy game which is an adaptation of a popular board game of the same title. The game plays epic sea battles from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century.

Plot
Mechanics
Game modes
Technical apsects

Wooden Ships & Iron Men is a turn-based strategy game developed by Stanley Associates studio, recreating epic sea battles of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. The production is a computer adaptation of a board game of the same title, first published in 1974 by Battleline Publications, and a year later resumed by one of the industry's tycoons, Avalon Hill.

Plot

The title of the game refers to the times of wooden ships and "iron" men fighting on the waters around the entire world at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The scenarios include historical events such as the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars or the British-American War of 1812. We can lead the British, American or French fleet. In the story campaign, we play the role of the commander of an American ship, fighting in the aforementioned war of 1812, and our task is to sink as many British units as possible.

Mechanics

The gameplay mechanics in Wooden Ships & Iron Men are a faithful reflection of the rules of the board original. During each turn, the player moves their ship, bearing in mind the extremely important factor, which is the direction and strength of the wind. The ship can move at one of three speeds (battle, plain or full), and the faster the unit sails, the more sensitive it is to enemy fire.

When confronted with enemy forces, we can indirectly influence the course of the battle, deciding on such elements as the target, range of fire or the type of ammunition used, as well as giving orders for boarding or changing the duties of individual crew members. For example, assigning more people to cannons will increase the firepower, but will slightly reduce the ship's ability to move. Our ship can be damaged in four ways (crew, guns, rigging, and hull). When faced with much stronger opponents, usually the best solution is simply to flee.

Game modes

Wooden Ships & Iron Men offers two main game modes. In addition to the above-mentioned story campaign, it also offers single scenarios - prepared by the creators or created with the in-game editor. During these missions, we can play with the computer as well as with other players (in hot seat or play-by-email mode).

Technical apsects

Wooden Ships & Iron Men features refined graphics in SVGA resolution. The action can be viewed in 2D or 3D, there is also a five-stage zoom available.

Last updated on February 7, 2020

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