SirKorran
Posts: 45
7/15/2017
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My fellow Londoners and aspired Zee-captains, I have been curious about an aspect that you likely have expertise in:
How does one navigate in the Neath?
As you are well aware, surface voyageurs use stars and magnetic field of our Mother Earth to deduct their whereabouts.
However, as falsestats likely change their position with each glimfall (which seem to happen so often no one would even attempt to draw starmap of Neath's, emm, "sky"), relying on those will be a highly unwise choice.
Now, moving to magnetic matters. On one hand, the Neath is still kinda on/in the Earth, so using compass does not sound impossible. Moreover, Sunless Sea has direct mentioning of captains using binnacles for navigation.
[spoiler] "Now and then, rocky fragments fall from the roof of the Neath. The decks of older ships are pocked with scars. The sound is one no land-lubber knows, and no zailor will ever forget. This one has smashed the glass of a deck-binnacle. "Ill omen!" one sailor cries. "The god in the roof! Storm is angry!"[/spoiler]
However, single compass won't give you any accurate estimation of your location unless you have very sophisticated equipment measuring your velocity and bearing, adjusting to effects of currents and probably tide (if close to land). Plus you need a person who would be educated enough to read and transcript this data into position on the map. And still the result will contain a fair degree of error.
So the question that I am struggling to answer is - what helped seasoned and salted Zee-captains to navigate unraveling waters of the Neath? Savvy and instinct? Legends and knowledge? Trained bats? Blessings of the Salt?
What say you?
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Truly and honorably yours,
SirKorran
Curiosity killed a lot of cats. And counting...
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Teaspoon
Posts: 866
7/15/2017
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Wanna bet that the Khanate moves every so often just to confuse foreigners?
Cause I would do that if I had a massive boat-city. Just zail away and set up somewhere else.
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Truth lies at the bottom of a well.
https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Alt%20Ern
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Optimatum
Posts: 3666
7/15/2017
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Is the Khanate a floating city? The Shadow obviously is but the main part doesn't give me that vibe.
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Optimatum, a ruthless and merciful gentleman. No plant battles, Affluent Photographer requests, or healing offers; all other social actions welcome.
 Want a sip of Cider? Just say hi!
PM me for information enigmatic or Fated. Though the forum please, not FL itself.
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Nigel Overstreet
Posts: 1220
7/16/2017
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Things don't stay in the same place in the Neath because the physical laws of the universe are impermanent and inconsistent without Judgement. It's why time isn't constant either. It's why I have an alien tentacle and can jump through mirrors into a dream world.
So even if cities didn't float and the navigation was consistent, things would still not be in the same place every time.
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The Romantic Egotist: Most Hedonistic Man in All of Fallen London
Are you or someone you know Overgoated? Please, let me know!
Cider Club
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Optimatum
Posts: 3666
7/16/2017
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Anchovies wrote:
I have not played Zubmariner. Are islands impassible when submerged? Is it possible to travel below some or all of the New Khanate?
You can go below floating islands like Khan's Shadow or the Chelonate, but pretty sure you can't go below the Khanate itself.
--
Optimatum, a ruthless and merciful gentleman. No plant battles, Affluent Photographer requests, or healing offers; all other social actions welcome.
Want a sip of Cider? Just say hi!
PM me for information enigmatic or Fated. Though the forum please, not FL itself.
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Teaspoon
Posts: 866
7/16/2017
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For a lark, I've tried estimations based on what kind of voyages you might be able to make with a five-crew steamship.
All that the research has turned up is that a five-crew steamship is a preposterous concept (to all accounts it would take more than that just to stroke the engines even if they never do anything else), so...mystery.
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Truth lies at the bottom of a well.
https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Alt%20Ern
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SirKorran
Posts: 45
7/15/2017
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Teaspoon wrote:
Wanna bet that the Khanate moves every so often just to confuse foreigners?
Cause I would do that if I had a massive boat-city. Just zail away and set up somewhere else.
Pretty sure the do so.
But that only increases necessity of good navigation - you don't want to crash such magnificent city into some sudden rock  )
(Just imagined a headline in the Gazette - "Glorious Khanate found itself at the bottom of the Zee due to navigator's error. Never cost-cut on darkdrop coffee expenses!")
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Truly and honorably yours,
SirKorran
Curiosity killed a lot of cats. And counting...
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Optimatum
Posts: 3666
7/15/2017
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Trained zee-bats are used for scouting in Sunless Sea, so that may be part of it.
Really though I'm not convinced that zailors can navigate, story-wise. Locations shift frequently so mapping isn't reliable. Any ships are best off staying near enough their home harbor that, when lost, they can find their way back with bats. Journeying around the whole Unterzee like in SSea is a recipe for disaster unless you're really, really lucky. Or a protagonist.
Also you might want to delete that duplicate thread.
edited by Optimatum on 7/15/2017
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Optimatum, a ruthless and merciful gentleman. No plant battles, Affluent Photographer requests, or healing offers; all other social actions welcome.
Want a sip of Cider? Just say hi!
PM me for information enigmatic or Fated. Though the forum please, not FL itself.
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SirKorran
Posts: 45
7/15/2017
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Harlocke wrote:
The zee is flat, without waves or wind (usually)...
Still, currents are still present. And not to forget killing winds. Once you are of course, it's just pure luck.
I actually like the idea of using trained bats as a long-range locator. If you know, where and how far nearest land is, it gives you decent understanding of where you may be.
Also, placing tracks with buoys (like Hanzel and Gretchen) may be a nice idea for friendly ports like Carnelian Coast.
But how would one find Pentecost or Khanate?
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Truly and honorably yours,
SirKorran
Curiosity killed a lot of cats. And counting...
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