Sails, Wind and the Wheel

In The Black Bahr, maneuvering your ship is built around three core elements: the wind, the sails, and the ship’s wheel. To move the ship, you must position the sails according to the wind direction in the world. To steer the ship, you rely on the Ship’s Wheel.

Sails can be adjusted into three distinct configurations:

1- Fully Furled (Fully Closed) – The sails are rolled up and inactive. They won’t catch the wind.

When the sails are fully furled, they cannot catch any wind and the ship cannot move (unless the anchor is up—in that case the ship might drift slightly).

2- Reefed (Partially Opened) – The sails are partially deployed to reduce wind impact.

In reefed mode, only about 60% of the full propulsion is applied. (This ratio may be adjusted later.)

3- Fully Unfurled (Fully Opened) – The sails are completely deployed to harness the wind’s full force.

When the sails are fully unfurled, they capture wind and generate movement. The ship’s speed depends on several factors, such as:

-Wind strength

-Ship weight (including cargo)

-Sail quality

-The alignment of the sails with the wind

In addition, the game includes anchoring and rowing systems. While both mechanics are functional in-game, their corresponding animations have not yet been added.

Rowing:

Used for small adjustments, such as docking maneuvers or moving against the wind. It’s especially helpful when the wind is calm or blowing in the opposite direction. Rowing is slower and unsustainable in the long run, as it can lower crew morale.

Anchoring:

Besides keeping the ship stationary, anchors can also be used tactically for sharp turns or emergency stops.

Demonstration Videos

1- Raising and lowering the sails

2- Rotating the sails to set their direction relative to the wind and initiate movement.

3- How sail states affects speed (with favorable wind)

4- Steering the ship using the Ship’s Wheel

These demonstrations feature a medium-sized vessel belonging to the Kingdom of Hinud, offering a preview of one of the game’s factions.

Why the Kingdom of Hinud?

Because the Kingdom of Hinud is intentionally familiar and archetypal, showing it won’t spoil any major surprises.

The Kingdom of Hinud is a peaceful, trade-focused nation. They have little interest (or skill) in warfare, and tend to favor diplomacy and negotiation. Their national colors are white and yellow, and their banner bears a set of scales and an olive branch.

People from Hinud embody their kingdom’s nature. When recruited as crew members, they provide bonuses to trade and production, but come with penalties to combat effectiveness. They dislike pirates and bandits, and may cause conflict if forced to serve alongside them. They also have historical grievances against the former imperial factions, avoiding trade with them, though they will tolerate sharing a crew if necessary.

What’s Next?

I’m currently focusing on naval combat systems. Just like with ship movement, my goal is to provide players with meaningful variables and controls in battle. Once the core combat mechanics are more defined, I’ll share another devlog update.

I'm developing Black Bahr completely solo, so the majority of my time goes into building the game itself. I know I can't always post updates as often as I'd like, but I aim to keep you informed with meaningful milestone-based updates like this one.