Age of Pirates

Salary
The division of booty aboard Corsair's ships occurred according to strict rules.
The first part of it belonged to the king or queen of the country the captain was
affiliated to, and was taken as payment for the Letters carried by the captain.
Once they had received their share, the remaining loot was divided equally
between the officers and members of the crew, in relation to their services in
battle and any losses they had suffered- there were also strict rules of
compensation for any man who was injured or maimed in battle.
In our game, we use a similar - albeit greatly simplified - system for the division
of spoils. At the end of each month, your crew will expect to receive a certain
percentage of that month's net profit. 12.5% for the crew, 50% for you, the
captain. Your net profit is the amount difference between your money at the
beginning of the month, and that at the end of the month, come pay time.
For these purposes though, the cost of purchasing a new ship that month does
not come out of your net profit. E.g. you start the month with 100,000 Piastres,
and then buy a ship for 50,000 Piastres. The crew will still expect their share to
come from the 100,000. This is because, well, a ship is a ship, is a ship, and
without one you wouldn't have the 100,000 in the first place.
By the same token, repairs made to the ship, or purchase of goods essential to
her running, reduce the sum you pay to your crew. They understand that a
leaky ship with holes in the sails and empty cannons can not possibly hope to
yield a profit. Finally, any officers you have employed receive a fixed salary, and
in our system don’t depend on your profits.
Epidemic
Medical epidemics were a frequent phenomenon in the Caribbean at the time,
and spread like wildfire between whole colonies via the constant flow of
marine traffic. If you visit a colony in which epidemic rages, you and your men
stand every chance of becoming infected too. It will negatively impact crew
morale, drain their experience, and even kill the poor bastards. Access to
Medicine, which can be bought at any un-affected colony, will speed the
epidemic on its way, especially if you're already carrying it when you're
stricken down. Finally, spreading the sickness about amongst colonies is not
going to win you any favours. Expect your rep to suffer.
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