Constructing a ShipShaper frigate requires balancing detailed deck geometry, mast rigging, and hull displacement. In Tomas Sala's standalone builder ShipShaper: Falconeer Chronicles, frigates span multiple eras—from 18th-century oar-assisted coastal warships to 19th-century steam-and-sail ironclads. Because the game calculates real sailing behavior, propulsion, and buoyancy from your custom design, understanding how parts interact determines whether your warship glides through high waves or rolls over in open water.
Historical Frigate Variations in ShipShaper
Player builds in ShipShaper showcase several distinct frigate archetypes, each requiring specific rigging and propulsion setups:
- Ironclad Steam Frigates: Modeled after vessels like the 1864 Spanish ironclad frigate Numancia, these heavy hybrid warships combine armor, internal steam engines, and full masts. While in-game stat readouts may show low stability due to engine weight, the broad beam and sheer mass make them virtually unsinkable even when taking beam winds in severe storms.
- Rowing Frigates (Oar-Driven Frigates): Based on 18th-century coastal defense plans—such as Cadiz defense designs and community entries for Captain Flint's rowing frigate challenge—these ships rely on broadside oar banks alongside sails for maneuvering through shallow drafts or calm winds.
- Xebec-Frigates (Chambequín): A hybrid conversion that places square frigate rigging on an elongated xebec hull. These feature a sharp prow, lateen mizzen, and an overhanging stern gallery (often shaped using Chinese junk stern components), yielding a fast, predatory warship armed with broadside batteries and swivel guns.
Frigate Build Comparisons and Handling
Player testing across different frigate builds reveals how propulsion types and stability ratings translate to open-water performance under the game's full physics system.
| Frigate Build | Historical Era | Propulsion Setup | Typical Armament | Handling & Stability Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ironclad Frigate (Numancia) | 1860s–1870s | Hybrid steam screw & square sails | Heavy broadside armor & batteries | Very low stat stability, but extremely resilient; withstands rough coastal storms without capsizing. |
| Oar-Driven Frigate | 1740s / 18th Century | Functional oars & full square rigging | Broadside cannons & bow chasers | Moderate speed under oar power; vulnerable to sudden listing if beam winds overpower low freeboard. |
| Xebec-Frigate (Chambequín) | 16th–18th Century | Square fore/main sails, lateen mizzen, oars | 18 cannons, 8 swivel guns (pedreros) | High maneuverability and shallow draft; sharp lines cut through waves effectively. |
The 40% Scale Guideline
When building historically inspired frigates to scale, matching exact real-world dimensions often causes proportion problems. In-game fittings, railings, and hatch covers have fixed minimum heights. If a ship is kept to an exact 44-meter historical length, standard deck objects appear disproportionately oversized.
Building frigates roughly 30% to 40% longer than their real-world blueprints—such as stretching an ironclad or exploration frigate to around 70 to 100 meters—provides sufficient deck area to attach realistic deck furniture, gun ports, and rigging without crowding.
Deck Layout and Armament Placement
The Library Mode interface organizes parts by clear categories, allowing you to bypass automatic context restrictions and place specific fittings wherever deck space permits:
- Select Parts via Library Mode: Open the item catalog to locate specific deck objects, such as grating covers, hatches, crates, and railings, without waiting for contextual placement prompts.
- Mount Primary Broadside Batteries: Position cannons along the waist and gundeck. Ensure consistent spacing between carriages before committing to hull attachments.
- Add Light Artillery: Mount small-caliber swivel guns (pedreros) along the quarterdeck railings and forecastle to cover blind spots.
- Fix Overlapping Platform Layers: When placing components beneath raised platforms or poop decks, loaded models can occasionally shift parts to the top surface. If an object jumps above the deck, adjust its height setting manually or reload the ship profile to reset layer hierarchy before saving.
Rigging, Oars, and Speed Control
Frigates require coordinated rigging to sail effectively across all wind directions:
- Square-Rigged Masts: Position the foremast and mainmast with a slight backward rake. Stack three tiers of square canvas: the course (mainsail/foresail), topsail, and topgallant.
- Head Sails and Staysails: Run multiple jibs off the bowsprit to balance the helm, and mount triangular staysails between masts to capture angled winds.
- Mizzen Rigging: On hybrid frigates like the xebec-frigate, mount a lateen sail on the mizzenmast rather than a square sail to improve tacking ability.
- Engine and Sail Telegraphs: Regulate vessel speed using the ship's authentic nautical telegraph system, which includes settings for Full Astern, Stop, Slow Ahead, Half Ahead, and Full Ahead.
- Functional Oars: Oar banks mounted through hull rowlocks act as mechanical propulsion, generating independent horsepower with dedicated water splash audio and adjustable speeds.
Testing Frigates in Full Physics and Squadrons
Once a frigate is shaped, you can sail it directly in the open-ocean sandbox. Switching on the optional "Full Physics" toggle replaces simplified floating behavior with hydrodynamic simulation. Ships will heel under heavy side gusts, take water over low gunwales, and capsize if excessive engine weight sits too high in the hull.
In addition to solo sailing, the Squadron system supports fleets of up to four ships. You can command your flagship frigate while up to three other loaded vessels follow in formation, testing how multi-ship convoys interact, draft off each other, and collide in ocean waves.
Finished frigate designs can be uploaded directly to the Steam Workshop, entered into developer Tomas Sala's weekly building challenges, or exported as FBX and STL 3D models. These exported files carry a free commercial license, allowing you to 3D print your frigate or import the mesh directly into Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles and custom indie game projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can frigates sink in ShipShaper?
Yes. If the Full Physics toggle is activated, a frigate can swamp and sink if its center of gravity is too high, if it takes heavy waves over low gunwales, or if it is rammed by an underwater submarine or surface vessel. Turning full physics off restores unsinkable sandbox behavior.
How do you control the speed of a frigate in ShipShaper?
Propulsion is managed using the nautical telegraph interface, featuring settings from Full Astern to Full Ahead. You can toggle separate controls for wind rigging (bare poles, storm sails, combat sails, and full sail) and mechanical engines or functional oar banks.
How many ships can you sail at the same time?
The squadron system currently supports a maximum of four ships sailing simultaneously. The player steers the primary flagship while the remaining three vessels follow along in formation.
Can ShipShaper frigate models be used outside the game?
Yes. ShipShaper includes built-in FBX and STL 3D file export options covered by an open commercial license, allowing builders to use their frigate models for game development, modding, tabletop projects, and 3D printing.
