ShipShaper: Falconeer Chronicles, developed by Tomas Sala and published by Wired Productions and Gamersky Games, approaches naval architecture through direct, organic deformation rather than grid snapping or voxel block stacking. Hull design begins from a basic blank hull where players push, pull, stretch, and deform cross sections into small fishing boats, tall sailing ships, ironclads, or dreadnoughts.
Because ShipShaper runs an automated analysis on hull shape, propulsion, and weight distribution when placing a vessel into the water, a hull's physical dimensions directly dictate its buoyancy, speed, turning arc, and sea-keeping stability.
Core Hull Shaping Controls and Station Handling
The hull editor allows players to alter forms by clicking and dragging gizmos and control points directly on the hull mesh.
- Adding and Removing Sections: You can add new hull segments forward or aft to increase total length. Holding an existing segment for a second removes it from the structure.
- Adjusting Length and Beam: Top arrows on hull handles allow you to pull a section outward to widen the beam or forward and backward to stretch the run of the ship.
- Deforming Contours: Dragging edit points pushes or pulls curvature along the waterline, freeboard, and keel line.
- Undo and Rebuild: Accidental shape adjustments can be undone using Ctrl+Z or cleared entirely with the reset ship function.
Cross-section editing operates under specific architectural constraints. The game divides the hull into three distinct cross-section zones: the bow, the stern, and a unified midship zone. While you can adjust the overall beam of individual midship stations by pulling the top arrow gizmo, the curve edit points located below that arrow apply globally across all midship cross sections to maintain smooth fairing and prevent mesh corruption.
Hull Stability and Weight Distribution
ShipShaper calculates dynamic stability based on proportions and component loads. Designing razor-thin hulls or stacking heavy superstructures without sufficient underwater depth causes vessels to heel excessively during hard turns or capsize entirely in rough seas.
| Stability Factor | Mechanical Impact in ShipShaper | Recommended Design Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Beam-to-Height Ratio | Narrow hulls with tall castles easily flip when encountering waves or wind forces. | Widen the midship beam using station handles to lower the roll center. |
| Floating Volume | Shallow hull depth provides inadequate displaced volume, causing the vessel to sit dangerously low. | Pull hull handles upward to create a deeper, taller hull before loading hardware. |
| Heavy Weaponry Placement | Large gun emplacements, naval turrets, and side sponsons add severe localized weight. | Center heavy turrets along the centerline or stagger weights evenly across decks. |
| Propulsion Equipment | Propeller shafts, heavy paddle wheels, and drive assemblies pull down the stern. | Balance rear-mounted propulsion by shifting forward castles or expanding bow volume. |
| Stabilizing Attachments | Lateral drift and roll instability in stormy waters can overwhelm smooth hulls. | Attach riggers, ballast keels, fin keels, or leeboards along the lower hull sides. |
Developer guidance confirms that naval artillery represents the heaviest individual component class in the game. Overloading upper decks or placing multiple broadside positions without widening the waterline will trigger low-stability warnings in the ship statistics panel.
Bow and Stern Configurations
Different bow and stern geometries alter both the aesthetic category and the physical handling of the ship when navigating coastal waters.
Bow Styling
- Dreadnought and Ram Bows: Extended, aggressive forward cuts that widen quickly into the main beam, offering higher frontal displacement when cutting through swells.
- Torpedo Boat and Turtleback Bows: Low-profile, sleek tapers designed for speed and minimal frontal drag, though prone to taking water over the forward decks if the bow draft is too shallow.
- Sprits and Figureheads: Forward extensions that provide dedicated snapping anchors for sprit sails, bowsprits, and ornamental fixtures like falconeer figureheads or horned prows.
Stern Profiles
- Round and Transom Sterns: Provide substantial reserve buoyancy at the rear, accommodating dual propeller assemblies, large rudders, or aft-facing gun mounts without excessive stern squat.
- Outrigger and Multi-Hull Setups: While ShipShaper uses a central monohull architecture, building a very narrow center hull and attaching wide outriggers allows players to construct functional catamaran and trimaran layouts.
Testing Hulls in World View
After finishing the hull shape and mounting props, switching to World View places the ship directly into the sea environment to test design performance.
- Steering Controls: Use WASD or cursor steering to navigate through coastal passages, reef formations, and harbor structures.
- Throttle Settings: Cycle through throttle orders including Ahead Slow, Full Speed Ahead, Stop, and Astern (reverse) to evaluate engine acceleration and stopping distance.
- Physics Toggle: Test navigation using standard physics or toggle Full Physics to evaluate how the hull responds to high waves, wind drift, and sudden rudder deflection.
- Draft and Buoyancy Check: Observe where the waterline settles against the hull planking or plating. If water washes over open decks, return to the editor and increase hull height or widen the lower stations.
Exporting Completed Designs
Hulls created in ShipShaper are not restricted to the editor. Completed models can be exported directly through several supported channels:
- FBX and STL Export: Ships can be exported as 3D asset files under a free commercial license, allowing creators to import their models into third-party game engines, modding projects, or slice them for physical 3D printing.
- Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles: Hulls can be exported to sail across the living trade routes of Tomas Sala's companion settlement-building title.
- Steam Workshop: Players can upload completed hulls to the Steam Workshop, share builds across the community, and participate in weekly themed ship-building challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you edit every midship cross section completely independently?
No. The hull tool uses three cross-section control zones: bow, stern, and midships. You can modify the overall width of individual midship stations using their top handles, but fine-tuning curvature points updates all midship stations simultaneously.
Why does the hull sink or tilt backward upon entering World View?
A backward tilt usually indicates excessive propulsion weight. Propellers and drive shafts carry heavy mass calculations. To correct a rear lean, expand the depth and width of the stern to add displacement volume, or move forward superstructures toward the bows.
How do you build a catamaran or trimaran in ShipShaper?
ShipShaper does not feature an independent twin-hull generator. Players create multi-hull vessels by making the primary center hull as narrow as possible and attaching large external outriggers along the sides.
