ShipShaper squadrons introduce multi-ship sailing to the sandbox world mode in Tomas Sala's naval construction game ShipShaper: Falconeer Chronicles. Rather than testing single designs in isolation, you can spawn multiple vessels into the same water, watch AI ships follow in line formations, test intra-ship ramming physics, and navigate using dedicated steering and telegraph controls.
The feature arrived alongside the game's major physics overhaul, which tracks weight, buoyancy, and propulsion directly from your custom hull and deck choices.
How Squadrons and AI Pathfinding Work in World Mode
The squadron system expands world mode from a solitary test sail into an active naval playground. Once you enter world mode from the editor, a dedicated squadron button lets you spawn additional vessels from your saved fleet directly onto the water.
When added to the world, non-player ships activate autonomous AI pathfinding. Key behaviors observed in world mode include:
- Line Formations: Follower ships calculate paths to fall into rank behind your lead vessel, allowing you to organize convoys or fleets.
- Dynamic Spacing: AI vessels attempt to maintain spacing, though tight maneuvering or sudden stops will trigger real-time collisions.
- Intra-Ship Collision Physics: Ships interact physically when touching. You can ram vessels into one another to test structural inertia or force top-heavy designs to capsize.
- Neutral Turret States: When transitioning to world mode, weapon turrets settle into a fixed neutral position to keep simulation performance stable.
- Wreck Salvage Mechanics: If a squadron ship sinks under full physics or capsizes during a collision, ships fitted with the giant controllable crane can sail over the wreck, lower the hoist to grab the attachment point, and pull the sunken hull back up to the surface.
Full Physics, Weight Distribution, and Ship Stability
The Squadrons update deepens the simulation by calculating weight, center of gravity, and buoyancy across every installed component. If you enable the full physics toggle instead of unsinkable mode, poorly balanced creations can list heavily and capsize.
Several specific component rules dictate whether your squadron ships stay afloat:
- Turret Placement: Weapons represent the heaviest individual components. Guns function as point weights on the hull regardless of their barrel rotation. Placing oversized broadside guns or heavy main turrets too far off-center will list the ship toward that side.
- Boilers and Engine Load: Adding deck boilers, haystacks, funnels, and internal machinery adds physical weight to the vessel. Placing heavy engine components exclusively in the stern causes the boat to squat low in the water and tilt backward at high speeds.
- Hull Buoyancy: Underwater hull volume determines displacement. Narrow or low-riding sterns lack the buoyancy needed to support stacked superstructures, making wide or flared hulls essential for heavy armaments.
- Roll Stabilization with Leeboards: Adding leeboards (Dutch side-swords) or diving rudders along the hull actively counters side-to-side roll. The deeper and larger the board, the stronger the stabilizing effect.
Sailing Rigging, Engine Telegraphs, and Helm Controls
Steering in world mode supports standard WASD controls alongside manual mouse interaction. Large ships exhibit natural rudder inertia, requiring time for the rudder to turn toward quarter, half, or full lock.
Propulsion is split into two independent engine order telegraphs on the interface: one dedicated to sail configuration and one controlling engine output.
| Rigging Mode | Sail Behavior | Practical Sandbox Role |
|---|---|---|
| Full Sails | Unfurls all square, stay, and driver sails for maximum wind capture. | High-speed open cruising; requires steady wind and wide turns to avoid leaning over. |
| Fighting Sails | Furls lower courses while keeping topsails set to provide gun clearance. | Runs at roughly two-thirds speed; gives guns a clear field of view and reduces wind roll during maneuvers. |
| Storm Rigging | Drops main sails, relying primarily on jibs (storm falk) and select high sails. | Slowest speed profile; stabilizes the vessel against heavy waves and violent gale-force winds. |
| Engine Reverse (Astern) | Reverses paddlewheel or propeller rotation. | Serves as an active brake when moving forward and enables tight docking or backing out of wrecks. |
Wind direction directly influences sail handling: square sails and studding sails automatically furl when sailing against the wind. For steamships, engine power scales through booster items. Installing extra funnels, deck boilers, and bilge pumps increases relative engine output and top speed.
Submersible Mode and Diving Rudders
The Squadrons update also introduced submarine navigation into the sandbox. Diving is an unlocked interaction rather than a separate menu category.
To dive beneath the waves:
- Attach diving rudders to your hull in the ship editor.
- Enter world mode. The interface detects the rudders and generates a contextual Dive button.
- Click Dive to sink below the waterline.
- Click the surface button to blow ballast and return to sea level.
Beyond underwater travel, diving rudders double as passive stabilizers, dampening excessive roll on surface warships.
New Parts and Editor Improvements
Alongside squadrons and physics systems, the update added a wide range of cosmetic and structural modules to the shipbuilder:
- Naval and Fantasy Cannons: Added large Yamato-inspired guns equipped with angled glacis blast shields, heavy siege cannons, and multi-barrel anti-aircraft mounts.
- Asian Hull Components: Added two East Asian junk bow variants and two junk stern designs to support historical and fantasy sailing vessels.
- Superstructures and Masts: Introduced trapezoid deck structures, pinned centerline superstructure snapping, tripod fighting tops, and an extra one-third height extension for primary masts.
- Lighting Options: Added four standing lamp variants, spanning historical lanterns, modern cruise liners, and futuristic fixtures.
- Theme Saving: Added 5 dedicated color theme save slots, allowing you to store a color palette and instantly apply it across an entire squadron.
- Alignment Snapping: Side-mounted components, broadside ports, and deck structures now offer height snap, rotation snap, and scale snap to eliminate placement misalignment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can squadron ships engage in full naval combat?
No. Tomas Sala has clarified that ShipShaper is a creative sandbox simulation rather than a tactical combat title like World of Warships. While you can ram ships into one another and sink them through collision damage or physics unbalance, weapon turrets currently remain centered in neutral positions in world mode.
Why does my squadron ship immediately sink upon spawning?
If full physics is enabled, your ship will sink if its center of gravity exceeds its hull displacement. To prevent sinking, widen the hull base, remove excess guns from upper superstructures, balance heavy port and starboard components, or mount stabilizing leeboards along the waterline.
How do I make my steamship go faster in world mode?
Steam propulsion scales with booster parts. You can increase total engine output by adding secondary smokestacks, larger funnels, paddlewheels, bilge pumps, and deck boilers onto your hull.
