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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GM Lent" data-source="post: 7078560" data-attributes="member: 6798775">1. I don't know the historically accurate way paying crews was handled, but it would make sense to me to have a death & bereavement clause in a sailor's contract that would make their wages payable to surviving family in case of death. Maybe even have a multiplier in there, so if they did their family is paid twice what the sailor would have been if they'd lived. This would incentive the officers to keep the crew alive.In truth, though, ancient ships at least used to hire more crew than they needed, often by margins of 10-20%, specifically because they knew not everybody was going to make it home and wanted to be sure that they had enough people to run the ship after casualties.2. Your idea seems sound, but maybe tie it to competency. You can get a crew together in a couple of days or at a moment's notice, but professional sailors can't afford to just sit around waiting (unless kept on retainer like you suggest). They'd be off on other ships or possibly doing other side jobs, and it would take some time to get the normal gang assembled.I don't know how much complication you want to add to your game, or what impact a less experienced crew would have on a ship's operation, but it could be interesting.</blockquote>