Message text I've read the rules... this game looks great, I can't wait for it to be online!!! 
Now I'm going to make a coupe of suggestions, I hope they are welcome 
I'm a bit puzzled about how the turns will be handled, however. In BM wisely decided not to include "burst length" rules to speed up play. Burst length would almost HALVE the move rate---yours was a very wise choice
Now if I get the rules right, however, a full turn of this game will require all players to run through 9 different "notation phases"!!!
(1) Movement decision (one phase)
(2) collision decisions during submove 1 (3) collision decisions during submove 2 (4) collision decisions during submove 3 (5) collision decisions during submove 4
(6) Grappling decisions
(7) Ungrappling decisions (if I get it right, I may try to ungrapple also from "new" grapples)
(8) Boarding decisions (hot wo make up boarding parties)
(9) Fire decisions (fire to whom? where to aim?)
So it seems that to make the game playable, some minor changes must be made!
(A) It might be possible to group together phases 6-9 (as I have numbered them) somehow, by (A.i) forbidding the possibility to ungrapple from newly made grapples, and (A.ii) giving offensive boarding orders that are *automatically* reverted to defensive if the enemy ship is ungrappled
You have probably considered this possibility already.
(B) I have another small hint about how phases (2-5) can be "shortened": each player declares every single move as "strong" or "weak", which specifies whether, in the case of a collision, the ship will be attempting to enter the hex or not. If $n$ ships collide, then select randomly which one enters among those that are making "strong" moves.
This would change the rules a bit, but could it speed up game, right (see below)?
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I'm thinking about collisions rules. I understand why you're running into big trouble...
The rules are a bit sloppy: suppose (1) that my ship "A" is turning (2) that the new hex my ship's stern will occupy is currently occupied ship "B"'s stern (3) that ship "B" is trying to advance (4) that also ship "C" is trying to advance in the same hex
this means my ship (A) will be able to advance only if ship B "wins" the conflict with ship "C" and advances?
Now, what happens if (5) there's another ship "D" that's trying to turn in the same hex as my ship "A"?
Will there be a conflict between ships "A" and "D" only if ship "B" wins the conflict??? And there could be other nested conflicts "only if ship A succesfully turns"!!!!
This may further increase the number of "conflict subphases" in extreme cases: 30 ships -> very often!!!

Another possibility, chain advances: how should I handle the case where three or more ships are trying to advance in a circle? Do they all succeed, or don't they?
The algorithm may be UNSOLVABLE... 
I really think that phases (2-5) above should be handled WITHOUT player interaction, all info given during phase (1)
Anyway, if you can answer these questions, I am working on an algorithm. But I need more info to complete it!!

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