system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why did ships in the age of sail not employ more bow/stern "chaser" guns?

Considering that much time might be spent chasing (or fleeing) enemy ships, rather than being side by side and exchanging broadsides, why didn't ship designers put more effort into placing guns that could fire forwards or backwards rather than just sideways?
gpt
Deck space.  Guns required a carriage as well as a port-- when they fired, they would kick back HARD.  They also required a crew of several human beings, who also needed space to move around.

It wasn't that big of a deal to turn broadside, that's where the armor was, and there was a lot more real estate to mount guns along the flanks.

Edit: also, in the bow there is really nowhere to carve out a gunport, so you're stuck with only the space available on top (unless the ship has a significant forecastle, which messes with speed).  The stern, being generally square, had more options, but it was also the weakest-armored portion of the ship, and when a ball did penetrate, it was likely to rake the length of the ship, causing maximum casualties.  Not a place you generally want people shooting at.