Listen up, ye scurvy dogs and fresh-faced swabs! I be Captain, and I've seen both sides of the cutlass. If ye wish to keep yer cargo and yer hide intact in these treacherous waters, mark this well. There be two kinds of sharks circling: Player Pirates, who think and scheme, and NPC Pirates, who are but mindless beasts of the sea. They require different eyes to spot and different tricks to avoid.
Player Pirates: The Thinking Man's Threat
These scoundrels sail under a red or orange name, plain as day if ye've a sharp lookout. They hunt in Hostile or Lawless waters (marked by skulls on yer chart), never in safe ports. But take heart, landlubbers! The crown hath rules to protect the weak: if ye be new to the life (under certain level thresholds), ye may sail under a protective flag that keeps the wolves at bay... mostly.
Their game is to camp the busiest ports and straits—Sakai, the Cape, Istanbul—where fat merchantmen gather. To avoid 'em, ye must think like 'em.
- Before ye sail: Bank yer gold and treasures! Sail light, use a Blue Flag for peace, and set yer status to private in dangerous seas.
- If ye are caught: A Fine Tribute may buy yer freedom in hostile waters, but it'll cost ye half the coin on yer ship. In lawless seas, yer options be fewer.
- To soften the blow: Skill in Storage and a Camouflaged Hold can save yer plunder. Survive a scrap, and ye'll earn a temporary "green flag" of immunity.
NPC Pirates: Predictable Vermin
These be simple foes. Some ye cannot see, and some ye can. The invisible ones can be entirely avoided with the Caution skill—a worthy investment for any cautious captain. If they surprise ye, tributes may still work.
The visible brutes are simpler still: give 'em a wide berth, or raise yer Battle level high enough that they dare not challenge ye. Different seas have different requirements for safety.
This be but the broadside of the cannon, me hearties! The true art of evasion—the tricks that make pirates look the fool—is a deeper lore.
If ye hunger for the full chart—every last secret on port camping, gray tactics, and foolin' yer pursuers—then set a course for the complete guide. I'll show ye how to sail the razor's edge and keep yer fortune.
COMMENTS