User Manual

Battles and Conflicts
Pirates are out for your ships’ precious loads, jealous competitors
begrudge your success, rebellious cities oppose the Hanseatic
League, power-hungry royals besiege cities – the world is full of
contempt. Even if you are always noble and simply want to trade in
peace, you can never be safe from such actions and will have to
defend yourself.
Sea Battles
Sea battles are a very common form of confrontation. They will occur whenever enemy ships (at
least one of them must have raised the Jolly Roger) attack your ships – either on the high seas
or in a port. You don’t have to wait until you are attacked. If you are patrolling or acting as a
pirate, don’t hesitate to open fire.
The Preparations
Upgrading
You should upgrade your ships at the shipyard of your choice, preferably your hometown’s
shipyard (see chapter 8). This will not only increase the number of weapon slots but also the
stability of your ships. Every ship can be upgraded twice. There is a drawback though, for
upgrading reduces storage space.
Purchasing Weapons
The necessary weapons can be obtained from the weapon smith. Use the deck menu of your ship
to inform yourself about the number of ballista, cannons or catapults you require. Then order
them at the weapon smith’s.
However, you will only get weapons for your ships from the weapon smith. Swords to equip your
crew, which are desirable when boarding enemy ships, can only be obtained from the arms
dealer at the tavern (see chapter 8). Note that buying weapons from an arms dealer is not always
considered illegal. In times of trouble, especially during sieges, the authorities won’t mind if you
buy some arms (ostensibly to protect the city).
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