User Manual

Losing Crew Members
Sailors can take a beating, but even the toughest are sometimes unable to survive a direct hit.
You will often need some new crew members after a sea battle. If the number of crew members
drops below the minimum during a sea battle, you will only just reach the next port. You won’t
be able to set sail again until you’ve hired some new crew members at the tavern. Even the
captain is not invincible, but at least he’s always the last one to die.
Boarding Enemy Ships
It is often advisable to capture an enemy ship instead of destroying it in order to add it to your
own fleet. After all, new ships are expensive. If you select ‘Board’ from the crew menu, your ship
will try to get as close as possible so that your crew members can board the enemy ship.
If a ship’s crew is currently boarding an enemy ship, you no longer have control over that ship.
You will have to wait until the fight is over and until you receive a message informing you of the
outcome. If the ship is part of a group of ships you selected, you won’t be able to control the
group either.
As soon as your crew boards the enemy ship, both ships will stop moving. By left clicking, you
can inform yourself about a ship’s condition, its weapons (the more cannonballs you see in the
ship list, the better), the size of the crew, and the store of swords. Swords are particularly
important, as boarding is a matter of hand-to-hand fighting. So you should be able to estimate
the enemy’s strength. If you find that you are inferior, it might be advisable to abort the action
and fight from a distance. Also pay attention to the morale of your crew: Highly motivated sailors
will fight more courageously than a bunch of disillusioned loafers.
Taking over an Enemy Ship
The fight is over as soon as one of the crews has been eliminated. The victorious crew can be
divided to occupy both ships if you first select your ship and then right click on the other. A
window will appear that allows you to transfer crew members to your new ship. If the size of
your crews are below the minimum, you will only be able to move the ships to a nearby port.
New sailors will then have to be hired. Any goods aboard the ship you captured will become part
of your treasury.
Attacks on Convoys
Of course, convoys can also be involved in sea battles. The battle is always between the
attacker and the armed ships of the convoy leader. If you are not the leader of the convoy, sit
back and watch from a distance as he fights. If he is defeated, you may punish him with
contempt.
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