Beginner's Advice?

[OneoftheLost]

Okay brothers. Lets be easy on the new guy. He's a fresh fish.

The only other pirate game I have played is Sid Meier's Pirates! However, Ive been looking for another freeform game in the vein of Pirates! and the Freelancer. (space game.) So when I heard of a "flawed" but still fun game called Pirates of the Caribbean, I was thrilled. I bought it online, and was a bit dismayed to not have a manual. In my online search for one I came across this mod.

Safe to say, I began downloading immediatly. During the download I played a bit and found myself enthralled. Words can't describe how much of an improvement the Build Mod fully updated is.


However, like most newbies I've hit a snag. I try the campaign, and frankly. It isn't enough money. I can't do trade missions (ship's cargo is too small.) and monthly expenses between crew pay and Rum and Food is something rediculous. As a low level charector, my fencing skills are low, but I'm managing to scrape by. ( The guy who coded the "strafe" keys. I <3 you. However, I've only found money in escort missions from taverns. The govenors usually ask me to kill a ship that I have no idea how to find, sailing doesn't tell me WHAT ship I need to destroy. I assume I need a better spyglass. I finally found out about the boarding perk, and how its pretty hard to board without it, but even when I do, I get slaughtered. ( I read about the moral and troop size boost to dmge. So yeah.) Basically I feel completely out of my league. Simple trading seems out of the question, because one wrong turn and my crew will mutiny. (Yeah. That was fun.)

Don't get me wrong, I really love this mod, even when I'm getting pickpocketed and then mutiny'd I just was hoping for a few tips to get me out past the docks.

I also have some mission related questions.

Spoiler

1. One of my saves is with the main storyline, and I went to the french town to stop the french shipment of gunpowder/arms to spightstown. The problem is, I snuck in the back way into the city, and then killed the captain and took his papers. (because I HAVE NO MONEY. Hence the earlier part of the post.) After meeting the captain of the ship I am supposed to destroy, he tells me to bring my ship around. Well obviousley I can't the French keep firing on me. Am I missing something???? The fort is always hostile torwards me, all of the guides assume that it isn't for some reason.

 

[Captain Maggee]

The quest is confirmed to be bugged if you try and kill him

As for the money issue Pirate Hunting just fast travel to the ship. The governer says the name, type AND nation of the ship. It will tell you all this information which should enable you to know which ship you have to travel to capture/sink

 

[Pieter Boelen]

If you play with Build 14 Alpha 9.5 Patch 3 and use the Auto Skill System,
you might want to increase your fencing skills by actually doing some fencing.
Find yourself a dungeon with some enemies and go kill them.
You can make some fair money from that and you'll get better at fencing too.

I think escort quests (talk with the tavern owner) are easy ways of making money too.
Too easy, in fact, since there's apparently a bug that makes you escort them to the port where you are.

If you encounter some small enemy ship without any worrisome escort, go ahead and try to either sink or take her.
If you want to take her, it helps to use chainshot to decrease their manoeuvrability, then use grape to decimate the crew.
Once you've killed most of the crew (both your spyglass and the Sail-To menu can tell you the number of enemy crew),
you'll find boarding much easier.

Once you've made some fair amount of money and have gotten yourself a larger ship,
getting a Letter of Marque of some nation also helps. You can gain promotions from that if you sink enemies of the crown,
for which you're awarded land that gives you money every day. This money you can save up in order to become more well-known,
or you can add it to you regular ship's money and use it.