Handel
Landlubber
Be on watch for the next patch. The last patch is 1.1.3 but it doesn't fix the main bug - the impossibility to defend your own colonies. Once you capture them it seems they stop to generate defenses and your convoys even anchored in the port are simply ignored.
1. Start to the free play on pro difficulty. The so called "normal" difficulty is actually tutorial difficulty - because both campaign are nothing more then a tutorials; besides it is weird to be able to buy a whole ship wit the profit from 2-3 good trades. It was so in the real life the ships would cost less then the wheelbarrows.
My point is on so called "normal" difficulty you will be bored to death after several months game time.
2. Learn sword fighting for your main battle captain as soon as possible until it is very cheap; next comes "increased sight" Everything other is easy to learn through practicing. Don't know about the "repair time" but 10% total decrease in the repair time is not that big deal to worry about.
Edit: The price asked by the skill teachers depends on the total number of the learned skills, the rank in the current skill (which you intend to learn) and the level of the player Edit 3 AND THE CASH (ships and goods not counted). At the start of the game you may consider firing and hiring at new a captain of your only ship (it is free) until you get the desired start skills. I would say the best is to get 2 points in swordfight possibly with a point in increased sight (if you get 3 starting skill points).
3. Do not put sailors and do not appoint battle ships for your trade convoys. They will lose the fights anyway so why pay for the sailors and for repair?
Edit: Much later in the game you may appoint special battleships to escort the convoys but I doubt it is worth doing it on pro difficulty. And besides it is more fun to fight the pirates them to scare them off.
4. Watch the requirements for rank advancements. You often need more hired sailors and workers. If needed stop temporarily some of your convoys and fill them with sailors. Wait a little bit the game to acknowledge you are eligible for promotion then fire the sailors and re-activate the trade routes.
Edit: You may delay the advancement in the ranks if you decide to learn cheap skills. The gold invested in skills doesn't count for the advancement.
5. When using the pre-made trade routes DO READ what they exactly do.
Edit: Expect the "Sell and supply" ships to run at loss. This is due to the way the game calculates the profit when you load goods from the warehouse. This may be changed with a patch.
6. For more fun start battling the pirates early. With fast small ship you can manually beat any pirates convoy. Using frigates and heavier ships is a PITA in manual battles.
7. Do not forget the "Q" key when capturing ships. You need to reduce your speed to somewhat match the enemy ship speed.
8. When you advance in ranks the smaller ships stop to appear for sale. It is stupid to buy a War Galeon only to trade few planks and some cotton, so stock with small fast ships for your trade routes. Ships which are not put into convoys cost no upkeep and you can keep them indefinitely. Best is to keep them where you have a warehouse to be able to access them at any time.
Edit 2:
9. Pirates does not attack trade ships with little goods on the board. But I am not sure if this is percentage of the stowage or just min numbers. It is quite possible the pirates look for min numbers and the smaller ships may not be attacked at all.
10. Just learned from the official forum the chainshot and the grapeshot magically teleport from the support ship to the ship which is in the combat. Which means you can have 10 ships filled to the brim with chainshot and grapeshot and everything will be available to the 1,2 or 3 ships which take part in the combat.
11. The easiest way to learn the repair skill is to leave a ship on a trade route. After a while its captain will have 5 points in repair. Maybe you can speed this if you put the ship as a defender so it is damaged when a pirate attacks it although it will be a little bit more costly.
1. Start to the free play on pro difficulty. The so called "normal" difficulty is actually tutorial difficulty - because both campaign are nothing more then a tutorials; besides it is weird to be able to buy a whole ship wit the profit from 2-3 good trades. It was so in the real life the ships would cost less then the wheelbarrows.
My point is on so called "normal" difficulty you will be bored to death after several months game time.
2. Learn sword fighting for your main battle captain as soon as possible until it is very cheap; next comes "increased sight" Everything other is easy to learn through practicing. Don't know about the "repair time" but 10% total decrease in the repair time is not that big deal to worry about.
Edit: The price asked by the skill teachers depends on the total number of the learned skills, the rank in the current skill (which you intend to learn) and the level of the player Edit 3 AND THE CASH (ships and goods not counted). At the start of the game you may consider firing and hiring at new a captain of your only ship (it is free) until you get the desired start skills. I would say the best is to get 2 points in swordfight possibly with a point in increased sight (if you get 3 starting skill points).
3. Do not put sailors and do not appoint battle ships for your trade convoys. They will lose the fights anyway so why pay for the sailors and for repair?
Edit: Much later in the game you may appoint special battleships to escort the convoys but I doubt it is worth doing it on pro difficulty. And besides it is more fun to fight the pirates them to scare them off.
4. Watch the requirements for rank advancements. You often need more hired sailors and workers. If needed stop temporarily some of your convoys and fill them with sailors. Wait a little bit the game to acknowledge you are eligible for promotion then fire the sailors and re-activate the trade routes.
Edit: You may delay the advancement in the ranks if you decide to learn cheap skills. The gold invested in skills doesn't count for the advancement.
5. When using the pre-made trade routes DO READ what they exactly do.
Edit: Expect the "Sell and supply" ships to run at loss. This is due to the way the game calculates the profit when you load goods from the warehouse. This may be changed with a patch.
6. For more fun start battling the pirates early. With fast small ship you can manually beat any pirates convoy. Using frigates and heavier ships is a PITA in manual battles.
7. Do not forget the "Q" key when capturing ships. You need to reduce your speed to somewhat match the enemy ship speed.
8. When you advance in ranks the smaller ships stop to appear for sale. It is stupid to buy a War Galeon only to trade few planks and some cotton, so stock with small fast ships for your trade routes. Ships which are not put into convoys cost no upkeep and you can keep them indefinitely. Best is to keep them where you have a warehouse to be able to access them at any time.
Edit 2:
9. Pirates does not attack trade ships with little goods on the board. But I am not sure if this is percentage of the stowage or just min numbers. It is quite possible the pirates look for min numbers and the smaller ships may not be attacked at all.
10. Just learned from the official forum the chainshot and the grapeshot magically teleport from the support ship to the ship which is in the combat. Which means you can have 10 ships filled to the brim with chainshot and grapeshot and everything will be available to the 1,2 or 3 ships which take part in the combat.
11. The easiest way to learn the repair skill is to leave a ship on a trade route. After a while its captain will have 5 points in repair. Maybe you can speed this if you put the ship as a defender so it is damaged when a pirate attacks it although it will be a little bit more costly.
