Not a Bug Multiple letters of marque and titles

[Dextr]

You can get a letter of marque from all nations (if you're on peace terms with them, of course) and get promotions everywhere by attacking the Brotherhood. Not right, IMHO.

 

[Red Back Dude]

This is not a bug.

 

[Dextr]

Whoa? Being an English midshipman, Spanish teniente, etc. at the same time?

 

[Grey Roger]

Why not? Just be careful when talking to governors. You may be offered a ship-hunting mission - don't accept one whose target belongs to another nation which has sold you a Letter of Marque. If you're an English midshipman and a Spanish teniente, and you accept a mission from England to sink a Spanish ship, you won't be a Spanish teniente after the mission.

If you want to make it a bit more interesting, never fly a personal flag - always fly a national flag of your choice. If you're flying an Spanish flag when you run into a group of English ships, they'll attack you unless they recognise you, leaving you with the choice of running away or defending yourself at the cost of your English title. (Oddly enough, if your companion ships shoot up the English ships you don't become hostile to England, so if you have a fleet of your own you can order them to do the fighting while you run away...) Also remember to hoist the right flag before approaching a port.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Sure. After all you are a mercenary and have to buy the LoM.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Yep, not a bug. Very much intentional. Note though that sinking pirate ships makes your rank go up MUCH slower than sinking proper navy ships.
Because every pirate ship just counts for "1" while big nation-ships can count for much, much more.