The game sometimes has problems who is who...

[Handel]

BTW - some of the forts in the game are useless - I mean put on useless places.

Anyway - what I mean. I started from Caracas for Cumana. Near Cumana a pirate ships catched me but I said "WTF? The fort is there!" But was suprices to find several pirates 1st class, 1 brig and 1 luger. Because of the useles fort (which actually don't defend the port) they killed me although meanwhile the fort killed two of the 1st class ships and almost sunk the 3rd...
So I reloaded from Caracas and when was close to Cumana went for fast travel. In the fast travel options I saw lots of french ships but had no problem to go to the Cumana port... only to find the french ships were again pirate ships. (And did I said the fort is useless? It is actually almost behind the port).
So I reloaded again and went to tavern only to learn "french are attacking Cumana and if in 11 days doesn't come help they will take it"

 

[Sordid]

Um, so? Yeah, nations sometimes send squadrons to raid other nation's town. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[Iron Roger Flint]

I could only repeat what Sordid said. You've been hit by bad luck mate <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

 

[Handel]

Only in this case the "nation" was french in the news and in the fast-travel and turned to pirates at the fort. Of course it may be because the french decided to raise pirate flags (sort of anon attack) but then why the news said "french" are attacking, not "pirates are attacking..."

 

[kevinwastaken]

Bad luck happens, but eventually you'll learn where the forts are and can use them to your advantage. Or you can just sail away in a faster ship.