Which storyline to choose?

[CapnSunk]

I'm wanting to do a full pirate playthrough, but saw Brave Black Flag was removed. So if I wanted to get the most out of a pirate playthrough, what storyline should I choose or is there more functionality in Free Play since BBF features were added to that? I've never done the base game storyline either so that's an option too if that fits with a pirate playthrough. Any recommendations are welcome, trying to avoid restarting.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

First question: do you want a pre-written story available at all?
If you just want to do your own thing, Free Play is always an option.

Brave Black Flag effectively works the same in Free Play.
It never did have a main story, so this one is certainly an option.
It does contain the original game tutorial opening, which should help you as you say you never played the base game story either.

Nathaniel Hawk's story also slowly turns towards piracy.
And it doesn't prohibit free play.
The ending gives you a pardon and a Letter of Marque, but you don't have to collect that if you don't want to.

Bartolomeu o Portugues is another to consider.
He's a pirate from real history with a long, varied linear story.
It even forces you to do free play for while.
There are some small supernatural elements along the way.

While Woodes Rogers is certainly piratey, it features quite different gameplay from the usual.
It's not really meant for free play and features many cool puzzles.
You might want to try it later once you feel you'd like to try somethong truly new.

The general gameplay doesn't lock you into any one path.
You could also play the entirety of the Navy Officer Hornblower storyline, then turn pirate at the end.
As long as you act like a pirate, eventually you'll be seen as a pirate too.
And this can go very quickly if you're being nasty enough.
(Attacking ships while flying a friendly flag is a sure-fire way!)

You can officially join the pirates by talking to their leader on Nevis island.
As long as your nation relations are low enough with others and high enough with them, he'll happily accept you.

 

[CapnSunk]

Thank that was very helpful summary.

I suppose it would be between the first 3. I'm confused on what the difference between choosing between BBF and Free Play is after reading your post about BBF being integrated into Free Play now.

Brave Black Flag I can't choose in the character creation unless I go to the BBF character and choose him then the top changes to Brave Black Flag. I wasn't sure if me choosing it this way would potentially break anything, or even add anything new since BBF isn't an option in the main storyline choices any longer I was afraid to continue with that one.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I'm confused on what the difference between choosing between BBF and Free Play is after reading your post about BBF being integrated into Free Play now.

There is no difference.
Black Flag was the first of the Free Play storylines.
We expanded heavily on that original idea so now you have basically full freedom also in your starting character.

At the same time, we took care to maintain all the good old things.
We don't believe in throwing away the right stuff.

Brave Black Flag I can't choose in the character creation unless I go to the BBF character and choose him then the top changes to Brave Black Flag. I wasn't sure if me choosing it this way would potentially break anything, or even add anything new since BBF isn't an option in the main storyline choices any longer I was afraid to continue with that one.

In honour of Black Flag being the first, that is still the default setting for Free Play.
It doesn't matter if the title says "Free Play" or "Brave Black Flag".
That's just an interface thing.

There is no reason why anything should break.
Players have been using free play quite freely for a fair few years now.
As far as I gather from them, it works pretty much as well as you'd expect

 

[Grey Roger]

For a pirate storyline, you could also try "Ardent", in which you start as a pirate. Depending on what you choose to do, you may continue all the way through as a pirate.