Question about escort quests

[BathtubPirate]

Quick question about merchant escort quests, you know, the ones you pick up in the tavern. I think I might have gotten into a dead end with my last one.

How should I escort a ship to Tortuga if it's a) a pirate island, b) I can't moor under any flag except for the jolly roger (because pirates are hostile to everybody) and c) the merchant ship I'm supposed to escort turns against me as soon as I hoist the jolly roger?

 

[Jacob]

There should be a second option such as " We entering hostile waters..." when he shows his... happiness to you.

Just pick this up and you should be fine but beware... there's (I think) a coinflip. By that i meant being ambushed by Pirate ship.

 

[BathtubPirate]

Very nice, thank you.

 

[Grey Roger]

That is something to watch for when you take another escort quest - always look for the option to warn the merchant that you will be using a false flag. For a quest in progress, see if you can visit the merchant in his cabin. If I remember correctly, you can talk to him there and tell him about the falsr flag.

Otherwise he thinks you are betraying him and intend to attack his ship. (If Tortuga is Pirate rather than French, you are probably a pirate, in which case you may want to doublecross him! )

 

[BathtubPirate]

For a quest in progress, see if you can visit the merchant in his cabin. If I remember correctly, you can talk to him there and tell him about the falsr flag.

Yes, that's it exactly. Though I didn't really understand what @Jacob meant with "happiness" and because I already saved, I tried to visit him on his ship and voilà.

There's so much stuff, so many gameplay details it's impossible to learn it all at once (especially if you're very used to the base game). All the time I'm picking up new small mechanisms and eventualities, likes this one for example.

If Tortuga is Pirate rather than French, you are probably a pirate, in which case you may want to doublecross him!

No, I was Jack Sparrow trying to make a profit for the EITC by escorting a ship that ASKED ME to go to Tortuga.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

For a quest in progress, see if you can visit the merchant in his cabin. If I remember correctly, you can talk to him there and tell him about the falsr flag.

Should be possible, yes.
I added that feature specifically to get around situations like these...

but beware... there's (I think) a coinflip. By that i meant being ambushed by Pirate ship.

There's indeed always a chance of an enemy chance at the destination.
But that chance isn't related to announcing your intention to use a false flag.

If I recall from how I programmed it, there isn't really a disadvantage to telling that to the merchant at all.
I wonder now if there should be? Otherwise it might as well be "always on".
I suppose I figured it's just a bit part of the role playing...

If Tortuga is Pirate rather than French, you are probably a pirate, in which case you may want to doublecross him!

No, I was Jack Sparrow

Ah; that explains it!
Jack's storyline is the main one where Tortuga is Pirate right from the start; without the player having anything to do with it.

There's so much stuff, so many gameplay details it's impossible to learn it all at once (especially if you're very used to the base game).

Very true.
And fair enough.

All the time I'm picking up new small mechanisms and eventualities, likes this one for example.

How is that going for you?
Does it add to the fun to discover these things?
Are they in any way self-explanatory/intuitive?
Or does it end up being more frustrating/confusing than anything else...?

trying to make a profit for the EITC by escorting a ship that ASKED ME to go to Tortuga.

Guess he didn't quite realise what he was asking for!

That's one of the reasons why you can decline a quest.
It's up to you to decide if the reward is worth the risk.

Can't remember what happens if you DO betray a merchant.
You get in a sea battle and can sink/capture his ship.
But I'm not sure now if it immediately turns your nation relations to pirate; or if you can just go ahead, do it once; and get away with it as long as it's not too often...

 

[Grey Roger]

If I recall from how I programmed it, there isn't really a disadvantage to telling that to the merchant at all.
I wonder now if there should be? Otherwise it might as well be "always on".
I suppose I figured it's just a bit part of the role playing...

Recall that the whole idea was to allow piratical players to betray the merchant. The disadvantage of always having false flags on is that the merchant would not react if you raise a hostile flag to attack him. Warning him that you intend to use a false flag makes sense. Making that the default, then adding a dialog that he should attack you if you raise a hostile flag, does not.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Recall that the whole idea was to allow piratical players to betray the merchant. The disadvantage of always having false flags on is that the merchant would not react if you raise a hostile flag to attack him.

Ah; true!
It does add to the piratey options in the game.
Which, for a game called PIRATES of the Caribbean... is not entirely inappropriate.

Warning him that you intend to use a false flag makes sense. Making that the default, then adding a dialog that he should attack you if you raise a hostile flag, does not.

HA! Fair point.

 

[BathtubPirate]

How is that going for you?
Does it add to the fun to discover these things?
Are they in any way self-explanatory/intuitive?
Or does it end up being more frustrating/confusing than anything else...?

Hard to say. I'd say most of the things that add a new layer of gameplay are self-explanatory if you think logically and just try it out. More recently I fully discovered ship-berthing, different flags and warning escorts, but there's also letter of marque, changing outfits, repairing weapons, skills and perks, plus everything you can switch on/off in the settings. Nothing of that is extremily difficult once you make an effort to learn it. My thing is more that I have fun to discover quests, story, locations etc. and because there are so many layers I never tried to study it all and just went along, meaning things get more clear on the way, but before that they can also be obstacles.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Hard to say. I'd say most of the things that add a new layer of gameplay are self-explanatory if you think logically and just try it out. More recently I fully discovered ship-berthing, different flags and warning escorts, but there's also letter of marque, changing outfits, repairing weapons, skills and perks, plus everything you can switch on/off in the settings. Nothing of that is extremily difficult once you make an effort to learn it. My thing is more that I have fun to discover quests, story, locations etc. and because there are so many layers I never tried to study it all and just went along, meaning things get more clear on the way, but before that they can also be obstacles.

Fair enough.
Indeed I'm running into a similar experience with The Witcher 3.
So many complex game systems that tend to go a bit over my head.
Helps though that I have the game difficulty all the way down so that I can focus on story and exploration mostly.

 

[BathtubPirate]

Helps though that I have the game difficulty all the way down so that I can focus on story and exploration mostly.

Same. I have perks unlocked, standard skill distribution system, arcade sailing where I can automatically jump to every beach etc. I'm even thinking about turning off food and rum, because with cursed Jack Sparrow recently, it was so tempting to just turn it off completely and not care anymore whether I wait some more days on the map to get good weather or not (I hate rain both in game and in real life).