We have updated the Weekly Race Event.

• Ship class changed to 5th rates!
  
• Thresholds for rewards have been updated to give a bit more for places other than 1st.
  
• But this is not everything.

Tomorrow we will increase the cutoff time to 10th best time + 6 mins. For example: if 10th place is 6:25 then the cut off time will be 12:25 mins to give everyone a chance to practice and learn the race strategies.

Captains!


Try your seamanship skills in the Weekly Solo Race (so called Caribbean Cup). The race features tacking, turning, boxhauling and sternway through multiple gates.

Every attempt costs doubloons and all ticket sales go to the prize pool. Current race reached 197000 Doubloons. And the fastest time reached was 5:25 minutes.


Can you beat this time?

Future plans

For captains who tried it already. We plan to improve the race based on our first test.
Two things will change as soon as possible: More rewards for 10th-6th places; and time limit should be increased.

We will post in the steam forums the request for feedback and ideas.

Captains,

Below are locations of pump and powder magazine:

• Purple - pumps
  
• Yellow - powder magazines
  
• Red - rudder

Captains,

Two loot events will run from daily maintenance on May 19th until daily maintenance on May 22th:

• All traders carry increased numbers of crafting resources and rare woods.

• Martinique 5 modules are available in the Admiralty, they can be exchanged for Broad Pennants that occasionally drop from 5th rates and higher
  
• Broad pennant will drop from military NPC ships

• Fixed incorrect calculations for certain perk points and perkpoint.
  
  • Captains who were affected by this bugs had some of their perk selections reset.
    
  • Thanks to Captain DemoNxLegioN for spotting this bug.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the Rotterdam's yards to improve ship's turn. Yards improve Rotterdam's turn now.

*Spotlight image from Captain AD-28 from the September 2021 screenshot competition.

Captains,

Following changes and fixes were deployed:

• National Ship Auction - price mark up for distance has been lowered.
  
• Patrol tiers have been lowered and rewards adjusted to reflect lower damage for smaller ships.
  
• Rotterdam is a trading ship now.

• Fixed bug that prevented players from creating contracts on modules.
  
• Fixed bug that prevented players from setting up a book in an open knowledge slot on a ship.

Captains,

in today's hotfix, May 16th, following fixes were applied:

• Stern and bow HP slightly lowered.
  
• Structure HP also slightly lowered.

These two changes will allow easier critical hits on structure by raking.

• Carriage thickness is increased depending on caliber: this will reduce gun loss from cannonballs especially at heavier calibers.

• Santa Ana BR adjusted and other ships tunes.
  
• Santa Ana and Rotterdam ships were withdrawn from the Paint DLC to fix user interface issues.

Safe Zones

• Most ports except for Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Bahamas and deep blue sea have received protection zones. Safe areas are clearly indicated by green zones on the map (shortcut M). You cannot attack enemy players in the Safe Zones.
  
• This is a major change that will change Caribbean and PVP server and will give full protection to players who are just levelling up. NPC 3rd, Second rates and 1st rates will mostly sail in the PVP zones.

Combat Rebalance

Gun damage: will be changed based on weight of the cannonball.
Example: Damage table of standard medium guns

• 4lb – 4 damage
  
• 6lb – 6 damage
  
• 9lb – 9 damage
  
• 12lb – 12 damage
  
• 18lb – 18 damage
  
• 24lb – 24 damage
  
• 32lb – 32 damage
  
• 36lb – 36 damage
  
• 42lb – 42 damage

• Importance of heavy guns will drastically increase. Accurate shooting from lower gun decks becomes extremely important due to % in the total weight of the broadside.
  
• Rare guns all received 10% buff to damage or splinter output.
  
• Long guns have received significant bonus to accuracy.

Ship hitpoints rebalance

Planking have been gradually increased for ships heavier than light frigates. Ships of the line especially 1st rates will be able to tank multiple enemies with their broadside.

• Structure hitpoints have been reduced. Making critical hits to structure through bow and stern devastating.
  
• Ships will of course have some protection from skillshots by their bow and stern armor. The amount protection will depend on the ship and will increase with ship class. First rates can tank 2 full broadsides by stern and bow armor. Light ships will be able to hold only one. After that raking fire will crit. Captains can reduce stern and bow planking by shooting into certain areas when enemy is showing the broadsides.

• Once you lost planking to 30% it will no longer mitigate structure damage and structure will go down faster than before. This will still allow precision focus fire by a fleet when taking on the enemy ship of the line.

• To compensate drastically increased planking and reduced structure hull repairs have been changed. Hull repairs now repair 25% of planking and 50% of structure.

• The changes to planking and structure vs planking balance will increase the importance of tactics and the commander role, especially for heavy ships of the line (even commandeered by the new players).
  
• Lineships showing the side cannot be focused out easily by enemy line and can focus on fulfilling orders of the fleet commander, who will be maneuvering the fleet to cross the line and achieve rakes. Of course it will still be possible to sink enemy line ships through broadside, but the fleet trying to maneuver into rake shots will have a big advantage.
  
• Combat in heavier vessels will change - to resolve the battle captain will have to maneuver into rakes or wait for enemy mistakes (demasting him with chain at full sails, or raking with cannonballs when enemy shows the bow or a stern).
  
• Gameplay in frigates - frigates will be able to tank some good damage with the broadside but still will be somewhat vulnerable to large group focus fire, but they will be able to resolve the combat very fast if they are good in positioning into rakes or exploiting enemy mistakes.
  
• Gameplay on the light vessels will not change - captain will only have to watch the broadside health more carefully and never tank with the stern or bow.

• Due to increase of the role of skillshots in combat boarding resistance is implemented
  
• Boarding resistance will significantly reduce ALL incoming damage for ships on boarding.
  
• In addition - bracket fire [] will be removed completely, so the combat is resolved by boarding not outside influence.

Perk systems have been completely overhauled.
Perks are now split into 2 groups: perk trees and unsorted (that work as before).

Perks chains/trees

• Seamanship
  
• Gunnery
  
• Boarding
  
• Survival
  
• Bravery
  
• Fleet

Unsorted Perks (that work as previous system)

• Useful perks
  
• Economy perks

All current perks have been reset and refunded.

Demasting changes

• Demasting is now easier if enemy is sailing at full sail
  
• Demasting is now harder if enemy is using battle sails

National ship auction

• Ships listed in one nation will be visible and available for purchase in ALL cities of that nation. Giving crafters and sellers a much bigger market.
  
• Ships listed in neutral cities or freetowns will be visible in ALL freetowns and neutral cities.
  
• Price of the ship will depend on distance from the listing port.
  
• Ships sold to the admiralty might (if they are good) will be relisted on the auction by the government.

Ship Race

• Solo competitive ship race will be introduced where captains will be able to test their ability to sail and maneuver against other captains.
  
• First the race will be a weekly event. If the event is successful more events will be introduced.
  
• Cost of ticket 250 Doubloons per attempt. All tickets sold will increase the prize pool.
  
• Top 10 winners will share the total prize pool

Profitability of Ship crafting, Repair Crafting and Cannon making

• Cost to make repairs and guns have been changed and generally improved. Crafters of guns and repairs will now have a lot more options to make money by crafting and distributing guns and repairs across the Caribbean.
  
• We have returned back the system that existed before, where NPC only sail a limited selection of ships. All quests for ships that will no longer be used by NPCs will automatically complete.
  
• Resources required to build ships have been generally reduced.

NPC Ship Distribution

• NPC Ships have been redistributed across the Caribbean, to support levelling in the open world. Captains can find appropriate targets right near capital and around national towns. Rank of enemy NPCs gradually increase the further you sail away from the capital closer to the center of the map. 3/2/1st rates are located around Hispaniola.

Other changes

• Battle Ratings for all ships have been lowered
  
• Thresholds for rank have been changed and lowered (you might have gained rank)
  
• XP rewards for a for a Final exam have been removed.
  
• Crew for all ships have been changed by class
  
• Santa Ana have been renamed to her proper name San Pedro
  
• NPC raids have been disabled for 2 weeks, until the combat model is settled and stabilized.

Potential issues

• There could be issues with grape damage at lower gun calibers: we are investigating and will provide a hot fix soon.
  
• Kill quests are temporarily disabled due to issues with low level missions some of which could not be completed due to changes in the combat model; for example fighting Trincomalee in a Cerberus or heavy rattlesnake in a Basic Brig

Special topic will be open on Steam for patch feedback.

ps. Screenshot by Alexenyanna

Captains,

Three loot events will run from daily maintenance on May 12th until daily maintenance on May 15th:

• All traders carry increased numbers of crafting resources and rare woods.

• St. Kitts 5 modules are available in the Admiralty, they can be exchanged for Broad Pennants that occasionally drop from 5th rates and higher
  
• Broad pennant will drop from military NPC ships

Captains have to find rare ships like Diana, Santa Cecilia and Admiraal de Ruyter in the search areas provided below. These ships may carry a very rare ship notes and special loot coins, rare wood and rare guns:

• Gold Ducat
  
• Gold Rouble
  
• Gold Sultani
  
• Gold Thaler
  
• Strange Gold Bar
  
• Rare wood
  
• Rare guns

Coins might be exchanged in the Academy building to receive:

• Additional outpost permit
  
• Additional dock permit
  
• Diana permit
  
• Admiraal de Ruyter permit

If you already have the Navy Connection using the item will add even more outposts or docks (up to a total limit).

Search locations

• South Antilles
  
• East of Tumbado - area between Cuba and Tumbado
  
• South of Hispaniola

In case of capture of certain ports in the area, the nation of ships will change.

*Spotlight image by Captain Esteban from the June 2021 screenshot competition.

Captains, as we have already announced that we rescheduled the patch launch to Monday 15th of May so everyone who participated in naval service medal events can receive their rewards.

In addition to that we would like to give our traditional rewards for minor server problems on the Caribbean server caused by the provider electricity issues which caused the reboot.

Gifts will be provided today (May 11th) and will include:

• Exceptional quality 3rd rate (74).
  
• 30 x 32lb Navy Guns.
  
• 30 x 24lb Navy Guns.

The gifts will be only available to characters created before the daily maintenance on Thursday, May 11th.

Players must claim gifts until daily maintenance time on Monday, May 15th, otherwise gifts will expire from the Redeemable box.

Captains,

Three loot events will run from daily maintenance on May 5th until daily maintenance on May 8th:

• All traders carry increased numbers of crafting resources and rare woods.

• Martinique 5 modules are available in the Admiralty, they can be exchanged for Broad Pennants that occasionally drop from 5th rates and higher
  
• Broad pennant will drop from military NPC ships

Captains have to find rare ships like Diana, Santa Cecilia and Admiraal de Ruyter in the search areas provided below. These ships may carry a very rare ship notes and special loot coins, rare wood and rare guns:

• Gold Ducat
  
• Gold Rouble
  
• Gold Sultani
  
• Gold Thaler
  
• Strange Gold Bar
  
• Rare wood
  
• Rare guns

Coins might be exchanged in the Academy building to receive:

• Additional outpost permit
  
• Additional dock permit
  
• Diana permit
  
• Admiraal de Ruyter permit

If you already have the Navy Connection using the item will add even more outposts or docks (up to a total limit).

Search locations

• South Antilles
  
• East of Tumbado - area between Cuba and Tumbado
  
• South of Hispaniola

In case of capture of certain ports in the area, the nation of ships will change.

*Spotlight image from Captain Stuffy from the January 2022 screenshot competition.