How do you handle alliances?

  • vorondil1394
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    So I just hopped onto a skull fort with another crew (me a solo sloop, them a duo sloop). I agreed to let them take all the treasure, even helped put all of it on their ship for them. I then offered to let them strip my ship of supplies so that they could reach an outpost safely. I figured worst-case scenario, they would break the alliance at the last minute if they were griefers, and in that case oh well I had fun clearing the fort.

    To my shock, however, they actually wasted a mega-keg blowing my ship up while I was transferring my supplies to their ship. I was bewildered. There was literally no need for that. They wasted 3-4k gold simply to spite me.

    So this ranty post concludes with a question to the forum at large. When you guys all do skull forts, how do you handle those classically suspicious alliances? Do you always plan to backstab? Plan to play nice? In a situation like above, would you have cheated me out of 50% at any cost?

    Thanks for any feedback. Genuinely curious what motivates people to pull stunts like this, as well as how common it is.

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  • CotU42
    Lord
    Insider

    @vorondil1 for me it comes down to how the conversation goes.

    Usually I grab what I want and leave. Don't let anyone on my ship and just stay alert.

    Though in general I don't make alliances at forts, just those that can convince me.

  • R3D50V13T
    Marauder

    Me personally that is also a solo sloop player mainly, I don't betray alliances. We both benefit from it, even if the crews get only a share of it, I'm thinking of the long term game, earning coin, instead of making a quick and risky fast money, and then what? That's it, it ends there.
    Does that make sense? I'm bad at explaining what I'm trying to say hahaha

  • iTz Majman
    Legend
    Insider
    Founder

    Alliances are really sketchy (like they should) specially when it comes to a decent chunk of loot since a big % always betrays you, atleast if they "know" they will win. Like in your case (1v2)

    I recommend only alliancing up when you have more crewmembers than the crew you thinking about inviting so you can keep control over the fort until you are leaving with the loot or you notice the other crew is super new to the game and is just there for the gold/experience.

  • Qui3tCool
    Master
    Insider

    Keep your mates close and your potential allies at a guarded safe distance.

    It is all about trust. Making it and building it. You know your mates will always have your back. Allies can more often be enemies hiding under a heart flag for many hearts are anxious for betrayal. The sea is full of pirates and thieves after all. You have to be willing to offer or joining an Alliance knowing it may end with someone going empty handed and ships sinking.

    Actions speak louder than words. However, you need to start as a good diplomat and ambassador to the purpose of sharing the sea’s bounty. We greet warming, state our intentions and expectations. We offer help and gifts. No matter what though you must never let your guard down. Trust but verify.

    We built trust this weekend at a skull fort. We could have taken it away from a crew, but we wanted to form an alliance. We told them we wanted their ship and crew in our alliance to share our efforts. We stayed and helped them clear the fort. Then helped loaded all the loot on their ship to turn in. The alliance held and was fruitful. The other night we changed the intentions of another crew and we sailed on together in alliance for hours. Proved we could do more together. We built enough guarded trust we were able to do several Athena voyages, meet at an outpost, and swap Chest of Legends.

    Never lose heart when you fly the heart. They will be betrayals, but their will be many very rewarding Alliances. Some of the best experiences will come no matter if an Alluance holds or is broken. It is all about what you put into it and what you take away when you dock for the night.

    Happy sailing and hope your future alliances hold more true!

  • Nabberwar
    Lord
    Insider

    I'm against Alliances personally. Every Alliance made is a potential non-enemy. I'd rather be the 1 on 4 then the 4 on 1.

  • Barnacle Blake
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    I tend to judge the other team by teams actions. I love the tension alliances creates. If I see them stash a keg in rocks or If they head over to cannons when captain spawns, maybe they just say some shady things. Like "im feeling untrustworthy today" which I have had a alliance say. I attack/sink them.

    I love meeting people in this game and then figure'n out if they are friend or foe and killing or teaming up with them.

    Lately everyone try's to back stab so expect it and get them at 1st sign of betrayal.

    I set rules also. Like-Step on our boat we attack. also like -We get this fort you can have next.

    I will offer things like hey after the fort you guys want me to drop ya a ATHENA quest? We can do this gilded I have after this.

    Key word AFTER. just plant some seeds so keeping you alive has value after the fort is done.

    Do I really give them a Athena or have a gilded 9 times out of 10 the answer is no.

  • Hynieth
    Master
    Insider

    Me and alliances are simple. If you want an alliance that's fine. When I'm doing a fort I'm doing a fort and no-one (yes no-one) gets to sell any of the loot, not even carry it.

    So if a ship comes by and asks for an alliance I explain to them that they can start one and sail on. They will get the 50% fort loot and we get to clear a fort in peace.

    If however they insist on "helping" we'll break the alliance and we'll sink them. It's a PvP fort and Me and my crew go for the full 100%
    I'm verry clear on this so there's no backstabbing or stopping the alliance right before.

  • vDerickv
    Castaway
    Insider

    If I'm in a smaller ship. I'm aggressive to all bigger ship crews. 100% of the time until they choose to cease fire. Rare occasions I'll give the impression of an alliance and backstab later.
    Never trust a ship or crew that's larger then yours is what I live by.

    If I'm the same ship crew size. I'm more willing to he aligned but I'm greedy af so war is inevitable.

    If ships are smaller then mine 100% of the time I'm aggressive. I like pvp. So everyone wont have the same views as me.

  • Stundorn
    Castaway
    Insider
    Founder

    I have no problems with Alliances, but stay at distance.
    We can profit from each other, but i dont trust anybody, but my crew!
    For Forts - no way!
    We attack or we defend the Fort and won't do an alliance ever at a fort.
    As i said Alliances are ok, if they stay at distance!

  • Goedecke Michel
    Marauder

    @vorondil1 I always keep my distance and don't rule out being cheated on. In the case of suspicious actions, I shoot after the second request to refrain from behaving this way.

  • xBluezy
    Master
    Insider

    I'm okay with starting alliances, but I always keep my guard up. At Forts however, I have a very strict no friends policy.

  • Reedski
    Marauder
    Insider

    Depends massively on mood & crew, I'm infinitely more friendly on my own in a sloop, outnumbered & outgunned than I am on a fully manned galleon of bloodthirsty cutthroats for instance.

    On my own I tend to ally up with anyone that offers then just tag along with whatever they're doing, I've got the luxury of mostly just chasing commendations not loot so it's all miles & kills to me, I'll often throw my sloop into harms way to let my allies escape or regroup.

    On a galleon it's a different story, we're almost always there to take what's ours, we don't need help & we don't want to let you profit from our work.

    Duo sloop/brig, up to the other crew, if we're feeling friendly we'll ally, if we're not we won't, I've got nothing against betraying alliances as such, it's just usually more hassle than its worth, but I'm an opportunist, if you leave yourself in a foolish position I might decide to take advantage. Usually though if you're putting the work in I'll make sure you get paid, we've had to give our allies a lift to the outpost before cos their ship sank, and the difference between getting murdered, alliance broken & loot robbed vs lift to outpost and allowed to sell stuff is entirely based on attitude and whether or not I like you.

    If you're allied ship isn't at full capacity always look at your friends list and try to get someone invited into their game, once they're in you can keep tabs on them better and you know you can trust at least one person not to betray you and to disrupt any plans they might have for betrayal.

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