Peaceful confrontation: notes from a solo merchant sloop

  • I only ever sail solo and 99% of the time it’s for my beloved Merchant Alliance. Simple avoidance is not always a winning policy when sails appear on the horizon. A few tips for those who prefer interactions with your fellow sailors to be peaceful (when possible!):

    White signal flares: screaming “we’re friendly!” and “let’s form an alliance”at a semi-distant/approaching ship just doesn’t always cut it. You have to be just about within cannon range to be heard and, let’s face it, most pirates won’t believe you. I probably won’t believe you. Alternative: if you see a ship headed in vaguely your direction while at full sail, chart a parallel course at a safe distance and fire off a white signal flare. They’re hard to miss and the message is clear. In my experience, if the ship doesn’t make a beeline for you, you can assume (for the time being) that they aren’t a threat—all the more so if you see a white flare go up in response!

    the “friendly” ambush: countless times as a merchant, I’ll pull up to an outpost with a load of commodities only to discover another vessel at the dock. It’s always best to make a lot of noise, angle out of range of cannons, and -slowly- raise sail on approach. You’ll get time to assess their disposition and adjust accordingly; they won’t assume you’re swooping in to slaughter. Hope for the best but be ready for sudden defense—blunderbombs, chainshots, and the best food you have on board should be in your pockets.

    alliances make you vulnerable: keep an eye on the map! If the OOS grade 5 you allied with is a grade 1 reaper headed straight for you 15 min later, it’s time to lower that flag and alter course! And if that OOS grade 5 is overtaken and sunk by a grade sub 5 reaper, assume the latter crew took a look at the map table for other victims before dealing the final blow.

    the oldest and noblest of pirate traditions: and then, there’s most times. Running always works best with a little bit of fighting on the front end. Chainshots, cursed cannonballs, deck shots—space enough for a successful escape often requires violence. Be bold! And hope your assailants are more bored than they are bloodthirsty.

    Good luck out there, sailors!

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