"Runners" in solo HG PVP are a frustrating problem. I've had a few fights now against runners.
What's a runner?
My opponent has realized I can out-naval and out-TDM them so they've resorted to running. They simply sail forward and back across the circle or circle around the edge of the borders making no attempt to naval me or board me. The runner hopes you lose patience and hopes you sail yourself out of the zone by accident when you're trying for a board. The runner also hopes you'll try to ram them, especially if they're at the zone's edge. The player ramming the runner has no shots and may inadvertently take lots of damage or sail out of the zone in the process.
Not all long fights are a result of running
Not all long fights are because of running. It's important to note that a "runner" is much different from a stalemate fight. A stalemate is when two equally skilled players are damaging each other so much via naval and boarding, etc., that it leads to a long drawn-out fight because of failures to capitalize and multiple resets. I like stalemate fights as they're super intense, and even if it comes down to supplies in the end, you at least learn something. A "runner," on the other hand, isn't even engaging in naval/boarding you.
Is running META?
Sadly, running seems like a META tactic especially if you've no life and hours to kill. Conserve your supplies and wear out the patience of your opponent in the hopes they quit or make a mistake. Any competent player can catch mast now that sloops are so tanky so chaser's chains are ineffective. Chasers only have a few options, a lucky deck shot or board, RAM-strat, some harpoon play? As you wear down the patience of your opponent, they might try to ram or sail themselves out of the zone while whiffing a board. All of these scenarios give you an advantage where you as the runner have opportunities to capitalize from a position of advantage.
Solutions? I've been trying to figure out if this is simply a skill issue for me (which is possible). I've about 600 hours, and I don't consider myself a terrible player. I've about a 50/50 W/L solo slooping but haven't really had the opportunity to play as much this season as usual.
Solutions
Long-term: Rare needs to make the circle shrink over time so fights come to a decisive end within a specific time period. If this is not done or not possible, the rewards should scale as per fight length. I would be in favor of the former solution. I don't think hourglass solo sloop PVP fights should go on longer than 30 minutes in my opinion, and a shrinking zone would bring even stalemate fights to a decisive end.
Short-term: What do you guys think can be actively done to combat this play style? Some sort of harpoon play by reeling their boat so you've an angle? Honestly, I'm open to any suggestions as I'm always looking to improve my game.
Is running a valid playstyle?
I've thought about this a good bit and I don't think it is. Emergent running (before HG) is valid. Running if you've lots of loot or from a bigger or more skilled crew is valid. In adventure, you don't owe anyone a fight and there's a skill ceiling in how to run, involving angling sails, harpooning terrain, boarding a chasing ship etc. Solo HG PVP is different though. You opt-in knowing that your going into a winner takes all scenario to practice and hone your naval and TDM skills in an arena. Disengaging from combat and simply sailing back and forward across the arena, making no attempt to engage in combat until your opponent slips-up, runs out of supplies or dashboards from sheer frustration seems counter to the entire spirit of the mode. Runners take advantage of the fact the sloops are equally matched in speed to prolong fights. The running META makes it less about your skills/game knowledge and more about how much time you've free to sink into one boring fight. It strikes me as incredibly cheesy.
