After months being off the Seas I decided to return in what I hoped would be a blaze of glory. Not wanting to burden myself onto a knowledgeable Crew I decided to set sail alone...
Upon noticing the Merchants Alliance had a new form of quest I decided to set sail with that. A good starting point. Sailing about the sea I notice multiple Galleons, shimmering and glowing on the Horizon.
"Alot of Pirate Legends by now I guess...Better keep my distance".
I complete my quest and begin to make my way back to an Outpost to pick up a few more of these delivery quests, I quite like them. On my way I spy another Glowing ship on the Horizon. This one however is a Sloop. It glows differently than the Galleons. Seems more purple. This I decide must be one of the Ghost Ships I heard about. I can take a Ghost Sloop...
I sail towards it, trying to hide my ship behind some large rocks in the ocean. I figure the AI might work on line of sight and it might give me an ambush advantage. Soon enough I am in range of the ship. It isn't moving. Bugged AI? Easy pickings so! I let loose as many cannons as I can. Quickly the enemy ship drops sails and returns fire. They miss... There is no ghost at the wheel... it's a player ship!
We make one or two passes of each other. I am landing my shots. He is missing most of his. He circles out wide and comes back towards me. He is against the wind.
"I'll shoot past him and land a few cannons on him"
Sure enough I do exactly that. Except he isn't turning to reengage... He is fleeing! As quick as I can I turn and give chase but I have lost so much ground and now we are against the wind... beginning the least dramatic chase of all time. Slowly, ever so slowly we crawl across the map. I watch him in my spyglass wondering if I could snipe him. I try. The bullet collapses into the water far short of his ship. I switch back to my Pistol and I watch.
I admire his ship. It is purple. It glows purple! The cannons seem to be made of gold. I watch him climb his crows nest and immediately rush to my wheel
"Kegs... he is going to drop gunpowder!".
I am ready at the wheel to maneuver around any threat but nothing comes... I look through the spyglass again and notice he has two flags. A red and white one at the top. A large red one below that with the games logo in white.
"When did they add flags...?"
The chase crawls on. He is not turning, just a straight line of boredom against the wind. I am standing watching and praying for a change of wind direction. If I am faster on the sails I will gain some ground. No wind change... I head below and check the map, maybe there is an Island I can round him on. No Island. Clear sea dead ahead for a very long time...
"Wait... why is his ship on the map? Can everyone see his ship?"
I need to end this fast. Still no wind change though. In the distance I can see a Sloop. It is right ahead and it might cut him off! T the North is another Sloop but far enough away for now. Suddenly he begins to slow and I am gaining on him. The other ship! I can come up behind and cause some chaos, fantastic! As I approach I realise that they aren't firing on each other... no... both ships are now firing on me. I try to circle both ships using one of them as a cushion to hopefully cause some crossfire damage. Sailing hard, weaving and keeping my range. I am more accurate than both of them and I am definitely doing more damage. However I accidentally sail too close and get punished for it.
Up and down the stairs. Bailing, shooting, bailing, shooting. Repair one hole. Shooting, bailing, bailing, shooting. Turning the wheel. It is frantic but I am on top of it. They cant sink me so long as I have wood and they keep missing most of their shots. I am definitely winning this fight!
"Two ships on my first day back, what a tale to tell! What a victory!"
Out of wood...
3 Planks left, 5 holes on the ship...
I stop firing. I try put some distance between us. Quickly I run downstairs and repair the 3 holes that I can. I take another 2 holes in the back. Above the water line! I can hold this so long as I don't take any more damage. The Ship I have been focusing has to be running out of wood... but then what?
I take the wheel. It's decided then. I will do what any good Pirate would do in such a situation. I set a collision course for the Purple ship with the Gold Cannons. Both ships are equally beautiful. I admire them as I approach. Both have ornamental Cannons, gold and silver. Purple lights glow on one. I really like those purple lights...
CRASH
My Ship slams into the side of the Purple one. Quickly I leap onto the deck and Pistol my enemy into his face before I finish it with my sword.
"I've made it"
Is there another one? Was he alone? I never checked. The other ship is rounding on me now. Moving closer. Coming to help. Do I fire on him? No... I will be killed by the respawn. I drop sails and sail the ship on a course directly for the nearest Island. I can hear my enemy below repairing...
"How close was I to sinking it?"
I look back and watch my ship sadly disappear into the abyss. My enemy rushes upstairs and walks into a face full of pistol again. Great! More time! I decide to climb into the crows nest. Maybe he has some Kegs. I stand in the crows nest and watch as the Island fast approaches. I ring out the bell in victory as I watch the land mass collide with the ship. The other ship is right behind me dropping anchor and the Captain is in the water sailing towards me.
"I'm ok, I'm ok" The Pirate of the Purple ship exclaims as his friend rushes to help him.
I drop onto the sail and run out along its beam and dive into the water below.
"This is going to be even better than sinking them with my ship..."
I mount the Cannon and begin firing on the Purple ship. There are two Pirates on the deck shooting back at me with Rifles. I'm hit and need to retreat. I run downstairs and grab a shotgun and some Bananas. When I return they are in the water. Swimming towards their ship. I raise the anchor. Shoot one off the ladder. Drop the sails. Shoot another one (maybe the same one) in the face. The purple ship is sinking. This one is next. I slam it into the Cliff. I hold my ground at the wheel and fight off their attacks. But there is repairing going on below me. I have no bananas left and my ammo is low... I cant go down.
"Maybe there is a keg..."
I climb the crows nest and to my surprise there are 3 Kegs.
"Can I drop them over the edge now?"
Yup! I drop the 3 and let loose my last bullet. They explode with a glorious crack and the ship begins to sink. One of the Pirates made it to the Island and starts firing at me. I take cover in the wreckage until it disappears. Half health. No bananas. No bullets. Maybe it is time I called it.
Two golden shimmering chests float to the surface as well as some glowing gems. Guess not... I try use the chests as cover as I dodge and weave behind them. One shot and I am finished. He misses every shot and immediately turns and runs back into the island. Gone to get ammo I assume. Before he returns I have moved the gems and 1 chest to the beach. I use the remaining chest to dodge more gunfire. He again unloads and misses. He turns to run and get more ammo and realises I wont be returning. I grab the chest and swim to the Shore. Carrying my loot to a hiding place, desperately listening out for some warning... but nothing. No sound...
A body flashes past me. He jumped down on me from above! Missed his sword strike! I drop the chest and Block his blows and counter. Hit him once... twice... swing a third time but it hits air as his ghost leaves his body! Glorious! What a victory!!!
I hide my chests in some bushes in the middle of the island and head for a mermaid. I get onto my boat. Open the map. Check the direction I need to head and set sail.
"Should have marked the map- Nah I know where Im going!"
Not 5 minutes from sailing I am set upon by the Kraken. Never fought one before. Dont know what to do. Firing cannons like a man possessed at tentacles when suddenly I am grabbed into the air and dunked repeatedly into the water. My health is dropping fast. Is this it? Am I done? Somehow I manage to shoot it... repeatedly and it drops me on next to no health in the water. I swim back to my ship eating bananas as I go. One tentacle is right through the window across the map table. I shoot it and stab it with everything I have but my screen is going black and I am taking damage. Bananas keep me afloat and I hack it away. Quickly I run back out and man the cannons firing and firing. Finally, the Kraken retreats. Broken and bloodied I head to the wheel of my ship to head to my destination... I cant remember where it was... I check the map... no marker... no loot... only a story.
