Unwritten laws of the sea

  • Beezsor
    Ship Mate

    I'm a new player and I'm enjoying the game so far. I've played a bit with my brother but we're both total noobs. I'm wondering if there are any unwritten rules the player base generally hold in regard?

    One example, do flags have specific meanings? So far I only found some older post which seem to agree and disagree on certain flags:
    White: Surrender, not looking for a fight, wants to avoid pvp
    Yellow: Bananas, will not attack but will defend or doing Gold Hoarders voyages
    Blue: Willing to work together or doing Merchant Alliance voyages
    Red: No surrender, kill and sink ships or doing Order of Souls voyages (This one is most debated)
    Black: Not looking for a fight but will engage when you come close, looking to do Skeleton fort
    Jolly Rodger: Will attacked if ships doesn't surrender, won't sink ship if surrendered or just like the red flag will kill and sink ship on sight.
    Checkered: Looking for a race, doing challenges.
    Pride: Just looking for some fun.
    Shark Hunter: Working on getting the megaladon.

  • Login To Reply
    12
    Posts
    11.3k
    Views
  • Octopus Lime
    Master
    Founder

    Personally to me, no flags really have any meaning and I don't interpret them to either. Although I'd say 9/10 ships flying the reapers mark are looking to PvP with the other 1 looking to form an alliance.

  • Arch iDeall
    Marauder

    Most of the players use the flags for their looks and don't read the community boards so they can't really have any meaning. Rare would have to write it in the description and even then the flags would be mostly used randomly.

  • KattTruewalker
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder
    Deckhand

    @jimzir

    Ahoy there, we did have some interesting discussions around this a while back, you might like to check out the ideas in this thread -

    https://www.seaofthieves.com/forum/topic/61153/what-the-flags-mean?page=1

  • Beezsor
    Ship Mate

    Okay, the flags seem to be discussed a lot, some see it as just decorative and some give them meanings.

    Are there any other unwritten rules besides flag meanings? I've read something like lifting cannons to signal neutrality or examples like that?

  • Minhoca SoT
    Legend
    Insider
    Founder

  • Goedecke Michel
    Marauder

    @jimzir Flags have no meaning. They only show your mood. Wether white flagged or not, you may be a target for anyone. Only the red reapers flag has a meaning: using it shows your ships position to everyone on the map.

    Use the "love" flag to show you are inviting to ally up. Works 5%, at least.

    Pointing the guns upwards can be understood that you are not aggressive. But hell, if another ship sets course for you, you'd be well advised to point the cannons down.
    A good signal against attackers seems to me to be loading bewitched cannonballs. These light up and indicate: we are quite prepared to defend ourselves.

    Without lights on, it's sometimes understood as aggressive - you want to sneak up undiscovered. But also the opposite is sometimes assumed - he wants to have his peace. You see, nothing clear, no law.

    If you want to be attacked, park your ship next to a wreck, set anchor, leave the sails fully against the wind. Everyone will think you're diving the wreck and you're a beginner, hahaha.

    The rainbow flag is my favorite to use. There are so many homophobic deformities at sea who can't stand it and will attack you immediately.

    Hm, there might be still some laws:

    • keep your distance. In doubt, shoot yourself near another ship and start talk to them. You would notice if they talk back or shoot you down. Even allies should keep distance.
    • never enter another ship, as long as you are not invited to. Even allies should respect this.
    • the second you man a canon or use a sniper and aim at a ship you will be considered to be agressive, wether allied or not.
    • calling "I am friendly" means nothing. You wouldn't believe it if people were cheated on too many times. Behave friendly.
  • KattTruewalker
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder
    Deckhand

    @jimzir

    Also...

    https://compass-ssl.xboxlive.com/assets/15/82/15826adc-e3dc-4c91-9c9f-49960ca2b2a4.jpg?n=Rare_Parchment_D_01a_LS (002).jpg

  • Guepard4
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    What does a flag mean in your ship:
    White: You want us to sink your boat and steal your treasures.
    Yellow: You want us to sink your boat and steal your treasures.
    Blue: You want us to sink your boat and steal your treasures.
    Red: You want us to sink your boat and steal your treasures.
    Black: You want us to sink your boat and steal your treasures.
    Jolly Rodger: You think you are a pirate, but actually you will be sunk and robbed.
    Checkered: You want us to sink your boat and steal your treasures.
    Pride: You want us to sink your boat and steal your treasures.
    Shark Hunter: You want us to sink your boat and steal your treasures.
    No flag: You want us to sink your boat and steal your treasures.

    What does a flag mean in our (my crew) ship:
    White: We are going to sink your ship and steal your treasures.
    Yellow: We are going to sink your ship and steal your treasures.
    Blue: We are going to sink your ship and steal your treasures.
    Red: We are going to sink your ship and steal your treasures.
    Black: We are going to sink your ship and steal your treasures.
    Jolly Rodger: We are going to sink your ship and steal your treasures.
    Checkered: We are going to sink your ship and steal your treasures.
    Pride: We are going to sink your ship and steal your treasures.
    Shark Hunter: We are going to sink your ship and steal your treasures.
    No flag: We are going to sink your ship and steal your treasures. But we forgot to put the flag!!!!

  • Sshteeve
    Captain
    Insider
    Boatswain

    @katttruewalker said in Unwritten laws of the sea:

    @jimzir

    Ahoy there, we did have some interesting discussions around this a while back, you might like to check out the ideas in this thread -

    https://www.seaofthieves.com/forum/topic/61153/what-the-flags-mean?page=1

    Rainbow flag... always the rainbow flag.
    Unless I want to do Reaper commendation grinds...

    :D

    [EDIT] I am joking of course - I rarely fly any flag at all (apart from Reaper) as I forget the thing is an option when sorting the ship out at the start of a session!

  • RealStyli
    Vanguard
    Insider

    There are no rules in this regard. Even if there were, it's a pirate game, and pirates will use the rules against you as a trap. Assume everyone wants to attack and/or rob you.

  • OneEyedHeathen
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    Not much comes to mind in this aspect really.

    There is certain etiquette I like to follow when in a crew, things like not hogging the wheel or asking to use it if there's been one person generally sailing. Asking if others want to bring TnT on board, or they opinion on how we should approach things.

    People used to point their cannons straight up into the air if they wanted to tell people they were friendly upon approach (or give them the illusion they were). I do not see much of this anymore.

Login To Reply
12
Posts
11.3k
Views
1 out of 12