Hey guys. Just thought I'd write down some simple tips for players who are doing an Athena voyage that are afraid of conflict. Hey, not everyone is a pvp player, right?
** Never forget to get your ship ready to leave.** -This means sails and anchor up right after you dock. You never know when you need to get off an island and start moving ASAP and it will always be faster to drop sails and start moving than to raise the anchor.
Don't over due/under do your cosmetics.-By this, I mean don't sail on a ship with the basic hull and sails OR a ship with tons of pirate legend cosmetics on it. The basic hull/sails will make you look like an easy target to more experience pirates. The high level hull/sails will telegraph to other pirates that you might be doing an Athena voyage and/or just have really good loot on board. It's good to find a middle ground. I like put on cosmetics that make people think I'm in my mid 30s as far as levels go. This says "Hey, I've played long enough to where I could be hard to fight and my loot isn't that great. I'm not worth your time or effort"
Don't be discouraged about losing loot - This is always a hard one for completionists as well as new players. It's always good to remind yourself every once in a while that your main goal is to turn in that Chest of Legends at the end. While it's always sad to lose some loot after being sunk, or leaving loot behind on an island in case of an emergency - it's not the end of the voyage. Don't let it haunt you.
Don't do cargo runs if it's not safe - Cargo runs are some of the most stressful quests in the game, especially on a busy server while you are doing an Athena quest. The good news about cargo runs is that the quest ends as soon as you pick up the crates rather than actually turning them in. There is no shame in picking up crates of cargo and leaving them on the island if you don't want to sail around with your boat half filled with water to keep those annoying plants alive.
Play nice with your alliance - It's a very concerning when you are offered to join an alliance while you are in the middle of an Athena voyage, but in my experience, it's best to join the alliance just for the simple fact that it is a ship on the server you can always keep an eye on. Yes, it is a risk that once you get your Chest of Legends, this ship might not be as friendly toward you as they want you to think. Your alliance members stealing your Chest of Legends should not be a concern though as long as you act appropriately. Keep your distance with them and make sure that they are no where near you when you dig up your chest at the end. Always make sure nobody snuck on your boat as well.
Double check your boat for sneaky pirates - I've seen players willing to hide on a boat and not play for HOURS even BEFORE summit1g made it cool. Thankfully, it is a very very very very easy situation to avoid. Just make sure you take appropriate trips around your vessel to make sure nobody is hiding anywhere on your boat. Don't forget to check behind all the barrels below deck, behind the map in the captain's quarters, the crows nest, and (my personal favorite hiding spot) behind the captains quarters where the rowboats get docked.
Better safe than sorry- While it might sound a little dramatic for me to say you should walk as a group to turn in your Chest of Legends...you should walk as a group to turn in your Chest of Legends. You never know who could be hanging out at an outpost waiting for an unlucky pirate to show up with valuable spoils. Walking together to turn in the chest drastically reduces the chance that a pirate camping an outpost will be able to take that chest from you and turn in.
Do not let anybody on your boat - While I mostly mean enemy pirates trying to attack you, I also mean anyone you have joined an alliance with. While it might be unavoidable, the goal here is to not let them near your map/quest table. You are trying to stay under the radar. Do not let anyone know you are doing an Athena voyage, or there is a good chance you will be hunted all night.
Don't be afraid to fight -While the point of this is to avoid conflict at all cost, sometimes it is unavoidable. When it isn't, fight. If you are limited on resources or just flat out don't think you can win, here is a strategy you can follow. Jump off your boat, grab their ladder, drop their anchor, jump around their dock until they kill you. The longer you waste their time trying to kill you, the longer their anchor will be dropped which will allow plenty of time for your crew mates to escape on your ship. Sure, its not the most proud method, but it's effective in keeping you safe.
That's pretty much all I can think of right now. If anyone has anything to add or wants to correct me/disagrees with me on a couple things, I'd love to hear about it.
