I keep running into people who are abusing game exploits for gold

Report it?

running with so little treasure not even Rathbone would bother stealing it

then your not a real pirate...Steal whatever it is. After all, They have it and you dont.

Do something daring, take a naval fight and battle for what's rightfully yours.

Oh you know, its all there but players dont wanna deal with what the game is about, and rather cry and complain why players do what they game says you...can do.

I want to drive home is don't complain about the state of the game if you aren't even choosing to play it properly

Way the game works, you play how you want. IF Running is part of your style and getting chased, Ok. If Chasing is part of your style...have at it.
But Yeah, Agree. Dont be complaining why other players play when you make it hard for yourself. There is a Uninstall button.
(Most cases, the players who are using GamePass...To me....aren't Players of this game)

@glizzydaddy67 said in Please be a pirate in our pirate game:

BE A PIRATE IN THE PIRATE GAME AND HAVE A COOL EXPERIANCE RATHER THAN RUNNING FOR AGES

What may be "cool" for you, might not be so for other players, especially newer or casual players that don't care/don't have enough experience, for pvp.

You answered your own question btw

People run for many reasons.

Decisions made by the dev team have made the boarding meta prevalent in multi crews with no skill boarding (or at the very least distraction) enabled by grapplin gun boardin cheez.
I will generally run as a solo slooper as fights rarely rely on naval.

A good chaser should be able to catch me regardless of ship size(big ship generally will catch quicker depending on wind direction so may as well turn and bring those masts down).

It's a fun cat and mouse game.

Nothing you spend 4 hours running with is going to come with you into your room when you log off.

If you are spending 4 hours chasing somebody you need to do it better.
At a certain point aggravating the ineffective chaser becomes highly entertaining - my follower can be serenaded with 'KETCHUP' , 'Follow The Music' or 'Found second gear yet?'

So you complain that you do not have people to steal from?

Perhaps everyone has the same strategy, and thats why we have no one to steal from? If everyone wants to plays the sneaky stealing pirate or the "real pirate", we have no one to steal from as everyone is sailing around without loot trying to steam from others.

I do not understand what is the problem is here. Everyone can do what they want on the seas. Some like to play extra safe and avoid PvP (that is totally fine), others get some good loot and immediately cash in to be safe (that is also totally fine). Those that choose to flee, also has the right to do that, it is also a semi valid strategy, as it ties up the hunter so that others can sail in peace. I personally choose to go attack if anyone comes to close, but there are lots of different pirates and they all have the right to be the pirate they want to be.