I've posted this on Reddit, but feel like the Dev's might have better visibility here.
So I was playing last night and thinking about how Merrick is no longer on Shark's Bait Cove, and how we all miss him so. Well, how did he get off the island? We all know that the only ships at sea are other players, and there aren't any NPC ships (yet). So it got me thinking, why not have marooned and shipwrecked pirates just hanging out on islands? Now granted, there wouldn't be pirates at EVERY island, but if you came across one, they would basically be like another message in a bottle but an NPC. You could talk to them when you find them, they can give you a random quest, and even ask for help getting back to an outpost.
Now if you agree to let one onto your ship, they will hang out until you've made it back to port, at which point they will reward you, head to the tavern and call it a day; OR the pirate might turn on you during the voyage and will start attacking your crew at which point you kill him, and also get a small reward for surviving the sudden mutiny.
I feel like something like this would give rare a chance to use all the little campfires and different encampments on the islands to make them feel more alive. That these places to sit and hang out aren't just for show, but have a purpose in the world.
I dunno might be too complicated but it would be nice to see the world filled out just a tad bit more, and if that comes in the shape of NPC pirates, I'm game.
Some suggestions from Reddit could be:
The pirate is injured, so you have to carry him to your ship and lay him down on the bed in the gally, or on a mat on the sloop.
The pirate could bind to you until you go onto the ship and then he goes and sits somewhere safe.
Maybe the pirates don't always seen you as friendly, so you have to find a way to ease them out of trying to hit you with their sword, or shoot you with their pistol before you can interact with them.
