Why can’t I enjoy the game without being jumped

every time I finish a fortress or literally just have a bounty skull onboard somebody in a bigger ship comes by and either pretends to be nice so they steal all my loot and kill me

Argue they are pirates...and you are somewhat at fault here.

half the time they just toss a firebomb up and scuttle their ship so they can come back and kill me again they don’t even take the loot

Water puts out the flames
I dont have a clue what scuttle has to do with coming back....sink them and they still will, since you proveb to be good fighter.
Not all loot is silver and gold.

I get that it’s a pirate game but I can’t even have another player on my ship because they always just take control and force me to do something other than I wanted to do so I’m always alone

Be open minded. OR open a Looking for group, saying what you "wanna do" and go from there. Frankly, you should be open to switch it up but that just me.
You could...Play Safer Seas.

there’s always a galleon sitting at the outpost or a brigantine that’s got nothing but cannon balls and time

Sneaky sneaky...you can be

@trb9524

A golden rule in this game is to never trust other players.
Also, PvP isn't toxic. Anyone can sink you at anytime for any reason in this game. Practice PvP so you can defend your ship from others. Loot isn't yours until you sell it.

If anyone is saying anything toxic to you, record and report.

@trb9524 Forts are designed to be points of conflict, or cooperation if you can arrange it with the crews in the area. In fact they were the FIRST and you should have seen it when that was the only server wide activity like it in the game - people would flood towards the glowing skull from all over the server to contest them. Alliances were formed & betrayed, multiple ships fighting over one point on the map.

Nothing toxic about people deceiving you into a false sense of security, or even just sinking you for no apparent reason - its just part of the game and the quicker you come to terms with that the better it will be for you. It can be aggravating at times, but not getting emotionally involved helps that as it is only a game and loot flows easily in the game (especially now). You just need to play differently when outmanned or outgunned, develop a stealthier approach and deal with acceptable losses. I've been playing solo sloop since the beginning and done so about 95% of my game play time. One I started caring less about what someone else was doing, my outlook improved as well as my gameplay & strategies.

@jedileah6250

punishment for sailing safer seas

What punishment?

you have no choice but to play higher seas in order to get the full game experience

Serious question: How so? What are you not getting in Safer Seas?

came back from a mermaid temple to no ship

Tip #1: don't leave your ship unattended.

came back from the POTC story to no ship

Tip #2: always do Tall Tales in Safer Seas.

don't have time to practice those skills

Lots of ways to improve in this game. Following a few general rules doesn't take long to learn. I can give a few pointers but most classic ones can be found in any useful guide/tutorial.

one of out crew [...] relies on adapted controllers

Input device does not mandate skill. Esp. in adventure, you can compensate the mechanical skill you refer to with environmental strategy and cleverness.

a step between safer seas and full pvp would be great.
designated pvp zones
safe zones
opt in full pvp
sign up to rep reapers full pvp

You do have safe zones and you can opt out of pvp: Safer Seas
Actual zones would destroy the open world feeling of the sandbox. Unsure what "sign up to rep reapers full pvp" means.

so no some of us can't just "get better"

Tip #3: Start a session and plan on doing pvp. As in, not get rolled over in a careless moment while you pve and have lots to lose and are therefore in a vulnerable position anyway. Set sail and target other ships, get a feel for combat.

sadly this game is really not new player friendly

• Safer Seas, best form of practice range without other players. Learn the seas, paths, and such.
• Fortresses, Shrines, Camps all good locations for quick easy loot.
• Captain ship = One location selling
• Mobs are all ship/crew size scaled.
  So many...things are easy here.

we've been playing for just over a month and i have come close to uninstalling a few times, it's not fun when and hour or more is for nothing.

Sell often.

the punishment for sailing safer seas makes it so you have no choice but to play higher seas in order to get the full game experience

idk whow playing a full game is punishing.

my crew came back from a mermaid temple to no ship

With your loot still safe.

came back from the POTC story to no ship

Purpose of Safer Seas.

the idea of "just get better at PvP" is not a a great one

Okie. Well if you cant get better at pvp, you can get better at being creative. Hide ship behind a large island, good place is the Northern part of the map near Shores of Plenty. Then use a Rowboat to go to small islands or nearby shrines. See? Creative.

many of us don't have time to practice those skills

You have Safer Seas, to practive until you are fully comfortable to leave the safty net.

one of out crew is less able bodied and relies on adapted controllers to play,

I cant recall the name of the streamer, but they play with their feet. Another plays with one hand, and few players are blind and rely on sound. The argument of using this as an excuse is....lacking.

some of us can't just "get better"

Refusing to practice. Makes me wonder how one even gets better at any game. You lose and simply quit?
Also, you say your about to uninstall...did you by chance Pay for the game? Or is it one of those package deals you play games for free for a monthly fee. If so....well then Im sorry but I paid for my game and dont want it to change for those who didnt.

designated pvp zones

This be a PvPvE game.

safe zones

Ferry

opt in full pvp

Safer Seas

sign up to rep reapers full pvp

Why only reapers?

a game that is the same across the board no matter your skill level would welcome so many more people

That is the illusion. By code, everyone is on equal footing. You can easily sink a ship full of sweats, by using your head or luck, being on your side, and catching them off guard. Skill doesnt mean what you think. It's how you play.
Newbie player can become the kraken of the sea while even seasoned vets are surprised. To this day, I always meet someone who says they only played 2 weeks and they handle themselves better than me, a D1 player.

I've played solo for 4 years and do what I can to avoid PvP given the inherent disadvantage of choosing to do that.
The majority of the time it is possible to avoid PvP.
Keep eyes open, watch horizon, sell often.

Trust Nobody if you have something to lose.