Ports and nations
Each of the 86 ports belongs to Britain, France, Spain or the Pirates (one port is Dutch). A port’s page shows:
- its natural resources — the raw materials that can be harvested there, and therefore which harvesting structures you can build;
- buildable structures — every structure whose resource requirements the port meets;
- its region and the other ports in it;
- whether it is contestable.
Resources are scarce by design: a port typically has a handful, and rare ones such as marble or lignum vitae exist in only a few places. Each resource on a port page tells you how many other ports share it.
Regions
Section titled “Regions”The map is split into starter waters, national heartlands and the contested centre. Starter and heartland ports are low-level and safe; the contested waters between the nations are where most PvP and port battles happen.
Port battles
Section titled “Port battles”A contestable port can change hands. Unrest builds in a port as the enemy sinks its shipping and completes missions against it; at the threshold a port battle is scheduled and the winning side takes (or keeps) the port. Capitals and starter ports never change hands.
Use the world map with Contestable only ticked to see the ports that are in play.