PvP basics

PvP means player versus player: fighting other captains instead of computer-controlled ships. Some of it is entirely optional, and some of it finds you whether you like it or not. This guide explains which is which.

The kinds of PvP

Kind	Where	Your choice?	What is at stake
Open sea battles	The sailing map	No, it depends on where you sail	Your ship and cargo
Boarding and sword fights	Ship decks and ports	Duels yes, being boarded no	The boarding fight
Port battles	A separate battle area	You accept an invitation	Ownership of a port
Skirmishes and duels	A separate battle area	Yes, always	Nothing permanent

PvP zones

Inside a port you are safe. Out on the open sea it depends on the waters you are in.

• In safe waters players cannot attack you and you cannot attack them.
• In a pirate PvP zone, Pirates and national players can attack each other.
• In a full PvP zone, any player can attack any enemy player.

PvP zones form around ports that are being fought over, so they move as the conquest map changes. Waters near starter ports tend to be the quietest; the contested waters between the nations are where most PvP happens. Your map shows where the current zones are — check it before you sail. See Ports and nations and Port battles.

A few things to know:

• Players of your own nation are never targets.
• When one member of a group starts a fight, nearby group members are pulled into PvP with them.
• If your reputation with a nation drops to Hated, you can be attacked anywhere, not only in PvP zones.
• Other ships are colour coded to show whether they are friends, enemies, or out of reach.

How an open sea battle works

An attacker has to sail right up to you on the sailing map to start a fight. Group members close by are drawn in on both sides.

• A battle marker appears on the map, and for a limited time other players can sail in as reinforcements.
• A battle holds up to 20 players, with at most 6 from any one nation.
• The game compares the strength of the two groups. A much stronger group is not allowed to jump, or pile into a fight against, a much weaker one.
• Ships joining a battle get a brief moment of protection while they arrive.

What you risk

• Your ship. Being sunk costs the ship a point of durability. When the last point is gone, the ship is lost for good. See Understanding ships.
• Your cargo. If you are boarded and beaten, the winner gets full loot. If you are sunk, about half goes down with the ship.
• What you keep. Secured items and personal, non-tradeable items can never be taken. You never lose experience or levels.

You can also surrender: offer the enemy 25%, 50% or all of your cargo to be left alone. If they accept, you sail away with your ship intact.

What you can win

• Doubloons, based on the level of the ship you beat. In a group the money is split between you.
• Marks of Victory and Marks of Trade, special currencies spent in shops on ships, equipment and prestige items. More valuable enemy ships are worth more Marks.
• Better loot for boarding. Boarding keeps the loot whole, while sinking halves it. Pirates may even capture the ship.
• Bounty missions. Port contacts offer missions to defeat enemy players, from level 1 to level 50. You can hold one at a time. Rewards grow from 1,250 doubloons and one of each Mark at low levels to 25,000 doubloons and fifteen of each at level 50, plus experience.

Safe ways to practise

• Skirmishes are battles you set up in a lobby. Players pick sides, ready up, and the host starts the match. The host can limit ship size and level. Nothing permanent is lost.
• Duels are one-on-one, by ship or by sword. The other player sees who you are and what you are sailing, and must accept. Every nation has a Duel Master in port, and you can ignore players whose challenges you do not want.

Quick tips

• Check your in-game map before a trade run and know when you are leaving safe waters.
• Carrying something valuable? Sail with friends. Slow merchant ships are favourite targets.
• Losing badly? A surrender can save your ship.
• Hunting? Board rather than sink for the best loot.
• Learn the ropes in skirmishes and duels before risking a ship you care about.