Captains! Major update is being deployed today 15th of May

Changelog

Safe Zones

• Most ports except for Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Bahamas and deep blue sea have received protection zones. Safe areas are clearly indicated by green zones on the map (shortcut M). You cannot attack enemy players in the Safe Zones.
  
• This is a major change that will change Caribbean and PVP server and will give full protection to players who are just levelling up. NPC 3rd, Second rates and 1st rates will mostly sail in the PVP zones.
  

Combat Rebalance

Damage changes output and DPS

Gun damage: will be changed based on weight of the cannonball.
Example: Damage table of standard medium guns

• 4lb – 4 damage
  
• 6lb – 6 damage
  
• 9lb – 9 damage
  
• 12lb – 12 damage
  
• 18lb – 18 damage
  
• 24lb – 24 damage
  
• 32lb – 32 damage
  
• 36lb – 36 damage
  
• 42lb – 42 damage
  

• Importance of heavy guns will drastically increase. Accurate shooting from lower gun decks becomes extremely important due to % in the total weight of the broadside.
  
• Rare guns all received 10% buff to damage or splinter output.
  
• Long guns have received significant bonus to accuracy.
  

Ship hitpoints rebalance

Planking and Structure Changes.

Planking have been gradually increased for ships heavier than light frigates. Ships of the line especially 1st rates will be able to tank multiple enemies with their broadside.

Damage to structure through bow and stern

• Structure hitpoints have been reduced. Making critical hits to structure through bow and stern devastating.
  
• Ships will of course have some protection from skillshots by their bow and stern armor. The amount protection will depend on the ship and will increase with ship class. First rates can tank 2 full broadsides by stern and bow armor. Light ships will be able to hold only one. After that raking fire will crit. Captains can reduce stern and bow planking by shooting into certain areas when enemy is showing the broadsides.
  

Damage to structure through side planking

• Once you lost planking to 30% it will no longer mitigate structure damage and structure will go down faster than before. This will still allow precision focus fire by a fleet when taking on the enemy ship of the line.
  

Repairs

• To compensate drastically increased planking and reduced structure hull repairs have been changed. Hull repairs now repair 25% of planking and 50% of structure.
  

Influence of new model on Tactics

• The changes to planking and structure vs planking balance will increase the importance of tactics and the commander role, especially for heavy ships of the line (even commandeered by the new players).
  
• Lineships showing the side cannot be focused out easily by enemy line and can focus on fulfilling orders of the fleet commander, who will be maneuvering the fleet to cross the line and achieve rakes. Of course it will still be possible to sink enemy line ships through broadside, but the fleet trying to maneuver into rake shots will have a big advantage.
  
• Combat in heavier vessels will change - to resolve the battle captain will have to maneuver into rakes or wait for enemy mistakes (demasting him with chain at full sails, or raking with cannonballs when enemy shows the bow or a stern).
  
• Gameplay in frigates - frigates will be able to tank some good damage with the broadside but still will be somewhat vulnerable to large group focus fire, but they will be able to resolve the combat very fast if they are good in positioning into rakes or exploiting enemy mistakes.
  
• Gameplay on the light vessels will not change - captain will only have to watch the broadside health more carefully and never tank with the stern or bow.
  

Boarding Resistance

• Due to increase of the role of skillshots in combat boarding resistance is implemented
  
• Boarding resistance will significantly reduce ALL incoming damage for ships on boarding.
  
• In addition - bracket fire [] will be removed completely, so the combat is resolved by boarding not outside influence.
  

Perks Overhaul

Perk systems have been completely overhauled.
Perks are now split into 2 groups: perk trees and unsorted (that work as before).

Perks chains/trees

• Seamanship
  
• Gunnery
  
• Boarding
  
• Survival
  
• Bravery
  
• Fleet
  

Unsorted Perks (that work as previous system)

• Useful perks
  
• Economy perks
  

All current perks have been reset and refunded.

Demasting changes

• Demasting is now easier if enemy is sailing at full sail
  
• Demasting is now harder if enemy is using battle sails
  

Other important changes

National ship auction

• Ships listed in one nation will be visible and available for purchase in ALL cities of that nation. Giving crafters and sellers a much bigger market.
  
• Ships listed in neutral cities or freetowns will be visible in ALL freetowns and neutral cities.
  
• Price of the ship will depend on distance from the listing port.
  
• Ships sold to the admiralty might (if they are good) will be relisted on the auction by the government.
  

Ship Race

• Solo competitive ship race will be introduced where captains will be able to test their ability to sail and maneuver against other captains.
  
• First the race will be a weekly event. If the event is successful more events will be introduced.
  
• Cost of ticket 250 Doubloons per attempt. All tickets sold will increase the prize pool.
  
• Top 10 winners will share the total prize pool
  

Profitability of Ship crafting, Repair Crafting and Cannon making

• Cost to make repairs and guns have been changed and generally improved. Crafters of guns and repairs will now have a lot more options to make money by crafting and distributing guns and repairs across the Caribbean.
  
• We have returned back the system that existed before, where NPC only sail a limited selection of ships. All quests for ships that will no longer be used by NPCs will automatically complete.
  
• Resources required to build ships have been generally reduced.
  

NPC Ship Distribution

• NPC Ships have been redistributed across the Caribbean, to support levelling in the open world. Captains can find appropriate targets right near capital and around national towns. Rank of enemy NPCs gradually increase the further you sail away from the capital closer to the center of the map. 3/2/1st rates are located around Hispaniola.
  

Other changes

• Battle Ratings for all ships have been lowered
  
• Thresholds for rank have been changed and lowered (you might have gained rank)
  
• XP rewards for a for a Final exam have been removed.
  
• Crew for all ships have been changed by class
  
• Santa Ana have been renamed to her proper name San Pedro
  
• NPC raids have been disabled for 2 weeks, until the combat model is settled and stabilized.
  

Potential issues

• There could be issues with grape damage at lower gun calibers: we are investigating and will provide a hot fix soon.
  
• Kill quests are temporarily disabled due to issues with low level missions some of which could not be completed due to changes in the combat model; for example fighting Trincomalee in a Cerberus or heavy rattlesnake in a Basic Brig
  

Special topic will be open on Steam for patch feedback.

ps. Screenshot by Alexenyanna