Welcome back, pirates!
To celebrate our inclusion in the Baltic Showcase powered by DevGAMM and Digital Vikings, we’re back with another update post where we deep dive into one of the main mechanics of the game: conquest.
In our last two posts we showed you how to build your fleet and recruit the very best captains to your cause, so now, it is finally time to set sail and conquer the archipelago! Let’s recap on the importance of expansion, learn how to issue commands in and outside of the tactical map, how naval combat works, and how to capture and defend islands.
PLEASE NOTE: While we are still working on the game, some of the terms, names, and quantities outlined below may be subject to change!
As Far as the Eye Can See: Expanding your Republic of Pirates
To rebuild the legendary Republic of Pirates, you will need to focus on expanding your territory. Every conquerable island you discover possesses several rare resources necessary to support the development of your pirate empire. By conquering more islands, you’ll subsequently gain access to those resources in addition to acquiring more land to build on. New Captain’s Inn spots will also become available once you have claimed certain key islands, allowing more captains to join your fleet.
As you expand, you’ll swiftly gain advantage over your rival factions by reducing their presence on the map. Create shipyards and docks on all available islands to strategically develop your fleet, protect your newly conquered land and launch additional raids.
Setting Sail: Issuing Commands
Once you have built up your fleet, it's time to get those ships moving! Command your naval units to explore and conquer the archipelago through a traditional move-and-fight system. Left-click on a ship to select it and right-click on a target (e.g. a waypoint, an enemy ship, an enemy building/defence tower, or flotsam) to issue the command.
Want to issue the same order to more than one ship? No problem! Drag-select a group of ships and right click on their intended target.
If you want to collect ship debris as efficiently as possible, left-click on the collectable and the closest ship will move in to retrieve it. Using this method, you can also select multiple waypoints!
A Tactician’s Best Friend: Using the Tactical Map
The tactical map can be accessed anytime to get a bird's eye view of the archipelago. From ship locations and patrol routes, to island overviews and side quests, you can gain a myriad of information from a quick look at the map. Inspect a location or unit by mousing over it to learn everything you need to know before planning your next move.
Additionally, units move in real-time when the tactical view is open so you can issue commands on a macro level for a greater level of control.
Battle Ready: An Overview of Naval Units
To succeed in conquering the archipelago you’ll first need to be familiar with the parameters that influence how your units perform in combat. Below you can find a breakdown of these key parameters:
Durability: These are the hit points of a unit. Once health has been depleted, the unit is destroyed!
Attack Range: This is how far the unit can fire its cannons. Higher tier ships typically have greater range than their lower tier counterparts.
Speed: This is how fast the unit moves. Always consider the speed of your target as you may be able to utilise this to your advantage.
Firepower: This is the damage inflicted with each shot. Higher tier ships possess the greatest firepower!
Reload Time: This is the fire rate for a unit's cannons. Faster reload speeds mean higher damage per second.
Smoke on the Water: An Overview of Naval Combat
Naval combat unfolds in real-time with combatants trading attacks until one is either destroyed or backs down. The aforementioned unit parameters – durability, attack range, speed, firepower, and reload time – along with the fleets involved, all influence how a battle unfolds.
Should any of your ships get damaged in a fight, move them to a nearby docks building to repair them using accumulated resources and gold.
Any ships that you destroy will leave behind valuable loot and rare materials which can in turn be used to build specific ship classes at your shipyard.
Friend or Foe: NPC Ship Behaviours
There are several types of NPC behaviour in Republic of Pirates. Passive units will be portrayed in orange and will generally allow your fleet to sail the archipelago freely unless attacked. Red and aggressive NPC ships, on the other hand, will attack the player on sight without being provoked, so make sure to keep a distance unless you’ve come prepared for a fight! Lastly, green ships are allied and will fight against enemy targets.
Check the diplomacy screen to confirm your standing with the other major factions. Depending on your actions, you will either have achieved hostile, neutral, or friendly standing all of which influence a faction’s behaviour towards you. Hostile factions, for example, will attack your ships on sight. Offer trade deals or fulfil missions in their name to rectify this.
Eyes on the Prize: Capturing Islands
Got your eyes on a specific island? Before you capture it, you must first destroy all rival vessels protecting its shores as well as any pre-existing infrastructure. Once cleared, you will be able to interact with your newly claimed island to gain an overview of its resources.
Place a docks building on the designated spot and begin your expansion!
A Double Edged Sword: Defending your Islands
The rival factions in Republic of Pirates are notorious for holding a grudge. Be wary of your enemies attacking your conquered islands as depending on your standing, they’ll likely launch, frequent, small raids. Ensure that you manage your diplomatic relationships diligently or you might end up incurring the wrath of a superpower, who will launch a devastating full-scale attack!
If in doubt, check the diplomacy menu to learn more about your current relationships with the other factions. You’ll need to carefully navigate a tense diplomatic environment in order to protect your hard won islands and fleet.
Ultimately, you should always be prepared for an incoming attack, and in the absence of a fleet garrison, you can build defence towers along each island’s shoreline. These towers can be upgraded across four tiers, increasing their durability and firepower with each subsequent tier.
Should your defences fail, and a docks building be destroyed in an attack, you will lose a significant chunk of your gold reserves, and if you ever reach -5000 gold, so ends your campaign!
That’s it for today, pirates! As always, make sure to wishlist and follow Republic of Pirates to stay up to date on all news ahead of launch this year.
Until next time!
Crazy Goat Games & PQube