My three major criticisms of this game

[Aetrion]

I haven't played the game for very long yet, but from what I've seen of it so far there are three things that really stick out to me as extremely negative.

 

 

1. Oh, we're playing "steal the reward" now? Fine... 

 

Right now there is very little reason to actually work with people if it isn't absolutely required for survival. The reward scheme for the game actively punishes you for restraint and teamwork, and rewards you for forging ahead and trying to outscore the other players on your team. Holding back a bit to cover another player, passing up broadsides to avoid blocking their shots, maneuvering carefully and taking the heat off damaged allies are all things that I consider good behavior, but that always result in getting less XP and gold. 

 

Especially the way loot and ship capture is handled is just atrocious. For one, when you see someone starting to fire grapeshot and try to whittle down the enemy crew you immediately know that the real victory in that round is no longer just beating all the enemies, but being the person that gets the capture. From that point on you are competing with your team more than the enemy. Being the first to start boarding when the enemy crew is low is simply the smart move at that point. Even if you have done none of the work reducing the crew.

 

The second someone initiates a boarding action you are stuck with three choices: 

a) Stop firing and compromise your own XP gain to allow them to reap all the reward.

b ) Keep firing to try and maximize your XP and gold gain at the risk of sinking the enemy and thereby interrupting the boarding action.

c) Wait till the enemy ship is down to 3 people, ram yourself in between the ships to separate them, initiate your own boarding action and get all the reward yourself.

 

It's honestly just a horrible system. Instead of making me want to support my fellow players it incentivises me to screw them over at every turn, and if I try to play in a fair and considerate way I get screwed out of tons of opportunities myself. There simply needs to be a better system for actually encouraging people to work together. When I see someone firing grape I should go "Alright sweet, let's board that guy" and bust out my chainshot to get their rigging down for the boarding, or help reduce their crew. Instead I go "Ah, I see, we're going to draw this match out to twice as long and only one person here gets to benefit from that, so I guess if you're going to be greedy so will I"

 

In PvP it's not quite as bad, because enemy players are a heck of a lot more dangerous than NPCs so you need to work together to survive at all, but even there you notice that people tend to prioritize doing as much damage as possible over trying to be a team player. Once one side of the fight is worn down and victory is in sight the glory hogs come out same as in PvE.

 

Of course there is nothing wrong with making a portion of the reward individual so that people actually work during a match and don't just slack off while others carry them to victory, but it honestly just shouldn't be a system where one person gets all the reward for a victory while everyone else gets shafted, and gets shafted doubly if they actually play with the intent of enabling that capture. 

 

 

2. Grind now, grind later, then grind some more

 

This game is extremely grindy, and it's not just grindy in the sense that it takes a long time to get anywhere, it's grindy in the sense that it actually has systems built into every aspect of it that exist purely to ensure that you never actually get to the end of the grind. 

 

First you have to grind to get the ship because of the purchase cost.

Then you have to grind to keep the ship because of the repair cost.

And then you have to grind to replace the ship, because of the durability system.

 

Front to back the system is designed to make sure that nothing you do is lasting progress, every step forward you take just comes with an even bigger pricetag to maintain. In theory this may seem like a great idea to make sure that there is always something to do, but in reality nobody is going to play this game for eternity, and not being able to actually have any lasting achievements in it is a giant turnoff for many players, including me. Having that custom built ship of the line is something I'd gladly put hundreds of hours into and play for months and years to achieve, but not if running into 5 people who are simply better than me, which will happen sooner or later can take all that away from me again. Knowing that the game is set up so that your ships will sooner or later sink for good to me robs me of motivation to even bother with the top tier stuff. I just want some cool naval battles, not work my way up the ranks over and over and over because the game is built to always kick me back down sooner or later.

 

Just give me the option of working toward a permanent ship. I don't care if it's ten times as expensive, to me that is still way more motivating than always knowing that the game is set up to force me to grind for a replacement for whatever I enjoy using.

 

I'm all for having some kind of death penalty, don't get me wrong here. If getting shot to hell has no repercussions whatsoever it isn't good for the game either, but there is a difference between a setback and a system that is designed from the start to make losing your ship the inevitable outcome. You're going to get sunk, it will happen, nobody is deathproof in a game like this.

 

And before someone says "Yes, but it's not realistic if a ship never sinks..." yea, I agree that that isn't realistic, but you know what's also not realistic? Having five times as many naval battles in a single play session than there were in the entire Napoleonic wars.

 

 

3. And the winner is me, in 15 minutes.

 

It's simply way too easy to call a battle after just a few minutes into it, and then just sit there and play it out to its inevitable conclusion. Once you have a feel for your opponents maneuverability, forepower and protection you usually just know how the fight is going to conclude. 

 

The game simply doesn't seem to really have the potential for a reversal of fortunes or a comeback when you're already behind. There is no radical shift in strategy you can make to adapt to the way your opponent is beating you if the reason you're losing is simply that every time they hit you you take twice as much damage as when you hit them back. Sure, you can outmaneuver your opponent, deny them a good shot and line up that perfect broadside, but the ships have so many hitpoints that you'd have to do that consistently a dozen times in a row to actually gain a decisive advantage, and it's hard to do in the first place. 

 

I mean, sure, there is a lot to do. I'm not saying the fighting is too easy, even to get the predictable outcome you have to keep working for it. But even if you're fully engaged and commanding your ship perfectly the outcome from most fights is still predictable. The only thing that throws off that kind of predictable outcome is when there are multiple players involved, and even then you usually eventually see a trend develop that snowballs into a victory at some point.

 

It just feels like way too many times when I'm fighting an enemy in this game I'm just playing out what I already know will happen. Sure, I still have to work for that result, but I usually know exactly whether I'm going to win or not, and no matter how much concentration the motions demand from me, I'm still just going through the motions to get the result I already knew I would get.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Aetrion

[beagleplease]

Point 1 is absolutely spot on.

 

2 and 3 not so much.  the money grind is really not that bad at all its the xp grind that is a bit extreme especially at lvls 1 and 2.

and then you have to grind craft xp too if you wanna craft....

 

as for no way to come back in a fight??

taking down a mast.  knocking out the rudder.  a good stern rake with grape can be completely battle changing.  A boarding action.  Even a desperation ram.

i don't know if you are only fighting npcs but if you are maybe you should consider pvp.

[Konali89]

1)

If i am wrong, correct me, but according to your story you play with random guys in battles. I do battles with guys on TS or when i am not, i ask in the battle chat to the guy that is working on the ship if he needs to cap or kill. 

Offcourse there will be guys that are selfish and not teamplayers. But i advice you to roll with a nice group of people, it makes things alot better. Possibly join  a clan.

 

2)

The gind is decent. Really not to bad. We are 10-ish days into this EA already you see guys with rank 7 or so. Yes they play alot. But only the first 4, 5 ranks are painfull at the start. I think a casual player with around 10 hours a week or so can reach the higher levels within 2- 3 months. When you get to the bigger ships, you will form  a different opinion. I dont know what nation you sail for, but if it is the Dutch, feel free to contact me and we will get you some xp going;)

 

3)

Talking about AI or players?.  In the end, skill beats most things. And yes battles will become repetitive, but that is also because if a certain strategy works, why change it.

 

 

konali

[Aetrion]

the money grind is really not that bad at all its the xp grind that is a bit extreme especially at lvls 1 and 2.

and then you have to grind craft xp too if you wanna craft....

 

as for no way to come back in a fight??

taking down a mast.  knocking out the rudder.  a good stern rake with grape can be completely battle changing.  A boarding action.  Even a desperation ram.

i don't know if you are only fighting npcs but if you are maybe you should consider pvp.

 

If the money grind is "not that bad" why even have it at all would be my question. From what I'm seeing on these boards people are already pretty fed up with how people instantly abandon the fight when things don't look in their favor in PvP precisely because the game penalizes you with losing entire ships if you are stupid enough to provide your opponent with an entertaining match even if you are on the losing side.

 

As far as coming back into a fight goes, I have yet to see a mast or rudder go down. That may be because I have only the tiniest of cannons in pitiful quantities on a ship with all the seaworthiness of half a walnut, but I have honestly yet to see a single attack that actually had an impressive result. All I ever see from what seems like solid satisfying hits is 1 man dead, 2% armor gone, 1% sail gone. Trying to catch a mast with chain shot when you only have 6 guns that take forever to reload is very difficult, and even when I pull it off, I see a shower of debris but no snapped masts, and in all honesty, it's just a losing strategy when your opponent is happily pounding away on your hull while you're gambling away your precious shots trying to hit a mast.

 

 

2)

The gind is decent. Really not to bad. We are 10-ish days into this EA already you see guys with rank 7 or so. Yes they play alot. But only the first 4, 5 ranks are painfull at the start. I think a casual player with around 10 hours a week or so can reach the higher levels within 2- 3 months. When you get to the bigger ships, you will form  a different opinion. I dont know what nation you sail for, but if it is the Dutch, feel free to contact me and we will get you some xp going;)

 

3)

Talking about AI or players?.  In the end, skill beats most things. And yes battles will become repetitive, but that is also because if a certain strategy works, why change it.

 

I definitely feel that the earlier levels right now are a really obnoxious schlog, but I'm not at all concerned with the XP side of things, because I like the idea of putting time and effort into something I get to keep, like my rank. I just really don't like the idea of putting in a huge amount of effort into doing stuff like building a custom ship of the line and then the game insists that I have to act in the most cowardly manner possible to retain the ship for any length of time. Is anyone really better off if PvP fights end with people logging off rather than allowing their ships to be sunk? 

 

Going down with your ship is IMO a form of fair play in a game like this. The game shouldn't punish you for letting someone have their victory, it should encourage you to fight on by letting you have more XP and gold for whatever you throw back at them even if they are winning because that's just more exciting for everyone involved.

 

I play British right now. Actually I think you should be able to switch nations maybe with some kind of hit to your reputation, but having to delete your entire character to play under a different flag is a bit extreme, especially given that nobody has any idea what nation will develop a player culture they want to be part of at the moment. 

 

I'm mostly fighting AI, but fighting players at a low level is honestly not much different, except they shoot less accurately. I don't mind repetition, i've played MMOs, but once you have established a winning strategy there is just a lot of just going through the motions, slowly wearing down that armor or that crew. 

[Dalriaden]

If you play with friends/a clan then number one isn't an issue. If you're going for a cap and a random tries to steal it a team mate just slides in between them and interrupts the boarding.

[VonVolks]

1. Play with friends / move to a quiet area. 

2. no.

3. no.

[Aetrion]

If you play with friends/a clan then number one isn't an issue. If you're going for a cap and a random tries to steal it a team mate just slides in between them and interrupts the boarding.

 

So if you play with friends being a dick to anyone you don't know is suddenly a good thing? It's not like that person wants to be stuck in the fight for twice as long just to have your group take all the reward either.

['Sharpe]

As for Point 3, that sounds like a PvE problem. When you PvP there are absolutely "turnaround" moments, changes in strategy that change the outcome, etc. I can remember vividly 1v1s from even way back in the past and recall manuevers or tactical shifts that changed the outcome of battle. So you will encounter this for sure.

[Aetrion]

I'll keep playing and hopefully when I get to see some bigger ships and more PvP the fights will get more interesting.

 

I'm really turned off from PvP by the whole prospect of losing ships though. I feel like there is very little good reason to actually enter into a fair fight with the stakes as they are the second you upgrade from your cutter.

[theprof739]

I'll keep playing and hopefully when I get to see some bigger ships and more PvP the fights will get more interesting.

 

I'm really turned off from PvP by the whole prospect of losing ships though. I feel like there is very little good reason to actually enter into a fair fight with the stakes as they are the second you upgrade from your cutter.

 

It will feel like this for a bit at first, you're so glad to be out of the cutter that losing your step up feels like a huge loss. I can promise you that it does get better, the 60K gold for something like a Mercury becomes pretty easy work to get and you are more than likely to earn enough cash to buy 2-3 of them before you run out of Duras. Not that I'm advocating recklessness, just that once you get a good rhythm you can end each day with a little more EXP and Cash in the bank as your work your way up the ladder. Good luck!

[Flip]

1. Play with friends / move to a quiet area. 

2. no.

3. no.

 

You make amazing counter arguments and fully flesh out your position. 10/10

[Saber NF]

1) solved with finding a group to play with, but it is frustrating when you are trying to solo cap something for some guy to come in at the end and steal it, or just simply ram it and flip the boat.

2) I personally feel the grind could be shortened in the beginning, the first 2 hours can be really painful for a new player and will no doubt turn some players away, the progression just does not feel right in the beginning the xp is fine but you are in a cutter for ages, after rank 3 it feels fine, maybe even lengthen it a little.

3) In pve yes, pvp no

[Short Round]

I tend to stay away from doing much near Home ports for the very reason you state when ppl come into ur fights. Even then, If randoms do join, generally they are pretty reasonable when asking them not to sink/cap.

[Lawford]

2) The game currently only has pretty bare bones mechanics in it, we moved from a simple battle arena to an open world with battles in it along with a very rudimentary crafting and trade system. Trying to judge "the grind" isn't fair right now as the other mechanics coming for the game just aren't there yet at least not fully there. The core gameplay in battles for me at least is the most enjoyable part of the game. Getting a first rate isn't the end game of Naval Action, there is a place for other rates of ships as they perform different roles just like they did in this time period.

 

Part 1 and 2 have been answered better than I could by other people.

[VonVolks]

You make amazing counter arguments and fully flesh out your position. 10/10

 

I wasn't trying to make an argument, i was just saying those points are not true.

 

2. Its not a grind. Unlike other games, this is based in reality, and there is only a 1st rate as the "top" ship. All classes can be played. The devs cant create submarines, aircraft carriers and dreadnoughts to expand the game later. a 1st rate is NOT the "endgame" that you must reach as fast as possible. A 1st rate will be rubbish at most things other than large Port Battles and formal SOL battles... Therefore enjoy the game, play the game, and have fun. Its not a grind.

 

3. You don't auto win. skill makes a difference. PVP will soon show him that its not all "easy peasy". Although maybe the OP is uber, and always wins. so maybe he is right.  8)

[Kurshuk]

2. Its not a grind. Unlike other games, this is based in reality, and there is only a 1st rate as the "top" ship. All classes can be played. The devs cant create submarines, aircraft carriers and dreadnoughts to expand the game later. a 1st rate is NOT the "endgame" that you must reach as fast as possible. A 1st rate will be rubbish at most things other than large Port Battles and formal SOL battles... Therefore enjoy the game, play the game, and have fun. Its not a grind.

 

10 hours in and I'm still driving a basic cutter, I finally have enough cash to buy a brig, just barely. But then I started learning about losing ships.

 

I just bought this game over the weekend and I really regret it. Maybe I assumed too much, but there's no where to spawn in any of the ships to try them out or practice before committing hours of grind time to buying it, plus you can lose the ship. The grind is forever long and you always get the same responses "No", "Working as Intended", "Go play Hello Kitty", nice community here.

 

I'm a super noob and I'll probably give it another go for a couple hours, but my 2 cents say it's absolutely a grind and I'll probably walk away from this purchase pretty disappointed at some point in the very near future.

 

TL;DR? Full price game with F2P grind system and the ability to lose whatever you're grinding for.

[VonVolks]

Kurshuk, totally wrong. You are new so I dont mean that harshly by the way!

 

You can capture ships for free, so you don't need to grind for money. You didn't need to buy a brig, you can capture one. Do a mission, capture enemy ship. Try out ship. Dont like it? Do a mission, capture different ship. etc etc

 

Capturing ships is ESSENTIAL in the game to test ships out and progress to different ships for free...

 

Learning to board is a fun part of the game, plus you can capture traders for getting money fast!

Edited February 1, 2016 by VonVolks

[Valetudin Arian]

Extremely well said and thought out dude, the only part I want to add to is #3, there are plenty of people in nation chat that have had unexpected as well as surprising fortune reversals usually of a negative variety when their ship explodes unexpectedly.

[admin]

 

I'm a super noob and I'll probably give it another go for a couple hours, but my 2 cents say it's absolutely a grind and I'll probably walk away from this purchase pretty disappointed at some point in the very near future.

 

TL;DR? Full price game with F2P grind system and the ability to lose whatever you're grinding for.

 

We have seen this all before Captain. Most captains start at this point of view and then later move on to saying that it is too easy.

 

Remember that you are not grinding for anything. You don't have to. I personally enjoy lower level ships and shallow waters allow me to avoid higher level vessels (there are shallow water port battles as well).  I personally hate the word grind - you are actually earning rank as all captains in the age of sail. Nelson sailed for 30 years starting from cabin boy and had to serve on i think 28 vessels before commandeering HMS Victory. He did not call it a grind. We don't have 100 levels like other games and you just have to pass through 10 ranks. It is more or less equal on every level and you start getting more and more xp per battle once you start sailing the bigger ships (more cannons = more damage). 

 

Tips to solve your problem are simple

• Upgrade the guns and ships as soon as possible
• Capture enemy traders - they give from 20 to 100k worth of loot
• Find a group to join - they need you and they will help you. You will see a lot more in this game as a result.

[admin]

 

1. Oh, we're playing "steal the reward" now? Fine... 

 

Right now there is very little reason to actually work with people if it isn't absolutely required for survival. The reward scheme for the game actively punishes you for restraint and teamwork, and rewards you for forging ahead and trying to outscore the other players on your team. Holding back a bit to cover another player, passing up broadsides to avoid blocking their shots, maneuvering carefully and taking the heat off damaged allies are all things that I consider good behavior, but that always result in getting less XP and gold. 

 

2. Grind now, grind later, then grind some more

 

This game is extremely grindy, and it's not just grindy in the sense that it takes a long time to get anywhere, it's grindy in the sense that it actually has systems built into every aspect of it that exist purely to ensure that you never actually get to the end of the grind. 

 

First you have to grind to get the ship because of the purchase cost.

Then you have to grind to keep the ship because of the repair cost.

And then you have to grind to replace the ship, because of the durability system.

 

3. And the winner is me, in 15 minutes.

 

It's simply way too easy to call a battle after just a few minutes into it, and then just sit there and play it out to its inevitable conclusion. Once you have a feel for your opponents maneuverability, forepower and protection you usually just know how the fight is going to conclude. 

 

The game simply doesn't seem to really have the potential for a reversal of fortunes or a comeback when you're already behind. There is no radical shift in strategy you can make to adapt to the way your opponent is beating you if the reason you're losing is simply that every time they hit you you take twice as much damage as when you hit them back. 

 

1. True to an extent, but it only can be fully solved if we eliminate damage XP and start awarding XP only for sinking enemies (kill and assist XP). In this case people will have to work together to get the victory or kill/assist. This on the other hand creates a huge problem for unexperienced players - who will never be able to level up and will stay in light ships forever until they learn to play or leave the game. But we are listening and if this becomes a bigger problem we will fix it.

 

In addition to that eventually people realize the money are not a problem in this game and will stop trying to steal the target because it is just not worth it. You will see this if you join a organized group or just experience battles on the higher levels.

 

2. As i said before - we don't consider it grind. You gain rank for your accomplishments in battle. You have to earn ships and replace them if you sink. If there is no sense of loss - the feeling of victory will also feel smaller.

 

3. We tried to replicate the battles from the Age of Sail. Battles that deteriorate into smaller engagements - melee according to the best examples from the 18 and 19th century. In most cases they re-create what happened and what was possible at that time. What you say is true to an extent. If you are demasted it is basically a way to go down. But before that battles can be turned around in PvP. If you are good at raking you can severely diminish enemy capabilities. But with NPCs it is impossible to make it harder without adding bots extra special abilities. Many people still say bots are too hard. 

[Bartholomew Badgerbeard]

I'll keep playing and hopefully when I get to see some bigger ships and more PvP the fights will get more interesting.

 

I'm really turned off from PvP by the whole prospect of losing ships though. I feel like there is very little good reason to actually enter into a fair fight with the stakes as they are the second you upgrade from your cutter.

 

This is very much a case of "horses for courses" I think. I (like quite a few other players if the forums are any indication) have a background in games that feature permanent loss of items. For me this is what made the pvp so exciting. When you are sailing something you could lose forever, you are also risking all the time and effort that went into obtaining it....this can add a fair old adrenalin rush to combat that other games just don't seem to provide. 

 

On the other hand, I spent some time playing a certain popular fantasy mmo, where you never lost anything once you obtained it. That got boring really fast, and I un-subbed within a couple of months.

 

It should also be mentioned, that as far as I am aware, Naval Action is intended as more than just an age of sail MOBA, but as a full open-world adventure, complete (I hope) with a decent trade and crafting system available for those who are interested in more than just shooting ships. It's been my experience that any game that wants to have a decent in-game economy (read: player driven) requires permanent loss of goods in order to thrive. Those games I've played which didn't have loss, had economies that were a joke and crafting systems that were largely pointless to pursue once you had the one or two items from it that were of any use. Selling crafted goods was almost impossible as the economies were so entirely artificial that you would (almost) never be able to sell anything you made for more than it cost to create in the first place.

 

I understand the feelings that can come from losing something you've worked hard to obtain, however there is always the option to not sail a ship on it's last durability. For me at least, the greater the risk, the greater the excitement. I doubt I'm the only one who feels this way.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Badgerbeard

[Bach]

If you don't want to lose anything in PvP there is a PVE server. I'm not trying to make fun. I am serious. If I sail for an hour or so to enemy waters and win a pvp fight I expect that to have an in game effect. As you should as well when you sink me. No loss PvP is just one step closer to just playing a first person shooter game. No strategy required. Just die and run back out there over and over. Players with something to lose are the best fighters to contest. If your not ready for that then PVE server or just PVP in cutters.

[Nathaniel]

 

 It is more or less equal on every level and you start getting more and more xp per battle once you start sailing the bigger ships (more cannons = more damage). 

 

 

I would wish that would be how it is ingame, but sadly that's not exactly the case. Neither are the 10k for Master & Commander remotely comparable to the 50k for Flag Captain, nor, which is way more crucial, do you get an comparable increase of XP per level. Yes, more damage, of course, but also less BR difference in most fights and so less of a bonus and only a slight XP increase and a very considerable slowdown of % of rank per hour with every level (which may be not bad,  but it's certainly not "more or less equal on every level").

Edited February 1, 2016 by Nathaniel

[Slamz]

1. Oh, we're playing "steal the reward" now? Fine... 

 

Sort-of agree but the player convention here should be that whoever got the tag calls the shots. If I tagged a trader and you jumped into the fight, it's my trader and my loot and I didn't ask for or want your help. If you want to help chain it down out of the goodness of your heart, feel free, but I will bump you off of it if you try to take it, seeing as I was the one who got the tag. Similarly, if I tagged a fleet and want to sink everyone and you jump in and say "Hey, can I have that brig?" expect that the answer might be "no" -- I may not want to spend an extra 15 minutes helping you capture a ship I just wanted to sink for quick XP. It's up to the person who did the tag.

 

Arguably there should be an option to deny friendlies the ability to enter a fight. (Enemies can always join, though, on PvP servers.)

 

The alternate solution is to get away from populated areas. It's a big map and lots of places are literally nothing but NPCs with no players in sight.

 

2. Grind now, grind later, then grind some more

 

Not sure you've thought this through. This is a ship combat game, including all the elements of ship combat, like concepts of cost and loss and therefore an economy. Let's say you have your permanent ship -- now what? What are you going to do with it? Maybe go out and....kill some ships? With everyone having permanent ships, you would literally be left with nothing but meaningless ship fights where nobody really loses anything. Most people would play that game for a week, declare that it's boring and pointless and then quit.

 

And hopefully you don't really feel like ship combat is tedious and "a grind" in a game where that is literally the whole focus of the game. It's like saying, "I'm really trying to enjoy Counterstrike but FPS combat is such a grind."

 

I would agree that there may be some more content they can put in. I wouldn't mind some VIP escort missions or something a little more involved to "go here, sink pirate" but ultimately it's a game about ship combat so hopefully that's fun.

 

3. And the winner is me, in 15 minutes.

 

I agree to some extent for PvE -- NPCs sometimes fight long past the point where it was clearly hopeless for them. (Although for purposes of gameplay, it's probably better that they fight to the death rather than run away and make us chase them for 30 minutes.)

 

Players have an option to surrender, though, and the problem you're talking about is the natural state of open world PvP, whether it's Ultima Online, EVE, WOW, GW2, ESO or Naval Action. Open world fights often aren't fair and may even be decided the moment everyone spawns in ("Welp, I'm screwed"). It's just part of the life of open world PvP. Personally, I enjoy it. Avoiding situations where you are clearly going to beat me is half the game.

[Kurshuk]

 

We have seen this all before Captain. Most captains start at this point of view and then later move on to saying that it is too easy.

 

Remember that you are not grinding for anything. You don't have to. I personally enjoy lower level ships and shallow waters allow me to avoid higher level vessels (there are shallow water port battles as well).  I personally hate the word grind - you are actually earning rank as all captains in the age of sail. Nelson sailed for 30 years starting from cabin boy and had to serve on i think 28 vessels before commandeering HMS Victory. He did not call it a grind. We don't have 100 levels like other games and you just have to pass through 10 ranks. It is more or less equal on every level and you start getting more and more xp per battle once you start sailing the bigger ships (more cannons = more damage). 

 

Tips to solve your problem are simple

• Upgrade the guns and ships as soon as possible
• Capture enemy traders - they give from 20 to 100k worth of loot
• Find a group to join - they need you and they will help you. You will see a lot more in this game as a result.

 

OK

 

1. Upgrade guns/ships as soon as possible.

1r. Didn't because stuff is lost for good. Will buy a ship tonight.

2.  Capture Enemy Traders

2r. Never seen a trader, I'm not a pirate, is this the only way to make money in game? Or maybe the only way to make enough to replace lost ships?

3. Find a group

3r. I'm trying to get into this game, but I'm not going to even attempt to group if the base game is all grind. I want to have some fun high seas fighting, not have to play in the starter ship forever.

 

I know you don't like the word grind, but after 10 hours of gameplay I would say more than 90%  straight grind. Punishment endured to get a non-starter ship. Sorry if I seem frustrated, I'm about to give up on this game after seeing how difficult it is to move past start. Doubly frustrated since most of the ships except the cutter I was pretty interested in. Like I said, I'll buy a ship and give it a shot, but if I end up back at basic cutter I think I'm done with this one.