I got your Mail Runner right here!!

[Strange]

Here's how to get a Treaty / Ultimatum Escort Mission


I did the following and got about 6 individual escort missions in about 3 years game time. (not counting the ‘second chance’, see below for an explanation of that.)

They tend to occur more often when you visit the governor and Do Not get to meet his daughter.

For convenience, do this in a city where you don't have sufficient rank to meet the daughter every time. (if you don’t have the required rank, you’ll only see her when you get promoted.)

If you do meet the daughter every time, just keep turning her down and revisit to see if you get the mission. (this might not work, I haven’t tested this aspect of the theory).


1. First, you need to be at least a Captain with a nation


2. When you have done that, do nothing for that nation, good or bad. You can bide your time by attacking countries that the nation in question is neutral with, and visiting governors who will promote you for the people you are attacking. (Check the Captain’s Log for the current state of international relations.) It’s a good idea to avoid attacking Pirates or Indians for this, as it will get you points with everyone.

3. After a few months game time the governor will offer you a Treaty or Ultimatum Escort Mission. It'll be a Mail Runner or Royal Sloop to escort. (There appears to be a minimum amount of time required to pass for these to occur.)

4. If it’s want you want, capture it. If you don’t want it, sink or sell it. In either case, if you get back into the city before another event occurs, you’ll most likely get a second escort mission. (If a governor transport, immigrant transport, or some other event occurs before you get back in the city, you won't get the second chance.) This second mission will be the last chance at that time from that governor. Letting the first mission succeed or having privateers sink it will not get you the second chance.

5. If you didn't get the Mail Runner or didn’t get enough of them yet, repeat steps 1 through 4 again until another mission is offered. By repetition of the above, you can build your own fleet of 8 Mail Runners. 


This technique can be improved if you can do the above with more than one nation at the same time.

Example: Spain is at war with everyone, and nobody else is at war. This means you can attack the English and the French and Dutch won’t care. And you can sail back and forth from Montressatt and St. Martin attacking English shipping. Eventually both the French and Dutch will offer missions. (This should happen within 3-8 game months.) And you can also jet over to San Juan to collect promotions while you’re waiting.


My test of this netted 5-6 individual initial offers in about 3 years game time.
(this isn't counting the fact you can sink the ship and go back and get another offer.)

As written above, it's best to apply at the beginning of your game. It can be modified for mid game, just spend time not doing anything for or against a particular nation.

As I’ve only tested this once, from a game beginning, it might have some bugs in it. Comments are welcome, and I’ll update the theory if any relevant info / exceptions are found.

You can also use this technique to get a Royal Sloop, but you’re probably better off going to Spanish cities and repeatedly attacking Spanish shipping until they launch a Royal Sloop as a Pirate Hunter (1 in 4 chance of a Spanish Pirate Hunter being a Royal Sloop) or you see a Royal Sloop as a Spanish New Warship. Note that it's fairly difficult to provoke the appearce of Pirate Hunters on Adventurer, so the above method may be useful in this case.
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[fossaman]

Nice! I noticed that too, although I never really thought much of it. I have a variation on it that you can use: Do stuff for that nation, but attack that nation the same amount, and it will work as well. It stays neutral, but you can be earning more money at the same time.
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Like my fossa? He's a pirate!

[Salty Dog]

I just finished a game where I accepted an escort mission at Curacao and then ripped off their Mail Runner. Two years later I stopped by there again and they offered me another escort mission! Must have been a new Governor!!!
Salty

[PrinceScamp]

excllnt! now i can get my mailrunners!
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LORD COMMANDER OF THE PLANK
CULT OF THE POLLMEISTER
CHA CHING!!!
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[TheDon]

The governors do tend to have short memories.

thedon

[fossaman]

[Airsaw]

They have a free navy at hand with you. Sometimes they have to put up with your reckless and thoughtless behavior. What they get from you over the course of time is worth winking at a few misdeeds. The way you know he's had enough is, he fires on you as you approach town. Hit ONE ship within sight of his port, OUT comes the pirate hunter. They aim to nail your hide to the governor's door.

[fossaman]

I suspect they would use wooden pegs, instead. Nails were too valuable.

Really, I usually don't worry about getting a mail runner, unless the opportunity comes up and I would rather have the ship than the results of the escort mission. For example, if I WANTED France to be at war with Spain, I wouldn't take the mail runner.
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Like my fossa? He's a pirate!

[rupertlittlebear]

[fossaman]

True. That irate governor wouldn't want the beautiful sight of your hide to be marred by rusty nails.
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Like my fossa? He's a pirate!