Selling or Sinking?

Hornblower · Powder Monkey Posts: 10 **62 Gold** -

I mostly sink any ship after I've captured two more ships after my flagship, they can keep sufficient stores of food and can carry goods if I want them to. Although, normally I get money from town raids rather than selling goods.

I will usually try to get two large ships.

The Aberdonian · Cutthroat Posts: 289 **9958 Gold** -

Capturing and selling ships is the main income at the beginning where you have no lost cities to find. Ships typically have not a lot of cash and for selling the goods you depend on money in the city where you sell them. The city always has money for ships and even in small settlements you can get rid of them.

Best is a fast and flexible ship (like the sloop class) with grape shot. Try to get behind the enemy or turn away from his shots, get his crew down so you win the swordfight and board without damaging the ship. If you have 120-150 men you can steer a fleet of 6-8 ships and have enough men left on the flagship.

Capturing and selling ships gets you a faster income than treasure hunting, criminal hunting or even looting cities. In the beginning it is very vital to have an adequate sum so your chaps are not thinking about a mutiney. Once you have a solid capital you can start all the othe quests.

The Aberdonian

jbsmith · Cutthroat Posts: 285 **835 Gold** -

if on a mission,,like hunting down a villain,,i sinks them.
i'll also sink them early in the game, when i still have to pay for repairs, if they are so shot up that trying to sell them not worthwhile.

Once repairs are free and the ship is not so shot up that it slows the fleet
and takes more crew to keep it afloat, keep and sell!
_________________
"There's plenty of time to win this game and to thrash the Spaniards too."- Sir Francis Drake,20July1578

Capitan Incognito · Swabbie Posts: 78 **435 Gold** -

Yep those big fast galleons Mendoza carries always fetch me a nice price, 1,800 gold when I am already a duke, I usually keep and sell them at the nearest port... Smile

Tom Pullings · Gunner Posts: 534 **11279 Gold** -

Depends on what I am trying to do in the particular game, but often I sink to save the time.

Capitan Incognito · Swabbie Posts: 78 **435 Gold** -

Well most of the major quests are done and I've found all the pirate treasures, I am just hunting down Stede, Blackbeard, Morgan and Roc, but am taking my time since I just found out the longer you don't capture them the more booty they have... :p So most of my time is spent spawning Mendoza and chasing him down and going after the criminals, well selling off Mendoza's ships is pretty lucrative... I have a small screw so I don't go looting towns...

Rabid Weasel · Powder Monkey Posts: 18 **210 Gold** -

I used to exercise a dangerous strategy of capturing a lot of cargo ships with my Frigate-class flagship, and plundering the Spanish main for all I could. I would generally have to stop when I was admiral of 1/4th of my original crew after my surgeon has a mental breakdown, my carpenters run out of spare wood to keep my collection of toothpicks resembling ships, we're out of rags to sew together with their fraying ends to call sails, we're piling our vast amounts of loot under the surplus food that can keep us fed for years due to our crew size, and we only survive the pirate hunters by always sailing with all guns loaded.

We'd have to stay in port for months to sell off everything.

Now, I use a VERY minimalistic approach. 1 Ship of the Line, fully upgraded. 50 Cannons, 50 tons of food, my piles of golden doubloons, as many souls as are daring enough, and nothing else.
Fluyt with 30 tons of luxuries? Scuttled, and the dolphins are richer. Military payroll? Grab the gold, top off on food and cannons, sink the rest.

It's really not that bad. I'm not above snagging a passing cargo ship and selling its cargo and it if I can get away with that on Rouge.

Fluffy Blue Egg · Swabbie Posts: 70 **400 Gold** -

I usually just sink the ship, unless it's ALL of the following:

1. A ship that I can sell for a lot of money (Frigate class, Combat Galleons, Royal Sloop etc.)

2. It's in good condition (15% sail & hull damage or less)

3. I'm only a minute away from a friendly port, hopefully one which I am a Duke, or at least a Count.

4. I'm a good distance away from a port belonging to the captured ship's nation, to avoid damage from pirate hunters.

But I usually just take what cargo I want and sink the ship.

Patchkramm · Powder Monkey Posts: 2 **41 Gold** -

Hello - I just started playing Pirates! again a few weeks ago, after never really getting very far when it first came out. I ran across this forum when I googled for the word "briglicated"!

This thread is very helpful - since I wasn't aware of the long time spent whenever a port is visited. You'd think the crew would be happy after a whole bloody week of vacation lolligaggin' around town and fine-eyeing the women.. but so it be.

Lately I've been keeping only one ship in tug, and preferably at least as fast as my basic attack ship (usually a frigate now after reading some of your other forum posts). I've wondered about conquering Maracaibo and using it as a base for attacking all the high traffic Spanish ships in the area. I guess if you have a fleet of 3 ships the amount of cargo you can haul without getting bogged by captured ships starts to make more sense.

HarveyCrimmins · Swabbie Posts: 58 **2459 Gold** -

Once I attain Duke status, repairs and upgrades are free. I keep the ships and sell them after upgrading them for free. A War Galleon, West Indiaman, Large Merchantman, etc are worth 1800 bucks fully tricked out. Early in the game, unless its something I want for my own use, sell it in the first port with its cargo or sink it.
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Yarrrrghhh! Ha-Harrrgh!

Jeslak · Powder Monkey Posts: 15 **33 Gold** -

I force a ship to surender then i take what i need

1.Gold Very Happy

2.Food (For the journey arcoss the sea)
3.Cannon (To replace the one i lost (rarely happens)
4. The reast to sell at a port when i have a chance.

I then sink the ship unless its a Frigate then if i'm, close to a friendly port (usally duke) repair,upgrade sell. so i manly sink spanish ships and raid small citys.

Dave the Knave · Rigger Posts: 1210 **22948 Gold** -

sparticus · Helmsman Posts: 5818 **44872 Gold** -

Allronix · Swabbie Posts: 51 **1871 Gold** -

Three factors go into the decision:

1) Is this prize going to slow my fleet down?
2) How many improvements does it have? A fully-tricked out ship is worth more.
3) Do I need it to haul the loot?
_________________
"Had you fought like a man, you need not have been hang'd like a dog."
- Anne Bonny to Calico Jack

Calico Jack? Hang him - but ALWAYS recruit his lieutenants!

sparticus · Helmsman Posts: 5818 **44872 Gold** -