Ship of the Line spawning

horse · Powder Monkey Posts: 3 **119 Gold** -

Hi all

Love this game, recently rediscovered it after a couple of years out and seem to have forgotten everything.

Anyways I went about turning almost all of the northern islands into english towns, then decided to get me a Ship of the Line.

I kept Port de Paix french. It has 2 french settlements a couple of screens away, so good for keeping it wealthy, and Tortuga (english) right next to it for repairs and food.

I have been blockading the port all evening, nothing comes out alive! I have a 60k bounty on my head (last time I checked) and it will only spawn normal small frigates / crappy brig pirate hunters.

Any ideas on how I can speed this up a bit? I want my nice new Ship of the line to take out the rest of the Spaniards.

Any other towns that are good for it? Should I pester another nation instead of the french surrender monkies? Any other tips?

I am already aware of the posts below, but still not joy:
- http://hookedonpirates.com/guide/sol/
- http://hookedonpirates.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3410&highlight=ship+line
- http://hookedonpirates.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6255&highlight=ship+line

Sailor

Guru · Gunner Posts: 678 **1240 Gold** -

I would change alliances immediately and start attacking the english instead, use Port de Paix as your base. They have a lot more cities where a Ship of the Line can spawn. Just be careful not to sink any military payrolls or attack any of the cities directly.

You will have your elusive Ship of the Line in no time Sailor

Good luck!
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ExtraCrispy · Boatswain Posts: 3923 **39052 Gold** -

Wasn't there a particular spot in the Caribbean for hunting down ships? I believe it was in the Less Antilles I think.

horse · Powder Monkey Posts: 3 **119 Gold** -

Only problem with the lesser antilles is there are no english settlements nearby, so keeping them wealthy will be difficult

Anymore tips / locations that are proven to work?

horse · Powder Monkey Posts: 3 **119 Gold** -

Lesser Antilles definitely did the trick, but now my impeccable reputation with the English is in ruins. I shall have to take my new vessel and lay ruin to all the Queens enemies Very Happy

I definitely noticed a marked increase in large frigates before it spawned. Annoying I had just taken a pounding by a bunch of other battles, and ship was pretty beat up, then noticed a New Warship had spanwed escorting a smaller vessel, gave chase anyways, and went to board it as there was no way I could out maneuvre it.

Anyways, mission accomplished, nice one Smile

ExtraCrispy · Boatswain Posts: 3923 **39052 Gold** -

Be sure to stick around.

Guru · Gunner Posts: 678 **1240 Gold** -

Ruff Rader · Powder Monkey Posts: 21 **531 Gold** -

Welcome back, Horse. I'm like you - rediscovered the game after a 3 year hiatus. I have also employed some SOL catching strategies and must agree that provoking England are the best ones. I have occasionally hijacked French SOLs but not as a result of a very premeditated plan.

Whichever country you choose to prey on for the SOL the basis is you have to feed them first. Make them rich, wealthy and prosperous, because - as I am sure you already know - the SOL only routes between wealthy or prosperous ports. That means you need to escort governors and immigrant ships.

Well then. In most of ny games I have been rather nice to the French - for many reasons.

I really find their fat governors quite charming, and tactically I tend to benefit from their promotions and daughters early on. BUT - when I feed them, they seem to squander it all - not being able to utilize the advantages I give them. Very few military transports, immigration ships or new governors - AND most importantly - very few spontaneous aquisitions of neighbouring settlements.

The English on the other hand, seem to be programmed to be very efficient regarding expansion and understanding of infrastructure. Therfore feeding the English in order to prey on them later is to my experience the better way because they get rich fast.

I get the impression that the game imply the ways of French of the time being happy, fat, escargot-eating catholic winos, while the slim, protestant, puritan, stiff-upper-lip, no-joy English have nothing better to use money on than building an empire for their king.

My best way of intercepting SOLs lie around the south-east - Lesser Antilles - constructing a multinational killing field with England in the North and South. With my ship lurking around Martinique I get a very good view of the ports to the north.

Mailman · Powder Monkey Posts: 30 **523 Gold** -