What to do about Pirates?

  • At the beginning of the game (year 1300 start) I just let pirates have my loot, being the cheapest way to deal with them when you are unarmed. Now I can put together a fleet that can beat most pirates, and I've captured a couple of nice ships from them, but the repair costs have created some uncomfortable cash flow problems as I only have five ships and having three of them down for two months really slows me down.


    Here's the question, it still seems to be more cost effective to just let them have my loot, however, if I keep doing that, do pirates increase in numbers and strength? Am I doing myself any long term good by dismantling a pirate fleet when I can, in spite of the high short term cost? I wonder if AI pirates have costs to worry about, or if they are entirely randomly generated and keep coming back no matter what you do to them.

  • Welcome at Patrizierforum, mate! :)


    If you decide to stay peaceful and "feed" pirates, you will notice that the pirates start to build convoys containing two or more ships.
    Feeding the pirates is a bad idea. If you avoid loading your snaikkas higher than 70-80% they will still be quite fast and you'll have a chance to flee and redirect them to the next town BEFORE the pirate can initiate a battle.
    As pirate hunter you can engage a pirate ship with just a single crayer in manual battle mode: Shoot down his crew until you'll be able to plunder successful and get his ship without big damage.

  • That sounds like it might take some practice. Most of my pirates by now attack with a minimum of two ships. I have a fleet of 1 hulk and 2 cogs fully loaded, and naturally the pirates just aren't interested in it. What are the options for pirate hunting? I read there is a mission available in the side room but I haven't found it. When I have seen pirates on the map I haven't been able to attack. Is there a way to just roam around and catch pirates in an area?

  • Ahoy, matey,



    Basically, you're absolutely correct. Hunting pirates is first and foremost a matter of practice. Most of the players prefer, by the way, the 'Kraier' (I do not know the correct English noun for it right now; i.e. : neither cog nor holk nor snaikka) as a (manually operated) pirate hunter - it is solidly armed (if upgraded twice) and fast and agile. One can -with a li'l practice- easily outmanoeuvre the clumsier cogs and holks with them. (but) Remember to 'man' them optimally and buy cutlasses at the weaponsmith, if possible at least 1 per sailor.


    A general 'bit of advice' : you need more ships. In P3, one can't have too many, only too few ;) . In your (early) game a pirate hunter squad of 2 or 3 'Kraier' (best : with a captain having high skills in sailing and combat ( = 3 , better more ) ) serves best. As a player, (manual) combat vs the 'blackflags' is indeed easier if the (virtual) captain is good at his job, too :rolleyes: . In times when you do not need them, you can transport smaller amounts of goods or do manual trade w' them.


    Finally, RE : missions vs/on pirates : try more taverns. These are randlomly generated and might be available in any of them. Just keep looking.


    Best regards,


    d.V.

  • Hi cephalo,


    search for escort-missions, although they don't sound like pirate missions you will be attacked before you reach the target city. This does not prevent the black horde from growing but is a simple way to practice - and collect ships of course. ;)


    Regards,
    Cete

  • Thanks for the tips. I still have a question. When I see pirates chasing other ships on the sea map, is it possible to intercept them? I see them all the time, but so far my war fleet has been out of position to try and go after them.

  • Ahoy, matey,



    Be selfish ;) - do not try to attack pirates before they attack 'white' vessels, catch them afterwards. They will a) be slower perchance (burdened by loot ^^) and b) the fight (between AI and AI) will give you -in most cases- time to catch up with them. (Though there is no 1oo % guarantee that you will 'see' them afterwards, but in many cases you will.)


    Even better, with a little luck the pirate ships are already a bit damaged (easier to defeat or capture) plus you can keep their stolen goods for yourself.



    Regards,


    d.V.

  • My little experience after years of this post. Most of pirates are too fast when you engage them, here'a tip:
    Take a little ship, in perfect conditions (98-99%), full armed, with only 2 sailors less than the pirate. If you want fill up the ship to its full amount. Then engage the pirate, often he would not escape, thinking that he could capture your ship. Then damage him, slow him down and capture him!

  • My little experience after years of this post. Most of pirates are too fast when you engage them, here'a tip:
    Take a little ship, in perfect conditions (98-99%), full armed, with only 2 sailors less than the pirate. If you want fill up the ship to its full amount. Then engage the pirate, often he would not escape, thinking that he could capture your ship. Then damage him, slow him down and capture him!

    Thats a Good start.

    I Always use a crayer level 3 and ballistas with 18-22 men. Maybe with only 4 small.ballistas.


    The trick to take Beneke is to reduce His ship to 90% in THE first run, 80% 2:th ,70% 3:th by then you usually can capture him rather easily.

    The trick is also to wait for THE pirates to plunder.

    When you see the sign "Beneke plunder" yoll know he is going to get to His homebase.

    They are much slower with valuable cargo.

    Then he is much easier to capture.


    Beneke is superfast so only ballististas and maybe 18 sailors with cutlasses usually do the trick.

    This works with other pirates as well.

    To locate His base before he is start plundering before he gets 2 cogs and a crayer also helps.

    Another trick is to load a snaikka with only 8-10 sailors and rightclick at the beginning and do the Main fighting with your crayer.

    IF things go wrong you can sink Them both.

    Or manually reduce THE pirates occupied with your snaikka.

    When the snaikka is busy being boarded you go to work with your 18-men crayer.

    And you usually get the more valuable cogs this way.

    With a Little luck you can capture all the enemies ships. This requires One snaikka (10) and One crayer (18).

    An upgraded cog Will also do.

    20 sailors with No armament purely for capturing enemy ships.more men isnt Always necessary because the pirates has a sailing-bonus. So by keeping the crew at minimum you have in many cases a better chance for capturing.

    usually a single level 3 crayer with only small ballistas is in many cases enough.

    Pirates are easier to spot with cogs and hulks than crayer and snaikkas.

    So in later game (after ca 2 years) cogs can be used against pirate crayers also.

    They have excellent turning radius and can sideshoot very efficient.

    Cannon and bombardment is in many ways Overkill and utterly expensive in THE beginning stages.

    You doesnt need to sink the ship but repair Them for storage freighters between towns.

    Ex captured cogs for grain,fish and Wood, load labelled items.

    This forces THE pirates to a mere minimum later on and prevent Beneke for becoming superpowerful.

    As a bonus your popularity.will skyrocket....

    Sell as much at least at 15% margin is aquired.

    The Hanseatic Empire as a whole had a profit margin at 15% anually.

    Producing timber can also make a profit, but only where it has full production.

    Even in the hardest settings. Historically the Hanseatic purchased the timber from Torun and Alborg.

    Thoose 18 Golden is lost gold...

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