So what happens when you die?

[YukoValis]

I haven't yet.. I'm not planning on it either. But I'm curious if the islands move around, or their supplies? If someone else started a new game would they have a different world? I ask these questions because I'm wondering why there isn't a proper item guide. Also do you really die of old age?

[MarQan]

When your captain dies you simply move on to the next one. You have a chance to pass along a few "things", but not the ship, or most items. Since a lot of opportunities are once in a (captain)lifetime, you will have to die for some of them, and you'll want to die for others.

Starting a new game is different however: it's a completely fresh start, so be careful with that.
Yes, the map changes both when your captain dies and when you start a new game.
I'm not sure what you meant by "their supplies".
Your captain can't die of old age.

First few hours are definitely about exploration and that's how you gonna learn about the items.
Most of them are used for certain interactions and re-obtainable (if not, and you need it, that, for example, is a good reason to die).

[the-truthseeker]

Well, assuming you mean your hull breaks, a mutiny, or all your crew is lost (you are one of the crew total of course) you get a "lose" screen. There is more than one depending on your death/end.


After that, there is a "Warrant of Redemption[sunlesssea.gamepedia.com]" screen. Those who "continue" from your lost captain are chosen (and win lose or draw, all captains who end a game get this specific screen.)


Depending if you didn't make a hard reset game (which makes this point moot,) and gained/still have and didn't lose him/her/it in the last game, a scion allows a second selection from this location.

Assuming you choose not to make a brand new game, you get to keep certain things and any and all Legacy books you found in this (or a previous) game now affect that stat score.

If you were choosing not to have a "successor" captain, choosing a new game resets any and all progress as if you were a brand new first time zailing captain and had not gotten anything. It's a choice option, but for the obvious reasons above and below, most choose to make a consecutive captain gaining the stuff outlined and next described. All new game stats start at 25 for example.




As noted, you can recover half of a base (not with items) stat (or 25 whichever is higher.)

Depending on your selection(s) you can gain half (or all of if you choose both selections that offer) your wealth, an officer (the storyline is also reset, so if they were updated, you should get the original version, but I could be wrong if that was updated and I haven't used it since,) a weapon, and/or (and this also answers one of your questions) the map of your explored area and does not shift the movable locations

(Of course, the catch is you can't get any fragments for exploring an already explored area. Unless it's am amazing money-making map setup, most pass on the Correspondent option. Then again, Pages is difficult to raise, so if it is a good map and you know how to farm fragments, and your pages score is high, it can be used. But I'd rather keep something like the Rival's Memento Mori option and use that until I get a second and sell one.)

If you do not choose the Correspondent on the Redemption page, the next captain has a newly-shifted map of the non-border ports. If you made an Ironclad will before dying (and do this every game,) you keep your home and any Heirlooms stored there. Any stories on the ports and their corresponding rewards (some with random payouts depending on SAY) stay the same, unless of course new stories are updated and that location has the new stories (at the time of this reply, a new Christmastide permanent update (it will be here after Christmas) holiday addition "Mr. Sacks" story was added to the Avid Horizon for those who submitted its port report, but it's advised to have explored most of the charted world, as it does require a lot of zailing, but that's all I know.)

There is no "old age death" unless you unlock something that states that, and such a game would be considered a "victory" condition (it may or may not have wording like that on certain Hidden Ambitions, so I cannot share that detail.)

What you can do besides going for your chosen (assuming you aren't playing a past wreathed in shadows as there is no choice on this option) Regular Ambition or (and hidden pasts can do this to win) finding a Hidden Ambition (and doing either which are multiple options is considered a "victory") is decide to just retire before meeting victory conditions. If you do so, the game is considered a "draw." You don't get a victory counter increase and you don't get a bump to any stats (when a victory does awards it.) You still get the Warrant of redemption screen and any items you had outside the home/heirlooms/legacy books are lost, so it's best to sell everything and go to a "dinner table" boat for maximum echoes. (This is also true should you meet victory conditions and wish to retire with a "win," so sell everything down to the dinner table except the house if you are winning with a chosen Ambition.)

The "final" option which (technically) is considered a "draw" is ending the game with some special "discovery" that (if you don't already have it from your current or prior captain's voyage) can unlock a "legacy" book. So, if you finally stole a Dirigible or found a way to go "North" with a certain somebody, you'd end the game and unlock said Legacy book, but not get any victory conditions, but still get that redemption screen of course. For obvious reasons, these endings require you (as do some hidden victories of course) to keep a ship to trigger them, but short of them needing a specific amount of hold space (and some do, and some don't) it's best to sell down to the least expensive ship needed and sell as much as you can besides the last voyage requirements to make as much profit next game.

(Of course, if not choosing a wealth redemption, this whole thing may not apply, and you may choose to keep one weapon or an officer for example and not need to sell any ship since you always start with the steamer every new game and have to buy or unlock a new ship based on the next captain's wealth/heirlooms anyway.)


Finally, I don't understand what you mean by a "proper item guide." However, if you'd like to see all items available in game, this wiki area[sunlesssea.gamepedia.com] can help (besides the entire wiki of course.) If this is not what you meant, please clarify to us what you mean?


Consider yourself lucky; most people don't get a straight answer when they ask that metaphysical question! :

[root1902]

How do you make an iron-clad will?

I've not had the option yet.

[MarQan]

Originally posted by root1902:

How do you make an iron-clad will?

I've not had the option yet.

Fallen London -> Your Lodgings -> Study
You need Elegant Townhouse or better.

[root1902]

Ok thanks. :)

[YukoValis]

Originally posted by the-truthseeker:

Well,
Consider yourself lucky; most people don't get a straight answer when they ask that metaphysical question! :

Damn. wow thank you for all that information. It was very helpful. Especially letting me know there is a wiki :) At least now I have some sense, without ruining the fun. When games switch up on you, it is nice to know what you should remember, and what you can't rely on anymore.