Can't attack pirate ships

[Elric]

I'm playing the campaign scenario, and on occasion I've been attacked by pirate ships in the new world. They sunk my Clipper. :(

So after my Ship-of-the-Line returned from an expedition, and building two Frigates, I've been meaning to dish out some sweet payback, but I find myself unable to attack the pirate ships. The ships are now just ignoring each other, and I'm getting the option to "Escort" the pirate ship.
Anyone understand what is going on?

[XceptOne]

Do you have a cease fire with the pirates or even made peace? (Old and New World have different pirates)
Or are they still shooting at you?

[Gregomoto]

Publicado originalmente por XceptOne:

Do you have a cease fire with the pirates or even made peace? (Old and New World have different pirates)
Or are they still shooting at you?

Could also be an „peace“ item on his ships.

[Elric]

No... the new world pirate "Jean la Fortune", who I'm trying to attack doesn't even show up in the diplomacy menu, and I'm still at war with Anne Harlow in the old world.

I'm fairly certain it was his pirate ships that blew up my Clipper though. Now the ships are just ignoring each other.

[XceptOne]

Publicado originalmente por Elric:

No... the new world pirate "Jean la Fortune", who I'm trying to attack doesn't even show up in the diplomacy menu
...
Now the ships are just ignoring each other.

Now that's strange...
Did you discover Jeans' island?
Has it been destroyed? (I remember bugs with pirates coming back, but not being added back to the diplomacy menu, maybe that's still a thing)
Enemy ships from missions don't belong to any pirate faction, but they may still attack your ships.

[Elric]

No, I haven't discovered his island yet.

[XceptOne]

I just remembered, you should actually start in the cease fire state with Jean. Until he's had enough of you and declares war.

[Elric]

Yeah, I think I realized what was going on. I didn't actually have diplomatic contact with Jean yet, and when I met him, we were in "Peace" mode. This is probably why I couldn't attack his ships, even though he's labelled as "pirate".
And I suppose the ships that sunk my Clipper weren't actually his, but from those pyromaniacs that are the main adversaries in the new world.

[XceptOne]

Publicado originalmente por Elric:

...pyromaniacs...

Ah, right, I totally forgot they even existed (because they don't outside of campaign mode).