I need help, I suck at this game!

[Namkcor]

I'm going to skip my rant about how much I hate this game and how horrible it's designed and get right down to it.

I need help.

I've restarted too many times to count. I'm baffled so many people praise this game yet I find it impossible to progress. So I have to take a deep breath, and ask the people who enjoy this what I am doing wrong.


I need a new player guide, tips, etc on how to hit a solid income and provide for my crew while being able to follow the main quests. I keep going into debt with my crew. I need a good solid foundation on how to get started so that I have enough cushion to go and attack ships and be adventurous.

Lets assume I just finished Peter Blood's Prologue.

Thanks ahead of time. I really want to like this game. I'm trying.

[Philippe_at_bay]

It's been a long time since I played this game, but the trick is to manage your income and expenses.

Don't run out and get the hottest ship you can find because at first you might not be able to afford it. Big ships require big crews, and big crews not only have to be paid but they eat (and drink!) a lot. Big ships need lots of extra planks, sails, gunpowder, and ammunition, and that can get very expensive.

Whenever I've played these games the first thing I do is figure out how to make more money than I'm spending. This usually involves knowing the price of as many commodities as possible in as many locations as possible.. Once I've been to a lot of locations, I go down the list of what's for sale and figure out where I can sell at a profit. There are usually only a couple of profitable trades, and when I've identified them, I jump on them. What I'm buying and selling usually suggests a route, so if my hold isn't already completely full, I look for intermediate buy-sell opportunities along the way.

Plunder is an extension of this kind of trading: figure out if there's a port that pays a good enough price for your looted goods to justify going out of your way. Most of the time you'll be sailing around with a full hold, so realize that there's an opportunity cost to carrying stuff: sometimes you're much better off dumping your loot and freeing up cargo space.

Crew quality is more important than quantity. I like to get three good fighting officers, and equip each one with a firearm and the best weapon that matches their skill set. If you have a decent sized (but not huge) crew, having three really good fighters to spear head your boarding parties can make you the terror of the seas. But the thing to realize about officers is that too many of them can bankrupt you, no matter how great they are. The key is to take on new expenses gradually, and not to add on a new officer until you're sure you can afford him.

One trick for managing your expenses while you're working out your best sources of income is to be aware that many officers can be switched in an out of different roles. Good bursars are important, but for the most part they only earn their pay when buying and selling goods in port. They're a bit more affordable if they have another ship-board function (like carpenter), but don't forget to re-deploy them when you get to port. So when hiring officers, don't hire anybody you can't afford, and (especially in the early game) try to hire people who have secondary skill that you need.

[Omi]

I did something like this.
For Peter Blood, after receiving the ship, I sail to the nearest island and buy myself a sloop, and on Sinko Ljagas, you can put any available officer as the captain and dismiss the entire team in the tavern.
Then save the game in the store and take tasks for the delivery of goods (money will be accumulated and navigation and trade will be pumped)
Over time, you can buy new ships with a large hold and continue transportation, or if there is already a sufficient level of trade, you can buy and sell goods yourself, looking at the prices of import and export.

Well, or you can watch how other players start on the same YouTube

I am writing via google translator :)

[Namkcor]

Yeah I was trying to play with the ship I stole. There is zero hand holding for a game with no instructions. I think I will be good now, following these instructions.

[Scipio Africanvs]

Listen to my words: smuggling IS YOUR SOURCE OF INCOME! Visit stores, find where they export stuff and where it's a contraband. Buy from export place, go to tavern of contraband place (like Fort De France for mahogany for example), talk to the smuggler and arrange a meeting. Go where he told you (it will be one of the beaches on the same island), sell the goods, fight the police after you and also maybe fight the police in naval battle or flee from them. Repeat until a millionaire!
To find money to buy your first time, go to a moneylender and borrow 4000 euro. Don't forget to pay him back in time.
Trust me, it works.
Better to do this by choosing a Dutch Character and trade between Willemstad and Fort De France with mahogany and from Fort de france back to Willemstad with tobacco.
Thank me later

Don't start with Peter Blood!
Don't fight any ship battles yet, you are not ready (yet)!
Remove all cannons to make space for contraband.
Use a fast ship at the beginning, like a lugger to be able to outrun the police, go to world map and then you are safe.
If you don't get a lugger as a starting ship, start new game until you do.

Also: the fighting in thid game is "hold space to block until you get a chance to attack. Repeat until enemy dead."

Don't fight multiple enemies in open space, try to bottleneck them in some narrow point or run around and shoot them and then run again until you reload and shoot again.

After a while you will get the hang of the game and be able to start off as something else than a smuggler but for a new player, snuggling is your friend.

If you don't have more than 100k in less than 10 smuggle sessions you are doing something wrong.

[russmiller4445]

My method is to go and lure pirates into port. Let the fort weaken them for you. then go capture. You'll need at least one officer to make that work. Otherwise, scoop up the loot that was thrown overboard & sell. Fighting pirates, trade, being a pirate, bank investments in a strong fortified cities only has been my ticket to wealth. I don't buy ships, I sell. I usually don't smuggle except to off load lots of unwanted cargo. Usually get caught & you need a fast ship to get away, not for early game. I don't believe it really matters what nation you fly under, money is to be made by all of them. Fighting pirates in port or on high seas with other ships is your early game to success.

[omar.gamal94]

AT THE BEGINNING CHOOSE YOUR P.I.R.A.T.E.S POINTS VERY CAREFULLY.
see here for details https://ageofpirates.fandom.com/wiki/Age_of_Pirates_Wiki#P.I.R.A.T.E.S.
The short story is Talent must be at least 9, reaction no less than 7 or 8, authority is preferably 5 (or 4 if talent is 10 i perfer 5 authority for balanced game experience). The rest for power and endurance 8 and 7. Insight and success as low as possible.

Like SCVTVM mentioned, smuggling is your best policy in the beginning regardless of whether you are new or not in my opinion. Also for Peter Blood, I prefer to scare the guy skipping town and rip off the money lender (that's 57000 head start if I am not mistaken). Then use the Fort DeFrance - Willemstad Mahogany route or Charlestown La Vega Sandalwood smuggling routes. For Curaçao and Nevis dont moor in the harbor but on the shores where smuggling usually take place. Even if the guards are after you in Charlestown or Willemstad, just run like hell to the tavern talk to smugglers then back to the shore where you moored (preferably at night because of the fewer gaurds. Do your deal and run like hell. For Peter Blood, your initial vessel may be bad for you (because you cant navigate it), but it is hella roomy. Best policy, let a nooby officer navigate it and buy yourself a ship you can actually navigate.

Because you ripped off the money lender AND escaped custody as an English slave they will be angry at you. After your second smuggling operation negotiate with a diplomat to get England off your back. Diplomats exist in every pirate settlement tavern, sitting close to the bartender. Think of it as a huge loan from that money lender instead of the lousy 4000 you would normally get. Also avoid bounty hunters until you are in the clear. Afterwards depending on how much money you have, do another smuggling or just store away your special frigate at any Port Master's office (just remember where you moored it because the info wont be available later if you forgot) and start the easy quests per this wiki
https://ageofpirates.fandom.com/wiki/Important_Quests
It is especially favorable to start with Austin's quest and Search for Sharp's Spy then The Double-Barreled Musket then Hunting the Blue Bird when you have a better ship and crew.

If you are not playing as Peter Blood, which I prefer because of the awesome Frigate at the start, just borrow some money and start smuggling. You should also learn the basics of swords fighting for the Austin quest.
Austin Quest could give you seed money instead of ripping off that money lender or if you start with someone other than peter blood, it also provides excellent weapons' for the rest of your game.
Afterwards, just upgrade your skills gradually and every once in a while you could smuggle some more. Also, dont forget to store your excess money with moneylenders for some interest.
Good luck and enjoy this awesome game

[russmiller4445]

Hi, my two cents worth. At start of game, load up on (P.R.E.) power,reaction,& endurance to 10. This gives you LP, stamina in a fight, more wt. to carry more stuff. Play with the numbers & see for yourself. If you can't keep your sword up all night, what good is Talent. In the personal attributes, go for adrenaline rush followed by dynamo. This will allow you to use heavy weapons later in game. Pick up Life Line? asap. Both depend on rank progression. If you look at rank, there is a fraction given. The denominator decreases with increase in Talent, this allows you to choose personal items sooner. I say forget it, take your time, you'll get there. Load up on P.R.E. mention above. For making money, not hard. Kill & loot the spooks in caves & dungeons. Shortly after, hire your officers. Then stay in port, go to world map, a pirate ship will come for you. Let the fort do the bulk of the fighting. Then go in for the take down. Capturing & looting ships is your ticket to wealth. Also, invest max amount allow by banks in strong cities. The interest you get is massive over time. Just don't let the city fall to invasion or you lose your money. Don't forget, this is a pirate game, not a traders game. Pirate first, trade to kill time.

[AngryVC]

I dunno how others, but most easy way to make some money is (At least for me)
1) hire 1 officer
2) in naval battle, board the ship, capture it and sell it.
3) swap to captured only if you have your navigation skill enough for that tier. You should have enough money by selling old ship to hire new crew.
4) to keep my officers loyal I am trying to hire only the hones ones and in case I raid the merchan of the other nation and he surrender, I am leeting him go.
(sry for my bad english :-p)