Welcome to the Caribbean - Part 3.

New patch is coming today.

Some parts of the patch will require gradual slow introduction into the game so they will be staggered.

• RVR
  • Peace is still on. The deployment of new RVR mechanics will be staggered in stages.
    
  • RVR Flag item is already in game but do not drop - until the patch is fully stabilized
    
  • Port battle transport item is already in game but do not drop or cannot be bought - until the patch is fully stabilized
    
  • Flags and Battle transports will be initially distributed using an event, or will be given to all players as timed redeem on one of the weekends for mass real time test.
    
  • Description of mechanics
    • https://steamcommunity.com/app/311310/discussions/15/2284960483088698453/
• New player experience
  • New player mission is added to the game. The mission will let the player experience the beauty of the game right when he joins instead of overwhelming port UI. Player will immediately get into battle, learn by doing like in original sea trials and will have to deliver a message after a battle to a capital of his nation.
• New player protection
  • Light protection fleets added to capitals. On War server they will attack every ship above 30BR and will ignore light traders (Including trader brig)
    
  • They do not drop wood chests yet (until we teach them to run away). Only home defense fleets with skull symbol drop wood chests.
• Imported content
  • 1 New Imported ship added to the game
    • Victory 1765. The ship will go on sale as soon as Valve Approves the page
      
    • ETA - Today 28 May or Tomorrow 29th May
  
  
• Cheaper Edition Update
  • We have thought a lot what would be a cheaper starter edition but unfortunately the center of the game is combat and it is impossible to cut out the content without reducing the overall quality of experience. Which in turn would not achieve what we want.
    
  • As a result here is the plan
    • Every current owner of the game will receive a special ship redeemable every 24 hours
      
    • Price for the game will be lowered (new package created by Valve)
      
    • New package will not contain this ship (after price drop it wont be available)
      
    • The ship will redeemable every 24 hours like all Imported ships but will have special conditions.This
    • ship will not be imported. It can be captured, sold, gifted, taken over.
      
    • The ship is HMS Trincomalee.
      
    • Current Trincomalee will of course also remain as crafteable in game.

Trincomalee has a very interesting story https://steamcommunity.com/app/311310/discussions/15/2284960483088708663/

• Port investments.
  • Clans and large groups of people can now develop ports above their initial fixed points
    
  • 25 points (initially) can be added to ports using investments.
    
  • Every investment level gives 1 extra point to port development.
    
  • Investment are expensive and will require group effort
• Woods.
  • Woods added to blueprints but are not dropping in ports yet, because wood stats are still getting rebalanced.
    
  • New woods can be only used in crafting (they are not available in notes or redeemables)
• PVP and PVE
  • Hunts, Search and Destroy now also check for Steam ID, in a similar way to PVP hunt.
    
  • Some guns can now be picked up from sank players.
• Exit timers: Important!
  • 1 hit timer had to go. It created 1 hour chases wasting player’s time. It also allowed holding players in battles forever. This generated lots of hate, confusion and time wasting, including neverending griefing tribunals.
    
  • Player now has to deliver % damage to a player to stop escaping.
    
  • Battle timer increased to 5 mins (but can be increased further during experimentation phrase)
    
  • Exit timer is up to 3 mins (from 2 mins)
• ROE
  • Battle entry points fixed. Thanks for users for pointing this out. Previous entry points favored the attacker (which allowed his reinforcements to spawn closer to him). Now points are equal.
    
  • The pull circle has increased (70%) to reduce the need to go back to enter battles.
  
  
• Flags for groups and conquest flag
  • Changed flags based on the 1799 Signal book of ship of war
    • Group flag changed to Order of Sailing flag
      
    • Battle group flag changed to Battle Sailing
      
    • 
    • RVR/Conquest flag has changed back to Dangerous Cargo/Enemy in sight Flag (red flag)
• Other changes
  • Admiralty now buys Loki runes at 10 doubloons per rune
    
  • Money Locker added to stores and allows quick conversion of reals to Money Locker and back. Money lockers will be used for Port investments
    
  • Imported (DLC) ships now have (I) indicator in the name to give clear indication which ships cannot be captured (lets see how it works)
    
  • OW speed of Home defence fleets reduced by 5% to allow passers by more escape chances
    
  • Slightly buffed modern version of HMS Victory
    
  • Increased repairs production in capitals by 50%
• Critical bugs
  • Fixed bugs which spawned an NPC ship in group missions even if the group member did not join
    
  • Fixed bug that generated loot when sinking your own ship
    
  • Potential fix of the problem which sent Home defence fleets far away from their zone of operation
    
  • Fixed bug that did not sink players outside battle zone in some conditions.

Dozens of other changes.