Success as a solo player

[The Ghost of Sir Edward]

After over 2700 hours of game play i have come to the conclusion that their can be no success in Naval Action as a solo player or even as a clan player who routinely sails alone. The reasons for this are as follows;

1. Low chance of success in open world hunting. Enemy players almost always sail in groups that are actively hunting for lone players or smaller groups. As a result of this it is inevitable that a solo player will be intercepted by larger, more powerful ships and sunk. The typical counter to this is for players to sail in lighter, faster ship. Unfortunately I have found that the combination of woods that grant those higher speeds also degrade the ship's fighting quality to the extent that they are unable to stand up in combat against other warships in their class much less their rate, making them almost useless except for hunting trading ships.

2. Solo Trade/Resource gathering in large traders is no longer viable. The ability to use Indiaman or LGVs to trade or gather resources successfully outside of a player nation's reinforcement zones has been reduced to almost zero. As a solo player I can expect to have one or two successful trips, but after that it is almost a certainty that going outside the zone will result in my traders being intercepted, chased down and sunk. If I remain in the reinforcement zone I have a somewhat greater measure of safety but limited chances to earn gold or find important resources. At the same time I also run a higher risk of interception by enemy Hercules and Le Requin in the green zone, that have both the speed and firepower to operate there successfully. The end result of this is to remove a vital piece of my income as a solo player.

3. Inability to acquire elite level mods or skill books. Despite the developer's and PVP cult claims to the contrary, mods and skill books are an essential element to success in playing Naval action. If this were not so they would hardly be concerned if the mods or skill books existed at all. In any combat instance, if the contending players themselves are of near equal capability, barring any flukes or random mishaps, the ship with the superior mods will consistently win. These winning ships earn large rewards in gold and PVP marks and random drops which in turn allow their owners to acquire better mods and books which then enables them to repeat the cycle again and again. Because of their rarity these mods and skill books are extremely expensive to purchase but because of the conditions set out above it is virtually impossible for solo players to earn the amount of gold needed to purchase them.

4. Over emphasis on the clan system. Most new players don't want to join a clan right away, they prefer to experience the game for a while and get a feel for it. The developers pushing for clan membership and the not so obvious benefits for being in a clan is somewhat off putting to many new players as well as quite a few veterans. As if somehow by not being in a clan you are a less viable player than someone who is. To further worsen the situation, many clans have become a status symbol for egocentric players rather than being a support system for their members, an environment that leaves the non elite membership sitting in the wings. The exclusion from port battles of non clan members or members of clans not listed as allies is a particularly glaring insult to individuals wanting to participate in game content but are unable to do so because of often toxic in game politics. 

There are quite a few minor issues that I have not mentioned, but in my opinion these are the four that stand out the most and prevent solo players, no doubt by design, from experiencing any real success in the game. Are their fixes for these problems, absolutely. Reducing the amount of gold, marks and XP rewarded to winners of unbalanced fights, making the AI on fleet ships more effective, granting access to unfilled port battles for non clan members or clan members who are not listed as allies of the defending or attacking clan and reducing the effects of mods and skill books. These would all go a long way to improving the situation. But unfortunately so long as the PVP cult is pandered to, this situation will continue to prevail and as a result solo players will continue to live on the sidelines of Naval Action.

Edited August 27, 2018 by The Ghost of Sir Edward

[Powderhorn]

@Iroquois Confederacy

[Cetric de Cornusiac]

Points 1 and 2, see my suggestion about a message board in port where you could find escort captains and contract them for a joint convoy to your destination port.

 

[Liq]

Regarding point 1, yes you will sometimes end up facing several enemies (in bigger ships), but that doesn't mean you shouldnt try. Use cheap ships, that way loss won't hurt much. Once you get past the point of worrying about losing ships, you'll get even better.

Chance of failing is there, but trying can be worth it

few examples

 

 

Of Course it won't always work and there will be losses, but you gotta BELIEVE and at least try. Sometimes you got to fight the odds, and might be surprised by the outcome.

As for the rest...

I tend to agree - I do think the "Elite" upgrades shouldnt even be a thing. Way too powerful, especially when combined with the base ones (which are fine, IMHO).

I do think, one of the main issues with the small new playerbase we get nowadays is that the RvR scene by now is in hands of vets having played 2+ years, being in their own small (often closed) groups; the access to RvR for new players therefore is pretty hard.

Of course it won't always work and there will be losses, but you gotta BELIEVE and at least try. Sometimes you got to fight hte odds, and might be surprised by the outcome.

As for the rest...

I tend to agree - I do think the "Elite" upgrades shouldn't even be a thing. Way too powerful, especially when combined with the base ones (which are fine, IMHO).

I do think, one of the main issues with the small new playerbase we get nowadays is that the RvR scene by now is in hands of vets having played 2+ years, being in their own small (often closed) groups; the access to RvR for new players therefore is pretty hard - also because of the difference in knowledge. Saying the same thing over and over again (use manual sailing, focus fire, dont sail downwind in brawl, don't shoot at angled hull, ....) can be annoying, and thus focus on recruitment might be lower

I remember when I started the game (playing as GB), RvR and Capturing port was more of a national effort.

Not too sure if focussing 100% on clans is the right approach.

Edited August 27, 2018 by Liq
I hate spoilers

[Old Crusty]

21 minutes ago, The Ghost of Sir Edward said:

After over 2700 hours of game play i have come to the conclusion that their can be no success in Naval Action as a solo player or even as a clan player who routinely sails alone. The reasons for this are as follows;

1. Low chance of success in open world hunting. Enemy players almost always sail in groups that are actively hunting for lone players or smaller groups. As a result of this it is inevitable that a solo player will be intercepted by larger, more powerful ships and sunk. The typical counter to this is for players to sail in lighter, faster ship. Unfortunately I have found that the combination of woods that grant those higher speeds also degrade the ship's fighting quality to the extent that they are unable to stand up in combat against other warships in their class much less their rate, making them almost useless except for hunting trading ships.

2. Solo Trade/Resource gathering in large traders is no longer viable. The ability to use Indiaman or LGVs to trade or gather resources successfully outside of a player nation's reinforcement zones has been reduced to almost zero. As a solo player I can expect to have one or two successful trips, but after that it is almost a certainty that going outside the zone will result in my traders being intercepted, chased down and sunk. If I remain in the reinforcement zone I have a somewhat greater measure of safety but limited chances to earn gold or find important resources. At the same time I also run a higher risk of interception by enemy Hercules and Le Requin in the green zone, that have both the speed and firepower to operate there successfully. The end result of this is to remove a vital piece of my income as a solo player.

3. Inability to acquire elite level mods or skill books. Despite the developer's and PVP cult claims to the contrary, mods and skill books are an essential element to success in playing Naval action. If this were not so they would hardly be concerned if the mods or skill books existed at all. In any combat instance, if the contending players themselves are of near equal capability, barring any flukes or random mishaps, the ship with the superior mods will consistently win. These winning ships earn large rewards in gold and PVP marks and random drops which in turn allow their owners to acquire better mods and books which then enables them to repeat the cycle again and again. Because of their rarity these mods and skill books are extremely expensive to purchase but because of the conditions set out above it is virtually impossible for solo players to earn the amount of gold needed to purchase them.

4. Over emphasis on the clan system. Most new players don't want to join a clan right away, they prefer to experience the game for a while and get a feel for it. The developers pushing for clan membership and the not so obvious benefits for being in a clan is somewhat off putting to many new players as well as quite a few veterans. As if somehow by not being in a clan you are a less viable player than someone who is. To further worsen the situation, many clans have become a status symbol for egocentric players rather than being a support system for their members leaving the non elite membership sitting in the wings. The exclusion from port battles of non clan members or members of clans not listed as allies is a particularly glaring insult to individuals wanting to participate in game content but are unable to do so because of often toxic in game politics. 

There are quite a few minor issues that I have not mentioned, but in my opinion these are the four that stand out the most and prevent solo players, no doubt by design, from experiencing any real success in the game. Are their fixes for these problems, absolutely. Reducing the amount of gold, marks and XP rewarded to winners of unbalanced fights, making the AI on fleet ships more effective, granting access to unfilled port battles for non clan members or clan members who are not listed as allies of the defending or attacking clan and reducing the effects of mods and skill books. These would all go a long way to improving the situation. But unfortunately so long as the PVP cult is pandered to, this situation will continue to prevail and as a result solo players will continue to live on the sidelines of Naval Action.

I understand your points but you do understand that you want all the benefits of an organization without being part of an organization.

Take Port Battles. How do you see this happening for solo players? Whoever enters the port battle first gets in? Who then is in charge? Or would you expect everyone in the Port Battle to fight on their own?

It is absolutely your choice to be solo but I am sure that you are smart enough to know that without knowing people that would be involved with the defense of a port, how would you expect to get into the battle. Battles are fought by organized units. Without organization they cannot win. So I ask again, how do you see yourself being part of a Port Battle fleet being SOLO?

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, Old Crusty said:

Battles are fought by organized units. Without organization they cannot win. So I ask again, how do you see yourself being part of a Port Battle fleet being SOLO? 

Anyone can join Teamspeak! or use nation/battle chat. "Nations" assignment is the mechanic for solo players to participate.

Edited August 27, 2018 by Guest

[The Ghost of Sir Edward]

1 minute ago, Old Crusty said:

I understand your points but you do understand that you want all the benefits of an organization without being part of an organization.

Take Port Battles. How do you see this happening for solo players? Whoever enters the port battle first gets in? Who then is in charge? Or would you expect everyone in the Port Battle to fight on their own?

It is absolutely your choice to be solo but I am sure that you are smart enough to know that without knowing people that would be involved with the defense of a port, how would you expect to get into the battle. Battles are fought by organized units. Without organization they cannot win. So I ask again, how do you see yourself being part of a Port Battle fleet being SOLO?

I have found that small clans have too few members to provide protection or resources to it's members and unless you belong to the inner circle of a large clan, there is very little benefit at all to being a member there as well.  Most of the large clans are either busy with RvR or feud oriented PvP to help regular members with their more mundane tasks.

As for port battles a simple solution would be that an attacking or defending clan with fewer than 25 ships could, after entering the instance, click a button and open the port battle to all ships of it's nationality. I have seen many instances where the ships were available but not employed because they were not allies of the defending or attacking clan and could therefore not enter the battle. Such a mechanism would result in a first come first served situation for the non clan ships but would at least give solo players an opportunity to RvR.

The point is not to be given a crutch as a solo player but to stop being barred from content because I'm either not in a clan or not in the right clan.

 

[Angus MacDuff]

I call bullshit on 1, 2 &4.  I'm mostly solo and sometimes sail with one buddy.  We join the nation for PBs but solo is no problem.  #3 is an issue.  I find it very challenging to get the really good books.

Edited August 27, 2018 by Oberon74

[Old Crusty]

10 minutes ago, The Ghost of Sir Edward said:

The point is not to be given a crutch as a solo player but to stop being barred from content because I'm either not in a clan or not in the right clan.

You are not barred from content in the game. It is specifically your choice to not be part of an organization.

[Thonys]

1 hour ago, The Ghost of Sir Edward said:

After over 2700 hours of game play i have come to the conclusion that their can be no success in Naval Action as a solo player or even as a clan player who routinely sails alone. The reasons for this are as follows;

1. Low chance of success in open world hunting. Enemy players almost always sail in groups that are actively hunting for lone players or smaller groups. As a result of this it is inevitable that a solo player will be intercepted by larger, more powerful ships and sunk. The typical counter to this is for players to sail in lighter, faster ship. Unfortunately I have found that the combination of woods that grant those higher speeds also degrade the ship's fighting quality to the extent that they are unable to stand up in combat against other warships in their class much less their rate, making them almost useless except for hunting trading ships.

2. Solo Trade/Resource gathering in large traders is no longer viable. The ability to use Indiaman or LGVs to trade or gather resources successfully outside of a player nation's reinforcement zones has been reduced to almost zero. As a solo player I can expect to have one or two successful trips, but after that it is almost a certainty that going outside the zone will result in my traders being intercepted, chased down and sunk. If I remain in the reinforcement zone I have a somewhat greater measure of safety but limited chances to earn gold or find important resources. At the same time I also run a higher risk of interception by enemy Hercules and Le Requin in the green zone, that have both the speed and firepower to operate there successfully. The end result of this is to remove a vital piece of my income as a solo player.

3. Inability to acquire elite level mods or skill books. Despite the developer's and PVP cult claims to the contrary, mods and skill books are an essential element to success in playing Naval action. If this were not so they would hardly be concerned if the mods or skill books existed at all. In any combat instance, if the contending players themselves are of near equal capability, barring any flukes or random mishaps, the ship with the superior mods will consistently win. These winning ships earn large rewards in gold and PVP marks and random drops which in turn allow their owners to acquire better mods and books which then enables them to repeat the cycle again and again. Because of their rarity these mods and skill books are extremely expensive to purchase but because of the conditions set out above it is virtually impossible for solo players to earn the amount of gold needed to purchase them.

4. Over emphasis on the clan system. Most new players don't want to join a clan right away, they prefer to experience the game for a while and get a feel for it. The developers pushing for clan membership and the not so obvious benefits for being in a clan is somewhat off putting to many new players as well as quite a few veterans. As if somehow by not being in a clan you are a less viable player than someone who is. To further worsen the situation, many clans have become a status symbol for egocentric players rather than being a support system for their members, an environment that leaves the non elite membership sitting in the wings. The exclusion from port battles of non clan members or members of clans not listed as allies is a particularly glaring insult to individuals wanting to participate in game content but are unable to do so because of often toxic in game politics. 

There are quite a few minor issues that I have not mentioned, but in my opinion these are the four that stand out the most and prevent solo players, no doubt by design, from experiencing any real success in the game. Are their fixes for these problems, absolutely. Reducing the amount of gold, marks and XP rewarded to winners of unbalanced fights, making the AI on fleet ships more effective, granting access to unfilled port battles for non clan members or clan members who are not listed as allies of the defending or attacking clan and reducing the effects of mods and skill books. These would all go a long way to improving the situation. But unfortunately so long as the PVP cult is pandered to, this situation will continue to prevail and as a result solo players will continue to live on the sidelines of Naval Action.

point 1...True ( if )

point 2...True  ( if )

pont 3...True ( if )

point 4...WRONG---///  you are in a wrong clan...

 

if you are in a good clan....you do not go sail solo but with clan mates to do the trading routes (2).

you ask clan mates to trade nice upgrades and book among them selfs. (3)

and you and your clan mates go out in a group to do the same your enemies do  (3)

and if you want to go alone, you go alone whatever you want.

 

so you see its all about joining a good clan...

 

but, if you stay more alone yeah its very hard to play...

 

Edited August 27, 2018 by Thonys

[The Ghost of Sir Edward]

26 minutes ago, Liq said:

Regarding point 1, yes you will sometimes end up facing several enemies (in bigger ships), but that doesn't mean you shouldnt try. Use cheap ships, that way loss won't hurt much. Once you get past the point of worrying about losing ships, you'll get even better.

Chance of failing is there, but trying can be worth it

few examples

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Of Course it won't always work and there will be losses, but you gotta BELIEVE and at least try. Sometimes you got to fight the odds, and might be surprised by the outcome.

As for the rest...

I tend to agree - I do think the "Elite" upgrades shouldnt even be a thing. Way too powerful, especially when combined with the base ones (which are fine, IMHO).

I do think, one of the main issues with the small new playerbase we get nowadays is that the RvR scene by now is in hands of vets having played 2+ years, being in their own small (often closed) groups; the access to RvR for new players therefore is pretty hard.

Of course it won't always work and there will be losses, but you gotta BELIEVE and at least try. Sometimes you got to fight hte odds, and might be surprised by the outcome.

As for the rest...

I tend to agree - I do think the "Elite" upgrades shouldn't even be a thing. Way too powerful, especially when combined with the base ones (which are fine, IMHO).

I do think, one of the main issues with the small new playerbase we get nowadays is that the RvR scene by now is in hands of vets having played 2+ years, being in their own small (often closed) groups; the access to RvR for new players therefore is pretty hard - also because of the difference in knowledge. Saying the same thing over and over again (use manual sailing, focus fire, dont sail downwind in brawl, don't shoot at angled hull, ....) can be annoying, and thus focus on recruitment might be lower

I remember when I started the game (playing as GB), RvR and Capturing port was more of a national effort.

Not too sure if focussing 100% on clans is the right approach.

The issue is not one of trying or putting yourself in a position where defeat is possible in exchange for significant reward. I have years of experience in the game, I am what many would consider a veteran so I do have a measure of what can be done and what can't be done in the current game environment. Right now, if I meet an enemy, it is far more probable than not that I will be overpowered and capped or sunk, regardless of the ship I'm in. Players in faster ships need only tag me and keep me in the battle instance as other ships are brought up. And because in the battle instance I am not actually making any distance between my point of entry and point of departure there is virtually no chance that I will be able evade. 

The only way I know of leveling the field in this situation is to make fleet ships more effective. Provide more command options and give them better AI, no buffing of the ships themselves would be desirable. 

[Licinio Chiavari]

A lot depends on what you do on which ship and where.

Honestly I lose more ships hunting in groups than hunting alone... and I got usually more reward (marks) while hunting alone.

[Galt]

I would be willing to accept, as much as the clans wouldn't like it, to allow anyone from the same nation to join 15 minutes after the port battle starts. 
 

Clans would have 15 minutes to get only themselves and their allies in, fill the BR if they can, as normal. But after 15 minutes, if there is any BR left, anyone from the same nation can join. As a persistent member of RvR clans, I understand that it's easy to forget about the little guy, and how excited I was to join pbs early in the game. I feel like this would be a perfect middle ground to what we have now and still allowing new players to experience pbs. 

Of course this would bring back the "alts in pb" issue but be on time and have the players and it wouldn't be an issue. 

[The Ghost of Sir Edward]

27 minutes ago, Thonys said:

so you see its all about joining a good clan...

Yeah I see that. Reminds me of the Borg on Star Trek.

 

[Thonys]

Just now, The Ghost of Sir Edward said:

Yeah I see that. Reminds me of the Borg on Star Trek.

 

resistance is futile

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

You can join a clan just for a PB. Then you leave. Some solo guys do it. ( in truth they are social just don't want a clan tag )

[The Ghost of Sir Edward]

2 minutes ago, Hethwill the Harmless said:

You can join a clan just for a PB. Then you leave. Some solo guys do it. ( in truth they are social just don't want a clan tag )

Uh huh. I can see it all now....,... Shhh, shh,  just click accept, it's only for a little while.  Sorry been there and i've done that, I know that there are good clans out there for the players in them, but I also know that most clans are just run for the benefit of their top players and no one else. As for the effectiveness of clans at getting anything done, I have raised more hell riding a Santi in my one man clan than the entire nation of Spain managed in a week. 

 

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Okay sir, was just an idea and how some have done it.

In truth we've came a long way since the "first entry first served" of flag days. Conquest is now Clan + friend Clans based.

No more "abuses" as before ( alts taking slots, entering with odd ships, etc). All responsability fall on the shoulders of the clans.

It is the price we pay for unintended gameplay by many back in those times.

 

Another solution is for you to make a 1 man clan. Some players do that as well.

[Preechur Blackheart]

Regarding the 'inevitability' of losing trade ships, as a solo player, this is historical. Unless you were willing to sail in convoys, you knew that losing your trade ship was very possible. Owners counted on making enough trips (1 or 2 at least) to clear a profit enough to sustain the loss of the ship. Any trips completed afterwards were gravy. This especially held true for blockade runners...

[Archaos]

I have to say I disagree with most of the points raised in the OP, I think there is chances for the solo player but it is not going to be as easy as it is when working together with friends or clan mates.

1. Solo hunting is still viable but you just have to choose your targets carefully and have a ship you can escape in if the odds turn against you. The Le Requin has led to a large increase in solo raiders because of its ability to escape. When solo raiding you have to be prepared to have many fruitless searches for targets, which can be boring.

2. Most trading in game is still a solo activity, the only real difference being in a clan makes is that you can ask for someone to check that a port is clear before you arrive in the danger zone. There are not many traders who sail the whole journey with an escort. Read the thread called "Trade Exploit" regarding short hi-profit trade runs that are available in the game. If its trading for ship building resources then it is a bit more difficult to do solo because of how the resources are spread out, but it is still possible. I used to solo run with teak logs from Gran Turk through the Mona passage and onto Belize and I was never intercepted once.

3. Personally I acquired all elite skill books solo, you just have to do the grind. Attack AI fleets outside the green zone in some quiet corner of the map, the elite skill books will eventually drop or you will have multiple copies of some that can be traded for others that will not drop for you. I actually sold some for PvP marks so I could obtain the PvP rewards skill books. I only ever did one Epic mission and that was after I had all the books I needed.

4. Personally I think there is not enough emphasis on the clan system and that is why there are so many small clans in one nation rather than a couple of big clans that define the nation. I have seen solo players join a clan just so they are able to participate in a port battle but to do that the clan have to know who the player is and have some knowledge of his skills, so it is not going to be an option for a player who does not interact well with others. At the end of the day RvR is a group event so it is not really viable that it should be open to solo players.

[Liq]

1 hour ago, The Ghost of Sir Edward said:

The issue is not one of trying or putting yourself in a position where defeat is possible in exchange for significant reward. I have years of experience in the game, I am what many would consider a veteran so I do have a measure of what can be done and what can't be done in the current game environment. Right now, if I meet an enemy, it is far more probable than not that I will be overpowered and capped or sunk, regardless of the ship I'm in. Players in faster ships need only tag me and keep me in the battle instance as other ships are brought up. And because in the battle instance I am not actually making any distance between my point of entry and point of departure there is virtually no chance that I will be able evade. 

The only way I know of leveling the field in this situation is to make fleet ships more effective. Provide more command options and give them better AI, no buffing of the ships themselves would be desirable. 

If I understood correctly you are refering to the revenge fleet phenomena, which I agree is BS. Battles in capital areas are open the whole time now do so got to be careful there, which I think is reasonable.

However, Anywhere else on the map the general rule should be you see what ypu get, thats why we got the 3 min (formerly 2 min) join timer.

We did have a way more significant speedboost and invisibility timer after Leaving a battle. These are now reduced to a point where a somewhat smart revenge squad can easily catch you upon Leaving the battle.

Solution: re increase both (invis. And speed Boost), as I think the main argument was used by those complaining about capital water hitters. I tend to Not hunt in capital areas now just because you never know what might spawn in in the 90 min.

Regarding AI: I dont think AI will ever be able to get to a Level where they are actually useful in smaller engagements, which I think is also a Good thing. Focus should be on PvP if you're out hunting for other players.

[John Jacob Astor]

2 hours ago, Thonys said:

if you are in a good clan....you do not go sail solo but with clan mates to do the trading routes (2).

Which I've found problematic with timezone differentials and the hours I'm online.  I've found I'm better off solo and low-profile.  Never EVER talk about where you operate.

It attracts raiders.  Particularly when your clanmates insist on putting detailed rosters with player assets up where everybody can see them.

 

2 hours ago, Thonys said:

so you see its all about joining a good clan...

This is a bit more difficult than you might think, based on my experience since starting last Winter.  New players are pretty much at the mercy of whoever recruits them.  I am hoping this improves with the clan leaderboard that @admin promised last spring.

2 hours ago, Thonys said:

but, if you stay more alone yeah its very hard to play...

 

Well, yes.  But it's actually better than being in a problematic clan and getting sucked into drama.

Particularly as a merchant.  If any of you are aware of a merchant-friendly clan, I am all ears.

[Charles Edward Stuart]

Quote

[...] granting access to unfilled port battles for non clan members or clan members who are not listed as allies of the defending or attacking clan [...]

It is, in my opinion, rare to find a post that I can disagree with on nearly every single point made. Even to the end that we would begin to remove the experience of some players just to "pander" to another group. The OP in this thread is disgruntled because he does not have the same success as players who choose to work together. I found myself mostly unwilling to grudge a response on the post until I got to the OP proposing we return to anarchy simply because he refuses to work with a team.

4 hours ago, The Ghost of Sir Edward said:

4. Over emphasis on the clan system. Most new players don't want to join a clan right away, they prefer to experience the game for a while and get a feel for it. [...] As if somehow by not being in a clan you are a less viable player than someone who is. [...] The exclusion from port battles of non clan members or members of clans not listed as allies is a particularly glaring insult to individuals wanting to participate in game content but are unable to do so because of often toxic in game politics. 

To speak quite plainly; a player who is not part of a clan or group is less viable than a player who is part of one. There were times when all players regardless of clan affinity could partake in a port battle, simply by waiting until the flag was planted and all those in the area jumping in. The result of this was utterly abused. By restricting port battles to the clans that organized it, regardless of if they are filled, we avoid this. Any suggestion of return to the dark age preceding that mechanic can simply be thrown right out. If a player wants to participate in a port battle of any kind, whatsoever, they must be ready to contribute to it at all steps of the way. Join the clan, raise the hostility, attend the battle, capture the port.

If you want to be part of national events, you must learn to play as part of the nation. You alone are responsible for feeling excluded.
I personally am familiar with many players who have greatly improved at the game, widened their horizons, and refreshed their experiences through joining clans. I would go so far as to say new players are the most likely to join a clan, as they provide them with assets, ships, activities, and opportunities to improve. I am not familiar with one single player who has gone "I'm not part of a clan, therefore this game is unplayable."

[Sverne]

Sounds like PvP server ain't for you. Join a clan and reap the benefits of teamwork, or play solo and feel the grind.

 

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

2 guys is a team. Granted sometimes is hard to have a fellow that has the same gameplay style, and play at the same time, and that has a attitude to match . true that.

But sometimes just takes a slight bit of effort to begin a great little group, a handful of fellow that share the same age of sail experience in NA.

good luck out there.