User Guide

sion, or through really impressive acts that further their interests.
Once you have regained a nation’s favour you regain the benefits
associated with your rank, and you become eligible for further pro-
motion.
The Ranks
Captain
In naval parlance of the day, a captain is the lowest ranking officer
who would be given an independent command.
Benefit: It is easier to recruit crewmen in that nation’s cities.
Major
A major is an officer of some importance in an army. When given to a
naval officer, the title is mostly honorary.
Benefit: Ship repairs are cheaper in that nation’s shipyards.
Colonel
A colonel is an officer of importance in an army. When given to a naval
officer, the title is mostly honorary.
Benefit: That nation’s merchants trade more goods with you.
Admiral
An admiral is deemed competent to command an entire fleet in bat-
tle. This is the highest military rank available to a naval officer.
Benefit: Ship upgrades are cheaper.
Baron
A nobleman of the lowest rank.
Benefit: Sailors love a lord! It is easier for a baron to recruit crewmen
in that nation’s taverns.
Count
A nobleman of the fourth rank, a count is superior to all commoners
and barons, but inferior to marquis and dukes.
Benefit: Ship repairs are free for counts in that nation’s shipyards.
Marquis
A nobleman of the third rank, the marquis is superior to all common-
ers, barons and counts, but inferior to dukes.
Benefit: That nation’s merchants will have many more goods avail-
able to trade with a marquis.
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Book Three Sid Meier’s Pirates!
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In addition to the in-game benefits of rank, promotion also feed into
your overall “Fame” score, which helps determine your final score
when you retire.
How to Gain Promotions
Promotions are issued by city governors. You gain promotions by
doing services for a nation - attacking enemy shipping and cities,
escorting ships carrying emissaries, soldiers or immigrants, capturing
pirates or fugitives wanted for crimes against the state, and so forth.
If you are on friendly (or at worst, neutral) terms with a nation, the
governor will issue you a Letter of Marque as a matter of form,
although you can bypass this simple step with enough good deeds. If
the nation dislikes you because of your actions against their interests,
then you may need to pay the governor a hefty bribe. If the nation
really hates you, you may need to find a Jesuit monk willing to inter-
cede on you behalf.
Promotions From Different Nations
Each nation in the game has its own opinion of you. You may be a
French Marquis while remaining a lowly English Captain (and a
Spanish Outlaw!).
You only get rank-related benefits from the nation that has given you
the rank: being a Dutch Admiral does you no good in non-Dutch
ports.
It is possible to gain promotions from two or more nations at the same
time, if you do stuff that they all approve of. If France and England
are both at war with Spain, for example, and you have Letters of
Marque from both nations, both will promote you for attacking
Spanish shipping or cities.
Losing Favor
If you have been promoted by a nation and then act against that
nation’s interests (say, by attacking their shipping), you will eventual-
ly lose favour with that nation. You keep your current rank, but lose
all benefits associated with it. (The rank still counts towards your
Fame score, however.) If you have behaved badly enough, the nation
may even come to view you as their enemy, denying you access to
their cities, sending pirate hunters after you, and so forth.
In order to once again receive the benefits of your rank with a nation,
you must regain that nation’s favour - through bribes, Jesuit interces-
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