Get freaked out on a Privateer

Berba

Warlord
Joined
Aug 13, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Sweden
When I start a game I choose a leader and nation, map (scenario, WH), difficulty etc.
After a while playing, 100 turns, a privateer coming up and smashing out all my boats... :mad:
Is this the case when you play western hemisphere??
When I roll the cursor over the privateer, it stands "carries goods", but then, totaly unprovoked smashing my nice big merchantman to small wood pieces... :mad:

Do someone have a tip how i should do??
 
Buy a few of your own and smash back...
It's what Privateers do. On any map. A frigate or two should be enought to keep your shipping safe.
 
The other method of deterring privateers is buying one first and stealing enough of your enemy's cargo that he can't afford one himself.

However, privateers, to my knowledge, will not randomly "appear" on any map type--they are completely European-player-controlled, whether that player is you or the AI.
 
The only good defense is buying a Frigate.

Possible band-aid woul be making Drydocks in one of the colonies, which would increase chances of your Caravels and Merchantmen to survive Privateer attack, and reapear in such town (while losing the cargo).
 
While Frigate will beat Privateers, it is too expensive and of limited usefullness later.

Like Antilogic said - offence is the best defense here. Buy some of your own Privateers and start annoying the AI with these. Not only will they pay back the money you invested, they will also keep down your enemies. In the WoI they can still be used as good blokade runners too, if your constitution allow for Trade with Europe.
 
I did'n say you need to loose your trade ships. I said you dont need Frigates to protect them.

You get [almost] 2 Privateers for the price of one Frigate.
 
Overall the Privateers might be (are) a bit riskier, while a Frigate is of course a more sure-fire approach to defend your shipping.

However once you overcome the initial difficulties ang got a privateer campaign going it is also far more rewarding - not only giving you some cash, but also keeping down the other Colonies and generating quite a few Great General points over time.

Most of the time the Enemy will be unable to afford privateers of his own. Only if having failed this your privateers will actually have to fight vs his.

I buy a Galleon first so i can ship out treasure without sharing with the King. It also has equal strength to a Privateer - tho i do not intend to let it fight - but it's still good just in case.
Then two privateers as soon as i can afford it. (3 on bigger maps if the enemies are far apart - usually not nesessary).
Maybe another one or two later, if i feel there is enought shipping to make it worth (There is often not)

Had success with that up to governor difficultie - the AI seem completely unable to cope with the loses - it just tries to field more basic transports to compensate...

I.e. nice when playing Dutch myself - no need to worry about loosing one to the initial Merchantman (But it's only a one-time-hazard - once you kill the Merchantman they just field Caravells as well).
 
Is it even possible to take out all the kings ships? In my games it seems like he always has a lot of ships that are much stronger than mine, I am guessing to be successful you would much more ships than he has, and those stronger ones can be quite expensive.
How much gold do you guys normally have on a large map by the time you declare independence?
 
No, frigate don't work i purchased a SHIP OF THE LINE but still the privateer wins... :mad::mad:
 
Vs a Privateer the Frigate and the SotL have axactly the same strength...

And loosing on was quite a bad luck. But sometimes the RNG God is just mad at you...
 
I always get a privateer pretty early (just after affording a Galleon for treasure and having some colonists producing finished goods).
Having a privateer early is very good to hamper the development of your European rivals. Early on they usually have just Caravels and the Dutch their initial merchantmen. Even if you do not reap much cargo this way you can effectively cripple them.
This is also good if you are planning to go to war against any of them. Have privateers out and cut their supply of guns, horses cannon before you strike.
 
Is it even possible to take out all the kings ships? In my games it seems like he always has a lot of ships that are much stronger than mine, I am guessing to be successful you would much more ships than he has, and those stronger ones can be quite expensive.
How much gold do you guys normally have on a large map by the time you declare independence?

Very little...I invest a large portion of my gold into muskets, horses, and cannons. When I declare independence, on any-sized map, I typically have less than 2000 gold remaining in my treasury.

Of course, when take into account the 1000 horses I bought in Europe and maybe 1000 muskets and 5 cannons (I produce my own to supplement this)...there is a hefty chunk of change invested in my future war for independence.
 
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