Surviving the Seven Seas!
A Strategy Guide to Forgotten Waters
So you got yer mitts on a copy o’ Forgotten Waters, only to discover the high seas are no place fer a bunch o’ delicate buttercups like you and yer crew. Take heart, you lily-livered layabouts! This here guide will get you semi-functional in no time.
Maintenance For Dummies Cool Pirates
We know what it’s like! You just got a nifty assignment from yer less-than-stable cap’n, and he or she has you sailin’ all over the world, chasin’ some crazy dream o’ theirs. Maybe yer tryin’ to find Captain Wiltfeather’s famous last remainin’ barrel o’ rum, or maybe yer tryin’ to assassinate the Queen o’ the Dolphins (and it’s about time someone did)? It’s easy to get caught up in the thrill o’ an excitin’ mission, only to encounter an enemy ship, then suddenly remember yer own vessel is currently held together with twigs and rope.
Matey, you’ve got to maintain yer stuff!
Maintenance in Forgotten Waters comes down to four things: Keepin’ yer hull in good shape, preservin’ the supplies, makin’ sure the crew is happy, and o’ course, makin’ sure you actually have a crew.
A Ship at Sea Has a Worn Hull
If you were out on the ocean, yer hull got lowered. That’s just the way it goes, matey! If yer hull has dropped even a couple o’ points, have someone repair it the next time you land at an island. What’s that? Hull repair ain’t sexy? Well neither is dyin’ you dum-dum!
Happy Swabbies, Happy Home
Hey, we’ve all been there - you send a rowboat o’ sailors out to investigate a mysterious island, and they all get blowed up. No big deal! Sailors are as common as fleas, and it’s fewer mouths to feed. Or maybe the crew is grumblin’ about their empty tum-tums? No big deal! They’ll get over it in time.
Look, it’s easy to ignore human sufferin’ when there’s a nice space between the crew marker and the discontent marker. But life is full o’ surprises! What happens when a royal frigate jumps you and starts blastin’ yer people to bits? Those two markers can come together awfully fast, just when you aren’t expectin’ it.
Good leadership means inflictin’ pain and misery on the little people in yer life, but try to balance it all out by hirin’ new crew when you get the chance. Almost every grog house in the game will let you take on more crew. And, you know, try not takin’ too many actions guaranteed to piss off yer peons. If you don’t take yer crew fer granted, yer less likely to be murdered in yer sleep.
They’re Called ‘Supplies’ and Not ‘My Slush Fund’
Supplies are a lovely thing, seein’ as how they cover food, medical do-dads, repair materials, booze, linens, and who knows what else! In game terms, supplies can be used fer countless things, such as purchasin’ other goods and services, feedin’ yer crew, or even takin’ damage durin’ ship-to-ship combat. All this versatility means it’s mighty temptin’ to spend supplies every time you have to choose somethin’ to lose. After all, the ship won’t sink if you run out o’ supplies. But beware! When the supplies do run out, everythin’ else runs out that much quicker. So be a good example to the crew, and try to minimize usin’ the supplies fer personal purchases!
Is discontent as low as it can go? Consider lettin’ yer crew go hungry. I know, I know, we just told you to keep yer crew happy. But there’s happy and then there’s too happy. A hungry crew saves supplies, and a single point or two of discontent is good so you don’t waste events that would improve morale.
Living Under Constant Threat
Cap’ns really bring some baggage with them, don’t they? Maybe King Mont dispatched his most fearsome pirate killer to sink yer ship, or maybe the Queen o’ the Dolphins hired assassins to strike you first (Somebody really needs to take her down)? Whatever the case, you’ll be constantly accumulatin’ threat durin’ the course o’ any given game.
There’s no need to live in fear o’ threat, but a healthy respect fer it is a good idea. Don’t tarry on tropical islands unless there’s a good reason, and don’t stay overlong at cities, even if yer havin’ fun. Get in, do yer business (probably murder and theft), then get out. When yer out to sea, feel free to poke about, but don’t sail about for too long without focus.
Don’t let yerself grow complacent when yer out on the water. One encounter with an enemy ship or a sea beasty, can spoil all yer hard work. End the encounter as quickly as possible, and make sure you read the location warnings! Those warnings will give you good advice on how to not die, or, dependin’ on yer frame o’ mind, how to die as efficiently as possible.
Teamwork for Greedy Bastards
Yer a pirate. You’ve killed a person or hundred and you’ve stolen a lot o’ stuff. It’s easy fer someone with that mentality to poo-poo the idea o’ teamwork, especially when yer tryin’ to go out with legendary status. Just keep in mind that there are times to be selfish, and times when it’s best to get along with yer shipmates so that everyone doesn’t go screamin’ to watery graves where fishies will eat their eyes out o’ their heads.
One not-so-obvious way o’ helpin’ yer mates is to choose actions that both help you and the ship. Choose actions that boost stats yer good at, so you can act as a specialist durin’ naval combat. Figure out which stats are under-represented on yer ship, and boost them so the crew doesn’t have any weaknesses.
Also, upgraded cannons can save yer keister in a naval battle. When you encounter hostile ships or beasts of the deep, you need to end the fights quickly and decisively before the cost of battle grows too high.
Scoutin’ can really set the ship up for a productive move, and certainly one that is safer than sailin’ blind. If you get a good sail roll, take advantage and move as far and as fast as you can to save time. Speedy travel is key to mitigating threat.
Or if you prefer, just get the highest infamy, and tell all the losers below you what they should be doin’ fer the ship - while you take the best self-servin’ actions. Be sure to remind them that teamwork makes the dream work while yer busy buryin’ treasure and unlockin’ constellation events.
Walking the Knife’s Edge
Maintenance, bein’ mindful o’ threat, and gettin’ along - that’s the key to survival. Balancin’ all three o’ those things can be a real puzzlement at times, but that’s how you win. It will take a play session or two, but learnin’ when to take the time to repair and restock and when to run like hell to yer next goal is what will keep you alive, and see you not just to victory, but to a glorious, legendary endin’ to be remembered!
