Settlements Explained

The complete guide for players and our Frequently Asked Questions!
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Settlements Explained

Post by Meg » Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:00 am

  • What is a settlement and what can I do at one?
    Settlements are places on the world map that have been occupied by certain factions. You can tell which faction these settlements belong to by the flag on their icon.

    At a settlement you can view your active quests concerning that faction, go to their tavern to browse delivery or battle quests, speak to the governor about governor quests and go to their market to purchase or sell resources.

  • What do the stars on the Settlements mean?
    Every faction has a small, medium and large settlement. One, two and three stars respectively represent small, medium and large settlements. governor quests are only available at small and medium settlements.

  • What does the Active Quest tab do?
    The active quest tab in a settlement displays the battle quests that settlement has asked you to complete and the deliveries a third settlement has asked you to make to the one you’re currently visiting.

  • What can I do at a Settlement’s Tavern?
    The tavern tab shows you a number of delivery and battle quests that settlement wants you to take care of. Completing quests increases your affinity with that faction.

  • What can I do in a Settlement’s Governer tab?
    Under the governor tab you can find a set list of quests the governor of that settlement has for you. These quests are only available at the 1 and 2 star settlements of the same faction and can only be started if your affinity is unfriendly (orange). The affinity level needed to accept the quests increases once you go further down the list. Completing governor quests also increases your affinity with that faction.

  • What are all these quests and mission types about?
    There are five mission types: delivery missions, battle missions, convoy missions, discovery missions and rescue missions.
    • Deliveries require you to deliver resources to another settlement.
    • For battles you have to destroy a certain amount of ships of a specific faction.
    • Convoy means you have to escort another ship to safety.
    • Discovery missions require you to explore a map.
    • On Rescue missions you have to find lost cargo and shipwrecks.
    A quest can be either of these types of missions, and can also consist of several missions. For instance, another settlement’s governor can ask you to either battle one fleet of ships for him or escort one of theirs, having to endure multiple battle missions.

    Quests that reward you a treasure are usually discovery missions and main quests often involve some kind of combat.

    The differences between these quest types is mostly the storyline they follow and the type/amount of rewards you get for them.

  • What can I do at a Settlement’s Market?
    A settlement’s market works the same as the one in your Cove, in that it allows you to buy and sell resources. Which resources are sold and bought, however, depends on the settlement. Each settlement specializes in three resources, which they can sell for less than what you’d pay at your own market. On the other hand, they also have more need for three other specific resources they would pay more for than you’d get at your own market.

    The prices at a settlement’s market are influenced by your affinity with that faction. If they won’t do business with you due to too low of an affinity, you will be able to bribe them with gems or by watching an advertisement. This will increase your affinity with them by one level.

    Summaries of the settlement’s most wanted and offered resources can be turned on and off with the ‘i’ button next to the time bar in the bottom right corner of the world map.

  • What is Privateer Affinity?
    The privateer affinity is the highest affinity state you can have with a faction. This state will result in the best market prices at the settlements of that faction.

    You need to have the privateer affinity to start the last governor quest for that faction.

  • What is Buccaneer Affinity?
    The buccaneer affinity is the second best affinity state you can have with a faction. This state will result in better market prices at the settlements of that faction.

    You need to have the buccaneer affinity to start the third and fourth governor quest for that faction.

  • What is Hostile Affinity?
    The hostile affinity is the second worst affinity state you can have with a faction and affects your possible interactions with its settlements negatively.

    Settlements of factions that are hostile towards you, will not let you start governor quests. It also affects the market prices negatively; they will charge you more for their goods than you would pay at your own market. However, you can still accept delivery and battle quests at these settlements’ taverns.

  • What is War Affinity?
    The war affinity is the lowest affinity state you can have with a faction. Like with the hostile affinity, you cannot start any governor quests for these settlements. Factions you are at war with, will completely refuse doing business with you. This means you cannot trade at their markets and you can’t deliver goods to these settlements, even if this was commissioned by a faction you have a higher affinity with.

    In addition to the settlements of these factions completely refusing business with you, their ships will start attacking you on the world map. You can recognize these hostile ships by their orange markers. If you sail into these markers, they will turn red and the ships will start following you. If they catch you, you can only escape battling them, by bribing them with Gems or watching an advertisement.

  • What is Affinity?
    Affinity describes the bond you have with a certain faction, which determines what you can or cannot do at that faction’s settlement. It also affects their market prices. There are five states of affinity, from worst to best: War, Hostile, Neutral, Buccaneer and Privateer.
  • How can I affect my affinity with a faction?
    Attacking ships of a certain faction lowers your affinity with them. Completing (governor) quests raises it. Additionally, factions have affinities between themselves. This means that, if you become greatly affiliated with a certain faction, your affinity with the faction they are at war with also decreases.