• New Horizons on Maelstrom
    Maelstrom New Horizons


    Visit our website www.piratehorizons.com to quickly find download links for the newest versions of our New Horizons mods Beyond New Horizons and Maelstrom New Horizons!

Neutral->Horror of the High Seas?

M

Mr. Sparkle

Landlubber
I seem to become a "Horror" with no rhyme or reason. It happens days after I've actually *done* anything (sometimes ar sea!?!) and doesn't seem to have a causitive root.

I've done a little smuggling (two minor trips with only a Lugger's hold filled) and I've done that hijacking the Brits gold mission. So I'm not exactly squeaky clean... however, I've save a buncha ladies from honry rapscallions, and generally try to be nice...

I thought it was tied to selling a shi(p) load of Sandal in a French town, but even if I sell it legally in an Redmon, I become a "Horror" a few days later.

It doesn't make any sense, and is pretty frustrating. What could cause you to go -20 x 2 in rep? And why isn't the cause clear?

Oh, and I'm playing Build 12... which seems great, but this reputation thing is annoying.
 
Mr. Sparkle,
Welcome to the site! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
I'm all for good hygiene myself, but being squeaky clean seems like far more trouble than it appears to be worth to me as well.

There are a couple of things that tend to cause anemic reputation syndrome;

1. taking a loan from the loan shark and neglecting to pay it back in a timely manner,
2. attacking ships of nations that you are on a neutral footing with,
3. your character or your men attacking citizens in towns,
4. Failing to fulfill a trading assignment,
if any of the above apply to you then you may have contracted anemic reputation syndrome which apparently can be a chronic condition, I've heard, especially because of the unpaid loansharks.

If none of the above apply to you then I think you are on the road to a full recovery, save the maidens, fish out the swimming sailors, donate to your favorite religious institution, continue to fulfill the trade assignments & convoys, until your reputation is back in a more full blooded state.

There's one thing that I have found to affect reputation that is a little odd, say you are leaving Oxbay, where the officers are guarding the gate, and you see four robbers waiting in the roadway. Naturally you pull out your pistol and try to pop one, rather than going thru the dialogue where they call you names, this in turn earns you the emnity of the soldiers standing on guard, as well as the robbers, and so not only do you have to kill six as opposed to four, you suffer a decrease in reputation for being pragmatic. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

The archipelago has a rather unusual moral code as far as I am concerned. I hope we can help you get your rep to where you want it, let us know if any of the above causes apply to you and maybe we can help you with this. Good luck!
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
I've found that you have to be extremely careful where you aim your cannons when in a port - if you are firing at an enemy ship, and you're too close to the town or fort, and some of your cannonfire hits the LAND (not the fort or town), your rep will go down QUITE quickly... Pretty touchy, these colonies, about their sheer rock faces, I guess. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

This also applies when you are in the midst of a battle with two other forces and one is an ally - should your cannonfire overshoot your enemy and hit your ally, well, there goes the rep... <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blah:" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />

The solution to this is to always aim cannons in first person when you are in close combat or in a port. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />
 
Is there any recovery for a defaulted loan when you pay it iff, i think that is my problem with this same issue. (Build 12)
 
Your rep will still be down, even if you do pay the loan back. You need to build it up again by using the suggestions listed above. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />
 
Well, I payed off the loans and it seems my rep is still falling <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_eek.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shock:" border="0" alt="icon_eek.gif" />
 
Hmm,sounds familiar,I'd be play'n a game without borrow'n from de loanshark an didn't ave any probs wid me rep dropp'n,don't know if it be a fluke ur not,just start'n a new game,si I will do same an see what happens <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
First i had borrowed money, and forgot to turn it in, I figured that was the source of my drop. So i went to an earlier save and paid it off. Here i am again with a drastic drop (20 points at a time) in my reputation. I went from hero to neutral today, yesterday i went from neutral to horror of the seas.

I think i may need to restart <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/urgh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":urgh" border="0" alt="urgh.gif" />
 
Not necessarily mate,save Damsels in de jungle,pick up crew from ships ye sink,complete cargo,an escort missions all boost yer rep back up <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
Well I paid back the money I borrowed... only used the guy in Oxbay, and got him back when I snuck into town.

Haven't killed soldiers either... well except for the Oxbay stuff, but that was a loooooong time ago...

I really don't get it.
 
Well, I restarted my game, did not take out any loans, and no more problems with a falling rep.

I wonder if there is a bug in the game where even if you pay back a loan (I had multiple loans out at one time) either on time or late it still drops your rep. about the time that the loans came due. The drop was a standard 20 points, and I would get it back to neutral and leave a town and it still would keep dropping me down.

Anyway, best advice to help avoid this problem, no loans!!!! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />
 
Ahoy everybody,

<!--QuoteBegin-tcmbmnc+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tcmbmnc)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I wonder if there is a bug in the game where even if you pay back a loan (I had multiple loans out at one time) either on time or late it still drops your rep. about the time that the loans came due.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I had the same problem. I borrowed money, paid it back and after 3 months my rep went two levels down. I visited the loanshark and he said I had ruined him ! So I loaded the earlier savegame, went to him to check if i owed him something... But he didn't ask me for money and was ready to borrow me more instead ! So I borrowed money and paid it back, and that time my rep went down exactly 3 months from that (second) loan.

So there is a workaround - every loanshark who you ever borrowed money from must be visited regularly to make new loan and pay it immediately back <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> Then they will refrain from spreading rumors about you and your reputattion won't fall down <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

But personally I decided not to deal with those bloodsuckers and started the game over.

Regards,

Marek
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" /> <b>uzi, </b>and welcome aboard! Have an ale! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/beer2.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":beer" border="0" alt="beer2.gif" />

I think we're going to have to take a serious look at that problem with the loansharks - there does seem to be a glitch somewhere... We'll work it out! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />

Thanks for the tip! And again, welcome aboard! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
Could the problem with reputation (it sometimes goes from best to worst) be because the max_reputation is 89, but the rep for the highest rank only 9? I´m not sure how this works, how rep is calculated, but this does seem a little odd to me.

Another thing, somewhat assorted, I just recognized, after Oxbay is liberated from the French, they´re neutral to me, even a couple of pointzs higher than "pure" neutral, which is -49, I think. OK, I didn´t attack French ships since then, just a few Spaniards and a pirate (on behalf of the Portugese Governor). Weird about that is, the French are allied to Spain, while England is at war with both, and I do fly the Union Jack (Ever thought about changing the flags?). The Dutch are at war with both of them as well, and with England, but I never did anything to them, nevertheless, they won´t let me trade (Thanks to some wenches around Oxbay I´m no longer Terror of the High Seas, but just Bloody Terror).
 
It's the "Bloody Terror" that will make merchants not trade with you, Grimm. You have to go save some more wenches to get that rep up, then you'll be fine. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />
 
Ye get extra rep points if ye save Catalina <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/piratesing.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shock" border="0" alt="piratesing.gif" /> Sadly, I'm beyond redemption, Skull. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
<!--QuoteBegin-CatalinaThePirate+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CatalinaThePirate)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->It's the "Bloody Terror" that will make merchants not trade with you, Grimm. You have to go save some more wenches to get that rep up, then you'll be fine. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Oh, the Brithis do trade with me at Bloody Terror, but maybe that#s because I hold a commission with them.

And why does my rep go down for hoisting the Jolly Roger? The readme says, if I attack ships flying the Roger my rep won´t get hurt, only that nation becomes wary and eventually hostile. How am I to make a living as a privateer with that?
 
I play the game like this -

Here's what I generally do in this game - I start with that whole Oxbay invasion thing, but when I sail away from Oxbay I don't go talk to the gov on Redmond. I immediately sail about battling both the French and the pirates. You can build up a sizeable amount of money surprisingly fast doing that.

My strategy is simple - During the tutorial I follow it to the letter, except that when I am finished with Malcolm, I run around town checking all the locator spots for good loot - at least one of the six (port and town combined) will give you a good sword - IF you have practiced with Malcolm during the tutorial and gotten your level up to <b>4.</b>

I then go into the shop and sell my grapeshot and bombs (you can always pick up more later, the idea here is to give yourself more cargo space on that little lugger). With that money I buy a load of Sandal and then sail out of Oxbay, and the French and the pirates are immediately hostile to me. (this is good!)

I head to Redmond and sell the sandal (generally at a pretty good profit), and go into the tavern to find an officer or two. Hiring them on early means that you will be able to develop them the way you want them - and their salary will be cheaper. Get officers who have good sailing stats - regardless of what they claim as their rank or usefulness, they will be MOSTLY useful to you as extra officers you can assign to captain prize ships.

Ask one of your new officers "About Me", and tell them you want them to inform you of ALL ship sightings. This way, you will know if there are large juicy targets out there... Always go for a bigger ship. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />

Sail to FdF and anchor at Octopus Bay. Go inland to town and find Fred Bob and hire him. Buy him some large potions if you have the money - and be sure to find the blacksmith and make your swords excellent.

Now you have a good base to start privateering. Hit only the pirates and the French - and only if they have BIG ships... You'll be able to trade up quickly and your money will grow... <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />

After a while of this, you can continue the main quest, or do all the side quests, or whatever you wish. I like to do the main quest and get the English mad at me, then hit the pirates and the English for the second half of the game. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/diomed.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":dio" border="0" alt="diomed.gif" />
 
Oh, I´ve got no difficulties with strategy, although I privateer for the English. My problem is my reputation. Isn´t it possible to implement a function so that with a letter of marque you can fight ships of nations hostile to yours (where "yours" can mean more than one, say, if you got LoMs from both Dutch and English and both are at war with Spain, say) you don´t lose rep? After all, I´m flying the English flag, so they know in whose service I am. Of course, your enemies and their allies might not like it, but that´s what the relation system is for to deal with. After all, with a letter of marque, your doing is action in course of war and plundering in war has never been a crime in history. If it were up to me, hoisting the Roger could hurt reputation, even switching sides could (telling the governor you´re not in his service anymore), no problem with that.

This wench rescuing really takes hours and though it´s quite profitable, it also gets mightily boring.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top