A Pirate's Guide to the Shipyard
Brigs, Sloops, & Man-o'-Wars, oh my!
You’re going to need some serious firepower when you whirlpool into the arena of the Goldcoves. In Captain & Company, your ship serves as an extension of your skill — treat it well, and it’ll reward you with fortune and fame. But fall behind and you’ll quickly find yourself making a deal on the wrong side of Davy Jones’ locker!
Our deckhands have prepared this guide to take you from zero to hero, pirate. ⛵
Ship Fundamentals
There are three major ship classes in Captain & Company, and each major ship class has unique advantages and disadvantages versus the others. This enables players to opt into the type of gameplay that resonates with them most strongly.
Brigs
Sloops
Man-o’-Wars
There are other minor classes of vessels you may encounter during your adventures, which will be disclosed at a later time.
There are seven major characteristics of vessels, each of which vary from ship to ship, but are generally similar within each major ship class. They are:
Cannons
Speed
Rotational Velocity
Hull HP
Shield Capacity
Shield Regen
Cargo
In true rock-paper-scissors combat triangle fashion, these characteristics combine to give individual ships certain advantages over others from a different class, and, conversely, disadvantages versus a second different class. This results in a varied gameplay landscape where captains are free to choose a style that suits them (and their company) best, while maintaining critical balances.
Brigs
Brigs are large ships with a moderate number of cannons, robust shield and hull strength, and balanced speed. They’re purpose-built for crews of medium size and ideal for teams of between 4-16 players. Brigs are all-purpose duelists, both large enough to tank a number of cannon blasts directly and nimble enough to outpace gargantuan ships by staying just outside of their attack radius.
Brigs also boast substantial cargo space, with sufficient carry capacity to permit reasonably large extraction hauls from the open sea. Captains that choose to set sail in a brig are always on the hunt for the next adventure, never quite ready to return to port & let down the anchor. Brigs are the warriors of the arena, ready for anything, feared by all, and deterred by none.
The upcoming mint, whose details will be released soon, will feature not one but two brigs for pirates to get their grubby paws on. The Clockwork Brig, a beaut’ built by the Iron Corsairs themselves, will be one of those two.
Sloops
Sloops are small ships with a smallish number of cannons, fragile hulls, highly regenerative shields, and impressive speed. They’re purpose-built for deftly gliding into and out of combat, picking fights on their own terms and escaping when the time is right. Sloops are designed for crews of 2-8 players and have a heavy emphasis on quick attacks and rapid repairs, flirting with certain destruction the whole way through.
Sloops have small cargo capacities, which makes their rapid infiltration and exfiltration sometimes less-hefty than their peers, but the sheer speed at which they can execute these maneuvers more than makes up for their paltry carry. Sloops are the rogues of the ocean, real glass cannons that thrive on cranking up the risk & reward to 11. After you’ve sunk your quarry, make sure you’ve got more than one lookout up in the crow’s nest to spot any rogue sloops on your bow!
Sloops will be entering Captain & Company in either Season 2 or Season 3.
Man-o’-Wars
Man-o’-Wars are the gargantuans of the sea, true behemoths and terrors to behold. They come equipped with a colossal number of cannons, incredibly robust hulls, poorly regenerative shields, and speed and agility that would make a walrus look fast. But take heed — a Man-o’-War probably doesn’t need to catch up to you more than once. One cannon blast and you might not live long enough to tell the tale. These giants are designed for crews of 8-32 players and make quite a splash on the arena when they whirlpool in.
Man-o’-Wars have huge cargo capacities, which justify their notably slow movement speed, as captains of these beauties won’t be able to make more than a few extractions per hour given the pace of moving such a beast through the rough waters of the Goldcoves. But, captains looking for nigh-endless adventure and the security of knowing you can stand toe-to-toe in a broadside barrage with any scallywag out there are fantastic candidates for picking up a Man-o’-War.
Man-o’-Wars will be entering Captain & Company in either Season 2 or Season 3.
Ship Construction & Repair
Each ship must be carefully constructed by combining a blueprint with some set number of resources. These resources may change based on each individual ship species, but, within similar ship classes and rarities, you should expect the costs to be roughly in the same ballpark.
These resources are primarily lumber and ore, both of which will later be obtainable in-game via a number of activities, including sinking dastardly foes! Some players may be satisfied with a meager single ship, but the majority of strong captains will be driving for absolute dominance of the Goldcoves and will need a substantial number of these resources to fill out their fleets.
Additionally, each time a ship is sunk in battle it’ll need to be repaired back at Barnaby Bluewater’s shipyard. Barnaby’s a nice guy, but he’s here to make big stacks of nuggies and isn’t keen on giving captains too many discounts, so you’ll need to bring a big ol’ pile of lumber, ore, and nuggies each time you accidentally shake Davy Jones’ cold wet hand.
These repair costs are an important component of the Captain & Company economy. Captains should expect to pay a repair price that’s roughly equivalent to the same amount they’ll receive for sinking an opposing ship, which serves as an incentive to continue to drive for above-average greatness. But, keep in mind that Captains will also get the benefit of all special blueprints, cosmetics, and resources pillaged and extracted out on the open sea, which may vastly exceed the value of any paltry repair costs.
During the upcoming Season 1 mint, players will gain access to a number of blueprints, resources, and more via lootboxes as they start assembling the fleets that will conquer the Goldcoves in just a few weeks. Every resource counts!
Deck Yer Halls
The greatest of pirate captains will eventually amass massive fleets of ships on their path to becoming Admirals. They then will loan out their fine vessels to other pirates back in the shipyard, sit back, and watch other daring captains take the risk as they line their own pockets. Your decision to pick up a Brig, a Sloop, or a Man-’o-War is not necessarily a one-and-done choice, and, in fact, is just the beginning on your path to owning a truly fearsome flotilla that’s ready to respond to any engagement. We’ll be posting another blog on the importance of flags (guilds) within the Captain & Company ecosystem, and how we view rentals and lending as key to enabling digital asset adoption.
In the course of your adventures, you’ll also come across a number of fantastical cannons, hats, figureheads, wheels and more. These assets, while cosmetic, are highly collectible and limited in supply, and only reserved for the most powerful of captains ready to strut their stuff. Admirals of the world’s greatest flotillas will deck out their ships head to toe in only the best of pirate drip, and the Goldcoves will guard that privilege closely!
Minutes to Midnight
The formal mint announcement, guide, and launch date are just around the corner, and we’re positive that you’re all going to be in for quite a ride as we take you on a journey to meet the rest of our friends in the Goldcoves. By the time you’re done, you’ll have gained lifelong friends, bitter enemies, and (hopefully) incredible fortune.
Onwards, pirates! 🏴☠️
Amazing project
Nice