Etiquette
- This page refers to etiquette as social conventions. For the page about the pirate and artist named "Etiquette", please see Etiquette.
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Contents
General ethics
A good start as a new (or older) pirate is to always remember that these are real people you are talking to behind those pirate faces. Treat others as you would your friends, or just people you might meet normally. If someone says "Ahoy!" to you, it is generally considered polite to say some form of greeting back. As well as being polite, this also helps you to begin making friends in the community.
At an inn
Of course you’re allowed to sell things at an inn, but copying and pasting the same offer over and over again won't get you many buyers. Instead, write a short but informative text about what you're selling and how much you want for it, and then wait. If no one wanted to buy your tan bandana ten seconds ago, most likely no one is going to want to buy it now. Instead, try selling it in one of the bazaars:
Never beg for items. Ever. The same goes for asking for "donations" and "borrowing" money. You can easily make 500 PoE pillaging for half an hour, when you can make, on average, 0 PoE an hour by begging.
On the docks
If you want to challenge another pirate to a swordfight, rumble, or drinking contest, it's polite to ask first. The same goes for selling clothes or other items. Most pirates think it bad manners to challenge or trade randomly. Even though a pirate appears to be just standing doing nothing, they might be in the middle of organizing something or having a conversation with someone you can't see.
Likewise, don't send job or crew invites to pirates without talking to them first. This is called dockpressing and is highly frowned upon. It is better to hire jobbers using the "hiring jobbers" button on your ship and to recruit new crewmates only after sailing with them.
You are welcome to join conversation circles on the docks if there is a space, but be polite and listen for a bit to pick up on the current conversation trend. Don't be a smarty pants before you've assessed the mood of the chat.
When pillaging
When you first arrive on the ship, it's always nice to say a quick "Ahoy!" to the rest of the boat. No, it's not necessary, but why not be friendly and make the trip more fun? If you are asked to go to a specific station, then take it immediately without complaining. If you are an ultimate carpenter and are ordered to sail, go sail. If nobody orders you to a specific station, take a look at how many people are on which stations and what needs to be done; e.g., if the ship is damaged (the damage meter shows a lot of red), then taking a carpentry station would be a good idea.
You only hamper the ship if you are not working. You can be easily considered dead weight. The same goes for entering a puzzle, pressing "Esc", and not doing a thing. If you challenge someone to a swordfight/rumble/drinking game, or accept someone's challenge, many officers will instantly plank you. No request, nothing. You will be planked and docked pay.
Just because the crew you are with loses a battle, do not leave. If you do need to go soon, announce it before the battle. Then if you do lose, the captain and crew will not think that you are leaving because of the loss.
After a battle has finished, win or lose, it's always helpful to get back to your duty stations as quickly as possible. Don't stand around waiting for an order; return to the station you left. Do not jump on someone else's station just because you are tired of bilging/carping/sailing. Ask to see if anyone is willing to trade.
A good thing to remember when joining someone else’s pillage is that battle navigation is a difficult puzzle, and most officers need to concentrate, so asking to swap duty stations in battle is not a good idea.
Before pillaging (either running your own or participating in another's), there are three basic questions to ask yourself:
1. Do you have enough time? This is especially important when running your own pillage, but leaving after five minutes won’t make you a popular jobber or earn you very much (or any) PoE. A pillage can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 4+ hours. There is nothing wrong with asking "How long will we be out?" before you commit to the pillage.
2. What is your mood? Even though this might sound strange, it’s quite important. If you are irritated and throw thoughtless comments to your jobbers or the officer in command, you will probably never be hearing from them again. This will most probably give you a bad name in the jobbing business.
3. Do you have enough energy? When you join someone’s pillage, they will count on you to work. Puzzling for a half hour or more can really be tiring. If you’re running your own pillage, having enough energy is very important since you can’t just leave when you get too tired. Do you have enough energy to explain to newer players why they have to work? Do you have enough energy to cover both battle navigation and another puzzle if someone leaves in battle? Do you have energy enough to inspire your jobbers to carry on, even if the pillage isn’t going that well?
In your crew chat
Try to keep this friendly. It's the chat that all jobbing pirates can see. In Puzzle Pirates, your crew is like your family and are the ones most likely to help you if you get into trouble; therefore, treating your fellow crewmates with respect is wise.
Crew chat can be a good place to get answers to your questions before hunting up a greeter or petitioning an Ocean Master. A good captain and good officers will try to help.
After a challenge puzzle
After a challenge puzzle such as Swordfight or Rumble, it is commonplace to tell them "Good game" or a similar statement, regardless of who has won. If done during a tournament, it is also a nice gesture, if you lose, to wish the other player good luck in the rest of the tournament.
