Imperial outpost

Imperial outposts are a type of expedition accessed using maps purchased at an explorers' hall. The map leads to a tiny island denoted with a crown icon in the ocean view. After an Imperial ship is sunk during a sea battle, a swordfight takes place on the island. If the pirates win the swordfight, PoE, cannon balls and grog are placed in the ship's hold.

Background


The tyrannical Empire, no longer content to remain in the far off continental mainland, has decided to stamp out piracy once and for all in the archipelagos and bring them under the iron fist of Imperial authority. The Imperial Navy has recently been spotted constructing small forts and landing troops of marines on previously unclaimed atolls on the outskirts of the ocean, presumably to use as a base of operations for further incursions into pirate waters.

Pirates everywhere are encouraged to head to an explorers' hall to obtain the expedition charts needed to harry and plunder these accursed Imperial outposts and ensure that free piracy will reign throughout the ocean.

Attacking an Imperial outpost
When buying a map from an explorers' hall, make sure you have ample charts around the island of purchase, because you cannot use an Imperial outpost map to take you to the outpost. A chart is used from the purchase island to an adjacent island as on a normal pillage, and then you can place the Imperial outpost map on the chart table, and the attack will appear as an expedition in the Ahoy! tab of the sunshine widget, allowing officers with the correct permissions to order the attack when the league point is reached. The outposts do not stray from normal chart league points. When you reach the league point you can select the "Attack" option that pops up and you will be entered into a small sea battle board. After sinking the enemy ship you will begin a fray. All Imperial troops carry identical swords, but the sword used appears to be random.

Types
Imperial outposts come in 4 different sizes (small, medium, large and huge), 3 different fortification levels (fledgling, established and fortified) and either sinking or non-sinking. A map to an Imperial outpost indicates what combination of features it has. All Imperial outpost maps degrade in 3 days and are lost after a successful expedition.

Player vessels sunk in a sinking Imperial outpost are retrievable via the 'ship in a bottle' system. Players can receive standard injuries as a result of sinking. No injuries are unique to this expedition.

In non-sinking Imperial outposts sunk player vessels are sent to port. The booty will not be lost when limping back to port.

The types of Imperial ships guarding an outpost depend upon its size, similarly the diffuclty level of the defending ship increases with the rating of the outpost. For example, the defending sloop in a fledgling island is easier to sink than on an established island, and so forth. Based on this information, the following ships are suggested to mount an expedition against an Imperial outpost: * Ships that take less damage than the defending ship. These can be used in Imperial ouposts, but take an exceptionally well-staffed ship to be succesfull.

Payouts
When a ship sinks the enemy vessel guarding the Imperial outpost and the crew on board have defeated the soldiers of the tyrannical Empire, they will be rewarded with PoE, cannon balls, and grog. These are immediately placed in the ship's booty and a small portion will be put in the hold for the officer in charge.

You can overwrite the data below once you have a higher maximum than that listed below.

Trinkets
Imperial outpost trinkets are awarded to some experienced pirates*, randomly chosen from those aboard the ship, when they defeat the soldiers in the swordfight. All pirates are awarded the exact same trinket, with the color of the trinkets awarded being determined by the colors of the Imperial Navy's uniform. Trinkets can be saved and exchanged for various items via an island Trading Post.

* On doubloon oceans, the pirate must possess a pirate badge or higher. On subscription oceans, they must be subscribed.