Skills and Reputation

• As you progress through the game, you will earn experience points that go toward increasing your characters' levels. Defeating enemies in melee combat, navigating storms, completing quests and winning sea battles all earn you experience points; however, sea battles earn more points than the other methods. You earn more experience points for defeating ships that are stronger than your ship. You must sink the enemy's ship to earn any points, since you will not earn any for merely capturing it.
  
  As your characters gain experience points, they will increase in level. With every level increase, you can strengthen your skills and abilities. If you wish to focus on combat, build up your "Accuracy," "Cannons" and "Melee" skills. If you wish to focus on business, build up your "Commerce" skill. "Repair" and "Leadership" skills are useful for any playing style, so strengthen these skills as well. Obtain the "Shared Experience" ability as early as you can, to increase your characters' levels more efficiently. "Defense" and "Boarding" abilities are also useful for basic combat.
  
  Committing crimes and murdering civilians affects your characters' reputations. If your reputation level drops too low, you will be known as a "Bloody Terror," and characters will refuse to speak to you. Donate money to a church to bring your reputation level back up.
  
  

Combat

• When facing the prospect of melee combat, only fight if the odds are in your favor. Never try to take on a large group of enemies by yourself. If you must fight a group, try to lure the enemies into a tight hallway or enclosed area so you can fight them one at a time. Use your pistol at the beginning of the fight, but switch to your sword when the enemy draws closer. Do not bother blocking attacks until later in the game, when your defense ability is at a higher level. Use the dodge move instead.
  
  When engaged in sea combat, take careful aim at the enemy ship and fire on it with the side cannons. Use knippels to destroy the ship's mast, allowing you to catch up to it more easily. Strike quickly to defeat the enemy ship with minimal damage to your own; if the enemy ship causes too much damage, you may have to spend more money repairing your ship than you gained in the raid. Fire grapes at the ship to clear out some of the crew, and board it to kill the rest. If you capture a ship, collect any loot or treasure from the ship's cargo before selling it.