What gives the voyage a point

These are the shore systems as designed and proven end to end in the first version. In the rebuild the shore is deliberately not started yet — the sea comes first. The measured figures live on the Status page.

• Ports

  Every port is a painted harbour view with a working door list: trade house, shipyard, chandler, taproom, town hall, harbour office, and a palace where there is one. All 104 harbours in the world have their painting, every town has a shipyard, and prices, stock and services are all real.

• Hostile ports

  You are never refused at sea. You land, you see the town, and the watch at the head of the pier turns you away — or seizes you, if you are wanted. Jail strains your crew's loyalty, and you can pay the fine.

• The tavern

  Drinkers at the tables carry the rumours: prices, ports, work. A card table at every inn — draw poker and liar's dice, and the men who play them — a chartmaker who sells riddle-clue map pieces, and shanties on request.

• The Quinta — your estate

  A walkable farm you build up yourself: land granted ten acres at a time by crown deed, crops, workers, a steward, a carriage, a market cart.

• Dockside errands

  Small paid work from townspeople — letters, price reports — that settles itself when you next dock where it was bound.

• Living market

  Real supply and demand per port, prices that move, and a price book that remembers what you saw and ages it out. NPC traders move actual stock, so the market shifts whether you are watching or not.

• Production chains

  Raw goods feed manufactures feed naval stores, in named works ports.

• Warehouses

  Tiered storage in port that funds itself out of a captain's purse, with upkeep taken on a cycle — or seized if you let it lapse.

• Contracts and commissions

  Special merchant runs for experienced traders, and ranked crown commission tracks out of the palace.