Republic of Pirates

[Dauner light]

Laws? Rules? Tributes? What's this i'm reading about? Pirates don't answer to anybody. That's common knowledge. They don't abide by the rules and don't answer to no one. A pirate nation would undermine the very notion of being a pirate

It seems a lot of people who like to claim pirates were rule less rogues who did whatever whenever doesn't really know much about pirates. For starters, when it comes to pirates there has been a very large amount of different kinds from different places over the years. Many who had different ways of piracy, and with it different tactics, beliefs and yes even rules. And pirates do answer to somebody-other pirates. You think a pirate gunner would be able to just tell his captain, "don't feel like gunning today, think i'd rather steer the ship". He'd get his arse cut to ribbons, marooned, or the very least a beating.

Sure there's probably been some pirates who had a free for all attitude with little to no rules. But there have been some who had rules, and structure. Like William literally just posted.

I know more about pirates than you think and that statement was just depicting my kind of ideal pirate. I do know that pirates originated from privateers who pillaged and plundered in the name of a nation's king or queen. And the gunner example, that's not really a god example if you want to prove that pirates follow the rules(national and international rules). It's normal for every pirate on a ship to respect and follow their captains orders. That's a basic necessity for any crew to remain united.
Basically, what i meant is this, pirates don't need to follow any rules set by any nation even if it is a pirate nation. compulsory payment of 'tribute' to the nation? That's just taxes with the words sugar-coated. Being a pirate, Why send your money to someone else when you can just sit on it? If pirates need to follow rules, it'll just be the basic rules of survival as a pirate and not the internationally accepted moral standard rules. That's what i meant by 'Rules?'

[Argo]

Dauner, your point of view is fine but not sure you may know as much as you claim...or you wouldn't have said what you did...lol

[Argo]

Sorry..don't mean to dbl post but got distracted..

There were rogue pirates who didn't answer to anyone. That could remain the same here.
There were pirates who were part of a den that were more than happy with their job and their share for the most part. They were compensated for injuries and limb losses and often surgeons had been (captured) to treat them. They got a decent share of the spoils. They voted and most loved and admired their leaders and wanted to be just like them..Outside of the den they did not have this support. They were a gang. Family if you will. Do you understand gang mentality at all?
A tribute is just that. It is a token that enables appreciation and privelidge. No token-no privelige..(or however you spell it)...not a problem

Me personally, when I was in a nation and the missions finished, I was somewhat disappointed. I wanted more. Why, as a player that chooses to fly the black, should I be deprived of what is just a normal fun game mechanic for anyone else (is that whats its called?)..

Without having run as a pirate here in PG, it is understandable you would not have a clue on our perspective. Apart from raiding and making enemies, we really have not much else to do...and you don't want to be raided every day do you?
For example..can you tell me some voodoo cards that benefit a pirate? or How much fame do you lose when you attack and lose? Or what you have to do to earn money every day just to stay afloat?

Simply, there isn't a great deal for a pirate to do. So, having some missions to complete and play pirates amongst each other isn't a bad option..It might keep a few out of your cargo hold for a little while...maybe...cheers

[Dauner light]

Dauner, your point of view is fine but not sure you may know as much as you claim...or you wouldn't have said what you did...lol

I didn't say i knew a lot. I just said i knew more than she thought i did. And also, my idea of pirate is probably different from the idea most people have so... oh! The rum's here. Cheers

[Meliva]

Laws? Rules? Tributes? What's this i'm reading about? Pirates don't answer to anybody. That's common knowledge. They don't abide by the rules and don't answer to no one. A pirate nation would undermine the very notion of being a pirate

It seems a lot of people who like to claim pirates were rule less rogues who did whatever whenever doesn't really know much about pirates. For starters, when it comes to pirates there has been a very large amount of different kinds from different places over the years. Many who had different ways of piracy, and with it different tactics, beliefs and yes even rules. And pirates do answer to somebody-other pirates. You think a pirate gunner would be able to just tell his captain, "don't feel like gunning today, think i'd rather steer the ship". He'd get his arse cut to ribbons, marooned, or the very least a beating.

Sure there's probably been some pirates who had a free for all attitude with little to no rules. But there have been some who had rules, and structure. Like William literally just posted.

I know more about pirates than you think and that statement was just depicting my kind of ideal pirate. I do know that pirates originated from privateers who pillaged and plundered in the name of a nation's king or queen. And the gunner example, that's not really a god example if you want to prove that pirates follow the rules(national and international rules). It's normal for every pirate on a ship to respect and follow their captains orders. That's a basic necessity for any crew to remain united.
Basically, what i meant is this, pirates don't need to follow any rules set by any nation even if it is a pirate nation. compulsory payment of 'tribute' to the nation? That's just taxes with the words sugar-coated. Being a pirate, Why send your money to someone else when you can just sit on it? If pirates need to follow rules, it'll just be the basic rules of survival as a pirate and not the internationally accepted moral standard rules. That's what i meant by 'Rules?'

Apparently not if you think pirates started out as privateers for nations of kings and queens. Piracy has been around for far longer then medieval times, hell Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates in his youth. That's going back to well over 2000 years during the roman senate. And frankly pirates have existed since before even then. For as long as folks have used ships for trade and travel, piracy has been there in some form. And in the thousands of years it's been around, it's changed, due to new tech, opposition from pirate hunters, new sea routes etc. But honestly, that common image most of us have of pirates, is mostly false, or bastardized. Pirates didn't have parrots for pets. Pirates were not largely rule less, they had certain rules they followed, varying from crew to crew, they didn't use eye patches to cover a missing eye, that was to help them keep one eye accustomed to the dark, etc. etc.

And again, this is just an option to allow pirates to set up a coven, think of it as a bunch of different pirate crews agreeing on certain terms and working together for better safety and more manpower. Not everyone is gonna join the coven, preferring their own freedom, or just disagreeing on the terms, and that's fine. Just like in history, some pirates group together while others don't. Hell one pirate was a Chinese woman, whose name escapes me, but she commanded hundreds if not thousands of ships if I recall correctly. Was one of the greatest pirates ever. You think she could manage that many ships without having some rules and organization for her men to follow?

[Lana]

I couldn't read all posts, so I don't know if this was on the agenda.

Without prejudice to the rules of the pirates (but knowing the democratic laws that applied in the time of the Buccaneers), I think we should talk more about the organization of the Pirate Republic in the specific territories it would occupy.

Namely, unlike Nations, pirates have no right to have banks. However, why not make the following institutions > brothels, taverns, lenders or perhaps pawnbrokers - as a replacement for banks, smuggled goods markets that are not currently in circulation (sugar cane, spices, weapons) shipyards with advanced ships, in ports, conquered by pirates, which would be under constant pressure from the governments of the other ports, which could even unite in their attempts to conquer these pirated territories.

So the current organization of the ports, with a market, a shipyard, a hideout, etc. could be (in the event of a takeover by the pirates), instantly transformed into a Republic of pirates, whereby banks would become lenders (for Pirates), markets would sell smuggled goods, shipyards sell upgraded ships, the new buildings would be appeared, such as brothels for example.

Further, pirates could become brothel and tavern owners (at a certain cost, as in the Hideouts), thereby earning additional profits and influence, and those visiting taverns and brothels with their comments ( by the number of likes for their comments) , they would increase the fame, making the fame ultimately mean something.

If this is technically possible, I think the game would become very interesting, in any case more interesting than it is now.

[William one eye]

Thanks lana,
Lot of good ideas there, i would like to work some of those concepts in. The suggestion is already pretty extensive, its kind of a wish list of sorts, so I might take another look and maybe some of that could combine in.

Utimately though per a few discussions I have had off the message boards, a simplified version might be coming, with some of the ideas pulled out as their own independant suggestions.

the suggestion in its most current form has be moved to the first post of the thread.

[Argo]

@Mel
Hell one pirate was a Chinese woman, whose name escapes me, but she commanded hundreds if not thousands of ships if I recall correctly. Was one of the greatest pirates ever. You think she could manage that many ships without having some rules and organization for her men to follow?[/quote]

Madam Ching - Ching Shih 1775-1807
Born into family of pirates (since C17th)
Notorious fought against Britain and won many times, Portugal and Qing dynasties
She was much involved in the business of high finances, politics and corruption and ran over 300 fleets with 40K+ pirates, including children

(Quote and copied)
Ching Shih's code had special rules for female captives. Standard practice was to release women, but J.L. Turner witnessed differently. Usually the pirates made their most beautiful captives their concubines or wives. If a pirate took a wife he had to be faithful to her. The ones deemed unattractive were released and any remaining were ransomed. Pirates that raped female captives were put to death, but if pirates had consensual sex with captives, the pirate was beheaded and the woman he was with had cannonballs attached to her legs and was thrown over the side of the boat.

Violations of other parts of the code were punished with flogging, clapping in irons, or quartering. Deserters or those who had left without official permission had their ears chopped off, and then were paraded around their squadron. Glasspoole concluded that the code "gave rise to a force that was intrepid in attack, desperate in defense, and unyielding even when outnumbered.(Wikpd the last bit bc I'm in a hurry sorry)

@Lana...Im not up for the 'likes' for fame but I love the rest...great idea

[Dauner light]

Hell one pirate was a Chinese woman, whose name escapes me, but she commanded hundreds if not thousands of ships if I recall correctly.

I believe her name was Ching... something
Seems like i might have to go restudy that piece of history. And pirate nation isn't necessary for pirates to team up. They can just join a pirate guild or unofficially form a team. I think the existing game mechanisms allow all that

[Argo]

@Dauner

...'And pirate nation isn't necessary for pirates to team up. They can just join a pirate guild or unofficially form a team. I think the existing game mechanisms allow all that'...

What else did you guys do apart from plan raids and gather intel when you were in your pirate guild?