I’ve managed to build a trade road and through it and some quest, I now have amassed nearly 8500 echoes. I have a townhouse, a few heirlooms and a scion. I’ve also explored almost all of the map. I’m still on the starter ship. I’ve competed some quests, but have a fair bit left to do.
At this point I could:
1: keep trading to build more echoes so I can buy the cruiser: I can buy it now but I need more capital so I can equip it and start really trading once I have it - no point in having a huge cargo room if I can’t even afford to fill it. It’s also going to be a very slow ship.
2: Get the corvette so I can start blowing stuff up. The increased fuel and suply will probably make trading no longer worth it and I will need another source of income. I also won’t be able to complete the venturer’s quest due to lack of cargo room
3: Explore that tiny piece of map left and retire. I’m not sure what tells me when the "become the greatest explorer" has been achieved, but I must be close.
But if I retire… I know a lot of veteran speak as if this is a natural thing to do, but what happens? What is a "good" time to retire?
To become the greatest explorer you need the Zong of the Zee. You can see the requirements in your Study.
It’s probably not in your reach right now. I’d recommend retiring this captain, whether you have the Zong or not. Choose one of the legacies that let you keep half of your money - or maybe even both, then your next captain can start with 8500 Echoes.
Ideally, you retire upon finishing your Ambition (that’s a Win). Alternately, once you believe that your current captain had a good run and just deserves retirement (that’s a Draw). If you zail on until you die, that’s a Loss.
Btw, exploring the whole map with the starter ship? Not bad! edited by Rupho Schartenhauer on 4/2/2015
[quote=Captain Ancalagon]
But if I retire… I know a lot of veteran speak as if this is a natural thing to do, but what happens? What is a "good" time to retire?[/quote]
When people say retire, they don’t really mean using the generic retirement in London. They just mean go out with a bang, getting some legacy item/trophy in the process and ending with a win (it will says A JOYOUS CONCLUSION on the legacy screen instead of IN MEMORIAM)
If you don’t have the Wealth ambition, retirement is a draw and doesn’t give you anything at all, and the game treat you the same as if you died so technically it is more like a "I LOSE" button.
The game also assume you died in several other occasion where you end the game, but in these endings you gain a special item that can be passed on so they are more proper ending than generic retirement.
If you are rich and have the Wealth ambiton, you can retire with better stats and a trophy.
If you have the Zong of the Zee and the Greatest Explorer ambition, you can retire with better stats and a trophy.
Same apply for the Father’s Bones ambition.
[li]Personally, I would recommend finding Khan’s Shadow and spending your horded wealth on treasures, turn those treasures into Heirlooms, and find a way to retire the captain. The secret to Sunless Sea is to make sure you always leave your Scion better off than yourself – if you buy a new ship late in your career, try blowing up a new foe and instead get killed, all the echoes you put into that ship are lost. Conversely, if you put those echoes in to heirlooms, you can retire the captain and pass on your best stats to a new scion. To be safe, I would recommend making sure you have at least two stats that are over 80 or 85 – half of that can be given to your new captain, and they can start adding secrets to the stats where you left off.
[li]Then, sell what heirlooms you need to in order to get your new captain a better ship. You can play it safe that way, build up more heirlooms as you re-explore the new map – and start taking advantage of your better ship.
[li]Good luck. ;)
A lot of good feedback here, but I must admit it creates more questions…
I do not have the Zong. So why retire… so I can re-explore the map and gain more secrets? I haven’t completed a number of quests yet…
I already do have a few Heirlooms… but why do I need them if (according to a poster above) I can pass on all my money anyway?
But the new captain is just as liable (if not more so) to be getting blown up and losing that hard-fought for cash as the old captain is no?
Thank you. I’m about 90-95% done - there is one small corner where one last port could be possibly hiding on the south east, but that’s it. Already found Aestival. This is my second captain, with the soldier background.
Well, time to set sail - the Khanate is mad at me and I have to go placate them with coffee. And maybe I can get the rats of Pigmote to fix my ship a bit… set course south-south-west!
If your ambition is Zong of the Zea you need a house with a study and all the items that are listed in your study to create it.
As for retiring I tend to go for the win but you can choose to retire. It might be worth it if you have some of the legacy items; a scion; townhouse (or mansion); and Ironclad will and heirlooms. Also two decent stats to pass on. It will make starting your next captain easier and you will probably know what you are doing to make things easier to actually get a winning game.
[quote=Captain Ancalagon]I already do have a few Heirlooms… but why do I need them if (according to a poster above) I can pass on all my money anyway?[/quote]Because you may find other Legacies more appealing. I like the Rival Legacy because it lets me keep a weapon such as the Memento Mori
I’ve been reading the legacy page on the wiki, and I think I should wait a bit - esp with the horizon codex within my grasp… (I have almost completed the merchant venturer’s quest, I just need a bigger ship)… although upon further reading that will kill me, resulting in loss of said bigger ship :/
Is there a point where you should retire because of nightmare strength? I had a nightmare last night and miss-clicked - instead of running away, I confronted it. I failed, and gained 45(!!) terror. I made it to London with 99 terror :O
I often get terror above 50 but never managed to accumulate that much Nightmare’s Strength cos it doesn’t take much Hearts to successfully "Flee the Nightmare". Here’s a couple of ideas I had wanted to do if I got that much:
[ul][li]Go to Chapel of Lights multiple times to do the well thing and see what happens if you get 7 Weeping Scars (caution, do not do this more than twice in a row without healing your Wounds!!!)[/li][li]Look for the giant underwater eye and see if anything cool happens if you sail over it with high Nightmare’s Strength. It just opens and blinks at you a few times and follows you around otherwise.
[ul][li]Go to Chapel of Lights multiple times to do the well thing and see what happens if you get 7 Weeping Scars (caution, do not do this more than twice in a row without healing your Wounds!!!)[/li][li]Look for the giant underwater eye and see if anything cool happens if you sail over it with high Nightmare’s Strength. It just opens and blinks at you a few times and follows you around otherwise.
[/li][/ul][/quote]
it doesn’t at nightmare 11, but this was a few months ago.[li]
seven weeping scars sound like an amazing idea.