Ahoy!
Raise the sails and set a course for the Bay of Creativity!
Kirrill here — glad to have you aboard.
This is our first development diary focused on the gameplay side of patch 2.0. We’ve done a tremendous amount of work, and I can’t wait to show you what’s changing.
There will be five diaries in total, and once the last one is published, the 2.0 Beta will become available to everyone.
Let’s start tracking the progress right now!
A New Playthrough and Deeper Roleplay
Patch 2.0 will require starting a new game. We’ve said this several times before, and that has not changed.
Many of you have already seen the beginning more than once: the same heroes, the same backgrounds, and very limited room for roleplay.
It is time for big changes.
Backgrounds
We have substantially reworked the old Backgrounds and added new ones.
Each Background now comes with 2 personal perks and 1 naval perk. Let’s begin with the ones you’ll be getting to know all over again.
The Duelist’s emblem is the rooster — an ancient heraldic animal and a national symbol of France, representing courage and a call to battle. A perfect fit for a hothead, a brawler, and a born duelist.
Players often saw the Duelist as one of the most balanced Backgrounds, so we chose not to overbuff it.
We kept the fan-favorite Tanned Leather unchanged and added two new perks.
We want the Duelist’s mobility — and especially the dodge mechanic — to become a much more common part of combat.
A proper duelist keeps an eye on the crew’s skills and makes sure regular training never falls by the wayside.
The Athlete’s emblem is the bull — a symbol of stubbornness, persistence, endurance, fury, and raw strength. A natural match for a bruiser who favors heavy weapons and has the highest Health pool of them all.
The Athlete was widely seen as unfairly weakened: partly because it used to be extremely strong, and then patch 1.6 shifted it toward non-combat bonuses.
We have strengthened it considerably and turned it into a true master of arms.
Percheron now also applies to medium weapons and armor, while the two new perks make the Athlete far more dangerous.
The Athlete handles any weapon with equal confidence — the habit of using different blades for different situations has never been more useful.
A sound mind in a sound body. Fresh-air warmups and recruiting especially sturdy lads make the crew remarkably hard to kill.
The Accountant’s emblem is the boa — a symbol of wisdom, patience, and life as enduring as capital itself. A fitting choice for an educated, well-read person who does not shy away from shady dealings.
The Accountant has received two entirely new personal perks, both tied directly to mechanics coming in 2.0.
For now, they may not tell you much — consider this a teaser for future diaries.
The Accountant always knows how to leave a good impression.
Doing something well is not enough. You also need to know how to sell it.
The Sharpshooter’s emblem is the eagle — a symbol of majesty, foresight, and a predator’s razor-sharp vision. A perfect match for a lover of firearms, reckless bravado, and all eyes on them.
The Sharpshooter was rightly considered the weakest Background because one of its personal perks simply wasn’t useful enough.
We have changed Sniper, adding stagger to enemies hit by the shot. This gives the Sharpshooter a little more breathing room. We also added a new perk.
Many new mechanics will be tied to skill progression, making the role-playing system deeper and character growth far more interesting.
The Sharpshooter becomes deadlier as the game goes on — something no other Background can achieve in quite the same way.
The Sharpshooter’s naval perk has also changed: it is now connected to the new cannon durability system, which we’ll cover in future diaries.
The Commander’s emblem is the lion — a symbol of strength, nobility, and authority. A natural choice for a charismatic leader who inspires sailors and officers alike.
This is a completely new Background focused on personnel management, charisma, and social descriptors.
The Commander will have the highest Authority value, and its perks offer a different take on familiar gameplay.
A kind word can turn an enemy into an ally — and a boarding fighter into a killing machine.
How could anyone seriously fight a face like that?
When you like someone, even their jokes sound funnier and their arguments more convincing.
This is the perfect Background for players who enjoy traveling with a large group of officers.
The Rogue’s emblem is the fox — a symbol of cunning, luck, and insight. A perfect fit for a character who relies on guile and trickery, strikes from the shadows, and melts into the crowd.
This is also a completely new Background. The Rogue is a master of stealthy infiltration, critical strikes, and, of course, treasure hunting.
And no — we did not remove the Treasure Hunter personal perk from the game. It has simply been given to a character who suits it better.
The remaining perks follow the same idea:
No one rivals the Rogue when it comes to finding the perfect moment for a critical strike.
It doesn’t matter that the ship has a Spanish name and unmistakable Spanish colors. It was built in an English shipyard just last month, sir!
You’re probably wondering what Streetwise is. Well, that deserves its own section.
Skill Changes
We have reworked the list of skills, reducing their number from 14 to 12.
If you’ve ever wondered why the game had both Success and Opportunism (in russian it's hilarious Luck and Fortune), or why 6 naval officer roles somehow needed 7 skills — we are very much on the same page.
Opportunism and Stealth have been merged into a single skill: Streetwise. It covers quick thinking, finding alternate routes, sensing danger, and spotting opportunity.
Perfect for slipping into cities or winning at games of chance.
The question “How do you even level up luck?” always caused a great deal of narrative dissonance for me. Now that problem is gone, and my soul is at peace.
The same happened to Accuracy and Cannons — now there is only Cannons. After all these years, I still never really understood what the difference was supposed to be. To aim cannons and hit targets, you need to know how to use cannons. Two separate skills for that always felt like one too many.
Now the system has a clear match between roles and skills: 6 officers, 6 skills, one for each. Simple and understandable.
The rest of the role-playing system has also been adapted to these changes: skill and level thresholds will be recalculated, as will the way skills depend on PIRATE. But that is far too much math for this diary.
Roleplay and Customization
Backgrounds are only part of the overhaul.
A Background is what your character eventually became. But all of us carry the mark of past experience. Why should game characters be any different?
I think they deserve that same depth.
Traits
Traits describe innate physical and mental qualities: physique, health, temperament, daily rhythm, perception of the world, and natural inclinations.
They are the foundation of the character — what they were born with, and what visibly shapes the way they play. One character can take a hit better, another finds their combat rhythm faster, a third feels stronger at night, while a fourth pays for exceptional intelligence with a lack of aggression in battle.
Each trait grants a unique feature that can significantly change gameplay. You can choose any trait regardless of Background and tune your character exactly the way you want.
There are many traits. Here are just a few examples:
Hardy
You have excellent health and a stomach made of iron.
- Healing potions recharge 2 seconds faster.
- Healing potions are 30% more effective.
Wiry
Lean, light, and enduring, you only begin to find your rhythm when others are already gasping after a few sharp moves. You use that edge to wear down slower enemies.
- Maximum Energy +30%.
- Damage against Soldiers +15%.
Long-Limbed
You are tall, with long arms and a reach to match.
- Attack range of all weapons +20%.
Heavy-Boned
You are tall, broad, and built on a large, heavy frame, using your mass to pressure the enemy.
- Maximum Health +20%.
- Damage against Fencers +15%.
Brute
You are strong and fierce, but your intellectual talents leave much to be desired.
- Experience gain -10%.
- Damage dealt +15%.
Intellectual
You have a brilliant mind and a phenomenal memory, but in battle you are held back by a lack of aggression and bloodlust.
- Damage dealt -35%.
- You gain 1 additional perk point when ranking up.
Casanova
For you, romantic exploits are not merely a pleasant pastime, but a way of life. Whether this is physiological or mental is for you to decide.
- Romantic encounters grant additional temporary benefits lasting one week.
- The effect depends on the partner.
Short-Tempered
You are like a powder keg — always expecting a spark and always ready to start a fight. Unfortunately, that is a poor quality for a negotiator.
- Enemies at full health take 25% more damage.
- Reputation loss with factions is doubled.
Child of Bacchus
Long ago, you learned that the world becomes far friendlier when viewed through the bottom of a mug.
- Drunkenness lasts four times longer.
- Drunkenness grants bonuses instead of penalties.
- Energy recovery speed +20%.
Each trait can either cover the weaknesses of your chosen Background or strengthen its advantages. Which is also true of the bonuses granted by...
Hobbies
Hobbies reflect not nature, but past experience: what the character did in their free time, what skills they cultivated, and what knowledge they carried away from it.
A person may try many things over a lifetime, but usually only one pastime truly stays with them. That is what a hobby represents.
Hobbies do not change the hero’s nature, but they add a biographical layer: a practical advantage born from the character’s past.
There are not that many of them, so I can show them all:
Oratory
Since youth, you have recited poems, speeches, and plays before an audience. Now even an order to repair the hold sounds as if the fate of the kingdom depends on it.
- Crew morale decreases twice as slowly.
- Morale affects the ship twice as strongly.
Gambling
You have spent a great deal of time at gambling tables and learned plenty of useful tricks. A marked deck and weighted dice are never far from your hand.
- In card games, you can see the value of your opponent’s cards.
- In dice games, your chance of a favorable roll is increased.
- Bonus to all checks in Stories +10%.
Herbalism
You know which leaves heal, which ones invigorate, and which ones make a person urgently look for a bucket.
- When gathering herbs, there is a 35% chance to receive extra ingredients.
Chess
This ancient game demands patience, memory, and strategic talent. Now you see the people around you as pieces of different value — and you know exactly how best to use them.
- Officers gain 1 additional perk point when ranking up.
Hunting
You spent countless days in the saddle with a loaded gun, listening for the wind, the rustle of leaves, and the snap of branches. When facing a beast, only one shot matters — the first.
- Firearm reload speed +10%.
- Shots against enemies at full health deal 15% more damage.
Hammer Throw
You always enjoyed feats of strength — throwing hammers, heavy projectiles, and other exercises that leave your hands shaking and your shoulders burning.
- Critical hits drain enemy Energy.
- Melee critical damage +20%.
Boxing
You know how to exhaust an opponent and when to land the decisive blow.
- You deal 20% more damage to enemies below half Energy.
All of these hobbies existed in one form or another in the 17th century, and a character could very well have practiced them before arriving in the Caribbean.
Mixing and Matching
Backgrounds, traits, and hobbies complement one another beautifully. You may have noticed that some effects fit together almost too well — that is intentional.
You can build a brutally efficient character or a narratively ridiculous one. This is your world.
- Athlete-Intellectual-Chess Player? Absolutely.
- Nearsighted Sharpshooter-Gambler? Why not.
- A booze-loving Rogue who enjoys jungle walks and gathering herbs? Who’s going to stop you?
This deepens not only your character, but also officers — and enemies too. Most traits can belong to almost any character you meet.
To reflect this, we have also slightly rebuilt the equipment screen.
Reputation and a Bonus Item
By the time your character decides to sail for the Caribbean, they already have a certain reputation in the eyes of others — and a few possessions to their name.
Now that choice is in your hands as well. During character creation, you can decide whether your hero is a scoundrel, a righteous soul, or still undecided, and you can bring something from the distant homeland: a pouch of doubloons, a lucky charm, or a torn piece of a map.
The Caribbean is a dangerous place, and it pays to be ready for anything.
Conclusion
This diary turned out rather substantial — and it covers only one of the many new things we have prepared for 2.0.
See you in the next diaries!
What we do — we do for you! :jollyr:
