Ocean-based pirates in the game?

[FuFu15]

let's say one of your ships gets picked off by some other civ's privateers. would that be considered an act of war? historically, privateers weren't really owned/commanded by the government, just secretly backed...so the governments wouldnt take the blame for pirating.

basically, is it an act of war?

[Marcus Agrippa]

Pirates should never have ships capable of taking on a "battleship" or its historical equivalent. (eg Ship-of-the-Line, etc.) They would attack merchant ships, and possibly take on light warships.

[Christantine The Great]

FuFu, the privateers will look like probe teams from SMAC, meaning they won't "fly" your shield (if you didn't know). I don't think a country should be penalized because almost every country backed privateers at some point or another. Afterall they aren't really attacking in your name, just with your backing.

I believe privateers will steal gold off of ships if they manage to do...something?

[Fidel]

can one sponsor and harbor privateers?

[Roman]

I think the privateer unit is and barbarians could also use the ship effectively acting as pirates.

[Fiil]

Hopefully you can use you privateers against enemy naval trade routes...
And maybe there will be pirates to attack your own trade routes.

[Mads Raven]

Let us hope we will have pirates in the game, it would ad a touch of realism.

[Deathwalker]

If there using the pirate model that was used in Colonization. I think that would be great idead, as it lets you attack an enemy with out the need to declare war? But how long would be able to do this, all time or for just a part of?

[Roman]

Originally posted by Fiil
Hopefully you can use you privateers against enemy naval trade routes...

This has been confirmed by Dan.