A dhow Defiant on the high seas.
The ship management interface.
The Defiant is the ship that belongs to the Watcher, used to explore the Deadfire Archipelago during The Hunt for Eothas. Like Caed Nua in Pillars of Eternity, it is Deadfire's main player hub, albeit in a more portable form. It also features much more extensive customization.
Background
The Defiant was chartered with what remained of the Watcher's wealth after the destruction of Caed Nua by Eothas, in order to bring the comatose Watcher closer to the retreating god. For one reason or another, Eothas's proximity kept the Watcher alive throughout the travel, but the vessel itself came under pirate attack when it entered Deadfire, beaching near Port Maje.
Management
Your flagship is one of the pillars of gameplay, allowing you to explore the Deadfire Archipelago, fight other vessels, store companions and followers, and of course, pursue Eothas.
Ship management is a core element of gameplay and encompasses gathering your crew, making sure they are nourished, and keeping morale high. There are six core resources you need to look after:
Morale: Morale measures the crew's overall attitude and sense of common purpose. The mental and emotional health of the crew is vital to success in combat. Poor morale may lead to brawls among the crew - and even mutiny. High levels of morale give bonuses to experience.
Food: The stock of edible items available to the crew. A hungry crew loses morale and if they suffer fifteen days without a meal, their chance of dying increases significantly. Food is replenished by buying foodstuffs and placing whatever you find in the ship's food stores. A cook crew member reduces the amount of food needed by the crew by 10%.
Water: The quantity of beverages available to the crew. A thirsty crew loses morale and if they suffer three days without a drink, their chance of dying increases significantly. As with food, you can replenish water supply by buying drinkable water.- Medicine: The stock of supplies available to heal the crew's injuries. To be healed, a crew member must be resting in the reserves. Surgeons help conserve medical supplies by healing injured crew more swiftly.
- Ammunition: The current stock of cannonballs and gunpowder on the ship. Each cannon uses ammunition with every shot.
- Repair: The stock of pitch, lumber, and sturdy linen used to repair damage done to the ship. Repair supplies deplete hourly as the crew mend the hull and sails.
Supplies are the biggest ongoing expense of maintaining your ship and should be replenished regularly - especially living supplies. Wages are also paid to your crew members each day, scaling up with their level and capabilities.
Thankfully, neither food nor water are expended while the ship is in port (wages are collected as normal).
Combat
The start of combat.
Combat is a fact of life in the Deadfire and your ship will have to engage in it repeatedly. As befits the age of fantasy sail, combat is resolved primarily by shooting your enemy until they sink, the crew is turned to kibble, or they otherwise stop shooting and let themselves be looted. Your performance in combat depends on the upgrades you have installed (see below), the crew you have, and of course, the choices you make.
Why should you fight? Looting enemy ships, whether from flotsam left behind or from intact stores you take, is an excellent source of loot for sale and supplies for travel - plus, you can distribute the coins captured from the enemy crew among your own for a quick +10 to morale.
Upgrades
The ship can be extensively upgraded throughout the game, which affects not only its appearance, but also performance in naval battles, capacity, and so on and so forth.
Crew members
The Defiant requires a proper crew to be seaworthy and maneuver on the high seas. Each crew member requires food, water, and wages.
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