Naval Action Beginner Quickstart Guide

This is a guide to get you quickly started in Naval Action. There is a lot to learn and do in Naval Action, and everybody has their own interests and play style. This guide maps out a path that you can take at your own pace, quickly or slowly, to learn the basics and get started on a sound footing in the game.

Make money while exploring the world

You need money to pay your crew, buy your ship, and outfit it with cannons and supplies. As a new player you have a Basic Brig, which is always free, but it is also the weakest warship in the game. Nonetheless, it is good for transportation, and the easiest way to make some money is to take passenger missions from port to port.

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Complete the Tutorials

The in-game tutorials cover the basics of how to sail and fight your ship. By basic, we mean very rudimentary -- just enough to get you started, but you need to learn a lot more to be effective in the game. When you are ready to move beyond the basics, here are some recommended video tutorials that will help you develop the skills you need to progress in the game:

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Sink four ships with a Basic Brig

As a brand new player you are at the lowest rank and really the only ship you can command is the basic brig. The good news is that the basic brig is free, so you can go out into the world and tear it up without fear of losing anything. With a little practice you should have no trouble sinking 7th rate Cutters and Pickles. Sink four and you will advance in rank and increase the number of crew you can command.

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Purchase and equip a 6th rate ship

Trader Snows are cheap and plentiful in the ship auction. They are also a pretty decent warship and a good step up from the Basic Brig. Purchase the cheapest ship on offer. Arm it with medium guns, load rum and repairs, and you are ready to go to war.

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5. Capture a Traders Brig

While completing passenger missions with you Cerberus, keep a sharp lookout for a Traders Brigs. Valuable trade goods can be captured and sold to make more money, and when you add a Traders Brig to your fleet, you can start to take cargo missions.

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Sink more ships to level up

You need to sink ships to get xp to gain rank and command larger crews. The bigger the ships that you sink, the more xp you gain.

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Purchase/equip a Trincomalee heavy frigate

Once you have leveled up to command 400 crew, you can now purchase/equip an inexpensive Trincomalee. The Trinc is a free dlc that veteran players recieved some time ago, and it is the only dlc ship that can be traded among players. Look for a low cost Trinc at the ship auction in the capital, or feel free to ask in nation chat if someone has a ship to sell.

8. Have fun!

Naval Action is a challenging game to play. There are skills to be mastered and knowledge to be gained to play this game at a high level. Seek out other players and don't hesitate to ask for help. Join us here at NavalGaming.com -- our raison d'etre is to help people like you who are just starting out.