Getting Started

Naval Action is an age-of-sail combat and trading game with a steep but rewarding learning curve. The first few hours can feel overwhelming — this page is the short version of what actually matters when you begin, so you spend less time lost and more time sailing.

Choose your server: start on Peace

There are two worlds to play in. The war server is the full experience: open-world PvP, nations fighting over ports, and the constant chance of losing your ship to another player. The Peace server removes open-world player-versus-player combat, so you can learn to sail, fight the AI, trade, and craft without the risk of being hunted while you're still finding your feet.

Whichever you choose, the live state of the game world is something we track for you. Here's the current status of the Peace server's data feed:

Your first hour

Don't buy or grind anything yet. Spend your opening session getting comfortable with the basics, roughly in this order:

• Learn to sail. A ship's speed depends entirely on its angle to the wind. Practice turning, trimming your sails, and finding the angle where your ship runs fastest — this single skill underlies everything else.
• Try the tutorial and exams. The in-game tutorial teaches the controls, and the combat exams are worth completing: they reward you and force you to learn manual sailing and gunnery properly.
• Fight the AI in small battles. Take easy engagements first. Learn how aiming, range, and your ship's heel affect where your shots land before you risk anything you'd miss.

Making your first money

Early on, two activities pay reliably: combat missions against AI fleets for gold and experience, and simple trading runs, buying a good cheap in one port and selling it where it's worth more. Both are low-risk on the Peace server and teach you the map at the same time. Resist the urge to over-invest in a big ship before you can comfortably sail and fight a small one.

The game keeps changing

Naval Action is actively maintained. The developers post patch notes and announcements regularly through Steam, and this Guide watches that feed so its pages stay current. A recent example:

"May 7 Update: Delivery Missions, NPC Distribution, Trader Hold Capacity & More"

If a detail here ever looks out of date against what you see in-game, trust the game — and tell us, so we can fix it (see below).

Find a crew

Naval Action is far better with people. The fastest way to improve is to sail with others who already know the ropes. Join the NavalGaming community through our Discord, ask questions freely, and group up — veterans here are happy to help new captains get started.

Fair winds, and welcome aboard.