So I have been sitting on this idea for a while and figured I would share.

NOTE

For this to work, the area of play will need to be doubled, if not tripled, as well as doubling/tripling players/ships per server.

Premise and Historical Background

During the golden age of piracy, there existed 4 types of pirates. Buccaneers, Pirates, Cosairs, and Privateer.

Buccaneers were land based pirates who attacked plantations. All buccaneers were pirates, but not all pirates were buccaneers.

Cosairs were pirates/privateers based in the Mediterranean.

Pirates does this really need to be explained?

Privateers were Pirates and/or Cosairs given letters of Marque to attack other countries/trade company's ships legally.

The Idea

Basically what I am suggesting is introducing 3 factions to the game: Pirate faction, Unnamed Faction 1 and Unnamed Faction 2.

Pirate Faction is your default faction. You are essentially "neutral" and can attack anyone you please with little consequences. Though there are consequences.

Other Factions can be joined by going to their capital outpost and receiving a letter of marque. You will be considered a privateer. This will also unlock more faction based cosmetics for both your ship, your weapons, your equipment and your clothes.

As a privateer, you will be able to embark on new missions/quests to earn faction rep for the faction you joined. You can still gain gold hoarder, marchant alliance, order of souls, and Athen's rep as well. However as you gain reputation with one of the two major factions, you lose reputation with the other. The lower the reputation, the less they will want to deal with you, and eventually they will attack you. As a pirate, you will never gain reputation with either faction, but you can lose reputation with both.

NPCs

With these new factions, I propose faction NPC ships to be sailing around the Sea. They can be identified by their sails. When approaching a friendly ship, they will continue on course. Attacking a friendly ship will cause reputation lose with zero gain. When approaching an enemy ship, or a faction ship as a pirare, they will either attempt to fight or flee. Attacking an enemy ship will result in reputation gain for your faction, and a reputation loss for the faction you attacked.

Should you choose to board the ship, a similar mechanic to OOS bounties occur with predetermined waves. Should you best them and their captain, the treasure hold of the ship will be unlocked. Think of it as an easier version of skull forts with less treasure. If, however, you wish to sink the ship without boarding, you will still be rewarded but with less treasure.

If you belong to the pirate faction, you will gain more money from gold hoarders etc. If you manage to deliver these stolen goods.

Other Addtions/Changes

Top sail flag will depict your faction (ie. jolly roger for pirate)

All other players in your faction now have blue names, all enemy faction players now have red names, and all pirate faction members have white names. If you are a pirate faction member, all faction players have their names in colours that represent their chosen faction.

If you lose too much reputation by attacking your own faction players/npcs, you will lose your letter of marque and become pirate.

Pay a fine to reduce negative faction reputation in order to receive letter of marque (only avalible to pirate faction members)

Thoughts, Concerns, Addtional ideas?