Good points Rory!
On a lighter note, sailing with the Fleet / Guild / etc., the American Continental Navy, has been amazing for my progression through the lower ranks. This time last week, I was still a lowly Midshipman. Tonight, I helped my teammates sink two Spanish 3rd rates using my Mercury brig armed with 24lb carronades, focusing on exploiting my ship's greater maneuverability to get in close for some stern raking action.
The results were good!! And I'm more than halfway towards 1st Lieutenant as consequence. :)
http://i.imgur.com/doyGDGw.png
For comparison, a typical Admiralty mission will net you only 50XP, and it's 1000+ XP per rank, and higher ranks are how you get the crew needed to sail the larger ships. So one can easily understand why getting ~400XP per mission when sailing with a Fleet - which allows you to take on bigger and badder opponents through teamwork - is a big advantage!!
Thanks Nightmoss for the invite, I'm having a blast! :medal:
Screenshot from one of tonight's missions. My ship is in the foreground, and Nightmoss and another teammate are delivering broadsides to a poor Spanish 3rd rate caught in the pickle between them.
http://i.imgur.com/lTy9HKw.jpg