Navy firing back?
 

Any speculation on when or if the ships will ever fire back? Seems a little too easy right now to be the real thing.

...really? I get fired upon and get damage? :(

Really, not calling you a liar but, I have two beta accounts in my home and both of us have never been fired upon. Once in awhile guards and/or corpses will board our ship and attack.

We have two accounts as well and have never been fired upon once.

--Jonathan O'Ginty

I get fired on once in a while, but not too much. Didn't they use to fire more before the last few updates?

Yea i have to keys as well and other than as Jcmz said enemys boarding my ship i've never had a enemy ship fire back.

I think I saw some ships firing back a few weeks ago but nothing recently. My husband and I sail together regularly (also have two accts) and we sink ship after ship but never incur any damage. We just thought it couldn't possibly stay this easy. We speculated that maybe you will have to actually board the EITC ships and fight to get the cargo and that the Navy ships will fire back depending on their type and level. Historically the trading ships would not have had many cannons on them if at all.

I've never been fired on either, but have had the navy guards "board" my ship and attack me.

You know, if we have to use grappling hooks, I think they should too. No more of this walk-through-mid-air-to-board-my-ship ****. ;)

Actually I was attacked, somehow, when fighting some of the undead ships near Cuba. I noticed my health was almost nothing, but I never saw any canons fire or anyone even on their ship. I'm not sure how I was hurt.

That is so true, it's wrong that they can float over and do damage but I can never fight back because they're too high in the air. Also when the giant crabs climb on board or go underneath and start striking you but you can't see them to fight back. Not quite fair!

hopefully the flaoting enemys and crabs doing damage under the ships is only a bug and will be fixed..

Returned Fire
 

I'm a level 12 on the cannons, and I've been fired upon exactly once. It was really neat graphics, with the gun ports opening, the cannons sliding forward and firimg, then recoiling and the ports closing. I beleive it was a level 14 Navy ship, but I can't be certain.

Yeah, I have been fired on before, recently. But they usually missed cause I didn't incur any damage. Majority of the times, they do not fire back, for me.

sometimes that Warship near Port Royal shoots at me. or a Navy ship with Pirate flag above it (what is that?)

2nd Time
 

I've just been fired upon for the 2nd time. The ship was a Navy Vanguard, level 14. Another thing I've realized is that the ships that fire at you are the only ones that put out the pulsating green circles you can fire your grappling hooks through in order to board.

Well, theyre firing back now! You definitely need a crew it seems. Compared to what weve been used to it's crazy to be out at sea any more. Im always up for a challenge, but gosh!

This post eloquently describes (almost exactly) my experience with sailing since the latest build release (1.0.7.0)