Traveling in Rulers of the Sea is done by sea. All port cities in the world are reached by ship. Sailing distances between ports are substantial and there is no fast travel option. In regional areas, like the Mediterranean or South-East Asia, ports are generally within 10 minutes sailing of one another. Travel between regions takes longer, for instance, London to Boston might take 5 hours of sailing. A journey can be continued off-line as the second officer of a ship will simply take over command. Gamers will find out how the journey went once they log on again and they can check progress on an app as well.
Gamers that don’t want to own, equip and crew a ship or simply want to get from A to B without an effort can book a passenger ship to get around. Army units travel with a transport ship in much the same way.
A ship’s navigator is called a Sailing Master, and their quality determines the accuracy of navigation. The quality of the Sailing Master depends on their education. Next to mathematics and language skills there are 16 different navigation courses and exams. Quality of navigational instruments and sea charts are also important. The highest qualified Sailing Masters are Cartographers. They can make Master Sea Charts that can be sold on the Print market.
The sea is ruled by trade winds and currents that determine the optimal course and a good Sailing Master knows how to find them. However, various weather systems disrupt these patterns and can cause unpleasant or perilous surprises which might disrupt journeys or even sink ships.
Sailors man the sails, rigging, anchor and helm, and their training, health and morale determines their quality. The Boatswain runs the deck, the Helmsman sets the course, the Carpenter repairs the ship, the Purser supplies the ship, the Surgeon heals the men, and Officers can take over the Captain’s duties. As a Captain, sailing a ship is like running a company. Orders can be directly given from the command position on deck, but a Captain can also engage in administrative duties in the cabin, managing issues with the crew, setting the watches, training schedules, plotting the course, optimizing purchases, maintenance and the sickbay and balancing the books.