World premise
A playable world seed with consequences.
The year is 1775. Rebellion has erupted in Britain's American colonies, while the great powers of Europe watch for an opportunity to challenge British supremacy. The Royal Navy stands as the Empire's first line of defense, protecting trade, colonies, and the seas. You are a newly promoted Master and Commander, awaiting your first independent command at Portsmouth Dockyard. The opening weeks are spent in a dense urban quarter shaped by day-to-day survival under pressure—where the constant churn of fleet movements, press gangs, and merchant speculation presses hard on every livelihood. Your name is on the list for a ship, but the list is long and favor is not evenly spread. Every day brings new rumors from across the Atlantic, but here in Portsmouth the immediate fight is for credit, lodging, and a reputation that will not sink before you even raise your pennant.
Rising hardship is tightening daily margins across Portsmouth.
Local survival pressures are reshaping who can take risks and who cannot.
Authority, rumor, and household expectation are all moving faster than comfort allows.
Most openings depend on local trust, timing, and somebody else's favor.