GLOBAL FLEET & TRADE · HANDBOOK

Shipyard Licences and Reputation Unlocks

Reputation and a shipyard licence serve different purposes: reputation permanently unlocks a department, while the local licence permits its use at a particular port.

At a Glance

Repairs and renaming are available immediately without a shipyard licence.
Department unlocks use the highest reputation value ever reached.
A shipyard licence regularly costs £1,000 and applies only at the port where it was purchased.

Shipyard department unlock table

Reputation	Reputation title	Shipyard department	Licence required?	Effect
0	Unknown Merchant	Repairs	No	Owned vessels at the active port can be repaired when a dock is available.
0	Unknown Merchant	Rename ship	No	An available owned vessel at the active port can receive a new name.
5	Aspiring Trader	Equipment	Yes	Engine system, cargo hold and navigation can be upgraded level by level.
8	Trader	Ship catalogue	Yes	The new-build catalogue and eligible vessel purchases become available.
12	Experienced Trader	Used ships	Yes	Offers from other players can be used in the local used-vessel market.
17	Merchant	Sell ship	Yes	Eligible owned vessels can be listed on the local player market.

Reputation reached, but no licence

The department is unlocked by reputation but cannot yet be used at that port. The event window points to Port Administration and the shipyard licence. After purchase, the department becomes usable at that port. The reputation is retained and does not have to be earned again.

Licence owned, but reputation missing

A licence cannot replace a reputation title. The department remains locked until its threshold is reached. Repairs and renaming are the exceptions.

When an unlock is triggered

An eligible game action creates a unique reputation event.
The reputation processor records it in the reputation history and total.
If this first reaches or crosses 5, 8, 12 or 17 points, the reputation title changes.
The event window announces the new title and newly unlocked shipyard department.
A logbook entry is also created. With a local licence the action leads to the department; without one it leads to Port Administration.

Intermediate values matter, but do not always unlock a department

An increase from 3 to 4 points is recorded in the reputation history but does not reach a shipyard threshold. Equipment unlocks only at 5 or more points. The same principle applies at 8, 12 and 17 points.

Common reputation sources

Action or milestone	Points	When it counts
First trade in a new commodity	+0.5	Once for each commodity traded for the first time.
First trade in a new city	+0.5	Once for each city used for trade for the first time.
Trading office founded	+2.0	For a new active office foundation.
Port right acquired	+0.5	When that port right is acquired for the first time.
First port visit	+0.1	On the first visit to a new port.
First route with a vessel type	+1.0	On the first qualifying use of that vessel type.
Clara assignment completed	+0.5	After successful completion and reward processing.
Tavern round purchased	+0.1	When the qualifying social action completes.
Trade rumour confirmed	+0.5	When the event confirms the trade information.
Sea rumour confirmed	+1.0	When the map event is confirmed successfully.
Small / medium / large delivery contract	+1 / +2 / +3	After successful completion.
Small / medium / large emergency contract	+3 / +5 / +8	After successful completion.

Further milestones

Additional points come from increasing numbers of visited ports, traded commodities and cities, active offices, completed contracts and travelled nautical miles. Each milestone is credited only when its threshold is reached for the first time. Your reputation history shows which entry changed the total.