The World of Sea Battle hub gives a quick overview of the game. This page is about getting around: regions, ports and sailing. If you just started, the beginner guide explains which flag to fly while you learn the map.
How the archipelago is laid out
Map icons: forts, imperials, black marks, trade routes and hazard zones (LifeofKino)The game world is an archipelago split into regions, each rated by danger from 1 to 7. Low level regions are where you start, with weaker NPCs and shorter hops between ports; higher levels pay better and hit harder. At the centre lies the dangerous zone, a circle where territorial wars and the best NPC rewards meet. Since B20 the central circle can be entered from level 15, and since B19 it has more enhanced NPCs.
| Area | Who sails there | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Low danger regions | New captains, traders, quest runs | Low under the peace flag |
| Higher danger regions | Mid players hunting NPCs | Medium to high |
| Central dangerous circle | PvP, guild wars, enhanced NPCs | High; the peace flag is not allowed |
| Port waters | Everyone docking | Depends on whose port it is and your faction |
| The Endless Sea | Explorers | Beyond the map edge; big expansion planned for spring 2027 |
Heart of the Abyss is one region name you will see in patch notes: B19 split it into two regions, each with its own point of interest.
Ports that matter
Every port has an exchange, a shipyard, a tavern for quests and a warehouse. What differs is who owns it:
- Faction cities build ships of their faction with a 20 percent material discount.
- Khanfar Caliphate ports are neutral and build trading ships only.
- Pirate City and other pirate ports host the rare double reward pirate missions added in B20.
- Guild owned cities pay taxes to their owners and can be put under tribute.
Port names you will meet in the official patch notes include Gray Island, Masadora, El Tigre, Pirate City, Saint Jean, Fiji and Santa Marta. Since B18 the world map also shows how full each port's trading house is, which is the fastest way to plan a trade run; see the trading guide.
Lighthouses, forts, altars and fishermen
Update B19: New Horizon (official channel)- Lighthouses are respawn points; since B20 a ship that respawns at a lighthouse gets brief immunity. Your personal island can have its own lighthouse.
- Imperial forts are group PvE targets with resource loot; after B21 their loot stays for 15 minutes. See the PvE guide.
- Altars appear on the map and have been used for event exchanges (B18).
- Fishermen trade fish for iron and wood, a useful stop on long trips.
- Mines for iron, wood and coal sit around the map; your island must be within about 7,000 of them, as explained in the personal island guide.
Sailing with the wind
Every ship has a wind rose: a diagram of its speed at each angle to the wind. B21 reworked the unique wind rose to make it more predictable:
- Broad reach is your highway. With the wind on your rear quarter you are in the favourable zone, now 33 percent wider with a 0.5 speed bonus.
- Do not run dead downwind. The running zone shrank by 33 percent, so angle off it.
- Tack, do not fight the wind. The head to wind zone shrank by 22 percent, but sailing straight into the wind is still slow; zigzag instead.
- Read the wind strength indicator (B19). Strong wind far from shore and in storms gives a speed bonus, so long open water legs can be faster than coastal ones.
- Keep off the rocks. Running into land damages your hull.
The game encyclopedia got a separate section on wind mechanics in B21; it is worth a read once.
Fast travel and planning a voyage
The Fast Travel captain skill moves you between neighbouring ports without sailing, and Logistics adds more uses. Use it to get to the start of a route, not to skip the hauling: you still sail with cargo. A good voyage plan answers four questions: what danger levels the route crosses, whether it enters the central circle, where the nearest lighthouse is, and which legs run on a broad reach.
Port waters and tension
Port waters are the zone around each city where special rules apply: enemy towers, mooring fees and, for guilds, the tension that leads to port battles. B21 enlarged port waters from 765 to 900 and the patrol spawn zone from 510 to 900, so expect patrols further out than before. Since B19 the peace flag no longer protects military and trade faction players in enemy port waters. City capture is covered in the guilds and port battles guide.
Which flag where
| Where | Recommended flag | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Low danger regions, hauling | Peace flag | Protection outweighs the 20 percent reward cut |
| Hunting NPCs you can defend | Combat faction flag | Plus 30 percent experience and loot |
| Enemy port waters | Think twice | Military and trade faction players lose peace flag protection there (B19) |
| Central circle | Any combat flag | The peace flag is not allowed |
Voyage checklist
- Check the route's danger levels on the map.
- Avoid the central circle unless you are there to fight.
- Note the lighthouses along the route.
- Plan broad reach legs and tack early rather than late.
- Check port stock on the map if you are trading.
- Bank anything you do not need before you leave port.
FAQ
How big is the World of Sea Battle map?
The archipelago is split into regions rated by danger from 1 to 7, with a dangerous central circle and the Endless Sea beyond the map edge.
When can I enter the central PvP circle?
From level 15, according to the update B20 notes. The peace flag is not allowed there.
How does wind work in World of Sea Battle?
Each ship has a wind rose. After update B21 the broad reach, with the wind on your rear quarter, is the fastest and widest favourable zone, and strong wind away from shore gives a speed bonus.
What is the Endless Sea?
The open sea beyond the archipelago's edge. A large Endless Sea expansion was postponed to spring 2027.
Where are the best ports to build ships?
Ports of the ship's own faction, which give a 20 percent material discount. Khanfar Caliphate ports only build trading ships.