Golden Age of Piracy

Corsair Cove is set during the end of the historical Golden Age of Piracy. That specific period is when the Crown's pirate hunters commandeered the high seas, and it is the framing that makes Corsair Cove's premise work: pirates are not at the peak of their power, they are scrambling to survive against a professionalising navy.

Why the Setting Matters

A Golden Age-ending framing gives Corsair Cove a reason to be a city builder rather than purely an action game. Pirates who want to last have to build something defensible and self-sustaining. The Progression Paths then give each player's haven a different answer to the question 'how do we survive this'.