Starfield’s Crimson Fleet actually have plenty in common with historical pirates

As it turns out, Starfield’s Crimson Fleet, the Settled Systems’ most feared band of interstellar pirates do actually look to have a fair amount in common with their counterparts from real world history.

This is according to a lengthy Reddit post by user LootBoxDad, who’s decided to review the faction from the perspective of a pirate historian, having previously done the same to some Pirate-themed Overwatch skins. They kick off by immediately demonstrating more pirate knowledge than I’ve got, specifying that their points of historical comparison come from two different periods of pirate history, which when combined run from the early 17th century to the early 18th.

The majority of the post sees them pick out various in-game quotes from characters and info slates which describe the Fleet’s general ethos and modus operandi, dissecting how these compare to those of real world pirates from the time outlined above.

It’s well worth giving the post a read in full, but some of its most interesting observations include the fact that Delgado’s status as a leader that is obeyed, but doesn’t hold complete control over the whims or methods of his faction. LootBoxDad likens this to how figures like Benjamin Hornigold and Henry Jennings were viewed by other buccaneers.

They also point out that, while the Fleet’s logo is a clear homage to the intimidating banners that adorned historical pirate vessels, it doesn’t actually seem to be displayed on the exterior of Fleet-affiliated ships, instead appearing on the walls of locations occupied by them.

Another cool nugget for roleplayers is that the three types of mission typically on offer to the player at Fleet mission boards all involve what were “valid piracy tactics”, with pillaging vessels, smuggling goods to colonies and general theft all being ways that the historical pirate could earn a living.

Towards the end of the post LootBoxDad also discusses how the UC Vanguard compare to historical privateers, saying that while this is “partially correct”, the Vanguard: “makes their members swear an oath of loyalty and pass tests before making them ‘official’, so they’re more like government auxiliaries or part-time volunteer militia than actual privateers.”

Finally, they reveal that the in-game book - A General History of the Pyrates - is actually an excerpt from a real world book about swashbucklers originally published in the 1720s, which you can read in full here.

If you’re keen to read more about Starfield, be sure to check out our coverage of its latest patches and must-have mods, as well as the recently confirmed departures from Bethesda of Pete Hines and Will Shen.