Get Speedy
Skull and Bones has quite a big map. When you open it and do the full zoom-out, you will see a massive expanse of sea spreading seemingly everywhere. This means that you will be sailing for decently lengthy time periods, but there are ways to speed up your travels.

One of those ways is cooperating with the wind. When you're sailing, you will see a speed counter (in knots) with a tiny arrow somewhere in the circle. This arrow is the wind indicator, so you want to pay attention to it at all times, to at least avoid going against the wind directly.

The Pirate Boss
Despite being a live-service game that resembles an MMO in a lot of things, Skull and Bones does have a main story campaign. The quests are contracts very similar to the ones available in the remainder of the game, but they're always given by Captain Scurlock, the most fearsome pirate in Saint Anne.

This is where you should start, even if the story isn't of much interest to you. These missions not only serve as a sort of tutorial for every system and contract type the game has to offer, but they give you excellent rewards and a lot of infamy points, without being too challenging.

Don't Get Greedy
If you're like us, used to bumping the difficulty to the maximum and going out of your way for a challenge, you might be tempted to shrug off Skull and Bones' level requirements for contracts. You're obviously still able to do so, but you'll likely regret it.

Leveling in the game isn't entirely linear. Your ship's level is an aggregate of everything you have on it, from furniture to weapons and armor. If you're level five with an appropriate armor, chances are that a level seven ship will dismantle you in a couple of shots, so we advise sticking to contracts that are no more than one level above your ship's.

Make This A Priority
Upgrading your tools should be one of your main focuses. Weapons and armor are obviously important, but the game does give you a few of those as you progress. Tools, though, can only be crafted, and you'll be unlocking most of the most crucial blueprints through Scurlock's missions.
Keep an eye out for when you get them, and try to craft the tools as soon as possible. This will unlock new shipwrecks to loot and will make your harvesting efficiency much better, so the sooner you get them, the more the investment will pay off.

They'll Be Useful, Eventually
There are dozens of outposts and settlements spread throughout Skull and Bones' map. You should be docking on every single one of them and taking a look at the trading screen for whatever might interest you, but especially blueprints.

The game gives you multiple ways to get blueprints, but the most certain way of getting them is through these merchants. The later game ones are locked behind infamy requirements, but you can always check where you can acquire them from the blacksmith's crafting menu. As long as you've discovered the outpost, you'll know where to go.

Time Is Money!
As we've said before, Skull and Bones' map is huge. Some voyages can take you quite a few minutes at a time, which can obviously be fun, but it can also get a bit tedious when you're farming for specific resources or backtracking after a contract.

This is exactly why Ubisoft implemented a Fast Travel system into the game. Yes, it does cost money, and yes, it can get quite expensive, depending on the distance. But, the quicker you get stuff done, the more silver you'll have at the end of the day. Remember, pirates, time is money.

Don't Be A Hoarder
With the amount and diversity of loot that Skull and Bones has to offer, it is quite easy to just go on a spree of collecting everything until your cargo hold is on the verge of exploding. Although it can be quite satisfying to see that orange bar get almost to its max, it is rarely a good decision to do so.

You lose most of your loot when your ship gets destroyed, so you should empty your cargo hold of anything you don't need as often as you can. You can do this at any outpost where you can dock, and it will not only save your loot, but also save you time on deciding which loot you want to keep.

Knowledge Is Power
Although the coast of East Africa and Southeast Asia was already discovered by the late 17th century, the entire map is a novelty for our pirates. You'll be braving the wilds and uncovering the fog through your travels, and you should do your best to reach every point of interest that you sail by.

Doing so will mark their settlement or outpost on the map with a name, and will make your life much easier when you want to get resources, hunt for a blueprint, search for some treasure or uncover an investigation. A pirate's journey is not done until the entire map is uncovered!