I'm sure you've all experienced it. You're in battle, down to half health, taking evasive maneuvers to avoid getting boarded, the enemy ship has a last little sliver of health... and suddenly it becomes transparent and invincible, returns to its spawn point, and heals back to full health as you impotently scream at the screen. You've just been 'tethered'. The 'tether' is a mechanic that triggers when a ship gets too far away from its spawn; it disengages from the player and becomes unattackable. I'm going to be blunt here: this is stupid. There's no real reason to include anti-kiting measures in this game, there's only one skyway I can think of that it would actually be useful at all (Monquista, I suppose you could drag high leveled ships to a low level, but they can just change realms or run), and even there it's not very useful. Meanwhile, this system trips up loads of players and steals their quest credit. It has to go.

Robobot1747 on Jan 2, 2016 wrote:

I'm sure you've all experienced it. You're in battle, down to half health, taking evasive maneuvers to avoid getting boarded, the enemy ship has a last little sliver of health... and suddenly it becomes transparent and invincible, returns to its spawn point, and heals back to full health as you impotently scream at the screen. You've just been 'tethered'. The 'tether' is a mechanic that triggers when a ship gets too far away from its spawn; it disengages from the player and becomes unattackable. I'm going to be blunt here: this is stupid. There's no real reason to include anti-kiting measures in this game, there's only one skyway I can think of that it would actually be useful at all (Monquista, I suppose you could drag high leveled ships to a low level, but they can just change realms or run), and even there it's not very useful. Meanwhile, this system trips up loads of players and steals their quest credit. It has to go.

Why are you afraid of being boarded? If you're aware that going beyond a ship's spawn point causes them to heal to full health why take those evasive maneuvers? You still get the nautical experience whether you defeat a ship by sinking or boarding. And it counts to the quest just the same.
If it's scrip you're after and these ships are causing you problems, then find weaker ships.

Robobot1747 on Jan 2, 2016 wrote:

I'm sure you've all experienced it. You're in battle, down to half health, taking evasive maneuvers to avoid getting boarded, the enemy ship has a last little sliver of health... and suddenly it becomes transparent and invincible, returns to its spawn point, and heals back to full health as you impotently scream at the screen. You've just been 'tethered'. The 'tether' is a mechanic that triggers when a ship gets too far away from its spawn; it disengages from the player and becomes unattackable. I'm going to be blunt here: this is stupid. There's no real reason to include anti-kiting measures in this game, there's only one skyway I can think of that it would actually be useful at all (Monquista, I suppose you could drag high leveled ships to a low level, but they can just change realms or run), and even there it's not very useful. Meanwhile, this system trips up loads of players and steals their quest credit. It has to go.

If you need to run that far then there is a reason why, I have never had to run so far unless being targeted by multiple ships around my level

Robobot1747 on Jan 2, 2016 wrote:

I'm sure you've all experienced it. You're in battle, down to half health, taking evasive maneuvers to avoid getting boarded, the enemy ship has a last little sliver of health... and suddenly it becomes transparent and invincible, returns to its spawn point, and heals back to full health as you impotently scream at the screen. You've just been 'tethered'. The 'tether' is a mechanic that triggers when a ship gets too far away from its spawn; it disengages from the player and becomes unattackable. I'm going to be blunt here: this is stupid. There's no real reason to include anti-kiting measures in this game, there's only one skyway I can think of that it would actually be useful at all (Monquista, I suppose you could drag high leveled ships to a low level, but they can just change realms or run), and even there it's not very useful. Meanwhile, this system trips up loads of players and steals their quest credit. It has to go.

If she's that far down, board her and get the first attack. Her crew is equally wounded (unlike yours, who will come out at full health). You're not losing quest credit for having a boarding action vs having an actual sinking action. Thump the crew and be done, and save your impotent screams for something useful, like howling at that wretched hydra or raining curses on the scylla spawn (the "May your claws turn into marshmallows" curse is pretty ineffective, though, just so you know).

Robobot1747 on Jan 5, 2016 wrote:

@anecorbie Being boarded takes a really long time. I'm not avoiding combat to heal, I'm engaging in combat, just moving away from the enemy as to not let them board.

@Willowydream What "strategy"? The only strategy I've ever seen in ship combat is mash buttons to attack.

@witchdoctor darius I don't have the highest nautical level, and most of the time that is the reason.

@Florenza I know I get quest credit, getting boarded just takes a lot longer.

Just out of curiousity, is there an actual in-game or out-of-game reason for this tether?

Sorry but your wrong in the first three

In your first point against anecrobie you still have to move really far away from the ship for it tether in al my years of playing this has never happened to me and I take evasive mane users occasionally too

Willowy dream was talking about the npc ships strategy of not chasing after the player

If you don't have the highest nautical level, do side quests giving nautical experience or just plain sink ships from the world below the one you are currently working on, the regatta is great for nautical xp too

Robobot1747 on Jan 5, 2016 wrote:

@anecorbie Being boarded takes a really long time. I'm not avoiding combat to heal, I'm engaging in combat, just moving away from the enemy as to not let them board.

@Willowydream What "strategy"? The only strategy I've ever seen in ship combat is mash buttons to attack.

@witchdoctor darius I don't have the highest nautical level, and most of the time that is the reason.

@Florenza I know I get quest credit, getting boarded just takes a lot longer.

Just out of curiousity, is there an actual in-game or out-of-game reason for this tether?

Because if they didn't have that tether....there would be that one evil, high-level player that thinks it is funny to pull all the Skull Island ships to some obscure corner of the skyway, where of course, regular players questing will be have a negative experience in the game. Or they will "train" the ships on other players (pull all the ships to another player and then port to a life fountain, leaving the other player surrounded by 10+ ships).

Below are some old threads with some advice/strategy to your situation:

https://www.pirate101.com/forum/the-tavern/getting-very-tired-of-this-8ad6a4153a4f12fe013a6f5635ec3cd0/8ad6a41c3a79c991013a7a26537e5b25?fromSearchResult=true#8ad6a41c3a79c991013a7a26537e5b25

https://www.pirate101.com/forum/a-pirates-life/unfair-advantage-8ad6a4193ab60373013ab77cc66a4db7/8ad6a4153ab60317013abc6e466d08cf?fromSearchResult=true#8ad6a4153ab60317013abc6e466d08cf

Oran from Urz on Jan 6, 2016 wrote:

Because if they didn't have that tether....there would be that one evil, high-level player that thinks it is funny to pull all the Skull Island ships to some obscure corner of the skyway, where of course, regular players questing will be have a negative experience in the game. Or they will "train" the ships on other players (pull all the ships to another player and then port to a life fountain, leaving the other player surrounded by 10+ ships).

Below are some old threads with some advice/strategy to your situation:

https://www.pirate101.com/forum/the-tavern/getting-very-tired-of-this-8ad6a4153a4f12fe013a6f5635ec3cd0/8ad6a41c3a79c991013a7a26537e5b25?fromSearchResult=true#8ad6a41c3a79c991013a7a26537e5b25

https://www.pirate101.com/forum/a-pirates-life/unfair-advantage-8ad6a4193ab60373013ab77cc66a4db7/8ad6a4153ab60317013abc6e466d08cf?fromSearchResult=true#8ad6a4153ab60317013abc6e466d08cf

My, such nefarious ideas you pirates come up with lol.

dk4vision on Jan 8, 2016 wrote:

Calm down a little, he's frustrated with this function and so am I, so cut him some slack.

No, ship battle is easy and there is no reason to complain if you're removing yourself from combat and you're aware of the tether. There are ways to avoid this function which was designed to stop pirates from running to the windlane, healing, then going after a wounded ship.

anecorbie on Jan 8, 2016 wrote:

No, ship battle is easy and there is no reason to complain if you're removing yourself from combat and you're aware of the tether. There are ways to avoid this function which was designed to stop pirates from running to the windlane, healing, then going after a wounded ship.

Except I'm neither removing myself from combat nor running to a windlane, hence my frustration. It's also not always just a sliver of health, y'know. Sometimes it's more akin to a slightly shorter land battle.

Robobot1747 on Jan 2, 2016 wrote:

I'm sure you've all experienced it. You're in battle, down to half health, taking evasive maneuvers to avoid getting boarded, the enemy ship has a last little sliver of health... and suddenly it becomes transparent and invincible, returns to its spawn point, and heals back to full health as you impotently scream at the screen. You've just been 'tethered'. The 'tether' is a mechanic that triggers when a ship gets too far away from its spawn; it disengages from the player and becomes unattackable. I'm going to be blunt here: this is stupid. There's no real reason to include anti-kiting measures in this game, there's only one skyway I can think of that it would actually be useful at all (Monquista, I suppose you could drag high leveled ships to a low level, but they can just change realms or run), and even there it's not very useful. Meanwhile, this system trips up loads of players and steals their quest credit. It has to go.

Ok if a shop battle is difficult, that's a sign you need a better boat. If you upgrade your boat as you go along then no ship battle is difficult in any way except that monster in aquila maybe but he doesn't move

Fiorenza Rosanante... on Jan 9, 2016 wrote:

Yes, it is frustrating. On the other hand, if the tether were removed it'd be nearly impossible to isolate a single ship (no one is tethered, remember) to focus your fire on. Other ships could move in and really gang up on you, and you'd be unable to pull back far enough to keep the attackers down to a manageable number. Lose that tether and you'd only be able to regroup in the windlanes, while all your opponent ships also heal up. Stick your prow out of the windlane and they'd be all over you like icing on a toddler's face. If you think you're frustrated now, think of the anguish you'll be suffering sans tether.

I didn't say change the patrol routes, I suggested to prevent them from running away and healing. It won't be significantly more difficult to isolate a ship than it is now.

Robobot1747 on Jan 9, 2016 wrote:

Except I'm neither removing myself from combat nor running to a windlane, hence my frustration. It's also not always just a sliver of health, y'know. Sometimes it's more akin to a slightly shorter land battle.

You have to take into consideration that the game's AI can't tell the difference between your maneuver and a ship fleeing for the windlane.
Plus you just stated that its slightly shorter than a land battle also even if you've just hit them with a couple of shots, they're still going to be wounded when they board.

Fiorenza Rosanante... on Jan 9, 2016 wrote:

Yes, it is frustrating. On the other hand, if the tether were removed it'd be nearly impossible to isolate a single ship (no one is tethered, remember) to focus your fire on. Other ships could move in and really gang up on you, and you'd be unable to pull back far enough to keep the attackers down to a manageable number. Lose that tether and you'd only be able to regroup in the windlanes, while all your opponent ships also heal up. Stick your prow out of the windlane and they'd be all over you like icing on a toddler's face. If you think you're frustrated now, think of the anguish you'll be suffering sans tether.

"Icing on a toddler's face" Just delightful imagery. Thanks for the giggle.