Honestly, then

Project Seaborne's systems layer is broad and largely built — sailing, combat, weather, a living NPC world, trade, progression, dynasty, co-op. The gap is content and finish.

Sea combat is playable today — its first milestone roughly 85% in, with the remaining gaps named. Every harbour in the world now has its painting. What remains is filling the game in: more hulls, a handful of measured visual targets not yet met, and the balance audit that turns deep systems into a fair game. That's a very different place than half a game — it's a whole game that needs filling in.

Where every system stands

As of 1 September 2026 — the full account, week by week, is in the dev log. "Landed" means built, tuned, and holding; "Playable" means you can play it today with named gaps remaining.

• The ocean

  Landed

  An FFT-simulated sea with GPU-driven buoyancy, analytic Kelvin wakes and measured foam. The signed-off open water is frozen; the wake is mid-retune against a brighter reference target.

• Sky & weather

  Landed

  Volumetric clouds blended by weather profile, weather that drifts with the wind following it, storms that shred canvas left set. One shared sky lights both sea and port.

• The world

  Land pass ~70%

  A circumnavigable 2:1 globe over real coastlines, a full ground-material pass, vegetation that streams in only where a sailor can see it. Open: the dominant-peak island silhouette, discrete offshore islands, and the foliage pass.

• Ships & sailing

  Sails ~75%

  Three hulls with measured stats, an auto-helmsman, and a shipyard you walk into, with the drafting table inside it — and a hull-shaping bench built but not yet opened. Sail belly and leech are within a couple of percent of spec; triangular sails still carry a luffing crease at full draw.

• Sea combat

  Milestone 1 · ~85%

  Helm, guns with recoil, chain shot, damage, flooding, striking the colours, boarding by force end to end, and prizes all work — and enemy squadrons now fight as squadrons. Still owed: pricing the endings, a distinct low-hull read, and more spectacle in the sinking itself.

• The living world

  Landed

  Every sail on the horizon is a real voyage. Pirates weigh the prize against the danger of you; naval hunters need a war or a reputation; merchants move stock that moves prices.

• Co-op multiplayer

  Landed

  Up to four captains, one ocean, one economy — barter at sea, cards at the inn, and now shared battles: captains can fight the same enemy together, hearing the same seeded storm.

• Economy & trade

  Deep, unbalanced

  Production chains, tiered warehouses, ageing price books, treasure hunts and curiosities — and an untouched balance audit. The systems are deep; the numbers are not yet a game.

• Ports ashore

  All 104 painted

  Painted-backdrop ports under one dark-and-gold UI, and every harbour in the world now has its painting — the largest single content grind on the board, done. What's left is menu streamlining, guided by what testers actually found confusing.

• Captain & crew

  Six of eight trees live

  Fame earned by doing, six live skill trees, mates with loyalties, the full dynasty arc. The Battle tree deliberately waits for combat feel to settle; the Dynasty tree is designed but unbuilt.

• Campaign

  Portugal only, by design

  Portugal runs stat-gated story arcs up to King Manuel I himself. The other six crowns exist in the world, but their campaigns are locked at creation and labeled honestly.

Presentation and comfort

• Music and sound

  100%

  Separate scores for the sea, ports by region, and taverns, with shanties on demand and a full mixer.

• UI, saves and settings

  100%

  Pause menu, multiple save slots, audio and gameplay settings, one-key windows that fit any screen, autosave, and a first-mate briefing on the ship's state before you leave any port.

• Onboarding

  100%

  One-shot tips that teach the deeper systems the first time you actually run into them, and can be switched off.

• Ambient sound

  70%

  The sea is no longer silent: wave beds mixed by the weather, surf only near real land, wind, thunder delayed off the flash by distance, and gear you can hear worked.

  Remaining: a real mix pass by ear, creaking timber, and port murmur behind the paintings.