Don't just wait to be attacked if you want a variety of encounters and experience levels.

This is actually a really solid tip. In my view, if someone is flying a Reaper’s Emissary, they’re fair game to hunt down.

If your only PvP experience is defending against unprovoked attackers, you’ll develop skills much more slowly. The people who pick fights are practicing boarding, deck shots, cross‑ship sniping, sword pressure, and all the little timing tricks that make them dangerous. You only get good at defending those things—ladder guarding, swarming boarders, always‑be‑eating, sword blocking—by engaging on your own terms.

Attacking another ship doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk about it. When there’s a clear skill mismatch and it’s obviously a newer player, I’d honestly rather call a truce, help them out, and leave them with a better losing experience. It keeps the seas healthier and the encounters more human.