0020 — Pirate Spawn, Encounter, and Drop Mechanics

Status

Folded into FEATURES/gameplay/faction-lore.md

Context

Pirate spawn probability, encounter behaviour (scan-and-target, flee threshold), the tribute branch, the drop table, and the reputation effects of pirate interactions are the canonical launch balance targets for the only NPC adversary players face from minute one. The durable rule lives in the target below.

Related docs

• FEATURES/gameplay/faction-lore.md — #pirates "Spawn, encounter, and drop mechanics" subsection (canonical numbers and tables).
• FEATURES/gameplay/factions-and-teams.md — faction reputation loop that pirate kills feed.