Provides additional space for ships to load and unload goods.
Pier is a Harbour Building which provides additional space for ships to load and unload goods. It can be built in every region, it requires free harbour area. It does not need any road connection.
Pier's function[]
For more information about manual transfer of goods and items, see: Trade and Ships.
For more information about how piers interact with ships on trade routes, see: Trade routes.
Like the 
Trading Post and Docklands' pier module, piers allow to manually transfer goods and items between the island's storage and ships located close to the pier. It also provides space for ships on trade routes to load and unload goods, they stop right in front of the pier, occupying it for some time depending on the amount of goods being exchanged and the loading speed of the pier and the ship.
Each pier can be occupied by only one trade route ship at a time. Airships are an exception and piers can handle one airship and one regular ship at the same time.
Loading Speed[]
The loading speed is the most important aspect of a pier and defines how many tons of goods per second can be loaded and unloaded between a ship and a pier. Piers have a loading speed of 2 tons per second but it can be increased in a few ways:
- Using harbourmaster's office items: Khadija Tsegaye, Angereb's Market Master (legendary) and Hogarth the Harbourmaster, Veteran Of Trelawney (legendary) can increase the loading speed by 30% and 100%, respectively.
- Applying the policy of the Department of Trade of the
Palace: Naval Logistics Act - it increases the loading speed by 50% - When piers are located within the same harbour area as the Docklands, they can benefit from the Loading Wharf modules which increase the loading speed by 50%
Harbour Activity[]
For more information and a list of sets and items with this effect, see: Harbour activity items
Some cultural sets and items for the Harbourmaster's Office have the Harbour Activity effect, which allows to obtain some extra goods whenever a passive trade transaction occurs at the affected trading post or pier.
Pier choice and prioritisation[]
Ships travelling on trade routes select the place to load/unload goods based on two factors: distance and construction order. As soon as a ship starts travelling to the next island on the route, it chooses the island's harbour area that is the closest to the ship's current position. Harbour area can be selected only if it includes a place that allows ships to dock, of course. When the ship gets closer to the harbour area it chooses its docking place, if multiple spots are available. Ships prioritise docking at buildings which were built first, regardless of their current distance from the ship or their loading speed. If a harbour area contains two piers and the trading post, the trading post would be the ship's first choice since it is the first building of the island, the second choice would be the pier which was built earlier than the other one. In case of some buildings being occupied, the ship selects the first free building in the priority list. Captain Tobias, who is visiting your island to execute export contracts set in Docklands, will always choose the dock closest to his spawning point on the map.
Advanced Pier[]
Advanced Pier with Rum as an exclusive good.
Land of Lions DLC provides an option to upgrade piers into advanced piers which have base loading speed of 4 t/s instead of only 2 t/s. It means that all things that affect the loading speed have twice as strong effect on advanced piers as on regular piers. Additionally, every advanced pier can be specialised by selecting an exclusive good, which has the following effects:
- Trade route ships which do not load/unload the exclusive good at an island cannot dock at the island's specialised pier.
- Trade route ships which load/unload the exclusive good at the island can dock only at the specialised pier and ignore other piers. Other goods can be loaded/unloaded at the specialised pier along with the exclusive good.
Upgrading piers[]
To upgrade piers to advanced piers, first it is necessary to research 
Pier Upgrade Permits. Then use the upgrade tool on a pier, or select it and click on the upgrade button in the pier's menu. Each permit allows to upgrade only one pier (in any region) to an advanced pier. To upgrade multiple piers, multiple permits are required.
The table below lists the upgrade costs and the maintenance costs after the upgrade to an advanced pier. Notice that in The Arctic the maintenance cost remains the same as in case of a normal pier.
Old World 
|
New World
|
The Arctic
|
Enbesa
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coins | 20000
|
20000
|
20000
|
20000
|
| Materials | 30 50  30  20  30 
|
30 50 30 20 30
|
30 50 30 20 30
|
120 50  30
|
| Maintenance Cost | -1500
|
-1500
|
-50
|
-1500
|
Items[]
Some items when equipped in harbourmaster's offices can have an impact on piers.
Specific items[]
 BruiserCommon | ||
|---|---|---|
| He'll sort people out. | ||
 Equipped in Harbourmaster's OfficeAffects Trading Posts and Piers |
Effects Harbour Activity: +10% Every time passive trade happens at the trading post, there is a chance of gaining 5t of  Grain,  Hops,  Potatoes,  Grapes,  Red Peppers. |
Expedition Bonus Diplomacy: +10 |
 ScammerUncommon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Could sell a nut shell for the price of a schooner. | ||
| Equipped in Harbourmaster's Office Affects Trading Posts and Piers |
Effects Harbour Activity: +15% Every time passive trade happens at the trading post, there is a chance to tax 500 coins. |
Expedition Bonus Diplomacy: +20 |
 Savvy Customs OfficerRare | ||
|---|---|---|
| Knows every boat that washes in and out of her jurisdiction. | ||
| Equipped in Harbourmaster's Office Affects Trading Posts and Piers |
Effects Harbour Activity: +20% Every time passive trade happens at the trading post, there is a chance of gaining 5t of  Weapons,  Dynamite,  Advanced Weapons,  Sails. |
Expedition Bonus Diplomacy: +30 Force: +10 |
 Khadija Tsegaye, Angereb's Market MasterLegendary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Her humble origins as a hawker's daughter is the source of her brilliance in trade negotiations. | ||
| Equipped in Harbourmaster's Office Affects Trading Posts and Piers |
Effects Harbour Activity: +30% Every time passive trade happens at the trading post, there is a chance of gaining 5t of  Ceramics,  Tapestries,  Clay Pipes,  Illuminated Script,  Lanterns.Loading Speed: +30% |
Expedition Bonus Crafting: +20 Diplomacy: +45 |
| Available from Emperor Ketema quest: Full Disclosure | ||
Items for all harbour buildings[]
 Carpenter's ToolsCommon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Good for repairing buildings. | ||
| Equipped in Harbourmaster's Office Affects Harbour Buildings when activated |
When activated Self-Repair +200% Duration:00:45Active Healing Your buildings constantly repair themselves, even during combat. Destroyed after use |
Expedition Bonus Crafting: +6 |
 Builder's ToolsUncommon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Excellent for repairing buildings. | ||
| Equipped in Harbourmaster's Office Affects Harbour Buildings when activated |
When activated Self-Repair +300% Duration:01:00Active Healing Your ship constantly repairs itself, even during combat. Destroyed after use |
Expedition Bonus Crafting: +8 |
 Dockyard ToolboxUncommon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Helps your harbour recover fast! | ||
| Equipped in Harbourmaster's Office Affects Harbour Buildings |
Effects Maintenance Cost: +15% Self-Repair: +50% |
Expedition Bonus Crafting: +20 |
 Dockyard ToolchestRare | ||
|---|---|---|
| Helps your harbour recover even faster! | ||
| Equipped in Harbourmaster's Office Affects Harbour Buildings |
Effects Self-Repair: +75% |
Expedition Bonus Crafting: +30 |
| Dockyard Tool System Epic | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wow, there's actually a system for keeping the dockyard running smooth now. | ||
| Equipped in Harbourmaster's Office Affects Harbour Buildings |
Effects Self-Repair: +100% Active Healing Your buildings constantly repair themselves, even during combat. |
Expedition Bonus Crafting: +40 |
| Deke's Indispensible Dockyard Crate Legendary | ||
|---|---|---|
| A chest any salty sailor would be proud of, filled with things to keep your dockyard running whatever the weather. | ||
| Equipped in Harbourmaster's Office Affects Harbour Buildings |
Effects Maintenance Cost: -25% Self-Repair: +150% Active Healing Your buildings constantly repair themselves, even during combat. |
Expedition Bonus Crafting: +50 |
 Hogarth the Harbourmaster, Veteran Of TrelawneyLegendary DLC Required
Sunken Treasures | ||
|---|---|---|
| Joined after you helped the Queen at Trelawney. Was in charge of logistics during the war, so expect military efficiency at the docks! | ||
| Equipped in Harbourmaster's Office Affects Harbour Buildings |
Effects Harbour Activity: +30% Every time passive trade happens at the trading post, there is a chance of gaining 5t of  Coffee,  Gold,  Cotton Fabric,  Rum,  Chocolate.Loading Speed: +100% |
Expedition Bonus Diplomacy: +50 |
| Available from The Queen quest: Tribute to a Legend Unique: you can have only one such item in the game | ||
Screenshots[]
