Pirates of The Caribean(Sea Dogs2)

[child of Thor]

I think i know what your on about, but i just dont really use the short cuts as it spoils game flow........the one about jumping to the other side of a ship sounds shocking! whats the point of a 'feature' like that. I'll check when i get home to see if its on the xbox version. In fact many things are not in the manual.....cheers for the info

and oh i see - if your not into sailing or pirates, well i'm not surprised you didn't like it ( i need a pirate smilie)
thanks again - i've got something to look for tonight........nasty teleport thingy......its not star trek......mumble.....grumble

[Adagio]

I don't know why they put that 'feature' there, but it was annoying when you somehow managed to press it by accident

I don't have anything against ships, I just don't know anything about them... I don't know anyone who owns anything larger than a rowing boat... and I've never been on a cruise (is that the word? Hollyday on a ship)

And about pirates, I don't hate it, but I don't love it either... it's just ok... sometimes it can be interesting... the movie (with the same title) is good
But I wont run around shouting: "Wooohooo, a new pirates game/movie is on the way"

[child of Thor]

Originally posted by Adagio
But I wont run around shouting: "Wooohooo, a new pirates game/movie is on the way"

its ok you can leave that to me

[child of Thor]

I managed to put in 5hrs last night(its taking over!).

I discovered that my estimate of 30mins to sail between islands was not accurate. last night it took me 56mins to sail from the port in Redmond to Greenford i think it was(its the other town on the Island where you start).

Also it might not be possible to sail in the real time mode between destinations all the way............i'm not 100% certain, but as it was taking much longer than i expected i checked my Navigation Map screen a couple of times, and had to travel/move to avoid other ships/storms etc.

After my 1hr realtime sailing session i have a sneaking suspiscion that when loading between the real time(3D) and Map Navigation screen(overhead) it might actually load in the new 'section' of the game world your travelling too.

This might be why it was taking me such a long time this time - maybe you can only sail so far, then the game has to load in the next section? Again something i'll have to test later to be sure.

I couldn't work out how to do the 'teleport' thing, but i havent had many chances to test it.

The plot that is unfolding in the quest i got from the govenor in Redmond is fun, definately worth doing

I'm still blown away by the graphical details put in this game, considering the type of game.

On land you have butterflies that flit around the jungle sections, land on a plant; which when you walk through them, sets the butterfly to flight again.
You also find lizards zipping around under foot and the odd rat or mouse. Overhead you see seagulls flying. The sea laps at the shore(with appropriate sound effects).
And my favourite is at sea - sharks patrol the reefs and bays and even appear following in your ships wake, maybe hoping to pick up a sailor that falls overboard? The whole enviroment seems really alive and vibrant - its really breathtaking at times

Its very difficult to tell what time it is(in the day i use the sun and the compass to get me a rough idea - like midday is when the sun is high above you), and often the game weather will change dramaticaly between loading sections(like walking from the town to the port etc).
It can throw you a bit like one momment your at the gate to the town and its raining, then your through the gate and its brilliant sunshine...........a bit odd.

I've been carefull with my party selections to ensure all the weaker ones get enough experience to level up and improve(only the three you take with you in the 'party' screen will gain any experience for the actions you take), so its a good idea to keep an eye on this. Navigators and Gunners should be placed in your active party group when going to sea so their skills will improve(and for you to get the benefit of their skills!).

The characters you meet or see around are well done, they speak in proper accents for the most part(although you do hear the odd one misplaced from time to time), and the dialogue is pretty good.

I watched in amusement as a 'lady' approached a soldier gaurding the goveners residence and gave a very friendly hello then she seemed to mutter something quietly to him and they stroked each others arms(!!!) and then she walked off

There are little details like that all over the place......this game(which hasn't crashed or bugged on me fataly yet) is almost my idea of a perfect pirate type game. Its got the same hold on me that KOTOR had when i first got that.

I've been thinking about what adagio was saying about the combat. It is very simple, not even a rock/scissors/paper/stone affair. More like scissors/stone
BUT i think a simple combat mode was chosen to help the AI more than anything else(and the Sea combat helps with its more complicated model).
When you have a party of guys running around its impossible to look after them(you cant control them) so it comes down to how the AI handles them, and i guess a simple defense/attack mode seemed to work best?
In a way i'm glad - after spending alot of time nuturing your Officers it really sucks to see one die(they do from time to time). So the game isn't really designed as a single person FPS type thing - you have a party of guys to look out for and improve as the game progresess.

So i'm kind of used to the combat on land now - its does the job well enough for me

now where did i bury my treasure?

[child of Thor]

After much testing(and a fair deal of confusion!) I'm 100% certain that you can sail in the real time 3D mode between Islands.

BUT you have to view the Navigation map screen(overhead view) if you want the landmass to appear in the 'real world'
It sounds a bit rubbish, but if you want to play at simulating reality in this Pirate game you can to a larger degree.

After testing it a couple of times yesterday i've come up with a set of rules to keep it as 'real' as possible.
When leaving a port of call use the real time sailing mode(3D view) and the x4 speed multiplier(if you have a spare 2-3hrs you could do it with out the speed up! - but i'm not that crazy ).

Keep in this mode and use the compass and the downloadable Map(see link at top of thread) to get a rough bearing on your correct heading for your desired destination.
You can quickly check the Navigation Map screen to be certain you're heading in the right direction if you like, although i find by using the outline of the coast and the compass+map I get a pretty accurate bearing to head out to sea on(plus the most beautiful parts of sailing are in coastal waters ). Keep sailing untill you are out of sight of land.

Now if i want to definately encounter other ships i just pop into the Navigation Map screen and ready my cannons.

Or i just leave the boat sailing on its course. I find i like to position my character to the rear(stern) of the boat on either side of the ship that offers the least obstructed view(ie no sails in the way), it varies on ship type; and i move my view to either side untill the annoying 'aiming' cusor disappears but i can still view most of what is in front(towards the bow).

I think the xbox might beat the PC for effect here, because on a big screen TV it produces an effect that could actually induce sea-sickness for those that suffer from it

As a rough guide to sailing between Islands that are next to each other(ie Oxbay to Redmond etc) i let 15-20 mins pass before checking the Navigation Map screen to check i'm on course. Then depending on how far i've gone, i check again in another 10-15 mins. This final check will ensure the landmass graphics are loaded in for the Island i'm travelling to.
If you dont do this you will sail right past your destination without even seeing it!!

It takes a bit of practise, but its worth it, anything to avoid travelling in the accursed Navigation Map screen.

What you do in the time spent at sea is up to you, but i would recomend some of the following to enhance your gameing fun:

1. Make some food+drink for the voyage - hard oat biscuits and a tot of rum(orange juice if under 18) do the job

2. Play a game of dice/cards with a 'friend', using coins as the wager.

3. Read a book about Pirates/sailing.

4. Practise your sword play(note: make sure you have plenty of room before swinging a 'sword' around)

5. If you have a Parrot - teach it to say 'pieces of eight' etc (darn- thats a great idea, i'll have to get one!)

[child of Thor]

No corrupt save glitch yet(after about 50 odd hrs of playing) - and now i'm the proud owner of a 16MB memmory card(got it in a sale for £15), i'm not so worried. I just copy my latest saves onto the card when i've finished playing.

ok now i am confused - i did use the real time sailing mode to get between Falise de Fleur and Redmond Island(and back again), using the method described in the post above it took about 30mins for each journey.

Yesterday i tried to sail from Falise de Fleur to Oxbay and once i was at about the half way point(after checking the Navigation Map screen) i couldn't seem to get any closer in the real time mode - so i had to travel some of the distance in the Navigation Map screen mode. Once a little 'Island' icon appeared in the bottom left of the screen i went back to real time mode and sailed into port.

So sometimes it seems you can sail in real time and sometimes you cant - i havent been able to find out why this is

I've also noticed that not only do you have sharks cruising about but also small shoals of fish

Also as well as seagulls you get the occasional large bird of prey(it looks like a condor?) - so the enviroments are full of life

I've completed a few more links in the quest and its being quite fun. I tend to do quite a bit of my own stuff like trading and bandit clearing for each stage of the quest i follow. I find the most important thing for me is to improve my crews skills and my own.

Had lots of fun with getting my second ship.
I'm now the proud owner of a Schooner(1050 tonnes of cargo space), which is my main cargo transporter.
I've also upgraded my first ship to a Galioth(700 odd tonnes), which is now my main defensive ship. Its slower and less manouvreble than the ship you start with, but it can carry more crew and cannons and most importantly is more sea worthy - so its much more likely to survive a storm(or combat!).

Just be carefull when changing ships(and captains) around. I made a mistake and gave my origonal ship a watery grave by mistake instead of simply trading it up!
But i stuck with the mistake - i figured it was a fitting tribute to its services to scuttle it in Oxbay harbour with my crew looking on and paying a final tribute(and i liked to think the local english garrison commander too)

I havent managed to board a ship yet but have now sunk a few - so i'm slowly moving away from trader status in my mind.

The Sea combat section is very fun - you find yourself flinching when watching through your spy glass to see the fall of your shots, and then seeing the returning fire as cannon balls zip towards you

After a week of fairly intensive playing i'm still loving it, and no other game has interupted

EDIT: one final note about following the main quest - once you have completed it the game ends! So dont follow it through to the end if you want to carry on your pirate escapades in this wonderful game world.

[child of Thor]

I undertook my first boarding action this morning

My advice is make sure your boatswains(and any officers you've assigned) have reasonable melee skills. I lost my junior boatswain, that i was hoping to train up

Still i got a Pinnace out of it with only about 30% damage overall. So the money i got from that easily covered a replacement officer, still it was a bit sad - he looked pretty young.

As i'm following the English Gov's quest i'm spending less time just sailing around in the first person mode - maybe its beauty is wearing out on me!
Still as i'm eager to follow the links in this quest its prompting me to sail in the (cursed)Navigation Map mode. I'm getting used to it a bit - but its paceing still seems to fast and frantic for the style of game?

I've noticed a bug that happens with the cargo capacity of your ships, sometimes its possible to put more cargo on your ship than it has space for. a useful bug this one

The game needs more character skins(i guess the PC is sorted with this?) - it slightly ruins the otherwise very immersive game world when you keep bumping into people that look like your officers!

If its possible to have a more relaxing gameing experience than Morrowind on the xbox, then Pirates of the Caribbean is surely it! Ok it depends how you play it, but i've actually found the combination of a swift drink(rum/cider etc) and a few hours of realtime sailing; has sent me to sleep

[Adagio]

Still as i'm eager to follow the links in this quest its prompting me to sail in the (cursed)Navigation Map mode. I'm getting used to it a bit - but its paceing still seems to fast and frantic for the style of game?

Exactly... if they just have slowed this down a bit, I might have been playing the game for more than 2 weeks...

[child of Thor]

I guess you played it on PC. I'm finding it hard to imagine how the experience might differ.

On the xbox the controls take a while to get used to, it took me about 2hrs to get really comfortable with them in all the differnt modes(sailing/walking).

But the whole comfort thing of console use really helps with the chilled out parts of the game, which is why i can play for hrs at a time with ease - its (mostly) a very relaxing game

I think if i was playing on PC i would want more control over the game in the game settings/option menu - to tailor it better to my play style?

Did you play the first game, Sea Dogs? Someone here on poly recomended it to me in one of the old Pirates threads - unfortunatly i never saw it around to try.

But from the few reviews i've read, most that liked Sea Dogs say that PotC is an overall improvement?

I wonder if Sid's new Pirate game will capture the crown(from Pirates, and IMHO PotC)? the origonal Pirates has the gameplay and for me PotC has the atmosphere

EDIT: CoT falls on the floor with shock after writing a reply to a reply and realising what just happend - A REPLY!

[Adagio]

I've never played Sea Dogs, so I can't compare to that... and yes, I played the PC version...
From what I've seen from Pirates 2, it seems like it'll be better... at least there seems to be different types of attack, not just one attack and one defense (IIRC)

[child of Thor]

I'm worried about the rather 'cartoonish' look to Pirates2(as i mentioned in that thread) - i'm hoping it doesn't lose the authentic Pirates flavour that the first games had

One more annoying thing to add to the small but growing list of shortcomings in PotC.

When you are doing the trade thing if you have more than one ship it uses the trade skills of the crew on those other ships - NOT your partys own trade skills, even if its you doing the transaction with the trader.

It can make quite a difference to the prices you pay/get if your not aware of this!

To add insult to injury the only way around this is to do the following:

1. as you approach the harbour you need to get close to your other ships so you can enter the exchange/ships screen.

2. from here make yourself Captain of the biggest ship and move all the goods you wish to trade here(moving ammo and everything else to your other ships).

3. ensure the best QuarterMaster(or guy with the best trade skills) is available to be in your landing party.

Depending on how much cargo and size of ships you have, you may have to do this more than once.

Whats crazy about this is that you have to actually get on/off your ship and manouvre them to get into the ship/exchange screen. You can't swap Captains or goods around any other way ! a bit of a wierd oversight?

I've been keeping away from the main quest, and being busy with the english gov's one - i tried to see if i could get some quests from the other nations govenors, but none of them really wanted to talk to me - not sure if this is because of my reputation or not(i'm neutral)?

My crew are steadily improving(all level 3 and above with good skills in the right places ) as is the kind of armaments i've been finding - i now have a 'quad pistol' which looks very cool, just need the skill in my shooting to use it now!

And my personal fortune is growing too. I think in a few more trade runs i should be able to go buy that Dutch Corvette that caught my eye when down on the Dutch owned Island

BUT the good stuff still outweighs the bad for me and this game is in my top 5 of favourite Xbox games. If you got time to burn and want some Pirate action on the xbox then this is the king game - we'll have to wait to see how Pirates2 comes out

[Spiffor]

I played PotC for a short time (a bit more than a week, IIRC). There are some great things, and some stupid problems.

First, the navigation and sea combat are great. The graphics are gorgeous, it is easy yet interesting to navigate. That's really nice.
The graphics remain gorgeous when you're on land. It really feels like you're having a vacation in the caribbean.
The storyline, without being really original, will keep you interested, and there are plenty of small missions you can perform.

There are small problems, like a trade system that I feel inadequate (you need much, much time to make serious money by trading).

And there is a big problem: the controls suck. Horribly. The controls are the same when you're on your boat and on land. To be more clear: when on your boat, you can move your character, although it is not the most important thing in navigation - as such, you move your character with the mouse, and he goes forward with a right-click; the keyboard is used to move the boat.
The problem arises when you are on land, as land-based combat requires some dexterity. You are STILL controlling your character with the mouse, and not the keyboard. You can't strafe, and it is generally very, very awkward.

Also, all keys aren't customizable. For example, when you're navigating on the general map, you have to do with the AZQW keys. On my French keyboard, it became a complete mess.

It is too bad. The main problems of the game is really small fish that could be adressed in a simple patch. But Disnay's policy is to never publish patches

[child of Thor]

Originally posted by Spiffor
edit....

Also, all keys aren't customizable. For example, when you're navigating on the general map, you have to do with the AZQW keys. On my French keyboard, it became a complete mess.

It is too bad. The main problems of the game is really small fish that could be adressed in a simple patch. But Disnay's policy is to never publish patches

!AZQW! - thats crazy, and non customisable? I thought maybe the PC would have the better of the xbox in the control department, but it sounds like the sytem used on the xbox is much more natural.

Have you checked on the net for fixes? I was following the links in one of the links above(in my first few posts) and found an active forum of PotC fans - they had been working on many mods to improve the game etc. If i find the place again i'll link it at the top [link added ]

No such luck for xbox users
Still the controls are ok once you've got used to them.

New Bit of my adventures etc

Ok another 6 hrs done this morning and it has to be said this is definately a slow game that should be played slowly
After about 45+ hrs of gaming, i have a chest of gold to the sum of 42,000. I need 120,000 to get my Dutch Corvette.

I'm not taking peoples possesions from the english towns anymore - but the other nations are fair game for the momment. Most of my money is made by tradeing which can take a while.

For some reason a couple of my Officer characters are sliding further into infamy, and i'm not sure why as i've been doing good things, like clearing jungles of bandits and helping ships being attacked by Pirates?
Maybe they are just bad sorts?
This is where a good manual would help things

I'm still spending many hours in the real time sailing mode - i'm finding it amazing how realistic the motion of the ship + sea is, and the interaction between the two.
This is no mere ship graphic on a pretend sea - they move together perfectly!!

[child of Thor]

Dirty Disc error(xbox only i hope) - got one today. It was after following one of the side quests that presented itself while i was following the English Goveners quests.

The game actualy hung then crashed and rebooted the xbox as soon as this little side mission resolved itself.

reloaded a few times from my last two saves and it did the same - then when going to reload for the fith time it gave the 'Dirty Disc/bad save' error.

Still i decided that as Bethseda was involved with this game, and the Dirty Disc error was one that xbox players of Morrowind sometimes get, i would try to fix it in the same way i 'fixed' Morrowind.

So i loaded up some other games -

Smash TV - i never played the origonal, but its cool and so 80's style it makes me laugh

Joust - the xbox version is growing on me.

Rampart - another oldie.

Ghost Recon.

LMA Manager 2004 - i just needed a football fix

Then reloded my PotC save and everything was all ok


I tried something new to day - smuggling. I'd not done any before as i hadn't really needed to and I'd read in the FAQ(above) that if your characters luck was low you ran a high risk of ending in prison!

but i risked it and in one go basicaly doubled my money - i can nealry afford that Corvette. So all feelings of guilt quickly melted away as i saw just how much money you can make this way

Still it would be nice to know if this activity affects your reputation in a negative way or not?

After reading about the Mods available for the PC version of the game, i'm definately pretty jelous - and once i've got myself a powefull enough PC i'll definatley be getting this game - just the thought of being able to buy different clothes+armour for my character(plus all the other stuff thats been done), makes it more than a worth while purchase for me.

For now my lowly xbox version is keeping my interest high, and the hrs just keep being swallowed up by this beutifull and absorbing game.

[child of Thor]

Had to download over 300MB to get the following info about one of the PotC Mods available.

I've taken the liberty to copy+paste a portion of the readme file about the Mod - i've inclueded all the creidts and opening pages so as not to offend(plus it tells you the where to get the download from) anyone.

Look at the section called 'Overview' it sounds like the kind of thing i've always wanted from a Pirate game

POTC Mod Team POTC Mod Build v11

http://www.piratescrossroads.net

POTC Mod Team and Guest Modders:
AlexusB, BoochA, Captain Hammered, Catalina the Pirate, Clutch Marauder, CouchCaptain Charles, Duke Surak'nar, Greydog, Grumblepunk, Hayreddin Barbarossa, Hosehead, Inez Dias, Kieron, Lady Eliza Jane, Mehrunes, Mithrandir, Moetman, NathanKell, Sailor Al, Scheffnow, Verruckt, von Reinhart

Special thanks to:
GreyDog, proprietor of PiratesCrossroads (http://www.piratescrossroads.com); Taghmon; Draksen; Vice Admiral Wallace, Pirates Ahoy! (http://www.piratesahoy.net); Ellaybe Island Community (http://www.thelib.com)

Everyone who contributed and has previously contributed--mods, testing, ideas--to the build!

If you have a question or problem, please read the Readme (especially Section II!) and the FAQ first--your question may have already been answered! If not, or if you have comments or ideas about the build, feel free to stop by either forum and fire away!

This archive is all you need to get playing POTC with the latest mods!
Suggestion: make a backup of ENGINE.EXE, your PROGRAM folder, and the INI and QUESTSTEXT folders in RESOURCE, before you install this build.

***************************
I. Installation Instructions:
***************************
Note: These instructions apply whether you are installing a build for the first time OR upgrading from a previous build. However, see the file Changelog.txt; you may be able to keep your old save games if you are upgrading. If so, do NOT delete the files in the SAVE folder. If you want to be safe, however, you should delete the savegames and start a new game even if the changelog says you don't have to.

1. Open your POTC folder
2. Open SAVE and delete all files you see there (but see note above if upgrading!)
3. Switch back to your POTC folder.
4. Rename the PROGRAM folder to simething like PROGRAM.old.
5. Find where you saved the build archive and double-click the EXE
(Build11-something.exe).
6. Follow the instructions of the installation program. Installation instructions are availiable at the download locations of the build.
7. After the installation switch back to your POTC folder.
8. Make sure file "Buildinfo.txt" is there; if it is, that means the build was installed correctly.
9. If you forgot to select the "localised version" during setup, simply restart the installation package and choose only this component. Alternatively you can open the new Tools folder in your POTC folder, and run the POTC Mod Helper. Anyway, please make sure that localization (i.e. European Version) options are set correctly.
10. You can open file BuildSettings.h in the PROGRAM folder and tweak settings to taste, but it's suggested that you play with the default settings until you are familiar with the build.
11. Run POTC!

Note that if you are upgrading from a previous version of the build, you may or may not have to start a new game, only re-initialize (see the Changelog for more details).

BEFORE PLAYING PLEASE READ THE README
ESPECIALLY SECTION II.
***************************
II. Info and New Features
***************************
Please see the attached file FAQ.txt for a list of frequently asked questions and their answers.
Please see attached file Docs for Crew Morale - Divide the Plunder for documentation for that mod. Even if you're already familiar with it, please read that documentation!
Please see attached file Quests Added.txt for all the re-enabled quests and their walkthroughs.
Please see attached file Changelog.txt for a list of what's changed since the last build, and the current date of this build.

Note: Difficulty levels have now been implemented!

New Commands:
F2: The F2 menu has changed greatly. New options included are: donate personal wealth to the party fund (see below), ship-to-ship transfer to allow transfer goods/crew/officers on land.
C: Drink a potion
H: Activate Rush perk (if available)
L: Toggles various logs on/off (the character-appear logs, the XP logs, etc.)
K: Toggles Always Run on/off (you must change the area to "refresh" the always run state, i.e. walk somewhere and make the scene change, or enter/exit your cabin)
I: Reinitialize. You MUST do this at least once after adding items/ships/rumors, or changing prices/stats, i.e. if you're upgrading from a previous build. See the Changelog for more details.
N: Change your name. This resets your name to the name entered in the BuildSettings.h file in the PROGRAM folder in your POTC folder. You can edit it with notepad and change the name listed; then just load the game and press N, and your name will update. Please see the end of Section II.
T: Shows the name, fencing skill, and HP of the character in front of you.
R: Toggles 1x/3x time acceleration.
G: If time is 1x, sets to 10x; otherwise sets to 30x (press R to go back to 1x).
From the Quick Commands interface (press ENTER) at sea, you can choose to enter your ship's cabin. Once in the cabin, hit ENTER again and choose exit cabin to exit your cabin.
ALSO: If you attempt to board your ship from land, and the game crashes, reload and press T and then try again. If it still crashes, drop us a note at one of the forums.





Overview
------------
In general, the world of POTC is now more dynamic and fuller.

You can vary the difficulty of the game between four presets: Apprentice, Journeyman, Adventurer, and Swashbuckler.

Towns--and their garrisons, goods available, and gold--may grow and shrink over time; your relationship with the various nations can be anywhere from hostile through wary, neutral, friendly, or even ranked or titled.
You may even, if very successful, be awarded estates in Europe, and have the chance to court and marry a relative of a local governor.
You can turn colors easily in true swashbuckling style: you can buy amnesty from governors or agents, and raise or lower flags.

The weapons you find may be of varying quality, and items may increase (or decrease!) your skills (or others, if you give them said items).

You can now buy different clothes for yourself--and your officers--and even armor.
You may even be able to survive near-fatal experiences, waking up days later or casting off in a lifeboat, and if you agree to playing without saves you may be granted great powers.

If you or your officers succeed in hacking down an opponent, you are rewarded with his sword and pistol and perhaps some gold he was carrying.
While doing your hacking, however, remember that you can't reload your pistol; doing so requires both hands (thus you must sheath your sword first).
The streets of towns are filled with transients and even bandits; the waters around islands are likewise filled with the transients and bandits of the sea.
Houses have residents, with whom you can gossip, trade, or even threaten; they may be able to help if you're wounded or hunted by the guards.

Your crew now has daily needs in wheat and rum, and, if you've signed articles with them, their morale will be linked to how much gold your part has and how long it's been since you divided the plunder.

You can knock over opponents' masts; your opponents' crews also have minds of their own; they may surrender, giving up their captain for ransom or execution. The longer you keep a captain prisoner, the higher the ransom; but he may escape...

In addition, a variety of quests have been enabled (which were included with the game but disabled); see Quests Added.txt for information and walkthroughs (if needed).
Further, many quests (and other things!) included with the game have been fixed or enhanced.
Graphics have been enhanced as well, with a new weather system and new characters, ships, and items.



Its this sort of thing that makes me almost certain that its going to be along time before the evil consoles will take over the gaming world - I want a better PC, its soooo unfair on the xbox users of this game