Pirates! gold

[Raion]

The gestures are in the manual about dancing, except I see where I should be turning the opposite way, I think, instead of the same way.
Oops!
Oh, well, with me peg leg, and parrot on me shoulders, Yar, dancin' I ain't needing! I'm a Pirate! YARR!

There are many more ships in the game also, some hard to get - like a Ship-of-the-Line!

I think the problem with the Limited Edition being on DVD where both CD's are on one disk, was with the copy protection. I think they worked around that now.

I don't need new drivers though for video or sound, and mine with my FX5200 Geforce card, I am using 56.72 drivers, and whatever drivers for the Live audio card, and using "Default" setting for the graphic card, while some other players had changed some things -- ususally it is the Antialiasing and Anisotropic filtering which should be set to Application-controlled -- or the Default setting, and Image settings to Performance, and Vertical sync to the default of Application-controlled, or just the default settings for all of it!
I also think that other players are playing with SP2 but since I am using Windows 2000 Prof then I am not sure, but I think that it works with theirs!
Usually it something with the video card mentioned up above.

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by Spaced Cowboy
Okay, I need some more help. The sword fighting for me is just pound on the 4 key and hope the other guy goes for the 1 or 7 attack, which the 4 attack pwns. There has got to be a better way, cuz this only works on the weak captains. I remember not having any trouble with the c64 version.

You need to combine both attack and defense. Wait for the other guy to attack first, then hit the 5 key. it will block any attack. As soon as you stopped his attack, counter attack with 1 or 7. If you hit him, follow up with 4. If you miss, let him try to attack you again and parry his attack before attacking.

Watch your opponent's body language. When he begins to slash low, hit 8 to jump. If he begins to slash high, hit 2 to duck. If you are successful, he will miss and lose his balance. That's the best time to attack with 1, 7 or 4.

Take your time. It is ok to wait and let your opponent try to strike first. You can parry his attack, duck or jump and them counter attack with maximum effect.

If you parry with 4, you'll probably block his attack but you'll lose momentum. Everytime you manage to duck or jump over your opponent's attack, you will gain a lot of momentum because your opponent will lose his balance and not be able to defend himself. When you successfully jump or duck your opponent's attack and your opponent goes spinning, that's the best time to attack with 1,4 or 7.

[Spaced Cowboy]

cool, what about the weapon choice...I mean what have you found out there. I used the rapier a lot in the c64 game.

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by Spaced Cowboy
cool, what about the weapon choice...I mean what have you found out there. I used the rapier a lot in the c64 game.

As far as I can tell, all the swords will do pretty much the same amount of damage. A slash will knock the opponent back 2 spaces, while a thrust will knock the opponent back 1 space regardless of what weapon you use.

The difference is that the rapier will have a better chance at hitting an opponent because you will thrust/slash faster and the rapier has a longer reach. However, the rapier won't block an attack as well. You may parry and the guy may still hit you. The cutlass on the other hand is great for defense because you will block almost anything if you parry. However, the cutlass is heavier and shorter so thrusts and slashes will take longer. As a result, your chances of hitting the guy first are a bit less. The other sword (forgot the name) is in between the rapier and the cutlass.

I'd suggest picking a sword based on your personal style and the situation you are in. If you like being aggressive, go with the rapier. If you are more a defensive player, go with the cutlass. If you like to mix it up, go with the longsword. The situation may also dictate what sword to use. If you vastly outnumber the opponent, you can afford to be defensive so the cutlass would be ok. If you are outnumbered and you need to win fast, the rapier will help.

[Dis]

how strategic are these land battles? That's what I'm looking forward to, but I have a feeling they aren't that strategic. I'm not looking for a wargame type strategy like the panzer games, but I am looking for some strategy.

[Kassiopeia]

It's strategic enough IMO. You have units that are good at close combat, others that are good at ranged combat, and you have modifiers based on height you are attacking from or to, cover of vegetation, morale even... and it's TBS, so there. I quite like it. The only beef I have is that a rowdy bunch of 100 pirates and privateers may be able to sack a good 200 disciplined defenders; but then I guess making sacking too difficult would be even worse since you can't keep the town or anything and mustering a force larger than 200, 300 seems to be pretty difficult (they seem to get unhappier easier the more you have of them with you at a given time).

[Adagio]

If you attack twice you can get the town... first time you play the land-battle game, the second time you go to a swordfight (if you won the land-battle) with someone... if you win you get to pick which nation the next city should belong to
And when starting a land-battle you get to chose from 3 different places where your "soldiers" should start (all "soldiers" starts near each other though, you can't have them spread out)
Until now those horses the enemies have, is nothing to be afraid of, I haven't lost a single fight against them until now...

[Dinner]

Do they still have morale for the enemy force which goes down as you pawn the other captain in a sword fight?

[vovan]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Do they still have morale for the enemy force which goes down as you pawn the other captain in a sword fight?

Basically, what happens is you have this advantage bar on the bottom of the screen. When your pirates loose some men in the fighting the captain gains some advantage, when they kill some of the enemies - you gain some advantage. Also, when your attack is blocked, you lose some advantage, and when you block an attack the captain loses some advantage. Advantage has two effects: whoever has the advantage moves faster than the opponent, and their pirates are more likely to kill other pirates than be killed. I had a problem with this at first, because I couldn't figure out how to block attacks, so I kept on thrusting, (or whatever 4 is called), and my opponent would keep on parrying and so my attacks would get slower and slower, until finally I would lose all advantage and get the little stars circling around my head, and one more hit would have me drop to my knees to surrender.

[Adagio]

Another thing that annoys me by this game is those special people (like "those" who has information about your family) just don't give up... A few days ago I thought this guy first in sea battle, so he was the only one alive on that ship, while I had about 200 pirates (I love big boats )... when I went over to his ship he didn't give up, but thought me... so basicly he was ONE guy against 200... because I was playing the toughest level I lost to him in the swordfight, and therefore I was the loser of the battle

[gjramsey]

This game is fun, but has some minor quirks as mentioned above!

Last night I sacked San Jaun, so after the sacking, go see the Gov, and he mentions that he heard I had sacked San Jaun and might be penalized (or whatever the wording was) and then still got to dance! gotta love the clueless!

[DrSpike]

Hmm, 2 threads on Pirates!?

[Barinthus]

Yep that's how popular the game is

Actually Muad'dib opened a thread in OT and it got moved over here.

[War4ever]

pirates is fun.......i got my pirated copy the other day off a buddy...

but fun is what i would call it, i tire of the same scenes over and over again....

its pretty basic, but looks spectacular....though i have yet to win on the hardest level,

in time......

dancing is fun, but my gf thinks i am gay now

[Chemical Ollie]

I've played it for a few days. First new game I try since August. I'm only into my second campaign yet, staying at Yourneyman level to see how things work before I try the harder levels. I've defeated all the other 9 pirates, gained the highest rank in all nations except Spain, where I'm colonel. I found the lost inca city (50 000 gold), defeated the family villain (100 000 gold), found all buried treasures and had 40 000 gold on my head before the monks helped me get amnesty. All quests I have left is finding my parents and some more lost cities, and ranking up some more with the Spanish.

Dancing is hard without the dancing shoes you buy at the tavern backroom, getting them is mandatory. The swords, silk shirts and stuff you get from dancing with the girls are also mandatory before taking on the more skilled fencing opponents. I thought I was done with dancing when I married, but oh no - then it really starts!

I think the game is very similar to the original. Some of the logical errors are still there, and some exploit opportunities. Like if your crew is mutinous, go attack a city, "lose" and retreat, so that a part of your crew dies, and the survivors will be content for a while.

The visual and audio atmosphere is wonderful, especially during sea battles at night when the music stops and all you hear is the battle sounds, especially the gunnery officery who signals "guns ready". And the calypso tune when you enter English towns is very catchy. But I still think I will grow bored of this game within a month or two. I played the original game to much already, and this is 90% the same game, just with better sound and graphics.