Sid Meier's Pirates: Who here has played it yet.

[Nikolai]

Got the game for Christmas, having a blast!

[Jeje2]

Lucky you, my brothers tvins (girl&boy), age almost 11, noticed me palying it - guess whos not been playing this holiday...

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
Haven't played Pirates in a few days. WW2OL just got a patch introducing paratroopers the other day.

is this any good?

seems lilke a good idea

but bad application

Jon miller

[Jeje2]

Suggestions @ Jeje2 v1.0 (26.12.2004)

OK - time to begin my writing - here comes part one of ideas.

Comments, improvments are wellcomed.

---

Improvements for Sid Meier’s Pirates! Live the Life to patch one

1. Romance

1.1 Dancing

Must be the biggest common complaint on the net of the game. Apparently it is considered too difficult currently. (I admit it’s difficult, but when has finding a wife been easy? ) So maybe a way of adjusting the level is needed

1.2 Wives???

Somewhere on a Pirates! bulletin board I read about getting a wife in every nation (sum of four). Haven’t seen this myself, hope this isn’t true.

1.3 Balls

Read in an another thread (on another site) about a guy who danced with his wife -> got a piece of a map to a lost city -> left city -> returned following day -> danced with wife -> got a another piece of the map -> … … … -> until full map -> go for it -> danced with wife -> got a piece to next map -> left town -> returned following day -> … … (This happened in endgame, when had all the special items already)

I think you see the problem. Is this challenging and/or fun? So how about making the reward “uncertain” - I have two (2) possible solutions

1. There is in one town only one ball per month (/two months). (If you return too soon the wife just greets you –no invitation to a ball that night)
2. Takes some time before wife has a new piece of a map (month or two) -> get only a wanted criminal (or even nothing) when returning too soon

(Some Gaussian randomness can of course exist in the duration before next map is given …)

With these time delays one has to think how to keep his crew happy while waiting …

2 Maps

2.1 Locations

Make sure the maps always have some seamark, city/village (or clear land curve) that one can navigate for in the Caribbean (Including the areas to Mexico and south USA. Pacific ocean doesn’t count as seamark, one has to be able to sail that sea.

Maps totally on land are very bad idea.

2.2 Getting maps

Make sure there is some logic behind this.
See 1.3 of this article

3. Walking on land

3.1 View

Make it possible to change the view to south north as when sailing (numpad: 9). Walking on land pretty difficult

3.2 Going to Gran Granada, Puerto Principe or Panama

At least on easier levels, make it possible to just give on landing the order “Go to: ….” for these three cities. Or make a new specialist – “native” who is good at showing the direction (Ex pointing in right direction with regular intervalls)

3.3 Map following on land?

While walking on land a cross where you currently are would be good. (Helps navigation)

4. Sword fights

4.1 Hero’s speed

Currently the “speed” of my hero varies depending on the opposition. (When good opponent my guy moves slow…)

Make it so that my guy moves with a constant speed (depending on shirts, sword-choice, sword item, skills and physical health) in every battle – then the opponent’s speed can also vary.

4.2 Different types of fighters

Playing so far haven’t seen any real difference in skills – for ex. A real good fast defender, who could easily parry most attacks. As is I just attack all the time (take occasionally some hits), but haven’t lost yet a single fight.

5. Animations OFF

We all know you (=Firaxis) have done a real fabulous work in creating these beautiful animations, but after 100+ times they have been seen. So insert an option checkbox where the amount of animations is automatically reduced (You can sure easily think of which animations one gets tired of)

5.1 Land battles

The worst case of animation I guess – make them faster, but an option to remove the movement animation is also badly needed.

6. Boats available

In the last version the Frigate wasn’t available on all eras – make it also so in these new version. (And don’t feel restricted to only the Frigate – Large Frigate – Ship of the Line availability)

7. Length of one voyage

Build a foolproof system to limit the length of one voyage.
(See http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...57#post3525557 for a reference on what’s not desired)




8. Scoring

As people are already receiving the max-points a modification to the calculation is needed.

Here’s my suggestion – I’ll explain each number after the table

Category	Max Now	Suggestion
Wealth	24	31
Rank	32	32
Pirates	9	18
Treasures	9	9
Relatives	16	30
Lost Cities	16	20
Romance	10	10
Villians	10	10
Sum MAX	126	160

8.1 Rank, Treasures, Romance and Villians

These can be the same as previously.
But the treasures size should be double of what they are now – more rewarding.

8.2 Mappoints

For “Lost Cities” and “Lost Relatives” you get the max four points by
a) getting the four map pieces
b) finding the treasure

Now I wanna make this more challenging and rewarding.
(One problem is that some maps can be found with only two or three pieces. OK it’s good, but do I deserve still full points?)

Rules:

1. Each map is four pieces (as is now)
2. Receiving each map piece is one point (as is now)
3. Finding the
   a) lost city: one point
   b) sister: two points
   c) uncle: three points
   d) aunt: four points
   e) grandfather: five points
4. Finding the relative/lostcity with an incomplete map doesn’t give you the point’s for the missing parts -> So finding your sister with three map pieces gives you only a total of five points (Were MAX would have been six)

This way, if I can with an incomplete map know were it is – I have to deside: Go take it fast and miss a point or two or wait and try to get the full map for a better point score.

8.3 Pirates

Make the reward bigger – suggestion 2point/pirate
Also make them harder to find – and mostly make them better on swordfights.

8.4 Wealth

The points gathered from wealth still ~20% (from 24 to 31 [wanted a total of 160 points ])
But in the upper end from 24 to 31 make the scale logharitmic somehow…
(Pure logharicmic would require doubling of wealth+land for one additional point … - this way getting max points would be very VERY hard )
You can surely think of something for a nonlinear scale in the end…

9. Don’t loose the fun

All changes must apply to this most important rule

---

please PLEASE give some feedback to these already


P.S. Back in the old days - there were made lists of top five modifications & fixes for next patch to game xxxx from Firaxis.
(IIRC Yin26 organized at least one of these - and the feedback from FIRAXIS for a list like this was positive)

So should we start a list like this one for FIRAXIS?

[Muad'Dib]

Yo Ho Ho, the Pirates Life for me.

Old Man in the Sea has a Million reasons to be happy.

[Jeje2]

Muad'Dib: Congrats - you just made it into my list of fixes for Firaxis (see post above) - THX

[Muad'Dib]

The Pirates Life (continued)

...I first produced my pistol and then produced my rapier. I said, "Stand & Deliver, Oh the Devil He may take you."

[Muad'Dib]

...there's Whiskey in the Jar-ro...

...I took all his money and brought it home to Molly...

[Dis]

is there any kind of editor for this game?

I was hoping to get it for christmas, but it was sold out.

[Muad'Dib]

Feedback for Jeje2

1.2 Wives--Contrary to what you heard at other boards, you can only have ONE wife.

1.3 Balls--If you marry a beautiful wife, you will get a piece of a lost city map every time you dance and only if you dip her and only after you disposed of Marquis Montalban. Until you dispose of Montalban, your beautiful will give you a piece to his hideout.

4.1 Hero's speed--As he ages, his sword speed also slows down. In my current game, I'm 57 yrs old and it is getting hard to defeat an opponent when your evenly matched (i.e. rapier vs rapier)

6 Boats available--Ship design/availability is determined by historical records (when they 1st made their appearances in history).



Old Man in the Sea is still going strong. Will post an update on my longest cruise todate.


Dissident--The only thing you can edit is your flag and sails.

[Jeje2]

Re: Feedback for Jeje2

Originally posted by Muad'Dib
1.2 Wives--Contrary to what you heard at other boards, you can only have ONE wife.

THX - Alredy one desired thing OK

1.3 Balls--If you marry a beautiful wife, you will get a piece of a lost city map every time you dance and only if you dip her and only after you disposed of Marquis Montalban. Until you dispose of Montalban, your beautiful will give you a piece to his hideout.

But the problem still exists - only a little later than before. So my suggestion still applys.

4.1 Hero's speed--As he ages, his sword speed also slows down. In my current game, I'm 57 yrs old and it is getting hard to defeat an opponent when your evenly matched (i.e. rapier vs rapier)

OK - but how about keeping my speed at roughly same level?

6 Boats available--Ship design/availability is determined by historical records (when they 1st made their appearances in history).

Well this game follows so well facts (even historical) that ... ... ...
(But have to try an earlier period and hope that not all ships are available there too)

[Earthling7]

Re: Suggestions @ Jeje2 v1.0 (26.12.2004)

Originally posted by Jeje2

8.3 Pirates

Make the reward bigger – suggestion 2point/pirate

Two points per pirate is a bit easy. You start as 10th in the Top 10 list. How about, if you kill a pirate ranked higher than you, then you get two points. Otherwise, you get one point. It would make getting the full 18 points a serious challenge, probably a pretty rare event.

(hallo, btw. my first post in months...)

[Dis]

Re: Feedback for Jeje2

Originally posted by Muad'Dib
1.2 Wives--Contrary to what you heard at other boards, you can only have ONE wife.

1.3 Balls--If you marry a beautiful wife, you will get a piece of a lost city map every time you dance and only if you dip her and only after you disposed of Marquis Montalban. Until you dispose of Montalban, your beautiful will give you a piece to his hideout.

4.1 Hero's speed--As he ages, his sword speed also slows down. In my current game, I'm 57 yrs old and it is getting hard to defeat an opponent when your evenly matched (i.e. rapier vs rapier)

6 Boats available--Ship design/availability is determined by historical records (when they 1st made their appearances in history).



Old Man in the Sea is still going strong. Will post an update on my longest cruise todate.


Dissident--The only thing you can edit is your flag and sails.

actually what's wrong with multiple wives? this is what I'd want

[Muad'Dib]

7. Length Of Voyage

I finally figured out what you meant by congratulating me on making your list.
So, your saying that my current voyage (which IS still going strong) is Bad. I don't know how many games you played, but if you did, you'd know how Hard it is to keep a crew this long (and growing) at sea. And the fact that they're very happy is still amazing me.
Now that I surpassed the Million mark ([]), I'm wondering if I can make it to 2 Million plus.

[Jeje2]

Re: Re: Feedback for Jeje2

Originally posted by Dissident
actually what's wrong with multiple wives? this is what I'd want

Well, return here when you have IRL a wife asking for more...
(I think one's gonna be hard enough keeping happy...)