A few questions

[Barnabus]

Hi, new player here. Just a few questions for anyone who knows...

* Does the choice of sword type actually make much difference? I've tried them all, and maybe I'm just not good enough at swordfighting yet but I'm not sure I'm noticing much actual difference in combat (better defense with cutlass, faster moves with rapier, etc.).

* One time after I lost a tavern duel, the Governor offered fencing lessons. It was fun to see a different background graphic, and I beat the instructor, but does this actually accomplish anything, like improvind your fighting stats? Or is it just eye candy and a free chance to practice?

* Do fencing commands "stack" when you're tapping keys, or does the game just poll the keyboard at timed intervals during combat? I suspect the latter, since I've tried entering "combination moves" and it doesn't seem to work. Or maybe my numpad skills just suck.

* Speaking of sucking... I suck at dancing but I'm still working on it. What are the consequences of ignoring the dance part of the game completely? Okay, no marriage obviously, but would you be able to pick up the main quests and most of the special items anyway in the tavern conversations?

Thanks in advance, from a lowly journeyman pirate.

 

[blueparrot1966]

I've always gone with the Rapier. I have a hard time telling for sure, but I seem to get the fastest response to my moves with that one, and I can't seem to shake much benefit out of "defense" with the cutlass. Best defense is a good offense.

Never lost a tavern duel, so I couldn't say. I'll have to try it though, been curious about that anyway.

commands don't stack. But I have found that I have better luck when I switch between attacks. Don't hit "4" six times in a row, try alternating high, low and middle shots randomly, that seems to work best. Also, pay attention to what your opponent is doing. Try to time it so you get a shot in while he's still winding up to hit you. Again, that's where I think the rapier does best.

Like it says other places here, the only way to beat the dancing game is practice, practice, practice. It DOES make a big game difference- it's the only way (I think) to get clues to the "lost city" quests. Look on your personal stats page, to the right.

And it's oddly satisfying, once you're good at it. The only thing I'd ad to advice that's already posted here is that the moves seem to come in sets of four. Once you recognize the sequence, you're way ahead of the game.

For example, you might get four pirouettes in a row, 1,1,1,1 or 3,3,3,3. Or four fast moves, with each beat, side step then piroutte four times, 6,1,6,1,6,1,6,1 or 4,3,4,3,4,3,4,3.

Some "four steps" are harder than others. One particular one goes something like forward back pirouette, back forward pirouette, alternating opposites with each One two three beat.

Jeez, I've spent too much time at this. But really, the dancing game is one of the most surprisingly fun parts of the game. (A noted contrast to the NOT fun `sneaking-into`-port game).

 

[Barnabus]

Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, I've been working on reading the move my oponent is about to throw in a duel, and as long as it's one of the `slow-windup` ones, I can counter it. I'm still a little flummoxed by that backflip move they do. I wish we could back up a few steps.

I played a little more after posting that message, and I FINALLY "won" my first dance routine (and got a choice of a fencing shirt or balanced swords). So I guess it's `do-able` for me, if I keep practicing. One thing that was throwing me is that I'm trying to read my partner's hand cues, and I `sort-of` have it down when she's facing me, but when she throws a cue and she's turned partly sideways, it gets harder to tell the slide from the pirouette thingy. I also have trouble with the `forrward-backward` cues, but it helps to know there are just a few patterns to memorize.

The town sneaking is definitely the LEAST enjoyable part so far. What a sad implementation... especially if you've played other games like Thief, or even Neverwinter Nights as a theif or assasin, sneaking through towns. The pacing is just totally wrong. I did figure out that you can "run" by holding the shift key, and it's possible to evade capture after you're spotted, if you can get out of the guard's sight soon enough. But knocking out guards actually doesn't work very well, because any guard will automatically revive a `knocked-out` guard if they come across them, which seems a little silly. If I hit a guy with a blackjack as in the animation, you'd think he'd stay down for a while.

Barnabus

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

Try taunting when he does the backflip; I haven't gotten the timing *quite* down, but it seems to work if you taunt and then strike - gives him time to recover on the backflip and be standing where you want him when you strike! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

 

[skull]

Great tip Catalina,gives ye sump'n te do whilst he finishes his acrobatics <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

And it will make him "dizzy" and give your crew stronger morale! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

 

[skipper]

<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" />

to the fencing part....
it is da high difference between the sword you choose ....
if your enemy got cutlass and you take rapier and you attack him
but he block your attack you will be dizzy for a part of a second
because you have to adsorb his energy its the same if he attacks
you and you block you also are dizzy that time...
but you are faster than him so not need to block if he make a move
you will make it faster so you hit him first .....
but pay attention if he have special tools like the super `t-shirt`
or balanced swords or also more crew like you he will move faster
also with cutlass as you with your rapier so take care.
if you want to taunt him you have to do a normal piek attack so he
want to block your normal attack but you will not end your attack
only millisecond after you press attack he go to defend and you press
taunt button and you will see he still defend and you taunt ......
he will get slower next move he do and you will do it a bit faster
if you finished your taunt you can start your next attack he will be not
ready to block it.....

this you can do with all fencing moves you can begin with one but
do another one its like you show something but do other totally easy...
you will need that on harder levels like swashbukkler to win fencing
or you will have it really hard .....

for dancing there are just 11 combos the wife do....

1. left.....right 6x
2. right.....left 6x
3. turn right.....turn right 6x
4. turn left......turn left 6x
5. step forward..turn left..turn left 2x
6. step back..turn right..turn right 2x
7. step forward..step back..turn left..turn left 1x *
8. steb back..step forward..turn right..turn right 1x *
9. step back..turn left 4x
0. left..turn right 4x
0. right..turn left 4x

* = these 2 combos mostly come directly together
the xx shows how often she do the move at the combo
the.........is the reaktion time you have between the moves

but take care the wife somtimes very fast to get to next combo so
always be ready for next combo.....

so enjoy the game and always keep you crew happy so plunder plunder .....