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Pirates! Information/Features All In One!

<!--`QuoteBegin-SirDrago`+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SirDrago)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Here, Jeff from Atari posted that today on Cutlass Isle

<a href="http://www.cutlassisle.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=345" target="_blank">http://www.cutlassisle.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=345</a>

It doesn`t look very good. I mean jumping to a port is like the realism killer....  :urgh[/quote]

Well, if they give us the chance to navigate in the map, all is well... you just use the feature if you like it, no?

What disapointed me was the answer to the speed thing... not that he gave a definitive answer, but didn't look good...

The graphics and all the bells and whistles I can take, after all a mod with realistic models will be made pretty soon, but a game where the design departs so much from the original Pirates! in a bid to "please all the family" (what a silly idea!) is a very bad decision.

But let's hope the Beta Testers report the problems in the game design.
 
Aye, I agree that those news were not as good as I would have hoped. Not only was there no real answer to the speed of the navigation and battles, let alone the wind, but also new worries in the form of the ability to teleport from port to port. Like SirDrago said, it would be the realism killer...

Of course, there always were fewer ships in view in the high seas, but that did not make those parts unenjoyable in the old game... You actually had to use that navigation device (the name of which escapes me) sometimes to find out your exact position on the map and take a new heading. If that's gone... well...
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/type_1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":nk" border="0" alt="type_1.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/whippa.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":whipa" border="0" alt="whippa.gif" /> (<- whipping the programmers)
 
<!--`QuoteBegin-Wolfwood`+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wolfwood)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
Of course, there always were fewer ships in view in the high seas, but that did not make those parts unenjoyable in the old game... You actually had to use that navigation device (the name of which escapes me) sometimes to find out your exact position on the map and take a new heading. If that's gone... well...  
[/quote]

Yeah it contributed a lot to the atmosphere. Only then you really got a feeling how big the whole world of the caribbean is.
At least you still have the option to sail on the high seas. But i don`t think many will do that if they have the option to go straight from port to port.
 
If they HAVE to have the jump to port thing, then hopefully you can get a bonus modifier to your retirement status for turning that off... or perhaps they only make it so that it only works in the apprentice level but once your progress to the journeyman level, you have to sail yourself... that is if they use the same difficulty structure as the original.

While I don't like the jump to port thing, I can see why you might want it. But I think they should give a bonus to the player that opts out of that crutch.
 
<!--`QuoteBegin-SirDrago`+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SirDrago)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
Yeah it contributed a lot to the atmosphere. Only then you really got a feeling how big the whole world of the caribbean is.
At least you still have the option to sail on the high seas. But i don`t think many will do that if they have the option to go straight from port to port.[/quote]

Well, I don't want to impose my views of an enjoyable experience playing Pirates! to anyone as long as the developers acomodate my style, which lacks originality, given the amount of concern and criticism so many people have been showing regarding issues I also have! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />

The problem is, unless otherwise countered by someone in the know, this seems more and more a watered down version of the old game, with up to date art and sounds.

To sum it up:

- I cannot believe the wind is not simulated like in the old game. This is another immersion killer. I am not asking for anything more complex than the old system...

- I cannot believe the ships move about in the Caribbean as they were jet skis on Nitro power.

- I cannot believe the ships turn faster than Spitfires when fighting each others.

- I have some doubts regarding sailors and crates going overboard to be picked up to whom is faster or nimbler (seems a bit to much like powerups to me!)

- I have some doubts regarding the graphic style of the game, more suited to 5 yo than to the post teenager crowd.


All these obvious shortcomings can be mitigated by a highly moddable game. I guess we will see custom models and realistic skins pretty soon, but what about changes to the game engine? Can they be made? How far can you mod the game? Can you change the rate of passing time? Can you change weather effects?

Right now I have the game preordered at Amazon but I will only keep it like that if some more answers are given. I am not willing to pay 35£ for what seems to me to be a subpar game capitalizing on a solid brand, that's for sure.
 
Hey! I saw a movie (long one... has Jeff Briggs presenting the game) And the ships speed will not be a problem! I am HAPPY! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
<!--`QuoteBegin-Cap`'n Toast+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cap'n Toast)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->While I don't like the jump to port thing, I can see why you might want it.  But I think they should give a bonus to the player that opts out of that crutch.[/quote]

I agree. There should be some kind of a time penalty for those who teleport from place to place, so that if you actually sail the distance you will get there quicker (gametime wise) than those you jump there (a penalty of two weeks or more)

ubik: Any other stuff you saw in that video? I suspect it was the one at IGN for which you have to register to see? Any news on the wind issue, or the possibility to use more than one type of sword?
 
<!--`QuoteBegin-Wolfwood`+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wolfwood)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->

I agree. There should be some kind of a time penalty for those who teleport from place to place, so that if you actually sail the distance you will get there quicker (gametime wise) than those you jump there (a penalty of two weeks or more)

ubik: Any other stuff you saw in that video? I suspect it was the one at IGN for which you have to register to see? Any news on the wind issue, or the possibility to use more than one type of sword?[/quote]


2 weeks of penalty for auto travel??? That's a bit of overkill, no? Going on a westerly course, you could cross all the caribean in less than 2 weeks... <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />

Actually, it was a movie taken from Games Domain UK.

<a href="http://uk.gamesdomain.yahoo.com/pc/sid_meiers_pirates/preview/38949" target="_blank">http://uk.gamesdomain.yahoo.com/pc/sid_mei...s/preview/38949</a>

No news on the wind issue, nor on the swordfight... But I definitely enjoyed the pace of the ships moving around. Even then, I think if the wind is included on the interface, it should have an effect, don't you think?

The only thing that is wrong with the navigation is the way you have ALL your ships going around on the map. It makes the interface very cluttered. It was far better if they only put one ship. But has you might guess, these are really minor criticisms.

On the subject of real time career lenght (`5-8` hours), I think they could make it a bit longer if instead iof having all your skill degrading with age they put one or two that effectively raised with age. For instance the influence upon your men, their morale (loyalty) decreasing a bit slower when you reach a mature age. I think that would be cool!

Overall, I enjoyed the movie and my doubts were put to rest. I was afraid the game was a stripped down version of the old classic with new graphs and sounds but from what I saw and heard, especially at the end when Jeff Briggs went on to elaborate on the view his company (Fireaxis) has on gamedesign, it was clear for me there is no great marketing compromise. These guys keep the same brilliant ideas as in the old days...
 
Hi Ubik,

You can safely stop worrying about the wind. It is just as much a factor as it was in the original games, Bad luck with wind can still cause you to loose a battle and can still cause you to be too late to intercept the treasure fleet. It's all there. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Any other worries around? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> Teleporting between ports? Have yet to see that in the Beta. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> So far all of my sailing has been in real (well, game) time, no instant teleportation ANYWHERE... Yep, it's tedious to sail from somewhere in the Yucatan peninsula to, say, Trinidad, or Nassau, but you DO run into ships if you take your ship the right way...
 
Still, I´d like to know how the ships are handled. Are they still able to turn on a dime as in the original (remember: one click turns the ship 22,5 degrees, no matter which ship or whether it´s sailing ahead of or into the wind) or will the sailing be handled differently, e.g. not in discreet steps of turning?
 
Cat - the "teleport" feature is not something you see very often. There are a few things that have to occur for it to appear. I won't discuss them here, but I can say that I was very worried by this feature (as you can see from my `pre-beta` post above). It's not a big deal and many players will never even see it due to how they play the game... I want to say SO much more - but I can't <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
"...Quiet, I'm the Captain!..." <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> I love that one.
 
<b>v_Grimmelshausen, </b>you use the number pad on the keyboard to sail (or you can use the mouse, I like using the mouse). I'm not sure what you mean about "one click" - if you mean of the mouse, no, that's not how it works. Wind is a factor - a major factor when you get into the upper difficulty levels - and while you can wheel your ship around pretty quickly it doesn't (at least to me) seem to go in measurable increments like you describe.
 
<!--`QuoteBegin-Falconer`+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Falconer)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi Ubik,

You can safely stop worrying about the wind. It is just as much a factor as it was in the original games, Bad luck with wind can still cause you to loose a battle and can still cause you to be too late to intercept the treasure fleet. It's all there. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Any other worries around? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />[/quote]

Well, if you insist... <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />

How about modding? From what you see or know, up to what point is this game moddable? Just textures? Do you think it will be easy, for instance, to have just one ship marking your fleet, instead of going around with 4 ships?
How about changing the ships specs? Creating new missions? Modifying towns?

What can you tell us about this aspect of the game?
 
I know I have not updated the FAQ in awhile. This is because when I update it again, it is a quality FAQ and does not contain any misleading information. The current FAQ is not 100% accurate – not even 90%.

I have not yet started to `re-plan` what to fix in there, but chances are that I’ll update it again when I have everything correct and in a fashion so I do not break the NDA.
 
@Catalina: You do remeber the old Pirates, don´t you? Well, in that one click left or right turned the ship on the spot, so when clicking fast enough a galleon could outmaneuve a pinnace. I just wanted to know if it´s still that way or more like in Port Royale, where a galleon handles really sluggish and the turning speed depends, among other things, wheter you sail ahead of or into the wind (when sailing ahead of the wind you can turn faster whereas if you sail into the wind you´re almost unable to maneuvre).
 
I had the C64 version and the PC version without a mouse so I never got exposed to the "`one-click`" trick. And with Pirates! Gold, I was a keyboard kind of guy.

You won't be out turning a pinnace in a galleon, unless you have the galleon fully upgraded, the pinnace has no upgrades and it's sails are shot up, and the weather guage is perfectly in your favor. Even then, you might make a fast turn for a sec, but then you'll be right back out of your best point of sailing.
 
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