A bit of overdue praise

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

I bought the base game soon after it hit the market. It was, to be honest, a mess. But the community stepped up and started modding the game into something wonderful.

To this day, I find things that leave me gobsmacked. Capabilities that weren't present in the rushed-released game. To wit: I was (hurriedly, after a regrettable misunderstanding) leaving Martinique. As I neared the southern mouth of the harbour, I noticed a pitched battle between three pirate ships and three French ships. We took in sail and stood by to watch the spectacle as the combatants jockeyed for the weather gauge and hurled broadside after broadside. So taken with watching the battle was I, that I paid no notice El Lobo drifted close enough to be mistaken for a new player in the fight. We hauled canvas and left the arena.

The work and care that has gone into making the Build an engrossing, thrilling experience is astonishing. I truly admire those who have and those who still are making improvements to the game. Thank you all.

 

[The Nameless Pirate]

Indeed the game has been improved on so many levels.
Be it at sea, or land.

Such experiences are indeed not possible in the stock game.
Even if I enjoyed it, once you play with New Horizons you can't go back.

 

[DavyJack]

Indeed the game has been improved on so many levels.
Be it at sea, or land.

Such experiences are indeed not possible in the stock game.
Even if I enjoyed it, once you play with New Horizons you can't go back.

Lol. To be honest, I joined here because of the many bugs that I've encountered in the Stock version of the game and I got the help I needed to many problems to include the ones in my Signature. I remember @Pieter Boelen @Hylie Pistof and the others keep pushing me to just try the latest build back then in 2013 which I keep refusing until after a lot of persuading that I finally did. I got confused at first and did not like it so I went back to the stock game and was like that for the next several months until I finally got tired of the bugs and the scenes that finally forced me to go back to New Horizons. Lol. And I'm so glad I did. I've played the stock game so much I can't even remember how many times I finished the game.

 

[The Nameless Pirate]

I too had played it many times on Xbox.
In fact for some time my DVD drive was stuck and the only game I played was stock PotC.

When I ordered it for PC I instantly downloaded New Horizons though.
I actually have never played the stock game on PC.

 

[Grey Roger]

I'm more forgiving of the stock version. Partly because if it didn't exist then the mod would not exist either. And partly because, not being a programmer, I didn't notice the bugs and the stock version kept me happily entertained for years until I found the mod. It was more reliable than some other games I had at the time.

The first build mod I got was Build 12, just in time for it to be replaced by Build 13. The forum then moved onto Build 14 and was full of bug reports about it, so I stayed with Build 13 for some time until I finally got bored with playing the same storyline yet again. Build 14, with its new storylines, new locations and new ships, was practically a whole new game, though far from the polished version you see today. (You think the stock game had bugs? You ain't seen nothing till you've tried Build 14 Beta 3! )

... once you play with New Horizons you can't go back.

True. For all its faults, even Build 14 Beta 3 was more fun than Build 13, which in turn was more fun than the stock game.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

The work and care that has gone into making the Build an engrossing, thrilling experience is astonishing. I truly admire those who have and those who still are making improvements to the game. Thank you all.

Thank you!
Very much.
Most kind of you...

@Pieter Boelen [...] finally forced me to go back to New Horizons. Lol. And I'm so glad I did.

^ If I remove some stuff from your post, I can make myself sound like quite the bastard.

But hey, you got there in the end!

I'm more forgiving of the stock version. Partly because if it didn't exist then the mod would not exist either. And partly because, not being a programmer, I didn't notice the bugs and the stock version kept me happily entertained for years until I found the mod. It was more reliable than some other games I had at the time.

People complained at length about the stock game being super buggy and barely playable.
I honestly never noticed; even though I played it for a good while.

Guess we were lucky to got the European release.
I gather the US release was an earlier version and therefore more problematic.

The first build mod I got was Build 12, just in time for it to be replaced by Build 13.

Almost the same for me.
Except I joined for Build 11; which was the first version that worked on all language-localized releases.

The forum then moved onto Build 14 and was full of bug reports about it

Oh yes... Dear FSM, we had SO much work on that!

You think the stock game had bugs? You ain't seen nothing till you've tried Build 14 Beta 3!

Certainly during the Build modding process, we caused more bugs than the original developers ever could've dreamed of.
No wonder! Not many of us actually knew what we were doing.
And the people who did... Well... They added bugs aplenty too.

I never knew Beta 3 was so bad though.
Certainly Beta 1 was. For a long time.
Then for Beta 2 I merged some of @Maximus' and @konradk's code bases and we spent quite some time polishing that up.
I think Beta 3 is the one I made when I was stuck in hospital, unable to walk; and I used my excess spare time to adapt some of @konradk's super-cool content back into the game.
I can imagine the first release of that would've been a step back from Beta 2.5; but there IS a reason why Beta 3.4 is still on ModDB, namely that I understood it was quite the stable, playable version...
(If it's not... perhaps we should remove it?)

 

[pedrwyth]

there IS a reason why Beta 3.4 is still on ModDB, namely that I understood it was quite the stable, playable version...
(If it's not... perhaps we should remove it?)

That's the one I started with and it was reasonably stable yes, plenty of things still to fix but no game breakers that I recall. It is also the last stable version before levelling changes stopped XP machines from running the game - but I guess that's water under the bridge by now.

 

[Grey Roger]

If I remember correctly:

Beta 3 was where I joined the fun. Loads of bugs, frequent crashes, and I was almost tempted to go back to Build 13 because it worked. Almost. There was still so much good stuff which I didn't want to give up even for the sake of a more stable game.

Beta 3.1 fixed some of the issues. Beta 3.2 tried to implement various changes including a dynamic economy - I knew that was going to be trouble because I'd seen something of the sort in a different game. I went back to Beta 3.1. So, to some extent, did everyone else - Beta 3.3 was based on Beta 3.1.

Beta 3.4 was the last version which worked for everyone because Beta 3.5 introduced the new levelling system, which slowed down the game on newer computers and broke it entirely on older computers. This is probably why Beta 3.4 is still on ModDB.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

It is also the last stable version before levelling changes stopped XP machines from running the game - but I guess that's water under the bridge by now.

Beta 3.5 introduced the new levelling system, which slowed down the game on newer computers and broke it entirely on older computers. This is probably why Beta 3.4 is still on ModDB.

True.
Not even sure if Beta 3.5 was ever released as such.
Might've been an internal name and because it was such a big change we upped the number to Beta 4 for the public version.

Beta 3.2 tried to implement various changes including a dynamic economy

Too bad, really.
https://www.moddb.com/mods/new-horizons/news/potc-new-horizons-build-14-beta-32-released :
"Events you read about in the Town News now have an noticeable impact. If a island is poor, less merchants will be sailing around this island on the worldmap. If an island has a large military, you will find more battles around."

I really do like the idea of that.
But indeed I remember it didn't quite work.
I can't quite remember though why not...

 

[smrtwhkd]

In addition to the mod itself, I also find the developer team as well as all the contributors is the greatest bunch of human beings. They are good mannered, responsive, dedicated and, above all, have a great sense of humor. I really enjoy many humorous surprises in the game.

 

[Grey Roger]

True.
Not even sure if Beta 3.5 was ever released as such.
Might've been an internal name and because it was such a big change we upped the number to Beta 4 for the public version.

I've no idea what happened on ModDB, in fact I probably hadn't heard of it at that time. Beta 3.5 was certainly released on the forum and, if I remember correctly, was the first one in which you split off all the sidequests into their own files so that they could run in all storylines.

Too bad, really.
https://www.moddb.com/mods/new-horizons/news/potc-new-horizons-build-14-beta-32-released :
"Events you read about in the Town News now have an noticeable impact. If a island is poor, less merchants will be sailing around this island on the worldmap. If an island has a large military, you will find more battles around."

Having fewer merchants round a poor island might make sense. Having more battles near an island with a large military does not. Pirates should avoid it, as should ships of enemy nations unless they're a large fleet trying to invade it. An island with a large military should be safe for peaceful traders. In any case, a slave revolt or Indian attack which might weaken the local army should have no effect on the local navy, unless the slaves or Indians managed to help themselves to a few frigates.

I really do like the idea of that.
But indeed I remember it didn't quite work.
I can't quite remember though why not...

If I remember correctly, prices varied so much that you couldn't count on making a profit by buying a commodity where it was exported and selling it where it was imported. (You still can't, unless you have high "Commerce" skill and preferably both the commerce perks, because the shopkeepers will fleece you. But at least the base prices are fairly stable.) And I believe there was an issue with pirates failing to appear on the worldmap.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

In addition to the mod itself, I also find the developer team as well as all the contributors is the greatest bunch of human beings. They are good mannered, responsive, dedicated and, above all, have a great sense of humor. I really enjoy many humorous surprises in the game.

We've definitely been lucky here to have so many really great people come through!

Especially in the early days, we had @CatalinaThePirate who always managed to ensure we had good fun here on the forum.
And then there was @alan_smithee with his completely nutty mods. And @CouchcaptainCharles, always creative and never giving up on a hard task.

I've no idea what happened on ModDB, in fact I probably hadn't heard of it at that time. Beta 3.5 was certainly released on the forum and, if I remember correctly, was the first one in which you split off all the sidequests into their own files so that they could run in all storylines.

Sounds about right.
I probably named it "4" right before submitting it to ModDB.
But that would've effectively been the same as the final 3.5 version.

That splitting-off of the sidequests seems to have worked out quite well in the end, didn't it?
I'm really glad we finally managed to get that working!

Having fewer merchants round a poor island might make sense. Having more battles near an island with a large military does not. Pirates should avoid it, as should ships of enemy nations unless they're a large fleet trying to invade it. An island with a large military should be safe for peaceful traders. In any case, a slave revolt or Indian attack which might weaken the local army should have no effect on the local navy, unless the slaves or Indians managed to help themselves to a few frigates.

Both true.

If I recall, it was supposed to make the worldmap encounters depend on where you are on the map.
So more Dutch ships near Dutch isles, etc.
Can't remember if that ever really wanted to work.
But that concept makes SO much sense to me!
Right now, the worldmap encounters are well and truly 'anything goes'.
No logic to 'em whatsoever.

And town events nor political events seem to have much of any gameplay at all.
Other than who is at war with who.
Wouldn't it be cool if nations with more towns also had more ships at sea?
On the worldmap and DirectSail encounters?

Agh...
Too much work, isn't it?
Not worth it.

If I remember correctly, prices varied so much that you couldn't count on making a profit by buying a commodity where it was exported and selling it where it was imported. (You still can't, unless you have high "Commerce" skill and preferably both the commerce perks, because the shopkeepers will fleece you. But at least the base prices are fairly stable.)

There was indeed something with changes happening too rapidly...

And I believe there was an issue with pirates failing to appear on the worldmap.

True, that!
Now you mention it, I remember that too.
WOW, that was annoying.
And as much as I tried to understand @Levis' code, I never could figure out why that would be the case.
Quite the mystery it was.

 

[Grey Roger]

We've definitely been lucky here to have so many really great people come through!

Especially in the early days, we had @CatalinaThePirate who always managed to ensure we had good fun here on the forum.
And then there was @alan_smithee with his completely nutty mods. And @CouchcaptainCharles, always creative and never giving up on a hard task.

Not forgetting @FredBob, who - like @CatalinaThePirate - still has a character model in the game. And I wouldn't class @alan_smithee's mods as nutty, or at least not all of them - he's the one responsible for blacksmiths, among other things.

That splitting-off of the sidequests seems to have worked out quite well in the end, didn't it?
I'm really glad we finally managed to get that working!

Definitely a big plus, which means this is where you get to take some credit.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Not forgetting @FredBob, who - like @CatalinaThePirate - still has a character model in the game.

For some reason, I don't have much memory of him actually on the forum.
Did he leave shortly after I joined...?

And I wouldn't class @alan_smithee's mods as nutty, or at least not all of them - he's the one responsible for blacksmiths, among other things.

That's indeed one of the more 'normal' things he added.
But to counter that, I have to words for you:

Fish
Swords

(They never did quite make it into the game in the end... But the interface picture is still hiding in the files. )

Definitely a big plus, which means this is where you get to take some credit.

Wut? What?
Credit?
To me...?

That doesn't sound right...

 

[Grey Roger]

For some reason, I don't have much memory of him actually on the forum.
Did he leave shortly after I joined...?

According to his profile, @FredBob was last active in 2013. I'm fairly sure you joined some time before that.

That's indeed one of the more 'normal' things he added.
But to counter that, I have to words for you:

Fish
Swords

(They never did quite make it into the game in the end... But the interface picture is still hiding in the files. )

There's a fish in "RESOURCE\Textures\INTERFACE\itemsAS.tga.tx". I can't see any swords in there, though there are plenty elsewhere. If you're hinting at some sort of fish sword, go and visit the apothecary, look at what is stuck up on the back wall, and remember that @AlanSmithee was responsible for the apothecary as well.

 

[The Nameless Pirate]

Not forgetting @FredBob, who - like @CatalinaThePirate - still has a character model in the game.

Shame I wasn't around when @FredBob, was here.
If I am correct his writing style here was like in the game, and I will always remember his quest.

Spoiler

I especially like that when you meet Old Fart you almost call him like that.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

According to his profile, @FredBob was last active in 2013. I'm fairly sure you joined some time before that.

I'm fairly sure too.

There's a fish in "RESOURCE\Textures\INTERFACE\itemsAS.tga.tx". I can't see any swords in there, though there are plenty elsewhere.

That was indeed intended to be used for a fish you could use as a sword.

If you're hinting at some sort of fish sword, go and visit the apothecary, look at what is stuck up on the back wall, and remember that @AlanSmithee was responsible for the apothecary as well.

Chances are that is indeed related.
Probably Stephen was meant to sell the thing or so.

If I am correct his writing style here was like in the game

Yup.