Discussion Is being a pirate even worth it?

[Sinbad the Sailor]

I was playing the Ardent storyline and flying under the jolly roger flag, but playing as a pirate certainly does not feel worth it. Everyone hates you, the pirates don't offer you land... From a roleplay perspective it is interesting, but I wonder if gameplay wise it is ever worth it to play as a pirate.

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

Since antiquity, pirates have been considered hostis humani generis, "enemies of mankind", and therefore fair game for anyone at all to kill them without fear of penalty or reprisal. The game reflects this quite well. You have to resort to all manner of guile, deception, and trickery to stay alive. A healthy streak of ruthlessness is a plus.

One of the many alternate terms for pirate is "sea rover". Pirates aren't likely to offer you land when they have none to give. Besides, it's not as if you'd be sticking around to enjoy your acreage anyway. Again, the game reflects this well.

Perhaps privateering would be a more rewarding option to you?

 

[Sinbad the Sailor]

Since antiquity, pirates have been considered hostis humani generis, "enemies of mankind", and therefore fair game for anyone at all to kill them without fear of penalty or reprisal. The game reflects this quite well. You have to resort to all manner of guile, deception, and trickery to stay alive. A healthy streak of ruthlessness is a plus.

One of the many alternate terms for pirate is "sea rover". Pirates aren't likely to offer you land when they have none to give. Besides, it's not as if you'd be sticking around to enjoy your acreage anyway. Again, the game reflects this well.

Perhaps privateering would be a more rewarding option to you?

Privateering does feel more rewarding in a gameplay sense... I think if the capture towns system had more depth, being a pirate would be even more worth it. Having quests and more town management is a good idea, what do you think?

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

Privateering does feel more rewarding in a gameplay sense... I think if the capture towns system had more depth, being a pirate would be even more worth it. Having quests and more town management is a good idea, what do you think?

Quests are fine and I'm all for them. Town management doesn't appeal to me in the least as it takes away from the aspects of PotC I love most: sailing, exploring, and naval combat. The Storm engine isn't suited to that type of gameplay anyway.

If town management is something you enjoy, "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove" is a good choice. I have no idea if it runs on more recent versions of Windows, however.

 

[Grey Roger]

Privateering does feel more rewarding in a gameplay sense...

If you're playing the "Ardent" storyline, remember that...

Part of the problem is international relations. The real-world default for international relations is peace all round. The game default for international relations is war all round. Unless modified by storyline or by choice of starting date in FreePlay, the normal state is Britain, Holland and Portugal allied, France and Spain allied, and the two blocs at war with each other. In such a situation, privateering is indeed the best way to go - guaranteed safe harbours for repair and resupply, and ready markets for loot. The real Golden Age of Piracy started when a big war ended, putting all the privateers out of business. Their raiding was no longer legalised by Letters of Marque, leaving them with the choice of going into peaceful trade or continuing to raid as pirates.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

playing as a pirate certainly does not feel worth it. Everyone hates you, the pirates don't offer you land... From a roleplay perspective it is interesting, but I wonder if gameplay wise it is ever worth it to play as a pirate.

In all truth, that feature has never been entirely fully developed.

The main advantage is that when you sell prize ships and you have a Letter of Marque, the governor takes part of the profit.
But if you're a pure pirate, you keep everything for yourself.
So in theory, you might be able to make money quicker.

It is actually possible to join both the Pirate Brotherhood and have a LoM on the side.
And they do give some promotion rewards, like swords and ships, same as the other nations do.

I do wonder what might be done to make pirate more worthwhile.
Other than people just thinking it's cool. Simply because pirate!

I think if the capture towns system had more depth, being a pirate would be even more worth it.

Indeed I wished that were more of a developed feature.
It was started on, but never fully finished.
For example, you can set taxes really high; and the worst that'll happen is that the crew you hire in the tavern there will be extra grumpy.
Hardly a big set-back...

Having quests

Perhaps any of our expert quest writers (@Grey Roger, @Jack Rackham, @Bartolomeu o Portugues) might be interested in writing some special pirate-only sidequest(s?)

 

[Grey Roger]

Indeed I wished that were more of a developed feature.
It was started on, but never fully finished.
For example, you can set taxes really high; and the worst that'll happen is that the crew you hire in the tavern there will be extra grumpy.
Hardly a big set-back...

Especially since the game doesn't seem to remember the tax setting. Taking on a fort requires a big warship and by the time I have that, I tend to be rich enough that I try to go the other way, be nice to my people, and set the tax low. Next time I look at the town, it's back to "Normal" tax. Oh well, if the people insist on giving me free money, I have to accept their wishes.

Perhaps any of our expert quest writers (@Grey Roger, @Jack Rackham, @Bartolomeu o Portugues) might be interested in writing some special pirate-only sidequest(s?)

You mean like the "Bartolomeu" storyline? (And "Ardent", in which you can remain a pirate if you choose to play in a piratical manner.)

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Especially since the game doesn't seem to remember the tax setting. Taking on a fort requires a big warship and by the time I have that, I tend to be rich enough that I try to go the other way, be nice to my people, and set the tax low. Next time I look at the town, it's back to "Normal" tax. Oh well, if the people insist on giving me free money, I have to accept their wishes.

That bad, eh?

You mean like the "Bartolomeu" storyline? (And "Ardent", in which you can remain a pirate if you choose to play in a piratical manner.)

I said sidequest.
I was thinking along the lines of the career-based ones you and @Jack Rackham and @pedrwyth have been added.

Or the one you added which you get from a governor's niece/daughter after marrying.
Is that available to pirates...?

 

[Grey Roger]

Or the one you added which you get from a governor's niece/daughter after marrying.
Is that available to pirates...?

Yes, it's available to pirates because if you join the Brotherhood, the pirate governor can also offer a niece/daughter/nephew/son for marrying or chatting up. The main difference for pirates is that if you don't choose to join the Brotherhood, there's an alternative way to trigger the quest involving a character who appears in the tavern in Smugglers' Lair on La Grenade. He only appears if you're a pirate (as defined by GetServedNation()), you're at least level 12, and you have no Letters of Marque.

 

[Sinbad the Sailor]

Indeed I wished that were more of a developed feature.
It was started on, but never fully finished.
For example, you can set taxes really high; and the worst that'll happen is that the crew you hire in the tavern there will be extra grumpy.
Hardly a big set-back...

I was wondering if the taxes affected the economy of the colony (ie having more/less money on the store) and the availability of certain items.

You mean like the "Bartolomeu" storyline? (And "Ardent", in which you can remain a pirate if you choose to play in a piratical manner.)

That's another thing that is bothering me. Ardent storyline is very cool, but it's heavily focused torwards piracy! And although I try to enjoy being a pirate in the game, I can't find any joy out of it
I hope I'm not coming out as a big cry baby - if I knew how to mod, or if I had the time to learn how to mod - I would definitely help you guys

Or the one you added which you get from a governor's niece/daughter after marrying.
Is that available to pirates...?

by the way, in the end of the stock game storyline there's a mod involving Danielle and the dialog seem to heavily indicate that her and the character are having a romantic relationship - I don't know, feels weird having Danielle as a lover and also being able to marry another woman

 

[Grey Roger]

I was wondering if the taxes affected the economy of the colony (ie having more/less money on the store) and the availability of certain items.

That's another thing that is bothering me. Ardent storyline is very cool, but it's heavily focused torwards piracy! And although I try to enjoy being a pirate in the game, I can't find any joy out of it

"Ardent" starts with you as a pirate. Unless you follow a very specific path, you probably won't remain a pirate... (Have you met Lucia yet? What did you do with her?)

by the way, in the end of the stock game storyline there's a mod involving Danielle and the dialog seem to heavily indicate that her and the character are having a romantic relationship - I don't know, feels weird having Danielle as a lover and also being able to marry another woman

Both keeping Danielle as a lover and marrying a governor's daughter are optional. If you want to do both, that's up to you, and if Danielle isn't complaining then you probably don't want to know what she's doing when you're not looking. Incidentally, you don't have to marry a governor's daughter, you can chat to them and end up with girlfriends in several ports. Just don't tell Danielle, or for that matter the daughter of the governor of Port Royale, what you've been doing with the daughter of the governor of Charlestown.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I was wondering if the taxes affected the economy of the colony (ie having more/less money on the store) and the availability of certain items.

Nope; it doesn't do any of that.

I hope I'm not coming out as a big cry baby - if I knew how to mod, or if I had the time to learn how to mod - I would definitely help you guys

It's okay.
It's your honest feedback.
You're certainly allowed to have your own feelings and opinions on these things.