New info about Pirates!

Alex · January 6, 2004, 18:07

From Gamespot:

Quote:

New Sid Meier's Pirates! details

Firaxis confirms its hotly anticipated high-seas sequel will sport expanded role-playing elements.

Firaxis Games has released a few more details about Sid Meier's Pirates!, the forthcoming update of the 1987 classic buccaneer adventure. Like its predecessor, the game will let players step into the boots of pirate captain take to the high seas of the 17th Century Caribbean. It will also retain the original's mix of exploration, sea battles, ship commandeering, fort raiding, booty collecting, and hand-to-hand combat. Originally announced at last year's E3, the new game is also known to utilize the GameBryo 3D engine used by the Morrowind and Dark Age of Camelot series.

Firaxis' latest announcement confirms the new Pirates! will feature a much-expanded role-playing element with "multiple paths to a wealthy, happy retirement"--meaning, presumably, players can choose to between a benevolent, Jack Sparrow-like rogue or a heartless, Blackbeard-esque buccaneer. The company's release specifically mentioned a large cast of "interesting and dangerous characters" as well as a fame system that will let players expand their crew, fleet, and pile o' plunder as their "reputation and skills grow." The statement also confirmed a system of alliances with other pirate captains and that the game would have enhanced surround sound.

Unfortunately, more details on Sid Meier's Pirates! are scarce. The PC game is being published by Atari, and is scheduled for release later this year.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/...s_6086103.html

Interesting info about the game engine. I also like to know that there will be more RPG this time... But let's see if it will work.

vovan · January 6, 2004, 18:45

Sweetness.

Now, if only someone could tell me what the original game was like, I would be much obliged.

DrSpike · January 6, 2004, 19:44

It was just peachy.

Skanky Burns · January 6, 2004, 20:37

We pillaged and plundered and ravaged and looted.

vovan · January 6, 2004, 20:39

Okay, okay, I figured that out. But I mean, what did you have to do in the game? Was it a TBS or like and RPG kind of thing? Is Port Royale a remake of Pirates! made by someone other than Sid, or was the original totally not like it? That's what I meant by the question.

Jamski · January 6, 2004, 21:19

Quote:

the new game is also known to utilize the GameBryo 3D engine used by the Morrowind and Dark Age of Camelot series.

YAY! We can all play Pirates with crappy slow frame-rates on p4, 128mbGforce, 512megRAM machines! Whoot...

/me decides not to get excited about Pirates... it is from Atari after all *

-Jam

Skanky Burns · January 6, 2004, 21:56

Heh.

Gameplay was similar to Port Royale, but only 1 ship was ever fighting in sea battles. It got the lion's share of cannon and men, neither of which you had to buy ammo for. When you boarded the enemy ship, you then fought the enemy captain hand to hand. Morale affected how well your fellow pirates faught, which was dependant on how well you faught.

There were 2 tradable goods per age. You also only had one fleet.

Alex · January 6, 2004, 22:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski

YAY! We can all play Pirates with crappy slow frame-rates on p4, 128mbGforce, 512megRAM machines! Whoot...

This is worrying.

Imran Siddiqui · January 7, 2004, 02:16

Game sounds good

.

And the facts are that you need somewhat decent graphics for this day and age. Morrowind was taxed by the extremely large world. I guess load screens can take care of that.

Arrian · January 7, 2004, 13:33

Quote:

the new game is also known to utilize the GameBryo 3D engine used by the Morrowind and Dark Age of Camelot series.

I know nothing of this engine. I have a 4 year old computer (800mhz with like 64 or 128 MB of RAM). Something tells me this game might be over my comp's head.

vovan, there is another Pirates! thread in which I did my best to explain the gameplay... I'll go dig it up for you.

-Arrian

Arrian · January 7, 2004, 13:35

vovan:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...hreadid=105228

Towards the bottom of the thread.

-Arrian

Brundlefly · January 7, 2004, 13:53

In the original it was a real pain to control your ship when trying to sail from point a to point b. If they have fixed this problem, I may try the game.

Skanky Burns · January 7, 2004, 14:01

It was easy to sail on lower difficulty levels.

Arrian · January 7, 2004, 14:15

Yep, sailing on Apprentice or Journeyman was really easy. Adventurer was tougher, and Swashbuckler was a real *****... you could get run aground really easily.

-Arrian

vovan · January 7, 2004, 20:01

Thanks, Arrian.

Brundlefly · January 8, 2004, 10:18

Quote:

Originally posted by vovan
Thanks, Arrian.

Hey I thought your name was 'vovanism'. Why did you drop the ism? What the hell is a vovan anyway?

DrSpike · January 8, 2004, 10:31

What the hell is Bfg9000? It's a name.

I think he dropped the -ism because people called him Vovansim.

Brundlefly · January 8, 2004, 10:37

Quote:

Originally posted by DrSpike
What the hell is Bfg9000?

If you've ever played Quake before, you would know.

DrSpike · January 8, 2004, 10:45

Well I did (quite successfully actually

) and know what a BFG is in that context. Don't remember the 9000 though.

Of course I also thought you might be a big Roald Dahl fan.

GhengisFarb™ · January 8, 2004, 11:32

Quote:

Originally posted by DrSpike
Of course I also thought you might be a big Roald Dahl fan.

What the heck is a Roald Dahl? Is he some kind of sports figure or something?

DrSpike · January 8, 2004, 11:58

Heathen.

vovan · January 8, 2004, 12:43

Quote:

Originally posted by DrSpike
I think he dropped the -ism because people called him Vovansim.

Aaaahhhh!!!!

/me jumps at DrSpike with roaring sounds and sinks his teeth into the victim's neck

It is, indeed, a name, bfg...

EDIT: Hope you are alright, Spikie... I didn't mean to hurt ya.

DrSpike · January 8, 2004, 12:49

Quote:

Originally posted by vovan

* vovan jumps at DrSpike with roaring sounds and sinks his teeth into the victim's neck

Hehe I thought you'd enjoy that post, Vovanism.

vovan · January 8, 2004, 12:53

Quote:

Originally posted by DrSpike
Hehe I thought you'd enjoy that post, Vovanism.

Brundlefly · January 8, 2004, 14:04

Quote:

Originally posted by DrSpike
Well I did (quite successfully actually

) and know what a BFG is in that context. Don't remember the 9000 though.

Of course I also thought you might be a big Roald Dahl fan.

Maybe it was in Quake 2 that the 9000 was attached to the bfg, but at some point in one of those games I remember getting bfg9000 in a secret room....

Dont know Roald Dahl..

Skanky Burns · January 8, 2004, 21:49

/me gets the Roald Dahl reference.