Ocean-based pirates in the game?

Ralf · September 30, 2001, 03:42

We all know about the traditional land-based barbarians. But what about their ocean-based counterparts? Pirates. Does anyone know if such units have been added? Bribeable/convertible as privateers, perhaps? I suspect not, but it would be nice.

Sarxis · September 30, 2001, 03:44

Very good question..

I certainly hope so!

Patriqvium · September 30, 2001, 04:07

According to Jeff, privateers are in the game. As we don't know how they are implemented, your idea is one possibility...

monkspider · September 30, 2001, 04:09

I haven't heard anything on it specifically yet Ralf, but I would most certainly hope so!

Bleyn · September 30, 2001, 04:19

Hmm... Maybe the Barbarian villages that get placed next to bodies of water will generate pirate ships along with land raiders?

Though if thats the case, I hope the AI does a little checking on the size of the body of water before sending out the pirate ships.

As nice as it may be, being forced to use a stealth bomber or two late in the game to blow up pirates stuck in a one square lake would be just a little too much like clubbing baby seals.

KrazyHorse · September 30, 2001, 04:24

And what do you have against clubbing baby seals? If you listened to Greenpeace or PETA, you'd have to believe that we've made a national industry of it in my country...

On topic, I think that the system described by Bleyn should be the one implemented.

Warm Beer · September 30, 2001, 05:11

Oh... PETA? People Eat Tasty Animals? The Got beer/Cancer people... They are hard-a**es if they pick on Canada...

I think that privateers are units that player-civs can build. Of course, it makes sence that if they are named 'privateers' they should do some privateering. Also, since they are not a particularly advanced unit, they should be able to be built by Barbs....

Speculation, as you know... mere speculation.

Earthling7 · September 30, 2001, 11:57

I've heard it's supposed to be similar to the Colonization model. You build them and pirate enemy ships (and traderoutes?) without your nationality being revealed.

BTW, Greenpeas is a bunch of moneymaking selfconfessed fake-treehuggers who kill babyseals for their promo videos.

FuFu15 · September 30, 2001, 12:14

that'll be annoying as hell. take 30 turns to build a trireme/settler, owned by a pirate.

Christantine The Great · September 30, 2001, 12:34

I think you misunderstand. You own and control the privateers.

jdd2007 · September 30, 2001, 12:59

i hope that pirates just appear in waters where there are ships without adequate defense, just as they have for thousands of years. only in the last 100 years has bigtime pirating in the ocean been wiped out.

Stuie · September 30, 2001, 13:07

Quote:

Originally posted by Bleyn
Hmm... Maybe the Barbarian villages that get placed next to bodies of water will generate pirate ships along with land raiders?

THAT would be cool!

Trifna · September 30, 2001, 15:03

f they could be introduced in a realistic way, it would be nice! When I say realistic, I mean that pirates with a battle cruiser are nowadays very rare.

Maybe that they could flourish in the vicinity of very corrupted civilisations. Espescially militaristic AND currupted, no?

Bu however they could introduce such an idea, it would certainly be great.

Trifna · September 30, 2001, 15:03

I just forgot:

Very nice idea Ralf

Inverse Icarus · September 30, 2001, 16:06

i hope you can commandeer goods, although i bet you cant

. putting units onf a trade line should intercept them! haahha!

can fighters shoot down resource transport planes (like airlifts in civ2?)

FuFu15 · September 30, 2001, 17:24

let's say one of your ships gets picked off by some other civ's privateers. would that be considered an act of war? historically, privateers weren't really owned/commanded by the government, just secretly backed...so the governments wouldnt take the blame for pirating.

basically, is it an act of war?

Marcus Agrippa · September 30, 2001, 19:02

Pirates should never have ships capable of taking on a "battleship" or its historical equivalent. (eg Ship-of-the-Line, etc.) They would attack merchant ships, and possibly take on light warships.

Christantine The Great · September 30, 2001, 20:15

FuFu, the privateers will look like probe teams from SMAC, meaning they won't "fly" your shield (if you didn't know). I don't think a country should be penalized because almost every country backed privateers at some point or another. Afterall they aren't really attacking in your name, just with your backing.

I believe privateers will steal gold off of ships if they manage to do...something?

LaRusso · October 1, 2001, 05:55

can one sponsor and harbor privateers?

Roman · October 1, 2001, 05:56

I think the privateer unit is

and barbarians could also use the ship effectively acting as pirates.

Fiil · October 1, 2001, 06:22

Hopefully you can use you privateers against enemy naval trade routes...

And maybe there will be pirates to attack your own trade routes.

Mads Raven · October 1, 2001, 10:33

Let us hope we will have pirates in the game, it would ad a touch of realism.

Deathwalker · October 1, 2001, 10:39

If there using the pirate model that was used in Colonization. I think that would be great idead, as it lets you attack an enemy with out the need to declare war? But how long would be able to do this, all time or for just a part of?

Roman · October 1, 2001, 14:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Fiil
Hopefully you can use you privateers against enemy naval trade routes...

This has been confirmed by Dan.