frits@duttnph.tudelft.nl (Frits Kuijlman) (03/01/91)
At the moment I am playing Pirates! again and it seems to me that it is biased towards bothering the enemy and obtaining rank. In my current game I tried to rob etc. only the Spanish and to be friendly to the rest. This got me a Dutch and English captaincy, but my health got so bad that I can divide up the plunder just once again and then I have to go into forced retirement. So I save the game a lot and do a lot of trading. I have now about 100.000 gold and I rate as an extremely import member of society and a rather wealthy men. However I only become a Major, which is a score of 32 in 100. What do I have to do, besides plundering lots of enemies, to become a rich merchant or land owner in a relatively peaceful manner? I play in the latest era. -- Frits Kuijlman frits @ duttnph.tudelft.nl Delft University of Technology The Netherlands
kgay@hydra.unm.edu (Kyle Gay GEOLOGY) (03/02/91)
How to score big on Pirates? 1) Obtain a higher rank than Captain. Go for nobility in two nationalities. (Like France and England) 2) Plunder the Spanish Main, especially cities like Pnama and Gran Granada. 3) Marry the Number one daughter. That is the youngest, sexiest one. Very Big points for that!!!! 4) Have enough luck to do this quickly. :) -- Kyle Gay | "We witness not a fallen world Alpha Rho Gamma | But falling everyday" Minister of Planetary Affairs | -- The Call "When"
dac@prolix.pub.uu.oz.au (Andrew Clayton) (03/03/91)
In article <frits.667828624@galaxy>, Frits Kuijlman writes: About Pirates... > However I only become a Major, which is a score of 32 in 100. > > What do I have to do, besides plundering lots of enemies, to become > a rich merchant or land owner in a relatively peaceful manner? > I play in the latest era. Me too! I couldn't get far at all. Farting about trying to go places was pretty annoying, 'specially tacking against the wind. Its was so much easier to go back an forth in the St Kitts area, and deal with the French, rather than sail off into Spanish areas. What's the secret, guys? > Frits Kuijlman frits @ duttnph.tudelft.nl Dac -- David Andrew Clayton. // _l _ _ dac@prolix.pub.uu.oz.au *or*|I post.I am. Canberra, Australia.\X/ (_](_l(_ ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au!prolix!dac@munnari.oz
c60c-3iu@web-1c.berkeley.edu (David Woo) (03/05/91)
In article <frits.667828624@galaxy> frits@duttnph.tudelft.nl (Frits Kuijlman) writes: . . . >What do I have to do, besides plundering lots of enemies, to become >a rich merchant or land owner in a relatively peaceful manner? >I play in the latest era. Quitting while you're INFAMOUS can get you a higher rank than otherwise. Dave
jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) (03/05/91)
In article <frits.667828624@galaxy> frits@duttnph.tudelft.nl (Frits Kuijlman) writes: >At the moment I am playing Pirates! again and it seems to me that it is >biased towards bothering the enemy and obtaining rank. The score seems to be tabulated by rank, wife, family members saved, amount of land, wealth, and health when you quit, not in that order. Try working for 2 countries and preying on the other 2. Always fight the Spanish, and be friendly with the dutch if Curacao is in the game (its in a good location to off-load plunder, and has decent prices). Your best gain is when the countries you work for are allied, and at war with your enemies. Trade peacefully, find family members, find buried treasure, build up your crew, till your country goes to war, then take towns for your country, as this will get you promotion and the most land. Take enemy ships and Silver trains or Treasure fleets whenever you find them. Wait till you're a Duke or close to the end of the game to look for a wife, then get the best one you can. If you lose a fight (captured, or ship sunk), your chances are severely limited. >In my current game I tried to rob etc. only the Spanish and to be >friendly to the rest. This got me a Dutch and English captaincy, but my >health got so bad that I can divide up the plunder just once again and >then I have to go into forced retirement. If you are going to lose a fight, flee. On a ship or fort, move to the right till you are off the screen, or on land, move your men off the screen. If a ship tries to sink you, you could be screwed, but try to bring your flaming, leaky hulk into boarding range. But DO NOT lose a fight in this game. >What do I have to do, besides plundering lots of enemies, to become >a rich merchant or land owner in a relatively peaceful manner? ^^^^^^^^ You can't. jcc
sss10@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Samuel S Sostre) (03/05/91)
Hmm ok a few more questions: For nationality, choose which one? or does it not matter? I usually choose English or Dutch. For time period, I dont think its a good idea to choose a very early one. If you do, you wont see many non spanish governors which really sucks. However is there 1 time period thats REALLY good pickings? Whats the best special skill to use? I usually choose fencing and lose maybe 3 matches in a whole game. Why the hell is it so hard to saild from west to east???? and why did they put vera cruz, villa hermosa and campeche so far away from anything else? :D
crichard@eecs.wsu.edu (richardson craig s - CS500) (03/06/91)
In article <1991Mar5.061156.7557@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> sss10@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Samuel S Sostre) writes: > >Hmm ok a few more questions: > >For nationality, choose which one? or does it not matter? I usually choose >English or Dutch. Anything but Spanish... > >For time period, I dont think its a good idea to choose a very early one. If >you do, you wont see many non spanish governors which really sucks. However >is there 1 time period thats REALLY good pickings? Both the 1640 and 1660 scenarios are pretty good. Rich, but weak Spaniards ("I could give you my word as a Spaniard..." "No good. I've known too many Spaniards."), and common wars provide the best opportunity for advancement. >Whats the best special skill to use? I usually choose fencing and lose maybe >3 matches in a whole game. Practice, practice, practice... Fence defensively. Parry his attack, then step in and bop him before he recovers. Use a longsword to get the reach advantage, then stay out of his range and kill him with lunges. Let your men do some of the work if you have the advantage. Their success will cut the enemy's morale. I don't use fencing as a skill, and rarely lose, even to dukes. I usually go an entire career losing once at most... Get wit and charm - really increases your bonuses from governors (especially land, which is how a GENTLEMAN is measured...) >Why the hell is it so hard to saild from west to east???? and why did they put >vera cruz, villa hermosa and campeche so far away from anything else? :D In the Caribbean, the prevailing wind blows against a ship sailing east. And Vera Cruz et al. really ARE that far away from everything else... Two very realistic factors. I'm pleased with their inclusion (except when I'm sailing east...) And in response to the pike-and-shot questions... Like Cap'n Sidney says, put your strongest group(s) (measured by # of muskets) in the trees, with the Spaniards coming across open ground. Then have your weakest group dance about in the open, straight behind them (along the Spanish line of travel). The terrain will help you destroy even cavalry (I once caught them in the woods. Hint: Cavalry can't fight AT ALL well in the woods...). Then, once they're weakened, bring one group around to cut off their line of retreat, force the Spaniards to panic, and they'll retreat right onto the group you placed there. You can then take out the fort at your leisure. Warning: They usually have time to hide at least some of their gold, but the garrison will be a lot smaller the next time you plunder :). --Craig (Bleeds Mariner Blue) -- You can't cheat an honest man. He has to have larceny in his heart in the first place. - Claude Dukenfield
adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt) (03/06/91)
In article <1991Mar5.061156.7557@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> sss10@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Samuel S Sostre) writes: > >For nationality, choose which one? or does it not matter? I usually choose >English or Dutch. Probably doesn't matter, since you start off on reasonably good terms with everyone. >For time period, I dont think its a good idea to choose a very early one. If >you do, you wont see many non spanish governors which really sucks. However >is there 1 time period thats REALLY good pickings? I found the early one the easiest. At least, that's the one in which I ended up with the highest rank (Duke). There aren't many non-Spanish governors, until you start making your presence felt. By the time I had finished, there weren't many Spanish governors. >Why the hell is it so hard to saild from west to east???? and why did they put >vera cruz, villa hermosa and campeche so far away from anything else? :D Because the wind blows from east to west, sometimes with a northerly or southerly component added in. Your job is a lot easier if you stick to sloops and barques, especially if you have to visit Vera Cruz. Having said that, it can pay to keep capturing merchantmen, but sell them off as soon as possible. My standard cruise is to start at Port Royale, go east in a barque or sloop, raid Santo Domingo and/or San Juan if I have enough men, and unload and recruit at St. Kitts, Montserrat or Nevis. (I sometimes have a go at St. Martin and St. Eustatius, if England is at war with Holland at the time.) Then south to Margarita (which I usually capture early in the game). I am then set up for a nice cruise from east to west, plundering Spanish towns and ships along the South American coast, ending with an overland assault on Panama if I have at least 200 men, preferably 300. Finally I head north to Port Royale, sell everything except barques and sloops, and do it again. Of course, things change if there is a mission to fulfill or a noble to assault. You think Vera Cruz is difficult to get to? Try Gran Granada! "Keyboard? How quaint!" - M. Scott Adrian Hurt | JANET: adrian@uk.ac.hw.cs UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian | ARPA: adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk
adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt) (03/06/91)
In article <1991Mar05.214548.14312@eecs.wsu.edu> crichard@yoda.UUCP (richardson craig s - CS500) writes: > >Practice, practice, practice... Fence defensively. Parry his attack, then >step in and bop him before he recovers. Use a longsword to get the reach >advantage, then stay out of his range and kill him with lunges. Perhaps it's a matter of preference, but I often use the rapier, especially against named opponents. The speed advantage which the lighter weapon gives you is most useful, even if it does less damage and causes battles to be longer. >And in response to the pike-and-shot questions... My favourite tactic here is simply to hide behind a swamp, lure the enemy troops into it, then run round them and into the fort with my full force. Done properly, this can get me into the fort with almost all my force intact, and most of the enemy still stuck outside. At least, that's my favourite tactic if I have to fight that way at all. If you have more men than the fort, you miss this bit and go straight to the duel with the enemy commander. Having 200+ men helps a lot in this matter! Has anyone caught the treasure fleet in the Florida Channel? You can't capture the whole fleet, like you can if it's in a port, but you might be able to hit individual galleons. If you're near a port, and the treasure fleet is in that port, you may encounter Spanish galleons - I'm assuming these are part of the treasure fleet, because every time I find a galleon flying the Spanish flag, I find the treasure fleet in the nearest port. Galleons with named pirate or pirate hunter captains don't count in the above comment. "Keyboard? How quaint!" - M. Scott Adrian Hurt | JANET: adrian@uk.ac.hw.cs UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian | ARPA: adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk
jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) (03/08/91)
In article <2464@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk> adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt) writes: >Perhaps it's a matter of preference, but I often use the rapier, especially >against named opponents. The speed advantage which the lighter weapon gives >you is most useful, even if it does less damage and causes battles to be >longer. It seems to me, the faster battle is over, the higher the rewards...... On ship if you make a quick and skillful kill (both navigation + boarding) a LOT of enemy crew will join you, but if you bungle it or take a long time, sometimes none will join. In towns, the people are hiding treasure while you're fighting..... However, use a rapier against high nobility (from count up) unless he's been pounded by your guns. Anyone else notice that the guard that catches you trying to sneak into town gets DAMNED good if you try more than once? pike + shot: >My favourite tactic here is simply to hide behind a swamp, lure the enemy >troops into it, then run round them and into the fort with my full force. >Done properly, this can get me into the fort with almost all my force intact, >and most of the enemy still stuck outside. Woods work well too. Keep an eye on just how many troops you're up against, it might be worth it to retreat and do a ship attack. I recently wound up entering the fort with 7 men (down from 300). They all got shot, but the fight went on till my opponent hit me. My morale was wild, his panic, and I hit him about 10 times, just to see if 1 man could take a fort with 600+ defenders. Apparently not. >At least, that's my favourite tactic if I have to fight that way at all. If >you have more men than the fort, you miss this bit and go straight to the duel >with the enemy commander. Having 200+ men helps a lot in this matter! Ahh, but when the crew is unhappy, and you KNOW where that inca treasure is, attack a town that has an overwhelming defense. About half your men get killed, and the rest are happy. Pretty vicious lay-off terms, but it's the only way I've found. I also wish there were a "scuttle ship" command. If you could get rid of dammaged empty galleons, it would make the trip from Vera Cruz it bit easier. >Has anyone caught the treasure fleet in the Florida Channel? You can't >capture the whole fleet, like you can if it's in a port, but you might be >able to hit individual galleons. I waited 2 months there (while the fleet was supposed to go by) and didn't see one ship. I'd love to see this game expanded. Say, South America? Some of Henry Morgan's dissaffected Buccaneers retook Panama, and sailed south to harry Peru, rounded the horn, attacked towns in Brazil etc, and re- entered the Carribean from the east. Drake also plundered South America on his circumnavigation. > Adrian Hurt | JANET: adrian@uk.ac.hw.cs > UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian | ARPA: adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk jcc
silk@dorm.rutgers.edu (Silk Merchant) (03/08/91)
jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) writes: > I also wish there were a "scuttle ship" > command. If you could get rid of dammaged empty galleons, it would make > the trip from Vera Cruz it bit easier. There is. it's called "Divide Party". This is an addition to the version I had on my C64, so it could be that you simply have an early version of the program. It's pretty cool, but I hardly use it. As everyone else has put in their two sense about how to score higher, here are some tips that really helped me: 1) Don't be so eager to see the governors that you are friendly to. The longer you wait in between gaining rank, the more land you can get (in the thousands of acres) 2) Cheat. It's silly, I know, but once you have one section of a 4-part map, the map will not change. So, play the game, and save it just before you get the second part. Look at this new map. Restart. Get the next section again - sometimes it is different! Use this technique to get a clearer idea of wher you want to go, and you can pinpoint the location with "only" two pieces. 3) Take the medicine skill. Good swordsplay can be achieved with practice, the same with navigation. Wit and charm can impress the girls, but so will an outrageously high rank in two countries and large tracts of land. Medicine will let you play longer, a bonus that can not be replaced by skill. 4) NEVER GET CAPTURED! turn off your system and start over. As an example, I actually tested this theory out. Getting captured lowered my score by 30 POINTS! that's all jon c/o silk.dorm.rutgers.edu
v125lqbx@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Brian T McColpin) (03/08/91)
In article <2463@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk>, adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt) writes... >In article <1991Mar5.061156.7557@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> sss10@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Samuel S Sostre) writes: >> >>For nationality, choose which one? or does it not matter? I usually choose >>English or Dutch. A friend of mine has gotten over 100 points on Pirates. He did it by methodically sacking every Spanich town, while the English and French got rich. Then he changed loyalties, and plundered all the English towns (this was after he was already an English Duke). Then he coninued that pattern with all the other nationalities. He ended up a "triple- Duke", and something like a Baron in the other. Other stupid tricks: You can get men from a town, leave town, turn around and use those same men to plunder the town. If you're titled, you can do anything you want to a country and not have them be hostile to you. My friend would plunder a "friendly" town of all it's goods, and if he didn't get all the money as well, he would turn right back around, sail into the harbor, and sell their own goods right back to them. They won't fire on you as you enter the harbor, as long as you have a title. When I borrowed my friend's copy of pirates, I had tremendously good results in hand to hand combat by just using a cutlass and going for head shots all the time. I won against -ridiculous- odds by doing that. I conquered Panama (400+ troops) with 47 men. Of course, you MUST take a fencing skill to do this. :-) Happy pirating!
jdmst11@unix.cis.pitt.edu (John D Morris) (03/09/91)
> >step in and bop him before he recovers. Use a longsword to get the reach > > Perhaps it's a matter of preference, but I often use the rapier, especially Just to throw my 2 cents in, I like the cutlass. I hack my opponent's legs. first, lead with a long slash, then poke quickly for two hits.
jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) (03/12/91)
In article <Mar.7.17.00.27.1991.29658@dorm.rutgers.edu> silk@dorm.rutgers.edu (Silk Merchant) writes: >jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) writes: ->> command. If you could get rid of dammaged empty galleons, it would make ->> the trip from Vera Cruz it bit easier. ->There is. it's called "Divide Party". Damn, I hadn't thought of that. ->2) Cheat. It's silly, I know, but once you have one section of a 4-part map, -> the map will not change. So, play the game, and save it just before you -> get the second part. Look at this new map. Restart. Get the next section -> again - sometimes it is different! Use this technique to get a clearer -> idea of wher you want to go, and you can pinpoint the location with "only" -> two pieces. Most often, I can do this with only one piece, anyway. It's not a high score if I cheat ;-) ->3) Take the medicine skill. Good swordsplay can be achieved with practice, -> the same with navigation. Wit and charm can impress the girls, but so will -> an outrageously high rank in two countries and large tracts of land. -> Medicine will let you play longer, a bonus that can not be replaced by -> skill. Wit and Charm seem to get more land for less action. Plus, all those women telling you the whereabouts of good targets is a great help. I suppose Navigation would be a good choice in harder level games. Getting blown onto shoals s*cks. ->4) NEVER GET CAPTURED! turn off your system and start over. As an example, I -> actually tested this theory out. Getting captured lowered my score by -> 30 POINTS! I agree. But you *can* retreat, you know. If you restart, "history" isn't the same. Your country just might be at peace with everyone in the new game. Another point: If you are playing at journeyman level, getting captured lowers you to apprentice, but the game difficulty remains at journeyman. 5) SAVE OFTEN. Or at least more often than I do. I just "lost" a great game to "Pirates out of memory". I can only assume it meant chip ram, as I have 2.75 Meg of ram, but only 512k chip. What really pisses me off about it is that this game was a chance to get better than 90 points as a Dutch captain, actually working for the Dutch. 6) Don't go wild taking all the towns on the Spanish Main at first oppertun- ity. With only a few towns left, you may never see a treasure fleet or silver train again. Has anyone managed to take every Spanish town? Can it be done? jcc
v125lqbx@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (Brian T McColpin) (03/13/91)
In article <24389@frog.UUCP>, jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) writes... > > 6) Don't go wild taking all the towns on the Spanish Main at first oppertun- > ity. With only a few towns left, you may never see a treasure fleet or silver > train again. > > Has anyone managed to take every Spanish town? Can it be done? A friend of mine took every town on the map, and turned it English. Then he did it again, and turned them all French. Then again, and ..well, you get the idea.
rmk@rmkhome.UUCP (Rick Kelly) (03/13/91)
In article <24389@frog.UUCP> jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) writes: >In article <Mar.7.17.00.27.1991.29658@dorm.rutgers.edu> silk@dorm.rutgers.edu (Silk Merchant) writes: >>jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) writes: >->> command. If you could get rid of dammaged empty galleons, it would make >->> the trip from Vera Cruz it bit easier. >->There is. it's called "Divide Party". > Damn, I hadn't thought of that. Yeah, that's a good idea. I will have to try that. >->2) Cheat. It's silly, I know, but once you have one section of a 4-part map, >-> the map will not change. So, play the game, and save it just before you >-> get the second part. Look at this new map. Restart. Get the next section >-> again - sometimes it is different! Use this technique to get a clearer >-> idea of wher you want to go, and you can pinpoint the location with "only" >-> two pieces. > > Most often, I can do this with only one piece, anyway. It's not a high > score if I cheat ;-) > >->3) Take the medicine skill. Good swordsplay can be achieved with practice, >-> the same with navigation. Wit and charm can impress the girls, but so will >-> an outrageously high rank in two countries and large tracts of land. >-> Medicine will let you play longer, a bonus that can not be replaced by >-> skill. > > Wit and Charm seem to get more land for less action. Plus, all those women > telling you the whereabouts of good targets is a great help. I suppose > Navigation would be a good choice in harder level games. Getting blown onto > shoals s*cks. I should have used Wit & Charm today. I've been playing for about six hours. The really bad looking wench is giving me information. I am an English Count and a Dutch Captain, and the other women in the game feel I am not up to their high standards. Also, I am 32, so I don't have all that much time left. >->4) NEVER GET CAPTURED! turn off your system and start over. As an example, I >-> actually tested this theory out. Getting captured lowered my score by >-> 30 POINTS! > I agree. But you *can* retreat, you know. If you restart, "history" isn't > the same. Your country just might be at peace with everyone in the new > game. Another point: If you are playing at journeyman level, getting captured > lowers you to apprentice, but the game difficulty remains at journeyman. Of course, retreating can set you back in terms of increasing your rank. Governors don't like wimps. > 5) SAVE OFTEN. Or at least more often than I do. I just "lost" a great game > to "Pirates out of memory". I can only assume it meant chip ram, as I have > 2.75 Meg of ram, but only 512k chip. What really pisses me off about it is > that this game was a chance to get better than 90 points as a Dutch captain, > actually working for the Dutch. Thanks for the reminder! I just went and saved it. > 6) Don't go wild taking all the towns on the Spanish Main at first oppertun- > ity. With only a few towns left, you may never see a treasure fleet or silver > train again. It might be better to start of taking the towns farthest away when your young, and slowly working back to your port of origin as you get older. > Has anyone managed to take every Spanish town? Can it be done? I think history would get in your way. Rick Kelly rmk@rmkhome.UUCP frog!rmkhome!rmk rmk@frog.UUCP
skipper@motaus.sps.mot.com (Skipper Smith) (03/14/91)
In article <64726@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> v125lqbx@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu writes: > >A friend of mine took every town on the map, and turned it English. >Then he did it again, and turned them all French. Then again, and >..well, you get the idea. How do you reliably "take" a town? I have gone into some towns with 200 men, killed everyone in the town, and not capture it. I turn around, come back to it and somehow they found 20 more men for me to slaughter. At other times, I have gone in with 50 men (against forces of up to 150), killed a few, and the govener handed the keys over in nothing flat. I have managed to score enough points to get within two grades of King's Advisor, but I have never been able to reliably take a town (or beat the soldiers on foot either, they always wipe me out ;-( ). -- Skipper Smith | skipper@motaus.sps.mot.com Motorola Technical Training | 8945 Guilford Rd Ste 145 All opinions are my own, not my employers | Columbia, MD 21046
jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) (03/14/91)
In article <9103121921.00@rmkhome.UUCP> rmk@rmkhome.UUCP (Rick Kelly) writes: >In article <24389@frog.UUCP> jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) writes: >> I agree. But you *can* retreat, you know. If you restart, "history" isn't >> the same. Your country just might be at peace with everyone in the new >> game. Another point: If you are playing at journeyman level, getting captured >> lowers you to apprentice, but the game difficulty remains at journeyman. >Of course, retreating can set you back in terms of increasing your rank. >Governors don't like wimps. That's another thing. News travels faster than YOU do. If you take a ship 100 miles from the nearest town, that town knows about it, before you get there. Perhaps there should be a "Plunder + Sink Ship, + Kill all Survivors" option, that affects crew happiness so you don't go wild with it. Dead men tell no tales etc. After all, it's called "Pirates" not Privateers. L'Ollonaise would be proud. Another option that would give me great pleasure: If some of your crew mutinies or jumps ship, you might recognise some of them the next time you recruit a crew. Imagine a menu with options like "Keel haul them", "Hang them from the yard arm", "Make them walk the plank", or "Forgive and Forget", with appropriate animations. Yeah, I have a tendency to stay active just a _little bit_ too long. ;) >> Has anyone managed to take every Spanish town? Can it be done? >I think history would get in your way. It doesn't get in the way of anything else. I've managed to take all but 2 or 3, and no matter what the odds, I can't seem to get the last of them. I think it's more like the code for the Treasure Fleet and Silver Train gets in the way. jcc .......good to hear from you, ricko......
davidy@sumax.seattleu.edu (David L. Yee) (03/14/91)
In article <1991Mar13.174318.1799@motaus.sps.mot.com> skipper@motaus.sps.mot.com (Skipper Smith) writes: > >How do you reliably "take" a town? I have gone into some towns with 200 men, >killed everyone in the town, and not capture it. I turn around, come back to >it and somehow they found 20 more men for me to slaughter. At other times, I >have gone in with 50 men (against forces of up to 150), killed a few, and the >govener handed the keys over in nothing flat. I have managed to score enough >points to get within two grades of King's Advisor, but I have never been able >to reliably take a town (or beat the soldiers on foot either, they always wipe >me out ;-( ). >-- >Skipper Smith | skipper@motaus.sps.mot.com >Motorola Technical Training | 8945 Guilford Rd Ste 145 >All opinions are my own, not my employers | Columbia, MD 21046 First, you need to build a huge army. This means after you have divided the plunder, try to accumulate the ships you need to carry 500-600 men. Then go to it. If you have 500 + men don't bother invading by sea. Go by land. Most of the moderate sized cities will not even fight back and you can go straight to the swordfight scene. And they will usually capitulate. If they do resist, hold your forces back under cover and make his army advance over open ground where you can pick them off. Use one group as a manuver detachment to lure the enemy forces into your line of fire if they get cold feet. If you don't mind sacrificing a large part of your army, you can take one large detachment and sneak it away from the main group. When the garrison charges your main force (and destroys it) you rush over with the main detachment and assault the fort. Sure, a lot of your men die, but then that's a pirate's life, eh? :^) I have taken Panama with 250 men doing this (of course only had 40 left. ) But that is good, because it gives you a larger share of the plunder when you divide up. Just avoid all other ships until you get to a friendly port. Of course, to build a large army you have to do it right away, for as the voyage drags on it is harder to keep the men happy and they will start to desert you, of course. David L. Yee Email to:davidy@sumax.seattleu.edu
v125lqbx@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Brian T McColpin) (03/15/91)
In article <24462@frog.UUCP>, jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) writes... >>> Has anyone managed to take every Spanish town? Can it be done? >>I think history would get in your way. > > It doesn't get in the way of anything else. I've managed to > take all but 2 or 3, and no matter what the odds, I can't seem to > get the last of them. I think it's more like the code for the Try taking in 800 men with you. :-)
davidy@sumax.seattleu.edu (David L. Yee) (03/15/91)
Oops, I goofed when I said reducing the number of fellow buccaneers
just before dividing up the plunder increases your personal take. It was
pointed out to me that your haul is a fixed proportion of the total depending
on your level - I had thought you recieved x number of crew's shares (which
is in fact affected by the number of men before division. So, it seems I have
sent thousands of hapless pirates to a untimely death for no good
reason. I can only say.......
oops.
David L. Yee
Email to:davidy@sumax.seattleu.edu silk@dorm.rutgers.edu (Silk Merchant) (03/15/91)
davidy@sumax.seattleu.edu (David L. Yee) writes: >Oops, I goofed when I said reducing the number of fellow buccaneers >just before dividing up the plunder increases your personal take. It was >pointed out to me that your haul is a fixed proportion of the total depending >on your level - I had thought you recieved x number of crew's shares (which >is in fact affected by the number of men before division. So, it seems I have >sent thousands of hapless pirates to a untimely death for no good >reason. I can only say....... Fear not, you have done yourself a great service by sending thousands of pirates to oblivion right before you divide up the plunder. Your share is fixed, yes. But the more money/less men you have, the more money your financial backers will give you for your next mission (they made quite a profit off you). And, the less men you have, the more each of the men's shares will be, and the happier your men will be, then it will be easier for you to recruit (would you rather have 600 men saying you're cheap, or 20 men saying that the risks are high but the pay is terrific?). Jon c/o silk@dorm.rutgers.edu
crichard@eecs.wsu.edu (richardson craig s - CS500) (03/16/91)
In article <2460@sumax.seattleu.edu> davidy@sumax.seattleu.edu (David L. Yee) writes: >Oops, I goofed when I said reducing the number of fellow buccaneers >just before dividing up the plunder increases your personal take. It was >pointed out to me that your haul is a fixed proportion of the total depending >on your level - I had thought you recieved x number of crew's shares (which >is in fact affected by the number of men before division. So, it seems I have >sent thousands of hapless pirates to a untimely death for no good >reason. Not necessarily. The survivors are that much happier with their shares, which it seems to me makes more crewmen volunteer when you go recruiting (in the assumption that they'll survive :) ). But I don't know if it's a good idea to go around losing battles to do it... --Craig (Long John Silver Imitator) -- You can't cheat an honest man. He has to have larceny in his heart in the first place. - Claude Dukenfield
jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) (03/16/91)
In article <1991Mar13.174318.1799@motaus.sps.mot.com> skipper@motaus.sps.mot.com (Skipper Smith) writes: >How do you reliably "take" a town? I have gone into some towns with 200 men, >killed everyone in the town, and not capture it. I turn around, come back to >it and somehow they found 20 more men for me to slaughter. At other times, I >have gone in with 50 men (against forces of up to 150), killed a few, and the >govener handed the keys over in nothing flat. I have managed to score enough >points to get within two grades of King's Advisor, but I have never been able >to reliably take a town (or beat the soldiers on foot either, they always wipe >me out ;-( ). Your best bet is to have 2:1 odds ( at apprentice level ), before the fight starts. There is leeway at the begining of the game: your ship is faster, your guns are more accurate, and you can take a town with less people, but as the game goes on, this evens out. If the town has more, or almost as many soldiers as you do, chances are you won't get that town. They are more likely to give you the town if the fight is efficient and over quickly than if you have to kill them all. You also won't get a town that you attacked recently. Perhaps they see you as cruel or inept. Every time you attempt an attack, the number of soldiers goes up by 20. In a game I had already screwed up, I decided to see if I could take Santa Marta in a ship assault. The winds were wrong, and by trying to dodge cannon balls, I wound up either out to sea, or too far down the beach for the assault to take place. By the time I finally made a landing that my men approved of ($%@!!!), the town (unnoticed by me) had grown a defense of 480! And since I had to beat a hasty retreat, for the rest of the game the sleepy little hamlet of Santa Marta had a standing army of 500. jcc
adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt) (03/18/91)
In article <24535@frog.UUCP> jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) writes: >In article <1991Mar13.174318.1799@motaus.sps.mot.com> skipper@motaus.sps.mot.com (Skipper Smith) writes: > >>How do you reliably "take" a town? > > Your best bet is to have 2:1 odds ( at apprentice level ), before the >fight starts. There is leeway at the begining of the game: your ship is >faster, your guns are more accurate, and you can take a town with less >people, but as the game goes on, this evens out. Your chances of taking a town seem to depend more on its civilian population than on its garrison. It is easier to take a town with a small civilian populace (e.g. Margarita, which I often take shortly after starting the game) than one with a large populace (e.g. Panama, even after previous attacks had left it with virtually no garrison). The only reason your ship is faster at the beginning of the game is, you start with only a sloop, which is a fast ship. If you capture and use larger vessels, you will be slowed down, as they are slower than sloops. If you get rid of all captured ships, and stick to using only sloops, then you will be as fast as when you started. (But with fewer men and cannon available for attacks, and less cargo space, than if you keep a bigger ship.) As the game progresses, town populations increase. They also decrease if the town gets sick. I see no reason why your guns should get less accurate, unless you're using a large, unmanouevrable ship and can't aim as easily. > Every time you attempt an attack, the number of soldiers goes up by 20. >In a game I had already screwed up, I decided to see if I could take Santa >Marta in a ship assault. The winds were wrong, and by trying to dodge >cannon balls, I wound up either out to sea, or too far down the beach for >the assault to take place. > ... And since I had to beat a hasty retreat, for the rest of the game >the sleepy little hamlet of Santa Marta had a standing army of 500. In other words, you failed to attack Santa Marta 24 times in a row?! If you have a decent sized force, don't attack by sea. Attack by land. If your army outnumbers the town garrison, you go straight to the duel with the commander. If not, you have to move your troops around a map of the nearby land, while the enemy sends out troops to intercept you. My favourite tactic in this case is to lure the enemy force into a swamp, then run round them. If you must attack by sea, make sure the wind is in your direction before you commence the attack. The wind direction as seen on the large, navigation map will be the same as the wind direction when when you attack. You should attack only if the wind is blowing into the town, or perhaps across your path into town. A crosswind like this is acceptable if you're using a sloop or barque. I never have much luck evading enemy fire, so my tactic here is just to raise full sail, head straight for the fort, and hope the first shot misses, because if my speed is at least 5 he won't get a second shot. But I prefer to attack by land anyway, because that way I can use all my men in the attack. A quick victory may help you capture the town; it will definitely help you loot it, because the inhabitants haven't had as long to hide their gold. Having said that, I've never had the "Most of their gold has been hidden" message when I hit Panama. Perhaps they aren't expecting to be attacked, being the biggest and strongest town and being inaccessible by sea, so they don't know how to hide it, or maybe there's just too much to hide. I often get over 100,000 gold pieces in one raid from that place, better than any Inca treasure! One of these days, I'm going to catch both the treasure fleet and the silver train in Panama, and then we'll see some real looting. "Keyboard? How quaint!" - M. Scott Adrian Hurt | JANET: adrian@uk.ac.hw.cs UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian | ARPA: adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk
sss10@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Napalm) (03/21/91)
Heres a curious question. In the manual it says "silver train/Treasure fleet in <whatever year". I was wondering if its accurate for a period of time. in other words, in 1662, early march is the silver train always going to be in cumana? this would make capturing it a bit easier.
rmk@rmkhome.UUCP (Rick Kelly) (03/23/91)
In article <1991Mar21.040932.8849@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> sss10@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Napalm) writes: >Heres a curious question. In the manual it says "silver train/Treasure fleet in ><whatever year". I was wondering if its accurate for a period of time. in other >words, in 1662, early march is the silver train always going to be in cumana? >this would make capturing it a bit easier. I believe this is random. It's their form of copy protection. Rick Kelly rmk@rmkhome.UUCP frog!rmkhome!rmk rmk@frog.UUCP
beck@red15 (Sullivan Beck) (03/24/91)
>>Heres a curious question. In the manual it says "silver train/Treasure fleet >>in whatever year". I was wondering if its accurate for a period of time. in >>other words, in 1662, early march is the silver train always going to be in >>cumana? this would make capturing it a bit easier. > >I believe this is random. It's their form of copy protection. > Actually, it's not random. For the first year, it actually does follow that schedule. My sister plays this game a lot and always starts the game off by capturing one or both of the fleets. I've done it a couple of times, but don't play Pirates that regularly. The problem is that you always start the game in one of the years listed so you really have to move quickly to get enough men and ships to capture the fleet and all it's cargo (of course if you're only interested in the money, you don't need as many ships). If you goof up... the next chance is 20 years away.
jh6n+@andrew.cmu.edu (Jason Hou) (03/24/91)
>Heres a curious question. In the manual it says "silver train/Treasure fleet in ><whatever year". I was wondering if its accurate for a period of time. in other >words, in 1662, early march is the silver train always going to be in cumana? >this would make capturing it a bit easier. I found that the schedule is fairly accurate for the time period you're playing, 1660s or 1680s or whatever. But after the first year, it's always off schedule by about half a month for some reason or another. So I use the manual to find the approximate spot, then just check the city before or after it and usually find the train/fleet.
jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) (03/27/91)
In article <2558@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk> adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt) writes: >Your chances of taking a town seem to depend more on its civilian population >than on its garrison. It is easier to take a town with a small civilian >populace (e.g. Margarita, which I often take shortly after starting the >game) than one with a large populace (e.g. Panama, even after previous >attacks had left it with virtually no garrison). This could be, but if you've previously attacked it (within say, 2 years) you won't even "take" Coro or Gibraltar unless you have about 10x the towns soldiers. >The only reason your ship is faster at the beginning of the game is, you >start with only a sloop, which is a fast ship. Not true. I rarely play as late as 1660 (no sloops until then) and when you begin at apprentice level, your "officers" are in charge of navigation, gunnery, etc. At the beginning, they are better than your opponents. Try Bark against Bark (or any same ship), you are faster than your opponent, and shots that look like they will miss by a mile still hit. To see how bad this can get, answer the questions at the beginning wrong, and still play. Now you are very slow, and can't hit anything. Your cannonballs fly right through the rigging without any dammage. As the game goes on, opponents (in like ships) move at the same speed as you do, requiring more strategy to run them down or to hit them. It could be that the game is putting more responsibility on you (wether you advance in difficulty or not), or a reflection of your failing health. > If you capture and use >larger vessels, you will be slowed down, as they are slower than sloops. This only effects normal travel. In battle, only the ship you choose has bearing on speed or manuverability. >> ... And since I had to beat a hasty retreat, for the rest of the game >>the sleepy little hamlet of Santa Marta had a standing army of 500. >In other words, you failed to attack Santa Marta 24 times in a row?! Yes. I was testing different ships, attempting to actually dammage the fort. I found that, at Santa Marta, it is extremly difficult to even get a shot off and still make it to the beach. I'm well aware of the preferability of a land attack, but what the hell, variety is the spice of life and as I said, I'd already screwed-up that game. >A quick victory may help you capture the town; it will definitely help >you loot it, because the inhabitants haven't had as long to hide their >gold. Having said that, I've never had the "Most of their gold has >been hidden" message when I hit Panama. They don't usually hide their loot in ANY inland town. St. Thome (hardly worth the trip), Gran Granada, Villa Hermosa, or Puerto Principe are good to leave alone, until you need a big score. I actually pay for info on these towns. >better than any Inca treasure! One of these days, I'm going to catch both >the treasure fleet and the silver train in Panama, and then we'll see some >real looting. In real life, the silver train didn't run all along the Spanish Main, but only from Panama to Puerto Bello (or Nombre de Dios). Silver came from Peru by ship to Panama City, on the Pacific side of the Istmus of Panama, and was then pack-muled to the Carribean side, where it was picked up by the treasure fleet. I'm not sure, but in the game (as it was in real life), I don't think the treasure fleet goes to Panama. You CAN catch them both at Puerto Bello, though. > Adrian Hurt | JANET: adrian@uk.ac.hw.cs > UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian | ARPA: adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk jcc
jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) (03/27/91)
In article <1991Mar21.040932.8849@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> sss10@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Napalm) writes: >Heres a curious question. In the manual it says "silver train/Treasure fleet in ><whatever year". I was wondering if its accurate for a period of time. in other >words, in 1662, early march is the silver train always going to be in cumana? >this would make capturing it a bit easier. That's the question I've been working on lately. It doesn't stay exact, but seems to remain close to the schedule. I've only rcently tried it, so I can't be sure if it's always so. jcc
adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt) (04/02/91)
In article <24805@frog.UUCP> jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) writes: >In article <2558@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk> adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt) writes: > >>Your chances of taking a town seem to depend more on its civilian population >>than on its garrison. > > This could be, but if you've previously attacked it (within say, 2 years) >you won't even "take" Coro or Gibraltar unless you have about 10x the towns >soldiers. Gibraltar is odd. I don't recall taking it, and I've had very powerful forces at my disposal. Gibraltar doesn't have much of an army to start with. >>The only reason your ship is faster at the beginning of the game is, you >>start with only a sloop, which is a fast ship. > > Not true. I rarely play as late as 1660 (no sloops until then) and when >you begin at apprentice level, your "officers" are in charge of navigation, >gunnery, etc. At the beginning, they are better than your opponents. Try >Bark against Bark (or any same ship), you are faster than your opponent, >and shots that look like they will miss by a mile still hit. Your crew's response time depends on their morale. At the beginning, they're "happy". As the game progresses, they go to "pleased", then "unhappy", then "angry". The less happy they are, the slower they work. Even so, if you have full sails and the enemy ship has full sails, and you're both the same sort of ship, then both ships will go at the same speed. The same applies if both have battle sails. Assuming, that is, that neither ship has been damaged. I hadn't noticed the accuracy of the guns deteriorate, but it's probably the same problem - your crews morale is waning. >> If you capture and use >>larger vessels, you will be slowed down, as they are slower than sloops. > > This only effects normal travel. In battle, only the ship you choose has >bearing on speed or manuverability. That's why I said "and use". It's also why I almost always use a barque - agile enough to outmanoeuvre large enemy ships, especially big galleons, and with enough firepower that it doesn't take forever to wear them down. Against small targets such as sloops, I just put up full sail and charge straight at them. The most annoying thing is when a little pinnace comes up, turns round, fires a broadside and runs away. Mind you, if I can get my ship round in time and fire my own broadside, the pinnace is in big trouble. I once actually managed to hit a pinnace with a galleon's guns, just for sheer sadism! ;-> > They don't usually hide their loot in ANY inland town. St. Thome (hardly >worth the trip), Gran Granada, Villa Hermosa, or Puerto Principe are good >to leave alone, until you need a big score. I actually pay for info on >these towns. I don't, unless I have business there. Well, perhaps I take an interest in Puerto Principe, as that is within normal raiding territory. Villa Hermosa is rarely of interest unless I'm chasing a noble that way, and is never strong enough to resist a serious raid anyway; and Gran Granada I have never paid any attention to. > I'm not sure, but in the game (as it was in real life), I don't think >the treasure fleet goes to Panama. You CAN catch them both at Puerto Bello, >though. Oh well, never mind. I did get them both once, but I can't remember where. I suspect the reason the treasure fleet never goes to Panama is that in the game, you can't sail from the Caribbean to Panama. Which is why no other pirates ever attack it; which is why it just gets richer, and gets richer, and gets attacked by me. "Keyboard? How quaint!" - M. Scott Adrian Hurt | JANET: adrian@uk.ac.hw.cs UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian | ARPA: adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk
jcc@frog.UUCP (Jim Chagnon) (04/05/91)
In article <2661@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk> adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt) writes: >Your crew's response time depends on their morale. At the beginning, they're >"happy". As the game progresses, they go to "pleased", then "unhappy", then >"angry". The less happy they are, the slower they work. Even so, if you >have full sails and the enemy ship has full sails, and you're both the same >sort of ship, then both ships will go at the same speed. The same applies >if both have battle sails. Assuming, that is, that neither ship has been >damaged. I hadn't noticed the accuracy of the guns deteriorate, but it's >probably the same problem - your crews morale is waning. Perhaps there's a differance in versions distributed in the US and UK, because at the begining in my game, bark against bark, full sails all around, neither damaged, and exact same bearing, I get 1-2 knots more speed. I can also take on a pirate Duke with only ~46 guys, and expect to win. This continues at *least* thru the first entire cruise, happy or not. Also, on the 1st trip, I can leave town about 4 times with an unhappy crew before desertions start. After approx. 2 game years, all this stops. Someone posted about pressing the fire button as the screen changes to the combat screen, that this would make your guns fire at the enemy ship (no matter what direction your ship is facing) guaranteeing a "first strike". This doesn't work in my game. >The most annoying thing is when a little pinnace comes up, turns round, >fires a broadside and runs away. Mind you, if I can get my ship round in >time and fire my own broadside, the pinnace is in big trouble. I once >actually managed to hit a pinnace with a galleon's guns, just for sheer >sadism! ;-> And you *haven't* tried to assault a town by ship 24 times in row? ;) The usual scenario: Ship on the horizon! Investigate. It's a Pinnace! Sail away. Arghh. Its that cowardly pirate Captain L'Mayonaise! He's chasing us, Captain! Fight (I know, you can usually still sail away). Choose: Merchantman. Bang. Hull damage. Bang. "He sinks slowly....". Ok, so I'm spiteful :) Unless I need crew. >Villa Hermosa >is rarely of interest unless I'm chasing a noble that way, and is never >strong enough to resist a serious raid anyway; and Gran Granada I have never >paid any attention to. About 5 years into the game, Gran Granada usually has 50-70K gold, if other pirates have left it alone. And you get all of it. I think that's worth the trip after a run down the Spanish Main, especially because you usually get to keep the town. I usually don't go west of the Yucatan until very late in the game. Take on the 3 towns and retire. >Oh well, never mind. I did get them both once, but I can't remember where. >I suspect the reason the treasure fleet never goes to Panama is that in the >game, you can't sail from the Caribbean to Panama. Which is why no other >pirates ever attack it; which is why it just gets richer, and gets richer, >and gets attacked by me. Other pirates DO attack it (in my game at least), but it recovers quickly so it's worth attacking more than once per game (unlike other inland towns). jcc