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From: adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: Pirates! How do you score?
Message-ID: <2661@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk>
Date: 2 Apr 91 13:17:52 GMT
References: <24535@frog.UUCP> <2558@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk> <24805@frog.UUCP>
Sender: news@cs.hw.ac.uk
Reply-To: adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt)
Organization: Computer Science, Heriot-Watt U., Scotland
Lines: 74

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
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