Sid Meier's Pirates! Different Games comparison
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corsair91
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 Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:02 pm Post subject: Sid Meier's Pirates! Different Games comparison |
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Sid Meier's Pirates! Different Games comparison
https://www.gog.com/forum/pirates_gold_plus
Sid Meier's Pirates!: Original (1987) vs Gold (1993) vs Enhanced Remake (2004)
https://www.gog.com/forum/pirates_gold_plus/sid_meiers_pirates_original_1987_vs_gold_1993_vs_enhanced_remake_2004
A summary of some of the posts, check the link for full contents
ktchong
Posted September 23, 2013
Let's list the pros and cons of each version.
I've played all three versions. IMO, the Gold (1993) version is superior to the original (1987) in every way: they are basically identical but the Gold added better graphics and improved user interface. However, I like the Enhanced Remake (2004) version the best: it added some new features that were not in the original nor the Gold version.
The biggest pro of the Enhanced Remake version: players can see other ships sailing on the seas/world map. In the original and Gold version, players could not see other ships on the world map, so encounters were completely random and would suddenly pop out of nowhere. IMO, random encounters that do not appear on the world map and simply pop out of nowhere are the worst kind of encounters, (i.e., it was one of the main reasons why I despised Final Fantasy 7 so much.)
In the 2004 version, players can see other ships moving around on the world map, so players can either approach or avoid other ships and encounters. (i.e., the game has upgrades that can improve visibility on the high seas/world map; the various item/ship/specialist upgrades are additional features that were not in the original or the Gold version.)
That, IMO, is the single biggest improvement over the original and Gold versions, and it makes the gameplay so much more manageable and enjoyable.
eobet
Posted November 03, 2013
That's funny, I like the original version best because of the slow and deliberately strategic sword fights. Granted, they were much more realistic in the Gold version, but that was too fast and twitchy for me. Then the new version just made a joke of it.
In fact, both old versions makes me feel like I'm getting a really authentic historical experience, while the new version just feels like a Disneyland trip. New isn't always better, as games on this site demonstrates over and over again. 
the_spewtard
Posted November 06, 2013
2004 Cons: Ridiculous dancing sequences. Lengthy swordfights and plundering of cities. Sneaking into a town was also absurd.
Gilmaris
Posted June 03, 2014
Quote:
2004 Cons: Ridiculous dancing sequences. Lengthy swordfights and plundering of cities. Sneaking into a town was also absurd.
Why is plundering cities a con in the 2004 version? Plundering cities was a hopeless affair in the original '87 version, and still awkward and clumsy in Gold. In the '04 version, you have a much better overview and also - more importantly - controls you could easily comprehend. I also love the fact that they made it turn-based.
MadOverlord.755
Posted August 23, 2014
1987/Gold Con: Swordfight flailing. Theoretically you had all your block directions, but good luck at interpreting and timing it correctly. The animation was confusing. Opponents attack so fast that you'd need to train with a stopwatch like an Olympian to get good. It's out of sync with how easy the other aspects were to get into.
1987 Con: Sun sighting. Clever, but.. ugh.
1987 Pro: Retirement professions that weren't bizarre. In the 2004 version, we have Fencing Master, Butler, Bishop, Mortician? Uh, ok.
Gold Pros: The realtime land battles when attacking towns were neat. Marrying a merchant's daughter.
2004 Con: Disney/Pixar/The Sims theme. I don't mind it too much, it's just way too cutesy and overblown. After knocking out 9 pirates with a conveniently placed crate, you'd think the 10th would catch word and not hang his cargo in the exact same spot. You'd be wrong.
2004 Pro: Swordfights with a degree of strategy. Crew, ship, and personal possession upgrades. Pirate-O-Pedia (so nice!). Treasure hunting via landmarks. I think this version has the best all-around gameplay. And I'll get some hate, but I like the dancing!
mirakus
Posted September 17, 2014
Quote:
ktchong:
In the 2004 version, players can see other ships moving around on the world map, so players can either approach or avoid other ships and encounters. (i.e., the game has upgrades that can improve visibility on the high seas/world map; the various item/ship/specialist upgrades are additional features that were not in the original or the Gold version.)
That, IMO, is the single biggest improvement over the original and Gold versions, and it makes the gameplay so much more manageable and enjoyable.
I thought I'd chime in on this, since I originally felt the same way. I started out years ago with the Genesis/Mega Drive version of Gold, and hadn't played it for years until I tried the 2004 remake.
When I went back and started playing the DOS version of Gold, I was really lamenting this. But now, when I want to play Pirates!, I usually run straight for Gold. Let me try to explain why...
Think about it - in 1660, there was no electronic technology. Sailing at night, in storms, etc, a ship would have had no clue another ship was nearby until it was directly upon it. Although the ships not being drawn was likely a technical limitation of the time, it also has real gameplay value. Although it can make the game feel really "lonely," it creates that sense of isolation and concern of the unknown that sailors at the time probably had.
One thing I really miss in 2004 remake is the Captains Cabin. Although purely aesthetic, the cabin kind of seemed like a "refuge" when you were out on the open sea. Although all of the same options and information is available in the 2004 remake, via a typical menu screen, the cabin is part of what created some of the nostalgia for me with Gold.
Although I love all versions of Pirates!, and have probably put the most time into the 2004 remake, I'm finding an entirely new magic with Gold and I think that feeling of isolation has a little to do with it. I just wanted to throw that out there for those who have not played these older versions.
Last edited by corsair91 on Fri Oct 09, 2020 4:05 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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corsair91
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| Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:19 pm Post subject: |
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Have 2004 remake. Any reason to get GOG pack?
https://www.gog.com/forum/pirates_gold_plus/have_2004_remake_any_reason_to_get_gog_pack/page1
...
juvat
Posted June 15, 2013
Pirates!Gold Plus (1993)
My very-very vague memory missing from the 2004 Firaxis re-make:
1- Named scoundrels you come across on the sea's that player can defeat in ship battle. Upon defeat the scoundrel can be held for ransom or released if they give some information. The scoundrel is released for ransom at the next, usually spanish, port when you speak to the governor. If you turn down the offer of release and keep him, next governor visit, the ransom is usually larger. If released they'll show up again in game for a repeat battle. A nifty way of building up your fleet because the scoundrels usually have some nice war ships. Also a way to shorten your career because those guys aren't push-overs in gunnery or sword play. Does not exist in the 2004 Firaxis version.
2- The Silver Train. An excellent way to increase your gold. These are land battles. Subject silver train location is listed in the tavern rumor mills, governors daughters and any other ship you defeat in battle. Silver Train does not exist in the 2004 Firaxis version.
3- When sailing close to a city, not the little villages or settlements, you have the option of firing on the fort. During ship to shore battles, if you have 3 ships in your fleet, you can maneuver and fire with all 3 ships one at a time. If you defeat the fort and sail in you have 3 types of scenarios: The town guard flee's leaving you to the town's treasures- you can change the towns country at this time if the population and guard were significantly weakend and your forces are still numerous; The town guard are still peed-off and survivors from the ship to shore barage are of significant enough numbers that you will either have a land battle or fight the town guard captain in a sword dual- if you prevail the land battle or sword dual if the population and guard were significantly weakend and your forces are still numerous. In the Firaxis 2004 you can enter a land battle with a city if you march on it from land.
4- Navigation with the sunlabe(?). Does not exist in the 2004 Firaxis version.
TheCycoONE
Posted June 26, 2013
4. Sun sighting was only available in the original; even the gold version took it out as they decided it was a tedious waste of time. I'm not too attached.
the_spewtard
Posted November 06, 2013
The 1993 has always been the best. Sure it doesn´t have the fancy graphics of the 2004 version but at least you didn´t have to do those horrendous dancing sequences. That ruined the game for me. Also land combat to plunder a city took a ridiculous amount longer than the old version. Sometimes simpler is just better.
loon
Posted December 05, 2013
The 1993 version is the worst in the history. I've spent a lot of time playing original Pirates! when I was a kid and got a lot of good memories. However if you've never played the old version, there is probably no point to try it now. Don't get me wrong, it was better than 2004 version, more mysterious, etc., but it's quite old today. You may dislike it because of it's age, so keep up with 2004 version, but respect the 1987 one, because it was one of the best games in history and maybe even best video game sandbox till first GTA. |
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corsair91
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corsair91
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corsair91
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FAQ/Strategy Guide by Sashanan
Version: 1.5 | Updated: 05/12/08
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/915017-sid-meiers-pirates/faqs/34143
-------------------------
[10] Version comparisons
[10.1] New since Pirates and Pirates Gold
[10.2] XBox/PSP version differences
========================
[10] VERSION COMPARISONS
========================
This chapter is aimed at two specific groups: veterans of the previous
Pirates games who want to know how this one differs from them, and players of the XBox or PSP versions of Sid Meier's Pirates who want to know how their version differs from the PC version this guide is primarily aimed at. All others can skip this chapter without having to worry about missing anything.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[10.1] NEW SINCE PIRATES AND PIRATES GOLD
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
This section is specifically aimed at veterans of either or both of the
previous versions of this game. If Sid Meier's Pirates is your first game in
this series, feel free to skip this section. If it's not, you'll probably want
to know how much is the same and how much has changed, so here's a handy
overview.
- You still sail around the Caribbean plundering ships and ports, finding
treasure and lost family members, getting wealth, acres of land and ranks,
and hoping to retire in the highest social standing possible before you grow
too old for more expeditions. You still have to strike a balance between a
crew large enough to fight your battles with and small enough to keep happy,
and you still get more ships only by capturing them.
- The 1560 era "The Silver Empire" where Spain controls 95% of the Caribbean is
no longer available. All the other eras are still there.
- A new difficulty level has been added between Adventurer and Swashbuckler,
named Rogue. Rogue is roughly the equivalent of what Swashbuckler used to be,
whereas Swashbuckler is now a brutal difficulty setting that will really test
you, but also give you a whopping 50% share of the loot.
- There are many more ships now; 9 classes which each have a small, medium and
large ship variant, for a total of 27 different ships.
- When you sail in the Caribbean, you don't run into other ships randomly
anymore; you see them sailing now, and can pick your targets with impunity.
You'll also find the world a lot more interactive now; trading vessels get
escorted by military warships and attacked by pirates and raiders of other
nations. The appearance of new governors, pirate and indian attacks and
(sometimes) even the outbreak of peace and war no longer happens spontaneously;
they're all triggered by ships reaching their destination. It is now perfectly
possible to foil pirate attacks by sinking the pirate before it reaches its
target, or prevent nations from making peace by capturing the ship carrying the
treaty.
- Trade has become a lot more profitable, if you know where to buy low and
sell high. Cannon value has been nerfed a lot though, so no more getting rich
by stealing and selling cannons only. It's now all about Luxuries and Spices.
As a side effect, working for the Spanish is now a viable option; trading goods
in their wealthiest towns is a working alternative to plundering them.
- In addition to regular ports, there are now various settlements, missions,
indian villages and pirate havens on the map, with various functions. The
pirate havens are of particular interest if you'd like to be completely
freelance and attack everything that moves regardless of what colors they're
flying. Even if all four nations have a price on your head, pirate havens
will offer you refuge and let you repair your ships and recruit new crew.
- Naval battles are a lot like they used to be, with slight tweaks. You can now
buy various upgrades for your ships to make them faster, turn better, shoot
more quickly etc. You also have 3 different types of ammunition available for
your cannons; the regular round shot, and two special types meant specifically
to kill off enemy crew or destroy their sails and make them easier to catch.
- Swordfighting has been redone, and the overall style is now much more
defensive. Rather than going berserk on your opponent right away, you now get
the best results from dodging and then countering his attacks.
- Land battles are now turn based strategy where you move your units over a
grid, trying to outmaneuver the enemy units and either beat them all or reach
the gates of the town. Attacking a town from the sea is no longer possible; any
attack on a port is now a land battle. However, you still go straight to a
sword fight instead of a land battle if you grossly outnumber the enemy.
- You can now get special items that make certain parts of the game easier,
such as better swords that swing more quickly, or musical instruments that help
keep the crew entertained on long voyages. You can also find specialists on
board other ships that enhance your crew, such as an expert gunner that helps
your crew load cannons faster. You also get special service in ports as your
rank rises; Dukes can get their ships repaired and upgraded for free.
- Marrying a governor's daughter is a lot more work now than just proposing
if you're rich and famous enough. You will have to win their heart on the
dancefloor first, in a rhythm-style minigame. You will have to go through
several more steps before one will consider marrying you. Alternatively, you
can just dance with beautiful women all over the Caribbean and gain valuable
items and information in return.
- There's still buried treasure to go after, but each treasure now belongs to
a specific pirate, and they will not be pleased if you steal it. On the other
hand, beating the pirates themselves tends to earn you good, upgraded ships as
well as a good amount of gold from their holds.
- You still chase evil Spanish noblemen to learn about your missing family
members. The Incan treasures that your rescued family members would point you
to have been replaced by lost cities that work much the same way. You also get
a chance now to track down and defeat the evil Marquis that enslaved your
family in the first place, and get a huge reward in the process. This can be
considered the game's main quest now, though it's as optional as everything
else.
- The Silver Train is no longer among us, and the Treasure Fleet cannot be
caught in port anymore. It can, however, be attacked on the high seas if you
manage to find it. Its relative value has declined a fair bit, though, and it's
now a nice bonus rather than one of your most profitable targets.
- Plundered ports recover their economy much more quickly as trading vessels
go in and out, and new governors are assigned to them. The danger of ending up
with a Caribbean plundered dry, as would happen on the lower levels a lot in
the previous games, is effectively gone. There's always more loot for a daring
(and aging) pirate to go after.
- Your retirement age is no longer a factor in your final score. While you
will get slower in sword fights as you get older (as before) and you will
eventually be too old to start new expeditions, you no longer have to decide
between retiring early or amassing more fame and wealth. For as long as you
can sail, you can pursue your objectives without fear.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[10.2] XBOX/PSP VERSION DIFFERENCES
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
In this paragraph I'll be listing differences between the PC version of Sid
Meier's Pirates - the one this guide was written for - and the newer XBox and
PSP versions which has changed quite a few things around. While not identical,
the PSP version is based off the XBox rather than the PC version and thus has a
lot more in common with it.
Aside from a short session with a borrowed PSP I haven’t really played these
versions and most of the information here comes from external sources. Consider
it a reference, but take it with a grain of salt. I do believe that most of the
information in the actual guide will still be useful to you if you play either
of these versions, as long as you’re aware of what does *not* apply.
- There is a multiplayer component in the XBox version allowing up to 4 players
(including any number of AI opponents) to fight a free for all ship battle.
- The XBox and PSP versions have a more compact Caribbean map. Getting from the
east to the west side (and vice versa) is a quicker and easier affair, and
you'll generally be spending more time in action and less sailing from place to
place over large stretches of sea. Unfortunately, there is one bug associated
with this on the XBox and possibly the PS as well: rarely a missing family
member might spawn just outside the area you can sail in and be impossible to
rescue.
- Beaching your ship and marching across the land - either to attack a city or
to find a family member/treasure/lost city - was taken out of these versions.
Attacking cities can still be done from the sea, obviously, and to find the
other three, all you need to do is beach your ship as close to the spot
indicated on your map as you can. The search is then automatic.
- Due to the above, some ports are missing from the XBox and PSP versions. The
landlocked ones (Panama, Gran Granada, Puerto Principe) are gone as they would
now be unreachable, and Leogane is missing as well. Bermuda is gone too, being
too far on the edge of the map to be reachable on the more compact game
map. Also reported missing is St Thome (I've never seen that one in the PC
version either though, perhaps in different eras than the default?). On the
XBox only, Havana has been given its proper Spanish name, La Habana.
- Apparently the XBox version's ingame map shows only ports you've already
visited, except if you get the Dutch/Spanish Rutter. If so, it'll be a lot more
useful in the XBox version, at least until you learn for yourself where each
port is. I’ve confirmed this is not the case for the PSP version, though.
- There are no settlements in the XBox and PSP versions only straight out
ports. This also means that there will never be sugar seedling quests. New
governor ships do seem to spawn on their own. Also, Jesuit missions, Indian
villages and pirate havens are present.
- In the PC version, a treasure map's "near [town name]" hint is on the bottom
map pieces. On the XBox version, it's on the top of the map.
- The Spyglass and Telescope function differently in the XBox version; rather
than letting you see enemies from farther away (they will always be visible in
this version), they give you detailed information on enemy crew size and cannon
count prior to going into battle. On the PSP version, these items appear to
allow you to zoom the map out further than you could without.
- There is a structured set of quests to undertake which includes the ones from
the PC version but also a couple of other goals to complete (such as sinking
a certain number of ships). These quests are given by the mysterious stranger
in taverns, and they're random (although at least some of them always show up
somewhere in the sequence). All in all, the XBox and PSP games play like a more
structured, linear console-type game, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for a
game like this. In order to get to and defeat Montalban, you'll need to go
through this series of quests.
- Perhaps to compensate for the treasure hunting minigame being taken out, the
XBox version has an extra minigame that triggers when you board an enemy ship,
called "Evening the Odds". A time bar appears at the bottom of the screen, and
you need to press a sequence of buttons that appears on screen as well (three
buttons, repeated three times). Do it correctly, and you will dispatch some of
the enemy's crew before the sword battle begins. This sequence will trigger
only if the enemy crew outnumbers your own at the time of boarding.
- The sneaking minigame uses a different, zoomed in perspective in the XBox
game, which gives it some nice added atmopshere but makes guards hard to
avoid. However, it's my understanding that you can still overpower and escape
a guard if he spots you, whereas in the PC version you'd be captured
automatically if a guard catches up with you.
- The dancing minigame now only has you handle forward, backward, left and
right movement - the pirouettes (controlled by the diagonals in the PC version)
are automatically handled by the game. There are no patterns to follow,
apparently, just a matter of pressing the right button one at a time, and with
more obvious visual cues (the button itself is displayed on screen, and colour
coded at that). There might not be Calfskin Boots/Dancing Slippers in the XBox
version, but from what I hear, they aren't particularly necessary. The PSP
version, meanwhile, has a more familiar type of rhythm game with cues for
button presses scrolling by that need to be hit at the right moment.
- Cannons are not a commodity to be captured and sold in the XBox and PSP
versions. I’ve had conflicting reports on how they do work, but the majority
opinion seems to be that a ship comes with a certain number of cannons (bound
by the upper limit for whatever the ship type is, but can be fewer) that never
changes once the ship is in your fleet.
- Your fleet can consist of only 5 ships in the XBox and PSP versions, as
opposed to the PC version's 8.
- You can pick a sword to use on all difficulty levels in the XBox and PSP
versions, including Apprentice.
- There is no advantage bar in the sword fights in the XBox version - this
reduces the importance of having a large crew compared to the enemy's (as long
as you don't run out) and presumably also removes the practical benefit of
taunting.
- There is no autosaving in the XBox version. You can only save manually and
(as in the PC version) only while you're at sea. The PSP version allows saving
while in port.
- The "Talk like a Pirate" Day easter egg is present in at least the XBox
version. |
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