Exclusive Insider Information Article

[Falconer]

Civrules has been working hard on answering the questions and soon he'll be submitting his answers to Jeff so they can be approved and published.

Haven't asked your question yet? Here's your last chance. You have 24 more hours to submit them, then the topic closes and Civrules will wrap things up. So, if you're dying to get answers, do so now or forever hold your silence... Oh wait... getting a bit carried away here. Well, you get the picture right?

[Civrules]

Hehehe, yup.
A lot of good questions have been asked, and it has been pretty fun answering them, and actually looking for more information.

[Sleet]

Thanks to ye both for taking the time to answer (and find answers to) our questions!

Ahh... a scrap of information to us Seadogs be like a cool drink to the parched throat.

[dot hog]

Any chance we'll see the answers soon? With all the previews and supposed interviews starting to roll in, I'm curious to read answers as written by people who've actually played the game. Not being pushy, just anxious...

[Civrules]

[Sleet]

Excellent news. Thanks for the update Civrules.

[Wolfwood]

I hope Jeff can take the time to confirm the article soon... I guess they must still be rather busy at the Firaxis offices, although the product must soon (these very days?) go to the final packaging, distribution etc.

[Sleet]

OR they are already in the tavern partying it up.

OR playing the game.

OR deciding on the sequel or add-ons!

OR all of the above.

[DJ1]

If the article isnt posted soon it is not much idea for us to read it cause in a few weeks we will all have our own copy in our hands.

[Civrules]

I was hoping I'd get to post it much sooner than this, but there's not much I can do about it.

It's done, and waiting for approval now.

[Sleet]

Ahh the wheels of progress and all.

Whenever it comes out it will be good to know.

[Civrules]

I'm still checking for the approved article...

But while you guys are waiting, I think I should give you some idea to what it looks like.

Again, you guys will have a lot of reading to do. Most questions are answered in depth as appropriate.
Without the questions and only the answers being put together, it will be 12 pages long size 12, with no double-spacing and a lot of useful content (but I'll let you judge).

Some questions have tips to how you should play and what you should keep in mind when performing what you may be doing.
In addition to that, sometimes I'll be telling you about my own experiences and why or why not my plans worked when I was playing the game.
These have to deal with aspects of the game from trading to dueling and anything in between.

Again, that's the best I can do until it actually is posted...

[Civrules]

Yes, the article is finished and I will be posting it shortly here. Jeff emailed me the approved version (with corrections) a few hours ago.

After I've posted it here, Falc will post a nicer version, with screenshots, yup, new screenshots.
The screenshots will go nicely right along some of the questions.

I wanted to post this ASAP and that's why I'm doing so at this place.

The questions are in the same order as were asked.

Enjoy!

[Civrules]

KingWilly
Q: Does the number of men you take into a battle (in particular, a swordfight) affect the outcome of the battle, or does it all rely on your skills. For example can you take 20 men into a swordfight against 150 and win if you are a good swordsman?
A: This is a good question that depends on a lot of factors in the game, including age, morale, and difficulty, and yes, crew number. On the easier levels, if you are quick, but still outnumbered by a good amount, you have a good chance of taking the ship. On levels that are moderately difficult, you must indeed consider number of crew versus what you’ve got. If on these levels the enemy outnumbers you by ~25 or so, you still have a good chance; but not if you are old and your reflexes are slow (this is in the very, very late stages of the game!). Then, things almost cancel out, so your crew number, even if it is more than the enemy may get beaten, because you are old, slow and morale is low. Again, slow reflexes appear at the very late stages of the game.
On the third hardest level, I think it’s safe to say that you will lose if you have 20 men versus 150. What I mean by harder levels, is levels above what you can play and win at easily.
Own Opinion –
When I played on the second hardest level, Journeyman, I found it very easy to take over ships even when you are much outnumbered. The easiest ships to catch, naturally, are non-military ships. And of course, for each non-military ship, there are different captains, some of which will be easier to beat, and some of which will be a little bit better at fighting you.
Even though it was on the second hardest level, I sometimes found it difficult to gain enough ground and beat the enemy captain. Note that even though military ship captains are better equipped, it does not mean that they are better at fighting you than some other pirates who are not that well equipped.


SirDrago
Q: I think I read on PA that there are hurricanes in the game. Can you confirm that? And if they are in the game how strong are they and how big? Can you lose control over the ship when you are inside one and can your ship be destroyed?
A: I think this is misleading information. In the videos and screenshots, the storms you see are the ones you get. They can be pretty nasty, especially if you are on harder levels. The winds are very strong, lightning will damage your sails, and so forth. Definitely storms to watch out for. Even, sometimes when sailing close to shore, it is not a good idea to get caught in one, because like you said, you will loose control and your ship might go in nearby reefs and get hull damages, costing you hard earned money.
Own Opinion –
Even though storms are deadly dangerous sometimes, they can also be exploited. Like what has been mentioned before in other previews, if you sail close to the storm, you might pick up some wind, and that will give your ship a little boost.
On the harder levels, it is more difficult to sail east as the winds usually blow much harder. Using a zigzag tactic will help you sail faster eastward, even though at the end you will have passed more distance. You will also notice that sometimes your ship just will not go east (if directly facing the wind).
Just as the winds are stronger on higher levels, also are the storms. Of course, that is not the only thing that makes the game more difficult as you progress higher up.

SirDrago
Q: How many men you can have at maximum? Does it depend on the type of your ships? Like if you have 4 sloops in your fleet you can have 300 men or if you have 4 galleons you can have 1000 men?
A: Yes, crew number depends all on your ships’ sizes. Warships such as the Frigates can carry up to 200 crew. Personally, I would not like to have 200 crew, six ships, and my main ship a Large Frigate. This is because the crew numbers get displaced into the other ships, and if you go for an attack with your Large Frigate, your cannons will load agonizingly slow. Triple Hammocks will let you have more crew on board, don’t forget that. If I have a large warship and a few other ones behind me for cargo I plunder, I might want to have more than 200 people so my warship is as affective as possible. Make no mistake, the more people you have the more money you have the potential to get!
Own Opinion –
Keeping a balance in crew is crucial to your success in the game. If the crew you have is over 300, or 400 and they get unhappy, it is pretty difficult to make them happy again, in fact, keeping crew happy in the game is one of the hardest aspects of it. This may cause enormous problems for you. It is amazing how quickly you can go from having no problems, to having enormous problems (again, brought by your crew). You can fall apart quite quickly. The higher you fly, the harder you fall is an appropriate saying, if you do not divide plunder, or are reluctant to do it. Another reason I don’t like to have a lot of crew is because you have to spend a lot of money for food and cargo space. It can be easy for you to forget to keep an eye on the food you have, that’s why I like to have two warships, and about 150-200 crew. However, strategies can vary. If you are on a mission to plunder, plunder, and plunder towns, you might have much, much more crew. It is a known fact that if you plunder a moderately sized city, you will get plenty of gold. One other thing that you should keep in mind is that, while your plentiful crew helped you plunder this city, your plentiful crew will also take away quite a bit of money from you when you divide plunder.

SirDrago
Q: Is Panama still the strongest and wealthiest city in the game?
A: Panama is still one of the most powerful cities in the Caribbean, yes. The merchants will only deal with sailors who are reputable and ones they can rely on based on their actions in the past. They will not deal with you if you continue to plunder that nation’s shipping. This, of course, goes with other high-ranking cities.
Panama is also very important for the reason being that there is basically a chain of ships from the city to the northern cities. If you break, or interrupt the chain, eventually you might earn yourself a hefty amount of goods and other riches.
Own Opinion –
A game I played near that location kept me quite busy. Even though Panama has this “chain” to the northern cities, basically all of the southern cities (which are on the continent of South America) have their own ship routes to the northern cities, and operating near one of the larger southern cities is a good idea.
Again, the game I played was in one such region. It was pretty fast paced, as I kept plundering the plentiful Spanish Galleons there. After I left the region alone, I headed up north with my ship, and all the gold I had plundered. Earning gold from a rich area of ships, and then using it in another area, is an extremely smart idea.
With this game, you can apply a variety of different strategies, my strategy was just one of which will help you reach your full potential as a pirate.

SirDrago
Q: Are there any new cities or just the ones we know from the original game?
A: The game is historically accurate, so in different time periods, there will be different cities and different amounts of them, and all which existed back in the golden age of piracy.
Another aspect that I should add in is that there are also lost cities, which if you find, you get tremendous rewards. There are only a few of them, so finding one will be difficult. You might get help from a partial map, just as in treasure hunting.
Own Opinion –
So far, I had never found a lost city, but I hear that if you do, rewards can double, triple, or even quadruple the gold you already have. This kind of boost in gold, can certainly help you get a higher rank, if you use it correctly. After you get this heavy amount of gold, rest assured that you will not be in any financial troubles for some time to come, unless, of course, another pirate takes that wonderful opportunity from you.
Buying special items, upgrading, improving, and buying goods will be a breeze.

SirDrago
Q: How does saving a game works? Can you still save at any point in the game?
A: Saving is incredibly easy and it literally takes a second. You can save at any time while you are sailing. If you are in town, or in a duel, you cannot save obviously. The game automatically saves right before you enter or sneak into cities, attack them, go in ship battles, or sword duels. This is a very convenient feature to have. Another feature is “Quick Save/Load” button.
Own Opinion –
For the first time I started up the game, I was very surprised at how fast everything gets set up for you. You will not be waiting for anything when you load up the game.
This is still one of my favorite things about this game. It’s something little, but yet, if it was something different, it would not be as good, and as functional.

SirDrago
Q: There was still no official word about it but which Pirates Version is now included in the LE? The C-64 version or the Pirates Gold version?
A: The Pirates! Gold version will be included in the Limited Edition pack both in Europe, and in the USA.
Own Opinion –
I have the feeling that most players who pre-ordered the Limited Edition will be pleased because of this. A lot of players think that the Pirates! Gold version was better than ones before it.

SirDrago
Q: In the original Pirates! it happened quite often that cities hidden their gold after you attacked them. Is that still in the game?
A: That was just an arbitrary event. This time around, the more guts you have to go to battle, or the more massive the victory, the more your gold goes up.
Own Opinion –
This is now really the case. In this game, you cannot be a wimp! Take a chance, that’s what real pirates did. You’d be surprised how this will affect your overall success.

KingWilly
Q: What customizations (such as ability to sail under your own flag design) are there in the game?
A: The game contains a ton of customizations. The game will let you modify in-game textures, characters, and ships. The best part is that if you want a female pirate character, you can have the option to add her in. The designers understand that a fan can have just as much fun customizing his or her game as playing it. This still lives on in the current Pirates!.
Own Opinion –
I’m one of those people that love to customize the game. I’ve got the feeling that indeed I’ll have just as much fun customizing the game as playing it. As the game is so customizable, I can see a lot of people in our community altering the game so they like it better, and so it fits their playing style. Even though the game itself can be altered, so can playing styles. The developers also let you play exactly how you want to play, as well as change any graphics, or mechanical aspects of it.

KingWilly
Q: Are there still different time periods in the game?
A: Of course. The time periods are: 1600 - Merchants & Smugglers, 1620 - New Colonists, 1640 - War for Profit, 1660 - Buccaneer Heroes, and 1680 - Pirate's Sunset.
The earliest time periods have a lot less cities and you can get the feeling that you have to sail a lot longer to get to certain places.
Prices of goods and basically everything else is affected by the era you choose to play in. Here, in different eras, you really have to have a flexible strategy approach for trading, especially.
Own Opinion –
Like I’ve said, in one single game, you can have a lot of strategies which you think might be most beneficial to you. But you also have to change these strategies as you change time periods (and difficulty levels).

KingWilly
Q: How many difficulty levels are there?
A: There are five difficulty levels: Apprentice, Journeyman, Adventurer, Rogue, and Swashbuckler!.
Before anyone starts playing the game for the first time, I really recommend they play at least one game on the easiest level (Apprentice). This will not only give you a feel of the game, but will teach you a lot of things that you might not be aware of on higher levels. This is mostly due to the fact that it is almost like a tutorial. You will see pop-ups (and no, they are not annoying) that will give you helpful tips. This level is pirate friendly. Play it first. However, when you install, you will only be able to play apprentice first. When you divide plunder, or when you start your second game, then you can move up.
Own Opinion –
For me, at least, Adventurer level appeals to me the most, as above it, the game really gets more difficult, considerably. The weather is tougher, the AI is tougher, cities are tougher, and all these will combine into one to make it more difficult for you to reach that desired “#1.”

KingWilly
Q: Is it possible to convert the entire Caribbean to one particular nation?
A: No fan yet has done this, (very few fans have played it, as you’d assume), but Atari testers have demonstrated their superior skills and have done this. It is almost impossible for you to do this by yourself. There are a lot of aspects of the game that will prohibit, or make it quite hard for you to accomplish your goal. These aspects are: Unhappy crew, ships battling you, losses of men from battles, dividing plunder, etc, etc…
A simple example is, you will leave with massive losses even if you defeat a town of 2,000 troops. Rebuilding on your side will be difficult. Believe me, there are a lot of strong cities out there that will not give themselves to a scurvy pirate!
Own Opinion –
…And if you ever start to plan this mission, prepare for a long, long game. It is this aspect alone that will make it difficult for you to do. Jumping from town to town and attacking them takes some time and strategy. For me, at least, it is impossible to consider. However, where is the fun of not trying to see how many cities you can get?

Wolfwood
Q: Will the types of ships in the game depend on the time periods, remembering that the ships in 16th and 17th centuries differed from each other? (i.e. they developed from ships with high fore and back castles to somewhat sleeker types).
A: Your starting ship may change depending on the era you choose, but if other aspects of the game permit, you may see all ships in one era.
Own Opinion –
Of course, you do see much of the ships you see later on, but some are difficult to get, and difficult to find. This is one of the great parts of the game – setting goals for yourself that are hard to accomplish, and when you accomplish them (capturing a rare ship) you do feel good, and the game you are playing becomes that much more valuable.

Wolfwood
Q: Will the steering equipment of the ships be visible from close range and are they period sensitive? Remembering here that 16th- and 17th-century ships were generally steered by way of a whip staff, not a wheel.
A: You will definitely see how your ship operates, how the sails move in reaction to the wind and so forth. You will also be able to see the various improvements your ship has in your Fleet Status. This will also be visible at close range. An example is that when battling another ship, if you have copper plating, and you make a sharp turn, you will see the color and the reflection of the copper on your ship. There you will also see how much – if any – damage your ship has sustained during previous battles. A note to keep in mind is that object detail must be at its highest at that time, and naturally, your game may slow down if you don’t have a good video card or a fast enough CPU.
Own Opinion –
Again, it is details like these that make the game so good in the department of graphics. It is pretty great to see details such as these. They not only make the game more lively, but they also make it look how it should look, detailed, and 21 century. Quite an improvement over the last Pirates!.

Wolfwood
Q: How about clothing styles? The long captain's jacket (visible in some screenshots) was a late development and should thus not appear in the earlier periods.
A: Eras do not affect clothing styles. However one thing to keep in mind is that not all styles are abundant. Some are rarer to find, and more expensive.
Own Opinion –
Even though eras do not affect this, like I said, there is some truth that different clothing styles are harder to find. This is to make the player explore around the Caribbean more and to find these rare clothes.

Sloopy
Q: What are the Ship Upgrades and how do they affect your ship?
A: There’s a wealth of different ship upgrades to choose from (but not all at one port!).
Copper Plating: This affects the ship’s turning speed, making for tighter turns than usual.
Cotton Sails: Combined with Copper Plating, this will make a noticeable difference in the ship’s speed.
Triple Hammocks: If you are overcrowded, but still want more crew, this is something you should definitely consider, as it increases your crew number significantly.
Bronze Cannons: This affects your accuracy. Without this upgrade, when you take shots, you’ll see how some cannonballs fly off target and crisscross with the accurate shots.
Fine Grain Powder: This mostly affects the range. Again, with Bronze Cannon, this makes your ship more efficient as your shots will be on target most of the time.
Iron Scantlings: This protects your ship from incoming cannon shots, it protects your hull.
Chain Shot: I love this one; with a powerful ship and a few shots, the enemy ship’s sails are down just like that! This lowers their speed to zero and they are quite literally sitting ducks.
Grape Shot: If you’ve destroyed the enemy ship’s sails with the Chain Shot, but you are worried that they still have quite a bit of crew, you can lower the crew number significantly with Grape Shot.
Own Opinion –
There is not a single upgrade up there I do not love. These are essential to your victory, or even benefit when fighting another ship. I’ll just give you an example. If you do not have grape shot, for example, you may be forced to use regular round shot or chain shot to try to reduce the crew number (no where close to how affectively grape shot does it). While you reduce the crew number slowly, you also damage the ship much, much more. Eventually, you might accidentally sink it… Sinking a Treasure Ship accidentally just because you do not have grape shot, is not something I would wish – it’d be a bad day for me, if I did that (which I have).

Sloopy
Q: Sloop of War (fully upgraded): What are the stats?
A: The Sloop Of War, fully upgraded, is indeed a lethal small ship. It is perfect for plundering merchant ships and even some war ships out there.
Maximum Number of Guns: 16
Maximum Crew Number: 100
Maximum Speed: Rated Fast
Turn Rate: Rated Tight
Own Opinion –
Another thing I like to do when I play is to get my hands on one of these fine vessels. Even when I have a larger ship, I love to keep a balance between a Brig of War and a Sloop of War. Having a smaller ship like this will let you be more flexible in your battles. You would not always want to go to battle with your biggest ship, against a smaller, faster one. Going to battle with this ship, against another small ship is a clever idea. This is definitely one of my favorite ships in the game.

Fordfan25
Q: What are all the ship types?
A: There are 27 ship types in the game. Here is a list of them:
Sloop, Sloop of War, Royal Sloop, Pinnace, Trade Galleon, Treasure Galleon, Fast Galleon, Flag Galleon, Royal Galleon, War Galleon, Barque, Costal Barque, Ocean Barque, East Indiaman, West Indiaman, Brig, Brig of War, Brigantine, Frigate, Large Frigate, Ship of The Line, Fluyt, Large Fluyt, Merchantman, Large Merchantman, War Canoe, and the Mail Runner.
Even though you might think that, for example, the Frigate and the Large Frigate are the same ship, they are not. There is a big difference between every ship in the game, no matter if it is a Sloop, or Sloop of War. Do not confuse yourself in thinking that if the partial name is the same, the two ships are the same.
Own Opinion –
Personally, I’ve developed an extreme like for the Brigantine, Brig, and the Brig of War. These ships are simply awesome. They pack a lot of firepower, they are fast, and they can even beat more powerful ships, with their agility.
Even with all the positive things about them, I still find them most charming. They apply to me quite well. I’m sure most people will agree to me when they get the chance to get their hands on one of these great ships.

Captain Hicks
Q: Will the time go at a 1 second=1 day rate? If so, don’t you think the game will be too short? Or you can retire at 35 years old without suffering from old age? (In the original game you could retire at 35, but you had bad health and that reflected in your points). In general, which have been the changes to things regarding time?
A: The design of the game is smart. When your ship is visibly slower, the time rate will decrease; you will see days go by slower. If you do not want to see your ship sail fast, just press “V” and the speed at which the ship sails will be a lot slower, not in terms of actual speed, but rather scale. Press “V” again, and the view changes, as well as the ship’s speed and the time rate.
The confusion here is that a lot of people think that the game will be short. The game will be much longer than people expected. It all depends on your style of play. Do not consider the time at which the game passes always to be one day per second (you will notice this changes as you play). You most often have to battle ships, battle towns, and much, much more! Doing these will significantly prolong the game time.
Own Opinion –
When I first played the game, I also thought that that 6-8 hour figure was not exactly accurate, as I could tell that the game would last much longer, the way things were going. There is basically nothing in the game that tells you that you must stop the game and start a new one. Play as long as you like, with your own style.

Captain Hicks
Q: Why did you choose to "erase" the 1560 period?
A: The developers chose to remove the earlier eras and go from 1600-1680 because these were indeed the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean. All the more to plunder while keeping realism true.
Own Opinion –
As I’ve never played the original game, I don’t know how much things were different in that era than in the 1600-1680 era. So far I’ve found nothing to complain about.

Teach
Q: In the old game, if you knew your coastlines well enough, you usually could guess the location of treasure intuitively with only a single piece of map - is that still the case?
A: Partly true. Depending on the difficulty level, you get a larger part of the map on the easier levels, on the harder levels; you get a much smaller part of a map that can sometimes be really hard to figure out where that treasure is. Sometimes however, like you mentioned, you might get a small part of the map and you might know exactly where the treasure is.
Own Opinion –
Treasures might be easier to find if you do not get the whole map, but it’s a whole different story for Lost Relative maps, and Lost City maps. You have to dedicate a lot of time and hard work to finally find your lost relative, or the lost city you are looking for. This all adds to the fun factor.

Teach
Q: I read you cannot buy ships, true or not?
A: This is partly true, although not entirely. Sid created the game so that if you only have merchant ships (no war ships) the shipwright will offer to sale you smaller warships, such as the Sloop.
Own Opinion –
Now I’m starting to like this. You obviously cannot buy a Frigate when you are powerful already. With your reputation [when powerful] why would someone sell a pirate a larger warship? Selling you a small warship when the shipwright sees you do not already have any warships is quite a smart touch, in my opinion.

Jotte
Q: My question there for is; will there be a similar command to The Sims 2's "Aging off"?
A: You will not be able to turn off aging, but you should not be concerned about it at all. I don’t just say this to suppress any concerns, because I know your concerns are real. In the retail version, you will have more than enough time to play a long, long game and accomplish most of the “missions” before you even notice aging, and before it starts being a problem for you.
Own Opinion –
You’ve heard me say that the design is smart, well, isn’t it smart to have aging in, and not make it such a big problem too? This yet again tells you that the developers were thinking about this game’s fun factor when they were creating it, and when they came up with the aging idea.

Unmerciful Bastard
Q: Can you tell me how towns look (when you sail past them, and how when you visit), are they different from each other, or all towns look the same. Are there differences in architecture between opposite countries, and, are there differences between architecture in your own country, caused by level of development.
A: This is another good question that obviously concerns a lot of players. Towns are different. Different in size, style, and building displacement. When you sail by them, they will obviously be different; mostly visible is the size of the town. Each time you sneak in, the buildings are re-displaced so you will have to work to find your way to the place or the tavern. Different countries also do have different and unique styles.
Own Opinion –
Also, even though you can recognize a country’s city by the flag, and style, you can also recognize it when you open the map (number pad 3).
Different cities are in different color print, etc. This is one more feature to help you recognize where on the map you want to go, and know exactly what country’s city you are going to, without having to waste your time on traveling there and not knowing who’s city it is.

Fencer90
Q: Will there be other swords in the game for the Xbox that you can choose like maybe there is a better sword that you receive after you raid a certain town. Maybe there is a sword that makes you faster but makes your sword weaker in damage? There should be different swords that aren't just pirate cavalry swords like maybe a rapier. ALSO will there be pistols in the game that you can use maybe in town or if you fighting your way to the captain.
A: Yes, there will be a variety of swords that you can buy. Some swords are very, very useful because they are “lightning quick” when you thrust. They are all the more useful when your reflexes are slower when you are old, for example. The team also brought back the choice to choose between swords (if you have more than one) if you see a certain situation where you’d use one sword over another. The choices you might have are between the Cutlass, Rapier, and the Long Sword
There will also be a One-Shot Pistol, or a belt of pistols that give you an advantage in fighting. You cannot use a pistol when you are sneaking in the town, but there will also be muskets when you are attacking a town. You can use these to fire at the enemy in land battles. This increases the enemy’s damage, therefore making it easier for you to take out.
Own Opinion –
Pistols do give you a great advantage when fighting, in fact, combined with a lightning fast sword, it’s a great combination. A lot of advantages go to you if you have these two.
However, acquiring them takes some money first. When you have them, you’ll find capturing ships (when dueling with the captain) will be much more easy, and mostly in your favor.

Guest
Q: I have concerns about the camera angles used in the game.
When sword fighting on ship I notice that a 3D cam is used. Can you change this? The only good way to fight is according to me with a cam straight from the side (as in original pirates) or a cam from behind (as in POTC and other third person games).
A: There is a standard view, and a chase camera. Either way, the camera angle is set up so you have a good view of what you are doing, as well as your enemy (as well as what he might be about to do next).
Own Opinion –
With these choices, you will always have the ability to choose between the two, although I think that neither will be problematic. Now, it might be just a matter of preference.

Captainkidd78
Q: I read about the 4 major powers in Pirates! 2, but when choosing nationality are there others - Irish, Danish, etc...
A: Currently, the only nationalities available to you whom you can play are the four nationalities which were in the Caribbean in the 17th century. There are also the locals, but you can not play as them.
Spain, England, France, and the Dutch are the four powers. Obviously, Spain is the main power.
Own Opinion –
Even with only four powers in the Caribbean, this does not mean that you’ll have less things to do.
You will obviously still have the power to make a lot of nations stronger by escorting a new governor to another town (so it flourishes), or leading a war with another nation, or escorting or not escorting ships with peace treaties. The power of politics is in you in the game; make sure you take advantage to it.
In fact, it was only until recently I learned to use these powers, it felt pretty good to see me strengthening a nation, and benefiting myself.
The best thing in this game is that you see your actions hurt or help you and others. You get the feeling of satisfaction or failure. It’s almost like being a president, if you have a strict policy on how you do things, you’ll succeed.

Captainkidd78
Q: Also, the one part of the original Pirates! that bothered me was lack of execution. Most pirates did not retire.
A: Well, if the other pirates do not retire, you can retire them for good. On the other hand, you’ll age until you retire (again, you have the choice when you do that).
Own Opinion –
Even if they do not retire, pirates will always be competitive. They will fight amongst each other, or execute attacks against towns. Diplomacy is a big part of it too. It might make pirates better or worse.

Dancho
Q: Now it appears that in order to "win a wife" some dancing will be required. I approve of this-- BUT-- will the "political correctness" trend continue? Will the new game abandon reality and make "dancing" the ONLY requirement for winning a buxom blonde?
A: It is very true that a huge part of getting a wife is dancing with her. However, it is also true that you also need to always bring her things in order to please her, so she likes you more. Bring her things like expensive Ruby Rings and Diamond Necklaces, and you have a good chance of being liked more and more each time you return, with a little gift, of course. Not only that, but you also have to be ready for demands from her. She will want you to bring her gifts. Not bringing her gifts is not a choice here!
Own Opinion –
I like the fact that bringing her things influences whether or not you get things back from her. It’s like an investment – you invest money in her, and she gives it back in the form of information, or a special object which will aid you in certain sequences of the game.

DJ1
Q: Will it be possible to change the aging speed in options? In mods?
A: You will not be able to change the speed [rate] of the game with in-game options. Like other questions and answers above, the rate at which the game passes will not be a major concern for you. However in Mods, you will not be able to change this.
Own Opinion –
When people get to play the game, I think they will all sense a sense of relief that the speed is as it is. You may mod the game, but this will not be moddable.

DJ1
Q: How easy do you get promoted by the governor? can you affect this in options? In mods?
A: Sometimes it can be frustrating to come back to the governor without being promoted. This is because you are not doing enough to affect him. If that ever happens, you have to go out and plunder, plunder, plunder yourself to promotion and fame. Again, you will not be able to change this in Mods.
Own Opinion –
Getting promoted faster will allow you to progress faster in the game. This is all linked to your skill at the game. If you set clear goals to do what the governor asks you to do (basically to be his puppet), he’ll promote you more often, which will give you benefits such as getting crew easier at that nation’s ports and other benefits. If you stray off from what he wishes you to do, promotions might come, but not until you please him with something. You will not be able to change this in mods.

DJ1
Q: Which animals can you find in the Pirates Caribbean world?
A: You will be able to find dolphins swimming by your ship as well as Seagulls flying around.
Own Opinion –
It is hard to imagine how these animals make the world feel so much more alive. Just the way dolphins swim with your ship, and the way they jump from the water is a pretty nice touch to the game.

Jotte
Q: I've seen there is a bronze cannon upgrade, but are there different caliber of guns?
A: This is not directly represented in the game, but it is there. The larger the ship, the more powerful the cannon, respectively with the size it can carry, naturally. Also, the more upgrades you have (bronze cannon, fine grain powder); the more affective the cannon will be, naturally.
Own Opinion –
With the cannon upgrades, I like the fact that you can have a small ship, and powerful cannons, which are also affective.
When you fire a cannon which does not have bronze cannons or fine grain powder, you can clearly see cannonballs going astray, and even missing the other ship.
With the upgrades I mentioned above, your cannonballs go much straighter and they will also have a more devastating affect.

Gilligan
Q: Also not to be nitpicky Another site lists sloop of war as "probably an upgraded sloop", in reality a Sloop of war was a ship rigged vessel (think three masts and square sails) but smaller than a Frigate
A: The Sloop Of War is a different ship from the smaller Sloop. It can carry more cannon and more crew. An upgraded Sloop is still not as powerful as a non-upgraded Sloop of War. There is definitely a difference between the two.
Own Opinion –
Like I’ve said above, this is my favorite small ship. It is amazing what you can do with 16 guns and a quick little ship. The only thing better than a Sloop of War – that is no larger than it – is a Sloop of War with copper plating, and cotton sails. This ship is simply a quick killer. A big danger to Merchant Ships and Trade Galleons (which are slow ones).

Sloopy
Q: With the beta now well underway, are Firaxis on target to meet the November 16th shipping date. With less than a month to go (28days), how long before a stable version is submitted to the manufactures for production.
A: As we now know, the game has been delayed due to quality assuring purposes. The developers want to make sure they have a quality game when they release it.
Own Opinion –
Like a lot of people, I am happy that they chose to delay it a week. In my opinion, it is much better to keep the reputation of Firaxis as a quality one, and keep the game quality in good shape on release date.
Remember, no game is bug-free, especially when it is a complex game.

Dot Hog
Q: In the new Pirates!, will I be able to focus on trading and enjoy myself doing it?
A: Yes! Definitely. You have a variety of options to choose from when you choose how you should live out your life as a pirate. As you play along, you can even switch to different strategies, obviously.
Trading does indeed require strategy, as indeed some towns may pay up to twice as much, or even more for some commodities. You need to be careful how you trade, and where you trade. You can make a lot of money if you are smart about it. One other aspect that is involved in trading is where you plunder your ships. Some ship routes may have much more ships passing by, with more goods than others.
Own Opinion –
Like a previous question I answered above in regards to Panama and the trade “chain,” you can focus making money only in one place, but choose to do business in another. I’ve done that quite often and it is very affective. In my opinion, you can make a lot of money in one place, and trade/spend very much in the same place, but it is very much more affective if you choose the better of the two. Choose the best place for making money (where a lot of ships pass), and then choose the best place to spent it.

Sleet
Q: Land battles. Are the maps based on the terrain in the large view or is it random? i.e. if I attack an army or city with trees and hills nearby in the main map will there be lots of trees and hilly terrain in the battle map?
A: It is random, also each time you attack a certain town, you start from a different location. There is different terrain, including terrain you cannot pass through.
The design of this sequence is made so it is mildly restricting to the player – Not in any extreme sense, which makes the game less fun and functional, but in a sense that you are put on the map to do one thing, and that is fight and develop land battle strategies.
Own Opinion –
The reason why I love the randomness of putting you on different locations when you start a land battle against a town, is that you have to develop different strategies in relation with the terrain around you.
Say that you attack the same town twice, the first time you are put on a hill, and the second time you are put behind some terrain you cannot pass. That will surely change your strategies, even though you are attacking different town.
Another thing I have to point out is that, hills and forests are extremely important to you. They provide very good cover for you, and ultimately they may shift the battle to you, if you choose to not take this terrain and apply it so it is beneficial to you, you may lose. It’s all about strategy here.

Sleet
Q: Possible to drag on land cannons from a ship to use in battle? (somehow doubt it but thought I would ask anyway.. )
A: It is indeed true that if you have any cannons excess cannons on board, you can drag them to the land battle scene, which makes for some big advantages.
Own Opinion –
Well, this has to be a feature I have to love about the game. If you ever fear that the battle is going to be a close one, and that you might even lose, bring along some cannons, and they may shift the battle to your favor.





It has been extremely fun to work on these and answer them. This even forced me to look in the game itself for the answers, and I learned new things as well.
Sincere thanks goes to Falconer, Jeff Foley, and the team at Firaxis for helping me finalize the Q&A article and make it look its best!

Some questions may not have been answered mostly because they were duplicates, or you could find the answer from another question which has been answered already. However, only one or two questions had to be deleted from this article. Overall, I think you’ll get a good impression of what is headed your way.
When I got the approved article, I updated it and I was even surprised at the progress the game had made from beta to final, although, I have to admit, I shouldn’t have been surprised!

[dot hog]

Wow! I put the ol' horizontal scroll through the paces on that one.

Thanks much, civrules. Great info, and just in time.