The Silver Train

themodelcitizen · Gunner Posts: 880 **15142 Gold** -

How did this work in the old 1987 game? I've been racking my brain trying to think of ways we could mod it back in - if we could pre-plan some kind of events or dialogue at the affected cities, and maybe have an option for a special reward in a land battle or a duel with the captain of the guard within a designated time window. That would likely be beyond my capacity though

Pirate · Helmsman Posts: 5665 **112704 Gold** -

Naw shouldnâ€™t be very hard. Find some magic mushrooms and you might have alligators and mermaids chasing all over the European waters and maybe even the Devil himself.

corsair91 · Sailing Master Posts: 8211 **222474 Gold** -

When you attack a town,
If the Silver train is in that town

(you could catch the silver train in towns only)

you see a confirmation message
when you capture the town & Silver train.

Silver train gives an increased amount of loot.

The Silver Train is a mule train on land moving between various towns.
You have to time your town attacks to the train schedule
to capture it.

(see schedule below)

Pirates!/The Treasure Fleet and The Silver Train

https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Pirates!/The_Treasure_Fleet_and_The_Silver_Train

(paste complete link into your Browser)

Sid Meier's Pirates! (Paul captures the Silver Train)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1-WbuNYmpU

Christopher Paul
6 Oct 2014

Battle at Caracas.

(Sound is not very good)

Guardacostas · Rigger Posts: 1043 **11231 Gold** -

Up the gold amounts. I miss sacking a merchant in pirates! gold for 4500 gold. And make a treasure ship at least 6000 gold. You get in a lot of trouble with spain for sacking one of these for it not to be fiscally worth it

Sacking Panama in pirates gold was easily 100,000 right there

themodelcitizen · Gunner Posts: 880 **15142 Gold** -

All I can think of is allowing yourself to use an edited save file (or even an edited exe) if you land in the right city during a specific month (and using the normal save file and exe if you don't). You could edit in extra text like "the silver train is in town!" and bump up their wealth. But it's not really a workable mod at that point

corsair91 · Sailing Master Posts: 8211 **222474 Gold** -

https://www.g4li.org/pirates-gold/

The Silver Train
https://www.g4li.org/pirates-gold/the-silver-train.html

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 | Pirates Gold

To move the silver and gold from the mines of Peru and South America, the Spanish loaded the treasure aboard hundreds of mules, then moved them en masse to the coastal cities, there to await the arrival of the Treasure Fleet. These mule "trains" carried hundreds of thousands of pounds in weight of pure silver and gold.

Your informants in Court may be able to tell you of the Train's present location. If you capture a city with the Silver Train in it, you'll be a very rich pirate indeed...

EDIT:
Informants include: governor's daughter, tavern bartender & barmaid,
tavern Mysterious Stranger
"Hailing" other ships for news in Pirates (1987) game

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Meier%27s_Pirates!
https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Pirates

jlangsdo · Cutthroat Posts: 399 **10932 Gold** -

I think corsair91 might be onto something.

What about repurposing those fellows you get to duel in the tavern every once in a while, the embezzler and the libertine and soforth?

The governor's daughter could say that she heard that the Silver Train was in Maracaibo, then when you get there, and visit the tavern, you could duel the captain of the Silver Train. Instead of getting a reward for his capture, you could just loot the Silver Train. Or perhaps take an upgrade item instead. (I've always thought it was silly that you got the reward instantly, instead of needing to return the miscreant to the authorities of the proper nationality.)

That's just a text change, totally doable as an execution patch. You could add some nif swapping to make the embezzler/etc. have the skin of a military ship captain, also easily doable. It would be best if he could also be a good swordsman, but I don't know how to set that up.

themodelcitizen · Gunner Posts: 880 **15142 Gold** -

That sounds like just the ticket. Text.ini has some stuff like "embezzler"/"libertine" and the surnames (Connery etc) that could be changed as well.

Just wondering if we could limit it to the mainland cities that were affected - or if not, use the same idea but with a similar theme (local captain of the guard defending the collected taxes that are about to be shipped to Europe?)

corsair91 · Sailing Master Posts: 8211 **222474 Gold** -

Manila galleon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_galleon

The cargoes arrived in Acapulco and were transported by land across Mexico.

Mule trains would carry the goods along the China Road from Acapulco first to the administrative center of Mexico City, then on to the port of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico, where they were loaded onto the Spanish treasure fleet bound for Spain.

The transport of goods overland by porters, the housing of travelers and sailors at inns by innkeepers, and the stocking of long voyages with food and supplies provided by haciendas before departing Acapulco helped to stimulate the economy of New Spain (Mexico).

Spanish Silver Train
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Silver_Train

The Spanish Silver Train was an improvised trail used to transport silver from PotosÃ, Peru across the isthmus of Panama in order to ship it to Spain via the Spanish treasure fleet. The silver was usually unloaded in Panama City, then put in mule trains and taken first to Nombre de Dios, and then, following the demise of that city in the late sixteenth century, to Portobello. The Silver Train was a prime target for English, Dutch and French privateers in the sixteenth and seventeenth century.

Francis Drake and Guillaume Le Testu, a French privateer, succeeded in capturing the train. (A Famous Expedition Raid scenario in the original Pirate's 1987 Game).
https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Pirates!/Famous_Expeditions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potos%C3%AD
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Drake
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume_Le_Testu

Guillaume Le Testu and Sir Francis Drake attacked a Spanish mule train escorting gold and silver to Nombre de Dios on the Atlantic coast of Panama.

Almost 200 mules each carrying up to three hundred pounds of treasure.
Some 30 tons of gold and silver were captured, more than they could move.

Le Testu was subsequently killed following his capture by the Spanish.

'Carrying Away the Booty' - Drake's attack on the Spanish 'Silver Train'
https://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2012/07/carrying-away-booty-drakes-attack-on.html

More Light on Drake's Mule Train Robbery in PanamÃ¡ 1573
http://www.indrakeswake.co.uk/Society/Research/muletrain.htm

corsair91 · Sailing Master Posts: 8211 **222474 Gold** -

SILVER TRAIN REVISITED
http://hookedonpirates.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6170

Coagula - Silver Train concept

Silver Train Attack Concept

----------------------

One suggested method of attacking the silver Train

The Silver Train has about 25-50 extra soldiers.

Attack the next port or city the Silver Train would visit with a
preliminary strike
(making sure to exterminate every single Spanish soldier)

then when the train arrived, they would be an easy target for your 200+ pirating band.

To exterminate entire garrisons

During the sword fight with the enemy commander/captain,
keep hitting him until he is about to panic.

Then allow him to hit you one or two times.

This would bring enemy morale back somewhat, prolonging the fight.

Have the sword fight last as long as until the enemy only had a single soldier left (the commander, who could not be killed but would surrender).

corsair91 · Sailing Master Posts: 8211 **222474 Gold** -

Silver Train and Treasure Fleet ?

https://www.piratesahoy.net/threads/silver-train-and-treasure-fleet.3833/

------------------------

Pirates! code sheet
https://www.c64copyprotection.com/pirates-code-sheet/

IF you enter the wrong info the game will get harder and you can not win any fencing battles. Plus your health was diminished to fair, your crew stripped down to 8 or 10, your ship would have no guns and everyone was at war with you!

PDF: Pirates Silver Treasure Fleet Sheet
https://www.c64copyprotection.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Pirates-Silver-Treasure-Fleet-Sheet.pdf

Treasure_Silver-Fleet-Sheet
https://www.c64copyprotection.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Treasure_Silver-Fleet-Sheet.gif

text format on the wiki

The Treasure Fleet & The Silver Train
https://www.c64-wiki.com/index.php/Pirates!/The_Treasure_Fleet_and_The_Silver_Train

(paste complete link into your Browser)

corsair91 · Sailing Master Posts: 8211 **222474 Gold** -

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587513-pirates
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587513-pirates/faqs

More info on Silver Train and Treasure Fleet

Nintendo Entertainment System version
Sid Meier's Pirates! 1987

Strategy Guide (NES) by mi64
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587513-pirates/faqs/65571

Pirates!
for
The Nintendo Entertainment System
by MI64

..

---------------------------------
|B. External Colony Information |
---------------------------------

5. The Silver Train & Treasure Fleet

The Silver Train and Treasure Fleet are special events that can affect a colony
greatly. If either the Silver Train or Treasure Fleet are in a certain town,
this information will be shown by a large banner directly between the town in-
terface menu and the graphical town representation. The banner will say "The
Treasure Fleet [or] The Silver Train is in town!". Note that the Silver Train
ONLY appears in Spanish colonies located on the South American continent, and
the Treasure Fleet ONLY appears in certain Spanish colonies in general. (See
section XIII. Colony Gazetteer for which colonies can have the Treasure Fleet
or The Silver Train visit them.) Despite the name differences, each has exactly
the same effect on a colony, discussed below.

- Increased Wealth: Any Spanish colony that has the Silver Train or Treasure
Fleet in town gets a LARGE increase in overall wealth. If a colony is captured
with either of the two in town, gold plundered will usually be between 50 thou-
sand and 100 thousand, sometimes even higher, even in the â€“ usually - poorest
colonies. In addition, the involved colony will also have a much greater supply
of cannon, food and trade goods to be plundered.

- Increased Military: Military presence in a colony with either The Silver
Train or Treasure Fleet in town will increase anywhere between 33% and 66%.
Note that the number of forts will NOT increase.

- Sustained: Finally, a town that has been recently visited by either the Sil-
ver Train or Treasure Fleet will maintain a small degree of the effects men-
tioned above even after The Silver Train or Treasure Fleet have left. In many
cases the overall prosperity status may improve to the next level. See "Status"
below.

* FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FINDING THE SILVER TRAIN OR TREASURE FLEET, SEE SEC-
TION XIV. SILVER TRAIN & TREASURE FLEET SCHEDULES

corsair91 · Sailing Master Posts: 8211 **222474 Gold** -

themodelcitizen · Gunner Posts: 880 **15142 Gold** -

Interesting. Only thing I can think of might be to change the text around dueling the "Annoying Captain" in the tavern, make it seem like he's the captain of the Silver Train and you're using the money to buy off the additional men who join you in the event of a win. Still, no way to restrict it to certain cities at certain times...

corsair91 · Sailing Master Posts: 8211 **222474 Gold** -

Yesterdayâ€™s Copy Protection Schemes â€“ Sid Meierâ€™s Pirates!
https://magisterrex.wordpress.com/2011/09/02/yesterdays-copy-protection-schemes-sid-meiers-pirates/

Sid Meierâ€™s Pirates! (1987) chose an educational method of ensuring copy protection, by asking when the Spanish Treasure Fleet or Silver Train arrived at a particular city, the answer to which was contained within the game manual.

original copy protection data
https://magisterrex.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/blogpiratescopyprotection.pdf
blogpiratescopyprotection.pdf

Pirate Havens in the Golden Age of Piracy
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1844/pirate-havens-in-the-golden-age-of-piracy/

The Spanish Main and Caribbean Pirate Havens c. 1670
https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14550/the-spanish-main-and-caribbean-pirate-havens--c-16/download/

1670 Pirate Havens & Treasure Fleet Route

Retrogaming Game Maps â€“ Sid Meierâ€™s Pirates!
https://magisterrex.wordpress.com/2010/10/15/retrogaming-game-maps-sid-meiers-pirates/

Sid Meier's Pirates! Caribbean Game Map
https://magisterrex.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/piratesgamemap.jpg

Traditional Nation Colors:
Red - English, Blue - French, Orange - Dutch, Yellow - Spanish