• New Horizons on Maelstrom
    Maelstrom New Horizons


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My First Impressions of the Game

Yeah, I didn't really want to go into talk about StarForce ... I have nothing G rated to say about it. When I bought Runaway, that was the first thing I went to look for.

I really want to know how much money goes into using a product like StarForce and if on a company's bottom line if it's worth it? You would think common sense would play into it somewhere and say, "Well if it wasn't making them money they obviously wouldn't use it ..." WRONG! A lot of companies suffer from so many Dilbert-based principles it is astoundingly amazing.

Oh - and WHO JINXED ME!? AS SOON as I advanced the story line, I started getting crashes about one in every four encounters at sea. Then I had my first non-sea crash shortly there after. Involved in the story line, there was a particular incident ....

All of a sudden I'm in the room but you wouldn't thought there was a storm and the house flooded. water up to my knees ... Then I look around and I see my doppleganger ... Looking up, I realized the game loaded one model on top of another model ... Oops. When I tried to leave I crashed the game. I had saved it JUST before there anyways, so after playing back through, this time I was on the OUTSIDE of the house ... Weird.


So the thing that getting to me I think, is that the missions seem ... well ... weak ... However, once again I have not PLAYED it long enough to advance through all the missions of a Country so please don't take my absolute word for it. As you go up in rank they are supposed to get harder, and I would imagine the Capture button has to be for more than advancing the main story line ... A lot of the missions up front are deliver this, pick up that, escort so-an-so ...



Next item to try:

I decided late last night that I would dork around with a saved game and see just how difficult it was to take over a town. I had managed to secure a Battleship (Class 1) from a French war patrol that was coming right for Barbados.

So with the save, I decided I would employ the use of the Cheat Codes to really make it interesting. I would load the Battleship full to the brim with the best cannons, full cannoneers, etc. and sail for La Vega to let loose on its small fort.

Now remember this is ONE Class 1 vessel. It's suicide, I know, but I wanted to test this out. I place my ship within adequate firing distance and let loose with bombs on the fort. They immediately start firing back ... Oh this is not going to be good ... I'm getting cut to shreds ...

Okay, let's reload ...

I enable GodMode and try again ... (Once again, just for kicks)

Takes me about 12 minutes of pounding the fort with bombs to destroy enough cannons to storm the fort. Second problem comes up: There are still 1200 troops to my 350 soldiers. My soldiers are creamed in an instant. And GodMode or not, try getting in ONE HIT when you are being stabbed at a rate of 12 blades a second ... It took me 10 more minutes just to get myself out of that

It says that once you blast the fort to smithereens, to start unloading grape shot into it to lower the number of men in the fort. I tried that, I couldn't fire at the fort unless I was in first person mode once I got the queue to land troops. So I of course tried it one more time the other way - Grapeshot until they were down to about 450 troops, and then Bombs. Grapeshot would destroy a single cannon for every 4 to 5 shots that I fired and would eliminate more than 150 men a shot IF the shot of course landed. However, I'm still being bombarded by over 60 cannons so this is NOT going to work in my favor ....

... So I capture the town ...

Now comes the interesting part ... KEEPING IT. Of course you get told that if you take the town, ALL nations hate you ... So I took it ... WTF!? EVEN THE SMUGGLERS HATE ME!? A-HOLES!!!! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blah:" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" /> - See if I supply them with slaves and chocolate again ...

The English kept sending war patrols directly at La Vega to try and take it. If it wasn't for me and the Battleship (now with GodMode off) we wouldn't have been able to keep it. La Vega's fleet was only 4 Class 5 vessels going up against Class 2 and a Class 1 Battleship. They would've easily blown through and taken the town again.

...So you need to start putting money into the town, to make barracks, improve the shipyard, make the people happy, get it to start making its own money, etc. etc. .... NOT AN EASY TASK - and one that will take time.

... So I guess the basic thrill factor is taking over the caribbean and holding on to the prize.


Mods please. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=161166:date=Sep 12 2006, 02:08 AM:name=Juan del Foppo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Juan del Foppo @ Sep 12 2006, 02:08 AM) [snapback]161166[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
hi

i ve buyed the game on saturday and in fullscreen mode its crashing time to time. disable fullscreen helps (so the original version is crashing.. not only betas..).

but the main problem is the story. at one point u get telled to conquer all colonies. that will take some time but when u look into the ini/..text/..questbook u will see this is the last enry. so their is no real mainquest (taking all colonies will be a bit boring i think... havent tried yet). also i havent find any sidequests. sure there are quests like bring ship from there to somewhere or transport goods/passengers/presents(lol) but thats not very exciting for a longer playtime. im just trying to raise in rank by the british governour but i think his orders wont get more interesting...

soo... without modding/patching in a real story the game will soon get boring... i just got my first man-o-war ^^ so i ll take down some enemy ships and forts but then?!

the game looks good, playing is ok and without fullscreen it dont crash that often. if its modable like potc pls put a hand on it and it can get a great game!

pls tell me if u find a quest or something like that ^^

edit:

i got the german version 1.41

pentium 2 ghz
1 gb ram
radeon 9600 pro
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try to reduce the detail level if your game crashes too often.
 
re crashing :
told you so :p
its not related to any copy protection or the like however, and its properly some badly constructed variables in the code somewhere that overflows, messes with other variables and makes it crash, mind you it should be easy to fix <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

also, a tip. put culverines on your ship and sit outside the range of the fort some buggyness allows you to bombard it from afar like that destroying all guns, somewhat lame but quite affective.

and it allows you to capture a island with a brig if you got the paitence and mad fighting skills.
 
<!--quoteo(post=161168:date=Sep 12 2006, 02:26 AM:name=Juan del Foppo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Juan del Foppo @ Sep 12 2006, 02:26 AM) [snapback]161168[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
hehe the worldmap travelling ^^

maybe we are spoilt with the potc modding where r and äh g? key were added to the worldmap for lightspeed-travel ^^

after 7 missions i was a captain. so wont take very long. in the manual they say u can rise up to vize-king....
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well then you got lucky, i am still waiting for my promotion to captain with 16 successful missions. maybe the # of missions is not the only prerequisite for a promotion? did you get your salary since your promotion to the rank of a captain?
 
I got promotion to Captain after 7 missions.

Leadership affects reputation - could it have anything to do with that? I had 4 in Leadership when I got promoted. I honestly dunno.

I got a salary increase to 2000 once I became a Captain.


Hmmm ... I'll have to try the culverines ... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />
 
i havent spend any points to leadership. maybe the dificulty-level? ichoosed... ähm... 2nd easiest.

wanna know how i get my man-o-war? with a damn bug. i was travelling to a french port. then a russian! message from the governour pops up and tries to tell me something. i just could read the word france and spain.... after this i have seen 3 battleships and a man-o-war attacking the fort. normally spain is in war with england and also me. but this spanish ships were friendly... whyever. . also they all had a very small number of crew. so i sneak up to the man-o-war with my corvette. fired a broadside and board it. with this huuugh ship i boarded one of the battleships and sunk the rest.

someone else got problems with russian messages? im playing with the original version, but using a no cd crack cause i hate changing dvds... maybe thats the cause.
 
I was playing on the easiest setting possible and made it to Captain in 7 missions. Could be random?

Well that settles it, I want a Man-O-War. It is fun sinking Schooners with one wave of cannon fire ... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Well that settles it, I want a Man-O-War. It is fun sinking Schooners with one wave of cannon fire ... smile.gif <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

yes it is <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> and u can sunk also bigger ships with 1 broadside. depends on the distance <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/danse1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":dance" border="0" alt="danse1.gif" />

but turning rate is to slow <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" /> smaller ships make more fun

i have found something funny by searching the defend-colony text.

at the playlogic forum every german player ask, whats to do with the blaze&beatrice map. i now knowe why ^^

<a href="http://www.playlogicgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1032" target="_blank">http://www.playlogicgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1032</a>
 
Lol - go figure.

Yes, I love small ships, but I'm so partial to Frigate - at least in POTC I was. I have yet to take one over in AOP. We'll see....
 
<!--quoteo(post=161316:date=Sep 12 2006, 12:21 PM:name=William)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(William @ Sep 12 2006, 12:21 PM) [snapback]161316[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Lol - go figure.

Yes, I love small ships, but I'm so partial to Frigate - at least in POTC I was. I have yet to take one over in AOP. We'll see....
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Be sure te post some screenies William. A picture wurth a thousand werds mate <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
Sorry, I keep meaning to do it, and then I get engrossed in trying to make things happen.

Here's a new one for you and one I SO wish I hit a print screen for ... This is one really nice fluke I experienced somehow.

I started up a quick game as a Frenchy and got my Letter of Marque from Governor Frenchypants. What was kind of cool, was that starting out, the Dutch were the only ones that hated me, and the Pirates just thought of me as a Rascal. Meaning? No pirate attacks. That's sweet I thought, I did 2 missions for Governor FrenchyPants and then came back to report and pick up another.

His next mission:

I needed to deliver some documents to St. Martin from Guadelope. The price tag for the mission? 650,000. Yes, the comma is in the right stop. <b>650,000</b>. We're talking about sailing up a couple colonies, and just sneaking into a Dutch town and sailing right back out ... No problems.

Yeah, I need to take some screenshots. That was too cool.

Oh, and you pay your men based off of how much booty you raked in during the month. That little incident (WITHOUT OFFICERS) cost me $36,000. They were rather heroic after receiving that. Hell, could you imagine with inflation how much they made in modern day standards!? My crew just became the Google founders and I'm Pirate Bill Gates. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blah:" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />
 
its enough to start your own fleet and run the nations out of the caribbean <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

i though the pay was based on the ammount of crew, therefore i have been avoiding the bigger ships as they whould surely bankrupt me. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bounce.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":b:" border="0" alt="bounce.gif" />
 
'ello, folks!
I've read all the posts here and it looks like a majority of you are dissapointed in the game, is it really that bad?
I know that i posted a message awhile ago were i said that it's going to be a fiasko because of all the delays, but i was just being semi-serious (frustrated of all the delays). The only thing that i was serious about was that i wouldn't buy the game immediatley when it came out, just to protest.

A friend have played it for a couple of days and are dissapointed because the officer-list in the tavern never change and that you cant choose to sign articles with the crew (atleast he haven't found the option anywere).

So my question is if you think it's worth buying the game or just keep playing the modded version of PotC instead?

//Thunraz
 
the main quest is limited, but then that doesnt really matter since you spend most of your time either pirating or doing missions, if you arent one of those strange trader types that i tend to rob blind <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/keith.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":keith" border="0" alt="keith.gif" />

its a good game, no its a VERY good game, but its lacking in final polish and it has a couple of issues, espcially stability issues related to the main quest.

with a couple of mods it could very well be a real killer, even if its limited compared to the buildified POTC at the moment.
 
See, that's the thing.

I agree whole heartedly that this isn't a polished game, which I admit I'm slightly disappointed with after dealing with POTC, which when modded I couldn't get enough of. I remember initial discussion on why POTC sucked so bad and being told that the next version to come out was going to be everything everyone expected it to be. However, the lack of exploration and quests make it feel rather contrained. I mean look at it from this perspective:

POTC: We had what 8 main islands (doing a fast count so no bitchin' ...) We had the main plot, which depending on what you did could take awhile to finish. It lacked any proper depth and was cut to more of an arcade style. You could leave the towns and traverse the islands on foot, and experience some sidequests.

AOP-CT: Double the islands, short main plot and no real sidequests. No bank, no travelling outside the islands, and lacks depth too.

However, in saying that, I'm acknowledging the possibilities that could come from the modding community on this one. I bought POTC when it first came out and though I was disappointed with the over the counter product, I was not once everyone got their hands on it and realized that it was a diamond in the rough.

Same thing with AOP. You have more islands and better graphics (even if some people's faces seem to have less polygons <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blah:" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />) - and the ability of doing quite a bit. The Russian modders already started adding back in jungles from POTC into some of the towns, and making the other buildings open for use. So there is light to the end of the tunnel.

I'll write more on this later when I get back on here.
 
Yes I know what you mean william

POTC lacked in evrything AOP has (i.e. islands, dinamic eco, events like wars ect), and visa versa; AOP lacks in enrything POTC has ...(mainly quests, tressure hunting on land)

The 2 combined would be just perfect...
 
There are a lot of small things in this game that make it interesting to try more stuff out.

I'm interesting in diving into Trading to see how that works out. In the beginning, it sucks absolute butt if you don't have skill points in it, or an officer with anything in it. You gain a better percentage at the shops when your points go up, plus the modifiers in abilities - I want to see how lucrative it can be to do actual trading.

So far, to get money easy in the beginning I found was to tie missions together. If I had to do something for the governor, I would try to pick up people or escort ships that would take me along that path. I wound up making up a couple hundred thousand piastres in no time, which I then used to upgrade the Brig I just took from the Frenchies. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Like I said, I see potential. So for you modders out there, stock up on the Cheetos and Mountain Dew ... Get crackin'! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blah:" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />
 
Indeed i agree with ya'll on that, when this game will be modded like POTC then it will be a great game, we definatly need traveling on the island, the jungles. All buildings open and a lot more other cool things we had in the modded POTC. Im going to try the trading part of the game to and see what it's like.
 
i for one do not mind the unpolished nature of the game since its so open, one could call it "cheap" to have the community polish up the game itself like with PoTC and i tend to agree, however you can also see that the development time was likely chopped off badly given how the main quest ends, it almost feels like a afterthought rather than a intrigal part of the game.

polish it up and fix the rough edges and it can become all it promises to be to be honest. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
I was making 200-300,000 trading Cinnamon from Montserrat to the western most Spanish ports whose name escapes me for the moment.
 
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