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So close - Need final push

I

Incoming

Landlubber
First of all, forgive me for posting this again. I put this in the "your thoughts" sticky too, but I don't know how many
people are still reading that one.

Hello all surprisingly `kind-hearted` pirates (I'm sure the friendliness disappears when you're out at sea, right ?). <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />

The fact is that I am so close to buying this game. I have about eight `PC-games` collecting dust in my shelves which
I'm planning to trade in for a new great game, and like I wrote; I'm 98% ready to buy this title.

To be honest, I've never played the original Pirates back in the old days. That has forced me to read and rely on as
many reviews of the game as I've been able to find. As I see it, there is one downside and one upside with never
having played the original Pirates.

Downside is that I don't have any prior experience with this exact type of game - so I can't really rely on any previous
gaming to decide wheather I should buy this game or not.
On the other hand, people having played the original Pirates probably had <b>some</b> of the cash they spent on this
title consumed by a mere `tune-up` in graphics and sound whilst <b>all</b> of <i>my</i> cash would go to a "completely new game".

After having read somewhere around 15 - 20 reviews (both english and swedish) of SM's Pirates !, the only negative
thing I've come across would be reviewers complaining about repetitiveness after having been stuck playing the game for
hours without stopping (but hey, games tend to get repetitive after a few days straight) - as well as a few complaints
that there wasn't enough changes from the original to justify the price (but again; that doesn't concern me who is still a
virgin when it comes to this title).

The thing is that I like games with some economy, games with the feeling of achievement as you play. Big favourites
for me in the past have been; Transport Tycoon, Sim City series, ThemePark, RC Tycoon, various RPG titles
(Morrowind, DungeonSiege, Diablo etc.), adventure games like the MonkeyIsland series, Simon the Sorcerer, Strategy-
games like StarCraft, C&C, Dune II... and I believe SM's Pirates to be a mix of a lot of these different genres. I like
games that holds a lot of options and possibilities without getting too deep into the mechanics of it all. Games you learn
quite fast, games you can go and play during commercials, games with fair graphics, a nice feeling/setting/mood (a la
MonkeyIsland)...

Other titles I've been deciding between are NFSU 2, The Battle for `Middle-Earth`, RCT3, Bloodlines... but somehow, SM's
Pirates sort of <i>feels</i> the right way to go. I will be trading in ~eight older games (+ some cash) for whatever title I choose
and once I leave the store, there's no turning back. I would have loved for a demo of Pirates to be available (since I'm no
fan of `d-loading` warezed games, only if it's just for a trial purpose).

Is there anyone here who bought SM's Pirates without having played the original - and if so, what did you think, has it been
worth the money ? I just need a final push here guys. I'm walking by the gamestore on thursday and I <b><i>will</i></b> go in there and
buy something ! But since games aren't fairly cheap these days, I want to be very sure of what I'm about to walk home with.
(Sorry for the long post - but on the other hand, I didn't force you to read it all through. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> )

Thanks to anyone who share their thoughts !
 
I never played the original Pirates - I was too busy playing Aces of the Pacific to bother with a C64. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />

Personally, I find it to be a BLAST. For me, it's something completely new, so being just an upgrade from the last version isn't a big deal to me.

Yes, repetetiveness is very true. You set sail, capture/sink ships, set into port, get crew, talk to whomever, find a map piece... But for me it's great!

It's a whole new gaming experience for me and I love it. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

I gave much more indepth thoughts on the game in the "hehe - I'm back, `re-registered` and all" thread I started (which is on either the 2nd. or 3rd page). I recommend you take a look at it for more specifics. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> I was in your shoes too sorta. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />
 
I played the original (alot! in fact, up until the release of this game) so I am not really in your target group. But I wanted to mention a few things. First off, the game is easy to pick up and learn. It's simple from the word GO. It's a great weekend game. What I mean by this is that you will (and I am confident you WILL) buy the game on Thursday and install it. You'll play most of the evening on your first career on Apprentice mode to the point where you think you have a handle on it. Then, friday night you'll play some more and you'll master Apprentice mode. Saturday morning, thinking yourself ready for a bigger challenge, will start a career on Adventurer and you'll realize what a challenge the game can be. Before you know it, you've spent all weekend with the game. Then, you'll need a break...

So, you'll let it rest and read these forums for a few days, but by wednesday night, the game will be calling you again. It will go on like this for a month or so. And then, after a while, it will turn into a weekend game. And the time intervals between playing the game will increase until you get to a point where you play the game once every couple months. But, when you DO dust it off to play, you'll lose a whole weekend to it. Then you'll be satisfied to leave it be for a month or so.

Yes, it can be a bit repetative, but it makes up for it in fun factor... as well as whatever that factor is that describes how a game calls you from time to time. I call it "Replay Value". You won't play it for weeks and weeks straight, but it will be on your hard drive for a LONG time!

So, let us know on Sunday how your first 3 days of Pirates! goes.. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
Thank you so much for your inputs <b>Cap'n Toast</b> and <b>CybrSlydr</b> !

<b>CybrSlydr;</b>
I went to page #2 and read your thread which you mentioned. That was an excellent `spot-on` collection of words, just what I was looking for !
I'm feeling a stronger and stronger attraction to this game, mainly because of its combined simpleness whilst it also packs enough depth
to keep the player occupied with lots to do, as well as for another reason; the <b>mood</b> and the <b>atmosphere</b> that this game seems to have.

I'm actually hoping to get a little "fix" from this game should I buy it. Those of you who have grown up with and played through all titles in the
<i>"MonkeyIsland"</i> series (and <b>liked</b> it), you might know what I'm talking about. I can't really describe it, as soon as I've heard the sooo classical
`intro-tune` (main theme) in both <i>"Escape From MonkeyIsland"</i> and <i>"The Curse of MonkeyIsland"</i> I get this unexplainable feeling, like the game
was totally worth buying just to be able to hear that song in the beginning. If SM's Pirates is as atmospheric as reviewers (and regular gamers
alike) have said, it must be a thrill to play it, thanks to the game's theme and setting alone !

<b>Cap'n Toast;</b>
I like your schedual. I've come passed a few games working with the same schedual as the one you've mentioned. Games that you feel a bit of
a thrill installing / starting up every once in a while. Games which hooks you for two, three days of continous playing. After that, you've gotten
<i><b>satisfied</b></i> with the game, not <i>bored</i> of it (like you probably get with most games out there after two, three days of playing) and you happily put
it away for a while, thankful for all the hours of fun the game, once again, managed to provide for you.

And for me, visiting forums covering the game/s I'm currently playing is a "gaming style" for me. I don't just play a new game from the point of
purchase 'til I've beaten it without reading through and paying attention to that game's official (or most popular) forum ! I mean, people discuss
interesting and important things every day, things you can learn from, things which can help you and provide new ways of thinking and managing
stuff within the game. So trust me, I won't be a ghost in this great community if I buy the game. Sharing other players' achievements and
experiences with the same games is a great privilege for me !
<span style='color:blue'>
As I feel right now, I'm 99.6% ready to pick up this game on thursday. This game's manual might just be what I'm reading during my one hour
`bus-ride` home tomorrow. SM's Pirates might just be the software shining from my monitor like an early christmastree, hopefully bringing joy,
warmth and happiness in the dark days of our cold snowy winter.</span>
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sailr.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":sail" border="0" alt="sailr.gif" />
 
It'll be a HUGE `time-stealer` for ya, Incoming! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
On the atmosphere side of things you mention, for me I found it wasn't the intro music but the little humming song noise your crew makes every time you win a battle at sea... It always makes me smile that little smile that seems to warm my heart a little <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate2.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p:" border="0" alt="pirate2.gif" />
 
Oh yeah, that's "Blow The Man Down"! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" /> The other one is "Drunken Sailor". No words, just the music, and the humming or `harr-ing` along... I like those too, makes ya happy to know your men are happy.
 
<span style='color:green'><b>Well, today's the day !</b></span>
I just wanted to post a little update (I know it may fall short with the community's interest of reading this,
but I guess it's partly to give myself a little psych out too). <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />

I called the store yesterday to ask them to save a copy for me.
<span style='color:brown'><i>"Hello, can you hold a copy of SM's Pirates! for me 'til tomorrow ?"</i></span>
I asked them. I then heard some whispering on the other side;
<span style='color:brown'><i>"Hey, do we have any more Pirates! games left ?"
- "I'm not sure, maybe there is a copy in the shelves."
- "Ok, I'll go and check..."</i></span>

By this time I was kinda worried. If you knew about my previous experiences with wanting something and
wanting to buy something in particular which I've been waiting for, you'd know that this is certainly not the
first time that <i>fate</i> has tried to scr*w me over ! Anxiously I waited for the guy to come back to the phone
and tell me whether he found something or not...
<span style='color:brown'>
<i>"I'm holding a copy for you. What name can I put on this one ?"</i></span>
Yepp, that made the rest of my wednesday. Now it's about 5 am, thursday morning. My bus leaves for the
city in about six hours. I'll be arriving at noon and then add an extra ten - fifteen minutes before I reach the
store. I'm kinda excited to play this game right now. Unfortunately I have a paper to write on friday morning
(9 am) because of which I'll have to stay in the city, with my parents, until the test has been taken. So there
will be no gaming for me until friday afternoon when I get back home. (But hey, I'll be saving ~ $14 in busrides !) <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
I'm glad I'll be having the manual to read through (as well as this forum).

I've made up my mind, it feels good, I'm confident with the game I'm about to purchase and I can't wait to
start living my own life upon the high seas !
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />
 
Good Luck with your purchase mate <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" /> The only thing making me regret getting mine is the sudden lack of time for anything else I seem to have.. coincidence or what <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/keith.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":keith" border="0" alt="keith.gif" />
 
Hope you enjoy it Incoming. And if you don't, please send all complaints and mail bombs to Catalina the Pirate as she's really the only one around here who likes it... <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> @ Cap'n Toast! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Incoming, it's a good thing that you're going to get your paper done before you start to play the game, otherwise, you'll find yourself missing the deadline! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />
 
Every pirate worth his salt doesnt miss deadlines <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":eek:" border="0" alt="ohmy.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
 
Ok, time for a new update (only for those of you who are still interested) <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

The same thing happened today, the same thing that's <i>always</i> happening when I'm about to go somewhere !
I was showered, dressed and ready around 10:56 am. The bus was leaving around 11:05. Pretty instantly I
realized that I could never make that ten minutes walk to the busstop in time, so I called my g/f to come pick
me up and drive me to the busstop (since she had the car). I proceeded with collecting my eight games which
I was gonna trade in for SM's Pirates! By the time I got out and into the car, it was already 11:05. So, she
drove me to the next busstop, just to "be sure". I jumped out of the car at the stop and she took off. Ten
minutes later standing out there in the freezing cold I slowly began to realize that I had probably missed the bus.

So, I had nothing to do but to stand there at the stop for 45 minutes waiting for the next bus to come.
45 minutes in -10 degrees C and I was and has been cold ever since. Got there eventually though, walked
through the door into the store around 01:30 pm. I walked up to the counter, told them who I was and what I
was there to pick up. As the clerc fetched me the game, I was pleased to see the box - not just a plain `DVD-case`
and not one of those largest clumsy boxes. The fact that it came in a `middle-sized` box suggested that there had
to be something extra in there since they couldn't fit everything inside a regular `DVD-case`. That box looked like
pure quality to me, with those shiny "bumpy" letters on the front (don't know what you call such prints) and as the
game was handed to me, I felt a pleasant weight being supported by my hand. It just <i>had</i> to be a thick and
wonderful manual in there ! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> Whilst standing there with Pirates! in my right hand, I can't say that I felt any regret
or hesitation with trading in eight other games for this one.

Got to my parents' house about 02:30 pm. Hadn't opened the box 'til then, not even removed the plastic coating.
I've been relaxing under a thick warm blanket reading through the first 17 pages of the manual when I decided to
bring you this update. I can't deny that I'm very much looking forward to getting home tomorrow and trying this
game for the first time. I'm trying to figure out about that FSAA bug - I DO want to see the intro (especially the first
time I play - as well as all the other `in-game` videos), but I also want to play with graphics of the highest quality - my
brand new `g-card` has <b>got to work</b> Goddamnit !! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dev.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":d:" border="0" alt="dev.gif" />

It's about 06:15 pm right now and my plans are to bury some dinner in my head and to keep reading the manual
as well as checking back in this forum a couple more times. Up 'til this point everything is pure goodness !
What I'm expecting tomorrow as I launch the game is to hear some good catchy background music, to hear a wide
variety of ambient `sea-sounds` and to be overwhelmed by the very same `piratey-feeling` always present in the
MonkeyIsland titles.

One odd thing about the game though was that the s/n was printed on the <b>back</b> of the `DVD-case` - usually, the s/ns
are printed <b>inside</b> the cases (or on/in the manual). Just worth mentioning, that's all. =)

<b>CatalinaThePirate</b>
I <i>forbid</i> myself to even install titles like this one if I have <i>anything else</i> waiting for me that needs to be done.
Titles like this deserves to be played in quiet and calm opportunities ! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
And thanks to everyone in this thread for your support !
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" /> to you all !
 
How to get around the FSAA bug without having to look at blocky graphics has been stated numerous times now, just have a look e.g. in the tech forum <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />
 
For me atleast, I wasn't overly impressed. I never played the original pirates so I cant compare, but this game is a bit too "disney" for me, or cartoonish if you wish. From the fight scenes to the dancing (which I have a harder time with than the fighting) and the ships dont very well behave realistcally.

If your looking for a realistic pirate sim this would not be it, for that I would play Pirates of the Caribbean (with the disney name on it, how bout that! lol). But Sid's Pirates did earn a spot to stay on my PC since its easy to jump in and play for a while, whereas I dont bother to start up Pirates of the Caribbean unless I have a few hours to spare. I can quickly start up Pirates and play around for 20 minutes or so, have a few laughs, board a few spanish treasure ships, and I'm done with it for a few more days.
 
Also as far as repetitiveness goes, yea it is, but all games are really when you think about it. Every first person shooter your killing people over and over, everquest (one of my early favs) is about as repetitive as it gets =P.

I think its not so much that but the fact that after playing it I dont really feel like I actually "accomplished" anything. We like many of the same games. I dabble in everything from madden nfl `95-05`, championship manager 04, morrowind, final `fantasy7-10`, everquest, diablo InII over to age of empiresInII, rise of nations, civilization IInIII and even shooters like counter strike source, operation flashpoint, socom. I play just about everything and I cant think of a game quite like pirates. And I dont like to mention it but I was a member of the Sims Online beta...

Maybe the closest comparison I can get is its sort of like a graphically updated Heroes of Might and Magic in the Caribbean meets Kingdom Hearts.

It doesnt go as in depth as any game, it just has alot of things to do on the surface and after a week and you've done it all, all thats left is to do it all again <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" /> Not that bad of a thing if you liked it in the first place!
 
Very true, if you like the general principle of a game that very much says to the player, its up to you to make your fun, then this game can interest you forever, as the original has done for so many people. But if the game doesnt appeal to you when you play it and you prefer a more linear game that does actually have you accomplish something then Pirates is probably not going to be you <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" />
=slaps himself with a fish=

what am i saying, Pirates is for everyone <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
you can read MY review here:

www.spillegal.no

IF you're comfortable with the norwegian language of course...

I can also greatly recommend Bloodlines, but I guess I shouldn't mention a `non-piratey` games here... I could be keelhauled.
 
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