Age of Pirates 2 - City of Abandoned Ships - UK Manual - PC PDF

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Table of Contents
System Requirements 4 At sea 28
Known conflicts with At the shipyard 28
other programs 4 The Quest Book 29
Gameplay Tips 4 Logbook 29
Main Menu 5 Completed Quests 30
New Game 5 Relations 30
Hero types 6 Nation relations matrix 31
Select a nation 6 Bounty or merit 31
Game options 6 Flag on the ship 31
Customizing hero parameters 6 Trade 31
Profiles and saved games 7 Goods and prices 32
Profiles 7 Selling contraband 33
Load Game 8 Equipment and items 33
Save Game 9 Main characters equipment 33
Settings 9 Viewing maps 34
Escape menu 10 Treasure maps 34
Main game interfaces 10 Living in the city 35
Characters 11 Residence 35
P.I.R.A.T.E.S. RPG system 12 Distinguishing governors and
Skills 13 overnors-general 35
Personal Skills 13 Career 36
Ship Skills 14 Brothel 36
Other character parameters 16 Church 37
Abilities 17 Donations. Increasing
Passengers 18 reputation 37
Officers 18 Improving health 37
Your ship and her shape 22 Port Control 37
Ships parameters 22 Leave ship 37
Crew 23 Retrieve the ship 37
Companions 24 Fort and prison 37
Appointing a captain 25 Tavern 38
Exchange between ships 25 Recruiting a crew 38
Transferring cargo 25 Hiring officers 38
Changing captains 26 Brawls and duels 39
Swapping ships 26 Renting a room 39
Transferring the crew 26 The smuggler 39
Cargo in hold 27 The freelancer 39
On-board guns 27 The diplomat 39
Repairs 28 Reconciliation 39

Trading licenses 40 Grappling 54
The privateer license 40 Take the captured ship 54
Ransom for the city 40 Let the surrendered ship go 55
Shop 40 Stealthy sailing remaining
Buying, selling goods 40 undetected 55
Street dealers 41 Cabin and moving on the ship 55
Buying, selling items 41 Chests for holding
Moneylenders 42 personal items 56
Shipyard 42 Rest until morning or night 56
Buying and selling ships 42 Hiring slaves into the crew 56
Price difference 42 Managing officers 57
Repairs 43 Captives in the hold 57
Dungeons, caves, grottoes 44 Send out a rowboat 57
Search for treasures 44 Learn goods prices 57
The undead 44 Trading 58
Game modes 44 Play cards or dice 58
Land mode 44 Demand a toll 58
Quick travel 44 Global map mode 58
Combat system 45 Encounters with enemy ships 60
Life 45 Encounters with peaceful ships 60
Health 45 Storms 61
Energy 46 Bounty hunters 61
Enemy life and energy 46 Capturing cities 62
Pistol rounds 46 Destruction of the fort and
Attack types 46 battle in the city 62
Assigning strike controls 47 Land assault 63
Looting corpses 47 Looting the city 63
Stealthy movement 48 Raise a nations flag 64
Bounty hunters 48 Raise a pirate flag above the city 64
Sea mode 48 Appoint a deputy 64
Ship status 49 Remove a deputy 64
Mini-map 49 Collect taxes 64
Spyglass 50 Sieges and retaking the city 64
Quick commands 50 Pay ransom for your city 65
Managing your squadron 51 Transfer control of your city
Sea battles 52 to the governor-general 65
Ammo and gunpowder 52 Default controls 66
Targeting 53 Credits 68
Damage to cannons 53 Limited warranty 70
Forfeiting battle leaving
ships behind 53

System Requirements
To successfully run the game, your computer needs to meet the following
requirements:
Operating system: Win XP/VISTA

DirectX: DirectX 9.0c or higher
CPU: Intel Pentium IV 1.5 GHz or Athlon equivalent
RAM: 256MB (1024 for Vista)
DVD-ROM: DVD Drive
Free HDD space: 8.5 GB Hard drive space available
Sound card: DirectSound compatible Soundcard
Graphics card: DX9 Graphics card, GeForce 4 or
equivalent with 64 MB Ram
Known conflicts with other programs

QIP: Quiet Internet Pager May somewhat slow the system down while receiv-
ing messages. If message popups are turned on (they arent by default), then on
receipt of messages, the game crashes, whether in fullscreen or windowed mode.
Punto Switcher Clicks, when pressing certain keys; crashes possible. Fixed
by adding the game into the exception list, through Options/Applications.
Kaspersky Antivirus 5.0 May run slowly with active file checking mode
on; no crashes.
Kaspersky Antivirus 6.0 May briefly slow down with active file checking
on; no crashes. You can pause the program whilst you play: Preferences/file/
antivirus/preferences/additional/ pause tasks when launching application.
Gameplay Tips (Quick Reference)

Hire Ocers as quickly as you can (you can find Ocers who are looking for work
in the Tavern in every town, just talk to them and they will oer their services)
When ashore be sure to have some Fighters with you (you can assign Oc-
ers to the role of Fighters, and then reassign them to ship duties
once you board your ship, use the [F2] Ship menu to do this)
Hire regular crew members for your ship from the Tavern owner
(talk to him and he will oer a crew for hire)
Ensure you have enough money to pay the crew wages
Before leaving port be sure that you have sucient Food, Weapons and
Medicine for the journey

Assign an Ocer to be a Navigator and a Cannoneer on your ship (and
then fill up the remaining roles as soon as you can)
Do not buy a ship in a Class that is beyond your Navigation Skill (in the [F2]
Character menu right-click on the Navigation skill to see more information)
When you are oered a quest you should think about it long and hard
before accepting or rejecting it, some quests will only be offered once,
and other quests have grave penalties should you fail them)
When engaged in a Naval Battle against superior forces it is often better to
flee than to try to fight
When engaged in a Naval Battle you can use the [R] key to speed up time,
and then use the [+] key to speed up time up to a value of 6 times normal speed
Main Menu
The main menu offers the following selections:
New Game Starts a game from the beginning.

Load Game Loads a previously saved game.
Options Video, audio, and control settings.
Credits A list of developers of the game, and those who took part in its creation.
Exit Exit the game.
New Game

To begin a new game, select a hero from the list.
Hero types
Adventurer
Corsair
Merchant
Select a Nation
This defines your starting city, and the way other nations will tend to treat the player.
Game Options
Enter profile name The name under which saved games will be stored.
Difficulty Varies from Sailor to Impossible; ten levels in total, with
Captain as the median. This affects the pace of your heros development,
enemy strength, profit, and many other things.
Enemy Encounters Changes the frequency of potential battles, especially
the number of ships on the world map.
Auto reload pistols In this mode, pistols are automatically reloaded
during combat. Otherwise, you need to sheath your saber first. This mode
affects all characters in the game.
Hardcore game Not pumping enough adrenaline? Do you want to feel
the full weight of your actions, like a real corsair? In this mode, you can only
save the game on sanctified ground that is, in churches. This mode requires
some hard decisions, as you wont be able to fall back on constant reloading.
Sea Battles You can choose between Dynamic battles (fast speed,
maneuvering, and cannon reload times) and Tactical battles (for the more
contemplative player).
Customizing hero parameters

After starting the game, the dialog on the deck will let you view and modify
your heros status.

Clicking the arrows will let you fine-tune your Capabilities, to build your own
unique hero type. Your other skills and experience thresholds will automatically
change, according to new PIRATES values. (See PIRATES RPG system section).
Profiles and saved games

Profiles
Each time you start a new game, you need to enter a new user profile, under
which your saved games will be stored. Profiles allow several people to hold
their saved games independently from each other. The profiles also keep track of
game options.

Load Game
To load a game, select Load Game from the main menu or [Esc] menu. (See
Escape Menu section for more details.) You will see the profile selection screen.
Load Profile Load selected profile.

Delete Delete selected profile.
Exit Back to the previous menu.
After the profile loads, the save/load screen should appear. Theres no limit
to your save slots, so go nuts if you like. Use the scroll bar to the right, to see all
your games.
The lower part of the screen shows which officers are in play, in the
selected game.
Profile Select another profile

Load Load the selected game.
Delete Delete the selected game.
Exit Back to the previous menu.

Save Game
The Save option is only available from the [Esc] menu. The interface is
similar to the load-game interface, with a Save button in place of the Load
button. To save a game, select an empty slot then hit Save. If you select an
already-occupied slot, a box will ask you if you want to overwrite the old game.
Settings
Video settings Slide the sliders to set the games overall gamma, bright-
ness, and contrast.
Sea details Designate your preferred oceanic complexity.
Higher levels make the sea feel smoother; lower levels improve your compu-
ters performance.
Foliage Quality How complex do you want your trees? Uncheck all op-
tions to increase your computers performance.
Sounds Cant hear the voices? Hate the music? Here, you find your
own balance.
Controls Fiddle with your mouse, and set your movement rate.
Button settings Map your own controls for sea and land movement.
To change a key binding, double-click the action (or select it and press
[Space]), then tap your preferred key.
Restore the default buttons Return everything to
factory settings.

To save your changes, click the OK button. To discard changes, hit the
Cancel button.
Escape menu
The Escape menu is basically the same as the main menu. You can call it
up at any time by pressing the [Esc] key on the keyboard.
From this menu, you can save your current progress, load a previously saved
game, or change your settings.
Important: Provided Hardcore Game mode is off, you can save your progress at any
time, except in the midst of a boarding operation or an attack on a fort.
Main game interfaces

The [F2] key brings out the main system menus. These include:
Characters Manage your hero, officers, companions, and passengers.

Ships Manage the heros ships, and the ships parameters, crew, and stored goods.
Journal Ships log, game statistics, useful information, cashbook.
Nations the interface of relations between the nations, bounty on the
heros head, his reputation with the nations, ships flag management.
Trade Trading log; a list of goods and prices, automatically updated dur-
ing shop visits.
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Items Manage your heros equipment, view your journey maps, and study
treasure maps.
Press [F2] to open your last-viewed menu, then use the icon panel at the top
to navigate.
A more detailed look at each interface follows.
Characters
The first time you hit [F2], you will be presented with the character interface.
Here, you may view the parameters of all characters under your purveyance, and
manage the parameters of your main hero and officers.
As with your hero, each character in the game has her or her main Capabilities,
Personal Skills, Ship Skills, and Personal and Ship Abilities. Major Capabilities af-
fect the speed at which the character gains Skill points, and the Skills in turn affect
the characters Rank and Abilities.
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The heros rank is your indicator of the characters personal development.
It changes in steps, as experience is amassed. The heros Life points also increase
with rank; the specific increase is determined by Endurance. As the hero increases
in rank, he will more frequently encounter stronger enemies and better items.
The P.I.R.A.T.E.S. RPG system

The heros development is directly dependent on his starting PIRATES
Capabilities. Capability values run from 1 to 10. At the games beginning each
hero has a balanced set of Capabilities and the default settings are optimal for
the development of your chosen character, but an experienced player can reassign
values from 3 to 10 to each of the PIRATES Capabilities, from a pool of 42
points. (If you like, thats six points for each statistic.) By reassigning Capabilities
values you can create a unique hero, suited to your own personal style of play.
Power Hit harder, throw farther, and carry more. Affects how much
stuff you can lift and carry, and your amount of health. This is the defining
characteristic for Skills that require great physical effort, especially heavy
and medium weapons, and cannon Skills.
Insight The ability to see and hear. You need a good eye for naval
combat, because it can be difficult to hit the broad side of an enemy ship.
Greatly affects the Accuracy and Stealth Skills.
Reaction Affects movement coordination and sleight of hand. A clumsy
man will catch his saber in his own sheath, or a boarding hook in his pants.
Important for such Skills as light and medium weapons, pistols, and board-
ing. Affects your maximum amount of energy.
Authority The sum of a courageous, scarred face and a properly applied
tongue. A leader need not rob a merchant of his best merchandise, as the
merchant will give it freely. He will attract the best followers, and be greeted
in every port by the most beautiful women in the Caribbean. Leadership
is an essential attribute for Skills such as Authority and Trade. Affects the
number of officers willing to join.
Talent Knowledge, wisdom, and the knack for fast decisions. A sharp
character will have no trouble reloading his weapons or bargaining for lower
prices. Using navigational devices also requires some thought. Aects Trade,
cannons, navigation and most importantly the pace at which the hero
progresses in rank and gains new Abilities.
Endurance Crucial for any man looking to make his way as a pirate. And its
just as important to their potential clients. Repairs and defense largely depend
of this characteristic, as do weight endurance and the gain of health points.
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Success What can you say about providence? Here but for the grace
of God go we. Helps where all else has failed you. A bullet may miss its
target, or an enemy will pass you by unaware. Affects pistols, Luck, and
stealth Skills.
Skills
The heros performance is dependent on his Skills. A characters specific Skills
are divided into Personal Skills, and Ship Skills. When you achieve a certain Skill
level, you are also awarded Ability points (personal and ship related) and these
allow you to add special Abilities to your character.
You are free to choose your own Abilities, selecting the ones you prefer to
develop your character. You can improve your ship Skills by employing skilful
officers, but your personal Skills depend on your hero alone.
Below, you will find a list of in-game Skills. Your Skill scores range from 1 to
100; their starting value (typically around 5-10 points) is determined by your
Capabilities. Your Skill stats automatically improve as you use their correspond-
ing skills. For example, fixing your ship at sea will boost your Repairs Skill,
while gutting your enemies with a rapier should improve your mastery of light
weapons.
Note for advanced players: in the descriptions of each Skill the formula in paren-
theses at the end shows the dependence of Skill improvement on your PIRATES Capa-
bilities. For example (A*0.9+T*0.1) indicates that the Authority Capability setting
has a significant influence, and the Talent Capability setting, has a minor influence
on the development of the specific Skill.
Personal Skills
Authority
When people see that you are a reliable person under any circumstance, they
begin to trust you. When that happens, the tavern starts to brim over with sailors
eager to join you in your adventures, and your enemies surrender the moment
they see your flag. If your authority is high enough, you can trust that your men
will grapple even the Sea Devil himself. This skill depends on Authority and
Talent. (A*0.9+T*0.1)
Light weapons
The ability to handle light arms mostly rapiers and small killing tools.
It depends upon Reaction and Insight. (R*0.9+I*0.1)
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Medium weapons
The ability to handle swords arms that require not only power, but some
skill as well. This relies on Power and Reaction. (P*0.6+R*0.4)
Heavy weapons
You need to be in pretty good shape to handle axes, backswords, and other
heavy swords. This skill relies on Power and Endurance. (P*0.9+E*0.1)
Pistols
This Skill allows you to handle highly complex devices, capable of propelling
small lead pellets over great distances. Effective use of pistols requires agility and
a bit of luck. Who knows where a bullet will fly? Depends on Reaction and
Success. (R*0.5+S*0.5)
Luck
Providence and good fortune are of universal need. This all depends on
Success. (S)
Stealth
Sneaking past an enemy guard post, losing your pursuers on the endless field
of the ocean, or striking an unsuspecting opponent out of the blue these are
the skills of a true captain. Yet none of it is possible without great Success and
Insight. (S*0.5+I*0.5)
Ship Skills
Navigation
The Skill to navigate a ship through storms and fog; the Skill to use navi-
gational instruments and manage a squadron. At the hand of an experienced
skipper, the biggest and the most menacing ship will fly like a bird. This depends
on Insight and Talent. (I*0.2+T*0.8)
Incidentally, for effective control, each ship class requires a certain minimum
level Navigational Skill:
Class 1 requires 95
Class 2 requires 80
Class 3 requires 65
Class 4 requires 40
Class 5 requires 25
Class 6 requires just 1
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It is important that you match your ship class to your Navigation Skill level,
do not acquire a ship class that is far above your Navigation Skill because you
will lack the Skill to outrun and outgun your enemies, and you will fall prey to
their attacks. A deficit of Navigational Skill when in a high class ship also reduces
the characters other Skills and Abilities. The difference between the current
and required Navigation values for a particular ship class (that is, the required
value minus the current value) will have a negative impact on your characters
performance.
Accuracy
One of the most important Skills for captains who sail the high seas. A real
skipper will never waste cannon balls and powder on fish; every salvo must be
delivered with precision! And when the salty wind disperses the acrid fumes
from the bridge, the horizon must be clear as day! You cant find good accuracy
without Insight and some Success. (I*0.8+S*0.2)
Cannons
Loading the cannon like a demon; promptly rolling it up, then cleaning,
loading, and targeting once more, the sound of the salvo still ringing between
the bulkheads, remembering to splash the barrel with water to avoid overheating
... No room for nonsense, amongst the flames and thunder just loading, roll-
ing, and firing! Requires Talent and Power. (T*0.6+P*0.4)
Grappling
Close in on the foul vessel, connect your lines on the first throw, and unleash
an avalanche on the trembling enemy. Storm the decks, and capture the vessel
for your well-deserved prize. It all takes Skill and experience, but think of the
loot it may bring! Requires Reaction and Talent. (R*0.7+T*0.3)
Defense
As each day passes the crew becomes more accustomed to its charge, until
each salted hide is worth ten barebacks from the tavern. A good skipper needs
know how to protect his men from a foolish and unnecessary death. In mobiliz-
ing the crew for defense, Endurance is as important as reliable Authority.
(E*0.5+A*0.5)
Repair
When enemy orbs reduce your deck to splinters and your sails to cheesecloth,
when a squall rends the hull and the wind rips the rigging like so many threads
this is when the value of a good handyman comes to light. The key here is
Endurance, but some Insight certainly cant hurt. (E*0.8+I*0.2)
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Trade
This is the Skill to turn over something you bought for a pittance, and make
a killing for the effort. Its all about business acumen, knowing the richest trade
routes, and maintaining friendly merchant relations. Theres no better relief for a
headache than a plump pocket, as you will learn when the crew starts to ask its
due. Depends on Talent and some Authority. (T*0.8+A*0.2)
Note: Your may improve your Skill values by assigning officers with a higher value
in the corresponding skills than your protagonists own. Another trick is using
items with Skill bonuses. Your Skill values may be reduced by sickness, ship
class penalty, items with negative bonuses, or lading yourself with more than
you can carry.
Other character parameters

Rank Your characters level of personal prowess. It grows in stages,
based on the experience you gather. With each new rank, your heros Life
increases, depending on your endurance. As your rank increases, you will
more often encounter powerful enemies and new items.
Life Points Your indicator of the main characters ability to withstand
physical damage. The more life points you have, the more piercing, slash-
ing, chopping, and gunfire you may withstand before succumbing to the
Sea Devil. Your supply of Life increases with each new rank, based on your
Endurance value.
Health The indicator of your heros overall physical condition. Bad health
lowers your heros statistics. Health depletes if the hero should be severely
wounded, and it returns if he abstains from melee battles for an extended
time.
Energy A sign of your characters endurance during hand-to-hand combat.
All melee attacks expend some energy meaning over the course of a battle,
your character will exhaust himself, and will need to rest, to restore his
strength. Your maximum energy depends on your characters Reaction value.
Money Your total trove of piasters. Your hero can stash money in his
pocket, with select individuals, or in the form of a bank draft from a
moneylender.
Reputation Affects how other characters see you. Reputation can be high
(thats positive), neutral, or low. The reputation you earn depends on how
you do what you do. Whatever your notoriety, it will tend to diminish
over time, and your actions will be forgotten. People remember bad things
longer than they remember good no surprise there. If you sit on your
heels for an age, eventually the world will see you as nothing but a run-of-
the-mill sailor.
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Carried weight The maximum weight that you can carry without en-
cumbering yourself, thereby compromising your movement and dexterity.
Depends on Power and Endurance.
Title Shows how much your nation appreciates you.
Loyalty This pertains more to officers than to your hero. An officers
loyalty depends on what you do. Noble officers wont take orders from a
scoundrel for long, while rascals wont tolerate being fenced in by a right-
eous busybody.
Nation In the corner of your portrait, youll see a national flag. This is
your allegiance, whether be it your point of origin or adopted, in the form
of a privateer license. The flag on a ship is not necessarily representative of
the allegiance of its captain; you can hoist whatever flag makes your life
easier (see Nations screen), but the actual attitude towards your character
depends on his allegiance and whatever bounty he might have on his head.
Your Experience threshold indicates how many points you have earned
toward the specified skill, rank, or ability, and how many more you need to reach
the next level. Your Skills improve when you use them. So for every time you hit
a target, your Pistols skill goes up. Regardless of the particular skill, the points
you earn are then pooled in your rank or Abilities experience (depending upon
skill type). Reaching a Rank and Skills threshold gives you a new rank; your
heros life is increased, and you are granted Ability points to distribute as you
deem fit.
Abilities
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Abilities are additional statistics that represent your specialization in a
particular field. You may become an elite fencer, a master at the ships wheel, or
a famous merchant. Some Abilities are not immediately available, as they rely
on other Abilities that the player must first master. There are both personal and
ship Abilities; Ability points are awarded upon achieving a certain threshold of
personal or ship abilities. You should have access to most ship Abilities, depend-
ing on the statistics of your assigned officers.
Passengers
On the left of the screen is a list of all characters affiliated with the player. The
same list contains all possible officer positions. There are four types of characters
in the game:
Passengers Characters you are delivering to a particular destination, in

exchange for a reward. Hired officers you have yet to assign to a position
(free ocers) are also considered passengers.
Officers Characters that perform the duties of a ships officer.
Companions Should you agree to escort a merchant vessel then the mer-
chant captain will become your companion for the duration of the journey.
Should you assign an officer to command one of your ships, he also will be
considered your companion.
Captives Characters held aboard your ship against their will; you can try
to ransom them off, or offer them jobs, if theyre up to the work. If any of
your passengers start to annoy you, you can take them captive as well. Also,
those captains who surrender during a boarding exercise will become your
captives. You can interrogate your captives in the hold; when you know who
they are, you can contact the appropriate authorities for ransom. The big-
gest ransom is granted by the captives own governor, but the exact amount
will differ from city to city.
Officers
If the main character is less adept at a task, he can hire officers to do the job
more effectively. For example, if you focus on Trade and Defense, you may need
a Navigator and a Gunner, while an experienced seafarer will require a Treasurer
and a Carpenter. The officer will improve your corresponding Skill by the dif-
ference between your and his levels in that Skill: if your navigation is at 33, and
your officer is at 43, you will net 10 points. If your Skill has been so bolstered,
the difference will be highlighted in green.
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Note: Any ship class penalty applies to your post-boosted navigation Skill.
You can assign officers to the positions of Navigator, Bosun, Cannoneer,

Doctor, Treasurer, Carpenter, or Fighter/Grappler. Depending on the officers po-
sition, only certain Skills and Abilities may be improved. There are a total of nine
officer positions on the ship, plus one captain that being your hero. You can
assign up to three Fighter/Grappler officers. These officers will accompany your
hero on land and during boarding, protecting him with their bodies, blades, and
pistols. Make sure to equip them with enough bullets, life elixirs, and good, ap-
propriate steel. Officers can also have the Multitasking or Jack of All Trades
Abilities, which allow a single officer to hold two or three positions at once. This
means that a mere three officers may be enough to bolster the heros Skills and
Abilities, and aid him in combat.
Hiring and appointing an officer

Often you can find worthy candidates in taverns, sitting at tables and openly
oering their services. Before you hire them, you can (and should) view their
Capabilities, Skills, and Abilities. When you pay them what they want, theyll
become your Passengers. From there, using the [F2] Characters screen, you
can appoint them to a position, or make them your companions by buying or
capturing them each a ship. Each month, you need to pay your officers and crew
a salary; sometimes men may ask for a bit more gold, or should their loyalty
plummet, categorically announce their resignation.
To appoint an officer, double-click or press [Enter] on an empty slot. Select

the desired candidate from the list, and press Add ocer. Under the passenger
list, you will see a Capabilities table, to aid you in your decisions.
Appointing a companion will be covered in the Your ship and her shape
section.
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Removing from post and dismissing
To remove an officer from his post and make him a passenger again, double-
click or select and press [Enter] on his picture in the passenger list.
You can dismiss an officer in dialog. If an officer is a Fighter/Grappler, then

you can do so on land; otherwise, you should go to the Wardroom on board
your ship (when on your ship go to your Cabin, and then walk through the Can-
non Deck to the Wardroom door and enter to meet your ocers in person).
You can dismiss a companion by removing him from his ship (see Your ship
and her shape) and making him an ocer; this will place him either on land or
in the Wardroom.
Gaining experience for officers

Just like the main character, officers gain Skill experience while performing actions
featuring those skills. So an officer will improve in, say, light weapons if he is equipped
with and actively uses a rapier. Companions will also improve their ship skills. Further-
more, any experience received by the hero will be distributed amongst all passengers:
officers get 25%; companions, 16.5%; everyone else, 5%. If the character has the Ex-
perience Exchange ability, these values go up to 50%, 33%, and 10%, respectively.
As his Skills improve, an officer gains new ranks; his life increases, and he
gains new Ability points, which the player can distribute himself.
Hint: The Multitasking ability allows an officer to occupy several positions at once.
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Officers equipment
You can view the contents of each passengers pockets in the [F2]/Items
screen. Yet you cant exchange or equip items there; you can only exchange items
when the hero and the officer are in the same location. Fighter/Grapplers follow
the hero everywhere he goes, while other ocers can be found in the Wardroom
on your ship (if applicable). You must go to the ocer and call up the command
menu ([Enter]), then select Trade to bring up an interface not dissimilar from
the looting window (see Looting chests section). Trading during combat is
only possible if your hero has the Experience Exchange Ability. Items are
equipped automatically; the officer chooses the best arms for his attributes.
Hint: Always give your officers a few bottles of life elixir this should allow them to
survive difficult skirmishes.
Another method: You can purchase shop items straight into an officers pockets by se-
lecting their picture at the top of the Item Trading Menu and mak-
ing a purchase for them; when trading is over, they will automati-
cally equip them. You cant sell an item that is currently equipped.
Loyalty and salary

An officers loyalty is determined by his reputation and the heros actions. Vir-
tuous men will grow distant if you commit dirty deeds, and vice versa. If the
loyalty indicator in the [F2]/Characters screen falls to zero, the officer will leave
the hero at first opportunity, and you will have no recourse to stop him.
Each month you need to pay out the salaries, including to the officers, regard-
less of their current position. The more developed the officers Skills, the more
money he will demand.
Sometimes, after serving the hero for some while, an officer may have a
change of heart and leave you for the life of freelancer. A small, one-time bonus
may be enough to rein in such a wild spirit.
Hint: Carefully track your officers loyalty; if you value your men and youve got a
mission that you know will conflict with their morals, you would do well to
plan your actions in advance.
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Your ship and her shape
A corsairs ship is his home, his weapon, his livelihood, his pride and his joy.
You can view the parameters of a ships captain by right-clicking the portrait at
the top-left of the screen.
Ships parameters
Name The ships name is displayed under her picture. To change the
name, click it, delete the old one, and type in the new name.
Hull The amount of damage the ships hull can withstand. A strong hull
will help you to survive an armada and bring down a castle. Keep an eye on
your hulls condition, and repair it as required. If youve the planks to spare,
you should be fine, given time to effect the repairs.
Sails The amount of sustainable damage by the ships sails. You may want
to keep a stock of sailcloth on board, just in case.
Speed For some tasks, a decent ship speed is essential; tactical maneuvers
and playing catch with merchants (a favorite pirate game) take quite a bit
of thrust. Speed is affected by the cargo in the hold, the captains Skills, and
any ship damage.
Maneuvering ability In battle, a swift turn can save your ship and all on
board, or allow you to perform two broadsides in the time that a galleon
could perform but one. A ships maneuverability is affected by its cargo, the
captains abilities, and any damage sustained.
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Point of sail This is how close to the wind a ship can sail. The higher this
value, the closer to the wind the ship can travel. Ships with fore-and-aft
rigging are better suited for traveling against the wind.
Hold This is how much cargo the ship can carry, in relative volume-weight
units. The more goods in the hold, the less agile and fast the ship. A huge hold
is every merchants dream. To increase how much you can carry in the hold,
you can always remove all those heavy cannons if you can afford the risk.
Cannons/Culverins Adjust the caliber and number of cannons and
culverins on board.
Crew The number of sailors in your crew. A minimal crew is required to
control the ship; you are allowed to go over the maximum crew limit, but
such a crowd increases the risk of mutiny.
Crew experience The crews experience is divided into three categories: Sail-
ors, Cannoneers, and Soldiers. See the Crew section (below) for more detail.
Crew
A ships crew consists of all the occupied sailors on board. You can scout for
sailors in taverns; during the day, theres always someone willing to set sail with
you. Their number depends on your characters Authority the more respected
you are, the more people will want to join you. (See Tavern.)
The crews experience is divided into three categories: Sea (ship handling), Gun-
ner (cannon reload and accuracy), and Grappling (melee combat) experience. This
means that every sailor can be a Sailor, a Cannoneer, and a Soldier, but his special-
ties may differ. A small, experienced crew may be far more effective than a boat
brimming over with greenhorns. Crew gain experience in a particular category
when they perform relevant tasks (maneuvering, shooting, grappling) yet they
also lose it, if they fail to exercise their skills for very long. A sailors proficiencies
may depend on his nationality: the English are always good sailors, while France is
famous for excellent cannoneers. Still, pirates can do anything in a pinch.
If you need to, you can always strengthen your crew with any slaves you are
carrying. To do this, you must be in your cabin; from the [Enter] menu, enter
Speak aloud mode and select Slave recruitment. If any agree to join you,
your crew will increase in number, but its morale and experience will suffer a bit.
The crew receives a monthly salary, which depends on the ships class, the
crews experience, and the heros Skills (Authority and Trade).
If you fail to pay the requested sum, the crews morale will dwindle rapidly
though the Iron Will Ability slows the decay a bit. A rebellious crew will handle
the ship poorly, wont fight as well as it might, and you may even face a mutiny.
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The crews size is determined by the ships Sailors parameter. For example,
174: 25 / 159 means that the ship currently has 174 sailors; the minimal crew
is 25 men; and the maximum is 159, which means that theres a crew surplus.
Therefore, the crew indicator is in red. A surplus of crew allows you to increase
the overall productivity of an inexperienced crew, but leads to a lack of space,
which damages morale. A below-minimum value will also be highlighted in red:
an insufficient crew leads to an uncontrollable ship.
The morale of a crew is a key concern of sea life. Its value affects a ships
handling, cannon reload times, and grappling battles. A sharp drop in morale
will surely lead to mutiny.
Mutiny aboard a companions ship will lead to that ship leaving your squad-
ron. Mutiny aboard your ship requires immediate action: your hero will appear
on deck with his loyal officers, against the rebels.
Also, mutiny is a risk when you are carrying more slaves than crew members. Of
course the slaves weapons are worthless, but the slaves are worthless cargo if theyre dead.
Every day the crew expends some provisions fish, meat, biscuits, fresh water.
A lack of provisions leads to famine, death of crew members, and a sharp drop
in morale. Each day, 1 unit of provisions is consumed for every 10 sailors, and 1
unit for every 20 slaves.
Your stock of provisions is displayed in days at the top-left corner of the
Ship screen. Provisions are distributed independently for each ship: some
might have too much, while some might not have enough you will have to
redistribute your stock through the exchange-between-ships menu.
After battle, some sailors may die from wound or disease. To decrease your
mortality rate, always keep a stock of medicine on board. Medicines are used
automatically when needed; if you run out, you get a warning message.
One way to keep up morale is by doling out a daily share of rum. To do this,
you need 1 unit of rum for every 10 sailors.
You can also improve morale by distributing a share of the loot, which you
can do by pressing the Raise morale button. This button calls up a dialog
screen, where you can see the cost of improving morale, 10% at a time.
Companions
The heros squadron can consist of as many as five; one under the players
control, the rest enrusted to his companions. A quest character can become a
temporary companion, but your control over such a character is limited; you
cant simply dismiss him and sell the ship.
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Appointing a captain
There are two cases where you may need to assign a captain: after buying a
new ship at the shipyard, or after boarding and capturing a vessel. Later you can
remove the officer and appoint a new one, using the exchange-with-ship screen.
Exchange between ships

There are two ways to enter an inter-ship exchange. The first is through the
[F2]/Ships screen: double-click (or press [Enter]) on the companions portrait.
The second one is at sea, with ships board-to-board, through the Exchange fast
command.
The first method does not work during sea battle, while the second one gives
you a chance to swap ships or transfer crew and cargo during combat.
Transferring cargo
You can unload all cargo with a single click: Take all goods. If there is
enough space, everything will be transferred; otherwise, youll simply take what
you can carry. Keep in mind that the most expensive goods are transferred first;
cheaper stuff comes after. To transfer specific goods, use the arrows in the list:
left-click transfers 1 unit at a time; right-click, 10 units. Arrow keys perform
quick unit transfers, and [Shift] + arrow keys will transfer all the selected goods.
You can dispose of excessive goods or read their description by double-

clicking, or pressing [Enter], on the goods in the list.
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Changing Captains
When you close the exchange window, a ship without a captain will sink; any
crew and goods left on such a ship will be lost, so be sure to transfer them before
sending the ship to the bottom.
Appointing a new captain is analogous to appointing an officer to a position

you select a person from the list of passengers. If your appointed officer is holding
a position on your ship, he will be relieved.
As with the hero, a companion is affected by his Navigation Skill and ship
class penalty. You can view a captains characteristics by right-clicking his
portrait.
Swapping ships
The Swap ships button swaps the captains of two ships, meaning that your
hero is transferred to a new ship. The goods in the hold and the crew of the
ships remain as they were. Any personal items in the chests in your cabin are
automatically transferred to the new room. Any captives in the hold are also led
to the new ship.
Transferring the crew

Transferring the crew is done using the arrows in the Crew transfer mode.
The number highlighted in red signifies insufficient or surplus stock. After the
transfer, the sailors experience is averaged.
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Cargo in hold
You can view a description of goods by double-clicking the items, or pressing
[Enter]. To dispose of unwanted supplies, use the arrows or type a number in the
provided form; confirm by hitting OK.
On-board guns
You can manage the guns on your ship by double-clicking the Cannons/
Culverins field in the ships parameter list.
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Your ship may be equipped with cannons or culverins, of 12, 16, 24, 32 or
42-caliber rounds. You can specify the number and layout of the guns; the ship
type determines the maximum number and caliber of the guns.
Cannons have better damage, rounds, and reload times, but smaller shooting radius.
All guns are considered goods, and the number is displayed in the hold as
cargo. Equipped guns are not seen in the hold, and you cannot dispose of them
or sell them until you dismount them with the Remove All button.
Guns are heavy things, so to make some extra room for commerce, you can
cut down on their number, leaving only a token defense in case of emergency.
You can exchange all your guns by pressing the Remove all button, selecting
a new type from the list, and hitting Fix all. You can add or remove guns on
starboard, port, bow, and stern, using the corresponding arrows.
During combat, guns can be disabled by a direct hit from an enemy can-
nonball or bomb, or from a failed salvo on your part. The guns rounds can
vary: small cannons (12-pound) have small rounds, larger calibers can fire more
punchy munitions. You can replenish your stock of guns by transferring any
spares from the holds of enemy ships, or by buying them at a shipyard.
You cannot dismount of equip guns during combat, or while looting a prize
ship; first you will have to appoint a captain to the ship and leave combat.
Repairs
During your travels, your ship may be damaged by storms, enemy fire, or
collision with rocks and coastal reefs. Damage can be inflicted on the hull, sails,
or occasionally the masts.
At sea
To repair your ship out of port, you need a good stock of planks and sailcloth.
Repair speed depends on your Repair Skill and various carpenter Abilities. A
good carpentry officer will allow you to rebuild your ship quickly and effectively.
Unfortunately, there is no way to repair a mast at high sea.
At the shipyard
To repair at port, you dont need planks or sailcloth; all you do is select what
percentage of damage you want to repair, and pay for the service. The ships
masts are repaired automatically at the shipyard. Each ship still takes a while to
repair, but its quicker than doing it yourself in less than ideal conditions.
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Speed and maneuvering
A ships handling is affected by several factors: wind strength and direction,
the captains Navigation Skill, the crews experience, hull condition, weight in
the hold yet generally the most important factor is the sails. A ship with dam-
aged sails cannot move quickly, and struggles to maneuver. Speed is also affected
by sail position. Sails can assume three distinct positions: struck, battle positions,
or full sail.
Maneuverability is affected by inertia: a higher speed leads to a higher turn
speed, but a wider radius. It is easier to maneuver with sails in battle position.
A ships current and maximum speed and maneuver values are shown in the
[F2]/Ships screen. For example, in the speed field, 11.50/16.30 means that
the ship itself is capable of reaching 16.30 knots, but with the current captain
and crew expertise, and the cargo and damage at hand, the speed will not exceed
11.50 knots. The current value does not take into account sail position, or wind
strength and direction.
Sailing ships are propelled by force of wind, so in theory the stronger the
wind, the faster the ship goes yet sailing upwind and downwind have different
effects on a ships speed. A ship cannot move directly into the wind. Each ship
has a particular Point of sail or, the minimal angle to the wind that the ship
can sail. A higher value means the ship can sail at a shallower angle to the wind.
Ships with fore-and-aft rigging are better suited to sailing upwind.
The Quest Book

This screen allows the player to view the ships log, which the hero fills in
automatically.
Logbook
This journal shows a list of active missions. You can expand any entry into a
full event log by double-clicking or pressing [Enter]. Each entry is time-stamped;
the oldest entries are at the bottom, the newest at the top.
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Completed Quests
This tab holds all the quests completed by the player.
Relations
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Nation relations matrix
There are three types of diplomatic relations:
Friendly
Neutral
At war
Along the top and left are sovereign flags; at the intersections are their
relationships.
The hero belongs to his affiliated nation be that his nation of origin or the hold-
er of his current privateer license (if any). Whatever diplomacy applies to your home
nation column applies to you as well, keeping in mind any bounty on your head.
Bounty or merit
The way youre seen by a nation, its citizens, and its soldiers may change.
Deeds that people perceive are in their benefit will raise your reputation, while
bad deeds may earn you a bounty on your head. As there is no end to bounty
hunters, this means constant pursuit on land and at sea. Yet you can reduce a
bounty, through good deeds or outright bribery which may help restore the
peace, somewhat.
Flag on the ship

Your affiliated nation is either your place of origin or the nation that
holds your privateer license (if any). You can check your aliations in the
[F2]/Character screen. In the [F2]/Nations screen, you can view the flag on
your heros ship, which you can change at sea to conceal your real identity. An
enemy vessel can still be recognized by ships at sea or guards at port; it all de-
pends on your heros Stealth value. If your own state has a bounty on your head,
youre considered at war even with them.
Who is considered an enemy depends on current diplomatic relations and
any bounties in play. Fast travel does not work while behind enemy lines.
Trade
There is little end to the goods for sale. You are therefore granted some leeway
when it comes to trade.
Some goods are produced locally, so prices are low; others need to be im-
ported, driving up price and demand. Some goods may be banned altogether,
depending on a governors whims.
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You can profit on simple price differences, buying cheap and selling higher.
There is more money to be made by smuggling, but this is a slippery slope. Of
course, the most profitable deals come when you take your goods for nothing ...
Its up to you to dwell on the logistics there.
Goods and prices

As you shop around, you will encounter a range of prices. The lists of goods
and prices you encounter are archived for your convenience in the [F2]/Trade
screen. These lists contain a table for different cities: stock levels, sell and buy
prices, and type (import, export, or contraband). The information is somewhat
time-sensitive, since commerce has its own in-game life. Still, it allows you to
research and make some basic mercantile decisions.
Hint: Dont be shy about asking prices from merchants at sea, and take note
of tavern rumors.
Prices are based on supply and demand: if a shops stock is perpetually low,
then prices will go up. Conversely, goods that are constantly sold result in a
surplus, which leads to price drops. With time, the market balances out.
Important: Looting a city will lead to a sharp drop in stock levels, meaning that
prices will start to rise.
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Selling contraband
For whatever political reasons, some goods are technically banned meaning
you will be unable to sell such above board. Likewise, you can buy them, but the
price will be outrageous.
Because of this, merchants out for a quick fortune swarm to contraband like
moths to a flame. The tradeoff for the profits is the risk of getting caught by a
patrol. You are best off heading to a tavern and making arrangements with a
professional smuggler, then unloading your cargo in a deserted bay.
A patrol may catch you on land, or it can be waiting for you at sea, near the
exit from the bay.
Equipment and items

This interface allows the player to view his characters and passengers pos-
sessions; choose a new saber, equip a cuirass, or study a treasure map or island
schematic.
Items held in the chests in your cabin can be viewed only from the cabin
itself, through the looting interface. The [F2]/Items screen shows items the
hero carries on his person.
Main characters equipment

Your hero can equip four items: a saber, a pistol, a looking-glass, and a
cuirass. To equip an item, just select it from the list and press Equip. Officers
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choose their equipment automatically, after you exchange items with them or
buy something from a shop.
Items with an effect on Skills +10 to Authority, for instance work when
they in a characters pocket. The exception here is wearable items (such as a
cuirass), which need to be equipped for the eects to become active. Also, there
is a unique artifact, called the three skulls. The effects are activated only when
all three skulls are assembled which is to say, you have them all on your person
simultaneously.
Viewing maps
To view a schematic map, select it from the list and hit the Equip Item but-
ton, to open a new map window. You can buy maps from item vendors
in town.
Treasure maps
You look at treasure maps the same way you do normal maps, but instead of
an outline you will see a depiction of where the treasure is hidden. If you can
find a vendor, sometimes you can buy treasure maps in the tavern. Theres no
telling how real they are, though. Also, as time passes, the treasure may corrode
down to junk.
Some treasure maps may be split into several pieces. To know where you need to go,
you need to have at least two pieces of the map. Sometimes you can find map pieces in
treasure chests. The map will automatically assemble itself, as you collect the pieces.
34

If the treasure is located in a dungeon, opening the chest may lead to the
appearance of pirate skeletons. These are a few of the people killed by the fellow
who hid his treasures. And now theyre passed on to you.
Living in the city

Cities are the hubs for all Caribbean society. In cities, you can repair your
ships, recruit officers and sailors, buy and sell goods, enlist in the service of the
local governor, sign a contract to escort a ship, and many other things. Towns-
people know all the latest gossip, usually. In general, each city has:
A port
A residence
Shops
A shipyard
A Moneylender
A tavern
A port control
A brothel
A church
Residential houses
Nearby fort, with a prison
In friendly cities you can use fast travel (hit [Enter] to call up the command
menu), select the Go quickly to .. icon and you will be prompted to select your
destination, using arrows.
Residence
In the residence, you will find the citys Governor, who at this very moment
may well be receiving the Governor-General the Kings representative of all
state colonies in the New World.
Distinguishing Governors and Governors-general

A governor is the mayor of a city and surrounding territories; his interests are
limited to keeping his district in order, and doing his part to benefit his country
in general.
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The Governor-General is the Kings representative in the New World; he may
be touring the cities of his empire. His interests are much broader than those of a
simple governor. Missions from the Governor-General may be far more difficult,
and involve a lot of responsibility. Also, he is responsible for promoting your hero.
The Governor-General will not deal with a captain without a privateers license.
Receiving a privateer license For loyal service to your city, in the form of
completing several missions for your governor, you may be granted a privateer
license. This patent is your ticket to potentially more profitable missions from
the Governor-General.
Initially, the heros nation is unimportant for receiving a license, since there
are various back doors to acquiring one. You can simply bribe a fellow who
knows a guy who may help you.
Ownership of a license changes your affiliated country. In effect, it is your
business license, and therefore the start of your career.
Career
Having received a patent, you become a privateer. And for your loyal service,
the Governor-General can promote you to any of the following:
Commander
Captain
Commodore
Admiral
If you should lose your patent which may only happen if you attack your
own countrymen you also loose all your titles and achievements. If you receive
a new patent, you will begin again, with nothing.
The speed of your career-climbing depends on the quality and terms of the
missions you complete.
Brothel
Pretty self-explanatory; ultimately, the solution to all a corsairs needs. Sure,
your reputation may suffer a bit, but nothing like a good rest to get you back on
your feet again. You can also treat your crew, which surely will improve morale
on deck. You can flirt with a doll, and if she takes a liking, theres no telling
what secrets she might unfold. Of course, not all cities are so enfranchised...
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Church
Pirating can be hard on the conscience, its true. The nice thing about the
church is theyll forgive anyone more or less. Which in retrospect isnt so dier-
ent from the above establishment. Except a bit less jolly.
Apart from simple churches, there is also the Holy Inquisition, but... best
keep away from that, frankly.
Donations Increasing reputation

Donations and righteous deeds improve the heros reputation. The bigger the
sum, the better.
Improving health
The exclusive knowledge gathered through the centuries by church scholars
allows the holy fathers to perform true miracles of healing. If your maximum
health has somehow been docked, and will not recover on its own, the priests are
the only ones who can help you.
Port Control
Every city with a shipyard also has a port control.
Leave ship
If your hero has several ships, he can temporarily leave his companions at
port. This will disband the crew, but any companions and cargo will remain in-
tact. You can leave up to three ships in one port. Dock fees are based on its class;
the higher the class, the more youre charged for your ships safety.
Retrieve the ship

You can retrieve your ship from the head of port. Altogether, you can own up
to sixteen ships yet can only sail with five at a time.
There are times for leaving your favorite ship at port, if, for instance, you
want to avoid attracting attention on some mission.
Fort and prison

The fort is located outside the city, and therefore immune to quick
travel. To reach the fort, you need to jaunt outside the city gates and
through the jungle.
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Every fort has a prison. If youve nothing better to do, and youve a streak of
anarchy in you, you can try to release the prisoners. The guards generally dont
like that, however.
Tavern
Here you can listen to the latest rumors, or recruit some salty dogs to your
cause. Also, the innkeep can always find you someone who needs an escort or
transport. Also, if you like, you can find all manner of lowlife: shady map mer-
chants, the smuggler couched out in the corner there. And of course, you can pal
around with the other customers: draw a pint of ale and throw the dice around.
Recruiting a crew
While talking to the barman, you can ask him about sailors. This will bring
up a recruitment interface, where you can select your ship and recruit or fire
sailors. This is only available during the day.
Hiring officers
Your prospective officers may be sitting right there at a table, and you need only
ask; they will tell you who they are and what they expect from you. Mind, there may
be no sailors to find but if they are there, they wont budge all day. If youre not
flush enough to hire right off, you can leave, earn or borrow a bit, and return to do
your hiring. You can view a mans statistics before hiring him; all you need do is ask.
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Brawls and duels
In the tavern, you may be drawn into a bar fight. Alternatively, you can
initiate one yourself. From here, there are several ways events can unfold. If you
brawl right there in the tavern, you will scare away all the customers. You can set
a time to duel outside the city. Or, if the duelist has his own ship, you can do a
ship duel in coastal waters.
Renting a room
Ask the barman about accommodation, and you can rent a room for the
night or for the day, if you prefer. Or you can simply sit in the bar, or sleep in
your cabin on the ship.
The Smuggler
Sometimes, amongst the regular barflies, you can find a smuggler who may
act as a fence, to help you sell banned goods. Or, if youre out a ship, you can
always ask him for a ride.
After you make a deal, you need to find your way down to the harbor, where
the smugglers will be waiting for you.
The Freelancer
Sometimes, between pints, you may bump into a hero much like yourself. If
you get on well enough, then you may be able to do a cooperative mission or he
might become your officer, or even join you as a companion, with his own ship.
You may meet the same sailor again later, elsewhere, when youre both a bit more
experienced. Alternatively, if you offend the fellow, you may wind up in a duel.
Important: You can create your own list of corsairs and names in the
RESOURCE\INI\texts\english\HeroDescribe.txt file.
The Diplomat
In pirate taverns, you may find a diplomat, who can restore your good rela-
tions with a country, lower a bounty on your head, or help with some documents.
Reconciliation
As an adventurer, you are sure to attract a few bounties on your restless head.
After a while, your life may become intolerable, as you wont be able to turn
around without bumping into a hunter. If your through-line to the governor is
39

cut off, the diplomat may be your savior for a fee. Furthermore, reducing any
bounty on your head will take some time (5 to 15 days), and the agent will ask
for the full sum up front. Its your decision...
Trading licenses
If you want to cut it as a merchant trader, you need access to as many shops
as possible yet it can be difficult to trade in enemy lands. A trading license
will allow you to pass checkpoints and freely enter enemy cities. You can also
acquire a license from the Governor-General, if his missions require you to
enter foreign townships. Licenses can be valid for 30, 60, or 90 days, and are
priced accordingly.
The privateer license

If you are too impatient to earn a license lawfully, you can simply buy one
from a diplomat.
Ransom for the city

If you should take a city for yourself, and then grow tired of fending off the
subsequent rain of sieges, its time to hit up your local diplomat. He can arrange
a ceasefire, though it will cost you dearly.
Shop
Here you can buy and sell all manner of goods. Some goods may be officially
unavailable, but you can always find what youre looking for granted, in the
case of contraband, only in limited quantities. Merchants can also assign you
various tasks.
Buying, selling goods

When you buy or sell goods, you do so in relation to your specified ship.
Purchases go straight to your hold.
Use the up and down arrow keys to scroll the list. Red goods are contraband;
blue are imports; green are exports. Double-click or hit [Enter] on a table row to
call up a trading menu. Type in a positive integer to set the number of goods to
buy, or a negative integer to sell. The left and right keys change the quantity by
packs, and [Shift] + left/right arrow keys set the maximum allowed quantity. Hit
[Enter] for okay, or [Esc] for cancel.
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Hint: To quickly sell everything, use the up/down arrow keys to navigate the list, then
[Shift] + right arrow key, then [Enter].
Street dealers
Merchants do not all keep to formal shops; you can also trade with the many
street dealers. They can provide you with anything elixirs, a new saber, am-
munition, or maps.
Buying, selling items

Trade between parties occurs from the following menu.
As before, use the up and down arrow keys to scroll the list; you can view the
item description under the table cursor. Double-click or hit [Enter] on a table
row to call up a trading menu. Type in a positive integer to set the number of
41

goods to buy, or a negative integer to sell. The left and right keys change the
quantity by packs, and [Shift] + left/right arrow keys set the maximum allowed
quantity. Hit [Enter] for okay, or [Esc] for cancel.
Important: The list of items for sale does not include any currently equipped items.
Moneylenders
Nearly every city has its moneylenders; what would commerce be without
loans? If you are desperate enough, they can lend you a certain amount, at a
fixed rate. How much, depends on your rank and repute. At the beginning of the
game, this is a solid enough way to gain some starting capital.
If money is burning a hole in your pocket, you can deposit it with a lender,
for safe-keeping. There is no time limit, and the longer you save your money the
more interest it will accrue.
Keep in mind that if the city is looted, the lender may lose all his deposits.
Lenders may also be a source of missions, as someone is always defaulting on a
loan somewhere.
Shipyard
Every port has a shipyard. If your ship is damaged, you can repair it here.
Alternatively, you can buy a brand new ship, for yourself or for your companion.
Buying and selling ships

To buy a new ship, you need to have a prospective captain. Select an empty
slot in the list at left, then a ship from the list at right. Then if youve got the
money, hit the Buy button to complete the transaction. If the selected charac-
ter already commands a ship, then it will automatically be sold, with the price
difference put toward your purchase.
Price difference
At any time, a shipyard may have several ships of the same make, but at dif-
ferent prices. The price depends on the ships statistics, which are unique for each
ship. Also, the heros Skills and Abilities may affect the price. The price you get
for your old ship depends on its condition and ... well, technical legal status. If
its not legitimate, its not worth as much, while if its got a squeaky-clean record,
it could pull a high price tag. Keeping in mind that different shipyards may have
42

different prices on the same ships, you can make some profit by bringing ships
from one city to another.
Important: When you sell a ship, the hold contents and guns are not included in the
price. You will have to sell them separately.
Repairs
The ship can receive damage during a battle or a storm. You can fix it yourself with
planks and sailcloth, but it will take forever, and fallen masts are beyond any field re-
pairs. So when possible, it may be preferable to swing by a shipyard. To do this, select
at left a ship that needs repairing; if it is damaged, a Repair button will be available.
You can set what percent you want to repair though your finances may set
a practical limit.
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Dungeons, caves, grottoes
Dungeons, catacombs, grottoes, caves the Caribbean is riddled with em!
But rarely found in cities.
Search for treasures

Treasure is quite often hidden in caves and grottoes; good luck finding it
without a map.
The undead
In caves and dungeons that never see the light of day, you will find artifacts
better left where they lie. You can recognize them by an eerie wail, and a spin-
ning, shimmering orb. Approaching them will raise the dead, who as a rule are
altogether grumpy when disturbed.
Game modes
City of Abandoned Ships has three distinct modes land, sea, and global
map. Each mode has its own controls and special features.
Land mode
Quick travel
In friendly cities, you can use quick travel to leap amongst the major attrac-
tions. To do so, hit [Enter] to call up the command mode, then select the Go
quickly to ... icon:
After this, select your destination using the arrow keys:
44

Combat system
Sometimes, theres no talking your way out of a situation. The combat system
gives you three types of strikes, two kinds of parrying, a block, one circular strike that
serves as both attack and defense, the use of firearms, and a backward or side dash.
Life
A characters hit points determine how much damage he can take. Your hit
points increase with each new level; some added Skills will also raise them a bit.
During a fight, your hit points are represented by a red strip in the top-left
corner, to the left of your characters portrait. You can restore hit points during
battle, by using elixirs whether through the [Enter] menu, or with a hotkey.
Health
Health is an indicator of your heros general physical condition. When his health
worsens, your heros abilities also deteriorate. His health worsens if he takes many
hits, and it recovers if he avoids hand-to-hand combat for an extended period.
If it falls below excellent, the character begins to suffer from diminished Skills,
which in turn diminish his Abilities. Health generally restores itself, albeit slowly.
The process moves fastest when you do absolutely nothing keep in bed and is
twice as slow at sea. The Iron Constitution ability doubles your recovery rate.
A golden background to the health indicator shows health has been restored
to maximum. However, the maximum can itself be lowered by serious wounds
(scars and severe injuries which, even after full restoration, have an eect in a
fight). Priests in churches can restore your health to maximum, but not very
often, not very much, and not very cheaply. Sometimes you may need to visit
45

two or three priests for your golden health to turn white and even then,
you still need to wait for your health to return to excellent golden.
Energy
You cant fight forever; sooner or later, exhaustion will take you. The amount
of energy youve got depends on your heros Reaction; the higher the value, the
more you can do. Each move takes a certain amount of energy, so you watch how
you spend your effort in a fight. Your available energy is represented by a blue
strip to the right of your heros portrait. If you dont have the energy, you cant
attack. The energy gradually replenishes throughout a fight, so if you find yourself
expended, try blocking or parrying until you find your second wind. Some Abili-
ties may cut down on the energy you expend, or let it replenish more quickly.
Enemy life and energy

During fights you will also see your enemies hit point and energy indicators.
When you or your allies strike an enemy blow, a number will appear over that
enemys head, indicating the damage dealt.
Pistol rounds
At the top-left of the screen, above the portraits, you will note a number of
stars; these indicate the rounds in your pistol.
A red star indicates an expended round, signifying that the pistol is still recharging.
Attack types
Strike A simple thrust; deals little damage.
Lunge A strike with a bit more weight behind it. Deals more substantial
damage, yet also requires more time to execute.
Crushing strike Requires a lot of energy and a wide swing; very slow, but
deals a lot of damage and can penetrate any block.
Circular strike Requires an average amount of energy, and deals some
damage to all characters around you. A character hit by a circular strike
sways backwards a bit, giving your character some room for maneuver and
an opening for counterattack.
Parrying Forces the opponents blade to the side; does not require energy,
and guards against crushing strikes. A successful parry will break the op-
ponents rhythm, and spend a lot of their energy.
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Deceptive strike (feint) Like parrying, but takes longer to execute.
If successful, allows you to catch the enemys weapon and immediately
strike back.
Block Allows you to withstand any strike except a crushing blow. It doesnt
use any energy. You can block at any time, even interrupting your attack if
you can see that it will be unsuccessful. A block can sometimes be penetrated
with a common strike, if the opponent has some special Abilities.
Pistol shot Deals some damage, and forces the enemy back. There are
different types of pistols, and you need bullets to shoot; reloading during
a fight depends on the game settings, and is typically only performed with
your blade sheathed.
Dash Lets you pop away from your opponent, back or to the side, to
escape a hit or the fight itself.
Fencing weapons are divided into three categories: rapiers (light), sabers (me-
dium), and swords and axes (heavy), each with its own mastery. Each category
has its advantages and disadvantages: heavy arms deal a lot of damage, but are
the heaviest, and thus expend more energy to use; light arms put little burden on
the fighter, but do little damage to the opponent.
At all times the player has access to all three attack types, and all three types
of defense. The controls are bound to the three mouse buttons, and you can
switch between attack and defense with the [Shift] key. Saber combat offers
plenty of room for you to devise your own tactics aggressive slashing, or de-
fensive lunging. You can further diversify your style with Abilities. For example,
the Berserker ability allows you to go berserk for 20 seconds, wherein you may
hack through any defense and take no notice of enemy blows.
Assigning strike controls

To simplify the controls, there is a key that, when pressed, switches between
attacking and defensive actions. By default, piercing and circular strikes are assigned
to the left mouse button; crushing and feint to the middle button; and slashing and
parry to the right. Blocking, shooting, and dashing are assigned to separate keys.
Looting corpses
Enemies and officers who die in combat will sprawl across the ground; if you
hit [Enter] and select the Search body command, or press the hotkey ([1], by
default) while next to them, you can enter the corpse-searching mode, which is
similar to the item trading menu. If you hit the Do not search button in the
looting menu, you will prevent this body from being searched again. Be careful,
as you may lose valuable items this way.
47

Stealthy movement
It is hard to sail into an enemy port, as its fort will tend to fire relentlessly the
moment you show sail. You can try to fool the defenders with a different flag,
but another idea is to secretly enter the city through the jungle, particularly dur-
ing the night. Watch out for patrols and guards at the gate, though.
Bounty hunters
If you commit a lot of crimes against a countrys ships or citizens, any bounty
on your head will just grow and grow, which will make you all the more appeal-
ing a target for bounty hunters, both on land and at sea. At sea, you can try to
flee or wage a naval battle. On land, you can try to fib yourself out of a situation,
or simply remove the hunters heads. If you start to tire of all this, you need
to visit your local diplomat, who may be able to reconcile you with the nation
youve peeved so dearly.
Sea mode
All naval battles and attacks on forts are performed in Sea mode. Any en-
counter on the global map will trigger a switch to the Sea mode, where the battle
will take place. You can switch between two views in Sea mode:
Third-person view View your ship from the side. Use your mouse to ro-
tate the camera around the ship, and zoom in and out with the scrollwheel.
First-person view See it all from the eyes of your captain.
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Ship status
In the top-left of the screen you will see indicators of your ship status, and of
your squadrons. The icon in the center shows the ship herself. The red bar rep-
resents the hull condition; the blue one, sail condition. The number in the white
oval shows your crew number. Under the circle is the ships name. The stars above
the ship icon show the ships class.
Mini-map
The mini-map shows the wind direction in relation to your ship, the locations of
enemy and friendly ships, as well as island outlines, if you happen to be near one.
Friendly ships are shown in green; enemy ships in red; and sunken ship in
blue. Neutral ships are gray.
Below the mini-map, to the left, you can see the wind speed; to the right,
your current speed and rigging.
Shaded zones around the ships outline show the range of cannons, with the
current ammo type.
The ammo type is displayed in a small square under the mini-map. It also
shows the number of shots of this type remaining.
The icons that encircle the mini-map show the status of your cannons.
When all icons are green, the deck is ready for a salvo. If your cannons are
damaged, some icons will be red.
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Spyglass
One of the items you can use is the Spyglass. With its aid, you can glean
some information about an enemy ship. The amount of information you receive
and zooming strength depend on the spyglass type. The better the spyglass, the
more information you may learn about the ship.
Important: You can only use the spyglass in first-person mode.
To use the spyglass, press [Ctrl]. Any information about the ship you are
viewing is displayed at the bottom of the screen. At the bottom-left is the ship
status, her allegiance, hull and sail condition, ship speed, number of cannons,
and the type of ammo she is using. At the bottom-right are the captains charac-
teristics, but you can only see this information with the very best spyglass.
Quick commands
Press [Enter] during sea mode to access the ships quick commands. To ex-
ecute a quick command, select it with the arrow keys and hit [Enter]. The quick
commands are as follows:
Moor Appears when you are close to a friendly port. Hit this to jump to
the nearby city or bay.
Sail to Quickly sail to a fort, city, bay, or other ship. Has a certain func-
tional radius; also, doesnt work during combat.
Map Go to the global map.
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Reload Lets you reload your cannons. From the list, select the type of
ammo you want.
Sails Change the ships rigging. Select the rigging from the list that pops up.
Grappling Appears when a vessel is close enough to board.
Cabin Select this to go to your captains cabin. From there, you can move
between other ship locations (the Cargo deck, the ocers Wardroom, etc.).
Cancel Exit the quick command list.
Important: While you are in the quick commands mode, you cannot control your ship.
Managing your squadron

When your squadron consists of more than one ship, you order the other
ships through quick commands. To switch between quick commands for your
ship for the squadron, use the up/down arrow keys.
Attack Appears when enemy ships are nearby. An order to attack the
selected ship and sink it.
Grappling Appears when enemy ships are nearby. An order to shoot
grapeshot at the selected ship.
Defense Give an order to defend the friendly ship in question.
Sail away Give an order to flee the battle.
Remove sails The ship will remove the sails and await further order.
Fire-ship Give an order to approach the enemy vessel and then set the
powder room on fire. The explosion will be more powerful if you have a lot
51

of powder in the hold. Naturally, this sacrifices the ship. The captain can
save himself, if he has the Lifeboat rescue Ability.
Cancel Exit the quick command menu.
Sea battles
You can win in a sea battle either by sinking the enemy vessel, or by capturing
it. The principle firepower of 17th century sailing vessels is concentrated in the
board cannon batteries, therefore it is most effective to target the enemy while
your boards are facing them. Apart from board cannons, ships also have fore and
aft cannons, which serve as additional firepower during maneuvers. Aft cannons
are also quite effective against pursuers.
Ammo and gunpowder

To destroy your enemies, you have four types of ammo at your disposal:
cannonballs, bombs, chain shot and grapeshot. All types of ammo require gun-
powder, so make sure you always have plenty.
Cannonballs The cheapest, simplest, and most reliable ammo, suitable

for almost any type of target, for either defensive and offensive use. But they
are most effective against an enemy hull or against forts. Cannonballs have
the longest range of all ammo.
Bombs The most expensive and destructive ammo, bombs are cast iron
balls, filled with powder, garnished with a fuse. After the shot is fired, the
bomb explodes, blasting the crew with shrapnel, setting the rigging on fire,
and shattering the hull.
Chain shot These were created to destroy rigging and sails. Chain shots
are two iron balls connected by a chain or a pole. During flight, a chain-
shot spins around, entangling rigging and breaking masts.
Grapeshot Small metal pellets, rather like a huge blunderbuss; deals ter-
rifying damage to a crew. Since grapeshot is only good at close range, it is
recommended to use it immediately before grappling.
To switch between ammo types, use the 1, 2, 3, and 4 keys. The moment you
select a new ammo type, the crew will start reloading them, so it is most effective
to change your ammo just after a successful volley. The bosun will always relay
your order to the team with his booming voice, as well as informing you when a
board is ready to fire.
52

Targeting
When controlling your ship in third-person mode, all you have to do is
position your ship so that the enemy is inside your cannon range, and press the
fire button. Your gunners will target the cannons themselves. All cannons that
have enemies in range will fire. The accuracy of your shots in third-person mode
depends on your Accuracy Skill.
When you are controlling the ship in first-person mode, you control the
targeting yourself. You set the vertical angle for the cannonball shot using your
on-screen target; the higher the angle, the further the balls will fly. The direction
of the shots is the direction you are facing. When you set an angle that will result
in a hit on the enemy, the target will turn red. The shot will be made only in the
direction you are facing, even if there are enemies that other cannons might hit. If
you dont see a target crosshair, it means that you cannot shoot in that direction.
You must remember that after you give an order to shoot, the cannonballs
will not fly in that direction immediately, so if you are targeting a fast ship, take
the speed into consideration.
Important: If you accidentally target a friendly ship, the target crosshair will become green.
Also important: The crosshair will light up when your cannons are directed at a
ships hull. If you want to shoot at the ships masts and sails, raise
the crosshair a bit.
Damage to cannons
Bad gunpowder, unskilled gunners, or a low-quality cannon build can
sometimes cause the guns to explode. The probability of a gun exploding during a
shot depends on your Cannons Skill and the guns type. Guns of larger calibers
are tougher, and cannons are tougher that culverins. More often, guns will be
destroyed by cannonball and bomb collisions.
You can replace damaged guns in the [F2]/Ship screen. (See On-board guns.)
Forfeiting battle Leaving ships behind

During a battle, the heros ship may exit the enemy cannons shooting radius,
which will activate the Map icon. If there are still companion ships engaged in the
battle, then instead of exiting to the map mode, you will be asked if you want to
Leave your ships?. You can return to the battle, or leave your ships and exit combat.
53

Grappling
A true corsair will strive to board and capture an enemy ship, as theres
nothing to gain from a sunken ship, yet the goods she carries, not to mention
the ship herself are always of value. To successfully board a ship, first you need
to get in close enough that your crew can toss their grapples. The distance they
can throw depends on their Grappling ability, and it can be improved by ad-
ditional Abilities. As soon as an enemy ship is available for grappling, a quick ac-
tion icon, showing a grapple, will appear next to the mini-map. To enter combat
mode, hit the quick command key (Spacebar, by default).
Sometimes a nearby enemy ship may try to grapple you. If it succeeds, you
have no choice but to engage them in battle.
Having grappled an enemy ship, you will appear on its deck, where you and
your crew must defeat the enemy crew. The number of sailors taking part in com-
bat depends on the ratio between the two crews, but it cannot exceed the limit
for the grappling deck, which is calculated from the ratio of your crew against
the enemy crew. For example, if your crew is 100 strong, and the enemy has 150
people, then you will have 10 soldiers on your side, while the enemy will have 15.
If the hero has Fighter/Grappler officers, they also will engage in combat.
It is important to have a supply of Weapons in your hold. Unarmed sailors
will suffer greater losses. Having enough Medicine on the ship will lower your
losses from wounds, after grappling. Your sailors Soldier experience affects
their Skills and Abilities in melee combat, so veterans and masters, even if out-
numbered, will be much more effective than rookies. Keep an eye on your stock
of Weapons and Medicine, and resupply all ships in your squadron as necessary,
since all of the above is true for your companions as well.
You can evaluate the number of people aboard an enemy ship using the spy-
glass, and if they have advantage in numbers, you can fire grapeshot at their ship.
As soon as the last enemy dies on deck, and your sailors holster their
sabers, you can begin the next stage of taking over the ship a duel with the
captain. Using the quick command (Spacebar), you will appear in his cabin,
where you will face the captain one-on-one. At times the captain may not
have the guts to face you, and decline your challenge. In that case, you will
enter the ship looting interface straight away, and the captain will surrender
to your mercy.
Take the captured ship

If you have a free officer on your ship, you can assign him to control the
newly-captured vessel. The officer you assign to this position must have good
Navigation, Accuracy, Cannons, and Defense skills. But if you dont plan to
keep the ship in your squadron, and just want to sell it in the nearest port, you
can disregard the officers skills.
54

You can take the ship by pressing the Appoint captain button; if you dont
see such a button, you will have to press the Remove captain button first, after
which you will have to decide the captains fate keep him as a captive, or kill him.
After you appoint an officer, you will have to redistribute the crew, by
pressing the Crew transfer button similarly to transferring crew between
companion ships.
Let the surrendered ship go

If you successfully complete your boarding operation, then theres no one
to let go, and unless you appoint an officer, the ship will simply sink. But if the
captain and his crew surrendered without a fight, or during combat they decided
that resistance is futile, you will have several options, regarding their fate.
You can take everything of value from the hold and let the captain and whats
left of his crew go in peace. They will be tame when they regain control of the
ship, and will try to leave combat as soon as possible.
You can also remove the captain from his ship, take him captive, or kill right
there and then. You can take the crew as slaves, or throw them overboard.
Each of these decisions affects the heros reputation in a different way, and can
also sway the officers loyalty one way or another.
Stealthy sailing Remaining undetected

While at sea, you can change your flag to appeal to your enemy. This may
allow you to travel unmolested, and approach to within grappling range without
entering combat or to trade with the enemy, or enter a city without engaging
the fort in combat. All you need is a corresponding set of flags, and these can be
attained by selecting the French Flag, Spanish Flag, etc. in your Ship Abilities
panel on the main Character screen. At the beginning of the game, the hero
always has a choice between two flags: the Jolly Roger or the flag of his starting
nation. The ships class, the number of companions, and the Stealth Skill all af-
fect the probability of not being recognized. You cannot change your flag on land
or during combat, so change it in advance, while enemy ships are still far away.
Cabin and moving on the ship

While your ship is at sea, you can go to your private cabin. Simply select
Cabin from the menu:
55

From there, you will have the option to visit other ship locations, such as the
Wardroom or hold.
Chests for holding personal items
Your cabin has several chests where you can keep your personal items or
money. The chests allow you to keep as many items or as much gold as you want.
When you switch ships, your personal items from the chests are automatically
transferred to your new cabin.
Rest until morning or night

You can also rest in the cabin. Your health wont return as quickly as in a nice
tavern bed, but at least you dont have to pay. To rest in your cabin, select Speak
Aloud from the command menu (Enter), and then select the corresponding
reply in the dialog.
Hiring slaves into the crew

If your hold contains slaves, you can recruit them into your crew. This will
slightly decrease your crews morale and experience. The number of slaves that
may agree to join you depends on your Authority.
To use this function, select Speak Aloud from the command menu, then
select the corresponding reply.
56

Managing officers
You can manage your ocers from your ships Wardroom. You can get to the
Wardroom from your cabin, through the Cannon Deck. There you will find your
officers; you can start a dialog with any of them. If an officer is no longer needed,
or is simply too expensive for you, you can relieve him. Only the larger ships have
a Wardroom. Any Fighter/Grappler ocers will always be in the captains cabin.
Captives in the hold

Any captives you collect will be held in the ships hold. You can speak with them
as well. You can turn a captive into a slave, or release him and allow him to reach
land (if your ship is not far from an island), which may improve your reputation.
You can hit your captives, or you can throw them overboard. But be careful,
since their fellow captives might try to defend them, and even start a fight!
If your captive is a pirate, you can hire him as an officer that is, of course, if
he agrees to serve you.
Also remember that city governors may pay a decent ransom for your captives
especially if the captive is one of their own nationals.
Send out a rowboat

While at sea, you can send out a rowboat to a friendly or neutral ship. To do
this, hit [Enter] and bring up the command menu. There, hit the following button:
If your ship is close enough to the ship you want to send the boat to, you will
see that ship in the list.
On the other ship, you will have to start a dialog; first with the captain, as the
sailors will not speak to you. If you meet a squadron of several ships, the captain
may send you to the flagship of that squadron, as he may not be authorized to
discuss important issues with you.
The captain of the flagship may tell you the prices of his goods, or various
rumors; you can trade, or play cards or dice with the captain (if he pleases); you
can also demand a toll for passing by.
Learn goods prices

If you are sending a boat to a merchant ship, you may learn when the ship is
coming and the prices in the shops there. To do this, select the Where are you
coming from? question in the dialog.
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Trading
To trade, select the Shall we trade? dialog option. If the captain agrees, you
will see a familiar menu. The interface will show the goods on each ship; the
goods that the captain does not want to trade will be displayed in red.
Play cards or dice

You can play cards or dice, provided you have enough cash and the captain
accepts your invitation.
Demand a toll
You can try demanding money outright, by choosing the corresponding reply
in the dialog. This method is rather risky, as the captain may refuse to pay you,
forcing you into an unwanted sea battle.
It is important to note that if you take the toll, your heros relationships
with that nation will change, yet the heros home nations relationships will not.
So if you have a license, you dont have to worry about losing it if you perform
this action.
Global map mode

The global map mode allows you to quickly travel between the islands of the
Caribbean archipelago and the mainland colonies. The global map controls are
the keys [W],[A], [S] and [D]. To switch to sea mode, hit [Spacebar] or [Enter],
to bring up the command menu and select the following button:
To switch to the global map from sea mode, hit [Enter] and press the follow-
ing button:
There are two modes for viewing the global map, and you can switch between
them using the [Tab] key. In the first mode, the camera is centered on your
squadron and follows it. In this mode, you can zoom the camera in and out
using the mouse wheel. In the second mode, the camera is not focused on your
squadron, and you can pan it as you wish, but you cannot zoom in or out.
58

On the global map, you can encounter storms as well as other squadrons,
both friendly and not.
This interface shows you the direction of the wind (shown by the arrow), its
strength (blue indicator, beneath), and the time of day. Below the icon, you will
notice a bar, showing your crews morale. If the bar is red, your crew is at the
verge of mutiny. The rosier your crews spirits, the greener the bar will be (as in
the picture above).
59

Below the morale indicator, you can see the number of days of provisions
your squadron has remaining. The timeframe given is based on your pooled
provisions, so if you see an alert that a specific ship lacks some essential goods,
you will need to transfer what it needs using the goods exchange interface.
Encounters with enemy ships

When you close in on an enemy ship, the following icon will appear over on
the right of the screen:
Hit [spacebar] to select a quick command, and the sailor on lookout will tell
you the squadrons flag, numbers, and nature (patrol, merchants, etc.). You can
choose to keep sailing, or to attack. If you are unable to avoid the ships, the Sail
on button may not be available; in that case you will no option but to fight.
At very close range, the enemy ship may attack first in which case the look-
out will again report to you, and give you a choice of action.
Occasionally, you may encounter a battle in progress, that you can leap into.
In that instance, your lookout will alert you as to who is fighting whom.
Encounters with peaceful ships

Encounters with peaceful squadrons are almost identical to those with enemy
ships, except (logically enough) they will not throw the first stone.
If you find friendly ships on the global map, then you will see this icon to the
left of the wind indicator:
Hit the spacebar to use quick command and learn how many of what kind of
ships youre looking at. As with enemy squadrons, you can switch to sea mode,
or choose to sail by. In this case, however, the Sail on button is always available.
Important: On the global map, squint closely at the flag and sails on the ship
icon to tell its nationality. As each ship class has a unique icon, you can also try
to guess the make of the squadrons flagship.
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Storms
You may encounter a storm on the global map. If you get close, you will see
the following icon:
Hit the spacebar to bring up the command menu and switch to sea mode,
and the storm will manifest right before your eyes. Your ship will suffer slight
damage (depending on your heros Skills), and your hero will gain some experi-
ence. After some time, the global map icon will reappear and you will be able to
return to the map or moor at land.
Important: If you get caught in a storm during battle, you will have to remain in
combat. Its best that you avoid such a situation, as you will be unable to
return to the global map until you sink the enemy ships. Keep in mind
that your ship will continue to receive damage, and sea battles during a
storm are very difficult, which increases the risk of failure.
Bounty hunters
If you manage to greatly anger some nation, then it may send bounty hunters
after your head, and they will follow you on land and at sea. And if you can some-
61

how deceive or bribe them on land, you will have to fight them after an encounter
on the global map, since the Sail on button will be inactive. Of course, you
always have the option of running away if they cant catch up with you.
You can read more about bounty hunters in the Diplomat and Relations
between nations sections.
Capturing Cities
Sooner or later your hero will have to face the need to capture a city. It may be
a mission from the governor-general, or players own wish. Port cities are guarded
by a fort, and sometimes by military ships that might be near the port at the time.
Jungle settlements do not have forts, and you can only capture them over land.
Different city forts have varying numbers of guns and garrison. Every fort
is equipped with powerful cannons with a large shooting radius, that might be
much better than the best ship guns. Usually these are 42- and 48-pound can-
nons loaded with bombs.
Destruction of the Fort and battle in the City

During battle, you will have to destroy most of the forts cannons. The
number of cannons you must destroy depends on the game difficulty setting. As
soon as this happens, a Landing quick command icon will appear next to the
mini-map, which will take you to the next stage of your assault a fight with the
remains of the garrison, inside the fort itself. Apart from destroying the cannons,
you can target the fort with grapeshot to decrease the number of soldiers in the
garrison. After you destroy the cannons, grapeshot will have no effect on the fort.
The more sailors you have, and the more experienced they are, the easier it
will be to break the defenders resistance. The Allied Troop Landing Ability will
include the crews of your companions ships into your storming force.
The presence of Weapons goods in your hold is extremely important. Un-
armed sailors will suffer greater losses. Having the Medicine goods in stock will
lower you losses from wounds after storming the fort. This also applies to your
companions taking part in the assault.
After squashing the fort garrison resistance, the hero enters the city with the
remains of his forces, where he will have to battle the city guards to get into the
governors residence.
The hero enters the residence together with his officers, and he may find the
remaining guards in there, or the governor alone, if his advantage in numbers is
great enough.
In the dialog with the governor you can choose the citys fate looting or rais-
ing a dierent flag above it (take the city yourself, or give it to another nation).
62

Land assault
The capturing of the city begins from the jungle at the city gates. From the Enter
menu, select Speak Aloud and then the Start capturing the nearest city reply.
The assault will start if your ship is not in port (else the fort will just sink it)
and you have enough men.
Next, you will have to battle the guards at the gates, after which you and your
followers enter the city to fight the remaining guards on the streets and in the
residence, as in a sea assault.
Note: If the fort in a port city remains intact, you can loot such a city, but not
capture it.
Looting the city

After choosing to loot the city, you will receive a certain ransom before you
start the actual looting. You can loot a third of the goods available at the shop at
the moment you capture the city. If the fort is intact, you can loot one-sixth of
its goods. The rest of the goods are taken away and hidden by savvy citizens.
The controls in the looting interface are the same as in the shop, but without
the price columns.
Hint: You can always check the shops stock levels, to tell beforehand if looting
will be worthwhile.
63

Raise a nations flag
In the dialog with the governor, you can choose to capture the city for your-
self, or in the name of another country; depending on your decision, a new ban-
ner will be raised. You will be presented the choice to transfer the citys custody
if you have captured the country as part of a mission, or have a corresponding
privateer license. After a while the city will be repopulated; the garrison will be
restaffed, a new governor will be installed, and the city will be absorbed into the
colony in question.
Raise a pirate flag above the city

If you choose to keep the city for yourself, a pirate flag will go up. After a
while the citizens will return to the city, but there will be no governor. You will
have to appoint a deputy, from amongst your officers.
You must remember that the aggrieved party will not abandon its efforts to
retake the city, so you should expect fairly regular business calls.
Appoint a deputy
A captured city requires a deputy. You can appoint him in a dialog with one
of your officers in the city or in the residence, by selecting the reply: I hereby
appoint you my deputy in this city!.
Note: The deputy is excluded from the list of your officers, he is not paid a monthly
salary and he is not counted in the limit of officers you can hire based on your
Authority Capability.
Remove a deputy
The deputy will always be in the residence, but in a dialog with him you can
select the I need you on board, so I am relieving you from duty reply. Then he
will become an officer once again.
Collect taxes
In the dialog with your deputy you can select a reply about taxes that you
may collect. The amount you can collect will depend on your Authority and
Trade Skills, as well as the city itself. There are small cities that will not give you
much in tax money, and there are big ones that will bring you more money. The
sum is accumulated every day, and you can collect it whenever you want to.
Sieges and retaking the city

The squadrons that will come to try to retake the city from the hero will
besiege the city for some time. The hero might be able to make it in time to
64

rescue the city and fight the enemies. If the hero is not quick enough, the city
will go back to its lawful owner. The deputy will be executed, and all the money
he collected will go into the city treasury. Is the hero had deposits with the local
Moneylender, they are confiscated.
Pay ransom for your city

If your hero has several cities, then sieges that start at the same time will
not allow him to rescue all of them, if the cities are far apart. Some of the cities
might be captured.
You can talk to the diplomat about stopping a nations attempts to retake a
city you captured, which will stop enemy squadrons trying to besiege the city.
The price of such a service is high, indeed, but the bureaucratic problems the
diplomat has to solve are great as well.
If you pay such a ransom for a city, it will not be attacked again and will
remain in heros custody forever, unless you decide to transfer the control over it
to the Governor General of one of the sides.
Transfer control of your city to the Governor-General

You can transfer a city that you captured for yourself to one of the countries.
The city need not to be bought out with the aid of a diplomat. In the dialog with
the governor-general, you can select the corresponding reply about transferring a
captured settlement, and select your city from the list.
Your hero will be rewarded for such an action, and the nations relationship
with him will improve.
65

Default controls
General
Switch 1st person / 3rd person modes [TAB]
Acceleration [R], [+] and [-]
Open character interface [F2]
Open Escape menu [Esc], [F1]
Open Quick command menu [Enter]
Quick save [F6]
Quick load [F9]
Execute quick command [Spacebar]
Screenshot [F8] (only 32 bit modes)
Sea first-person
Move forward on deck Right mouse button
Move back on deck Middle mouse button
Turn ship left [A]
Turn ship right [D]
Raise sails [W]
Lower sails [S]
Execute a cannon salvo Left mouse button
Viewing scope [Ctrl]
Zoom in mini-map [E]
Zoom out mini-map [F]
Load cannons with cannonballs [1]
Load cannons with grape shot [2]
Load cannons with chain shot [3]
Load cannons with exploding shot [4]
Sea third person

Zoom camera on the ship Mouse wheel
Zoom camera away from the ship Mouse wheel
Turn ship left [A]
Turn ship right [D]
Raise sails [W]
Lower sails [S]
Execute a cannon salvo Left mouse button
Zoom in mini-map [E]
Zoom out mini-map [F]
Load cannons with cannonballs [1]
66

Load cannons with grape shot [2]
Load cannons with chain shot [3]
Load cannons with exploding shot [4]
Land controls
Perform action (talk to a character) Left mouse button
Walk forward W, Right mouse button
Walk back [S]
Move left [A]
Move right [D]
Switch between walk/run modes [Shift]
Draw sword (turn combat mode on) [E]
Browsing answers in dialog Arrow keys, mouse wheel
Selecting answer in dialog [Spacebar], Left mouse button
Berserk Ability [F]
Use health potion [X]
Search a corpse [1]
Show the name and parameters of the closest character [F12]
Character control in combat

Move forward [W]
Jump back [S]
Move left [A]
Move right [D]
Draw/sheathe sword [E]
Shoot the pistol [Q]
Switch strike modes [Shift]
Block [Spacebar]
Piercing strike / Circular strike Left mouse button
Crushing strike / Feint Middle mouse button
Slashing strike / Parry Right mouse button
Global map mode

Forward [W]
Back [S]
Move left [A]
Move right [D]
Change map mode [TAB]
Zoom in / zoom out camera Mouse wheel
Go to sea (battle) [Spacebar]
67

City of Abandoned Ships project
Akella 3D-Modeling Peoples Quest
VP Development: Yury Rohach Ivan Lazarevich
Dmitri Arkhipov Alexei Ryabov Denis Borodaev
Pavel Rohach Mikhail Volkov
Director, Elena Sablina
External Projects Editing texts
Department Texturing Ivan Lazarevich
Sergey Belistov Yury Rohach
Andrew Rohach Music created by
Director, Testing Nikolay Makarov
Department Art Rock band
Denis Yepifanov Andrew Rohach Doroga Vodana
Innocenty Shevchenko Alexei Nikiforov
Sales & Andrew Ivanchenko
Marketing Nikolai Lobzov Sound directors
Svetlana Gorobets Sergei Tsypin
Grigory Vladimiro Intro Video Alexei Nikiforov
Yury Rohach
PR Managers Montage
Pyotr Golovin Subject Video Alexander Krasavtsev
Irina Semyonova Maxim Kulakov (In-line studio)
Olga Pak Anton Levkov
Animation
Pavel Barnev Actors
Seaward.ru Igor Kornilov
Project Leader Programming Victor Solodkov
Edward Zaitsev Edward Zaitsev Valentin Samokhin
Mikhail Volkov Ella Volkova
Atr-director Ivan Shcheblykin Victoria Nakleskina
Yury Rohach Nikita Kurnosov Lilia Fomicheva
Vasily Pehov
Lead Designer Subject Alexei Nikiforov
Edward Zaitsev Edward Zaitsev Anton Verbitsky
Pavel Karpov Maxim Kulakov
Designer Maxim Kulakov
Alexei Bobrovnikov
68

Sound Engine Artem Rodin Yevgeny Ivanov
FMOD Ex Sound Dmitry Ivanenko Gennady Ivanisov
System Firelight Sergei Kosterin Pavel Knyazev
Technologies Vyacheslav Smirnov Alexander Nesterov
Anton Kovalenko Igor Devil
Testing Yevgeny Kudryavtsev Maxim Nazarov
Andrei Larionov Boris Zakoyan Maxim Kulakov
Sergei Mayorov Fedor Checherov Vasily Pehov
Sergei Tsypin Sergey Romanov Sergei Zenin
Alexander Sergeyev Eugene Taran Vladimir Grankin
Playlogic International
Executive Legal & Produc- Illustration
Vice President tion Specialist Tom Thiel
Rogier W. Smit Maaike Chanowski Sven Papenbrock
Chief International Voicerecording

Technical Officer Sales Director Universally Speaking
& Production Lee Shueld
Director Testing Team
Dominique Morel Sales Manager Stefan Snip
Russell Beadle Robin de Visser
Chief Marketing, Quantic Lab
Licensing & Marketing Bug-Tracker
Sales Officer Manager
Pierre Yves Thiercelin Beco Mulderij Localization
Gamelocalization.net
Chief Legal PR Manager Pearse Finnegan
and Compliance Rick van Beem
Officer Additional
Catharina Prak J.D. Logistics Manager Artwork By
Marius Snellink Playlogic
Producer Game Factory
Poria Torkan Junior Product
Manager Special thanks to
Product Support Erik Coenen Willem M. Smit, Chief
Services Manager Executive Officer
Hoang-Minh Luu Design & DTP Everyone at
Marijn Wegman Playlogic International
69

Limited Warranty
Playlogic International warrants you, the original purchaser of the Game, that
this Game will perform substantially as described in the accompanying manual for a
period of 90 days from the date of fi rst purchase. If you discover a problem with the
Game covered by this warranty within the 90 days period, your retailer will repair or
replace the Game at its option, free of charge, according to the process identifi ed be-
low. This limited warranty: (a) does not apply if the Game is used in a business or for a
commercial purpose: and (b) is void if any di culties with the Game are related to ac-
cident, abuse, virus or misapplication. Returns within 90 day period Warranty claims
should be made to your retailer. Return the Game to your retailer along with a copy of
the original sales receipt and an explanation of the difficulty you are experiencing with
the Game. At its option the retailer will either repair or replace the Game. Any replace-
ment Game will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or 30
days from receipt, whichever is longer. If for any reason the Game cannot be replaced
or repaired, you will be entitled to receive your direct (but no other) damages incurred
in reasonable reliance but only up to the amount of the price you paid for the Game.
The foregoing (repair, replacement or limited damages) is your exclusive remedy.
Limitations
This limited warranty is in place of other express or statutory warranties,
conditions or duties and no others of any nature are made or shall be binding
on Playlogic International, its retailers or suppliers. Any implied warranties
applicable to this Game or the media in which it is contained are limited to
the 90 day period described above. TO THE FULL EXTENT ALLOWED
BY LAW, NEITHER PLAYLOGIC INTERNATIONAL, ITS RETAILERS,
SUPPLIERS ARE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNTI-
TIVE, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM
THE POSSESSION, USE OR MALFUNCTION OF THIS GAME. THE
FOREGOING APPLIES EVEN IF ANY REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSEN-
TIAL PURPOSE. Some countries/jurisdictions do not allow limitations as to
how long an implied warranty lasts and/or exclusions or limitations of incidental
or consequential damages so the above limitations and/or exclusions of liability
may not apply to you. This limited warranty gives you specifi c rights, and you
may also have other rights that vary from country/jurisdiction to country/juris-
diction. For questions regarding this warranty contact your retailer or Playlogic
International at: Playlogic International N.V. World Trade Centre C-Tower 10th
Floor, Strawinskylaan 1041 1077 XX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Support
For questions regarding this game please contact Playlogic International at:
http://www.playlogicgames.com/support
70

Notes
71

AGE OF PIRATES 2 City of Abandoned Ships 2009 Playlogic International N.V. All rights reserved.
Developed by Akella and Seaward. Produced by Akella. Published by Playlogic International N.V.
72 Playlogic is a registered trademark of Playlogic International N.V. All trademarks are the property of their
respective owners. Age of Pirates is a Trademark of Feenix Gmbh, Karlruhe www.feenix.de

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Operating system: Win XP/VISTA

Known conflicts with other programs

Gameplay Tips (Quick Reference)

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New Game Starts a game from the beginning.

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Customizing hero parameters

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Profiles and saved games

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Load Profile Load selected profile.

Profile Select another profile

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Main game interfaces

Characters Manage your hero, officers, companions, and passengers.

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A more detailed look at each interface follows.

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The P.I.R.A.T.E.S. RPG system

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Other character parameters

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Passengers Characters you are delivering to a particular destination, in

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You can assign officers to the positions of Navigator, Bosun, Cannoneer,

Hiring and appointing an officer

To appoint an officer, double-click or press [Enter] on an empty slot. Select

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You can dismiss an officer in dialog. If an officer is a Fighter/Grappler, then

Gaining experience for officers

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Loyalty and salary

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Exchange between ships

You can dispose of excessive goods or read their description by double-

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Appointing a new captain is analogous to appointing an officer to a position

Transferring the crew

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The Quest Book

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Flag on the ship

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Goods and prices

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Equipment and items

Main characters equipment

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