Port Royale

Rating:
Summary: Seems geared for economists, but strangely addicting
Review: "Port Royale" is basically a trading/economic simulation with a pirate "game" attached. The trade, production, and consumption of various Carribean products is heavily detailed, but the fighting and sailing aspects of the game are presented in a more broad manner.

This game is big- a full scale map of the Caribbean Sea with 60 towns is the playing area. The ships of four nations (Spain, France, England, and Holland) ply the waters- trading from town to town or hunting down pirates (freebooting marauders) or buccaneers (captains licensed by a legit nation to attack the shipping of an enemy nation). Meanwhile, the player slowly builds up his reputation by either trading, completing a variety of missions, or fighting by chasing down pirates or becoming a buccaneer. The player starts with the ability to recruit one captain, but as reputation increases the player can recruit more captains. The more captains the player has the more convoys he can have out at sea on trade routes, doing missions, or hunting down enemies.

The biggest strength of Port Royale is that it is completely open-ended. You can achieve victory by a variety of ways. (Gaining enough reputation to be announced as a "governor" is the goal.) You can play as a peaceful trader or you can be as bloodthirsty and greedy as Blackbeard himself!

But there are design problems. The player is seemingly playing in a vacuum with little interaction with AI opponents. Although, set during an exciting historical period- the 16th-17th century struggle for the New World between rival European powers- the player is not really effected by the political scene. The player chooses a nation, but he can sit on the sidelines of any wars that occur. Thus, if the player's nation is at war with Holland and the player chooses not to attack Dutch shipping then the Dutch will leave the player's shipping alone. Yet even if the player decides to engage in war the AI will only attack the player's armed convoys. The game lets the player's unarmed ships flee from every attack without harm. For example, I had a convoy of six trade flutes often packed with expensive goods, but since those ships were unarmed they were never in danger of being captured or sunk. (What would a real pirate have given to be able to take such a tempting prize?) Also, while the player can attack and loot towns, the AI cannot and thus the player has no worry that his production facilities will be damaged. The result is a game without much of a competitive environment.

Normally, the uncompetitive and unhistorical nature of this game would be a killer for me. Yet, strangely I've been addicted to playing it. It has been very stable on my system and its sheer size and open-ended style have kept me playing into the wee hours. It is fun to set up a trade route- picking the order of towns to be visited, setting the max price for buying and the min price for selling, watching the convoy sail from town to town, the cargo hold filling and unfilling, and the money coming in. It's also fun to complete a variety of missions. Overall, I enjoy Port Royale, but its the kind of game that I see so many ways it could have been better. While playing I wonder why couldn't the sailing and fighting aspects be more realisic? I'm not asking for a naval warfare simulation, but something akin to the Broderbund classic Ancient Art of War at Sea would have worked great! (It's amazing that a game more than 15 yrs older than Port Royale still had a more detailed fighting model.) Also, why aren't storms and hurricanes a real factor? It's the Caribbean! It would have also been nice if wars effected the player with or without his consent, that towns vital to the player could be attacked, and that sending unarmed merchantmen into pirate infested waters means danger!

Why 3 stars? Port Royale is a nicely polished economic simulation with an addictive open-ended playing system. If I was truly into economic based games then I would have bumped up the score, but as a person looking for more of a strategy/military/political game I just don't think it will last too long on my harddrive. I've enjoyed what is there, but I think it's probably not enough to truly hold my interest for the reasons I've mentioned.

Rating:
Summary: Seems geared for economists, but strangely addicting
Review: "Port Royale" is basically a trading/economic simulation with a pirate "game" attached. The trade, production, and consumption of various Carribean products is heavily detailed, but the fighting and sailing aspects of the game are presented in a more broad manner.

This game is big- a full scale map of the Caribbean Sea with 60 towns is the playing area. The ships of four nations (Spain, France, England, and Holland) ply the waters- trading from town to town or hunting down pirates (freebooting marauders) or buccaneers (captains licensed by a legit nation to attack the shipping of an enemy nation). Meanwhile, the player slowly builds up his reputation by either trading, completing a variety of missions, or fighting by chasing down pirates or becoming a buccaneer. The player starts with the ability to recruit one captain, but as reputation increases the player can recruit more captains. The more captains the player has the more convoys he can have out at sea on trade routes, doing missions, or hunting down enemies.

The biggest strength of Port Royale is that it is completely open-ended. You can achieve victory by a variety of ways. (Gaining enough reputation to be announced as a "governor" is the goal.) You can play as a peaceful trader or you can be as bloodthirsty and greedy as Blackbeard himself!

But there are design problems. The player is seemingly playing in a vacuum with little interaction with AI opponents. Although, set during an exciting historical period- the 16th-17th century struggle for the New World between rival European powers- the player is not really effected by the political scene. The player chooses a nation, but he can sit on the sidelines of any wars that occur. Thus, if the player's nation is at war with Holland and the player chooses not to attack Dutch shipping then the Dutch will leave the player's shipping alone. Yet even if the player decides to engage in war the AI will only attack the player's armed convoys. The game lets the player's unarmed ships flee from every attack without harm. For example, I had a convoy of six trade flutes often packed with expensive goods, but since those ships were unarmed they were never in danger of being captured or sunk. (What would a real pirate have given to be able to take such a tempting prize?) Also, while the player can attack and loot towns, the AI cannot and thus the player has no worry that his production facilities will be damaged. The result is a game without much of a competitive environment.

Normally, the uncompetitive and unhistorical nature of this game would be a killer for me. Yet, strangely I've been addicted to playing it. It has been very stable on my system and its sheer size and open-ended style have kept me playing into the wee hours. It is fun to set up a trade route- picking the order of towns to be visited, setting the max price for buying and the min price for selling, watching the convoy sail from town to town, the cargo hold filling and unfilling, and the money coming in. It's also fun to complete a variety of missions. Overall, I enjoy Port Royale, but its the kind of game that I see so many ways it could have been better. While playing I wonder why couldn't the sailing and fighting aspects be more realisic? I'm not asking for a naval warfare simulation, but something akin to the Broderbund classic Ancient Art of War at Sea would have worked great! (It's amazing that a game more than 15 yrs older than Port Royale still had a more detailed fighting model.) Also, why aren't storms and hurricanes a real factor? It's the Caribbean! It would have also been nice if wars effected the player with or without his consent, that towns vital to the player could be attacked, and that sending unarmed merchantmen into pirate infested waters means danger!

Why 3 stars? Port Royale is a nicely polished economic simulation with an addictive open-ended playing system. If I was truly into economic based games then I would have bumped up the score, but as a person looking for more of a strategy/military/political game I just don't think it will last too long on my harddrive. I've enjoyed what is there, but I think it's probably not enough to truly hold my interest for the reasons I've mentioned.

Rating:
Summary: A little Tropico 2, a little Civ, a little Age of Sail
Review: A little Tropico 2, a little Civ, a little Age of Sail and an excellent Caribbean setting make Port Royale overall a very engaging game in the Pirate genre. There are basically 2 tacks you can choose at the beginning of the game, though your choice won't keep you from being involved in both throughout the game.

The first choice is as a trader and you get bonuses to help your path. As you discover new cities on the various islands around the Caribbean you will see that each has its own production strengths and weaknesses. You buy where a good is being produced and sell where its needed. There are also goods that are only delivered from the host countries - so these will need to be distributed from their point of delivery. As you become accustomed to the prices in your locality, you can set up complex trade routes and set a convoy of ships to automatic. This frees up your time to take on lucrative and influence gaining missions from governors and adventurers in the local tavern. Of course your trade convoys are not just free to sail the open seas, you must fear the pirates.

Which brings me to the second path you may chose. That of the privateer. This will give you battle bonuses. Engage pirates who are preying on your country's convoys to increase your influence. Buy a letter of Marque and help your country's war effort by pillaging other countries convoys. The ship to ship battles - though not as complex as Age of Sail - are very exciting RTS. You will want to disarm your trade convoys and set them on auto-fight to cause them to flee in most cases, but your military convoys should be armed to the max and ready for battle. There are some interface tweaks here - despite setting the battle on manual, you cannot always fire when you want to and often your ships will turn course despite your directives. Still, with a bit of strategy and the right wind position, a smaller human fleet can take on larger AI convoys with success and allow you to capture ships well beyond your means. You will soon find that you have more ships than you know what to do with! Well set up a trade convoy to support your large military convoys.

When I first sat down with this game I found a steep learning curve and a not so complete manual. I began as a trader and quickly got bored with the more tedious trading activity. My advice to anyone trying Port Royale for the first time - don't get bogged down in one activity - there is a lot going on in this game. Visit the inns and take missions, visit the governors help your nation - and very importantly - build an island industry. My first few games could not support the number of ships I had in sail. By building up an island industry, you will still be making money when you lose a ship to piracy.

One fascinating aspect to this game is the storyline. As you advance in skill, you will be given more and more advanced missions and responsibility from your host nation(s). Eventually, to win the game, you must win governorship of an island.

This game also has a multiplayer aspect - which I haven't yet tried. Will conquer the AI first to get my sealegs on then see where we go from there. Despite some minor interface issues (like the misrepresentative word 'Cancel' to close every dialog - doesn't cancel, saves), I have had few technical issues with this game. I'm currently playing an English buccaneer - I have massive industries in Port Charles and Grand Bahama and a dutch wife. For more details and a great Port Royale community, check the Ascaron forums.

See you on the high seas, matey!

Rating:
Summary: Reminds me a lot of Pirates! (which is a good thing)
Review: A very fun and addicting game, Port Royale has many good points and only a few drawbacks. It does resemble a much updated and improved Pirates! Gold. First and foremost what I like about the game is that it is non-linear, which means you can do whatever you want to. You can be a pirate, a bucaneer, a merchant, or a little of all three. You can accept missions from Governors, you can raid towns, or you can trade. (This is opposed to the 3d shooter games where you need to find some yellow key I can never find to open some door. Warcraft-like games always involve get as much resources as possible and have a big attack'.little actual strategy) Another good thing is that if you might loose a battle, you can pick up and continue. There isn't constant reloading.

The sea battles are rather fun. They resemble a typical real time strategy game. The beauty is that there is a whole world outside it. Trading is fairly simple and straightforward. It solely involves buying commodities low in one town where they are made and selling them is a town where the are in demand. You can also build business which produce goods, which you can sell. Crews, supplies, and the business cost money to operate.

The only percieved bad side is the steep learning curve, so the game may not be for an impatient 12 year old. It takes a few hours to get the hang of the game, but it is necessary for a complex game and its worth it. (Consider it may take 3 hours to learn, but if you play it for weeks, it's not a big deal.) The complexity is what makes it different and better than the Warcraft-like game, though hence, some learning is required. The automatic trading routes are decently tough to learn and require that you periodically check up on your trading routes. They also require some time to set up because you have to remember what is a good price to buy and sell and which towns have what and which towns require what. It is best to do a 'dry run' which you manually sail the ship from port to port in your route and then decided what to buy and sell where. However, it is a good system. Although complex and somewhat time consuming, I don't have any idea to improve it, without 'dumbing the game down.' I couldn't say 'I would do this instead.' One good thing is you can set your routes to fight automatically. Usually you are strictly fleeing, so it removes what would be a constant harrassment.

The other small negative is that the book could give a little more help. It's not bad, but it could be a little better. They make a couple minor mistakes in the translation from German. A 'liner' is supposedly the best ship you can get. They really mean a 'ship of the line'. Overall, I had to give the game high marks, because it's one of the most fun and most addicting games in recent memories.

Rating:
Summary: Fun but probably not the game for everbody
Review: As one other reviewer mentioned, if you are not into trading & spreadsheet management, then you will probably will not derive a great deal of enjoyment out of this game. Probably Ascaron's "Pirate Hunter" is more your cup of tea. I tend to play Port Royale while the more violence-prone 10-year-old in the house enjoys blasting ships to smithereens in Pirate Hunter.

Nonetheless, there is plenty to enjoy in Port Royale, if only you are patient. It takes a little time to build up reputation and resources, but once you get a steady source of income in place, the game is flexible enough to allow you to shift your attention to rampaging across the Carribean with your formidable fleets of battleships.

The game is flexible and open-ended enough to allow the player several options. One can simply to be an unassuming neutral trader, moving from port to port, quietly amassing a fortune while staying out of harm's way. One can also suck up to the governors of your respective nation, running mission after mission, currying the favor of the establishment. Doing this means that you tend become despised by the other nations, so sometimes it is a good idea to hedge your bets. One can take it even farther by getting a letter of marque, a form of legalized piracy, which allows you to loot and pillage the ships of whatever nation your letter of marque concerns. It is one step short of being an actual pirate --- just make sure you check the validity of your letter of marque, or you will find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

Finally, of course, you can throw respectability to the winds and cost your lot with the forces of lawlessness. This is easier said than done. If you find yourself an outcast from all nations, hunted by numerous military convoys, and short on cash and resources, your days may be numbered. Enjoy it while it lasts.

The game also has a loose story-line, which you can choose to follow or ignore. It gives you a chance to mix it up with some pirates if you want to, and reunite you with long-lost relatives. You can also get married, which affords your wife an opportunity to get kidnapped frequently by scurvy knaves, and affords you the opportunity to blast still more evil-doers out of the water.

For those who complain about the learning curve --- believe me, it is not nearly as difficult as Patrician II and Patrician III. Those who are familiar with those games will immediately recognize the economic model of Port Royale. I have heard some Patrician players comment that they play Port Royale when their brains need a rest from the extremely steep learning curve of the Patrician games. Learning curves are all relative.

This is not to say that Port Royale does not have some unique difficulties to it. Contrary to what one reviewer said, international affairs can have a devastating effect on your well-laid plans, depending on what nation you play. If you play as a Spanish player, the number of Spanish ports is so vast that you can ignore all other nations for the duration of the game without any impact. However, try playing France or Holland, both of which have far fewer ports. For example, you can be a French trader who has established good relations with Spain, to the point of even building up a thriving industry in a few Spanish towns, but then France & Spain go to war. It becomes impossible to maintain good relations with both nations, and eventually Spain will bar your ships from entering Spanish towns. If you depended on those towns' resources to keep your whole economic empire going, then you are seriously screwed, unless you can buy your way back into Spanish favor. The Dutch have it even worse than the French. Once again, it is all relative.

A few comments about the operation of the game: when I first began playing the game, it crashed constantly, and while Ascaron has provided a patch that has solved a lot of problems, the game continues to crash regularly. Save early, save often. The game does have a nice multi-tiered autosave that will give you a lot of loading options, but be prepared for a crash at any moment.

If you enjoy micromanagement, puncuated by occasional violence on the high seas, then you will find this to be an engrossing, addictive, time-burner of a game. If you are in need of a quick fix of violence and mayhem, you probably ought to look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Fun but probably not the game for everbody
Review: As one other reviewer mentioned, if you are not into trading & spreadsheet management, then you will probably will not derive a great deal of enjoyment out of this game. Probably Ascaron's "Pirate Hunter" is more your cup of tea. I tend to play Port Royale while the more violence-prone 10-year-old in the house enjoys blasting ships to smithereens in Pirate Hunter.

Nonetheless, there is plenty to enjoy in Port Royale, if only you are patient. It takes a little time to build up reputation and resources, but once you get a steady source of income in place, the game is flexible enough to allow you to shift your attention to rampaging across the Carribean with your formidable fleets of battleships.

The game is flexible and open-ended enough to allow the player several options. One can simply to be an unassuming neutral trader, moving from port to port, quietly amassing a fortune while staying out of harm's way. One can also suck up to the governors of your respective nation, running mission after mission, currying the favor of the establishment. Doing this means that you tend become despised by the other nations, so sometimes it is a good idea to hedge your bets. One can take it even farther by getting a letter of marque, a form of legalized piracy, which allows you to loot and pillage the ships of whatever nation your letter of marque concerns. It is one step short of being an actual pirate --- just make sure you check the validity of your letter of marque, or you will find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

Finally, of course, you can throw respectability to the winds and cost your lot with the forces of lawlessness. This is easier said than done. If you find yourself an outcast from all nations, hunted by numerous military convoys, and short on cash and resources, your days may be numbered. Enjoy it while it lasts.

The game also has a loose story-line, which you can choose to follow or ignore. It gives you a chance to mix it up with some pirates if you want to, and reunite you with long-lost relatives. You can also get married, which affords your wife an opportunity to get kidnapped frequently by scurvy knaves, and affords you the opportunity to blast still more evil-doers out of the water.

For those who complain about the learning curve --- believe me, it is not nearly as difficult as Patrician II and Patrician III. Those who are familiar with those games will immediately recognize the economic model of Port Royale. I have heard some Patrician players comment that they play Port Royale when their brains need a rest from the extremely steep learning curve of the Patrician games. Learning curves are all relative.

This is not to say that Port Royale does not have some unique difficulties to it. Contrary to what one reviewer said, international affairs can have a devastating effect on your well-laid plans, depending on what nation you play. If you play as a Spanish player, the number of Spanish ports is so vast that you can ignore all other nations for the duration of the game without any impact. However, try playing France or Holland, both of which have far fewer ports. For example, you can be a French trader who has established good relations with Spain, to the point of even building up a thriving industry in a few Spanish towns, but then France & Spain go to war. It becomes impossible to maintain good relations with both nations, and eventually Spain will bar your ships from entering Spanish towns. If you depended on those towns' resources to keep your whole economic empire going, then you are seriously screwed, unless you can buy your way back into Spanish favor. The Dutch have it even worse than the French. Once again, it is all relative.

A few comments about the operation of the game: when I first began playing the game, it crashed constantly, and while Ascaron has provided a patch that has solved a lot of problems, the game continues to crash regularly. Save early, save often. The game does have a nice multi-tiered autosave that will give you a lot of loading options, but be prepared for a crash at any moment.

If you enjoy micromanagement, puncuated by occasional violence on the high seas, then you will find this to be an engrossing, addictive, time-burner of a game. If you are in need of a quick fix of violence and mayhem, you probably ought to look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Fun but probably not the game for everbody
Review: As one other reviewer mentioned, if you are not into trading & spreadsheet management, then you will probably will not derive a great deal of enjoyment out of this game. Probably Ascaron's "Pirate Hunter" is more your cup of tea. I tend to play Port Royale while the more violence-prone 10-year-old in the house enjoys blasting ships to smithereens in Pirate Hunter.

Nonetheless, there is plenty to enjoy in Port Royale, if only you are patient. It takes a little time to build up reputation and resources, but once you get a steady source of income in place, the game is flexible enough to allow you to shift your attention to rampaging across the Carribean with your formidable fleets of battleships.

The game is flexible and open-ended enough to allow the player several options. One can simply to be an unassuming neutral trader, moving from port to port, quietly amassing a fortune while staying out of harm's way. One can also suck up to the governors of your respective nation, running mission after mission, currying the favor of the establishment. Doing this means that you tend become despised by the other nations, so sometimes it is a good idea to hedge your bets. One can take it even farther by getting a letter of marque, a form of legalized piracy, which allows you to loot and pillage the ships of whatever nation your letter of marque concerns. It is one step short of being an actual pirate --- just make sure you check the validity of your letter of marque, or you will find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

Finally, of course, you can throw respectability to the winds and cost your lot with the forces of lawlessness. This is easier said than done. If you find yourself an outcast from all nations, hunted by numerous military convoys, and short on cash and resources, your days may be numbered. Enjoy it while it lasts.

The game also has a loose story-line, which you can choose to follow or ignore. It gives you a chance to mix it up with some pirates if you want to, and reunite you with long-lost relatives. You can also get married, which affords your wife an opportunity to get kidnapped frequently by scurvy knaves, and affords you the opportunity to blast still more evil-doers out of the water.

For those who complain about the learning curve --- believe me, it is not nearly as difficult as Patrician II and Patrician III. Those who are familiar with those games will immediately recognize the economic model of Port Royale. I have heard some Patrician players comment that they play Port Royale when their brains need a rest from the extremely steep learning curve of the Patrician games. Learning curves are all relative.

This is not to say that Port Royale does not have some unique difficulties to it. Contrary to what one reviewer said, international affairs can have a devastating effect on your well-laid plans, depending on what nation you play. If you play as a Spanish player, the number of Spanish ports is so vast that you can ignore all other nations for the duration of the game without any impact. However, try playing France or Holland, both of which have far fewer ports. For example, you can be a French trader who has established good relations with Spain, to the point of even building up a thriving industry in a few Spanish towns, but then France & Spain go to war. It becomes impossible to maintain good relations with both nations, and eventually Spain will bar your ships from entering Spanish towns. If you depended on those towns' resources to keep your whole economic empire going, then you are seriously screwed, unless you can buy your way back into Spanish favor. The Dutch have it even worse than the French. Once again, it is all relative.

A few comments about the operation of the game: when I first began playing the game, it crashed constantly, and while Ascaron has provided a patch that has solved a lot of problems, the game continues to crash regularly. Save early, save often. The game does have a nice multi-tiered autosave that will give you a lot of loading options, but be prepared for a crash at any moment.

If you enjoy micromanagement, puncuated by occasional violence on the high seas, then you will find this to be an engrossing, addictive, time-burner of a game. If you are in need of a quick fix of violence and mayhem, you probably ought to look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Game Didn't Work For Me Either
Review: Conceptually good game, but in practice you spend more time setting up industries to support your sailing adventures. Ascaron states you can choose path of Bucaneer or Trader, but the adventures do not pay enough to subsist solely on the high seas. Sea battles are entertaining, but you cannot control choice of ammunition or direction of your vessel at times. The most challenging problem is a reputation; it takes very little to damage it and a whole lot to boost it. The return in terms of price for goods and ships is almost not even worth caring. The price fluctuations are excellent and prevent cash cow trading.

Concept: 4/5 (whats not to like about pirates)
Graphics: 3/5 (no 3D battle scenes)
Entertainment: 3/5 (the map and cities are ALWAYS the same)
Speed: 1/5 slow to become interesting
Overall: 3/5

Rating:
Summary: good concept
Review: Conceptually good game, but in practice you spend more time setting up industries to support your sailing adventures. Ascaron states you can choose path of Bucaneer or Trader, but the adventures do not pay enough to subsist solely on the high seas. Sea battles are entertaining, but you cannot control choice of ammunition or direction of your vessel at times. The most challenging problem is a reputation; it takes very little to damage it and a whole lot to boost it. The return in terms of price for goods and ships is almost not even worth caring. The price fluctuations are excellent and prevent cash cow trading.

Concept: 4/5 (whats not to like about pirates)
Graphics: 3/5 (no 3D battle scenes)
Entertainment: 3/5 (the map and cities are ALWAYS the same)
Speed: 1/5 slow to become interesting
Overall: 3/5

Rating:
Summary: Seems geared for economists, but strangely addicting
Review: Having just read James Clavelle's Tai-Pan, I was ready for a sword and sail trading game. That's when I found Port Royale. In this game by Ascaron, you are handed a ship docked in your starting yown, a good amount of starting gold, and the entire Caribbean (16-17th century) as your playground.

There are so many options here. You can play any way you want. Open your own businesses. Hunt pirates. Trade between towns. Run missions for a governor. There are too many to list.

Unfortunately, gameplay comes back to trade. and in typical German fashion, the trading model is so detailed that it is nearly impossible to grasp without a detailed tutorial - which this game does not have. Additionally, the prices of items continually changes as the dynamic economic model changes. The creation of dynamic trade routes is so complicated, it even forced the line in the manual stating that it is easier than you may believe.

So how did I rate this game? The game was so well planned, with so much attention to detail and atmosphere, it deserves a 5. However, there are some crash bugs, and the game does nowhere near enough to provide an access to the economic model. It is a shame, because there is so much done right here: A dynamic caribbean, where every action you take affects the region whether on a small scale (Your trading of goods will effect their price fluctuations.) or on larger scale (Defeating famous pirates, sinking an enemy nations ships as a bucanner, attacking the Spanish treasure fleet, etc.)

Should you buy this game? Yes, if you are patient, love this setting, and are willing to invest a lot, and I mean a LOT, of time thoroughly learning the game's awkward interface, complicated trading and economic system, and trade route and business strategies. You should not buy this game is you do not have the time or the patience, are lukewarm to this genre of games, and want immediate gratification from your purchase.

In conclusion, this game has been called in other reviews as a game with a Mount Everest of a learning curve. If you are up to the challenge, even the frustrated gamer such as myself can see this game will reap huge bounties of entertainment for those willing to put the time into it. As for myself, there are just too many good games out there to ignore all of them to study Port Royale.

Bottom Line: If you really need a pirate gtame, wait for Sid Meier's Pirates, coming soon. Or play the simpler (but not less fun) Pirate Hunter, also by Ascaron.