Article Type: Review
Article Date: September 25, 2002
Product Info
Product Name: Privateer's Bounty: Age of Sail II
Category: Strategy: Naval Combat
Developed By: Akella
Published By: Talonsoft / Global Star Software
Release Date: Released
Sys. Spec: Click Here
Files & Links: Click Here
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Second Time Around
Age of Sail II, developed by Akella and published by Talonsoft/Take 2 in 2001, was a heart-breaking product. The graphics were beautiful, the ship models were accurate and the function menu was all a sailing game devotee could want. However, it foundered on the shoals of a number of bugs, a flawed fleet handling mechanism and an AI so dumb that any solo game was instantly ruined. A detailed review can be found here.
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In the first action of the War of 1812, the USS Constitution takes on HMS Guerriere.  |
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| A help screen shows the many facets of this game. |
Patches produced by Akella offered only marginal improvements. Yet a band of faithful multi-play gamers kept this product from Davey Jones’ cyber locker. Akella found a new publisher, Global Star/Take 2, and has developed Privateer’s Bounty: Age of Sail II. This sequel has all the scenarios of the original plus an editor and four new vessel types. Some game companies have distributed as much as cheaper add-ons, if not free patches. The critical question is that whether the major flaws of the original have been corrected to the extent another purchase is desirable.
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| A frigate is torched, The various windows are the same as in the original Age of Sail II. |
Fleet’s In! – Finally
In the original, control over a group of ships was a throwback to Warcraft: “lasso” the ships, make a waypoint and they would all head toward it like a pack of hungry hounds. Privateer’s Bounty has developed a more elegant formula. “Lasso” the group, give it a number via CTRL # and select a waypoint. Once this is done, right-click on a ship in the group and the formation window opens. This window allows the choice of “line ahead”, “line abreast”, “custom” and changing intervals between lines. CTRL – arrow allows for changing the heading of ships at the destination. The realism of the game is shown by the fact that the line may not form because of weather or bad crew quality. This system doesn’t show the majesty of “turn in succession” but the effect on play is the same: squadrons will form in an orderly fashion. The custom formation might be nice if the 67-page manual explained it but, as of now, it remains a mystery. Regardless, the new formation system makes handling large fleet engagements such as Trafalgar and Camperdown something more than click-fests
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| A traditional line-of-battle engagement begins. |
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| The new formation manager window takes the headache from fleet handling. |
The “A” Found Its “I”
The most aggravating thing about the original Age of Sail II for the average gamer was the incredibly stupid AI. Enemy ships would obligingly turn into the wind after the first shots, allowing themselves to be raked at will. Frigates would run into sea cliffs while attempting to escape ten-gun schooners. The hilarity factor of these antics disappeared quickly.
Privateer’s Bounty’s AI has become crafty. Enemy captains take advantage of any change in wind. Their targeting is ferocious even on medium levels. The improved AI does more than provide a better opponent; it makes the differences between crew quality more obvious. A player may have a 3:1 numerical advantage but, if his enemies’ crew is two levels above his, he still has a difficult fight on his hand. With quality being an equalizer, crew management tasks that may take men away from the guns become serious decision points. The 142 scenarios demand many serious decisions, especially on the hard levels. Fortunately, the first twenty-one scenarios serve as tutorials so players can ramp up skills.
The three campaigns are new. The players still get prestige points and money to buy ships and repair damage but, instead of focusing on careers, they have themes. One is to find a lost explorer while another revolves around a treasure map. The most interesting campaign is one that revolves around surreptitious operations in the Mediterranean. These campaigns are enjoyable but more stolid gamers could wish for a re-make of one of the original ensign-to-admiral campaigns.
”Fantastical Gimcracks”
Privateer’s Bounty’s new vessels include two that were common during the age of sail: the fire ship and the bomb vessel. The fire ship is sailed toward the enemy in hopes of setting him alight while the bomb vessel is crammed with explosives to blow nearby ships to smithereens. The mechanics for both are simple. The terminology for the bomb vessel is unfortunate as a student of naval history might expect a mortar-carrying bomb ketch instead.
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| A bomb vessel succeeds in a spectacular fashion. |
The steam paddle ship is not as unlikely as one would think. Robert Fulton actually built a working prototype for the French, only to have the fast currents of the Seine tear it apart. Had another attempt been financed, steam warships could have been sailing by 1805. The steam ship in the game reflects the peculiarities of early steam. In heavy seas, the paddles are retracted and the sails unfurled.
The most interesting addition is David Bushnell’s submarine, Turtle. Actually used during the American Revolution, the submarine in the game is handled almost like the real one. A carrier ship tows the submarine near its target. The sub crawls near and under its victim and ejects a contact mine and then heads back. The resulting explosion often destroys the sub or has the target craft sink on it. Care must be used! The sub can be tracked via a tiny stream of bubbles leading to the carrier ship that can then be destroyed, taking the sub with it.
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| The Turtle casts off from its carrier. |
A final addition is “over the top” – literally. Hot air balloons were envisioned for reconnaissance and even for an invasion of England (rejected as “A Channel Too Far.”) However, not until Burt Lancaster’s The Crimson Pirate was the concept of bombing ships from them broached. However, the player can try it if he wishes.
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| A balloon approaches slowly, giving the enemy time to invent the first anti-aircraft gun |
These innovations find a home in the editor. Privateer’s Bounty has an extremely powerful editor. Not only can existing scenarios be modified but completely new ones can be created. Shores, island and towns can be placed on the landscape. Two thousand ships can be placed and modified. Weather and light can be manipulated. Scripting can be used to create campaigns—perhaps those old campaigns will be made by users.
Some problems remain. Turning radii and damage effects can be debated. However, Privateer’s Bounty’s largest flaw is multiplay. First, online play can only be done through Gamespy Arcade, not TCP/IP. Why one set of servers should monopolize Internet play is very strange. What play there is becomes unstable and yields a wealth of mistaken information. Hopefully, Akella will rectify this major flaw.
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| The ship building screen is just one of many in the scenario editor. |
Gamers interested in this topic and who did not get the first Age of Sail II should get Privateer’s Bounty at once. Players who bought the original will wince at buying the game again. However, given all the improvement’s and enhancements, they should do so.
Privateer's Bounty: Age of Sail II
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