For a handful of doubloons

Anyone familiar with the relevant genre-Represented (! Pirates and of course the predecessor of their own home), knows what is baked: Through trade and naval battles climb the corporate ladder. To what extent is this rather resorting to trade and thus predominantly peaceful means or murdering, burning and pillaging consuming one by the Caribbean between Fuffzehnhundert- to Sechzehnhundertnochwas, the inclined players left to itself. Without brawl but are also avowed apostle of peace from not when their convoys are ambushed by the Skull 'n crossbones gear, it's time to kick vigorously times are skilful wooden leg and grapeshot them the pots under butt off. Best before the bad guys do that namely with their own boats.

[After the game is before the game]

All this is neither new nor groundbreaking differently, but has become more playable thanks to detailed graphics, faster load times and fewer bugs. At the well tested and proven principle has doctored as little as possible. Unlike Part 1 was not turned only to the graphics and the gameplay, but also in the mission structure. The new, comprehensive tutorial is also old Kempen commended because some things not in principle, but it has changed even more in detail. And there lies all know the devil.

The "free play" has been the only option in Part 1, however, here are occasionally also fixed scenarios with preset parameters and defined victory conditions for a fairly rapid games available. "Dying" still can not, and the free play the game as time goes on to infinity, until it has torn the governorships under the nail you. Of course, time and again to grab treasure maps and to fulfill various missions. This is already known from Part 1 so far everything is known, Part 2 However, this waiting with an diffizileren trading system (more or other goods) plus a number of other innovations. Missing the first nor the PR of Pirates! known fencing fights, they have been also installed in PR2.

[Äääktschn!]

Renovated finally the type of Seegefechtsführung what is perhaps the beginning getting used to for long-established PR-stretching. Among other things, there will no longer be commanded several ships at the same time, yielding inevitably tangled. The former sometimes straw stupid and at times unfair AI has finally improved more in the direction of "I". First, only proven combat ships are now involved - merchant ships are indeed plundered in a lost battle, but remain in the player's possession. In addition, the escorts are successively selected and sent into battle, which is much clearer now, however, a very different tactics than requires its predecessor.

A change there was the recent patch. Were in the original version when boarding an enemy ship, the opportunities in a mouse-driven sword fight involved to be fifty-fifty, the probability was reduced to 30%, will be reduced even by 30%, the invoice (ie zero) as soon as a certain prevails over power to teams, then surrendered the opposing skipper prefer. Exception: Against privateer / pirate must be fought in every case, what bad beats on the duration of the tendon sheaths, because controlling the duel is exhausting by constant, rapid of clicking and anything but successful.

Overall, the combat run faster, but are no longer so easy to dispute - especially against defensive towers in ports, it is an uphill struggle, that one should approach only with damn well armed convoys. The land battles have been little changed and fairly easy to complete, a sound superiority is still guarantor to overrun a city and their guards. Numerous Thunderers are good support, but without swashbuckling melee as it gets. Of course, increasing the quality of the convoy, its navigation ability, trade balance and efficiency in the fight, with the experience level of the allocated captain and his (specific) skills.

[For a handful of doubloons]

The management of trade routes is easier despite more products on promotion. This is among other things, that you can now click on the corresponding cities on a mini-map, in the order in which they should be approached, instead of having to pick from a list awkward as ever. Per mouse use, you can now specify quantities and prices manually exclude completely from trading or have automatically flog the captain. This can be regulated arbitrarily from city to city, so that there only goods are traded, the really worthwhile or raw materials and tools that are not available but necessary, are at the site of their own businesses, so that the economy is booming.

If a convoy completely wiped out with a top-captain, the loss hurts long. It must be ensured as far as possible so that convoys constantly are in good working condition and have the necessary strength to target teams, cutlasses along with guns and ammunition. That you can not automate unfortunately. Furthermore, it is recommended that at each stage of newly arrived equal to hire a new captain and prop up these rookie by manually controlling the extent that he can drive at least on its own automated trading routes / allowed. For this purpose at least level 2 is necessary, previously denied the program item "trade route" when a greenhorn with stage 0 or 1 has been selected.

[Graphics and Sound]

Like its predecessor, the graphics are also less spectacular this time, because useful. However, nice to look at. The mirror effects on the sea have what and also the small Animatiönchen of city life, there's still. Overall, it has taken the more modern graphics card bill, and unfortunately threatening - almost traditional - sometimes quarrel with ATI chipsets. This includes but probably only the mobile Vetrreter this genre, like the X300. On many Läppi graphics Compatibility must be forced, but then it works fine. The Radeon 9600 swallows PR2 without artifices and entirely without grumbling.

The sound is refreshingly unobtrusive and creates the necessary pirate atmosphere, the voice acting is new and is not limited to sailing commands and command post messages, this time is also a chronicler of this that can be found in the harbor pubs sometimes and little stories and interesting facts from the is time the real privateering for the best. Only on request, of course. The same voice guides also well understood by the tutorial, where the spoken word does not always match the displayed text, but it is negligible. As with its predecessor can not have their own sound files / CDs play, making the music on time will be a little monotonous.

[Control]

Still PR is controlled exclusively by clicking on icons or premises / buildings / ships, apart from the usual hotkeys. To use come point and click, drag and drop, as well as rubber-band selection, of course, always depending on the game situation. Basically selects left-click and right-click to start any action (movement, attack, etc.) or in menus (eg trade) is all about links with the law concerned menu is left again. Exceptions to this scheme, there's also (ship transfer of convoy to convoy about) that one has but eaten quickly. The scroll wheel zooms the world on or off, which proves once again to be almost indispensable for track of land and sea battles.

[System Requirements]

Moderate. Even older 98SE / ME / 2000 / XP machine with 6 or more years under their belts are capable PR II Ruckel with all details and light effects and present errors. Minimal does it a Pentium III 700 with 128 MB RAM, 3D-capable 32-MB VRAM GraKa (who nowadays does not?) And of course a polyphonic trash Blaster card (or onboard solution). As optimum Ascaron indicates a Pentium IV system with 1.6Ghz CPU and 512 MB RAM, the GraKa may have quietly 64MB. The bigger the better - of course. All DirectX 9 compatible, which is of course also available on CD. The budget publications contain no printed manual, but only one in pdf format. For many years the current patch is already included.

[Conclusion]

Although PR II, the extensive program, it runs smoother and especially more stable than the previous version, which had to suffer from one or another bug. The one has largely eradicated in the 2nd version and still packed a few gimmicks with inside, not quite Pirates! but very close. The trading simulation and strategy is entirely self-contained and can be the major competitors in parts buy the cutting, after all ennobled 3 Games Magazine PR II awards and consistently good grades. They were right - even if today WiSims certainly come along more sophisticated and refined, the Olle PR II is still fun.