靈컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � Dead Weight 1993 Presents � � Pirates! Gold Complete Documentation � 聃컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� WELCOME TO PIRATES! GOLD The stars of new Kings and Emperors are rising in Europe. New opportunities abound for the ambitious man. There are reputations to be made, fortunes to be won, beautiful women to wed, and with royal favor, you may even gain a patent of nobility! "Duke of the Realm" has a fine sound to it, does it not? These are days when glory and fame can come from a humble beginning. Nowhere are the opportunities greater than in the Spanish Main -- the Caribbean Sea -- the crossroads of the Atlantic. Here, the Great Powers engage in an unending struggle for dominance of these strategic waters. Here, the displaced of the Old World seek to wrest a living from the New. Here, the seas are filled with rich merchantmen, ungainly cargo fluytes, and -- the greatest prize of all -- Spanish galleons, slow and fat, heavily-laden with Spanish gold! TO BEGIN To begin your adventure, load your game according to the instructions in the Captain's Broadsheet. While the game is loading, read the "Game Controls" section of the Broadsheet for instructions on how Pirates Gold! operates on your machine. THE INSTRUCTIONS THE CAPTAIN'S BROADSHEET The Captain's Broadsheet is a separate booklet containing loading instructions for Pirates! Gold. In addition, it describes how Pirates! Gold operates on your machine. It also contains play-hints, and answers to commonly asked questions about this game. THIS MANUAL This manual is divided into four sections: Book I provides comprehensive information on how to play, as well as some historical background. Book II provides more details on the various events which take place during a voyage. It also discusses your goals and the treasures awaiting a heroic and lucky Captain in the Caribbean. Book III provides specific details on the ships of the period, the famous pirate expeditions, and the political and economic situation in each of the six eras. The City Gazetteer lists and describes the cities of Pirates! Gold. A WORD ABOUT YOUR GOALS From humble beginnings, you are seeking to make your fortune in the West Indies. Eventually, you hope to retire to a life of wealth, ease, and high status. When you retire, your status is determined by your personal fortune, your rank, your lands, your reputation, the wife you marry (if any), and whatever especially pleasing events befall you during the course of your adventures. You can retire -- and end the game -- at a bank in a city after you divide up the plunder from the current voyage. At this point you'll learn how well you did in the game. If you are dissatisfied with your success and your health permits, you can leave retirement and take up adventuring again. As you play, you may wish to make a few "trial retirements" to see how this works. See "Book II" for more information on retirement. THE MAIN MENU To begin playing Pirates! Gold, install and run the game according to the instructions in the Captain's Broadsheet. If all is well, you'll see a number of opening screens. These will be followed by the "Main Menu" screen which contains the following options: "Start a New Career," "Continue a Saved Game," "Command a Famous Expedition" and "Return to DOS". These options are described below. CONTINUE A SAVED GAME This option allows you to resume any game in progress. See the Captain's Broadsheet for instructions on how to load and save games. COMMAND A FAMOUS EXPEDITION A famous expedition is a "short game" where you command just one expedition. In a famous expedition you often start large, with many men and ships under your command; however, the expedition ends when you divide the plunder. Each expedition recreates the exploits of a famous -- or infamous -- historical pirate. They are not for the novice or the faint of heart; doing as well as the historical model can be a very challenging task indeed! Don't choose this option for your first few games; instead, you should start a new career. SELECTING AN HISTORICAL TIME PERIOD After you have chosen a new career on the Main Menu, a new menu appears. On the "Select an Historical Time Period" menu, you choose when your pirate's career will begin. (For your first game, choose "The Buccaneer Heroes -- 1660.") The historical period has a large effect upon the game. The Caribbean and the Spanish Main were a changing environment. As military and economic power waxed and waned, new colonies appeared and old cities declined. The region gradually changed from total Spanish dominion in the 1560s to a wild frontier for European colonization in the early 1600s, and, by the arrival of the 18th Century, to a cosmopolitan nexus in a global economy. This menu appears only when you begin a new career. It doesn't appear when you play a famous expedition; in an expedition, the time period is already set. When you continue a saved game, you have already chosen the time period. Each of these historical periods is described briefly below; for more detailed descriptions, see the section "The Historical Periods." THE SILVER EMPIRE -- 1560 This is the earliest period in the game. In this era, the Spanish Empire is at its peak. All the colonies in the Caribbean -- with one lone exception -- are Spanish. All the major ports and trade are controlled by Spain. However, Spain's profit has been so great that other Europeans are attracted to steal and plunder whatever Spain cannot protect. Because of Spain's great power, this is an extremely challenging era, and should not be attempted by novices. MERCHANTS AND SMUGGLERS -- 1600 This era is very similar to "The Silver Empire," but Spain is slightly weaker. A few abortive non-Spanish colonial ventures have begun, but the Caribbean remains essentially Spanish. Another change is the predominance of the Dutch smuggling trade. Like the 1560s, this era is extremely challenging and should not be attempted by novices. THE NEW COLONISTS -- 1620 This era sees the first successful colonies founded by the enemies of Spain, while Spanish power continues to decline. With these colonies, prospects for piracy and privateering are improved. Life is fairly challenging for would-be pirates and privateers. WAR FOR PROFIT -- 1640 This era is a heyday for small, independent buccaneers. The Spanish military and economy are at their nadir, while new European colonies are blooming throughout the Antilles. This period is a Golden Age -- literally! -- for the independent and resourceful sailor. It is an enjoyable era for players of all skills. THE BUCCANEER HEROES -- 1660 These decades are the peak of swashbuckling adventure in the Caribbean. Spanish wealth is reappearing, but their military power remains a joke. European colonies and ports abound, fortune-hunting sailors crowd the taverns, searching for lucky Captains. This classic age makes piracy a pleasure for players of every skill level. It is the suggested level for your first games of Pirates! Gold PIRATES' SUNSET -- 1680 This era is the last for Caribbean pirate adventuring. European nations now take seriously events in the Caribbean. Navy warships are on patrol, Letters of Marque are harder to find, governors are less tolerant. Enjoy this era while you can, for it is the end of an age. This period is somewhat tougher than the previous eras. It may be a bit too difficult for novices, but other players will find it quite interesting and challenging. CREATING YOUR CHARACTER After you select a historical period for your game, you then create your character, deciding upon name, nationality and special proficiency. In addition, you must set the difficulty of the game itself. CHOOSING YOUR NATIONALITY In most scenarios, you can choose one of four nationalities: English, French, Dutch, and Spanish. The choice of nationality has important effects upon play: where you start, what ship(s) you have, the size of your crew, your initial wealth and reputation, and so forth. Your nationality also helps determine your relations with the various cities of the Spanish Main -- if you are English, for instance, and England goes to war with Spain, Spanish towns tend to be wary of you. However, your actions during your career speak louder than your nationality: if you please a nation, a governor may reward you. If you anger a governor -- even a governor of your own nationality -- he may order his harbor forts to fire on you! Finally, note that your nationality does not require you to support that nation during your career -- many of France's admirals during the 1680s were Dutch buccaneers! SPECIAL SCENARIO NOTES The Dutch nationality is not available in 1560. At that time, the Dutch were still a part of the Spanish Empire. Your nationality is pre-chosen when you plan an historical scenario. That is, if you play the "Battle of San Juan de Ulua," you will be English, like the actual historical figure, John Hawkins. NATIONALITIES English English is often a useful nationality. This nation supports privateers in the 16th Century, and is just as generous in the 17th. There are a few friendly bases for you in the early scenarios, but in later scenarios England has a number of fine ports, particularly Port Royale in Jamaica and St. Kitts in the Caribbee Islands (Lesser Antilles). French French is the classic nationality for pirates. Although this nation provides less support to its sons overseas, it also gives them more independence, more freedom of action. France has a number of tiny settlements on Florida and in the Bahamas in early scenarios; during the middle and later scenarios, cities on West Hispaniola and Tortuga are ideal pirate bases. Dutch This is an exciting and different nationality. Except in the 1620s, the Dutch sailed as traders to the Caribbean, not as warriors. Of course, once in the Caribbean, more than a few supplemented their earnings in legitimate activities with more violent and profitable pursuits. As a rule, Dutch traders tried to stay on the good side of England and France, although this was not always possible. You cannot choose Dutch as your nationality in the 1560s. In other early periods, the city of Curacao, off the coast of South America, is a major Dutch port. In later scenarios, the Dutch have possessions scattered across the islands of the Caribbean; St. Martin and St. Eustatius, two particularly wealth cities, lie on the northern boundary of the Lesser Antilles. Spanish This is the most difficult nationality to play. As a Spanish renegade, you start in a weak position, although in 1680 you can play the interesting role of a Costa Guarda -- the Spanish Caribbean coast guard who often acted like pirates themselves! YOUR NAME Use any name you wish. SPECIAL ABILITIES This choice determines your special skill. This doesn't much matter in Apprentice level, where all tasks are rather easy; however, at the higher levels, you will want to be proficient in the area which gives you the most trouble. Fencing You are well trained and have great reflexes, making your opponents seem slow and unskilled by comparison. Navigation Your fine grasp of sea and sail makes your ship travel smoothly and rapidly across the often-treacherous Caribbean. Gunnery You are highly-skilled with a cannon, and you've passed some of that skill onto your crew. Your ship's broadsides are more likely to hit their target. Wit and Charm Your dashing good looks and smooth tongue make you quite popular with the townsmen (and women!). Medicine You are trained in the latest techniques in the healing arts -- leeches, cupping, branding, and the like. You are thus likely to remain healthy longer, and to suffer less from injuries. As a result, your career as a pirate can last longer. DIFFICULTY LEVEL There are four difficulty levels in Pirates! Gold: Apprentice (the easiest), Journeyman, Adventurer, and Swashbuckler (the hardest). For your first game, choose Apprentice. The difficulty level you choose determines the difficulty of each major aspect of play. At lower levels, your fencing opponents will be weaker and easier to defeat; cities will be less likely to fire on your ships when they enter the harbor; your men will need less treasure to be happy; the weather will be milder; and so on. On the other hand, your share of any plunder gained will be smaller. To gain the greatest success possible in Pirates! Gold, you need to attempt the more difficult levels. Apprentice At this level, you get the most aid from subordinate officers on the ship: they'll tell you whose waters you are sailing in, keep you posted on your crew's morale, and so forth. This makes play easier, but whenever you divide the loot, all those experts take rather large shares, leaving little for you. Journeyman This level is moderately easy. Your subordinates are less expert (but still good), but your share of the plunder is larger. Adventurer The adventurer level is moderately difficult. Weather begins to be a large concern, and your opponents become quite deadly with the blade. Your subordinates are mediocre, but your share of the booty is quite large. Swashbuckler This level is difficult. The weather is extremely realistic (and is quite often terrible), your enemies are powerful and universally hostile, your crew is unruly, and your officers are wretched scum. On the bright side, if you do survive, your share of the loot is the largest possible. YOUR STARTING TALE Once you have finished creating your pirate, the scene changes to an important event in your early life, and you'll learn how you came to join the "Brotherhood of the Sea." Then you face the first opponent in single combat. When he is defeated, you are on your way to adventure on the High Seas! FENCING AND SWORDPLAY In the 16th and 17th Centuries, the world was a violent and dangerous place. The European man met that violence with his blade. Your discouraged thieves, righted injustice, protected your family, and maintained your honor with a sword. Whether challenged to a duel, or fighting your way through a tavern brawl, skill with cold steel was simple survival. CONTROLLING YOUR PIRATE The Captain's Broadsheet describes how to control your pirate and his weapon. CHOOSING YOUR WEAPON In battle, you have three different weapons available: rapier, cutlass or longsword. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. As you play Pirates! Gold, you'll learn which blade suits your particular level of skill and style of swordsmanship. The Rapier The rapier is a long, think, flexible weapon with a sharp point but no real edge. It can be maneuvered easily, and thrust into a target with accuracy. It has a longer reach than any other weapon, but its strikes do the least damage. The rapier is a gentleman's sword. The Cutlass The cutlass is a heavy, curved cleaver with a sharp edge but short reach. When it hits, a cutlass does far more damage than a rapier. Cutlasses are popular with buccaneers, cutthroats, and other untutored fighters. They are mean weapons. The Longsword The longsword is a classic weapon of medium length -- shorter than rapier, longer than a cutlass. It has a heavy blade, and its blows do more damage than a rapier. The longsword is a fine weapon for a soldier. THE PRINCIPLES OF FENCING Combinations Like all active men of your time, you are a trained swordsman. Attacking and defensive movements, including wrist, arm, body, and footwork are as automatic as throwing or kicking a ball. Put together, these motions form "combinations" that allow you to attack, defend, or retreat in various ways. In combat, victory depends on selecting the best combination. If you recognize an attacking combination fast enough, you can block it with a defensive combination, or counterattack with a combination which exploits your opponent's attack. The attacking combinations are thrust and slash; the defensive combinations are called parries. Any combination can be carried out low, medium, or high: that is, you can thrust high, parry medium, slash low, and so forth. Hits You hit your opponent when he fails to successfully parry your attacking combination. Each hit weakens your opponent. If you are leading your men in combat against a group of opponents, each of your hits also lowers the morale of the opposing force (the enemy is dismayed to see you strike their leader!). Conversely, when you opponent hits you, you are weakened and your men demoralized. Retreat Retreat is easy. Simply move off the edge of the screen. Of course, you lose whatever you were fighting over and your reputation suffers. On the other hand, retreat is usually preferable to surrender... Surrender Surrender occurs when one fighter is being badly beaten by the other. Over the course of the battle, the losing fighter's morale, represented by the flags on the screen, declines as the winning fighter's morale improves. When a fighter's morale gets too low, any blow may force him to surrender. In massed combat, each man's morale is deeply affected by how his side is doing. If your force is taking terrible losses, your morale will fall. On the other hand, if your men are beating the enemy, your opponent's morale will crumble. In any case, the side with more men has a significant advantage. When your enemy outnumbers you greatly, you had better seek to defeat their captain quickly before sheer weight of numbers gives him the victory. ATTACKS As described above, each combination is a different swordfighting maneuver. During battle, you select a combination and your body automatically makes the moves. Each combination takes a different amount of time to execute; each does a different amount of damage. There are two types of attack: thrust and slash. During a battle it is important to mix up your attacks: if you continuously thrust high, for example, your opponent will learn and take advantage of your predictability, perhaps by parrying your attack and then launching a quicker counterattack before you can respond! THE SLASH The slash is a brutal, heavy blow, with damage done by the edge of the blade rather than the point. Since you're using the edge of your weapon, you must be closer to your opponent to hit him. On the other hand, a successful slash can do an enormous amount of damage as you draw your entire blade-edge across your enemy's body. Slashing High: This takes the longest time to execute, but has an extra-long reach. If it succeeds, this combination does twice the normal amount of damage. Slashing Mid-Level: This is a faster slash than the high slash, but it is still slower than the thrust. This combination does twice the damage of a normal attack. Slashing Low: This is the fastest slash, but has a shorter reach. This combination too does twice the damage of a thrust. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � THE COMMON MAN AS WARRIOR � � � � In this turbulent time, there are more clergymen than sheriffs! A man � � protects his own property and person against thieves and banditry -- if � � he doesn't, the kings and governors surely won't! It is the rare man who � � goes without some kind of weapon. � � Noblemen settle disputes quietly in duels, rather than through open � � warfare (a barbaric practice, frowned upon by the Crown, for its � � detrimental affects upon the important business of trade and taxation). � � Unable to afford the high-quality blades of their "betters," � � commoners must be satisfied with staves, clubs, crude spears, large � � knives and such homemade implements of carnage. When they can get a � � weapon, the common-folk prefer the heavy cutlass, an ideal weapon for a � � stout but untutored fighter. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 THE THRUST When you thrust, you are attacking your enemy with the point of your blade rather than the edge. These attacks are faster than slashes and typically have longer reach. On the other hand, they do half the damage of a slash. Thrusting High: This is a moderately fast attack with a longer reach than low or mid-level thrusts and slashes. Thrusting Mid-Level: This is the second-fastest attack, with a medium reach. Thrusting Low: This is the fastest attack in the game, but it has a short reach. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � THE COLONIAL FRONTIER � � � � The colonial frontier is even more unruly than in the homeland. This � � is especially true of the English and French colonies, largely populated � � by convicts, fortune hunters, deadbeats, religious fanatics, and other � � people the homeland was happy to ship across the seas. � � Furthermore, the colonies the landowner might be absent or � � nonexistent. In Europe, every square inch of land is party of some � � nobleman's holdings, and he and his family usually live right up the � � road, ready to enforce ancient feudal custom and law. In the colonies, � � the strongest rule. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 THE DEFENSE In fencing, the defense is faster than the attack. The fencer doesn't have to extend his arm or body at all; he merely has to move his wrist to bring his sword into line to block the enemy's attack. Still, nobody ever won a battle by parrying; to beat your opponent, you'll have to go on the offensive some time. The best fighter mixes parries with attacks. Parrying High: This position counters high thrusts and slashes. As high attacks are slow to develop, defensive fighters rarely stand "on guard" in a high parry. Parrying Mid-Level: This position counters any mid-level attack or slash. This is the classic "on guard" position to which many swordsmen return. A fencer can move from this position to any other position very quickly. Parrying Low: This counters any low combination. Experienced swordsmen periodically stand "on guard" in a low parry, since low attacks can develop very quickly. PARRYING AND RETREATING You can parry while retreating. These maneuvers offer the same protection as the normal parry; they also allow you to leave the battle without getting stabbed in the back! Parry High and Retreat: This is the same maneuver as Parry High, except that you backpedal while parrying. Parry Mid-Level and Retreat: This is the same maneuver as Parry Mid-Level, except that you backpedal while parrying. Parry Low and Retreat: This is the same maneuver as Parry Low, except that you backpedal while parrying. LEADERSHIP IN BATTLE Only a few of your battles are man-to-man duels. Most of the time you are leading your stalwart crew against the enemy. As you duel the enemy leader, your crewmen are also fighting his men. Morale Your hits against the enemy leader, and his hits against you, change the morale of each side in battle. As your morale improves, his declines, and vice versa. Your side's morale is very important to your duel and to the general melee: if your morale is low, any hit might cause you to surrender; if your morale is high, your men will do far more damage to the enemy. Number of Men As you fight, your men and the enemy force will suffer casualties. The rate each side suffers casualties depends on their number and their morale. If morale is fairly equal, a force with superior numbers will inflict more casualties. However, an inferior force with high morale can avoid casualties and inflict serious losses on a larger force with very low morale. In the long run, morale can be more important than numerical comparisons. Retreat and Surrender You can lead your men into retreat from a battle by retreating yourself. Surrender occurs when you inflict enough hits on an enemy with very low morale or a vastly inferior force. When your opponent is down to one man, any successful hit will make him surrender, regardless of morale. Of course, the same could happen to you. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � FIREARMS � � � � Firearms exist in this era, but they're newfangled weapons, of slow � � speed and dubious reliability. Throughout the 1500s firearms are fired � � with slow match. Reloading is a long, laborious process that requires � � two minutes or more and is complicated by the need to handle loose � � gunpowder while holding a lit match! � � A better gun, the flintlock, is invented in 1615. It is mainly used � � by hunters, sportsmen and buccaneers through the 1630s. However, it is � � still too unreliable to carry into battle until the '70s. In a fight you � � might carry a loaded pistol or three, but you still put most of your � � faith in your trusty blade, which can't jam or misfire, and which still � � works if you get it wet. � � In Dumas' Three Musketeers, set in the 1620s, the title characters are � � members of the most elite firearms unit in the entire French army. � � Still, they rely far more on their swords than their guns... � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� IN THE CITY In the 16th and 17th Centuries, Europeans have a precarious toehold on the New World. The vast majority of North and South America and the Caribbean is unexplored and unconquered. The new land isn't kind, either. Hostile Indians still control more of the territory, and they have no love for the rapacious, murdering white men who enslave them, steal their gold, and destroy their great civilizations. The weather of the New World, from the frigid cold of the North to the killing heat of the South, is treacherous. Huge swathes of pestilential jungles and swamps lie filled with diseases for which the Europeans have no defense. In these turbulent times, Europeans venture forth from their cities at great peril. CITY STATUS Over the course of the 16th and 17th Centuries, cities grew, flourished, and declined across the Caribbean. The cities in Pirates! Gold change dramatically from period to period. Therefore each period offers different strategic challenges. Cities in Pirates! Gold vary in size, defensive strength, economic strength, and political affiliation. Over the course of the game, a city may grow larger or smaller, richer or poorer, weaker or stronger. Cities are attacked by Indians, weakened by disease, and captured by warring nations. Occasionally, a city is sacked by bloodthirsty pirates. Your reception in a city depends on the city's present status. One city may fire upon your ships when they arrive, another might welcome you with open arms -- a wise pirate will quickly learn the difference. THE CITY GAZETTE If you know a city's status, it is recorded in the city gazette in your cabin (see "The Map of the Caribbean" in the section "The Captain's Cabin"); if your information on a city is out of date, your gazette is blank. CITY NAME A city's name may differ from one historical time period to the next. A city might have been captured by another power which changed its name; alternatively, an older city might have vanished completely and a new city established nearby. Take for an extreme example the island which is today known as Santa Catalina, off the coast of Honduras. In the early 1600s, the English started a colony named "Providence" on this island. This colony was later captured by the Spanish, who renamed the colony "Santa Catalina." Shortly thereafter, the colony failed altogether. Thus, in the 1620 scenario of Pirates! Gold, there is an English city named Providence on the island. In 1640, the city is owned by Spain and is named Santa Catalina. In later scenarios, there is no city on the island at all. NATIONALITY A city may change its allegiance during a scenario. This typically occurs when enemy soldiers capture the city, but you may also have an opportunity to change a city's nationality after you plunder it. This doesn't occur every time you plunder a city: you must have a sizable crew under your command. The smaller the city's population and the larger your force, the greater the chance of causing the city to change its flag. ECONOMIC STATUS A city may be rich, poor or in-between. The city's economic status determines how many goods the merchant has to sell, their price, and whether the city will trade with you at all (see "Spanish Trade Restrictions," below). Your actions can affect a town's economic status over the course of a scenario. If you plunder a town or engage in piracy outside its harbor, it becomes less prosperous. On the other hand, if you trade regularly in a town, it becomes wealthier. Struggling Struggling towns are in economic difficulty. They trade with almost anyone. Prices of goods are low, as are the quantities available. Surviving These towns have either small or depressed economies. Surviving Spanish towns trade with foreigners whose local reputation is fairly decent. Prices and quantities are usually modest. Prosperous Prosperous towns have large, strong economies. Prosperous Spanish towns will trade with you only if you are a Captain of high repute. Prices of goods are fairly high, and goods are available in reasonable quantity. Wealthy Wealthy towns are at the peak of the economic spectrum. With very few exceptions, only old, rich Spanish towns reach this status; these towns almost always follow the letter of the law. Only the very best and most reputable Captains of any nationality are allowed to trade in these towns. Prices are high and goods are plentiful. Spanish Trade Restrictions In Spanish towns it is illegal to trade with anyone other than Spanish merchants who sailed from Seville and are properly accredited by the Spanish government. However, local governors and merchants often ignored this tiresome legality, especially if the economy is suffering. As a result, traders in towns sometimes ignore what the national government says and instead develop their own opinions, based on your reputation in that area. FORTS At constant risk from Indians, enemy powers and brigands, many cities in the Caribbean are surrounded by a variety of defensive works. These range from wooden stockades to extensive stone walls rivaling the great city-fortresses of Europe. In Pirates! Gold, there are many levels of fortifications, indicated by the number of forts. The higher the land, the stronger the city's defenses. SOLDIERS The wealthier and larger a city, the more soldiers it has defending it: rich cities may have hundreds of soldiers, while poor cities may have none. When you attack a city from the sea, the city's soldiers operate its cannon; when you attack from the land, they sally forth to meet you outside the city walls. When you finally storm the fort itself, you fight the soldier's captain, while your crew battle the remaining soldiers. Needless to say, it is best to outnumber a city's soldiers when you attack it. You can beat a city's soldiers with a smaller force, but it's not easy. (see the section "Leadership in Battle" in "Fencing and Swordplay"). CITIZENS A city's population rises and falls with the years. It may grow with a new influx of colonists from the homeland; it may decline as the result of Indian attack. The more you trade with a city, the larger it will grow. This is useful because a city with few than 600 citizens isn't important enough to have a governor. The more friendly governors you know, the more opportunities you have to get special assignments, meet their lovely daughters, and receive land grants and promotions. GOLD Besides gaining your country's gratitude when you capture an enemy city, you also get some of the city's wealth. The actual amount varies with the length of the battle. Longer fights give the citizens more time to hide their wealth. Thus, a head-on assault might be bloodier than a long battle of feign and maneuver, but it will also be more profitable. KEEPING TRACK OF THE CITIES OF THE CARIBBEAN All other things being equal, cities slowly prosper and grow, gaining economic strength, which attacks population, who in turn hoard wealth, which obliges the government to install troops and forts to protect this wealth. Traders and smugglers help this economic growth with their buying, selling, and transport of goods. Pirates, buccaneers and privateers taking ships from waters near the colony will hurt its economic growth. There are three ways to learn about cities: Purchase Intelligence from Shady Characters in the Tavern Taverns are filled with merchants and sailors who regularly travel the cities of the Spanish Main. One of these travelers may offer to sell you information on a city he recently visited. If you meet his price, he provides you with the city's current status. This data is always correct at the time it is sold to you, though subsequent events may shortly render it obsolete. Listen to Tavern Gossip/Ask Passing Ships for News Though you won't get a city's actual status this way, you can learn about recent events in the Caribbean -- Indian attacks, gold mine discoveries, and the like, which have important effects on cities. Indian Attacks: Indian attacks deplete a city's soldiers, but leave the population and economy intact. Such cities are ripe for attack. Pirate Raids: Pirates steal from a town whatever gold they can find. These raids also damage a town's economy. There's little profit in attacking a city which another pirate has already plundered... Gold Mines: These cause a one-time upswing in the city's economy and dramatically increase the city's disposable wealth (ie, its gold). These finds are usually small, perhaps just a short-lived alluvial wash in a nearby stream or river, but they invariably generate a "gold rush" mentality in the town. These cities are good to plunder. In addition, the price of everything will be high, so they're also fine places to sell goods. New Governor: If a new governor is installed in a city, he doesn't necessarily have the same attitude toward you as his predecessor. You won't know the new governor's attitude until you visit him. THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN TOWN THE GOVERNOR Towns with a population greater than 600 citizens have a governor. His residence, the mansion on the hill, is the seat of government and the center of news and intrigue for the colony. A visit to the governor may be useful. He can tell you with whom his nation wars and allies. He may makes special offers or rewards. With luck and sufficient prestige, you may meet his niece or even daughter. However, the governor hasn't much time to waste entertaining coarse seadogs like you; once you have visited the governor of a town, don't expect to gain admittance again soon. Towns with fewer than 600 citizens don't have governors: the mansion on the hill lies empty and vacant. YOUR RELATIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR A governor's attitude toward you begins with the "official" attitude of his nation toward your activities. However, any particular favors you have done for him are remembered, as well as any especially nasty things you have done to his city (such as plundering it!). You can curry favor with a governor by capturing a pirate in waters near his port and then returning the pirate to him for punishment. Conversely, a governor is dismayed if you capture the nation's ships in local waters, and is especially unhappy if you have plundered his town. When a governor is hostile to you, he will order any harbor forts to fire upon your vessels as they sail in. In general, if the governor's nation is hostile toward you the forts usually fire. If the nation is wary, the governor's personal attitude and the size of your force are the crucial factors. TALKING WITH THE GOVERNOR Political Situation The governor may discuss the current political and military situation with you, telling you whom his nation is allied with and whom it is at war with. This is valuable information: on future visits he may reward you if you have attacked enemy ships and towns. Be warned, however, that the political situation in the Caribbean is volatile, to say the least. Nations switch alliances with appalling frequency: a country's enemy one day may be its firm ally the next. Don't expect to get rewarded for attacking a country's new ally, even if they were bitter enemies when you did it! Offer Amnesty You may hear from tavern gossip or passing ships that a nation is offering amnesty to former pirates. If so, the governor's mansion is the place to get it. When a nation offers pirate amnesty, it is willing to forget its former hostility toward pirates. Each governor is empowered to offer former pirates a pardon for their activities, though sometimes the pardon can be expensive. Note that the amnesty covers only past transgressions. If you purchase an amnesty and then go right out and attack a nation's shipping or cities, the amnesty will be rescinded before you can say "hoist the black flag," and your money will be wasted. When working an amnesty, be careful about sailing into a hostile harbor! Although the nation may be offering amnesty, a local governor may still distrust you enough to open fire. This is especially likely if your force is large or you have made recent attacks in the area. If you sneak into town you have a better chance of getting to the governor and convincing him to provide the amnesty his nation promises. Purchase Letters of Marque In the 16th and 17th Centuries, royal governments are desperately short of funds. Building and maintaining warships is incredibly expensive, and few ships can be spared from home waters to patrol the far-off Caribbean. During wartime, governments commission private ships into their navies to supplement their scanty forces. These "privateers" aren't paid wages: instead, they are allowed to keep a large portion of whatever they capture. The official authorization for this practice is called a "Letter of Marque." Holding a Letter of Marque makes your depredations on the High Seas official, acts of war rather than simple piracy. You are acting under orders of the nation's king -- sailing under the nation's flag, as it were. Unless you've been really nasty in their home waters, that nation's governors consider you an ally and will reward you for services performed while holding a Letter. Letters of Marque can be expensive. You'll lose your Letter if you attack the nation who issued it or if you attack that nation's allies. Purchasing a Letter of Marque can be a waste unless you plan to remain on good terms with that nation for a while! Perform a Special Mission A governor may ask you to perform a special mission for him. Standard assignments include bringing a secret message to a spy in another city, rescuing a relative of the governor, or capturing a notorious pirate who has been roaming the waters of the Caribbean -- a piece of cake for a sailor of you caliber! If you decline the mission, no harm is done, except that your relations with that particular governor decline slightly. If you accept the mission, then the governor waits anxiously for your successful return. If you return without completing the mission, the governor loses faith in you and assigns someone more trustworthy to the mission. Thus, if you plan to perform a mission for a governor, don't go back to his mansion until you've completed it! When you complete a mission for a governor, remember to visit him soon afterwards. The governor's personal attitude toward you will improve, and he may reward you in some more tangible way. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � GOVERNORS AND SITUATIONAL ETHICS � � � � If you are quick on your feet and keep abreast of the ever-changing � � politics of the Caribbean, you can gain land and titles from more than � � just one nationality. � � For instance, if France and Spain are at war with England and Holland � � and you studiously attack English and Dutch shipping and cities, you may � � very well be rewarded with land and titles by both the French and � � Spanish governors. � � After you have achieved high rankings with those nationalities, you � � might take advantage of an English offering of Pirate Amnesty to repair � � your reputation with the English Crown. Eventually, you might be offered � � a chance to purchase an English Letter of Marque. � � Then suppose England were still at war with France and Spain. If you � � attacked Spanish and French shipping and towns for a while, the English � � governor would be sure to reward you with land and titles. Eventually, � � you might find it possible to ingratiate yourself with the Dutch as � � well. � � This kind of success is difficult to carry off. But, with luck and � � cunning, by the time you are ready to retire you might have received � � hundreds of acres of land and patents of nobility from all four nations! � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 Discuss Local Gossip Everybody knows everybody in the small world of the Caribbean. A governor may have information leading to the location of your long-lost relatives! Meet the Governor's Daughter or Niece If your reputation is impeccable (and you've bathed within the last month), a governor may introduce you to a beautiful young niece or daughter. The young ladies of the governor's court have unparalleled opportunities to overhear important news of the goings-on in the Caribbean. If a lady becomes infatuated with your dashing good looks and smooth style, she may become your informant, passing on to you the secrets she learns from other highly-placed admirers. When you meet one of these young ladies, you choose whether to make pleasant conversation with the young lass or to formally propose marriage. If you propose and your status is high enough, the lady might accept. Marriage to a highly-born woman is a sign of success (and worth many "Pirate Points" to boot). For more details on marriage, see the section "Gains and Goals." Meeting Your Wife/Mistress If you have been fortunate enough to gain the confidence of or even marry one of the ladies of the court, on subsequent visits she will tell you what she has learned since your last visit. Receive a Promotion/Land Grant As the Crown's representative in far-off lands, the Governor is empowered to reward you for actions you have taken which benefit the nation. The rewards take the form of promotions or gifts of land. It is possible for you to start off as a penniless pauper and to retire a rich, landed nobleman! Your final social ranking and the amount of land you own are extremely important to your overall success in Pirates! Gold. See the section "Gains and Goals" for more details. THE TAVERN Sailing is not a particularly respected profession. Officers are tolerated and the Captain of a ship is an important man, but the men who crew the ships are despised by the citizenry as uncouth, uneducated, diseased, dangerous scum. There's some good reason for this. If a sailor hasn't seen land, a real bed, a decent meal or a pretty woman for months, the first he hits a city, he's probably going to raise some hell. Roaming through the streets, breaking into shops, accosting the ladies, a sailor is a positive menace to a town. However, if he's getting drunk, eating, gambling or buying drinks for "fancy ladies" in a wharf tavern, he's an economic boom. In his turn a sailor can relax a tavern. He's enjoying the company of men like him, equals with whom he can discuss the infinite mysteries of the sea -- or just swap lies. He can get roaring drunk with friends. He can get into a fistfight and break furniture without getting arrested -- as long as he pays for the damage. He can learn more of his craft from older, more experienced sailors. If temporarily "on the shore," he can look for a job. For the pirate captain too, the tavern is an extremely important resource. While the governor's mansion may be the place you go to meet nobility, the tavern is the place to meet other seamen. In the tavern, you encounter traders, sailors and even the occasional pirate. You can recruit crews for your ships; you can gossip about goings-on in the Caribbean; you can have the chance to purchase treasure maps from shady characters; and, if you desire, you can carouse with pretty barmaids. Following is a list of things to do in a tavern: RECRUIT SAILORS As discussed above, unemployed sailors look for work in taverns. You'll find them sitting around a table, shorn of earrings and other finery, drinking small beer and hoping to catch the notice of a successful Captain. If your reputation is high and the prospects for booty good, some of these men may want to sail with you. However, if you have a reputation of an unskilled or unlucky Captain and the prospects for booty are small, they'll look for work somewhere else. The basic rule on plunder is: the more men you have in your crew, the smaller will be each man's share of the treasure. Thus, if you have a big crew already, it may be difficult to get more men to ship with you. You'll need to have a very good reputation indeed. If you sneak into the town, you can't recruit men at all. You're keeping a low profile; buying rounds of drinks for large groups of unruly, loose-tongued sailors will surely betray your presence. THE MERCHANT The lifeblood of any colonial town is trade. The towns in the Caribbean are rarely self-sufficient. The arrival of a ship, its hold bulging with food and possibly even goods from far-off Europe, is anticipated eagerly. MERCHANTS AND THE LAW With law-enforcement lax and the need for products desperate, most English, French and Dutch merchants are happy to trade with privateers, smugglers and even pirates. These merchants don't ask where the cargo came from. Whether you purchased it from another merchant, plundered it from a city or stole it off a ship doesn't matter: they're just happy to have the business. Spanish merchants -- particularly merchants in rich towns -- are sometimes more choosy. If you are a known pirate, they may not trade with you even if you acquired this particular cargo legally,. See the "City status" section, above, for more details. ECONOMIC STRENGTH Some merchants are rich, some are poor. The strength of the local merchant is largely determined by the town's economic strength and population. A strong merchant community may introduce you to his young daughter. If you desire, you can ask for her hand in marriage. If she agrees to marry you, your new father-in-law will give you a special deal: he'll sell you cargo for far below the market price! If you have chosen to be an honest trader, this can make your voyages far more profitable indeed. Note, however, that your father-in-law expects you to sell him cargo at the same low rate! You can't buy something from him cheap and then turn around and sell it back to him at the higher rate... THE SHIPWRIGHT During your career, you'll have a lot of business for the shipwrights of the Caribbean. Though most shipwrights will do business with anyone who sails into port, Spanish wrights operate under the same restrictions as do Spanish merchants: shipwrights in large, wealthy Spanish towns refuse to deal with pirates. REPAIRING SHIPS Piracy is one of the most dangerous professions imaginable. You load your ship in combat against armed vessels, trading cannon-fire with each other until someone is sunk or is battered into surrendering. This naturally leads to wear and tear on your ship! You can get your vessel repaired at the shipwright's. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � SELL YOUR CARGO BEFORE SELLING YOUR SHIPS � � � � When planning to sell off some of your ships in town, always sell � � your cargo and excess cannon first! When you sell a ship, all of its � � cargo and cannon are unceremoniously dumped on the wharf for you to � � dispose of. If you have cargo space available on your other ships, your � � grumbling crew will stow it away, but if there's no room, the excess � � cargo will be left rotting on the wharf. � � Under normal circumstances, you can sell this cargo to the town � � merchant, but you'll obviously have to accept whatever price he gives � � you. And in a poor city, the merchants may not have enough gold to � � purchase your cargo at any price. You'll have to leave behind whatever � � cargo you can't carry or sell! � � While the wharf-rats will love you, your crew won't be happy at this � � profligate waste of money... � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� SELLING SHIPS During your career, you may capture more enemy ships than you have need for. The shipwright will be happy to take these excess ships off your hands. This can be extremely profitable: an undamaged merchant ship may go for 2000 pieces of gold! Note that you must always keep one ship; you can't sell the shipwright your last vessel. SELLING CANNON Finally, you can sell the shipwright excess cannon. If you are in a barque, for example, it has deck-space to fire a maximum of sixteen guns. If you have more than sixteen guns, they are so much useless scrap, taking up valuable cargo space. (See the "Gazetteer of Ships" for details on ships' cannon and cargo capacity.) 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � YOUR TREASURE TROVE � � � � Even if you are keeping your crew happy, it's a good idea to divide � � the plunder from time to time -- particularly when you have a lot of � � treasure. Until the loot is divided, it all belongs to the ship, none of � � it to you. � � Your reputation and standing is largely based upon your personal � � wealth -- the money in your secret treasure cave -- the treasure in your � � ship's hold does little to enhance you in the eyes of society. Until � � the money is divided and your share is placed in your cave, you are just � � another penniless sea-captain. � � And there's another good reason to divide the plunder: money in your � � treasure-cave is safe. It can never be lost or stolen. But if you have � � 150,000 pieces of gold in your ship's hold and your ship founders on a � � reef or is sunk by a pirate-hunter, the gold is gone and you are out of � � luck. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 THE BANK At the bank, you share out the profits of the voyage with your officers and crew. As Captain, you get a fixed percentage of the party's wealth, which goes into your personal treasure trove. The remainder is divided among the crew. Not only the gold is divided, but also the ships, stores, goods and cannon on them. The crew always dispenses with their newfound wealth, leaving you with just your flagship and its share of the provision and armament. After refitting your ship (which always takes a few months), you'll have to rebuild your band from scratch. The amount of wealth the crew receives when you divide the plunder has an important effect on your reputation as a captain. If the plunder's too small, you have difficulties recruiting men in the future. If the crew is happy with their share, they'll spread the word and the sailors will be eager to serve with you. After you have divided the treasure, you are offered several options, depending on your age and health: PLAN A NEW EXPEDITION If your age and health permit, you can plan a new expedition. In a few months, you'll be sailing the Caribbean once more. ADVANCE TO ANOTHER DIFFICULTY LEVEL If you plan another expedition and you are playing at any level but swashbuckler level, you will be offered a chance to try a higher level. If you are succeeding handily, you may wish to consider this: though the game is harder, you receive greater rewards and more Pirate Points for playing at higher levels. The effects of difficulty levels are discussed in the chapter on "Creating Your Character." RETIRE FROM PIRATEERING Choose this option when you wish to end your game of Pirates! Gold. Your learn your final ranking and score. Your future life will be shown to you. If you are satisfied with this end, the game is over. If you are not, you have an opportunity to return to the pirate's life. See "Book II" for more details on retirement and scoring. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � DIVIDING THE PLUNDER ENDS A FAMOUS EXPEDITION! � � � � If you are playing a Famous Expedition, dividing the plunder ends the � � game! (See the chapter on "Famous Expeditions" for more details. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� VISITING THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN You can go to the Captain's Cabin while in town to check on your crew and cargo, to check your ship's log and your map of the Caribbean, to examine your treasure-maps, to see your personal status, to practice fencing, and to save the game. See the next section for details. LEAVING TOWN When your business in town is finished, you'll find yourself outside of town once more. If you entered the town on your ship, you'll be back on your ship, just off-shore from the port. If you marched in, your landing party will be on land, just outside the city gates. See the section on land and sea movement for details on navigating the world outside of the towns. THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN The Captain's Cabin contains information on your ships, cargo, crew and personal status. Further, the Captain's Cabin is where you save games, quit the game, and perform other important functions. The captain of a sailing vessel of the 16th and 17th Centuries is responsible for the success of his voyage as well as the lives, well-being and wealth of his crew. He is judge, father, chief executive officer of the corporation, diplomat, admiral and king, all rolled into one. He spends as much time keeping the ship's books as he does keeping the ship on course. As a pirate captain, you too face these challenges. You must keep your ship on course, avoiding shoals, braving storms, fighting enemies. But you must also keep your crew happy, keep your ship provisioned, and keep your balance sheet in the black. Moreover, you must study intelligence learned in forays into the town and you must keep your personal career on track. The Captain's Cabin is the center of information on you and the world around you. Much of your time will be spent here. FEATURES OF THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN Following is a listing of things you can do in the Captain's Cabin: MAP OF THE CARIBBEAN/CITY GAZETTEER This useful area has just two complimentary features. The map on the left is a full picture of the Caribbean, showing your current position and all cities in the game. The scroll on the right, the "City Gazetteer," lists all of the cities alphabetically. Both features tell you about known cities' status (see the section on "City Status" in "In the City"). Entering the Cabin You can enter the captain's cabin while at sea, on land, or in a town. See the Captain's Broadsheet for details. Exiting the Cabin When you exit the cabin, you'll return to wherever you were when you entered. When you click on a city on the map, the city's name appears, along with its status (if known). When you click on a city in the gazetteer, its name and known status appears; in addition, the city's location flashes on the map. Thus, you can use this feature to find the name of a city you are sailing near to or to find a known city's location. The city status screen lists everything you know about a city. This list may not be complete -- recent events may have made your knowledge obsolete -- but you can update your list by entering a city or by purchasing information on distant cities from travelers you meet in taverns. PRACTICE FENCING As a bloodthirsty pirate, a good deal of your time is spent leading your men in battle against Evil Spaniards, brave Captains of the Guard, dread Pirate-Hunters, and the like. When doing this, it's a good idea to know how to fence. When you practice dueling, you're spending an entire week pitting your skills against the best men in your crew, hardy, cunning killers all who will teach you the tricks of the trade. If, during the battle, you lose or retreat, nothing happens. However, if you win, your swordsmanship may improve. The more you practice, the better the chances of your swordsmanship improving. (Note that at higher difficulty levels, this can take a long, long time.) QUITTING THE GAME This features allows you to quit Pirates! Gold. Remember to save first if you wish to continue playing the current game at a later time. SAVE A GAME IN PROGRESS This allows you to save the game you are currently playing. TREASURE MAPS Here you keep all the treasure maps and map-fragments you've acquired. If you have a map fragment and then acquire an additional piece to it, the piece is automatically added to the appropriate map. Once you've found a map's treasure, the map is removed. TREASURE TROVE Use this option if you want to visit your secret treasure cave. This is a visual representation of your wealth, which is also listed in the "Personal Status" screen (see above). THE LOGBOOK The Logbook contains important details on your ships, men and personal status. It is divided into the following sections: SHIP'S LOG This book contains a detailed history of your ship's activities -- where you've gone, who you've fought, and so forth. Further, it lists all rumors and gossip you've heard. PARTY STATUS The Party Status screen details your crew, cargo and cannon. PERSONAL STATUS This screen tells you how you are doing: your age, health, personal wealth, marital status, reputation, and difficulty level. It also lists your standing with each nation. Age and Health Your age and health determine how long you can continue as a pirate. As you grow older your reflexes slow, making fencing more dangerous. you'll find it difficult to lead your men in battle against the enemy. If you're wounded, the problem is made worse. Each wound you take has a detrimental effect upon your health. As you age, you'll find it increasing difficult to find men who are willing to sail with you; sailors prefer to sign on with a younger, more active captain. Eventually, you won't be able to put together a crew at all; you will be forced into retirement whether you like it or not. If you have the "medicine" special skill, age and wounds have a smaller effect on you, which can postpone a forced retirement. Personal Wealth and Lands Your personal wealth and lands are an important indicator of your success in Pirates! Gold. You gain personal riches when you divide the plunder at the end of a voyage (see the section "The Bank" in "In the City"); that's when you split up the loot and take your share. Until then, all the money in your possession belongs to the ship's company. In addition to increasing your score at the end of the game, your personal wealth determines how others react to you. In most cases, the richer you are, the better your reputation. Land has a similar effect upon your status. The more land you have, the better. You receive land as a reward from a grateful governor (see the section on "The Governor" in "In the City"). Marital Status This tells you if you have yet married. Reputation Your reputation is a measure of your impact on the world of the Caribbean. As you gain wealth and land and perform more feats of daring-do, your reputation grows. The higher your reputation, the better you're doing. You are recognized when you walk down the street, fat merchant ships will lower their flags when you approach, rather than face you in battle. On the other hand, your growing reputation has a price. It is more difficult to sneak into a town if you are well-known. the more famous you are, the more likely you are to attract the attention of pirate hunters! The reputations you can gain in Pirates! Gold are cowardly (the lowest), promising, well-known, famous, notorious and infamous (the highest). Difficulty Level You can change the difficulty level of the game during play, after you divide the plunder (see "The Bank" in "In the City"). Political Standing This shows your current relations with each nation in the game. Your political standing determines the reactions of other nations' ships, governors, merchants and pirate hunters. Your original political standing is determined by your nationality, but your actions can and often will change that. For example, if a nation is hostile or wary, you can purchase "Pirate Amnesty" to change their opinion to neutral (see "The Governor" in "In the City" for details). The political standings are: Hostile: The nation is effectively at war with you. That nation's warships attack you on sight; pirate hunters attempt to capture you; you're often attacked when you enter a city; governors and merchants probably won't talk to you. Wary: The nation distrusts you. Their warships may attack you and they may send out the occasional pirate hunter; you may be fired upon when you enter a city; governors and merchants may or may not deal with you depending upon other circumstances (your personal relations with the governor, military strength, economic status, and so forth). Neutral: The nation has no feelings about you either way. Warships and pirate hunters probably won't bother you; you should be able to sail into a city unscathed; governors and merchants will almost certainly deal with you. Letter of Marque: You are a semi-official member of that nation's navy. As such, you should have no trouble interacting with ships and towns of that nation. (Note that you can lose your Letter of Marque if you perform hostile actions toward that nation.) Ranked (Ensign, Captain, etc.): If a governor has awarded you a military rank (see "The Governor" in "In the City"), the nation is friendly toward you. Until, that is, you attack its shipping or towns. If so, you keep the rank that the nation treats you as an enemy. You won't be promoted further by that nation until you make peace -- ie, until you purchase Pirate Amnesty. Patent of Nobility (Baron, Count, etc.): Once you've achieved the rank of admiral, a governor might use his influence at the King's Court to see that you are given a patent of nobility. If you've got such a patent, the nation will treat you as an ally, until you betray it. Like in the military ranks, above, you can purchase forgiveness by taking advantage of an offer of amnesty. From the lowest to the highest, the titles of nobility are: Baron, Count, Marquis and Duke. SHIP STATUS This screen shows the status of all the ships in your fleet. HOSTAGE STATUS This screen lists any hostages or prisoners you are holding. SAILING THE CARIBBEAN The Caribbean is a wide, warm and pleasant sea. Idyllic tropical islands and lush jungled shores contain in its steady currents. Stretching over three thousand miles, the water is a broad highway between mainland ports, island towns and hidden anchorages. The Caribbean has its dangers, however. Shallow reefs lurk off-shore, waiting to tear the heart out of the unwary traveler. During fall -- hurricane season -- terrible storms blow, driving ships far off-course, or onto the teeth of the waiting rocks. And don't discount the threat posed by Man, either. Low-intensity war is the normal state here, and the rich waterways of the Spanish Main are home to some of the most terrible pirates the world has ever seen. Beneath its placid beauty, the Caribbean hides the bones of thousands of sailing ships. SETTING SAIL Leaving a City You begin a game in port, your ship docked at the wharf. When you choose to leave town, you board your ship and head out to sea. The scene changes to show your ship just outside of town. The same happens whenever you leave a city you have entered by sea. (If you entered the town by land, you'll leave by land, as well.) YOUR FLEET As the game progresses, you may capture ships and add them to your force. Each ship requires at least eight men to sail. If you don't have enough men, you must abandon one or more ships. When you have more than one ship in your command, your fleet moves with the sailing characteristics of the largest ship in the fleet. This is the only ship which appears on the map. To check on all your ships, go the Ship Status screen in your cabin (see "The Captain's Cabin"). SAILING In Pirates! Gold, sailing is easy. You have two controls: you can turn your ship and you can raise or lower its "full" sails. The difficulty lies in avoiding shoals, bending the winds of the Caribbean to your command, and taking best advantage of your ship's sailing qualities. Raising and Lowering Sail Normally, you'll travel under full sails. This is the fastest sail plan for your ship. However, when negotiating through narrows or around treacherous shoals you may wish to lower (reduce) your sails so that you move slower. Remember to raise them once you reach open water again -- or your voyage will take forever! The Wind The speed of a ship depends on how the wind blows against its sails. Traveling directly into the wind is always slowest; traveling with the wind coming diagonally from the rear is generally the fastest. Each ship-type has a different best "point of sailing" (the wind position at which the ship develops maximum speed). What with shifting winds and periodic storms, sailing requires more than a little judgement and skill. If you have a fleet of many ships, the entire fleet travels at the speed of the single largest ship. Weather The clouds traveling overhead indicate speed and direction, both of which can vary significantly from day to day, or even hour to hour. In addition the clouds -- particularly the dark clouds -- also signify storm fronts. Storm fronts provide strong, fast wind if you are near, but may trap your ship if you sail too close. These weather effects become more pronounced at higher difficulties. An Apprentice Captain can sail under any clouds with impunity, while a Swashbuckler risks being blown far off-course before he can regain control of his ship. One of the biggest risks posed by clouds and weather is that you might be blown onto shoals. Shoals Shoals represent the wicked rocks and reefs common throughout the Caribbean. If you drive your ship onto shoals, she might cross safely, or she might founder. The chance of foundering when crossing shoals depends upon two factors: the size of your ship and the difficulty level you're playing. The big ships, (galleons, frigates and merchantmen), may founder on even the lightest shoals, while the smallest craft, (pinnaces and sloops), cross most shoals safely. Medium-sized craft, fluytes and barques, are right in the middle. The difficulty level you're playing determines the overall danger of the reefs. At easier levels you run less risk of crashing; at harder levels the risks are greater. Sinking: If you have more than one ship in your fleet and one ship sinks, the men, cargo, cannon and treasure aboard that ship are lost. You transfer your flag to another craft, a wiser (and poorer!) sailor for the experience. If your last ship is sunk, you're in more trouble. You lose all your crew, cargo, cannon and treasure, and you are washed up on a desert land, there to pass anxious months awaiting rescue. GETTING INFORMATION While sailing, you can pause the game and access the Captain's Cabin at any time (see "The Captain's Cabin" for details). SAIL HO! During your voyages, you'll often encounter other ships on the broad highway of the caribbean. You have the option to run away or close with the ship. As a full-fledged member of the Brotherhood of the Coast seeking fame and fortune, heroically battling the enemies your King and Country, you'll often want to get closer, to see if the ship is a fat target or a well-armed warship. For details, see "Ship Encounters" on page 30. PUTTING INTO PORT To enter a coastal town, direct your ship into the town. As you approach, you'll see what flag the town is flying and what level of fortifications the town possesses. You receive the following options: Sail into Harbor, Attack the Town, Sneak into Town, and Leave Town. Sail into Harbor Your ships sail peacefully up the quays. If the town is guarded by a fort, it may open fire on your ships if that nation is hostile. If that nation is wary of you, the fort rarely fires unless the governor personally dislikes you. The fort's fire usually drives you back to the open sea. Occasionally, at higher difficulty levels, it may sink one of your ships. Attack the Town When you attack a town from the sea, you fight a naval battle against the town's fortifications (see "Attacking a Town from the Sea"). Sneak into Town This means that you hide your ships in a nearby cove and creep into the back streets at night with a few trusted men. If you are afraid of fire from the town's forts, this is an excellent way to get inside and do some quiet business. However, if your reputation is great, you may be recognized and attacked. If that happens, you must fight your way out of town or be captured and imprisoned. When you sneak into town, the need to keep your identity secret prevents you from recruiting men in a tavern. In addition, the loot accumulated during your voyage is left aboard ship, preventing you from dividing the plunder. ANCHORING YOUR SHIP To anchor at land but away from a port -- say, to search for buried treasure or to march to an inland city -- simply steer your ship onto the land at the point you want to anchor. When it hits land, your ship stops moving. A landing party appears on land beside the ship. See "On the Land," later, for details on land movement. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � TACKING � � � � For most of the year, the winds of the Caribbean blow from the � � south-southeast (that is, from South America toward the Gulf of Mexico). � � Though the winds do change -- sometimes blowing from the south or � � southwest, sometimes from the east or south-east -- on the whole any � � ship sailing south-east is going to spend much of its time fighting the � � wind. � � This is particularly difficult for some of the slower, larger ships � � in the game -- galleons, merchantmen, and, above all, the sluggish cargo � � fluyte. If you head one of these ships into the wind, if it moves � � anywhere at all, it will probably move backwards! This can be � � discouraging, particularly if you're on a long south-easterly voyage, � � going, say, from Havana to St. Kitts. � � When the wind is in your teeth, the only way to get where you're � � going is by "tacking." When you tack, you zig-zag toward your target � � rather than heading there directly. � � You'll note that in the diagram at left, you actually cover about � � twice as much distance as if you sailed directly east. However, with an � � unwieldy ship, you'll get there much faster than if you went east. In � � sailing, the shortest distance between two points is not always the � � fastest... � � One of the most important characteristics of a sailing ship is its � � ability to sail "close hauled" -- that is, to sail toward the wind's � � "eye." Throughout the history of sail, ship-builders have struggled � � mightily to design craft which will sail just a few degrees closer into � � the wind. Over long journeys, a difference of just a few degrees can � � mean days -- even weeks -- of saved travel time. (See the section "The � � Ship Gazetteer" for more details on points of sailing.) � � In short, if you're planning to travel far from east to west, you � � might consider selling off any poor-handling ships, particularly � � merchantmen and fluytes, before you go. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 SHIP ENCOUNTERS As a fighting sailor -- whether you call yourself "pirate" or the more genteel "privateer" -- you live by attacking and capturing ships. While doing so you damage your king's enemies and fill you crew's pockets. FIRST SIGHT Your first sight of an enemy ship is its sails and masts coming over the horizon. Continuing your voyage is a nearly foolproof way to evade any encounter. If you choose to investigate further, you close with the other ship. Once you close the distance, your chances of evading a dangerous opponent decline. SHIP IN VIEW If you sail away now, you usually evade contact, but not always. You can continue investigating, which closes the range further, allowing you to determine the ship's nationality. SEE HER COLORS After the other ship hoists her colors, you can try to sail away peacefully, come alongside and talk over the latest news, or attack her. If the other ship is a merchant vessel, it will almost certainly let you sail away or discuss news peacefully; however, if it is a pirate or pirate-hunter, it may recognize you and attack, regardless of your choice. SELECT YOUR FLAGSHIP If a battle occurs and you have more than one ship in your fleet, you can select which will be your flagship. The ship you select fights the battle. Consider your choice carefully. The type of ship you're sailing can be critical. Ships' strengths, capacities and sailing characteristics are described in the "Ship Gazetteer," later in this book. Men and Cannon Available The number of men available shows the maximum number of men available for duty in your flagship after eight men are deducted for each other ship in your fleet. The number of cannon shown is the total number of cannon you have available. If your flagship is small, you'll find the number of men and cannon limited to the capacity of the ship. Further, it takes four men to man each gun. If your crew is too small, you may have to fight with fewer than the maximum number of cannon available. BATTLE AT SEA When an encounter leads to battle, the scene changes to a ship-against-ship duel. See the Captain's Broadsheet for specific information on your ship's controls. Sailing Maneuvering in battle is similar to travel by sea. You can turn right, turn left, or remain on course. Change Sails You can either "set full sails" for maximum speed in battle, or "reduce to battle sails" for lower speeds with much less risk of rigging damage. You begin the battle with battle sails set. It takes some time to change sails; while your men are doing so, they can't reload the ship's cannon (see below). Fire Broadside Your guns are mounted along the porta and starboard (left and right) sides of the ships. Therefore, to aim your guns, you turn your ship so its side faces the enemy. When you fire your cannon, your gunners automatically fire from the side of the ship nearest the enemy. The effect of gunfire varies with the number of guns firing, and the size of the ship hit. For example, a broadside from a 20-gun ship into a galleon may have little effect, while the same into a pinnace might leave her a flaming wreck. After a broadside is fired, the gun crews reload as fast as possible. Reloading speed depends upon the morale of the crew. A happy crew loads faster than an unhappy one. Enemy reloading speed depends on the quality of their crew (warships, pirate hunters and pirates have better quality crews then peaceful merchantmen and cargo fluytes). Reloading is temporarily halted when you change sails -- the gun crews leave their guns to man the rigging. Damage When a ship is hit by a broadside, the ship's crewmen are injured and cannon may be dismounted. The stronger (and closer) the broadside, the more men and cannon are lost. In addition, especially powerful hits cause structural damage to the ship. Each level of structural damage slows the ship and brings it closer to sinking. The damage levels are: Sail Damage, Lost a Mast, Hull Damage, Hull Leaking and Ship Sinking. If a sinking ship takes additional structural damage, it sinks. Pause You can pause the battle to catch your breath. When you resume play, you'll be right where you were when you left. Escaping from Battle To escape from battle, sail away from the enemy. Once the distance between ships is large enough, the battle ends. If you flee from battle and the enemy ship is undamaged, you may lose a ship to the enemy pursuit. However, this can only occur if you have two or more ships. In addition, in a long action, nightfall may end the battle. You never lose ships when battle ends due to nightfall. Land and Shoals If you fight a battle near the shore, you'll face the additional hazards of shoals and land. If a ship drives itself onto the shoals, it might sustain damage. In addition, it may become caught on the rocks for a time, until the crew can back sails or man rowboats to pull her off. During this time, the other ship can pound the immobile ship with immunity. Shallows pose much the same threat. Ships are less likely to be damaged from running aground in shallow water, but they can be immobilized. Note that smaller, shallow-draft vessels run less risk of running aground or taking damage than larger craft. Small craft can take advantage of this to escape from the larger ones: it takes an iron will to send an expensive frigate into the shallows after a wily pinnace... Surrender! If you have pounded the enemy ship unmercifully and you have a reputation as a daring and successful pirate, the enemy captain may choose to surrender once you close with his ship. The chances that he will do so depend upon the amount of damage he's taken, the relative size of the two ships' crews, and the difficulty level. Grapple and Board If you sail your ship alongside or into the enemy, your crew leaps aboard the enemy ship and attempts to take her by storm. You must lead your men into the fight. See "Fencing" for more information. PRIZES AND PLUNDER Prizes When you win a battle at sea, you can either take the enemy ship for your own (sending a "prize" crew of eight sailors to man her), or you can just takes its cargo, while burning and sinking the ship itself. After the battle you'll get a report of the ship's armament and capacity, as well as the empty space remaining in the cargo holds of your fleet. In general, taking a ship as a prize is useful, since you can sell the ship at a friendly port. The disadvantages are that a slow-moving prize will slow down your entire fleet (galleons and badly-damaged ships are especially slow). Further, each prize requires eight crewmen to man. This means eight fewer men are available for subsequent battles. Plunder Regardless of whether you take the ship prize or sink here, you must decide what cargo you wish to plunder and call your own, and what you wish to leave behind (throw overboard). You'll automatically take all the gold -- compared its value, gold weights virtually nothing, and therefore doesn't affect your cargo capacity. Transferring captured goods to your ship or throwing them overboard is just like trading with merchants (see the Captain's Broadsheet). ATTACKING A TOWN FROM THE SEA If you sail into a town and select "Attack Town," you begin an amphibious assault on that town. In an assault, your flagship must sail up to the fort guarding the town, touching land as close as possible to the fort. If you land close enough, the men jump ashore and storm the fort, leading to a fight on the battlements (see "Fencing and Swordplay"). If you land too far away, the men will refuse to march and the assault ends in failure. You can fire at the fort during your approach. Your broadsides will reduce the fort's return fire and reduce the number of men you will face when you storm the fort. Shoals When attacking a fort, shoals may block your approach. If you run onto a shoal, you may run aground and/or damage your ship. See "Land and Shoals" in "Ship Encounters" above for more details on shoals. Defeat If you're losing the battle, you can end the fight by sailing off the screen and out of range of the fort. You then return to the sailing screen. If you are sunk, you'll be captured and held prisoner in the city jail until your men can arrange a prisoner exchange. THE ASSAULT If you succeed in reaching the fort intact, you lead your men in battle against the commander of the fort. See "Fencing and Swordplay" for details on massed combat. Retreat and Surrender If you are losing the battle against the fort's commander, you can retreat. You'll find yourself outside of the city once more, and with a somewhat more tarnished reputation when you went in. If you surrendered to the commander, you're thrown in jail. Victory If you defeat the commander, the town is at your mercy. First your men gather up the town's treasure. The amount they find depends on how long your assault took: the longer the battle, the more the citizenry has to hide their gold. If the Silver Train or Treasure Fleet happen to be in the city when you capture it, you capture them, too. These are worth a tremendous amount of money. (See "Treasures of the Caribbean" for details on the Silver Train and Treasure Fleet). After you've loaded the gold, you can then plunder as much of the town's goods and cannon as your ships' holds can carry. Obviously, it's smart to have a large-sized fleet when you take a rich town! If you have a large force in occupation, you may frighten the governor into fleeing the city, leaving it to you. You can then install a governor of your own, changing the town's nationality to one of your choice. This exceptional service is likely to gain you the gratitude of the appropriate king. ON THE LAND Though you are a seafaring pirate, during your career you'll travel on land for a number of reasons: to search for buried treasure, to rescue lost relatives held in durance-vile by Evil Spaniards, to reach inland cities, and to assault cities you don't dare attack from the sea. EMBARKING/DISEMBARKING FROM YOUR SHIP To leave your ship, simply steer it into the land. The landing party, consisting of your entire crew, appears next to the ship. When you want to return to your ship, move your landing party back onto the vessel. MOVING ON LAND When on land, you can move your party in any direction except into the sea. (See the Captain's Broadsheet for details of land movement.) Of course, the land is mostly trackless jungle, swamps and mountains, making overland travel very slow. When moving on land your party can carry only as much as you can fit into your hold. Since your men move slowly, be careful about traveling long distances overland if you're low on food -- starvation can be quite unpleasant as well as bad for morale. SEARCH FOR BURIED TREASURE When the landing party reaches a location where you think a treasure is buried, use the "Search" command to search for it. If you are in the correct place, you'll find the treasure. If you are in the wrong place, you'll find nothing. ENTERING A TOWN To enter a town, move your landing party atop the town. The options when entering a town from land are similar to those when entering a town from sea (see "Putting into Port", above). You are told what flag the town is flying and what level of fortifications the town has. You receive the following choices: March into Town, Attack the Town, Sneak into Town, and Leave Town. March into Town You and your men march into town openly and peacefully. If your force is large and the city distrusts you, this might lead to battle. Attack the Town You lead your men in battle against the town's defenders. This may lead to a land battle (see below), or the defenders may refuse to come out and fight. If the latter is the case, your men storm the city and you cross swords with the leader of the defenders (see "Fencing and Swordplay"). Sneak into Town You leave the bulk of your forces outside of town and scuttle over the city walls at night with a few trusted men. The risks and restrictions are the same as when you sneak into town from the sea (see "Putting into Port"). Leave Town If you change your mind about entering the town, this option puts you back outside the city gates. LAND BATTLES Pirates aren't fools. They know that the wealth carried by Spanish galleons originates in Spanish towns. When looking for wealth, it seems logical to go to cities. Cities are certainly easier to find than ships -- cities simply don't move around as much. On the other hand, ships aren't protected by stone walls, pikemen and cavalry. Capturing a well-defended city is no treat at all. When your party marches overland and attacks a town, the town's defenders may form a small army, march out, and meet you in open battle. Controlling your forces on land is different from all other activities in Pirates! Gold. Pike and shot warfare is quite unlike any other fighting. Please read the following instructions carefully and see the Captain's Broadsheet for details. GIVING ORDERS In a land battle, your party is divided into two or three groups. You can give orders to each group separately, or give the order simultaneously to everyone. Select Group Key This shifts your control from one group to another. The currently-selected group is highlighted on the map, and their strength, weaponry and morale appear on the right side of the screen. Move Group This control moves the group according to your instructions. All your other groups remain stationary while this group is moving. Move All Groups This moves all of your groups. This is the only way to move your force as a whole. Pause This pauses the battle. COMBAT Your men fight automatically when in range of your opponents. Your men fight in two ways: they fire muskets a short distance and they melee with the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. In melee combat everyone participates, not just those armed with muskets. Musket Fire This occurs only when your men are stationary. Each group selects the nearest enemy within range, then fires. If no enemy is in range, that group doesn't fire. Remember: your men cannot fire while moving, so be careful about giving movement orders. Melee Combat This occurs whenever your men move into direct contact with an enemy group, or vice versa. You may continue moving while melee combat rages. Visibility and Cover Men in woods and within a town are invisible to the opposition. You'll notice that enemy units disappear in such situations: when you are in woods or a town, the enemy loses sight of you as well. The on-screen report about an enemy group (see above) refers to the nearest visible enemy group. Use this to your advantage by hiding a group along the edge of a wood or town, then use another group to lure the enemy into range of the first group. TERRAIN TYPES There are a number of terrain types to be found in and around the cities of the Spanish Main: Open Terrain: This terrain has no effect upon the battle; i.e., it doesn't hinder movement, make an occupant invisible or provide cover. Woods and Towns: These terrain types slow movement. In addition, men within woods or town are invisible until an enemy gets close. Woods and towns provide "cover" to defending forces; that is, the men take fewer casualties and cannot be fired at from long range. Swamps: Swamps greatly slow movement. In addition, men in a swamp are invisible and in cover (see above). Hills: These slow movement. In melee, men on a hill inflicts extra casualties if their opponents are not on a hill. Hills don't block visibility or provide cover. Water: Your men can wade through the shallow coastal waters off-shore. (Enemy forces have boats available; see below.) Water greatly slows movement. Men in water take more casualties in battle. FORCE TYPES Infantry: Most of the fighters in land combat are infantry. Some infantrymen are armed with muskets, others with pike and swords. When in battle with enemy infantry, take note of how many muskets each side has. If you have more muskets, you'll want to stay at a distance from the enemy and trade musket-shots. If they have more muskets, you will want to close in for melee combat. Cavalry: Although your party and most defenders are on foot, some larger Spanish towns field cavalry forces. Cavalry moves fast and is excellent in melee on open ground. Cavalry, however, lacks long-range muskets and is hindered greatly in woods. Boats: Enemy forces have small coastal boats available, allowing them to move quickly over water. Your men, however, must wade through the shallows. MORALE Each group has a separate morale level. Morale ranges from strong (the best) through firm, angry, shaken, and finally panic (the worst). When a group panics they run away from the enemy, regardless of orders. Significant casualties will demoralize a group, while a respite from battle restores morale. Troops out of battle recover their morale faster than troops under enemy fire or melee attack. THE FINAL ASSAULT Your goal is to move your men onto the enemy fort. When you do this the open field fighting ceases and a swordfight on the ramparts decides whether the enemy surrenders the city, or your attack fails (see "Fencing and Swordplay"). VICTORY You receive the same benefits for capturing a city through a land battle as assaulting it by ship. That is, you capture some or most of its gold, depending upon the time it took you to complete the assault; you can take its goods and cargo; and you may get a chance to make it change its political allegiance. (See "Attacking a Town from the Sea" for details.) RETREAT AND DEFEAT You can retreat from the battle by moving off the edge of the map with all of your groups. This ends the attack. If all of your groups are destroyed, you are captured and unceremoniously thrown into jail, there to await your fait. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � PIKE AND SHOT WARFARE � � � � Land warfare in the 16th and 17th Century saw the supremacy of infantry � � restored after the long reign of the mounted knight. In Europe, the � � Spanish Tercio was the great military system, as formidable in its day � � as the Roman legion. The Tercio was a solid block of pikemen, 16 or more � � ranks deep. It developed an awesome power charging forward, as well as a � � nearly invincible bristling defense against cavalry. � � Men with firearms (arquebuses and the heavier muskets) formed loose � � groups at the corners, giving support fire and softening the enemy for � � the pikemen's punch. Bayonets did not exist and firearms took over two � � minutes to reload. Therefore when close action threatened, the � � musketeers retired behind the pikemen. � � Spanish Tercios were built from well-drilled, professional soldiers, � � ready to instantly perform the complex drill evolutions that maneuvered � � the cumbersome blocks of pike and their supporting musketeers. This � � military system was widely copied in Europe throughout the 16th and 17th � � Centuries. As firearms improved, the proportions of musketeers gradually � � increased. � � In the West Indies the slightly faster-firing flintlock musket was � � popular among privateers and buccaneers decades before regular troops � � were issued the weapon. The buccaneers had uncommon accuracy and skill � � with their weapons, mostly because they relied on them for hunting � � ashore. � � Buccaneer firepower was among the most accurate on earth at the � � time. Furthermore, a risk-all, gain-all attitude made buccaneers � � ferocious opponents in melee. No wonder many Spaniards ran from the � � crack-shooting, cutlass-wielding berserkers of Tortuga and Port Royale. � � The great weakness of the buccaneers was cavalry. Their firepower was � � insufficient to stop an organized, disciplined cavalry attack. However, � � Spanish cavalry was neither organized nor disciplined. Composed mostly � � of local notables more interested in preserving their wealth than in � � killing pirates. New World cavalry was better known for their failures � � than their successes. Even in the defense of Panama, when the Spanish � � had 100 to 200 horsemen, the mounted arm was timid and indecisive, with � � many desertions before and during the battle. � � � � Drake's Assault on Cartagena, 1586 � � One late winter afternoon, Francis Drake in his 30-gun galleon � � flagship Elizabeth Bonvaventure led a fleet of ships to Cartagena, fresh � � from the plundering of Santo Domingo. His ships anchored in the � � roadstead, outside of the range of the forts. That night, while the � � Spanish prepared for a naval attack into the harbor, Drake disembarked � � over 1000 men onto the harbor's large outer peninsula and marched over � � the sandspit connecting this to the city proper. There his men cut � � through a fence of poisoned barbs, waded out to sea to avoid the gunfire � � from Spanish ships anchored in the harbor, and finally charged the 750 � � defending Spaniards. The hand-to-hand fighting swirled back into the � � city, where the Spanish finally broke and surrendered (or ran). � � Victorious, Drake's men plundered it all. Eventually, the Spanish � � governor raised 110,000 ducats (a vast fortune) as ransom for Drake's � � departure. Drake agreed, as he and his supporters preferred money to � � ownership of a plundered city. � � � � The Defense of Panama, 1671 � � When Don Juan Perez of Guzman, President of Panama, organized the � � city's defense against Henry Morgan's buccaneers, his "army" consisted � � of two companies of Spanish regular infantry (each about 100 men), plus � � militia companies of Spaniards, mulattos, free blacks, mestizos, and � � zambos (various Spanish-African-Indian racial mixtures) which may have � � totaled 800 or more. The pure-blooded Spanish militia was largely � � mounted, carrying pistols and swords, theoretically capable of a � � battle-winning charge over the open ground north of the city. The � � remainder served as infantry, many with no weapon better than a crude � � pike. None of these had sufficient military drill to move in the dense, � � formidable blocks of pikemen that won battles in Europe. Indeed, few had � � sufficient discipline to withstand more than one or two volleys of � � musket fire. Curiously, in battle the native Spaniards were the first to � � flee (many before the battle even started!) while the free Blacks were � � among the most stalwart defenders of the city. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 THE VOYAGE A MERRY CREW OF DEMOCRATS Buccaneers and pirates are unique; they are a democratic group, governed by voting, in an age of absolute kings and imperious aristocrats. Among pirates, spoils are divided fairly and equally. The Captain gets extra shares, but only because he takes larger risks. His crew is said to sail "on account" when they are paid by shares of the loot, instead of by wages. "ON ACCOUNT" At the end of a voyage, or serious of voyages, the party's profits are split. Each man gets his fair share. Until the division of plunder, the Quartermaster keeps an "account" for each man, from which is deducted expenses for clothing and food, penalties for crimes and misdemeanors, gambling losses, etc. The term "sailing on account" refers to this complex process of bookkeeping. This approach is also sometimes known as "No Purchase, No Pay!" As Captain, remember to distinguish between the entire party's wealth (displayed in the "Party Status" screen) and your personal wealth (in the "Personal Status" screen). Certainly your crew knows the difference! During the course of a voyage, the party's wealth is the combined profit of the voyage. It is the property of all, and strongly affects crew morale (see below). At the end of the voyage, when you divide up the loot, each man gets his fair share. Only then do you get your share. DIVIDING THE PLUNDER When the cruise ends and you divide the plunder at the Bank, don't be surprised when the men disperse to enjoy their wealth. Also remember that everything is split evenly, including the ships, cannon and cargo. As Captain, you retain only your flagship. Therefore, it's advisable to sell everything except your flagship before dividing the plunder. A fixed percentage of the party's gains goes to the officers. Each officer's share is worth a bit over 2%. Therefore an Apprentice Captain with two shares gets 5%, a journeyman with four 10%, and Adventurer with six 15%, and a Swashbuckler with eight 20%. (Note that the size of your crew has no effect upon your share. This is to discourage Captains from leading their crews into massacres right before dividing the loot!) A flat 10% of the booty is returned to the patrons and sponsors of the voyage as their profit. Generally, the financiers then make this money available to you as starting capital for your next voyage. The crews gets equal share of everything remaining. The size of each crewman's share affects your reputation. If the shares are large, your prestige is enhanced. If the shares are small, your reputation suffers, making it harder for you to recruit new crewmen. EACH VOYAGE A NEW START Each voyage means a new start for the Captain and crew. You begin with one ship, recently cleaned and outfitted, some initial funds from your backers (about 10% of the last voyage's profit), and a core of loyal crewmen. RECRUITING CREWMEN You recruit crewmen in taverns, and sometimes from captured ships. If you sneak into town you cannot recruit (recruiting is a very public activity). Recruiting from captured ships is easiest if the captured ship is a pirate, or a ship with a large crew. CREW MORALE You can determine your crew's morale in the "Crew Status" area of your "Logbook". The attitude of the crew varies from happy (the best) to pleased, unhappy and angry (the worst). The more money the party has, the happier they are. The crew attaches little importance to captured ships, goods, treasure maps and other items -- until they are turned into bright, shiny gold! The crew is also impatient. As the months pass, they want to disband and spend their loot, or (if you don't have much loot) they start thinking about joining another Captain. The only way to keep them happy is to keep collecting more and more gold. It's difficult to keep a crew pleased for more than a year, and almost impossible to keep them pleased for two years or longer. When the crew is unhappy or angry, they will start deserting whenever you visit port. If they are angry too long, they mutiny. This means you must fight to remain Captain. It is easier to keep a small crew happy than a large crew. This is because with a small crew, each man's share of the loot is larger, making him a happier fellow! Also note that converting plundered cargo to gold helps keep morale high, especially if you sell at a town with high prices. Selling excess ships and cannon for good, hard gold to a shipwright is similarly useful. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � A CAPTAIN'S QUALIFICATIONS � � � � Among buccaneers the Captain was elected by the crew, not appointed by � � government or owners (as is common on military or commercial vessels). � � He was the man the crew agreed was best for the job. If the crew decided � � the Captain was inept, they replaced him with another of their number. � � Often the new candidate dueled the old for the Captaincy. � � In the crew's mind, the Captain's most important skill was leading � � them in battle. For this they wanted bravery and ferocity more than they � � wanted tactical genius. However, the best Captains, such as Henry � � Morgan, had both. � � Outside of battle, when dealing with governors and other officials, � � the Captain acted as the "front man" to represent the group. Although � � pirates professed disdain for the privilege and status of the � � aristocracy, often their Captains were former military men, merchants or � � aristocrats with a "lordly manner." � � Finally, a Captain needed a good reputation, with numerous past � � successes to his credit. It was his name that brought new recruits � � aboard. This experience was doubly valuable since most of the really � � good plans for profitable expeditions were conceived by veteran � � Captains. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 GAINS AND GOALS AN AGE OF NEW BEGINNINGS This is an era or privilege. A man of high rank or title lives under different laws than commoners. More importantly, this is an age of social mobility. Old families with the wrong religious beliefs, incorrect political views or insufficient wealth disappear from the national scene. Even the royal houses change frequently, England's royal family was the House of Tudor to 1603, the House of Stuart to 1649, the Cromwellian Commonwealth to 1660, the House of Stuart again to 1688, and then the House of Orange! Onto this stage of turmoil and change, a single man of energy and boldness can grasp power and prestige for generations to come. A common seafarer from an undistinguished family, such as Francis Drake, could gain titles of nobility, rank, honors, and immense prestige. WHAT TO SEEK? Planning for a happy retirement means seeking as much of everything as possible. Personal wealth is always valuable. However, high rank or (better yet) a patent of nobility is extremely valuable. Land is also useful -- among the nobility, for example, the land he owns is considered the measure of a man. As a rule, the more you accomplish at a rank, the more land you receive when you are promoted to the next higher rank. In addition to your reputation, your family (including a wife, if any) and your health all contribute to your future happiness. WHEN TO RETIRE? Roving the seas is an enjoyable and exciting life, but a wise man keeps an eye toward retirement. Eventually wounds from battle and the taxing demands of sea voyages affect your health. If your health is poor, helpful friends will advise retirement. Heed their advice -- if you ignore them, life becomes more and more difficult, until one day you are unable to recruit a new crew for another voyage. In general, your career is limited to five to ten years of active endeavor. However, waiting until you are at Death's Door is not a good way to start a happy retirement! 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Henry Morgan � � � � Morgan was a Welsh adventurer. Although his origins are uncertain, he � � probably came to the Antilles in 1655 as part of the invasion force that � � captured Jamaica. He advanced both as a militia officer (on land) and a � � privateering leader (at sea). In 1667 he was commissioned as Admiral of � � Privateers by the English governor at Port Royale. In the next few years � � he plundered numerous ships and cities, including Puerto Bello. Then, in � � 1671, he took Panama, the richest city in the New World. � � Patrons who benefitted financially from his Panama expedition � � included Sir Thomas Modyford, Governor of Jamaica, George Monck, Duke of � � Albermarle, Modyford's aging but influential patron at Court, and James � � Stewart II, King of England since his restoration in 1660. Despite the � � Treaty of Madrid in 1670, where England pledged to stop attacks on � � Spain, none of these notables refused their share of the expedition's � � spoils. � � Morgan was officially "arrested," probably to mollify the Spanish � � ambassador, but not confined. He traveled in aristocratic circles, was � � toasted everywhere, and consulted on West Indian policy by the King's � � advisors. In 1674 King Charles II knighted him Sir Henry Morgan. He was � � appointed Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica, where he lived a pleasant life � � amid his large plantations. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 TREASURES OF THE CARIBBEAN In addition to the plunder gained through the capture of ships and towns, the Caribbean is bursting with special treasures for a worthy Captain to get his sights upon. PIRATES' BOOTY Pirates have been plundering the Caribbean virtually ever since the first Spanish galleon was loaded with Indian silver. Much of this treasure has since been spent, but much also still remains hidden, its owners long dead, with only fragments of maps showing where it might tie. When you visit a tavern, you might be given the opportunity to purchase such a map. Though many arduous days of searching may be required before you discover the treasure's location, there may indeed be great wealth awaiting you! If you can't find the treasure with the small piece of map in your possession, don't despair; some other suspicious character in another tavern may hold the missing piece. THE TREASURE FLEET From the 1530s onward, Spanish ships suffered from privateers and outright piracy, not only in the West Indies, but in the Atlantic. Spain's solution, adopted informally in the 1540s and made law in the '60s, was to "convoy" ships together in one powerful fleet. Each year, the filet ("flota") sails from Seville in Spain, carrying passengers, troops and European goods to the Spanish colonies of the New World. However, its principal purpose is returning silver from the mines in New Spain (Mexico) and Potosi (Peru) to the Spanish government in Europe. This vast wealth makes the returning fleet a tempting target. Privateer and pirate ships frequently follow the flota, hoping to pick off stragglers. This is a dangerous business, since a well-handled war galleon can turn the tables and capture a pirate! You can find the current location of the Treasure Fleet through informers in a governor's Court. Also, important enemy Captains will occasionally agree to tell you where to find the Fleet in return for their freedom. If you capture a city where the Fleet is anchored, you stand to gain hundreds of thousands in silver and gold. THE SILVER TRAIN To move the silver and gold from the mines of Peru and South America, the Spanish loaded the treasure aboard hundreds of mules, then moved them en masse to the coastal cities, there to await the arrival of the treasure fleet. These mule "trains" carried hundreds of thousands of pounds of pure gold and silver. Your informants in Court may be able to tell you of the Train's present location. If you capture a city with the Silver Train in it, you'll be a very rich pirate indeed... INDIAN TREASURES During their early conquests of the Central and South American natives, the Spanish plundered literally thousands of tons of gold and silver from the Indian cities. Most of this treasure has made its way to Spain, but some was "diverted" and remains hidden in the Caribbean. If you can find such treasure, your wealth will be sung of in wharfside taverns across the oceans. Perhaps one of your missing relatives has a clue to the treasure's location... A GAZETTEER OF SHIPS CIRCA 1690 Among the myriad types, sizes and rigs of ships sailing the Caribbean, nine basic approaches to shipbuilding can be discerned. Although each ship was individually designed and built, shipwrights learned by copying one another, producing ships of remarkable similarity. These general types are summarized below. However, expect to meet the exception more often than the rule! DEFINITIONS CARGO SPACE This refers to available cargo space, after deduction for food, water, crewmen, and other common materials and stores. This should not be confused with tonnage; that describes the entire weight-carrying capacity of the ship when completely unloaded. SPEED Speeds are given in leagues (about 2.5 miles) traveled during a watch (about four hours). The first value is best speed in light wind, the second is best speed in strong wind. BEST POINT OF SAILING This refers to the wind direction in which the ship makes its best speed. Each type of ship has a different point of sailing. SPANISH GALLEON 7-15 leagues - Best speed Broad reach - Best point of sailing 36 guns - Max number of heavy cannon 20-24 guns - Typical number of heavy cannon 288 men - Maximum personnel 275 - Typical crew and passengers 160 tons - Cargo space Galleons are the largest sailing vessels on the Spanish Main. Originally they were created because one large ship was cheaper to build than two smaller ones. However, large ships were much less maneuverable, which increased the chance of shipwreck, not to mention hindering them in battle. Galleons are slow to turn, and are especially poor sailors close-hauled. Tacking into the wind is very difficult with this type of ship. Still, enormous capacity and powerful armament makes the galleon a formidable opponent in battle. SPANISH WAR GALLEON 7-15 leagues - Best speed Broad reach or running reach - Best point of sailing 32 guns - Max number of heavy cannon 28-32 guns - Typical number of heavy cannon 256 men - Maximum personnel 250 men - Typical crew and passengers 140 tons - Cargo space War Galleons are similar to mercantile types. They have less cargo capacity, but more guns and soldiers. The most important difference is that war galleons are crewed by soldiers and commanded by noble officers, making them brave and formidable opponents in battle. Due to their better crew, war galleons are slightly faster than merchant galleons on a running broad reach, but otherwise just as ponderous and unmaneuverable as their more peaceful cousins. Only the most powerful warships can expect to engage a war galleon and succeed. The preferred Spanish tactic with these ships was to run alongside an opponent, fire one broadside at point-blank range, then board for hand-to-hand combat. This made best use of their large crew of trained soldiers. FAST GALLEON 9-12 leagues - Best speed Broad reach or running reach - Best point of sailing 28 guns - Max number of heavy cannon 24 guns - Typical number of heavy cannon 224 men - Maximum personnel 215 men - Typical crew and passengers 120 tons - Cargo space The northern European powers refined the basic Galleon design, revising the sail plan for more flexibility, then reducing the upper works and hull shape for better seakeeping. The resulting ship was smaller than a Spanish galleon, but faster in light winds and considerably more maneuverable. However, it suffers the universal disadvantage of all galleons -- poor speed when close-hauled. Still, its superior maneuverability and seakeeping showed when the English fast galleons and smaller craft defeated a Spanish fleet of conventional galleons in 1588. FRIGATE 9-12 leagues - Best speed Broad reach or running reach - Best point of sailing 28 guns - Max number of heavy cannon 26-28 guns - Typical number of heavy cannon 224 men - Maximum personnel 190 men - Typical crew and passengers 120 tons - Cargo space Square-rigged frigates are fast sailors, fairly handy to maneuver, and faster than most square-rigged ships when close-hauled. A frigate is extraordinarily useful for patrols and independent cruises. Almost all frigates are built or the Crown as naval warships. With their well-drilled and professional crews, frigates are dangerous opponents at any time. Most pirates and buccaneers disappear over the horizon whenever a frigate appears. MERCHANTMAN 9-12 leagues - Best speed Broad reach - Best point of sailing 24 guns - Max number of heavy cannon 198 men - Maximum personnel 20-45 men - Typical crew and passengers 100 tons - Cargo space Square-rigged merchantmen are a trader's dream. They have large cargo capacity, space for numerous guns for use in dangerous waters, and plenty of room for crew and passengers. Furthermore, they can be sailed with a small crew to save money. Most merchantmen are peaceful traders, disinclined to fight. They tend to have large cargos and sometimes a bit of wealth. Privateers and pirates always look forward to capturing a "juicy" merchantmen. However, some merchantmen have been converted to pirate ships, with stronger armament and a ferocious crew of cutthroats. These ships are extremely dangerous. CARGO FLUYTE 9-12 leagues - Best speed Running reach - Best point of sailing 20 guns - Max number of heavy cannon 4-12 guns - Typical number of heavy cannon 160 men - Maximum personnel 12-24 men - Typical crew and passengers 80 tons - Cargo space Fluytes were invented by the Dutch around 1600, then, widely copied throughout northern Europe. Eventually smaller and much more economical merchantmen, they can be sailed with a tiny crew (12 to 15 men is not uncommon). A fluyte has large cargo space, but a draft so shallow it can enter rivers, coves and small harbors unsuitable to larger craft. Its sailing qualities are similar to a merchantmen's, although the best point of sailing is slightly different. The smallest of the square-rigged ships, fluytes make poor warships. Almost always they are manned by peaceful traders who surrender after a broadside or two. They are unpopular as pirate ships. BARQUE 9-12 leagues - Best speed Broad beam reach - Best point of sailing 16 guns - Max number of heavy cannon 4-6 guns - Typical number of heavy cannon 128 men - Maximum personnel 12-26 men - Typical crew and passengers 60 tons - Cargo space The largest and fore-and-aft rigged ships, barques are a traditional design similar to many Mediterranean merchant and war craft. Many barques are built in the Caribbean, rather than in Europe. Barques are good sailors for quiet seas, but all too easily come to grief in a rough ocean crossing. This means that few barques return from the Caribbean to Europe, as the North Atlantic west-to-east route is often stormy. Barques are the slowest close-hauled sailors, among fore-and-aft rigs, and the least maneuverable. However, the advantages of the rig are so great that barques still surpass all square-rigged ships in both departments. Furthermore, barques carry oars, allowing them to row straight into the eye of the wind. With both large size and handling, a pirate barque can be a formidable adversary. SLOOP 9-10 leagues - Best speed Broad reach or broad beam reach - Best point of sailing 12 guns - Max number of heavy cannon 4-6 guns - Typical number of heavy cannon 96 men - Maximum personnel 8-12 men - Typical crew and passengers 40 tons - Cargo space Another Dutch design that gradually appeared during the 1630s and 1640s, the sloop (or jacht, or schooner) became very popular in the Caribbean. It is extremely fast and exceptionally maneuverable -- better than any other ship in light winds. Close-hauled it sails very fast, and under oars it can move directly into the wind. Most importantly, sloops have a shallow draft, allowing them to sail over many shoals. The main weakness of a sloop is that in strong winds it is considerably slower than a square-rigged ship. Then its only advantage is maneuverability and superior speed close-hauled or into the wind. Despite its modest size and cargo capacity, a sloop's maneuverability is so great that many buccaneers prefer it to larger, more powerful craft. Indeed, in the 1680s and after, the English Royal Navy built a number of sloops for its own use as pirate-chasers. PINNACE 9-10 leagues - Best speed Broad beam reach or a beam reach - Best point of sailing 8 guns - Max number of heavy cannon 2-4 guns - Typical number of heavy cannon 64 men - Maximum personnel 8-12 men - Typical crew and passengers 20 tons - Cargo space Until the advent of the sloop, pinnaces were the primary small craft of the Caribbean. Like the sloop, a pinnace is very fast, very maneuverable, and with a draft that permits sailing in shoal waters. Sailing upwind (close-hauled) it is even faster than a sloop, and much faster when rowing into the wind. However, a pinnace is also much smaller than a sloop, with minuscule capacity for cargo and guns. Still, many a pirate raid was conducted in tiny pinnaces crammed with fighting men. Drake himself abandoned his merchantmen in favor of pinnaces when raiding the Spanish Main. FAMOUS EXPEDITIONS JOHN HAWKINS AND THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN DE ULUA (1569) Your Forces One slow galleon: Jesus of Lubeck One merchantman: Minion Four pinnaces: William and John, Swallow, Angel, Judith 308 men Political Situation Spain is at war with France and England. Your Prospects You have a formidable squadron, but the flagship is a cumbersome, unmaneuverable galleon of the Spanish type. As you approach the Spanish Main, your big decision must be: peaceful trade, or warlike raids? Peaceful trade means you can use the smaller Spanish ports to reprovision and perhaps even recruit additional crew. However, it also means that the rich, larger ports are closed to you. Unfortunately, the profits from peaceful trade are modest, especially so given your large crew and the slowness of your flagship. Warlike raids offer a better prospect for immediate gain, but your fleet isn't strong enough to attack the truly great cities such as Santiago, Santo Domingo, or Panama. For repairs you can use the privateer anchorages at the tip of Florida and in the Bahamas. These places have few provisions, but captured Spanish ships could provide those. Your biggest problem will be selling captured goods and replacing crewmen lost in battle. Historical Chronicle Inheritor at age 21 of an English shipping firm, John Hawkins voyaged twice to the West Indies (in 1562 and 1564), selling European goods and African slaves to smaller Spanish towns. In 1567 he organized his third and largest expedition (this one) around the galleon Jesus of Lubeck. On the Main, Hawkins found the Spanish increasingly unwilling to trade with him. The Spanish home government was aware of Hawkins' voyage, and was putting pressure on the colonials to obey the letter of the law. Hawkins resorted to forcing open the markesplace at gunpoint in a few ports, and was chased out of others by gunfire from forts. Disappointed by the Main, Hawkins set sail for Havana, but a storm blew his sharps far into the Gulf of Campeche. The only harbor where he could repair his ships was San Juan de Ulua, the island anchorage for Vera Cruz. Unfortunately for Hawkins, the day he arrived the Spanish Treasure Fleet appeared, armed to the teeth with war galleons and troops. After a few days of organizing, the Spanish attacked Hawkins in the harbor, destroying most of his ships and scattering the rest. These sad remnants, without food or water, struggled home to England. Hawkins returned on the Minion with only fifteen men left in his crew. After this voyage Hawkins became a staunch enemy of Spain, serving England as treasurer and comptroller of the Navy, an admiral on the Victory against the Spanish Armada, leader of raids against Spanish South America, and finally as Member of Parliament. He died in 1595 at age 63. FRANCIS DRAKE AND THE SILVER TRAIN AMBUSH Your Forces One merchantman: Pasha One pinnace: Swan 73 men Political Situation Spain is at war with England Your Prospects Only a man with foolhardy bravery would dare attack the Spanish Main at the peak of its might and power with a paltry 73 men on board with two ships. Making any profit from this venture will be most difficult. A cautious man would adopt a trading strategy, calling at smaller Spanish ports and building both his wealth and his crew before beginning to raid and plunder. Only someone as bold as Drake himself would immediately begin raiding and plundering, trusting to luck and good fortune. This is an extremely difficult expedition for a fighter. You must rely on your strength and charismatic leadership to overwhelm enemies in hand-to-hand combat before they wipe out your tiny forces. Exploit and maintain the high morale of you small band. Don't get into pitched battles. Instead, always seek to meet the enemy leaders sword to sword and defeat them quickly. Needless to say, skill in fencing is advised. Historical Chronicle Drake arrived on the Main in June, 1572 with two small ships. Within five days he raided Nombre de Dios, carrying off a huge pile of silver from the governor's house before a musket ball wound overcame him. Next he captured a ship off Cartagena (the city itself was too strong to attack). By September he was back in the Gulf of Darien, taking Spanish ships to replenish his provision and trying to ambush the Silver Train between Panama and Nombre de Dios. But that winter he failed: the Spanish were alert to his threat. Drake returned to his distant and secret base at the Isle of the Pines (at the southwest end of Cuba) and reorganized. He gathered up reinforcements from friendly French privateers and Cimaroon rebels (Cimaroons were African slaves who escaped the Spanish.) In March, 1573 he returned to Darien and finally ambushed the Silver Train at Nombre de Dios, taking a fortune in gold. He had to leave behind another fortune in silver because it was too heavy to carry! Drake sailed swiftly for England and arrived at Plymouth on Sunday, August 9, 1573. A mere thirty Englishmen returned with him, but each survivor was rich for life. In 1577-80, Drake raided the Pacific coast of Spain's American empire, then returned via Asia, circumnavigating the globe. With Hawkins he was an admiral of the fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588. He died of disease in 1596 (at the age of 56) after an attack on San Juan, where some Spanish treasure galleons had sought shelter. PIET HEYN AND THE TREASURE FLEET (1628) Your Forces Four fast galleons: Vergulde Valk, Hollandia, Dolfijn, Haarlem Two sloops: Tijger, Postpaard 700 men Political Situation Holland is at war with Spain and allied with England. France and England are also at war with Spain. Your Prospects You command a powerful if cumbersome squadron, vanguard of a great Dutch privateering fleet. The Spanish Treasure Fleet is an excellent goal. However, it's late in the season. You must start hunting immediately off Havana or in the Florida Channel. You'll undoubtedly find a variety of smaller ships, but if you're lucky and persistent, you may find the treasure galleons. If you miss the Treasure Fleet, don't be shy about raiding a Spanish port or two. Your forces are not especially maneuverable, but they are quite powerful. This is a situation where a good plan, patient execution,a nd more than a little luck are the keys to success. Historical Chronicle Piet Heyn was already a famous Captain when he sailed under Admiral Willekens and led the 1623 attack that captured the Spanish colony of Sao Salvador (Bahia) on the Brazilian coast. Although the conquest only lasted one year, the Dutch gained invaluable expertise in producing fine sugar from sugar cane, knowledge they spread around the Caribbean in the succeeding decade. By 1626 Sao Salvador was producing for Spain again, so Heyn raided it once more! In 1628 Heyn sailed for the West Indies with a powerful warfleet of nine large warships and five jachts (sloops). He cruised along the Main, then swung up to the north coast of Cuba. Off Havana he finally sighted the Spanish Treasure Fleet of forty to fifty sail. He quickly captured nine small stragglers, while the rest escaped in all directions, two running aground in the process. Four royal treasure galleons fled into Matanzas Bay on the Cuban coast. Heyn pursued them, ran his ships onto the shoals alongside the Spanish, traded broadsides and boarded. The battered and demoralized Spanish, either surrendered or fled ashore, leaving 46 tons of silver in Dutch hands. This loss ruined the Spanish economy and gave the Dutch government much-needed funds at a critical point in the Thirty Years War. There was great rejoicing in Amsterdam when a fast jacht sailed into port carrying the news of Heyn's fabulous victory. L'OLLONAIS AND THE SACK OF MARACAIBO (1666) Your Forces One sloop Five Pinnaces 400 men Political Situation France is at war with England and Spain, and allied to Holland. In addition, England and Holland are at war. Your Prospects Your force is strong in men but weak in naval power. Therefore, like L'Ollonais, your best prospects are in attacks on ports rather than battles at sea. All but the strongest Spanish cities are within your grasp. Be aware of the fragile morale of your men. These Tortuga buccaneers are impatient for riches. They will not tolerate long, fruitless cruises. But still, a target must be selected with car. One disappointment and mutiny is not far off. This expedition is challenging but not extraordinarily difficult. You must exercise good judgement at the start, and then execute the plan quickly and confidently. Historical Chronicle Arriving in the Indies as an indentured servant to a planter in French Hispaniola, Jean-David Nau came from the Les Sables d'Ollone in Brittany. When his indenture was up in 1660 he immediately went to Tortuga; within a few years he was commanding his own buccaneer voyages. Nicknamed L'Ollonais, "the man from d'Ollone," he was one of the most ferocious and in human pirates who ever lived. In 1666 the terror and prestige of his name was enough to collect a fleet of small boats, crowded with men, loaded for Maracaibo. He surprised the forts and took the city by storm. Despite a bloody plundering that lasted a fortnight, the town yielded only modest amounts of gold and silver. His next stop was Gibraltar. The Spanish there mastered a powerful militia, but after a difficult fight in marshy ground, L'Ollonais' buccaneers prevailed again. The town was thoroughly sacked, its inhabitants tortured and killed, its buildings left in ruins. Six months after departing Panama, L'Ollonais arrived at Tortuga with enough plunder to return to France a wealthy man. But he had expected riches beyond imagination. So L'Ollonais mounted a new expedition to the coast of Nicaragua and Honduras. Despite escalating barbarity and cruelty, he found so little gold that his companion ships sailed away, leaving his tiny band forlorn and hungry. L'Ollonais and his men went inland, raiding Indian villages for food. The final bit of nastiness was his undoing, Jean-David Nau's muttering and mutinous crew deserted him when vengeful Indians ambushed the party. Grievously wounded by poison arrows, he was clubbed to death. HENRY MORGAN, THE KING'S PIRATE (1671) Your Forces One Frigate: Satisfaction Two Merchantmen: Lilly, Dolphin One Barque: Mayflower Two Sloops: Fortune, William One Pinnace: Prosperous 600 men Political Situation England and France are both at war with Spain. Your Prospects You have a formidable force for either land or sea fighting. You could seek additional recruits and food, or you can immediately venture against almost any place in the Indies with good prospects of success. Your greatest immediate difficulties are procuring enough food to keep your men fed, and enough plunder to keep up morale. This is an expedition that appears easy initially, but can quickly become rather challenging. Historical Chronicle Henry Morgan was a successful privateer and buccaneer leader. In earlier voyages he sacked Puerto Principe, plundered Gran Granada on the far side of Nicaragua, overwhelmed the fortifications of Puerto Bello, and followed in L'Ollonais' footsteps at Maracaibo and Gibraltar, although both places yielded little wealth and plenty of hot fighting with aroused Spanish defenders. On August 24, 1670, Morgan sailed as Admiral of Privateers under the auspices of Governor Modyford of Jamaica. He rendezvoused with French buccaneers from Tortuga and western Hispaniola, swelling his forces to 2000 men or more, making him strong enough for any venture. His goal was Panama, richest city of the Spanish overseas empire. Sailing upriver and then marching overland, he arrived outside the city in January, 1671. Here the governor of the province, Do Juan Perez de Guzman, had collected his troops and militia. On the plains outside the city the two forces fought a pitched battle. The Spanish lost. The city was taken, plundered, and ultimately burned to the ground. However, the loot was disappointing. Many of the richest Spaniards had fled with their families and wealth, rather than staying around to defend it. The Sack of Panama was Morgan's crowning achievement. He wisely retired while still ahead. Although Modyford lost his governorship and was imprisoned after the affair, Morgan received a knighthood. He retired on Jamaica an honored and wealthy man. He died of too much drink in 1688, at age 53. BARON DE POINTIS AND THE LAST EXPEDITION (1697) Your Forces Five Frigates One Sloop 1200 men Political Situation France is at war with England and Spain. Your Prospects Your force is the most powerful ever on the Spanish Main. You are free to select the target of your choice and strike. The real question is, how much treasure can you carry off? This expedition is a pleasant romp, suitable for commanders who enjoy the "sure thing." To obtain a suitable challenge at all, select the "Swashbuckler" difficulty level. After all, in the real expedition both de Pointis and du Casse were wounded in battle! Historical Chronicle In March 1697 Baron de Pointis was in Saint Domingue (the French colonies of Western Hispaniola) with thirteen warships of the royal French navy under his command. Louis XIV's France, simultaneously at war with England and Spain, was running short of men, ships and money. The Baron's goal: Cartagena. His purpose: strike a crippling blow at Spain and secure a large treasure to support the French war effort. Jean Baptiste du Casse, the French colonial governor since 1691, was ordered to support de Pointis. He collected hundreds of local buccaneers and privateers under the command of Jean Bernard Louis Desjeans, who had sailed with the French privateering fleets of the 1680's. The French expedition arrived off Cartagena in April and began reducing the Spanish defenses. Outlying forts were seized, often with the buccaneers in the vanguard, while the fleet moved up behind in support. Isolated and demoralized, the Spanish fleet fell back on the city. The French deployed and opened fire with powerful 24-pounder and 36-pounder siege mortars, demolishing the city's fortifications. On May 6, 1697, governor Don Diego de los Rios y Quesada surrendered Cartagena. Baron de Pointis carried off all the available wealth, paying the buccaneers at the same rate as his own men (which was a pittance compared to a privateer-style division of plunder). Worried about a powerful English squadron known to be hunting him, de Pointis sailed for home with a treasure worth 20 million Livres in his hold. The buccaneers, angry with their tiny share, returned to the still prostrate city. There they sacked, pillaged, raped and tortured until the residents coughed up another 5 million Livres worth of plunder. Meanwhile, de Pointis was intercepted by Neville's English fleet south of Jamaica, but the French outmaneuvered the English at night and escaped. The sack of Cartagena in 1697 was the last great expedition involving buccaneers. It wouldn't have occurred without de Pointis' powerful and well-equipped invasion forces. Nations were now fielding regular army and navy units in the Caribbean. The pirate's freedom of the seas was at an end. ANOTHER AGE: PUTTING THE SPANISH MAIN IN ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT Around 1500, when Spain discovered the Caribbean basin, Europe was emerging from the Middle Ages. Most people were peasants, farmers scratching out a bare living from the soil, ruled by a small but powerful class of aristocratic landlords. Some people lived in the towns and cities founded in the Middle Ages, but townspeople remained a small percentage of the population. Their trade and industry only made a marginal impact on the lives of the vast majority. A rare few made their living "on the road" as peddlers, beggars, sailors and thieves. To the majority they were a source of tales, or warnings for children -- "Be nice or Black Bart the highwayman will eat you for dinner!" The period from 1550 to 1650 is sometimes termed "the Iron Century" because ordinary people's lives became so harsh. Europe's population had been growing rapidly since the early 1400s. Around 1500 the number of people began to exceed the amount of available farmland. Trade and manufacture had developed sufficiently so some peasants with little or no land could do part-time weaving (the source of much cloth in Europe) or move to towns and cities to seek employment in businesses centered there. These enterprises could absorb only some of the surplus population. Some young men found employment in mercenary armies that served competing causes in the growing Catholic-Protestant conflict. Unfortunately this employment did more damage than good, for armies then were not as polite as today. Soldiers lived off the land, ruining the farms and livelihoods of the peasants. This destroyed the economic substructure upon which all depended. The intense religious hatreds added an extra measure of ferocity to the struggles, international or civil, causing devastation and death wherever war occurred. As the 16th Century came to an end, overpopulation, war, and the growing taxes brought unprecedented poverty to most areas of Europe. Villages were torn between the lucky few who had enough land to support their families, and the insecure majority whose survival depended on a fortunate growing season and sufficient extra work. Swarms of paupers huddled in slum quarters of towns, while beggars and brigands infested the countryside. Vagabonds, the rootless poor, became an unmanageable problem, straining Europe's charitable institutions and swamping its courts. Brigands were beggars who stole instead of asking. They often fared better as a result. They were just one group of many criminal elements who found lawlessness an escape from grinding poverty. In towns they practiced burglary and larceny; in the countryside they worked as highwaymen and thieves; and at sea they operated as pirates. Thieves worked alone or in small bands, brigands in moderate-sized bands, while pirates operated in larger groups because they needed to crew a sizable ship. Sometimes pirates even worked in fleets of several ships. The Mediterranean had long known pirates, some of whom went so far as to organize mini-kingdoms on the Barbary coast of North Africa. The New World opened new opportunities for pirates, all these men struggled to survive in a harsh and unfeeling world by preying on others. They redistributed wealth from those who had it but could not protect it, to those who didn't have it but had the power to seize it. A brigand or pirate might begin his career in order to survive, but he often continued it to prosper. In a society torn by religious hatred and war, with governments still weak and uncertain, success bred success and power respected power. A brigand band could join an army as a group of mercenaries. A pirate might found it expedient to use pirates against their enemies, while pirates found it profitable to ply their trade with a royal seal of approval, a privateer's Letter of Marque. Perversely, a pirate might find himself fighting alongside a Count or an Earl, championing the cause of a King whose goals and needs he knew little and cared less. However, notable service could bring notable rewards: wealth, land, legitimacy, and perhaps a title of nobility! A man who began as a poverty-stricken nobody might rise to rub elbows with the old aristocratic families who had led the realm for generations. The mounting cycles of war and poverty climaxed in 1618 with the outbreak of the Thirty Years War. What began as a religious strife in Germany became a constitutional struggle as the Habsburgs tried to consolidate their hold on that land. Holland, Denmark, Sweden, and ultimately France intervened to help the German Protestants frustrate this plan. The international melee turned vast areas of Germany into wasteland. Entrepreneurs stepped in where kings and emperors were weak. They created huge mercenary armies that swamped across the countryside like a plague of locust. This was the heyday of the mercenary and the freebooter, as soldiers and captains sold their services to the highest bidder and switched sides when the time seemed ripe. But even the greatest of the mercenaries was defeated in battle by a well-organized army (that of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden), recruited through national conscription and supported by national taxes. The French also used a national army fashioned after the Swedish, and the English Civil War, which raged separately on that tormented isle, was won by Cromwell's "New Model Army" formed on the same principles. As the 17th Century approached its midpoint, the age of the mercenary and pirate was waning in Europe. Within a few decades this new national power and organization would extend into the Caribbean, driving out the buccaneers and pirates. The rise of national governments brought new taxes, oppressive new central administrations, and government bureaucrats whose powers rivaled that of the old nobility. A series of revolutions in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and France, and near-revolutionary constitutional conflicts elsewhere showed how the lower classes and local nobles resisted the new order. But the powerful national governments emerged victorious. No longer would the state tolerate independent agents using the techniques of war. Armies were firmly under loyal control, disciplined and supplied from depots. Navies were directed to put down piracy as well as to fight with other countries. The France of Louis XIV, the Sun King, epitomized this new order. Meanwhile, the colonies around the Caribbean were no longer serving as silver mines for the Spanish Empire. Instead, the new English and French colonies, the "Sugar Islands," formed the cornerstone of a triangular trade network involving Europe and Africa. This was the most important of many economic developments that helped France sustain its growing population in the later part of the 17th and 18th Centuries. Conditions were still hard for many, but prosperity grew as the economy found new forms and new energies. This wealth was little endangered by pirates, for long before it reached its peak the naval vessels and royal courts of the various European kingdoms had all but eliminated piracy from the high seas. The age of freebooter was gone. The age of the bureaucrat had begun. -- Edward Bever, PhD (History) THE HISTORICAL PERIODS THE SILVER EMPIRE (1560-1600) INTRODUCTION The Spanish Empire reaches its peak in this era, both in Europe and in the New World. The empire is built on mountains of silver bullion from New Spain (Mexico) and Peru. This bullion finances Spain's imperial glory, but also encourages misguided economic policies that will soon ruin the country. The secondary export from the Indies is hides of uncured leather. Spanish colonial grandees prefer ranching large herds to managing farms and plantations. Ranches are equivalent to the property noblemen own in old Spain. Holland, a province of this far-flung empire, begins its revolt against Spanish rule in the 1560's. England, ruled by Elizabeth (1558-1603) develops an anti-Spanish policy as well. France had been and will remain consistently anti-Spanish, surrounded as it is by Habsburg territory (the Habsburg family controlled the Austrian and Spanish thrones, whose territory included a considerable amount of Italy as well). Spain in this era is the only European nation with large, populous colonies in the New World. With the exception of one abortive venture at St. Augustine, the other European powers have nothing more than temporary anchorages and tent towns, casual bases for privateering and smuggling that appear and disappear with the seasons. CITIES AND TRADE Spanish Colonies Cartagena, Panama, Santiago, and Santo Domingo are the great and powerful cities of the Spanish Main. All except Panama have impressive fortifications, and all have large military garrisons. Prices for everything are high here; European goods are in especially high demand but Spanish trade laws are firmly enforced. San Juan (on Puerto Rico) is very nearly as large as the major cities. Havana is a growing port that during this era becomes one of the new, great cities of the region. The increasingly frequent stops by the Treasure Fleet boost Havana's economy. Vera Cruz and Nombre de Dios are unhealthy cities that are only populous and wealthy when the annual fleet is in. At that time vast wealth from Peru (to Panama) and New Spain (to Vera Cruz) is being loaded onto the ships. Larger, politically important cities with a craving for European goods include Campeche, Cumana and Maracaibo. The towns in economic difficulties, and therefore more likely to trade with foreigners, include all ports on under-developed Jamaica and Hispaniola (except the capital Santo Domingo), and the lesser ports of the Main, such as Santa Marta, Gibraltar, Coro, Puerto Cabello and Margarita, although the last is rich only from its declining pearl fisheries. The inland capitals of Villa Hermosa and Gran Granada are still economically weak. Both were in the front lines of Spanish conquest just a few years previously. Trinidad is tiny, but already beginnings its unique role as a transshipment point between Atlantic carriers and local Caribbean trade, an activity illegal by Spanish law, but nonetheless profitable. Here smugglers find a ready supply of cheap European trade goods, and a good market for selling hides. Other Colonies The only non-Spanish colony is the new French one at St. Augustine (in Florida). A few additional French and English privateering bases exist in the Florida Keys and Bahamas. These have an erratic population and uncertain wealth. No agriculture exists, so food supplies are uncertain. The only official colonial governor of either nation exists at St. Augustine. Unless other colonies grow or change colors, be sure to remain friendly with the French here. All non-Spanish promotions, titles, and land must come from him. PROSPECTS FOR SUCCESS A successful career in this period requires exceptional skill and guile. All the major ports are Spanish controlled, forcing one to either trade with them (as Hawkins tried), or to capture them by assault (Drake's method). Trading eventually improves the economic status of the towns, making them more likely to obey Spanish laws and shut you out! Conquest is difficult, especially against well-populated cities, and often is undone by a Spanish counterattack. Furthermore, once you initiate warlike actions and the Spanish become hostile, you must wait for a "Pirate Amnesty" before attempting a trade strategy once more. You must husband your crewmen carefully. Avoid dividing up the plunder for as long as possible. Recruiting new crewmen can be extremely difficult. The English Seahawk With solid backing from your monarch, you have a powerful and flexible force. This is fortunate, since you'll need to find quick profits to enlarge your tiny coffers. The French Corsair Your small, fore-and-aft rigged craft is no match for a well-armed war galleon. If you encounter a powerful enemy, discretion is definitely the better part of valor. Even if you survive the encounter, your crew may be so depleted that recruiting replacements may take months. The Spanish Renegade You start in a regrettably weak position, and must take risks at almost every turn to improve your fortunes. This is not the life for the faint-hearted! MERCHANTS AND SMUGGLERS (1600-1620) INTRODUCTION After the 1590's the Spanish Empire begins a slow slide into decay and chaos, both militarily and economically. Misguided economic policies combined with a short-sighted aristocracy, redoubled by a powerful and restrictive church, will doom Spain for centuries to come. In the Americas, expensive fortifications and garrisons have increased, but silver shipments and Spanish-owned merchant ships are fewer. Most astoundingly, the empire in America is literally an empty one. Diseases brought by Europeans to the New World have inflicted a century of horrifying plagues. The Caribbean basin has been depopulated. In New Spain (Mexico) the Indian population plunges from 25 million in 1500 (before the conquest) to less than 2 million in 1600. Food supplies are short for lack of farmers, and mine output falls for lack of workers. Spaniards in New Spain total no more than 100,000 by 1600. Worse, virtually no Spaniards are productive members of society -- they expect to live a grandiose life, with slaves and Indian peons serving them. The same pattern repeats throughout the Caribbean and along the Spanish Main. Conversely, England and France are growing, vital nations. In this era both have new kings who seek peaceful relations with Spain. Although this reduces the opportunity for privateering and piracy, neither monarch discourages colonization. America's reputation for riches, pleasant climate, and emptiness all beckon. A miscellaneous assortment of Frenchmen and Englishmen start new colonial ventures. The Netherlands, after decades of rebellion against Spain, are virtually victorious. More amazing, Holland is an economic miracle. Out of war, peaceful and profitable enterprises spring. With new ship designs (the Fluyte), joint-stock companies, and the twelve years truce, Dutch commercial interests are exploding world-wide. However, at this time the big Dutch companies are mainly interested in Indonesia and Asia, leaving the West Indies to smaller operators. CITIES AND TRADE Spanish Colonies The cities of Cartagena, Havana, Panama, Santo Domingo and Santiago are the capital cities of the West Indies. Each is populous, rich, well fortified, heavily garrisoned and intolerant of foreigners. Here both tobacco and European goods command premium prices. Puerto Bello has replaced Nombre de Dios as Panama's Caribbean port for the Silver Train and Treasure Fleet. Vera Cruz continues to serve the vast inland areas of New Spain. Both cities are still unhealthy, which limits their growth and economic success. The majority of the Spanish Main and inland Central America is now economically viable. The smaller towns of the Main frequently grow tobacco and welcome smugglers. The hinterlands of Hispaniola are another area where tobacco smugglers are welcome. Trinidad in its heyday as a wide-open smuggler's port. Local Caribbean smugglers can sell their tobacco for decent prices, then buy European goods from Atlantic traders in reasonable quantities. The Spanish governor, without harbor forts and served by a laughably small garrison, can do little but take lucrative bribes and look the other way. English Colonies Early colonies exist on St. Lucia and Grenada, although both are at considerable risk from the cannibalistic Caribe Indians. Both islands need regular imports of food. No large tobacco plantations or organized defenses exist yet. French Colonies No French Colonies exist, but old privateering anchorages with small "tent camp" towns can be found in the Bahamas. Here too there is no local agriculture. Food costs are dear; precious little is available for victualling a ship. Dutch Colonies Although Dutch fluytes are common traders in these waters, no Dutch ports ("factories") exist. This is because the monied interests in the Netherlands are busy financing colonial ventures in the East Indies (notably Indonesia). The Dutch spend most of their time trading in smuggled goods with the smaller Spanish colonies. Trinidad is their unofficial home port in the New World. PROSPECTS FOR SUCCESS Difficulties in this era are similar to the 1560 period. Furthermore, Europe is tending toward peace, dimming the prospects for privateering profits. With the dearth of friendly ports and peace in the offing, you should serious consider searching for friendly Spanish ports and smuggling goods between them and Trinidad, with occasional trips to the new English colonies on the old French privateering anchorages to the north. The English Explorer The situation and strategies for this era are not unlike those of the previous decades. Do you settle into a life of peaceful trade and smuggling, or do you seek out a war and go on privateering expeditions? Your large crew suggest privateering, but the capacious merchantman with its sluggish sailing qualities and weak armament makes trading attractive too. The French Adventurer Your ship and crew are well suited to privateering. However, the lack of strong, friendly ports is a serious handicap when recruiting men or selling captured goods. Conquering a few Spanish ports and installing friendly administration should be a high priority. The Dutch Trader Your ship is admirably suited to mercantile endeavor, but sluggish and underarmed for battle. While trading keep the crew under twenty (but not below eight, as that's the minimum to operate a ship). Pay them off and recruit new ones periodically to keep morale high. Use Trinidad as a base and experiment at various Spanish cities. Discover which governors are tolerant, and which will open fire. Privateering against the Spanish is tricky business -- and you will lose trading privileges until Spain offers an Amnesty. The Spanish Renegade The renegade's life, never easy, is quite difficult in this era. Only the most courageous should undertake this course. THE NEW COLONISTS (1620-1640) INTRODUCTION Europe is ablaze with a new and bloody war between Protestant and Catholic (the Thirty Years War). The decay of Spain's American empire continues. Towns and cities are financially weaker, with fewer troops than ever. The economy and culture is stagnant. Spanish ranches, plantations and mines are increasingly dependent on slave labor imported from Africa. Holland is now the world's leader in mercantile shipping. Dutch companies finally turn their attention to the West Indies. The renewed war with Spain offers many opportunities for the large joint-stock companies to finance military expeditions against the Spanish. The old English and French privateering anchorages swarm with Dutch warships. In England a new round of colonial ventures is fueled by declining economic opportunity and growing intolerance for radical Protestants (such as the Puritans). After the demise of St. Lucia and Grenada colonies, and the near death of Virginia, new and stronger colonies are being founded. These colonies will persevere. France, in the grip of Cardinal Richelieu, is slipping once more into civil war between the Protestant Huguenots and the Catholic government. Throughout the 1620s French Huguenots flee France and found colonies in the New World. Then, in the 1630s, France enters the cataclysm in Germany: the Thirty Years War. CITIES AND TRADE Spanish Colonies The cities of Cartagena, Havana, and Panama remain the capital cities of the West Indies. Santiago and Santo Domingo, the old capitals, have declined to a secondary position, though each is still rich by American standards. Many cities on the Main are economically viable, but few are prosperous. Tobacco is a cheap export crop at some towns. The more backward towns in the hinterlands of Jamaica and Hispaniola are primarily victualing and water ports. Trinidad remains a popular smuggling port where European goods are plentiful and fairly cheap, having come across on trans-Atlantic traders, while good prices are paid for tobacco. However, this port is being overshadowed by the new English colonies to the north. English Colonies Barbados, the first successful English colony in the West Indies, is growing fast. Increasingly English ships use it as their home port in the Caribbean. As at Trinidad, merchants serving the trans-Atlantic trade will pay good prices for tobacco. The colony on Nevis is newer and smaller. The new venture of Providence island off the Mosquito Coast, deep in the heart of the Spanish Empire, is the premier base for privateers and pirates raiding the Main. French Colonies On the shared island of St. Christophe (St. Kitts to the English), the French have the upper hand. This colony is largely Catholic, while the unofficial but growing presence in northeast Hispaniola is largely Protestant. These enterprising Huguenots have already claimed Tortuga off the coast, as well as establishing Petit Goave. Dutch Colonies Fully fledged Dutch colonies are sparse. Along with the traditional Bahaman and Florida privateering anchorages, the Dutch have begun a "factory" (trading town) on an island positioned right in the center of the Spanish Main: Curacao. PROSPECTS FOR SUCCESS The new colonial ports are a godsend to privateers, who now have legal employ thanks to renewed warfare in Europe. Pinnaces and barques with piratical intent are everywhere in the Caribbean. Spanish strength continues to wane, especially at sea. A well outfitted force can even attempt to capture the Treasure Fleet on the high seas. Still, one must watch political developments closely. Spain is quite capable of mounting periodic counterattacks to wipe out intrusive colonies or troublesome privateer bases. The English Adventurer Don't be shy about privateering against the Spanish. After building your reputation, fortune, and fleet you can venture ashore and try your hand at plundering the smaller towns and cities. Opportunities abound for a man of boldness. The French Huguenot Your barque is a handy vessel for the Caribbean, and well suited to privateering against Catholic Spain and its hated Inquisition. Tortuga and Petit Goave are ideal bases, deep in Spanish territory and only a short sail from the Florida Channel and its yearly Treasure Fleet. The Dutch Privateer You have a very powerful force, but there is a lack of Dutch bases. If possible, cultivate friendship with the French and English (regardless of your government's opinion). Can you duplicate Piet Heyn's feat of 1628 and capture the Spanish Treasure Fleet? The Spanish Renegade As in 1560 and 1600, the life of a renegade is unenviable, but conditions are somewhat improved. The non-Spanish colonies are few, so it's wise to remain friendly with England, France and Holland. WAR FOR PROFIT (1640-1660) INTRODUCTION In Holland, Germany and France the last great religious war of Europe (the Thirty Years War), begun in 1618, is degenerating into famine, plague and starvation across a landscape of ruins. England, having avoided European disasters, is on the brink of its own ruinous civil war that will result in a short but brutal military dictatorship by Oliver Cromwell and his Protestant armies. Of all the European nations, Spain is in the worst position. Economic and political conditions in the homeland are so bad that provinces are revolting against a bankrupt and ineffective government. Disasters in Europe breed new opportunities in the West Indies. Spain's colonies are at their military and economic nadir. Freebooters and privateers, veterans of the European conflicts, can pillage and plunder the helpless Spanish with ease, and with precious little interference from European governments. Non-Spanish colonies are growing everywhere, fueled by boatloads of refugees. While some settle into the plantation economy, others take to the buccaneering life. Meanwhile, the crafty Dutch are making a fortune carrying trade goods among these new colonies. Peaceful trading may not be as profitable as privateering, but it's a safer business. CITIES AND TRADE Spanish Colonies The richest Spanish cities remain the great capitals of the region: Panama, Cartagena, Havana, and Santiago. These continue to have wealthy economies and high prices. San Juan and Santo Domingo are prospering, but remain populated by old, aristocratic families with expensive tastes. Both cities are well fortified and garrisoned. All other Spanish cities are barely prospering, if that. Towns in the hinterlands are on the verge of disappearing under the tidal wave of immigration from England, France and Holland. English Colonies Barbados is the unofficial capital of the English West Indies. It is a trader's dream. European goods are freely available, sugar sells for premium prices, and the local merchants are wealthy and well-stocked. The colonies on St. Kitts and Nevis are economically strong and well populated while Antigua, Montserrat, Bermuda and Eleuthera are newer, smaller colonies with little population, low prices, and tiny warehouses. French Colonies Guadeloupe and Martinique are the major colonies in the Caribbee Islands (Lesser Antilles). However, all eyes are drawn to that well-fortified haven of privateers, buccaneers and outright pirates: Tortuga. Already this name inspires terror. Mainland Hispaniola French colonies are developing slowly at Petit Goave. French privateers still use anchorages in the Florida Keys to plunder Spaniards in the Florida Channel, as well to descend upon the north coast of Cuba. Dutch Colonies Curacao is the Dutch equivalent of Barbados. This large, rich, well-defended free port offers good prices for sugar and sells quantities of European goods in return. A second international free port is developing at St. Eustatius, while sleepy St. Martin is a placid place for sugar planters and other peaceful fellows. PROSPECT FOR SUCCESS Opportunities abound and success awaits. Spain is almost always at war with somebody, and not uncommonly with everybody! Since Spanish military power is a joke, the opportunities for privateering and outright plunder are legion. After a rich cruise against the hapless Spanish, no voyage is complete without a wild party at Tortuga, Barbados, or Curacao. The English Adventurer As a privateer, everything is in your favor. A plethora of friendly English colonies are ready and willing to buy your plundered goods, while the taverns are brimming with sailors seeking a berth with a successful Captain. Smiling governors will shake your hand and bestow land and honors for your efforts. Isn't life grand? The French Privateer Privateering is a growth industry with great profits for the French, as with the English. Tortuga is the ideal base for such activities, sitting between Santo Domingo, the great cities of Cuba, and the rich fleets passing outbound through the Florida Channel. Down a pleasant beam reach to the south lies the heartland of the Spanish Main and the usually friendly port of Curacao. The Dutch Trader Tired of war, many Dutchmen prefer the peaceful role of trading. The new and growing French and English colonies offer many opportunities to a savvy merchant. Trade routes between the large, rich colonies and the new, small ones yield easy profits. One can also trade with the poorer Spanish cities, who have cheap sugar and food that sells for premier prices on Curacao or Barbados. Of course, the lure of privateering remains strong! The Spanish Renegade This is one of the two eras (the other is 1660) where the life of a renegade can be fairly pleasant. Raiding the Spanish is a rewarding occupation, war or no war. THE BUCCANEER HEROES (1660-1680) INTRODUCTION The decline of the Spanish Empire continues when senile King Phillip IV is succeeded by the lax and inept regency for Charles (Carlos) II, who in 1665 becomes King at age four. Although Spanish America is left without military protection, bureaucratic interference in its economic affairs diminishes also. This combined with renewed output from the silver mines, starts an upswing in the Spanish-American economy. England, France and Holland are now strong colonial powers. Jealous of Holland's commercial success, England begins economic war against Holland with the Navigation Act (1651) and the Staple Act (1663), legislating trade limits that would ruin the free-trade Dutch merchants. This causes three shooting wars within twenty years. Meanwhile, Louis XIV has finally taken control of France with the death of Cardinal Mazarin in 1661. The "Sun King's" aggressive foreign policy sparks almost constant warfare with England, Holland, and Spain as frequent opponents. In short, Europe is a dogfight of international intrigue and warfare, with enemies and allies changing as frequently as partners in a court dance. In the Caribbean, governors face new threats from all directions St. Eustatius changes hands ten times between 1664 and 1674. The home governments provide virtually no military forces, so the governors ask buccaneers, privateers and pirates to guard their colony and carry the fight to the enemy. These sensible, profit-oriented warriors are often difficult to control. CITIES AND TRADE Spanish Colonies Panama, Havana and Cartagena endure as the three greatest Spanish cities, rich, well fortified, and well garrisoned. Still sizable but of declining importance are Santiago, Santo Domingo, and San Juan. The remaining Spanish towns are beginning to prosper again, but are so weak militarily that all are prey to buccaneers and pirates. English Colonies Barbados remains the greatest English colony, with St. Kitts close behind. Captured from Spain in 1655, Jamaica is the home of Port Royale, the new English buccaneer haven in the midst of the Spanish empire, only a short voyage downwind from the French colonies on Hispaniola. French Colonies In the Caribbee Islands (Lesser Antilles) Guadeloupe and Martinique are the main bastions of French power, while around western Hispaniola Tortuga, Port-de-Paix, Petit Goave and Leogane are buccaneering through strongholds amid the growing wealth of French sugar plantations. Dutch Colonies Curacao remains the premier Dutch colony and one of the greatest free ports in the world. St. Eustatius almost surpasses it, but conquest and reconquest by numerous expeditions has damaged its economy. PROSPECTS FOR SUCCESS This era is sometimes called the "Golden Age of Buccaneering." There is plenty of warfare to legalize your actions, and a plethora of rich Spanish and non-Spanish ports to either raid or use as bases, as you prefer. Because of her military weakness, Spain's ships and towns are the popular target for buccaneers and pirates of all nationalities. The English Buccaneer Port Royale makes an excellent base of operations, while Barbados is still the best place to dispose of large amounts of loot at a very good price. The main disadvantage of Port Royale is that recruiting a good crew often requires side-trips to the French buccaneer towns on Hispaniola, while a base in the Caribbees gives you access to many English ports for quick, easy recruiting. The French Buccaneer Privateer or pirate, it is wise to leave one or two nations alone, so you have potential trading partners in case an unexpected peace breaks out. You'll find recruiting especially easy in the vicinity of Hispaniola, with four separate French buccaneer ports within a short sail. The Dutch Adventurer Dutchmen of this period weren't shy about offering their services to other nations, and were always looking for the main chance -- adventure with profit, be it peaceful or warlike. Don't ignore the excellent prospects for peaceful trade. Above all, remember that Barbados and Curacao are the two richest ports in non-Spanish America, good for either trading or selling a looted cargo. The Spanish Renegade Although a renegade's life is never easy, this era is a bright spot on a dark sea of danger. Privateering or piracy against Spain is, of course, the recommended course. PIRATE'S SUNSET (1680-1700) INTRODUCTION Europe is as full as ever of tumult and warfare, rapidly changing alliances, and strange political bedfellows. But the depredations of the buccaneers in the Americas have taught politicians and military men a lesson. Warriors who fight for profit can ruin the local economy. Meanwhile, nations have bigger and more powerful fleets and armies, big enough so troops can be spared for important colonies in the West Indies. All this spells the doom for privateering and the buccaneers. Spain may be ruled by a deformed idiot (the unhappy product of excessive intermarriage by the Habsburgs), but despite this the pirates disappear, chased from the sea by an English naval squadron based in Port Royale. Letters of Marque are harder and harder to get. Buccaneers of all nationalities flock to the French flag in 1684 when it offers Letters of Marque again. Economically, this is an era of rising wealth and trade for all nations in the Caribbean. Although some piracy remains, the road to the future is one of peaceful trade and smuggling. CITIES AND TRADE Spanish Colonies Havana, Panama, Cartagena, and Santiago are still important cities, despite the raids and misfortunes of the last century. Caracas has risen to prominence as the main harbor serving inland Terra Firma (South America), while Santo Domingo and San Juan have slipped up to a second rank, isolated among the growing French and English island wealth. English Colonies Port Royale, Barbados, and St. Kitts are the great English ports, with the other English Caribbee ports are sound and healthy trading posts. The Bahamas are the new colonial frontier. Nassau, for example, is a wide-open pirate haven. A small English colony has even sprung up at Belize in Honduras! French Colonies The French colonial empire has not changed in shape greatly in two decades. Guadeloupe and Martinique remain the twin economic capitals, now equal to the largest English ports. Tortuga is declining, but the Hispaniolan towns of Port-de-Paix, Petit Goave, and Leogane are all thriving. Dutch Colonies As with France, the shape of the Dutch dominions also is constant; Curacao is the great free port. St. Eustatius is recovering from wartime disasters and trying to live on trade with the recalcitrant English nearby. St. Martin, the northerly satellite, continues to quietly expand its plantation economy. PROSPECTS FOR SUCCESS Prospects in this era appear as good as the 1660s and 1670s. However, pirate-hunting warships appear more frequently, while the non-Spanish ports are larger and better fortified. Indeed, the fairly equal distribution of strong and weak ports throughout the Caribbean means that prospects for trading are the best in fifty years. If you do pursue a bellicose path, take advantage of pirate amnesties when offered, so you are prepared for a sudden outbreak of peace. The English Pirate Well, mate, ye always wanted a life of piracy. Try it on for size now! Novices are encouraged to try a voyage or two in the 1660s first, to get the feel of privateering, before embarking on a career of high seas crime. Beware the navy pirate hunters! The French Privateer Privateering commissions are legally available still. Take advantage of them to raid the Spanish. Of course, it pays to beware of the Costa Guarda pirate hunters. The Dutch Adventurer As a peace-loving free-trade Dutchman, you should think long on the advantages of trading and smuggling. Dutch ports are few, and although England and France have laws prohibiting trade with you, in reality the laws are ignored. Even the Spanish can be coaxed into trading more often than not. Of course, some of your compatriots made their reputation by sailing as privateers for France. In fact, two admirals of the French privateers in 1685 are Dutchmen! The Spanish Costa Guarda Now that the English and French colonies are as rich as the Spanish, it's only appropriate that they taste some of their own medicine! The only difficulty is evading those French, English and Dutch warships that so inconveniently clutter up the seascape. THE CITY GAZETTEER The Latitudes and Longitudes given in this index are consistent with the map in this package. While quite good for the era, the measurements on this map are very inexact by modern standards. All founding dates are approximate. Antigua: 21N, 62W. Colonized in the 1640s, this island is a small pleasant backwater with a classic plantation economy. In the 18th Century it will become one of the two great naval bases for the British Royal Navy in the Caribbean. Barbados: 18N, 59W. The first major English colony in the Caribbean (in the 1620s), Barbados is the economic capital of the Caribbee Islands (Lesser Antilles) throughout the middle and later parts of the 17th Century. Caribbean traders will find European goods numerous and the selling of tobacco and sugar quite good. Belize: 21N, 88W. This small but hardy settlement of logwood cutters appears in the 1680s in a region conceded to be Spanish, but as yet uncolonized. Its stubborn presence will cause diplomatic problems for decades to come. Bermuda: 39N, 65W. Settled in the 1640s, Bermuda built its early economy on shipwrecks, thanks to the many treacherous reefs that surround the tiny island. Borburata: 16N, 67W. This modest city on the Spanish Main is noteworthy only in the late 16th Century. Thereafter it is sublimated in the growing power and importance of Caracas. Campeche: 23N, 90W. A well-established "old" Spanish city with aristocratic tastes. Campeche is an important port serving the inland provinces of southern New Spain and Yucatan. European goods fetch good prices here. Caracas: 16N, 66W. This city rises to prominence at the end of the 16th Century. It is the main port for many inland farms and plantations, and home of many important Spanish families, who have expensive tastes in European goods. Cartagena: 16N, 75W. This is the largest port city of the Spanish Main, and after the 1590s a supposedly impregnable fortress. Here the Treasure Fleet winters before its return voyage via Havana and the Florida Channel. Cartagena has a powerful garrison of troops and a thriving economy with little need for illegal trade and smuggling. Coro: 17N, 70W. This small city on the east side of the Gulf of Venezuela thrives in the 16th Century, but after the 1600s it is overshadowed by the new ports to the east. During it brief heyday Coro is a good sources of hides and tobacco. Cumana: 16N, 64W. The main port city of New Andalusia, it forms the eastern anchor of the Spanish Main, the last major harbor and fortress. It is a good market for European goods. This does not prevent it from indulging in smuggling and other nefarious pursuits from time to time. Curacao: 17N, 69W. First used in the 1620s, this island becomes a great free port under Dutch control. Spanish produce smuggled from everywhere along the Main is brought here by Dutch merchants, who happily exchange them for European products that can be profitably smuggled to the Spanish. Eleuthera: 26N, 76W. At first just an anchorage for privateers, Eleuthera becomes an English colony eventually. In the 17th Century it really never grows, remaining a backwater haven for pirates, privateers, and the other riffraff who hide among the Bahamas. Florida Channel: 26N, 80W. The powerful Gulf Stream current has cut this channel along the southeast coast of Florida, forming a safe path past the Bahama shoals. Each year in the spring or summer the Spanish Treasure Fleet passes up this channel from havana, bound for the North Atlantic Westerlies and the trip home. Florida Keys: 26N, 81W. Among this chain of tiny islands and reefs are transitory anchorages for privateers of varying nationalities. No permanent colonies are founded here -- it is too close to powerful Spanish Havana. Gibraltar: 15N, 71W. This city is a modest-sized port for inland farms and plantations of Caracos province. The horrifying rape and pillage of the city by L'Ollonais and again by Morgan, destroyed its economic vitality, making it a nonentity by the 1680s. Gran Granada: 17N, 86W. Situated on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, this is the largest and wealthiest city of the Honduran provinces. Grand Bahama: 28N, 79W. This island in the northern Bahamas is used periodically as a privateering anchorage. It does not become an English colony until the very end of the era. Grenada: 17N, 61W. A group of English colonists attempt settlement here in the 1600s, but fail and the colony disappears by the 1620s. Guadeloupe: 20N, 61W. Colonized by the French, Guadeloupe becomes economically viable in the 1640s. Along with Martinique it is the cornerstone of French power in the eastern Caribbean. In the 1660s its fortress and garrison are increased as part of France's new interest in overseas colonization. Havana: 25N, 82W. One of the old cities of Cuba, during the middle 16th Century it grew rapidly because the Treasure Fleet used its harbor for a last provisioning before the dangerous journey back to Spain. Havana is a rich town where all mercantile activity is done strictly according to law. Prices are extremely high. Isabella: 23N, 71W. This tiny port town was initially established by Columbus himself, but fades in and out of existence as disease takes its toll. At the start of the 17th Century it is officially abandoned by the Spanish government, its residents forced to resettle around Santo Domingo. La Vega: 23N, 71W. This smuggler's haven of the early and middle 17th Century serves the inland ranches and farms of northern Hispaniola. Prices are low and the law nonexistent, save the law you make with the point of your sword. Leogane: 23N, 73W. One of the new French buccaneer ports of the 1660s. Leogane serves the unofficial but rapidly growing French presence in western Hispaniola. Maracaibo: 16N, 72W. This is the chief port on the Gulf of Venezuela and guardian of the Maracaibo Lagoon (also known as Lake Maracaibo). As such it has more than its share of aristocratic families, with expensive tastes in European fashion. Margarita: 17N, 63W. In the early 16th Century, this island was one of the richest pearl fisheries in the world. Unfortunately, the pearl beds were quickly fished out. Margarita is a shadow of its former wealth, with ports abandoned and many families moving to bigger and richer mainland cities, such as Cumana and Caracas. Martinique: 19N, 61W. Colonized by the French, Martinique becomes economically viable in the 1640s. With Guadeloupe it is the cornerstone of French power in the eastern Caribbean. In the 1660s its fortress and garrison are increased as part of France's new interest in overseas colonization. Montserrat: 21N, 62W. This English colony, founded around 1640, remaining one of small plantations and gentleman farming, a pleasant port of call with no especially important characteristics save low prices. Nassau: 26N, 77W. Since the mid 16th Century this Bahaman island has been a pirate anchorage. An English colony, officially begin in the 1680s, soon degenerates into a loud, squalid pirate haven full of verminous and evil men. The port is named "New Providence," to distinguish it from Providence Island ("Old Providence"). Nevis: 21N, 63W. This pleasant island, separted from St. Kitts by a narrow channel, was populated by the English at about the same time -- the 1620s. While St. Kitts becomes a port of some importance, Nevis remains more agricultural, with pleasant plantations rolling across sun-drenched mountainsides. Nombre de Dios: 15N, 79W. This town is the Caribbean port for Panama and Peru throughout the 16th Century. However, it is sited in an unhealthy swamp, is almost impossible to fortify, and is plundered mercilessly by English sea hawks. At the end of the 16th Century it is abandoned and a new port is (Puerto Bello) established nearby. Panama: 15N, 80W. This large, rich city links the wealthy Spanish realms of Peru with the Caribbean. All trade with Peru is by ship on the Pacific coast, with Panama the terminus. Panama is linked to a Caribbean port (Nombre de Dios in the 16th Century, Puerto Bello in the 17th) by a mule trail over the mountains of the Darien Isthmus. Petit Goave: 22N, 73W. Among the many small and informal French Huguenot settlements on Western Hispaniola, this is the first (in the 1620s) to gain repute as an important port. But as the 17th Century continues, planter and plantation lords push out the rude buccaneers, gradually civilizing the raw colonial frontier. Port-de-Paix: 23N, 73W. This later French Huguenot settlement becomes a significant port in the 1660s, and by the 1680s is the informal capital of the French colonies in Western Hispaniola. Port Royale: 21N, 77W. In a natural harbor on southeast Jamaica lies a curving spit and sandbar. By 1660, just five years after the English conquest of Jamaica, the spit is covered by Port Royale, a booming, rollicking, buccaneer town. Its reputation was so evil that when an earthquake destroyed it at the end of the Century, colonials and Europeans alike considered it an act of divine justice. Puerto Cabello: 16N, 68W. This secondary port along the Spanish Main is a city of note throughout the 1620s. Ultimately, however, Caracas takes most of it business, while the new Dutch free port at Curacao destroys the rest. Puerto Principe: 24N, 78W. This was one of the first cities founded on Cuba. It represents the strengths of Spanish America: a wealthy city surrounded by ranches and a cattle economy. Providence: 18N, 82W. Also known as "Old Providence", it is first settled by an English colonial venture in 1620. The tiny island quickly becomes a base for privateers and pirates operating deep in the Spanish Main. Puerto Bello: 15N, 80W. By 1600 this city replaces abandoned Nombre de Dios as the Caribbean port for Panama and the Viceroyalty of Peru. Each year, when the Treasure Fleet arrives to pick up the Peruvian silver, Puerto Bello becomes a rich boom town. Weeks later, when the fleet departs for Cartagena, it lapses into malarial somnolence once more. Rio de la Hacha: 17N, 73W. This is one of the two major ports for the Colombian highlands (Santa Maria is the other). It does a thriving trade in export goods: first hides, then tobacco. San Juan: 22N, 66W. This is the great port city of Puerto Rico, and one of the most powerfully fortified cities in Spanish America. San Juan was settled early and remains a bastion of old Spanish aristocracy. Prices for all goods except food are high, and most times Spanish law is vigorously enforced. Ultimately it becomes a base for Casta Guarda raids in the Caribbees. Santa Catalina: 18N, 82W. When Spaniards take Providence Island from the English in the 1640s, they rename it Santa Catalina. Although the island is valueless to Spain, a garrison is maintained to prevent it from falling into English hands once more. Santa Domingo: 22N, 70W. This is the great capital city of Hispaniola, one of the largest and oldest in the entire American Empire of Spain. In the 17th Century its power and importance are fading, but the Spanish aristocrats and ranchers remain vigorous enough to defeat an English invasion in 1655 (disappointed, the English invade and conquer Jamaica instead). Santa Marta: 17N, 74W. Along with Rio de la Hacha, this is the other principal port serving the Colombian highlands. Large farmsteads nearby mean this city has low food prices, as well as reasonably priced hides and tobacco. Santiago: 23N, 76W. This is the original capital city of Cuba, and remains a large, strong city until very late in the era. Like all the great Spanish cities, prices are high while Spanish trade law is vigorously enforced. Santiago de la Vega: 21N, 77W. This is the main Spanish town on Jamaica before the English conquest. Spanish Jamaica was a tiny backwater, of little economic or military importance. St. Augustine: 30N, 81W. Originally a French colony in 1560, Spain attacks and captures it, massacring the Frenchmen and establishing their own fortress and garrison to discourage other Europeans. St. Augustine is of such small importance that nobody bothers to dispute Spain's ownership. St. Christophe: 21N, 63W. First colonized in the 1620s by a combination of Frenchmen and Englishmen, the Frenchmen are ascendant on the island in the early days. Later the English predominate and their spelling of the name is commonly used: St. Kitts. St. Kitts: 21N, 63W. By the 1640s the English gain the upper hand on St. Christophe. When the English are predominant, this English name for the island commonly is used. The island develops a significant port that does a thriving trade with all nationalities. St. Lucia: 19N, 61W. English colonists settled here in preference to South America in the 1600s, but were quickly wiped out by their own ineptitude and the ferocious Caribe Indians. St. Martin: 22N, 63W. This island is colonized by the Dutch in the 1640s. It remains a quiet, peaceful plantation isle for the remainder of the 17th Century. St. Thome: 15N, 61W. This tiny town, deep island along the Orinoco River, acquires a small Spanish garrison about 1600. This is in response to Sir Walter Raleigh's expeditions up-river. Tortuga: 23N, 73W. First settled by French buccaneers and Huguenots in the 1620s, it is built up and fortified into a great pirate base during the 1640s and '60s. Despite Spanish attacks, it survives as long as the buccaneers and pirates remain strong, but disappears as their power wanes. Trinidad: 16N, 61W. Theoretically a Spanish colony, this island never has a large population, nor much of a Spanish government and garrison. Its heyday as a smuggler's paradise is in the first years of the 1600s. Vera Cruz (and San Juan de Ulua harbor): 23N, 96W. This city with its island anchorage is the main port for the great inland Viceroyalty of New Spain (also known as Mexico). Once a year, when the treasure fleet arrives, this otherwise unhealthy city becomes a rich boom town. Villa Hermosa: 22N, 93W. This inland city is the capital of Tobasco province, a southerly but nonetheless rich region of New Spain. Yaguana: 22N, 72W. In the 16th Century this town is a small port serving the Spanish west coast of Hispaniola. It is officially abandoned and its population deported at the end of the century as a punishment for excessive smuggling. Dark Spectre Dead Weight 1993