Uncharted Waters: Difference between revisions

''[[Uncharted Waters (Video Game)|Uncharted Waters]]'' ([[Market-Based Title|originally known]] as ''Age of the Great Voyages'') is a series of Japanese [[Pirate|privateer]]/[[An Entrepreneur Is You|trader]] video games set in [[The Cavalier Years]]. [[The Original Series|The first game]] was developed by Koei in 1991 (for [[MSX]] and [[NES]], and later for [[Sega Genesis]], [[Super NES]], and the PC). The second installment, ''Uncharted Waters II: New Horizons'', followed in 1994 on NEC [[PC 98]], SNES, and Genesis, later ported to PC, [[Sega Saturn]], and [[Play StationPlayStation]]. Unfortunately, the second game was the last to be officially translated into English. Two more sequels, a [[Gaiden Game]], and a [[Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game|MMORPG]] based in the setting never made it out of Japan. However, as of October of 2010, the [[Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game|MMORPG]] is in an open beta for the English speaking world.

Gameplay-wise, the series is a [[Wide Open Sandbox]] with [[RPG Elements]] in it. You play as an owner of a small fleet (up to 5 ships in the first game, up to 10 in the second) and are free to engage in any kind of activity on the high seas: trade, gambling, [[Design -It -Yourself Equipment|ship pimping]], [[Pirate Booty|piracy]], [[Treasure Map|treasure hunting]], exploration, even global politics, once you have the money (and firepower) to. What set the first game apart from its Western competitor ''[[Sid MeiersMeier's Pirates!]]'' was the sheer size of the game world: instead of being confined to the Carribbean, you have the ''entire world'' to explore. The exploration gameplay was further enhanced in the second game, where you could sell the maps of your voyages, find natural and cultural wonders around the world, and look for even more treasures. The underlying gameplay mechanic involves ship management (crew, supplies, captains, repairs), character evolution (both the PC and the captains you hire), port development (trade balance, investments), and [[Alliance Meter|maneuvering between the major factions]] (Portugal, Spain, Turkey, [[My Friends and Zoidberg|and pirates]] in the first game; England, Holland, and Italy join the club in the second). It's pretty complex but not excessively so.

Storywise, the first game follows Leon Franco, a young Portuguese sailor whose father invested all his money into a voyage to India, hoping to make a fortune selling spices, but died on the way back. Only his trusted [[Number Two|First Mate]] Rocco Alemkel made it back to Portugal with a small boat to tell the tale. And thus, young Leon has to assume command and to take on the rough seas of the [[Wooden Ships and Iron Men]] era. Starting with small errands for the local merchants and collectors, Leon's fame eventually reaches the King of Portugal, who becomes his exclusive [[Quest Giver]]. The final mission, of course, involves saving the King's [[Distressed Damsel in Distress|only daughter]], whom Leon had the chance to woo earlier.

The first two games can be downloaded from various internet sites like Abandonia.com, and run perfectly smoothly in [[DOS BoxDOSBox]] on modern systems. Go get them.

* [[Boarding Party]]: The two basic means to attack another ship in a sea battle is either shooting them from afar with your cannons or "rushing" them, that is, going into hand to hand combat. Also, in the second game, "rushing" the enemy flagship gives you an option to challenge their captain to [[Combat Byby Champion|a sword duel]].

* [[But Thou Must!]]: Regardless of how you play in the first game, at some point, you will be asked to buy "14 lots of Coral", which can only be accomplished by traveling to the New World. Also, to achieve the highest nobility ranks, the King of Portugal will inevitably ask you to defeat powerful pirates or opposing factions' captains, even if you were going a pure merchant route before. {{spoiler|Finally, the last mission is always a battle against a pirate fleet for the princess.}}

* [[Combat Byby Champion]]: The duels between two fleets' captains in the second game can decide the outcome of a naval battle in a single round without having to damage your ships much. In fact, this can become quite a [[Game Breaker]], e.g. when playing Pietro (whose swordplay skill is pretty high for some reason), you eventually gain enough money to afford the best armor and swords in the game. Which, in conjunction with the fact that explorers generally have very fast and maneuverable ships, unexpectedly makes him the deadliest man in the high seas.

* [[Design -It -Yourself Equipment]]: You can buy used ships and remodel them, but for a really [[Cool Boat]], you need to commission one yourself.

* [[Distressed Damsel in Distress]]: The princess in the end of the first game.

* [[Hot Chick Withwith a Sword]]: Catalina. Damn hot and a swordplay stat of 92 (our of 100 maximum) ''at the beginning of the game''.

* [[Number Two]]: The first game had Rocco Alemkel, a bearded [[Boisterous Bruiser]] who couldn't navigate his own ship but always followed Leon (as opposed to hired navigators who could [[So Long and Thanks For All Thethe Gear|desert you with their ships]] if their loyalty wavered). In the second game, you had number two (First Mate), number three (Book Keeper), and number four (Chief Navigator) in your [[Player Party]].

** The most lucrative booty, though, may be the enemy ships themselves. You need enough surplus crew to man both them and your own ships, extra navigators to command them, and the ability to defeat the enemy fleet without sinking all their ships. Still, they can wind up getting you a small fortune.

* [[So Long and Thanks For All Thethe Gear]]: If you hit a particularly hard luck, you will notice that your navigator's loyalty is dropping, and when it falls all the way down to 30-40%, one of them (if not more) will certainly desert you, taking his ship (as well as whatever cargo and crew it was carrying) with him, never to be seen again.

* [[You Lose At Zero Trust]]: If your navigator's Loyalty drops to 40% or lower, you are running a high risk of them pulling a [[So Long and Thanks For All Thethe Gear]] on you.

[[Category:Uncharted WatersSteam]]