Pyat and The Land Lubbin' Pirates
May. 7th, 2009 09:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pyatI'm currently playing the excellent recent edition of Sid Meier's Pirates! video game. I've completed all the quests and amassed a huge sum, and married the daughter of the governor of Port Royale. I'm a Dutch and British Duke, a French Baron, and a Spanish Admiral, even though I keep plundering their cities.
This evening, I got stuck in an inlet or channel on the west coast of Florida, after visiting a small pirate haven. A bug in the game has effectively simulated my ship (a Brig of War alternately named "Grim Jest" or "Blood of Christ," depending on whether I'm working for Papists or myself) running aground. Now, this is bad. Food was running low. I had a crew of 250, and only enough food for a month. I traded with the pirate settlement for more, but even that only increased our stores to two months.
So, I decided to walk across Florida. The closest settlement was a Spanish village, Westray, on the east coast of Florida, round about where Daytona Beach is, I think. It's about 150 miles across the penninsula at that point. My thinking was, we could restock on food there, and then when we left, the ship would appear at the new port.
So, we cut our way through swamp and everglade. Food ran out fast. The men were staving, as a helpful pop-up message kept informing me.
But we made it! Westray! We bought up what little food the settlement. I discovered that, even though my ship was 150 miles away, I was still able to buy and sell the cannon and cargo. Um. No wonder the men were complaining on that long walk. Still, that suggested the ship was here with us in Westray, right?
No such luck. I left town, and the ship was nowhere in sight. So, I had a brainstorm. If we walked north to the nearest city, the Dutch port of St. Augustine, I could divide up the plunder, split the crew, and start fresh. Maybe that would do it. So, we walked and walked north... arrived in St. Augustine. I danced with the governor's daughter, hob-knobbed in the tavern, and then split the plunder. My ship was careened and prepared for a new voyage. Everyone was happy.
Except, my ship was still on the other coast, and still stuck, and now I only had 40 men left in my crew.
But, you know, it struck me, suddenly. I still have access to the cargo hold, no matter where I am. I can still trade. I can still attack and plunder towns. And, now I have easier access to the rich landlocked capitals, like Gran Granada and Panama! Indeed, the entirely of the Spanish Main is still in my grasp... aside from the islands.
I just have to walk from Florida to Central America.
I can do it. With the smaller crew, and no need for cannon to clutter up my "cargo space," I can carry 2 or 3 years worth of food. I'll stock up in St. Augustine... and then hike my way to Panama. It's only 2800 miles, and there are some small cities on the way, along the Yucatan!
ARRR!
This evening, I got stuck in an inlet or channel on the west coast of Florida, after visiting a small pirate haven. A bug in the game has effectively simulated my ship (a Brig of War alternately named "Grim Jest" or "Blood of Christ," depending on whether I'm working for Papists or myself) running aground. Now, this is bad. Food was running low. I had a crew of 250, and only enough food for a month. I traded with the pirate settlement for more, but even that only increased our stores to two months.
So, I decided to walk across Florida. The closest settlement was a Spanish village, Westray, on the east coast of Florida, round about where Daytona Beach is, I think. It's about 150 miles across the penninsula at that point. My thinking was, we could restock on food there, and then when we left, the ship would appear at the new port.
So, we cut our way through swamp and everglade. Food ran out fast. The men were staving, as a helpful pop-up message kept informing me.
But we made it! Westray! We bought up what little food the settlement. I discovered that, even though my ship was 150 miles away, I was still able to buy and sell the cannon and cargo. Um. No wonder the men were complaining on that long walk. Still, that suggested the ship was here with us in Westray, right?
No such luck. I left town, and the ship was nowhere in sight. So, I had a brainstorm. If we walked north to the nearest city, the Dutch port of St. Augustine, I could divide up the plunder, split the crew, and start fresh. Maybe that would do it. So, we walked and walked north... arrived in St. Augustine. I danced with the governor's daughter, hob-knobbed in the tavern, and then split the plunder. My ship was careened and prepared for a new voyage. Everyone was happy.
Except, my ship was still on the other coast, and still stuck, and now I only had 40 men left in my crew.
But, you know, it struck me, suddenly. I still have access to the cargo hold, no matter where I am. I can still trade. I can still attack and plunder towns. And, now I have easier access to the rich landlocked capitals, like Gran Granada and Panama! Indeed, the entirely of the Spanish Main is still in my grasp... aside from the islands.
I just have to walk from Florida to Central America.
I can do it. With the smaller crew, and no need for cannon to clutter up my "cargo space," I can carry 2 or 3 years worth of food. I'll stock up in St. Augustine... and then hike my way to Panama. It's only 2800 miles, and there are some small cities on the way, along the Yucatan!
ARRR!
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no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 02:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 02:49 am (UTC)Words fail me...but I can't stop laughing!
::B::
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Date: 2009-05-08 03:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 03:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 03:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 03:26 am (UTC)*opens door* Yes?
Land Pirate!
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Date: 2009-05-08 04:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 09:12 am (UTC)Just 'cause...
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Date: 2009-05-08 11:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 01:00 pm (UTC)But now that you're a'foot, I should suggest hitting Mexico City on the way to Panama. It's where the all the silver the Spanish mined in their American possessions was minted into coins. Just like hitting a treasure fleet! Only, you know, by land.
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Date: 2009-05-08 02:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 02:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 02:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 02:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 04:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 06:31 pm (UTC)What do you do with Roller Coaster Tycoon?
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Date: 2009-05-08 06:34 pm (UTC)Lee.
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Date: 2009-05-08 06:38 pm (UTC)And more recently, this! (http://pyat.livejournal.com/771394.html)
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Date: 2009-05-08 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 07:55 pm (UTC)Observations:
Date: 2009-05-11 08:18 pm (UTC)Everyone thinks "pirate" sounds all cool and sexy. But when you're on land, you're a "bandit". Either way, you're a "marauder".
I once played Seven Cities of Gold with a crew of one man. The mission was really cheap, and the food lasted for years. Heaven help you if you lose a fight, though.