Quite welcome, m’lady.
I’m slowly getting used to the dancing bit. Having the special boots & slippers really help! As does remembering that those quick steps almost always go in sequence (e.g.: forward, left turn, left turn; step left, turn, step left, turn, step left, turn, step left, turn).
Atrael , thanks a lot for the info. I enjoy the trading in PR2, and after getting rich I like to build up my “military” convoys and getting a few towns of my own. And I really do enjoy the fact that the game doesn’t have a set script or ending date.
The latest Pirates is now sitting my my bookcase. The Atari forums are full of complaints similar to mine, game quitting for no reason a few minutes after starting play. I’ll have to wait for a patch. I found Pirates Gold online for free so I’m now raiding the Spanish Main in a Pinnance so I feel much better.
Not almost always…
ALWAYS.
Once a sequence starts, it always follows the same pattern. The only problem is that some sequences start with the same move, but then the second move gives it away.
I found the dancing impossibly difficult at first.
After 15, 20 tries, though, I have a solid handle on it. There’s only so many dances it runs through, and the patterns become predictable. Cranking the music up helps.
In that case, there’s one sequence that I haven’t figured out yet: a forward immediately followed by a back.
The only problem I have with the game is sneaking into town. It is incredibly slow. I’m sure it’s a hardware/software combination issue, but I can’t find the solution. Others with decently fast computers have also been making this complaint on various forums, but I have not yet seen a solution.
Anyone here have this issue (and hopefully solved it)?
Check the tech support at atari.com, there is a list of issues. The forum there also has many solutions for various issues.
I aso have problems with that one. I think that dance step is only with beautiful girls at higher levels.
“Slow” in what way? It’s supposed to be slow, he’s sneaking for cryin’ out loud! 
Yesterday it occurred to me that Pirates! would make one hell of an online universe for a mmorpg. Some odd random thoughts on how it would work. Each era would have a different server and players would have different roles depending on their career choices. A new player wanting to be a captain would start as a crewmember under someone more established and with their way up to a command position. Players wanting a more administrative role could work their way up to governor. Instead of clans, the game would have crews. Some could pirate while others hunted pirates or traded. I dunno, the details could be fleshed out easily.
Is there a map or something to help you sneak into/out of town?
I find the dancing hard too, I just skip thhose interaction sequences (why should my virtual lovelife be better than reality 
) But it is sweet playing it again, almost forgot how much fun it was since the C<64 days 
It just seems though that you can never finish all the quests it gives you in the lifespan you have 
Other than the fact that the Governor’s Mansion is always in the center of town (and has arrows pointing to it), it’s all random. It seems the only other building you can visit while sneaking about is the Tavern, which so far has always been on the side of town opposite from my starting point. I haven’t seen any other buildings to visit.
Swordfighting seems to be going well, I’m now a thrusting man instead of a clubber. Seems like most swordfights can be won by timing the thrusts for when the other guy is pulling back to slash or chop :wally even defeated the notorious blackbeard with it.
Wish there was a clothing store, I seem to be the scummy pirate, all these captains have fancy coats and tails and I just got my shirt and fancy-pants…then again I win most the fights so maybe I’m onto something
And anyone else feel an odd sense of deja-vu to the last 3D Monkey Island games? the whole sliding down the banister thing, the blackbeard-glowing embers in his beard = lechuck’s beard of fire, etc.
It’s not an action game- in order to do piratey stuff like sailing and swordfighting, you play mini-games that are like Tetris or tanagrams or Bejeweled. But it’s hellafun. Look up Johncorsair if you get online.
And, on dancing- yeah, once I was clued into the fact that it’s several sequences of steps strung together, dancing got way easy. I also choose Wit and Charm as my special ability because, well, I like to think that I have Wit and Charm as my real-life special ability.
Sadly that is not one of the resolved issues. And it is only slowing down while sneaking into town, and it is considerably slower (read crawling there is something wrong slow) than would be caused by the fact that you are “sneaking”.
Although I haven’t played the fourth Monkey Island game, I do know (it’s mentioned in the Pirate-o-Pedia in the Pirates! game) that Blackbeard, in real life, would use gunpowder to set his beard on fire to make him look spooky. I’m not exactly sure why, but I guess it’s best not to question a pirate.
I’m not sure that he set his actual beard on fire as much as he used slow burning matches or fuses stuck in his hair in various places on his head.
That’s what I meant. He’d put some of his hair in pigtails, then use gunpowder on those pieces. At least I think it was gunpowder.