New Scenario - Shipwrecked

[TJ]

This scenario is my big one. I started it last April and only completed it in January. Most scripts for scenarios are a few hundred lines, but the scripts for this scenario are over 8000 lines long.

Plot synopsis:
You have been shipwrecked along with two of your crew and a large number of captives. You have almost no money, no ship and an almost empty island. What happens next? That is up to you!

Some of the major features are:

- Shipwrecked is designed to be highly story driven.

- There are multiple goals to accomplish in order for the story to continue.

-  There are numerous events that let you make the choices throughout most of the game.

- You are presented with the choice of several modified ship designs for more power, more speed or longer range.

- Metals are determined by an original scoring system where you score points based on your acomplishments.

I hope everyone enjoys this scenario.

[Hayreddin Barbarossa]

 
Because of my now four year old hard disk (13.9 G), I had to remove several of my favourite games including T2 in order to open up space for MTW + Viking Invasion.

As soon as I reinstall the game, I'll be playing your and others' scenarios and offer feedback wherever appropriate.

Thanks for your productivity.
 

[darkentrees]

  This scenario absolutely rocks!  I loaded it up mainly to use for all the rich examples of scripting code and storyline, and now I'm finding I've been so drawn into the whole dadgumed thing that my own scenario work has gone to the back burner!  

The story has me on the edge of my seat, so I can't bring myself to spoil it by looking at the code, and the custom ship designs bring a whole new level of replayability to the game.  All I want to do now is sit back and play like some kid with his new Nintendo he got for Christmas!

Thanks TJ!  Productivity killer!!!  

[TJ]

Thank you. It was a long time in the making.

[Coffeebean]

Well with the review Darkentrees has given this scenario I'm swopping back from T1 to T2 and will be giving it a play.

[darkentrees]

Report from TJ's Shipwreck

Having these wealthy captives from the get-go is a mixed blessing, but they do provide for a certain level of amusement...

[darkentrees]

...

[Coffeebean]

Darkentrees you're right - "Shipwrecked" rocks!

Thanks TJ - I'm really enjoying playing this.

[darkentrees]

You got it Coffeebean - it's definitely a trip!  I'm also however finding it has'nt killed my own scenario work at all, but inspired me back to chipping away at it so I can give some pirating adventures of my own back to you guys.
It's about 600 lines right now, which is definitely giving me an appreciation for this one which is at least three times that.  It may take a bit, but I'm also trying to weave in a good story - I used to be a sandbox only player, but now I'm seeing how much life the storyline brings to the whole experience, you can almost transform the game - I'm messing with the role of captives, and trying out a slightly different spin on things there, so hopefully it will turn out to be a good one too.  

[darkentrees]

Three ships and three years later, things are looking good!  

[Coffeebean]

Great screen shot.
I always find it funny that Pirates drink beer and eat fruit - I dread to think what state their heads are in!

[Sea Scourge]

I went with the high speed galleon and was disappointed in the results. Maybe it was the captain or crew I had but it sure wasn't the invincible killing machine I thought it would be. Anybody else try the modified designs?

[Coffeebean]

Yep, I went with the Interceptor Brig x 3, the Speedy Frigate x2 and the longer range Galleon x1. I found that I seemed to be losing less ships when I sent them out in fleets.
I'm nearing the end of this scenario now - it's taking me ages! I've done more cruising on this one than ever before, but getting the gold medal is hard work. I'm on 570 points and it's 1714. As you can see from the screen shot a lot of my pirates are at the top of the promotion ladder and are getting quite difficult to keep pleased. I have found though that judicial use of parties, free beer and rum and better gambling odds soon greens up their pleasure meters.

[Severous]

Oh I like pictures.

From someone who hasnt played any scenario or any proper full length game:

- Ratio of housing to entertainment looks high.  But then i provide loads of entertainment but no houses

- I see few walkers on your roads. ?

I think fleet must help ...it must do..mustn't it ?  

[Sea Scourge]

Part of the storyline for the Shipwrecked scenario is that you must provide housing for his pirates before one of the captains will join you. After he did I razed the housing to make room for new entertainment structures. Pirates are notoriously untrustworthy

[Coffeebean]

I think the walkers are too small to see well at that resolution and the ships had been in for awhile so the majority of the pirates were happily enjoying themselves in doors.
I can't believe both of you not providing your pirates with housing!
I do wish though that you could house crew in shared accommodation or that the houses were only 2x2 rather than 3x3. It certainly takes a lot of space to house them.
I'm certain fleets help - it says so in the manual!

[Sea Scourge]

I'm certain fleets help - it says so in the manual!

Your faith is touching. I hope Santa brings you lots of cool presents

[Coffeebean]

Your faith is touching.

Arf!

I hope Santa brings you lots of cool presents

Oh, he always does!
[size=0](He knows - happy 'Bean - happy home)[/size]

[Coffeebean]

Yay! Got a gold medal April 1715.
Great scenario - thoroughly enjoyable.
I made a huge error at one point - don't know what I was thinking!
I was making far more cutlasses, muskets and cannons than I needed so (being a complete idiot) I decided I could make money by using a Pirate Cove. Didn't think that through did I. Having been cruising for years all nationalities were very angry with me. On opening my Pirate Cove to Spain I soon realised the error of my ways. After being invaded and thrashed I had to revert to a save prior to building the Cove.

[Sea Scourge]

Wow, I'm impressed. I only got a grungy old bronze medal so I've started a new try to see if I can do better. Last time I got England as a patron because the English can't go to church and releasing English captives got me lots of brownie points. Probably cost me a lot of gold in the long run since I couldn't attack their ships. I did open a pirates cove but 6 ship loads of pirates gobbled up just about everything I could produce and the cove was pretty much a bust. This time I'm converting my English captives to pirates. The brave ones with leadership anyhow.

[Coffeebean]

The points system is well worth studying for this scenario. You get a one time only 10 points for aquiring a Patron but you get 1 point for every 1000 in your hoard.
Interestingly you only get 1 point for every 3000 in your treasury so I reckon you want your pirates to spend, spend, spend on entertainment and home improvements even if that means donating gold to them! I may be wrong about this. I'm not sure what the conversion rate is, as you lose what they hoard. Though I certainly did this it in my game.
If you got a Patron (10 points) and raised the jolly roger (15 points) and survived an invasion (50) points, that would give you (a not to be sniffed) at 65 points, but I've never survived an invasion.

[Sea Scourge]

Hi Bean,
Do you remember what type frigate you chose to build? I chose the extra speed option and my 2 frigates are doing a really rotten job. They keep losing a bunch of crew and returning home long before my interceptor brigs. These are crews I've spent a lot of time and money educating, too. It really makes it hard to keep the ship averages up when I'm losing crew faster than I can train them. This happens even when I use the Harass option which is supposed to be safest. It could be the fault of the captains but I've issued them all hats and parrots and trained them to level 5 in sea and nav so there's nothing more I know to do there. I think you're probably right about not training them in the fighting skills as there are only enough weapons abord for the crew. What happens if a crewman is killed though? Will the captain pick up a cutlass and fight?
I'm at the point where I have to make some important decisions. France and Spain are getting real upset while England is still neutral about me for some reason. Do I go for a patron, just hope nobody finds me, or build forts and raise the Jolly Roger? Decisions, decisions. Also it's time to build my last ship. As I recall a frigate is worth 12 points more than a brig in the scoring system but do I want the hassle of more crew and (so far) inferior performance? I've passed the bronze medal requirement but I'm a couple of hundred short of the gold and time's awasting. Any tips on deciding what areas to raid? The home area has been safest so far but I'm afraid if I overdo it someone will find my island. That could be just fear and superstition though.

[Coffeebean]

Hi Bean,
Do you remember what type frigate you chose to build?

I built the extra speed option frigates as well. I had 3 interceptor Brigs, 2 frigates and 1 galleon. I can't really remember the frigates performing particularly badly, but my cruises were always a lot better when I sent out fleets of 3 ships.

This happens even when I use the Harass option which is supposed to be safest.

I very rarely used/use the Harass option.

I think you're probably right about not training them in the fighting skills as there are only enough weapons abord for the crew. What happens if a crewman is killed though? Will the captain pick up a cutlass and fight?

Ha! I hope so, can't be doing with cowardly Captains. Actually though I bet the Captains fighting skills do contribute to the ships average so I get them up to at least 3 if not 4.

I'm at the point where I have to make some important decisions. France and Spain are getting real upset while England is still neutral about me for some reason.

All the nations were at "hostile" with me at the end.

I've passed the bronze medal requirement but I'm a couple of hundred short of the gold and time's awasting.

What year are you in? - I commissioned my 6th ship in Feb 1707.

Any tips on deciding what areas to raid?

I raided all areas and then reraided the richest ones again and again. If you send out a 3 ship fleet on a cruise to a blind area you know it "like the back of your hand" by the time your ships return and you get booty too. At least that's what I did. The good areas could well be different in my game to your game - wouldn't it be a random thing?
Going for forts and raising the jolly roger sounds the most exciting option!
Don't you have to have peace policies or a patron or letter of marque to be able to taise the jolly roger though?

[Sea Scourge]

What year are you in? - I commissioned my 6th ship in Feb 1707.

Oops. I'm at the beginning of 1709 and just starting my last ship. I was going to build another brig but I guess I'll go with a third frigate. It's worth another 10 points even if it never sails. One of my big problems has been keeping enough pirates alive to man the ships I have. Gonna have to pick up a lot of scum on my next cruises to crew a frigate.

Don't you have to have peace policies or a patron or letter of marque to be able to taise the jolly roger though?

Nope. All it takes is a fort. I've stood off an invasion before with 4 forts so that's what I'm going to shoot for. 50 points for repelling an invasion seems easier than hoarding $50000 or plundering 50 warships. That plus the 15 points for raising the Jolly Roger should get me close. I was going to provide pirate housing this time but the hassle doesn't seem to be worth the points. I don't mind the stashing pulling money out of the game but the buggers go broke stashing and having to keep track of unhappy broke pirates gets to be a royal pain. I think I'll just provide housing for captains and maybe officers.
As to the question of where to raid I was just reading the point info again and see you get 5 points for each settlement and trade route discovered so it's dumb to be raiding zones the spies have already told me about. Duh. I should be raiding unknown areas. Uh oh, I think I just broke a leg trying to kick self in butt

[Coffeebean]

Good luck with repelling the invasion.