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So what can I expect to find in the world of Buccaneer?
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PIRATES AND CUT-THROATS
Your pirate brethren are not necessarily your
friends. Pirates are dotted throughout all maps
in the game and depending on your mission
objective may be friend or foe.
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The maps in Buccaneer contain a colourful and ever changing
world, full of weird and wonderful characters.
Many of these characters play a part in the game,
either directly or indirectly and most can be seen on each map.
Each character and individual dotted throughout the world will either belong
to one of the two main factions (Pirates or Crown), or be a simple bystander.
Not that bystanders can't be attacked and plundered by someone wishing
to gain an infamous name for themself of course.
There are also numerous small settlements scattered about the maps,
some of which can be visited for ship repairs. Others are better given a
wide berth, as they will fire upon any pirate ships that come into range
of their defensive guns. The Governor's "Hacienda" is a perfect example
of this latter type of building.
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How do I gain Infamy?
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There are many ways of gaining Infamy in Buccaneer, but as a
general rule if something feels "wrong", then it's probably going to generate Infamy.
The exact amount of points generated by an act will depend on the severity of the action
and how likely it is that other pirate captains will be impressed by it. For example - finding
a barrel of grog floating around at sea might generate a small amount of Infamy if
picked up by your boat. Why? For starters it doesn't belong to you, but your crew will
appreciate the gesture and their voice also counts towards your overall score.
In contrast, sinking a ship will generate a larger score
and the more important and difficult a ship is, the higher the value of the "kill".
Obviously to challenge other players for a place in the Hall of Infamy you will need to
take increasingly dangerous risks and put your ship in harms way - but has anybody ever
heard of the pirate... "Captain Henry the Cautious and Slightly Timid"?
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Who is the enemy?
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RED COATED MARINES
Normally seen near docks and settlements loyal
to the Governor or the Crown, always armed with
cannons and enjoy taking pot-shots at unwary
pirate ships that get too close.
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Technically everyone is a potential enemy. The Freebooters are an independent pirate
faction whose interests lie in plundering salvage from the sea lanes. Their ships are fast, though
not particularly well armed, but they will defend themselves if attacked.
Buccaneers and Corsairs are other human players (if on a multiplayer map)
and are probably the most dangerous opponents as their actions are rarely predictable. They are
also your sole competition for Infamy, as the Freebooters are not concerned with such matters
and are only interested in loot.
Last, but by no means least, are the forces of the Crown. With the deadliest ships in
the game and numerous armed outposts dotted across the maps, the Crown poses the single
biggest threat to any pirate player and should be treated with caution and respect.
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How do I play the game?
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In Buccaneer the "characters" you control are ships. There are several
Ship Classes in Buccaneer available to the player and
each has its own strength and weakness depending your style of play.
As player you will be free to roam about and choose your own path - whether that be
aggressively attacking ships and settlements or more passively looking for targets
of opportunity to "scoop up" with your ship.
There is more detail on your ship's controls in the Tutorial section of this website,
that will cover moving your ship, firing its guns and controlling the camera. But it is recommended
that you practise in single player mode before pitting yourself against other players online.
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And how do I win the game?
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On a single player map your aim will be to set as high a score as possible against the
clock without the interference of other players. These scores will be stored online in the
Hall of Infamy, where you can check your progress against other pirate captains.
Scores are only recorded as you complete a single player campaign and represent your
overall effectiveness and efficiency at completing a series of tasks across a number of maps
(so skilled captains will score higher than lucky ones).
In a multiplayer game you are competing directly against other players on the same map
to attain the highest score before the time runs out. The latter is effectively a "Deathmatch"
where players compete for Infamy points rather than kills - although obviously there
are many points to be had via sinking other ships.
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