Patrician/Port Royale

I could have sworn there was a Port Royale thread here, but having delved into the dusty shelves of AE's past, i have been unable to find it (they must have been on a previous incarnation of AE, damn, was it that long ago?).

The two games are very similar, one is based in the Caribbean (Port Royale), and the other in the Baltic/N. Sea region (Patrician III). The former set in the late 1500s-1600s, the latter during the rise of the Hanse - 1300s.
Both games have similar gameplay dynamics, except i feel the city building and career element in Patrician is superior, but on the other hand, the diversity of ships and the battles and trading element is better in Port Royale (though ship diversity in Patrician is actualy greater than first appears, its somewhat insipid), as well as some of the storylines.

Anyways, i've been playing Patrician III, and this has prompted me to re-install Port Royale. I recall there were some fans of the game here (cattus?), did anyone ever try Port Royale II? Anyone play Patrian II/III?


Edited by Cywr

Its a steep learning curve, but it all depends on successfully setting up your own production lines, whilst not expanding too quickly.
Piracy early on will give you easy cash injections as well as additional ships, and selling furs in the Med and Irongoods in America are great cashcows. Still, the real challenge lies in growing your hometown (and the town you will eventialy establish) in to large settlemnts with populations in the 10s of thousands.

Hmm, i find that captured ships don't sell that well, though i guess if you captured alot of them you could make good money, but is it worth it considering you can set up automatic trade routs that can pull in a 100k every 2 weeks whilst you effectivly do nothing?

I'm tempted to give Port Royale II ago anyways, despite the bad reviews, i shall hunt down the demo as soon as i can.

I really like this genre, i'd really love for a Patrician IV that drasticly improves the city building element, and perhaps throws in a bit of ship diversity (techicly there are i think 3 tech levels for each of the 4 ships, so whilst there is diversity on a technical level, it still feels like just 4 ships), maybe even more goods or something. And a Port Royale III that leans towards Patrician somewhat, with you earning the title of governer in a town (as well as having your own) or something, and again improved city building element and such.

They should also make this sort of game for other areas and eras, say teh Mediterranean or the Indian Ocean.

*fantasises*

Need any tips, or an automatic trade route to get you started, just ask.
Note that, whilst ships can sail without a captain, inoder to start an automatic trade route, or commit piracy, you will need a captain (idealy you'll want one to hunt pirates as well, for the navigation bonus will give you much needed extra speed).

I keep coming up against some sort of memory brick wall, despite having twice the recomended RAM.
The game just plain quits itself then.
Meh, back to Patrician.