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Yes, I think enter is used as the joystick button and if you're holding it while moving you make the strong attack (otherwise it's the weak attack). The long attacks take longer then the short ones, but they are more effective.

You can look at the manual for Pirates Gold (it's also on this site) - the fighting system is the same.

[Ramidel]

Originally posted by Authorman@Jan 11 2006, 08:49 AM
I was just wondering, is there some sort of trick to the sword battles? I checked a FAQ for the game (the only one I could find was for the NES version) and it had the left right to move back and forth and the up down to raise/lower the sword. It also had weak attack and strong attack buttons. Are also attack buttons for the PC version? Please help, I'm losing at least 80% of them on the lowest difficulty.

My normal strategy, which reliably wins at Journeyman difficulty and wins even matches at Adventurer, is to grab a cutlass and slash away. Degenerate but effective.

Originally posted by Ramidel @ Jan 11 2006, 11:11 AM

My normal strategy, which reliably wins at Journeyman difficulty and wins even matches at Adventurer, is to grab a cutlass and slash away. Degenerate but effective.

Yup - that's the greatest game in the series!!!

As for the swordplay. It's very simple indeed - just like in Prince of Persia (remember that one), simply wait for your opponent's attack, parry, then strike back! Works every time at any level of difficulty.

I never managed to become Royal Advisor, though. Wonder what it takes to achieve this status.

[Sebatianos]

Oh yes, I should probably mention that the RAPIR is the weakest of all weapons. I usually use the longsword (but you need some skill for that), but the cutless is the easiest to use.

Originally posted by Sebatianos@Jan 11 2006, 11:27 AM
Oh yes, I should probably mention that the RAPIR is the weakest of all weapons. I usually use the longsword (but you need some skill for that), but the cutless is the easiest to use.

Uh.... Rapier actually has the longest strike-distance.... I actually prefer it!

Ah a truly great classic. I must agree that a raiper is the fastest and the longest reaching weapon. Just slash hard and low and at his kneecap and you will not get hit...(well most of the time). Beside if you get into a slashing match with a sabre at close quarters, you will see your health go from fine, good, fair and poor really fast. Stay healthy and poke them at the kneecap from
a-far, to enjoy the game a lot longer. :bleh:

[mahahelel]

I have been playing games for around 18 years now and this game and civ 2 have monopolized most of my time. There is without a doubt one of the greatest games ever made.

Finally, I found it!
I played this game when I was around the age of 5 on the NES (the German version, so I always had to harass my dad to translate everything ). I absolutely loved it, but I just couldn't remember it's name.
Now, looking at the screenshots on Abandonia, I recognized it.
Great fun, this game!

[Authorman]

Thanks! The stab 'em in the knees plan is working beautifully!

[Ramidel]

Originally posted by Mongi @ Jan 11 2006, 11:30 AM

Uh.... Rapier actually has the longest strike-distance.... I actually prefer it!

The rapier has the longest distance, yes, but as mentioned above it's the weakest. And you want to knock your opponent down and out -quickly- in a fight, particularly if you play like I do and pit pinnaces against pirate-hunter galleons (don't laugh, pinnaces are my fave ship for most everything except hauling cargo). If you fight with a rapier, you get knocked down to the last man too quickly, and then one hit finishes you. The rapier is a joke in my mind for this reason.

Okay, I take that back. There's one use for a rapier, and that's if you have the enemy significantly outnumbered and are reducing an oversized crew before dividing plunder. Then, get the momentum, play defensive with the rapier, and degenerate your foe to one man. (Beware! The rapier cannot quickly recapture lost morale, so any damage you take when using a rapier is harder to reclaim.)

I normally use the cutlass because of the speed of battle, which translates to fewer losses. Slash, slash, slash, and any opponent that isn't the creme de la creme is on the run.

Now, if I guess that the opponent is a very strong one but I'm not grossly outnumbered, I'll use the longsword. Reason being, my opponent might use the cutlass. The paper-rock-scissors, in theory, is Rapier>Longsword>Cutlass>Rapier. -But-, the AI is worse than the player, so the most dangerous threat to the player is a cutlass-to-cutlass high-speed duel which the player could lose to a single early miscalculation and a failure to disengage. Longsword, however, can control the cutlass and bring down the opponent given enough time, and if you're not grossly outnumbered you have that time. If you face a rapier or longsword, pretend you're using a weaker cutlass.

Meanwhile, if you're badly outnumbered and facing a strong opponent...no, you're not stupid, but you're taking a gamble. Congratulations, you've gotten into the spirit of Pirates! In this case, back to the cutlass. If he takes a cutlass, you fight a speed-cutlass duel, you take your chances, and you seize that galleon with few losses...or you get your behind handed to you in a light wine sauce. If he's using a rapier, you've won already, if he's using a longsword, you've probably won.

(This strategy is alluded to in the Memoirs of Cap'n Sydney, but the reasoning behind it isn't explicitly mentioned like it is here.)

As to the comment on health dropping: No, you do not get wounds just by taking hits, you take wounds by losing battles or getting sunk.