Pirates!

[tfg]

(I hope this is the right forum for this topic)

Searching the web, I found nothing but the good old ESI versions of this Microprose smash-hit (I did not try the Polish one for I don't understand that language). There are two different ESI versions around, the 'flyers #1' version (as I call it) and a less buggy version.

Both have loads of bugs, but using Star Commander to swap some files between both versions I was able to replace some of the missing/wrong pictures (the sloop and maybe something else, too). There are still some bugs in it (the text-window frames look a bit mixed-up, for instance), but I don't think I'm able to correct them easily.

Seems like you guys running this incredible site are busy with updating, but if you are intrested in the improved version just let me know.

[Michael Plate]

Have you tried the version downloadable from our page and does it contain bugs too?

If yes, could you please describe how to reproduce them?

Thanks,
Michael

[tfg]

Yes, the GB-version is identical with the less buggy version. The remaining "bugs" do not really affect gameplay but just the ingame graphics (maybe bug is a bit too hard word for it):

If you meet another ship and investigate it, the pictures shown for barques, merchantmen, cargo fluytes and probably some others are wrong. A sloop is shown instead, oviously someone replaced the original "ship x.win" files with a picture of that (because they were corrupted, I guess).

I found a different ESI-crack (don't ask where, this was years ago) with severe game-spoiling bugs like land-battle freeze ups etc. but all original "ship x.win" -files and thus created a custom disk2 with the less buggy code+all the graphic files.

There's still a minor graphic glitch in the horizontal parts of the text-window frames. I believe to remember that they should look like a 90° rotated version of the vertical parts, but it seems the corresponding char is messed up.

[Illapse]

i would very much enjoy a 'debugged' copy of pirates! when you are done with it. I actually have the original game manual and map (the spanish main 1560-1700). I am in the process of scanning all of my original manuals and haven't gotten around to that one yet...can't figure out how i'm gonna scan that map... blah!

commie4life

[Flexman]

Would also be a candidate for a recrack since the ESI version did not solve the copy protection where you had to guess when the silver train arrives.

[ZZZ]

The answers are in a file on the disk IIRC....

[Unkle K]

A re-crack from a clean original would be awesome! I'm sure someone's already onto it

[steven28]

As far as I know there are verified 100% working D64 and G64 versions from "Banguibob", with bugfixes.

[.mad.]

just follow the links...

http://c64preservation.com/dp.php?pg=bangui6

http://c64preservation.com/RL6Handbook_v130/I_FILES.HTM