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[[ImageFile:Pirates-front.jpg|thumb|Cover of ''Pirates!'']]

Released '''''Pirates!''''' is a game by [[Sid Meier]], originally for the C64 and released for the CPC by [[Microprose]] in 19881987.

This game was one of the best of its generation, with a depth and replay value far beyond so many other productions. You are basically a pirate/privateer/trader in the Caribbean and the goal of the game is to retire rich, influential, and married. There are also abducted relatives of yours you are supposed to track down. The length of the game is primarily determined by the character's health, e.g. if you get wounded in battle too often, you will not be able to sustain a very long career.

It was ported on most 80's standards : [[Commodore 64|C64]] (looks quite a lot like Gameplay consists of setting out to sea, plundering towns and looting ships, also trading, finding the Amstrad CPC version)occasional hidden treasure, [[Atari|Atari ST]]etc. Every few years, [[Amiga]]you divide up the plunder (kill off some of your own men before that in battle, [[PC]] this will increase their happiness and moreshare of the loot), then start another expedition. The length of each expedition depends on the morale of the crew (so frequently check morale by pressing fire or space, then select "party status"). At some point they will mutiny if you go on too long without dividing up the plunder.

Some new updated versions Unlike other famous Sid Meier games like ''Railroad Tycoon'' and ''Civilization'' which were made too : "strongly influenced by—or one might even say ripped off—existing board games designed by Francis Tresham (''1829''/''1830'' and ''Civilization'', respectively, both published by Avalon Hill in the US), ''Pirates! '' was a relatively novel concept for its time. (While there is another board game by Tresham called ''Spanish Main'', it has little resemblance to ''Pirates!''.) Notable earlier computer games that feature some elements seen in ''Pirates!'' and could have served as partial inspirations include ''[[Westward Ho!|Oregon Trail]]'' (1971), ''Taipan!'' (1982; ported to the CPC by Ocean as ''[[Tai-Pan]]'' in 1986), ''Broadsides'' (1983), ''The Seven Cities of Gold" '' (with VGA colours on PC1984) , and a modern PC "Sid Meier's '[[The Wild Bunch]]'' (1985, CPC-only). ''The Seven Cities of Gold'' in particular is an influence on ''Pirates!" 3D version '' Meier himself has acknowledged in 2004interviews.

It is notable for being one Perhaps the main problem of ''Pirates!'' was that its arcade sequences were a mixed bag: Battles at sea (both ship-to-ship and the captains dueling) were fun, but land battles were rather boring. Also, with land battles, the outcome seemed to be largely predetermined by the numbers on each side, so the exhilarating against-the-odds quality of sea battles—defeating a large, heavily armed galleon with a fast sloop and a much smaller crew—was largely absent with land battles. I.e., if you are outgunned and outnumbered in a land battle you will probably lose. The 2004 (tooand later) rare 6128 specific game: only disk version versions did not really solve this problem with land battles at all and 128Ko Ram were supportedin fact even added more boring arcade sequences like dancing and sneaking into/out of town.

In theoryStill, 464 (+ disk drive) and 664 despite of its flaws, ''Pirates!'' with Extra Ram upgrade should work. (maybe its groundbreaking, highly polished mix of action-adventure, RPG, and simulation is considered a major gaming classic and the CPC version does not ?disappoint either, at least in terms of playability (graphics are another matter).

Games sequencesThe game was ported to most 1980's 8-bit/16-bit machines: [[Commodore 64|C64]] (looks quite a lot like the Amstrad CPC version), possibilities [[Atari|Atari ST]], [[Amiga]], [[PC]] and mechanics were variedmore.

Some new updated versions were made too: "Pirates! Gold" (with VGA colours on PC) and a modern PC "Sid Meier's Pirates!" 3D version in 2004. ''Pirates!'' includes a lot of Graphics (Mode 0) and music. The game is notable for being one of the (too) rare 6128 specific game: only disk version and 128KB RAM were supported. Even with a RAM expansion and a disc drive the game would not run on a 464. This is likely due to differences in the firmware between a 6128 and 464. It has been [https://youtu.be/63pZSCkTtyk confirmed] that upgrading the firmware in a 464 to that of a 6128 (replacing the ROM) will allow the game to run. This port of ''Pirates!'' is also notable for its underlying structure being written in Locomotive BASIC, augmented with machine code routines for graphics, audio, and the arcade portions of the game. Presumably this is largely the same BASIC code as in the C64 version, although on the C64 it is apparently much harder to access than on the CPC (where the files are not hidden in the catalog and only protected by the standard ",p" BASIC protected mode). Despite it's ultimate awesomeness, the Amstrad CPC port was a bit slow and Graphics graphics could have been a bit better.They were somewhat obvious as a C64 port in that respect.. As they were probably ported from a result, most graphics, while not bad, didn't make the best use of the specific CPC palette and most graphics look like having the C64 versioncolour attribute—no more than 4 colours per characters and some bad ink choices.

 *[http://www.c64-wiki.decom/index.php/Pirates! ''Pirates! '' on the C64-Wiki] (in German)