The Gentlemen of Fortune legacy continues with GOF ERAS mod2 with a new version just released on 10 November 2015
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As she came round the shoals and changed course, the wind comin down from the cliffs suddenly took hold and I looked up to see my sails filled with wind. The nimble little corvette swayed over to larboard and shuddered a little as she picked up speed with her rigging tightening and the familiar creaking of ropes and timber becoming louder and more frequent. The stout little ship also began to pitch and yaw slightly more as the waves around her became larger and the foamy wake broke over her foc'sle as she cut through the larger waves like a knife through butter.
Now that I could see around the cliffs of the northern coastline I could see fowl weather on the horizon. Checking my course and chart there was no avoiding it....but even more ominous I spied a sail off my larboard bow. I was on a beam reach and the little shred of sail I spied was obviously beating upwind - in my direction. I wondered why, unless they wanted to have a closer look at the new sail that had come around the coastline - namely: ME.
I broke out my spyglass to get a look at her. My blood ran cold! Clearly visible in me glass was the black flag flyin from her mainmast. She clearly outmanned and outgunned me. There was no making a fight of it, cause the outcome was obvious.
I had a full hold of nutmeg and mahogany on board that I knew would fetch a good price in Fort de France, but that was almost two days sail on this course. The Buccaneers would pick a ripe plum if they could get me, but I still had a couple advantages. My little Ariadne had 18 pounder culverines. I'd put money that my new long guns could outrange whatever their 50 year old oak had mounted. Even with my cargo, I knew normally I would be able to outrun her.
Should I throw some cargo overboard?- to lighten her in the rough weather and put more distance between me and these foul "Gentlemen of Fortune"? Or - should I change course crossing her bows and attempt to stay just out of range as my gunners go for her rigging. I would be ruined if I lost any of this cargo overboard but my life and my crew were in even greater jeopardy if we had to fight.
As darkness began to fall, I crossed her bow and she changed course to follow me. As she turned she let loose an undisciplined half volley of popcorn that clearly fell short by several ships lengths. These swabs clearly didn't know their business that well and I'd almost bet by lookin at her trimming that she was a mutiny ship with the crew turning pirate and no living officers aboard.
I ran out four guns aft and began peppering her riggins. After a short time my gunnery told well. Gaping holes filed her large square main and I'd also managed to bring a topsail spar down on their decks. She was clearly limping and now that I could see I'd so easily wounded her, I thought I might even the odds even more. Dutchman that I am, the sweet scent of profit drove me to risk. Whatever she was carrying the ship would fetch a fine price in Fort de France.
I reduced Ariadne to half sail and turned my starboard broadside on my opponent. We let loose with solid shot and my gunners did me proud as I watched the splinters rise from her gunwales through me glass. We'd fired hotshot and I could see a fire on deck although I didn't know what was feedin it.
Still whatever daft imbecile was givin the orders over there, the British built Indiaman continued to cruise straight at me. We loaded grapeshot. With the second volley o grape, I could hear the cry of dead and dying sailors go up all together in an audible moan as if they was singin in church.
I brought the Ariadne around and hove to in the chop as the now seemingly derelict Merchantman came easing up to my gunwales. From the name plate on her beakhead, Black Bull came visible amidships. My men loosed the grapples and we were quickly over her gunwales. There was only minimal resistance from her heavily wounded crew as I made my way to her aft cabins. With my wheellock and cutlass at the ready I kicked in the large fine doors into the Captains cabin and came face to face with a gnarled vision of a villain straight from a nightmare.
His face was scarred from both blade and fire. His left eye was naught but a white marble and he was missin half his left arm. He smiled at me with a mouth full of blackened, broken and missing teeth. Although he looked old, as if he'd seen a thousand battles, he was not feeble. He had at least half a foot on me in height, and looked as muscled and swarthy as a bull.
He swung at me with a large British Officers saber twice the size of me own blade. His strength was oppressive as my weak parry barely kept the tip of his sword from cleaving through me face. I stepped back and discharged my wheellock. The ball went in just below the left chest and I could see the blood stain growing on his white shirt. He was a dead man, but would I join him?
He fought as a man possessed and I desperately fought for my life. I could see stacks of chests in the cabin and gold bars layin loose around me. I would be as rich as a king if I could best him. But alas, just as it looked as if I were going to prevail, I failed to effectively block him and he cut me plum in two. I fell bloody to the ground, dead as a doornail..........
Man it's a good thing I saved right before that fight. Phew!
Next time around though - I got him, his ship and it's valuable cargo set me up to buy an even larger, better ship that could fight and maneuver far better, hold a much larger crew and cargo.
Yes that's right, this is no novel, it's a PC video game. Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships is one of the best Age of Sail simulations and Pirate video games you will find anywhere. With the Combined Mod CMV3.1.5 added, and CMV 3.2 coming soon, from the Pirates Ahoy community, all the old vanilla bugs are fixed and there are more than 120 ships in game for you to fight, buy or take.
Many of these finely detailed ships are meticulously researched, historically accurate 3D works of art made by our own extremely talented modelers. We also have other fine models ported in from other video games like Pirates of the Caribbean. There are also more items to find and use than ever before with dozens of different weapons to wield. Pistols, axes, small swords and rapiers, cutlasses, sabers and special one of a kind swords with unique attributes are there for you to choose, find and develop skill with.
There are also dozens of new RPG characters for you to play with. Among this august company of ladies, gentlemen, and buccaneers are many of your favorite characters from history and fiction. Play as Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Jack Aubrey(Master and Commander) or Horatio Hornblower...to name just a few. Or choose Captain Barbossa, tentacley Davey Jones and many others as Captains that work for you as you hand select a crew of professional Heros or foul Assassins and cut throat thieves. Your crew's loyalties will shift depending on who you've chosen and the choices you make/actions you take. Are you a good Pirate or a bad Pirate?
Each nationality, English, Dutch, French, and Spanish all have unique characters, ships, and Governor's quest missions. Join Henry Morgan and raid Panama or become a Pirate Lord of your own account and sack Cartagena with a formidable Pirate fleet of ships you've collected from all over the Spanish Main. Work as an Adventurer, Corsair, Merchant, or Privateer. Gain experience and earn a good reputation, trading for profit. Or, become a blood thirsty killer capturing and sinking ships as you please - running up a price on your head so high that Bounty Hunters will be more than willing to chase you anywhere to bring back your corpse dead or alive.
The entire Spanish Main awaits as your playground from Florida and the Gulf coast, the Southern Bahamas (Turks), Cuba, Haiti(Hispaniola), Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Antilles down to Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the Mexican and Central American coastlines dotted with port cities and pirate havens all the way down to the Brazilian coastline.
Explore ruined Aztec cities and Pyramids. Find mysterious keys to unlock the final mystery that is the quest for the City of Abandoned Ships. Follow treasure maps, explore caves, mines, grottos and dungeons - and unleash their hellish skeletal denizens as you fight for your life to claim untold riches guarded by their undead owners. Gamble your new found riches away playing with authentic contemporary 17th century cards or dice in taverns or with Governors. Or - if yer lookin for some extra attention, fritter it away on wenches and "fine ladies" in taverns or brothels.
There are numerous difficulty settings to challenge you, allowing you to play with ease or making for an almost impossible challenge to overcome. Our newest mods compiled by our very own extremely capable Mod team, has options to change the game play ship handling and gunnery from "vanilla" settings making for quick battles settled only with a few broadsides, OR change to very realistic play where wind and speed, reloading times, range, and damage results are almost true to life. Playing in this setting can make battles last for hours and with so many historic sailing ships available, this mod brings us to almost the virtual simulation level. Our modders have done a great job bringing this environment to you. They mod so that the game play is better and speaking from experience as an addict of this game, I've been playing a year now and am not bored a bit.
So Matey, if'n you want to immerse yourself in the world of 17th Century Pirates and Privateers, simply get yourself a copy of Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships here:
Or here:
And then come join us at Buccaneer's Reef: www.buccaneersreef.com
Download the latest Combined Mod here: Forum.piratesahoy.net
Check us out on ModDB: Moddb.com...s
and make sure to Download our latest mods opening up the exciting world of 17th century piracy to you. With hundreds of hours of gameplay possible you should take a look at this sampling of screenshots from this AWESOME Piratey world. YARRRR Matey!!!!!!Modernknight1 (a.k.a. Aaron Shields) <!--IBF.ATTACHMENT_64-->
Omg "Man it's a good thing I saved right before that fight. Phew!". I could not stop laughing, i was sure it was a novel xD
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is the only place you can get the newest and most comprehensive GOF mod - GOF ERAS2