Tropico 2: Pirate Cove
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| Tropico 2: Pirate Cove | |
|---|---|
 Tropico 2: Pirate Cove box art | |
| Developer(s) | Frog City Software |
| Publisher(s) | Gathering of Developers/Take-Two Interactive (Windows), |
| Producer(s) | Chris Lacey |
| Designer(s) | Bill Spieth/Frog City Software |
| Composer(s) | Daniel Indart |
| Series | Tropico |
| Engine | S3D |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac OS X |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Construction and management simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Tropico 2: Pirate Cove is the 2003 sequel to the construction and management simulation video game, Tropico 2. It was developed by Frog City Software and published by Gathering of Developers for Windows and Mac OS X.
Gameplay
Though much of it is based on the original Tropico, the gameplay is very different. The player runs a pirate island and, as the Pirate King, must keep the pirates happy while stealing as much booty as possible.[1] Workers, called captives, are taken on raids, from shipwrecks off the player's island, or from nations with which an alliance has been established. The captives are responsible for production and construction on the island. They can take on most of the jobs available, including farmer, lumberjack, and blacksmith, and can even be promoted to a pirate. Skilled captives may perform more specialized jobs which unskilled captives cannot. Still, the main goal of the game, other than the objectives stated in a scenario, is to stay in power, much like the original Tropico.
To keep captives happy, certain needs will need to be fulfilled, such as food, rest, religion, fear, and order. Pirates, however, prefer anarchy and defense, along with grub, grog, wenches, and betting from various entertainment buildings as well as resting and stashing at personal homes. Anarchy measures the level of disorder in an area. Captives are prevented from escaping through the fear mechanic, which is maintained by special structures. Escaped workers may report to other monarchs and cause uprisings. Pirate ships may be built at boatyards or shipyards, and are used to plunder other islands or board enemy ships to steal gold with which you can build a greater pirate base and occasionally wealthy captives, who do not work but have a ransom that increases as they use entertainment buildings. There are also several challenging scenarios in which the goal is to survive in harsh environments, from angry pirates to escaping captives.
The game offers fewer choices for development compared to its predecessor. In Tropico, the economy could be focused on industry, tourism, military despotism, commodities, or a combination of all four. In Pirate Cove, the player is more limited in scope and path, and will end up building many of the same buildings every time with few additions, which means Pirate Cove does not have the emphasis on spreadsheets and statistics that its predecessor did.
Tropico 2 is the first game to have a campaign in the series, in which each scenario has a goal to be accomplished within the time limit. Goals can range from constructing certain structures, having enough money in the treasury or personal stash, ensuring overall pirate happiness is above a certain point, achieving harmonious relations with a faction, and having a certain number of ships on the island. The campaign follows a pirate king whose traits change as the campaign goes on. It is generally recommended for players to play the first few missions of the campaign before playing harder predefined scenarios.
Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Game Informer | 8 out of 10[3] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 62%[2] |
| PC Format | 78%[5] |
| Computer Games Magazine |   [6] |
IGN gave the game a score of 8.4 out of 10, praising its gameplay and interface.[1]
According to former members of Frog City Software at Sidecar Studios, Tropico 2 sold over 300,000 copies and was commercially successful.[7]
References
- ^ a b Brenesal, Barry (2003-04-21). "Tropico 2: Pirate's Cove Review". IGN. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
- ^ Poole, Stephen. "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove". PC Gamer US. Archived from the original on October 18, 2006.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Brogger, Kristian; Reiner, Andrew. "A Buccaneer Brouhaha". Game Informer. Archived from the original on February 28, 2005.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Luo, Di (July 1, 2003). "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove". Computer Gaming World. Archived from the original on June 29, 2004.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Avery, Matt (June 2003). "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove". PC Format (149). Archived from the original on August 6, 2003.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Cross, Jason (July 2003). "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove". Computer Games Magazine (152): 74, 75.
- ^ "About Us". Sidecar Studios. Archived from the original on March 20, 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)