''Age of Sail II'' (russian: italic=yes, Век Парусников II) is a 2001

computer wargame A computer wargame is a wargame played on a digital device. Descended from board wargaming, it simulates military conflict at the tactical, operational or strategic level. Computer wargames are both sold commercially for recreational use an ...

developed by

Akella Akella (russian: Акелла) was a Russian software company specializing in the development, publishing and distribution of video games and multimedia products. The founders of Akella met in 1993 and decided to start a company together, and ...

. It is the sequel to ''

Age of Sail The Age of Sail is a period that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid- 15th) to the mid- 19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the introduction of naval ...

''. It has similar historically accurate game play, and is enhanced with

3D graphics 3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for the ...

and a free-floating camera. Unlike the original ''Age of Sail'', the sequel's maps are embellished with strategic landmasses. ''Age of Sail'' II accurately portrays the fighting ships used from 1775 to 1820, and has a realistic combat engine. The game features a campaign which includes a full career ladder, or play one of the 100+ historical scenarios. The game also includes a map editor allowing players to create custom scenarios. A stand-alone expansion, titled ''Age of Sail II: Privateer's Bounty'', was released in 2002.

Gameplay

The gameplay of ''Age of Sail II'' features a

minimap A mini-map or minimap is a miniature map that is often placed at a screen corner in video games to aid players in orienting themselves within the game world. They are often only a small portion of the screen and must be selective in what details ...

helm Helm may refer to: Common meanings * a ship's steering mechanism; see tiller and ship's wheel * another term for helmsman * an archaic term for a helmet, used as armor Arts and entertainment * Matt Helm, a character created by Donald Hamilton * ...

, and lists of vessels in play. The player controls one or more vessels each with a specified number of

cannons A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during ...

, health, and sails. There are also controls for speed of the gameplay. To achieve victory, the player must either cause the enemy ships to surrender, or simply sink them. Damage inflicted on a vessel is determined by the type of shots fired ( round,

chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...

canister Canister may refer to: * Any container that is roughly cylindrical in shape * A container for 35mm movie film or 35mm photo film for use in cameras * Pods used for parachute supply drops * Gas containers used for riot control * A perforated metal ...

), and the target (

hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

sail A sail is a tensile structure—which is made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may ...

). Each fire also inflicts damage on the ship's crew. Canister shots are made specifically to inflict damage on crew members. The fewer men aboard a ship, the higher chance for the ship to surrender. Speed of activities such as manoeuvring the sails, repairing damage, and cannon reload speed are also affected. The game was accused by reviewers of the time of having an overcomplicated and sometimes downright broken interface, with unnecessary complication when directing crews to perform the various actions to keep a vessel in operation. The 3-D game engine also came in for criticism, occasionally running as slowly as four frames per second in large fleet actions.

Reception

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the

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website

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. John Lee of '' NextGen'', however, said, "Young and old salts will find their timbers shivered mightily in this seagoing extravaganza, but landlubbers may founder."

''Privateer's Bounty''

''Privateer's Bounty'' received average reviews, a bit more favorable than the original ''Age of Sail II'', according to

References

External links

* *{{moby game, id=/windows/age-of-sail-ii-privateers-bounty, name=''Age of Sail II: Privateer's Bounty'' 2001 video games Naval video games Computer wargames Video game sequels Video games about pirates Video games developed in Russia Video games with historical settings Windows games Windows-only games Multiplayer and single-player video games Action-adventure games TalonSoft games Akella games Global Star Software games