Strategies for dealing with Pirates and Natives and given in a later section. On this page:
- 3.7.1 Where do pirates come from?
- 3.7.2 How do you bribe pirates?
- 3.7.3 Can pirates steal ground units?
- 3.7.4 What do native curses do?
- 3.7.5 How do I trade with natives?
- 3.7.6 Is it normal for natives to walk around my town?
3.7.1 Where do pirates come from?
Frieden answers: "There are three kinds of games: (1) games with no pirates; (2) games with pirates and you can defeat them so that they will appear never more (ships AND town must be defeated); (3) games with pirates and you can NOT defeat them. They will always appear from 'nowhere'. If there is a nice island free, they will settle. Maybe." Shark_Dus adds: "The pirates do not always have a nest. At the beginning of the game they come from outside the map and leave the map the same way." Neferankh writes: "If I recall correctly, a competitor's ships will turn into Pirate ships if they do not have enough materials on board to build a Warehouse or if there is not a suitable place for them to settle."
3.7.2 How do you bribe pirates?
Answer from Dread Pirate Terry (appropriately enough): "Go to the pirates' warehouse, with an unarmed ship [else they will shoot at you], click on the pirate and you have the choice of buying protection from the pirates or bribing them to harass one of the other players." Later in the game, the pirates' Warehouse can be found on one of the islands. At the start of a game they may not have a Warehouse. Disarm your ship by putting Cannon into the hold (or offloading them completely). Frieden adds: "Tribute is not forever; only for a while." Bribes will not work of you have settled the same island as the pirates (from FrankB).
3.7.3 Can pirates steal ground units?
Yes, they are not restricted to regular cargo. Günter clarifies: "Pirates definitely don't steal cannons on deck."
3.7.4 What do native curses do?
These occur when you destroy a native settlement. From Zomby Woof: "They mean you will get droughts, fires and plagues more often. Also, you can't trade anymore with the natives, and gold deposits which are under control of the natives will be destroyed." Also see Where did my gold or ore deposit go? above. Joe Cool adds: "Curses don't last forever. Maybe about 15-20 minutes of game play or so."
3.7.5 How do I trade with natives?
From FrankB: "Click on the chief's hut to see the goods the natives are interested in. If the highlighted area covers a bit of the sea, you can sail your ship there and trade. Otherwise, you have to build a warehouse at the island, clear the path to the natives, and send a teamster to them." Trade with natives is based on exchanging goods. Robbie47 warns: "Don't attack the natives: If you attack one tribe nobody on the map will trade with you again."
3.7.6 Is it normal for natives to walk around my town?
Yes. Don't assume they are invading you. From Zomby Woof: "They walk through your streets if your city is near enough to their village."