Ahoy!
Anyone remember the old MicroProse game, Pirates, released in 1987 for C64? One of Sid Meier's first. I was playing it in an Emulator and started thinking 'Ya know, this is a really cool game and I've neverheard of anything else with the theme... Wonder if anyone has taken this idea and updated it for modern hardware?' So I went to the all-knowing Google to find out. I found nothing at first. Found a couple more with the same theme, but they were a lot more limited than Pirates!, despite the updated graphics.
Then I found this. Atari working on exactly what I was looking for. This began an anxious wait (as well as my only visits to places like IGN and GameSpy) to watch this game like a hawk. The wait is over, and it was well worth it!
If you've noticed me being absent from the site, this is why. Been up until Midnight three days this week playing Pirates! 2004. It's everything I was hoping for
And I still don't know of another game anything like it. I'm also finding out I'm not better at cyber dancing than I am in life. However, I've put all but one of my nine cometitors to port, perminantly, rescued my sister, found three of my competitors' hidden stashes, captured three Spanish towns, got two governors' daughters acting as leisons for me (despite my bad dancing), I'm an English Marquis, French and Dutch Admiral, and the Spanish have a hefty price on my head (Which they'll never collect at the rate they're going). My fleet size is fluxuating, but I wouldn't trade my flagship for any other sailing the seas. A nimble sloop, Dia na Farrige has never failed me.
Now if you'll excuse me, time to reboot and play Pirates! 2004