GETTING STARTED

On the Main Menu, select "Options" to change default settings such as Full Screen mode and Music volume. Back on the Main Menu, select "Story Mode" or "Free Trade Mode", then select a character to begin playing!

CHARACTERS | THE PORT CITIES | THE PORT INTERFACE | THE PORT BUILDINGS
YOUR SHIP | SEA AND PORT COMBAT | GAME CONTROLS | SCORING

You can play any of the six characters in Tradewinds 2. If you only see four, keep playing the other characters to unlock LaRoche, the pirate legend of the Caribbean, or create your own character from scratch.

The characters you can select in the beginning of the game are as follows:

		Russell Van Gregor: The son of a sailor lost at sea, burly young Russell Van Gregor was an urchin of the St. Thomas waterfront. When his mother died, knowing he could afford no proper burial, he wrapped her body in a sheet and carried it through a hot tropical downpour to a ship embarking that night. "Let me come," he said, "and lay her body to rest in the sea. Perhaps she'll find my father there." The capable lad quickly rose through the ranks, distinguishing himself by his indefatigable work, enormous strength, and unassuming intelligence, until soon he became captain of his own ship.
		Christine McGowan: The youngest daughter of the wealthy McGowan merchant family of Port Royale, Christine McGowan was caught at fifteen in a riot outside her family's holdings. Although she could not save her parents from the violence, her ferocious self-defense made an impression upon Sir Stephen the Silent, an English gentleman whose tongue had been cut out by pirates many years ago. Without saying a word, Sir Stephen became her mentor, transforming her into an accomplished swordswoman. Finally, Christine traded the deeds to her family's holdings for a ready ship and crew, and the chance to shape her own fortunes.
		Ignacio Verdugo: As a child, Ignacio Verdugo watched his father Domingo begin to prosper as a blacksmith in the port of Caracas. His life was shattered when Sebastian LaRoche killed his father in a seemingly pointless dispute over the price of a fine sword. After struggling with the family business for a couple of years, Ignacio closed the shop and found a more satisfying existence wielding blades instead of forging them. His charm and dedication to rising up in the world are matched only by his determination to find LaRoche and deliver the disputed sword-point first.
		Adia Azul: Born into slavery on a sugar plantation in the French colony of Louisiana, Adia is a startling beauty of African and French ancestry. As a young woman, she ran away to escape the advances of her Master, and signed on with a pirate crew, taking the name Adia Azul. A pretty girl must have razor-sharp wits and a quick way with a knife to hold her own among such lawless men, but Adia's sharp mind and constant risk-taking gradually won her command of the ship, and have allowed her to turn a ragtag pirate vessel into a potentially profitable operation.
		Sebastian Laroche: It is difficult to separate the facts from the rumors with Captain Sebastian LaRoche. There are no records of the birth of Captain LaRoche, so it is assumed that his name was of his own choosing. His age is uncertain, as is his appearance. What is certain is that he is ruthless and single-minded in his goal. If someone encounters LaRoche, the best course of action is to give him your valuables; it does not matter to him if you are alive or dead.

Create a Character: Create your own character using a combination of Name, Gender, Race, and Class. Customize your character to create your own adventure.

You may sail to any city on the map simply by clicking on it. You may set sail from any port by clicking on the "Set Sail" button on the right side of the port interface. If the "Set Sail" button is disabled, check your ship as it may be too overburdened to leave port.

There are twenty port cities that you can visit in the game, ten for every time you play. Certain ports may not be discovered in the beginning of the game, and these are designated with a question mark. You can sail to any of the available ports, and locked ports are discovered after you complete a certain number of tasks for a governor in Story Mode.

Each city has a distinct cultural identity, and a visually unique set of buildings where you can trade, manage your fleet, accept tasks, and handle all other aspects of running your businesses. You can only sail to ports that are discovered, i.e., not marked with a question mark.

On the left hand side of the port interface you will see how much cash you are carrying, the amount of money you have deposited in the bank, and your total debt to the moneylender.

You may decide to accept tasks from local Governors in exchange for money or special items. To get a task, just find an available Governor. If you accept his task, the Tasks label on the interface will glow. Click on it to track your current task as you progress.

Click on Log to view your ship's log.

You may accumulate special items in the game as a result of completing tasks or due to your character's special abilities. Click on the Items label to examine your inventory of special items and the powers they possess. Take note, not all special items are good.

Click on the Cargo label to examine what you are carrying on your ship.

Click on the Ship label to examine your ship's stats, including Hull Strength, Cargo Capacity, Cannons, Attack Speed, your ship's special abilities and any special ammunition you carry, such as Fire Pots and Tiki Bombs.

You have the opportunity to visit the buildings in the port town in order to manage your fortunes, your men and your ship. There are twenty port towns. There are six kinds of buildings, and anywhere from three to all six of these buildings may appear in any town. They are:

The Marketplace: Every town has a marketplace where you can buy and sell goods. The goods are fish, cotton, timber, cocoa, sugar, arms, textiles, wine, tobacco, and gems. Not all goods are available to you from the very start.

The Moneylender: The town's moneylender will loan you cash in amounts up to twice your current net worth. But your debts will accrue interest at the steep rate of 10% per month! Pay him back as quickly as possible.

The Governor: The Governor handles the affairs of state in the port. He often has tasks for trustworthy captains. These tasks are used to unlock new ports and goods in Career Mode, as well as to accumulate wealth and special items that will be of assistance on the high seas and in trade. Not all Governors are available to you in the beginning of the game. You may wish to start by visiting the Governor in your home port.

The Alehouse: The alehouse is a great place to meet up with traders like you. You might hear rumors of market opportunities or helpful tips on how to play the game, meet up with people that can help you with your assigned tasks, or gain the respect and admiration of others.

The Shipyard: Shipyards are where you can repair your ships, buy and sell cannons, and buy new ammunition such as chain shot and firepot. From time to time there will be a new ship for sale, so you can trade in your old one.

The Bank: The bank is the safest place to put your money. Deposit your money in the bank and watch it accrue 10% interest per year. Banks do not get robbed, but you only have access to all of your funds when you are in the same town as your bank.

You amass wealth through trade, and trade means sea travel. The amount you can carry and your ability to protect it depends on how you manage your ship. You can buy, sell, repair and upgrade your ship in town.

A ship is a balance of firepower and cargo space. You can fill up your ship with cannons, but each cannon occupies space that could otherwise be used for storing five crates of cargo.

There are seven types of ships in Tradewinds 2: Sloops, Schooners, Brigantines, Barques, Galleons, Frigates, and Man'o'wars. Each ship has a unique combination of cargo space and hull strength.

When at sea, you are at the mercy of nature, and of hostile ships and ports. And while you can't do anything about passing storms, you can do something about hostile ships and ports.

When encountering a hostile ship, you will see their fleet above you. If you encounter a hostile port, you will see its fortresses above you as well. If you came unprepared and can't outrun the ships, you're in trouble. Remember, the wise trader strikes a balance between cargo and firepower. Combat unfolds in real-time, so click on an enemy ship or fortress to begin combat and then click to select another ship to commence firing there. You can also attempt to flee whenever you want.

On the left you will see your available cannons. Each cannon will fire automatically after it reloads.

Click on each enemy ship individually to commence firing on that ship. If you have special ammunition, you may click on the special ammunition icon to arm your cannons with that weapon.

Chain Ammunition does heavy damage to one ship or fortress.

Fire Pot does light damage to all ships or fortresses.

Tiki Bombs do heavy damage to all ships or fortresses in combat.

You can try to run at any time by clicking on the Flee button if you're outgunned or just plain chicken. But be careful, just because you try to run does not mean that your attempt will be a successful one.

The game is controlled primarily with the mouse. But when trading in ports, you can use your keyboard to enter amounts to buy and sell.

Your score is equal to your Net Worth which is calculated as follows:

Money You Have In The Bank PLUS Cash You Are Carrying MINUS Total Debt

© 2005 Sandlot Games Corporation. All Rights Reserved.