Economics in Port Royale involve a lot more than just savvy trading. A skilled leader will take direct control of fleets when needed, but will also automate actions, having some ships form tactical blockades, others screen for pirates, and others still operating trade routes based on some ground rules you put in place. In Pirates! you controlled a single fleet of ships, while in Port Royale 3 you have a host of fleets at your command. Where the Pirates!/Port Royale 3 comparisons end is the sheer scale of the game. It does get a little more in-depth than Sid Meier's great game, though, as each side of the ship has its own cannons, enabling skilled players to fire regularly if they can bring their reloaded cannons to bear on the enemy. Like Pirates!, you can also use several types of ammo for your cannons depending on what part of the enemy you want to damage. You have direct control over any one ship at a time, and can switch between them on the fly.

Fleets may consist of a large number of ships, but you have to select your three most powerful and use them against the enemy's. Combat can be auto-resolved, but if you're dying to get your hands wet you can jump in and take the helm yourself. YES NO If you've ever played Sid Meier's Pirates!, then you'll be familiar with the ship combat in Port Royale 3. Both campaigns also let you conquer enemy colonies through economics or military might. More specifically, a Trader can still become a pirate likewise an Adventurer can become a booming merchant. Both campaigns are there to help you learn about certain aspects of Port Royale's complex game world, but both also allow you to jump into the other's content.

The Trader campaign, on the other hand, encourages you to help lead towns to prosperity, teaching them the ins and outs of the economy system. The Adventurer campaign is action-focused, guiding you towards combat. You're encouraged to pursue both options, as Port Royale 3 has two campaigns. Cannons are useful tools in this turbulent time, but a savvy trader can easily become a force to be reckoned with, wreaking havoc with their coin purse the same way pirates use cutlasses. You can ally yourself with the Dutch, French, English or Spanish (or any combination thereof depending on how they're currently allied), and then get to work at establishing yourself. Port Royal 3 takes place in the Caribbean, where you attempt to seize control of it and carve out a life for your burgeoning empire during the period of European colonization. In life many of us spend our time being generally good and honest, so games like Port Royale 3 offer the perfect opportunity to let our inner-bastard come out. Meanwhile, why not sell them resources they're in dire need of at an inflated price? Rinse, repeat and profit till your coffers are full.

Then you just watch the colony as it withers, offering their beleaguered citizens jobs on your ships or in colonies you like or control. Sure, you could attack their ships as they leave port, either illegally as an unaligned pirate, or by getting permission to do some privateering in the name of a King you don't care about, but you could also sabotage their production. Firing cannons and blasting an enemy ship can be rewarding in Port Royale 3, but it's far more enjoyable to take on your foes through subversion.

Port royale 3 treasure map locations