
Explore the high seas in search of fame, fortune and exciting adventures! SEAFARER is a game set in the age of sailships. You play as a young captain commanding a merchant ship. You can travel the oceans and visit harbour towns to trade goods, carry out assignments, and gather information from the local populace. Defend yourself against pirates, and engage in combat in case of provocation. The ocean is populated by many strange and exotic creatures -- some friendly, some not so friendly. Study their behaviors and learn to interact with them to your benefit. Keep an eye on the wind and weather, look out for tides and currents, avoid reefs and shallows in order to guide your ship and crew safely through the waters. As you progress in the game, you can equip your ship with better weapons, sails and shielding. Should your funds allow it, you can also upgrade to a bigger ship with a larger cargo hold, allowing you to transport more goods and boost your trade. Fair winds captain, and may the ocean gods be with you!
In this game we want to explore the sailing and ship handling mechanics in more depth than other games of the genre. Keep an eye on the wind and tides. Your ship sails fastest when you have the wind from behind. You cannot sail "into" to wind. You can set and reef the sails according to the strength of the wind. Using magical items you can change the direction and strength of the wind at will. In addition, you must use the steering wheel in order to set the rudder, like on a real ship. When fighting pirates, it can become quite a challenge to maneuver your ship, influence the wind and tides, and operate the cannons, all under time pressure while trying to come alongside the enemy vessel in order to fire a broadside. Other magical abilities include the reversing of the tides, or changing the water level. Such measures can come in handy and cause your opponents to run into reefs and shallows. By dropping the anchor, you can bring your ship to an immediate halt. If timed correctly, this will surprise your pursuers, and they will glide right past you -- allowing you to fire a broadside at them. These are just a few examples of the interesting situations we want to create inside this game.
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