Mention the name Pirates! to any veteran gamer and they will fondly think back to the Commodore 64 days. Originally released in 1987, Pirates! received unprecedented critical acclaim for crossing multiple game genres to offer unique, unrivalled gameplay options. Pirates! set the industry standard for innovative game design with its unique blend of open-ended, role-playing, real-time adventures and thrilling action sequences.

Although it is nearly 20 years since the game first appeared, there has always been talk of recreating this game for PC and it was with great excitement that Atari announced Sid Meier's, who created the original title, along with Firaxis Games, would present a new Pirates! game. Derek dela Fuente, who fondly remembers playing the Microprose game first time around, spoke with the team.

TVG: We were fortunate enough to play and own the original Pirates! but do you feel that all the people writing about the original game really bears no real significance to the current Pirates! game in development? In fact do you feel it can be a hindrance?

The fact that people are still playing and talking about the original Pirates! 17 years after it was first released, is an indication that it is a great game. So, when Sid decided to re-create Pirates! for the 21st Century his goal was to keep the parts of the original game that people love, update and enhance them, and then add lots of new features and gameplay elements that heâ??s been excited about for years. The new Pirates! will feel familiar to long time fans of the original, while offering them a whole new experienceâ?¦in a beautifully rendered 3D world. And for those folks too young to remember the original Pirates!â?¦this will be the greatest Pirates! game theyâ??ve ever experienced!

TVG: What was the premise and vision for Pirates! this time and did Sid have any ideas he wanted to implement that were not possible on the original game â?“ apart from 3D?

Again, our goal with the new Pirates! is to keep all of the elements that made the original game so much fun and add to that a bunch of cool new features that will bring this game into the 21st century with a bang! Many fans of the original game have emailed saying that they would be happy with the original game in a 3D world, but we wanted to do more. Weâ??ve added new story elements and quests, upgraded duelling, land battles, and ship battles to give the player more options and control, and added new action sequences like dancing and sneaking in and out of towns. Our hope is to deliver an incredibly fun and compelling game that will give the fans more than what theyâ??ve been waiting for, and show a whole new generation of gamers how much fun it is to live the life of a pirate!

TVG: Does Pirates! allow you to play the game in a number of ways? If for instance you like sword fighting and action can the player focus and be successful via this root? Alternatively is the game more to do with sequences of progression and ever changing requirements and events than one single idea? Importantly is there a backdrop story to move the game along?

In Pirates! the player is the main characterâ?¦a swashbuckling Pirate Captain in the 17th century Caribbean. Each time you play the game a different adventure unfolds depending on decisions you make and paths you choose. The intent has always been to use action sequences as they are used in movies, to tie together story segments in a fun and interesting way. And the player determines the story.

For instance, you will choose your nationality at the start, but you will always be able to change your allegiance at any time if you feel it would provide better opportunities. You will be able to choose to court many governorsâ?? daughters and possibly marry one. You will have opportunities to affect the political structure in the region by escorting (or sinking) ships with new governors or delivering (or not) peace treaties or ultimatums to government leaders. You can also affect the local situation by blockading towns, inciting native uprisings, or by physically attacking a town.

TVG: Has the game been crafted in a movie style cinematic fashion? Have, for example, moves been choreographed and do you have a large animation and 3D department?

We do have quite a large animation and 3D team working on the game. Pirates! has lots of fantastic animations that bring the game to life like never before. We also have a large team of testers who have been working on the game for a while now. The way we make games at Firaxis is to begin with a playable prototype and play and improve the game until we think itâ??s as much fun as it can possibly be. Through this process we can try new ideas constantly to see if they add to the funâ?¦

TVG: How complex - intricate - are the Fight Sea Battles and what kind of controls and instructions can you execute when manoeuvring your ship, firing broadsides, in order to sink, escape from, or board, an enemy?

Ship battles are interesting because the representation is so different and so much more visceral and yet they feel as accessible as they did in the original game. The main controls are the arrow keys for direction and sails and the space bar for firing. In addition, you will have the option to change views (not possible in the old days) and to choose different types of cannon shot (round for hull damage, chain for sails, and grape for crew). You will also be able to use the mouse for direction and firing but the keyboard seems to feel the best. Of course, you can always configure a joystick to reminisce.

TVG: How simple are you trying to make the strategic side of the game in terms of positions when attacking towns, what kind of basic resources do you have on hand initially and how large can it grow?

Weâ??ve made land battles really fun in the new version! Pirates now come is several varieties (Buccaneers carry guns for ranged combat instead of the cutlasses favoured by regular Pirates) and defences now include cavalry and mobile cannon, along with the usual infantry. Height advantages and tree cover are given their correct weight, as well as morale. All of these new and improved elements make for some great land battles.

TVG: Pirates! is an amalgamation of mini games and experiences but what does the team see as the real game focus and what one exciting event or idea in the game do you feel makes Pirates! unique and possibly innovative?

The open ended gameplay in Pirates! is what we think makes the game so much fun to play again and again. We give the player the opportunity to live the adventurous life of a pirateâ?¦and each time a person plays the game they live a different life and create a unique story. Sid introduced this style of gameplay with the original Pirates! way back in 1987.

TVG: What kind of environmental, person or structural damage is there in the game and does realism play a factor?

There is a lot! There are also some great animated graphics in the game. For instance, during sea battles, players can watch their cannon shot pepper holes in the enemy ship as the ship bursts into flames and the crewmen are blown from the masts into the cold Caribbean waters. However, no one in the game ever dies a bloody death. Sidâ??s approach has always been to avoid overly graphic blood and gore.

TVG: How does dialogue work in the game and do you always have a number of alternatives?

The dialogue comes in the form of text throughout the game. Each time you interact with a character he/she will present you with many interesting options.

TVG: How big, in terms of size and game play hours, do you hope to be offering?

The player will live a new pirate adventure each time they start a new gameâ?¦so there is endless replayability. Considering fans have been playing the original Pirates! for 17 years nowâ?¦it is safe to say that the new game will bring years of fun as well.

There are very few epic games that live up to their name and expectations but Pirates! could well b ea title that second time around could be one of those blockbusters that will spurn clones galore.