Buccaneer!

Buccaneer!
	◄Eamon adventure #145►
Author	Pat Hurst
Released	October 1987
Revised	30 March 1987 (DOS); 1 November 1992 (ProDOS)
EAG number	145
EDX number	06-03
EDX set	The Pat Hurst Adventures
Native format	Apple DOS 3.3
Files	Eamon 145 - Buccaneer!, Disk 1.dsk; Eamon 145 - Buccaneer!, Disk 2.dsk; Eamon 145 - Buccaneer!, Disk 1 (ProDOS).dsk; Eamon 145 - Buccaneer!, Disk 2 (ProDOS).dsk

Buccaneer! is a two-disk Eamon adventure written by Pat Hurst and released in October 1987. The adventure is distinctive for its many unique features, including the ability to hire and stock a ship, recruit a crew, and sail freely across the open sea, and is one of the most highly rated adventures in the Eamon catalog.

Background

John Nelson announced Buccaneer!'s release in the October 1987 issue of the Eamon Adventurer's Log along with Hurst's Dark Brotherhood and three others by Dan Cross, Tom Zuchowski, and Sam Ruby. Nelson observed that Hurst's two-disk adventures were "crammed full" of content and "surely rank among the finest Eamons ever written." Hurst also authored the issue's "Designer's Den" column in which he describes how he programmed monster reactions in Buccaneer!.

Also in October Hurst released his Eamon Gazetteer which lists some of the important people, places, and artifacts that feature in his adventures.

Premise

The infamous pirate Henri le Marque has finally been captured and is due to be executed shortly in the jailyard in Evenhold's harbor district. It's rumored that he hid a great quantity of treasure somewhere before his capture and you hope he might share the location before he dies. You hurry across town to the harbor district entrance at Weyren's Gate.

Full introduction

It promises to be an exciting day in Evenhold. The pirate, Henri le Marque, scourge of the Malphigian Sea, is slated for execution at the jailyard today. He was finally caught by Lord Collingwood's squadron using a merchant man as a decoy. Le Marque's ship, L'Intransigeant, was sunk by numerous broadsides. Those who survived were left to the sharks as only Le Marque was pulled from the water, his lordship not renowned for his merciful nature. Le Marque was taken to allow a public execution which would serve as an object lesson to the other pirates who ply the waters of the Malphigian Sea.

If you hurry, you may just have time to catch what is sure to be the biggest event of the year. Don't be left out!

The execution will take place at the jailyard in the harbor district. It is located at the corner of Captain's Walk and Anchor Way. The harbor district is segregated from the rest of the town and access is only found at Weyren's Gate on Sea Lane. Access is controlled to keep the waterfront riffraff in, rather than to keep townsfolk out. As you may guess, the waterfront is a rough district so be careful.

In case the hanging isn't enough of alure, Le Marque was the most successful pirate of the Malphigian Sea and reputed to have hidden a king's ransom in booty. Perhaps, when faced with the gallows, he will make the grand gesture of sharing what he won't be able to enjoy.

You had better get going. Since the waterfront is far from the Main Hall, you have a long walk across town ahead of you. Remember — the earlier that you arrive at the jailyard, the better your view will be.

Be on your best behavior because the harbor patrol is accustomed to dealing with waterfront scum. Their ideas of law enforcement are often fatal for a person who runs afoul of them. If you want to scrap with someone, be sure that you are in a very private place; i.e., a place where no one will summon the watch.

Hurst's introduction also include the following notes and instructions:

EXAMINE, GIVE, READ, and PUT have been deleted from the 6.0 command list. GET, TAKE, and ATTACK have been altered to reflect conditions in a populous area. Added commands include SEARCH, STATUS, GAMBLE, PAY, SELL, and VOYAGE. Voyage is used to move to part two of the quest. Part one of the quest is in 6-direction format (N/S/E/W/U/D).
This adventure can require a lot of cash up front. If you don't have much, you may want to return to the Main Hall. Since this is a long adventure with many ways to go astray, the "Fresh Meat" file is saved on both disk sides. Once you have begun a side, it can be restarted by running "MAIN PGM".

Walkthrough

Adventure author and reviewer Adam Myrow wrote a walkthrough for Buccaneer! that he submitted to the EAG and which Tom Zuchowski published in the December 1997 issue of the club newsletter. Myrow's walkthrough takes the player through all the steps necessary to fulfill the central quest, but does not cover all the adventure's optional features (which Zuchowski notes are enjoyable and worthwhile to experience).

Location

Part one of Buccaneer! takes place entirely in the harbor district of Evenhold, beginning at Weyren's Gate in the northwest corner. Hurst notes that this is maintained as the only entrance to the district in order to keep its rough and unruly denizens separated from the rest of the city. Part two takes place on the Malphigian Sea which extends south and west from the harbor of Evenhold, and includes (in order of proximity) the islands of Esparea Cay, Burning Rock, Melosia, Serpent Isle, Leanda Atoll, and Cormorant Island.

Trivia

Buccaneer! is one of the few adventures where much of the action takes place in Evenhold.
One of the merchants operating a warehouse in the harbor district is Kerim Bey, which is the name of a character in the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love.

Gallery

Ramsgate, a sketch by Huw Williams

External links