I can't succeed in this game. Is there a helpful staregy guide
anywhere?
I'm playing the gold version on medium difficulty. The highest score I got was 32.
I was 29 years old, english Major, had about 10000 personal gold coins
and was married to a governors nice. I even got the silver train (40000 pieces).
After that I started a new expedition. I found a 8000 gold pieces treasure
and sacked Havanna, one of the riches spanish towns. After that
my score fell to 19!!!
Raiding towns brings no gold, the population hides it away before I arrive.
My crew is getting angry and deserts too fast.
Spanish ship encounters are too rare.
How can I get promoted faster?

At least im excellent in fencing. I win duels I'm outnumbered 3 to 1 in.

Hi goggamer26,

I hope you still looking for the information:

YOu could check the faq´s

http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/564840-pirates/faqs
http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/928856-pirates-gold/faqs
.

If you are so good in fencing it shall be actually quite easy.

The problem (talking about my old days and the original though ;) ) with hiding the gold was, that the more time you spent in front of the town in yout ships, the more time they had to hide their gold and riches.

By the sound of your description, it sounds like you where sailing the waters inf front of their town. SO they had plenty of time ;)

Similar went for annexing it for another nation. The more surprise the better.

Promotion quicker: It was rather easy:

i.e. : Spain at war with all other nations: Harm Spain and visit ALL three other nations to collect you rewards ;)

Allways fight AGAINST the nation with the most active wars going on (evilgrin). You are a damned pirate, so fight like one ;) Pirates have no friends, just opportunities ;)

The Spanish are the most difficult to deal with, as they donßt trust pirates anyway. But once you are able to visit ANY of their governours, it shall be OK again. (So sneak/sail into small towns)

Deserting: REALLY bad, as they take Gold with them, meaning your crew getting even angrier, so more Deserting and so on.

One way to break this cycle and getting far more gold: Take a ship go against the harbour cannons and get the crew slaughtered......This means fewer crew, more gold per member and happieness all over the place.....

Hope it helps at least a bit