I seem to have missed the boat for Sid Meier's Pirates! My peers at USC would sigh longingly when it was mentioned in class. Many of my friends were obsessed with the game when it was released. Although I'm usually not a fan of strategy games, I decided that Pirates deserved a fair shot. After all, it was somewhat of an RPG, adventure game, and a strategy game all at once.

Perhaps the most striking feature about Pirates is the level of polish. Few games can afford to take the time or simply are not planned diligently enough to implement such well-constructed systems. These systems create a variety of options, including ship gameplay, a sword fighting mini-game, a dancing mini-game, a sneaking into town mini-game, a land combat RTS game, an interface for talking to people at taverns, and more. The sheer number of gameplay options is a wonderful way to give players a lot of freedom in the world. Allies and enemies can be made through every action, and players can seek out gameplay modes best suited to their skills.

Despite some adventure and RPG mechanics (such as achieving ranks and searching for treasure), Pirates is a strategy game at its heart. The alliance system is a central part of the strategy, as it allows players to ally with the Spanish, the French, the British, or the Dutch. There are many advantages and disadvantages to such alliances, and they can often fluctuate. There are also other forces at work, such as native tribes, pirates and missionaries. Talking to these groups can help you sway a town in a desired direction, whether toward prosperity or poverty. There is also a lot of strategy involved in the fighting mechanics based on the weapons you use, and whether or not you fight in your ship or with a sword.

I'm not sure if I skipped the tutorial inadvertently, but, regardless, Pirates seems to have a steep learning curve. Granted, the first hour or so I had a Pirates fanatic looking over my shoulder, giving me hints and explaining the intricacies of his favorite strategies. It seems that the game encourages the player to learn more through experience than through discreet instructions, which can be an advantage (if you know what you're doing). I was easily overwhelmed in the beginning by the many different types of gameplay, as I had stumbled into seven or eight (such as sea combat, dancing, and treasure hunting) before I even understood what, exactly, was the goal of the game.

I was greatly impressed by the time the developers took to create a very polished experience with so many intricate systems and such varied modes of gameplay. However, the appeal of Pirates seems to come from a passion for such systems and an interest in the politics of the imaginary world. I never had much of an interest in war, conquering towns, or politics. I respect the game and I understand why so many players have enjoyed it. However, I don't think I'll return to Pirates anytime soon. It just doesn't pull me in like traditional RPGs or adventure games.