High Seas Trader

{{Infobox video game

|title=High Seas Trader

|image=High Seas Trader.jpg

|developer=Impressions Games

|publisher=Impressions Games

|designer=Christopher J. Foster
David Lester

|programmer=Chris Gurski

|artist=Chris Beatrice

|composer=Jeremy A. Bell
Jason P. Rinaldi

|engine=

|released=1995

|genre=Business simulation

|modes=Single-player

|platforms=DOS, Amiga

}}

High Seas Trader is a 1995 naval business simulation video game. The player runs trade routes, fends off pirates, collects artifacts and offers transport to fellow countrymen in need, all for the sake of climbing up the game's ranking ladder, which in turn allows the player to buy bigger ships, more firepower and larger cargo holds to progress more quickly in the ranks.

Gameplay

The game is set in the year 1650. The player starts out with the most basic ship (Fluyt) and 5,000 (5k) gold.

=Nations=

The player chooses a nation at the beginning of the game. Consequences lie in the relations between nations; which nations declare war/peace will determine which ports the player can access at given times, and which ships will open fire on them at sea. The options are:

Dutch
English
French
Portuguese
Spanish

=Ships=

Fluyt
Crew: 100
Cargohold: 300 tons
Firepower: 4 banks of 1 cannon each
Price: 4k gold
Corvette
Crew: 100
Cargohold: 150 tons
Firepower: 4 banks of 2 cannon each
Price: 8k gold
Merchant
Crew: 200
Cargohold: 500 tons
Firepower: 4 banks of 2 cannon each
Price: 14k gold
Frigate
Crew: 200
Cargohold: 350 tons
Firepower: 4 banks of 4 cannon each
Price: 16k gold
East Indiaman
Crew: 250
Cargohold: 700 tons
Firepower: 4 banks of 5 cannon each
Price: 21k gold
Fourth rate
Crew: 300
Cargohold: 600 tons
Firepower: 4 banks of 8 cannon each
Price: 27k gold

=Titles=

Peddler (Fluyt and Corvette)
Journeyman (Merchant and Frigate)
Tradesman (East Indianman and Fourth rate, Small estate – 2 treasures max)
Merchant (Medium estate – 4 treasures max)
Master Merchant (Large estate – 6 treasures max)
Viscount (end of the game)

=Guild ladder=

Climbing up the ladder ranks grants the player titles, access to bigger ships, and bigger estates. The player can gather points in the categories, then cash them in for a title. Once they are granted a title, the points in the categories reset, allowing them to do it all over.

=Ammo=

Round (Long-range ammunition)
Chain (Short-range ammunition, tears up sails leaving enemy ships dead in the water)
Grape (Short-range ammunition, leaves big holes in attacking ships, akin to firing a huge shotgun filled with grape-sized balls of steel. Note: The actual purpose of grapeshot was to reduce the enemy crew.)

=Cannons=

Swivel-gun (0.3t)
Saker (1.0t)
Demi-culverin (1.2t)
Culverin (2.0t)
Demi-cannon (2.5t)
Cannon (3.0t)

=Banks=

Players can place money in banks for safekeeping. This is useful if they ever lose a battle at sea, as they can start over with their savings. However, the savings are reduced by the interest rate over time, as the player must pay for the security.

Reception

High Seas Trader received mixed or average reviews. The game was reviewed in 1995 in Dragon #221 by John Brunkhart in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Brunkhart gave the game 2 out of 5 stars.{{cite journal

|title=Eye of the Monitor

|author=Jay & Dee

|journal=Dragon

|issue=221

|date=September 1995

|pages=115–118}}

Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "Although the subject material may be a little too dry for some gamers, High Seas Trader is definitely a must for strategy fans."{{cite magazine|title=Finals|magazine=Next Generation|issue=7|publisher=Imagine Media|date=July 1995|pages=74–75}}

Reviews

CU Amiga (Jun, 1995){{cite web | url=https://amigareviews.leveluphost.com/highseas.htm#highseastradercu | title=Amiga Reviews: High Seas Trader }}
Power Play (Jul, 1995)http://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=9434 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2022}}
Amiga Format (Jun, 1995){{cite web | url=https://amigareviews.leveluphost.com/highseas.htm#highseastraderaf | title=Amiga Reviews: High Seas Trader }}
Amiga Joker (May, 1995){{cite web | url=http://amr.abime.net/issue_1603_pages | title=Amiga Joker (June - July 1995) Page scans - Amiga Magazine Rack }}
Amiga Computing (Jul, 1995){{cite web | url=https://amigareviews.leveluphost.com/highseas.htm#highseastraderac | title=Amiga Reviews: High Seas Trader }}
All Game Guide (1995){{Cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11668&tab=review |title=Archived copy |access-date=2022-03-31 |archive-date=2014-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117041207/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11668&tab=review |url-status=dead }}
Amiga Power (Jul, 1995){{cite web | url=https://amigareviews.leveluphost.com/highseas.htm#highseastraderap | title=Amiga Reviews: High Seas Trader }}