Commodore Amiga

High Seas Trader

High Seas Trader is a Strategy game, developed and published by Impressions Games, which was released in Europe in 1995. High Seas Trader from Impressions takes the same concept as ‘Pirates!’ and expands it further. It builds on the same basic elements offered in the aging MicroProse classic and adds more complex simulation of sea combat and trading. But does it beat Sid Meyer’s masterpiece? The AGA version of High Seas Trader comes on four disks. A decent manual with Amiga technical supplement and a tutorial book is provided within the package. The game is hard disk installable. The player takes the role of a merchant sea captain during the 17th and 18th centuries. The short term goal of the game is to profitably trade between various ports while managing your own ship. The long term goal is to rise within the ranks of the Merchant Guild with the ultimate goal of reaching the status of Viscount. Trade is a complex beast in this game. There’s a large quantity of commodities which can be sold around the world. As the prices change through time, players must very carefully plan the actions if he (or she) means to succeed in their selected career. This can get quite frustrating in the beginning but gets easier when the game progresses and the player gets more accustomed to the game world, tactics and politics. In conclusion, High Seas Trader offers an entertaining mix of business sim and challenging sea combat simulation. Those who invest the time and effort will ultimately find the game a thrilling experience. To the more impatient players who would like a taste of life at sea, I’d recommend getting ‘Pirates!’ as it is generally easier for beginners to get into. But if you have played ‘Pirates!’ to the death and yearn for similar but deeper challenges, you cannot go wrong with High Seas Trader.