History VideoGame / UnchartedWaters

''Uncharted Waters'' ([[MarketBasedTitle originally known]] as ''Age of the Great Voyages'') is a series of Japanese [[{{Pirate}} privateer]]/[[AnEntrepreneurIsYou trader]] video games set in TheCavalierYears. [[TheOriginalSeries The first game]] was developed by Creator/{{Koei}} in 1991 (for UsefulNotes/PC88, {{UsefulNotes/MSX}} and UsefulNotes/{{NES}}, and later for UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, UsefulNotes/SuperNES, and the PC).

Gameplay-wise, the series is a WideOpenSandbox with RPGElements in it. You play as an owner of a small fleet (up to 5 ships in the first game, up to 10 in the second) and are free to engage in any kind of activity on the high seas: trade, gambling, [[DesignItYourselfEquipment ship pimping]], [[PirateBooty piracy]], [[TreasureMap treasure hunting]], exploration, even global politics, once you have the money (and firepower) to. What set the first game apart from its nearest Western equivalent, ''VideoGame/SidMeiersPirates'', was the sheer size of the game world: instead of being confined to the Carribbean, you have the ''entire world'' to explore. The exploration gameplay was further enhanced in the second game, where you could sell the maps of your voyages, find natural and cultural wonders around the world, and look for even more treasures. The underlying gameplay mechanics involve ship management (crew, supplies, captains, repairs), character evolution (both the PC and the captains you hire), port development (trade balance, investments), and [[AllianceMeter maneuvering between the major factions]] (Portugal, Spain, Turkey, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and pirates]] in the first game; England, Holland, and Italy join the club in the second). It's pretty complex but not excessively so.

* InfiniteSupplies: Averted. Ports can run out of the goods that you're keep buying. It's especially obvious in Sakai where silver is very cheap. To the point that the game revolves around denying your rivals supplies to goods. Ports will only sell goods to guilds that hold a percentage of the port's Share, and the amount of Share you have is based on how much money the guild have dumped to the port as investments or defense funds.

''Uncharted Waters'' ([[MarketBasedTitle originally known]] as ''Age of the Great Voyages'') is a series of Japanese [[{{Pirate}} privateer]]/[[AnEntrepreneurIsYou trader]] video games set in TheCavalierYears. [[TheOriginalSeries The first game]] was developed by Creator/{{Koei}} in 1991 (for PC88, {{MSX}} and {{NES}}, and later for UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, SuperNES, and the PC).

The first two games can be downloaded from various internet sites like Abandonia.com, and run perfectly smoothly in DOSBox on modern systems. The series has nothing to do with the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' franchise.

''Uncharted Waters'' ([[MarketBasedTitle originally known]] as ''Age of the Great Voyages'') is a series of Japanese [[{{Pirate}} privateer]]/[[AnEntrepreneurIsYou trader]] video games set in TheCavalierYears. [[TheOriginalSeries The first game]] was developed by Creator/{{Koei}} in 1991 (for PC88, {{MSX}} and {{NES}}, and later for SegaGenesis, SuperNES, and the PC).

Gameplay-wise, the series is a WideOpenSandbox with RPGElements in it. You play as an owner of a small fleet (up to 5 ships in the first game, up to 10 in the second) and are free to engage in any kind of activity on the high seas: trade, gambling, [[DesignItYourselfEquipment ship pimping]], [[PirateBooty piracy]], [[TreasureMap treasure hunting]], exploration, even global politics, once you have the money (and firepower) to. What set the first game apart from its Western competitor ''VideoGame/SidMeiersPirates'' was the sheer size of the game world: instead of being confined to the Carribbean, you have the ''entire world'' to explore. The exploration gameplay was further enhanced in the second game, where you could sell the maps of your voyages, find natural and cultural wonders around the world, and look for even more treasures. The underlying gameplay mechanic involves ship management (crew, supplies, captains, repairs), character evolution (both the PC and the captains you hire), port development (trade balance, investments), and [[AllianceMeter maneuvering between the major factions]] (Portugal, Spain, Turkey, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and pirates]] in the first game; England, Holland, and Italy join the club in the second). It's pretty complex but not excessively so.

The first two games can be downloaded from various internet sites like Abandonia.com, and run perfectly smoothly in DOSBox on modern systems. Not to be confused with [[{{Uncharted}} Nathan Drake]].

The first two games can be downloaded from various internet sites like Abandonia.com, and run perfectly smoothly in DOSBox on modern systems.

The story follows Leon Franco, a young Portuguese sailor whose father invested all his money into a voyage to India, hoping to make a fortune selling spices, but died on the way back. Only his trusted [[NumberTwo First Mate]] Rocco Alemkel made it back to Portugal with a small boat to tell the tale. And thus, young Leon has to assume command and to take on the rough seas of the WoodenShipsAndIronMen era. Starting with small errands for the local merchants and collectors, Leon's fame eventually reaches the King of Portugal, who becomes his exclusive QuestGiver. The final mission, of course, involves saving the King's [[DistressedDamsel only daughter]], whom Leon had the chance to woo earlier.

* HardCodedHostility: The pirates. There are three other factions (Portugal, Spain, and Turkey) but you can ally with. Pirates, on the other hand, are always hostile.

!! The first game provides examples of following tropes:

----
!!Other games in the series provide examples of following tropes:
!!!''Daikoukai Jidai IV: Porto Estado'' (a.k.a. ''Rota Nova'')

* {{Bishounen}}: The character design makes the characters look very fey. Best example would be the main character Rafael, who looks like a girl.
* DoYouWantToHaggle: Averted.
* AnEntrepreneurIsYou: Things have been made easier in that no matter what goods you buy in port A, it will sell higher in port B unless port B is also selling it.
* MacGuffin: The "Seven Proofs of the Conqueror" are also treasures in the conventional sense, in that the maps must be found first.
* OnlyShopInTown: If a rival guild have the stranglehold over all the shares of the port (to the point that even the governor won't give you license), then it's No Shop in Town for you. Your only option is to stock up and leave.

''Uncharted Waters'' ([[MarketBasedTitle originally known]] as ''Age of the Great Voyages'') is a series of Japanese [[{{Pirate}} privateer]]/[[AnEntrepreneurIsYou trader]] video games set in TheCavalierYears. [[TheOriginalSeries The first game]] was developed by Creator/{{Koei}} in 1991 (for PC88, {{MSX}} and {{NES}}, and later for SegaGenesis, SuperNES, and the PC). A direct sequel, ''VideoGame/UnchartedWatersNewHorizons'', followed in 1994. Two more sequels, a GaidenGame, and a {{MMORPG}} based in the setting never made it out of Asia. However, as of October of 2010, the {{MMORPG}} reboot, ''VideoGame/UnchartedWatersOnline'' is in an open beta for the English-speaking world.

Storywise, the first game follows Leon Franco, a young Portuguese sailor whose father invested all his money into a voyage to India, hoping to make a fortune selling spices, but died on the way back. Only his trusted [[NumberTwo First Mate]] Rocco Alemkel made it back to Portugal with a small boat to tell the tale. And thus, young Leon has to assume command and to take on the rough seas of the WoodenShipsAndIronMen era. Starting with small errands for the local merchants and collectors, Leon's fame eventually reaches the King of Portugal, who becomes his exclusive QuestGiver. The final mission, of course, involves saving the King's [[DistressedDamsel only daughter]], whom Leon had the chance to woo earlier.

The MMORPG spinoff, ''Uncharted Waters Online'', was opened in 2009 in Asia and 2010 in other regions. Then it hit {{Steam}} in 2013.

The first two games can be downloaded from various internet sites like Abandonia.com, and run perfectly smoothly in DOSBox on modern systems. ''Uncharted Waters Online'' is also on {{Steam}} as a "free-to-play" MMORPG. Go get them.

* AscendedExtra: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayreddin_Barbarossa Khayr ad-Din]] from ''New Horizons'' was just a [[BossInMooksClothing frustratingly powerful NPC pirate]]. In ''Online'', he's the antagonist of the Spain storyline.

* BoldExplorer:
** This is the whole point of Adventure-type jobs in the MMO.
* BoringButPractical:
** ''Online'': The skills Fishing, Collection and Procurement are meant to be cheap ways to get materials for crafting. Fishing auto-repeats every thirty seconds, and at higher ranks can score species of fish that are either a key ingredient in high-end Vigour-restoring items or can be converted into large amounts of food for the crew. The other two, Procurement and Collection, auto-repeat every five seconds (though Procurement doesn't auto-repeat at sea). Collection in large amounts at the right landing ports can gather materials for the ''really'' good items, and Procurement? On land, lots of supplies for the crew (not counting ammunition for the ship's cannons) and on sea, a good amount of water per use. All this for 5 Vigour per use.
* BribingYourWayToVictory: Since ''Online'' uses a microtransaction business model, Tecmo-Koei (and subsequently their distributors) introduced ships that were designed to either give a massive combat advantage or carry some other benefit like larger than normal hold space. The only way to get them is through the Treasure Box or Premium Tickets, and the chances of scoring one are minimal. On the [[ActualPacifist nonviolent side of the spectrum]], though, there are items available that prevent ''all'' combat while at sea for 24 hours. Mention of either one tends to get at least a moderate amount of angry shouting [[StopHavingFunGuys on both sides]] [[{{Scrub}} of the issue]].

** ''Online'' uses three categories of character level: [[IntrepidMerchant Trade]], [[AnAdventurerIsYou Adventure]], and [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen Maritime]]. The mechanics are otherwise the same.

* {{Expy}}: Certain faces and accessories in ''Online'' resemble [[VideoGame/DynastyWarriors Sima Yi, Zhang Fei, Xu Zhu and Xiao Qiao]].

** Played somewhat straight in ''Online'' with the Procurement, Collection and Fishing skills; they can give free food and water, but eventually the character's [[{{Mana}} Vigour]] runs out.
* ItemCrafting: ''Online'' has a few skills devoted to this: Casting, which is used to make cannons, plates, and personal weapons and armor; Handicrafts, which can make medicine, ship parts and [[AnInteriorDesignerIsYou furniture for your quarters]]; Cooking, which lets you convert foods, seasoning and spices into Vigour-restoring items; Storage, used mainly as a counter to the Plunder skill but also to make a few ingredients for Cooking; Sewing, [[MundaneMadeAwesome used to make clothes]] and ship sails; Shipbuilding, which lets you [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin build custom ships]] and adjust the ratio of crew bunks, cannon chambers and hold space; and Alchemy, used to make magical items.

* MaximumHPReduction:
** Cannon fire that scores a critical hit in ''Online'' can reduce your ship's max armor by a small amount each time. Thankfully an item that can either be crafted or bought from other players restores 1 max durability up to its default.

* ARoundOfDrinksForTheHouse: ordering a round of drinks for the entire tavern gives a temporary bonus to how many sailors you can hire there afterwards. The more money you spend on the drinks, the larger the bonus.

** Shipwrecks in ''Online'' are found by using enough Shipwreck Map Pieces to reveal its location. It takes a bit of effort to raise the wreck and drag it to a nearby port, but exploring it could score some nice gear. One shipwreck in particular unlocks the Salvager job which focuses primarily on this.

* GaidenGame: ''Daikoukai Jidai Gaiden''.

!! The games provide examples of following tropes:

* ActionGirl: Catalina. Has swordplay stat of 92 (out of 100 maximum) ''at the beginning of the game''.

* AnachronismStew: In ''New Horizons'', set in 1522:
** The "Spanish Armada" didn't exist for another 65 years.
** Gerardus Mercator was 10 years old at the time.
** A marine chronometer wasn't invented for another 150 years.
** The cafe in London serves [[SpotOfTea tea]] and fish and chips, about 130 years before tea was first brought to England and about 60 years before potatoes were.

* {{Bishounen}}: The character design in the fourth game makes the characters look very fey. Best example would be the main character Rafael, who looks like a girl.
* BoardingParty: The two basic means to attack another ship in a sea battle is either shooting them from afar with your cannons or "rushing" them, that is, going into hand to hand combat. Also, in the second game, "rushing" the enemy flagship gives you an option to challenge their captain to [[CombatByChampion a sword duel]].

** The protagonists can be played as such, particularly the playable characters of the Explorer background in the second game. Ernst is the best example, since his overarching quest is to [[CartographySidequest explore and map the entire globe]]. Pietro and Joao also do a fair bit of exploring, but the former is mainly after hidden treasures, while the latter's storyline involves an equal amount of naval battles.

* BoringButPractical:
** ''New Horizons'': Buy Arts in Athens and sell them in Istanbul. Then buy Carpet in Istanbul and sell them in Athens. Repeat until rich. In fact, this is outright suggested by the game for Ali's story.

* ButThouMust: Regardless of how you play in the first game, at some point, you will be asked to buy "14 lots of Coral", which can only be accomplished by traveling to the New World. Also, to achieve the highest nobility ranks, the King of Portugal will inevitably ask you to defeat powerful pirates or opposing factions' captains, even if you were going a pure merchant route before. [[spoiler:Finally, the last mission is always a battle against a pirate fleet for the princess.]]

* CartographySidequest: ''Main'' quest for Ernst, but played straight for other characters in the second game, especially those of the explorer background.

* CharacterLevel:
** There are actually two character levels for each character: the Sailing Level (gained by spending time at sea and affecting Intelligence and Wisdom) and the Battle Level (gained by winning naval battles and affecting Strength and Courage).

* CombatByChampion: The duels between two fleets' captains in the second game can decide the outcome of a naval battle in a single round without having to damage your ships much. In fact, this can become quite a GameBreaker, e.g. when playing Pietro (whose swordplay skill is pretty high for some reason), you eventually gain enough money to afford the best armor and swords in the game. Which, in conjunction with the fact that explorers generally have very fast and maneuverable ships, unexpectedly makes him the deadliest man in the high seas.

* CrutchCharacter: Joao's First Mate Rocco Alemkel, having served under his father, starts off with a crazy character level. Later in the game, when they are attacked by Catalina, Rocco steals the spotlight to duel her (even if you've built Joao as a fencer and he can fend for himself).
* CuttingOffTheBranches: The first game has three endings: [[spoiler:Leon marries the princess and becomes the heir apparent; Leon marries the princess but remains a "mere" duke; or Leon rejects the princess, instead choosing the seafaring career]]. The second game establishes that only the second is canon.
* DashingHispanic: Catalina is a short-tempered, sharp-tongued Spanish captain who deserts from the royal navy to pursue a personal agenda of revenge. Also, her swordplay skill is second to none.

* DistressedDamsel: The princess in the end of the first game.
* DoYouWantToHaggle: It's not even a question of wanting, it's a question of how good you can do it. And Ali from ''New Horizons'' can do it better than anyone since his haggling is capped to his navigation level. Averted in the fourth game.
* AnEntrepreneurIsYou:
** In the first game, you will most likely begin by making the relatively simple sugar-porcelain runs between Lisbon and Bordeaux and go on from there until you have five carracks full of gold. Also, in the second game, pretty much the entire Ali storyline.
** In the fourth game, things have been made easier in that no matter what goods you buy in port A, it will sell higher in port B unless port B is also selling it.
* {{Expy}}:
** The LoveableRogue Pietro Conti bears uncanny resemblance to [[Franchise/StarWars Han Solo]].
** Certain faces and accessories in ''Online'' resemble [[VideoGame/DynastyWarriors Sima Yi, Zhang Fei, Xu Zhu and Xiao Qiao]].
* FieryRedhead: Both Catalina and Pietro are red-headed and short-tempered.
* GaidenGame: ''Daikoukai Jidai Gaiden''.
* GetRichQuickScheme: Oh, Ali... if it weren't for the ridiculously easy carpet/art trade (see BoringButPractical above), he would have been branded a con-man: he promised people they will get ten times the money they loan him! And those people are his friends!

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Quite a few, especially in the second game.
* HotMom: Joao's mom is quite a looker.
* InfiniteSupplies:
** Averted. Ports can run out of the goods that you're keep buying. It's especially obvious in Sakai where silver is very cheap.
** {{Averted}} [[UpToEleven even harder]], to the point that the game revolves around denying your rivals supplies to goods. Ports will only sell goods to guilds that hold a percentage of the port's Share, and the amount of Share you have is based on how much money the guild have dumped to the port as investments or defense funds.

* InfinityPlusOneSword: ''New Horizons'' has Blue Crescent (from Far East) and Eroll's Armor (from Copenhagen). They (and other star-ranked weapons and armor) make even the wimps (Ali, Ernst) capable of going toe-to-toe with fleet commanders!
* InformedAbility: Joao playing a lute.

* IntrepidMerchant: Ali.

* LonelyAtTheTop: Ali, eventually. This is specifically something that Howell warns him of at the beginning of his story.
* MacGuffin: The "Seven Proofs of the Conqueror" in ''Uncharted Waters 4''. These are also treasures in the conventional sense, in that the maps must be found first.
* ManualLeaderAIParty: In ''New Horizons'', your ships other than the flagship are controlled by AI. In the first game it was possible to control all your ships yourself. The AI was particularly bad and thus battles in the second game are extremely more costly for the player (unless you chose to use CombatByChampion).

** Ships in ''New Horizons'' can be repaired after sustaining damage in battle, but constant damage wears down their maximum durability. Notably, there is no way to restore this permanent damage, except selling the used ship and buying a new one.

* NeverLendToAFriend: It strangely works well during Ali's story. He pesters his friends for loans so he can get a trading running. Later, he meets Pietro (also a potential player character), who is rather overly friendly and ask him for loans. Both cases end well for the lenders.
* NumberTwo: The first game had Rocco Alemkel, a bearded BoisterousBruiser who couldn't navigate his own ship but always followed Leon (as opposed to hired navigators who could [[SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear desert you with their ships]] if their loyalty wavered). In the second game, you had number two (First Mate), number three (Book Keeper), and number four (Chief Navigator) in your PlayerParty.
* OnlyShopInTown:
** In any big port you will have exactly one shop to trade in common goods, one to trade items and treasures (optional), and one to build and sell ships.
** In the fourth game, if a rival guild have the stranglehold over all the shares of the port (to the point that even the governor won't give you license), then it's No Shop in Town for you. Your only option is to stock up and leave.

* PirateBooty: The loot from destroying an enemy fleet usually consists of a large sum of money (how large depends on the level of its captain), some water, food, and lumber (essential if you go on a killing spree because large warship crews consume supplies like no tomorrow), and either a stockpile of goods or some valuable jewerly (depending on whether the victim is a merchant or a battle fleet, respectively). Jewelry is especially useful in the first game, since you can present it to the princess and receive 10k gold the next day from her dad. The only problem was that you could only carry one piece of each jewelry type at once, but that was fixed in the second installment.
** The most lucrative booty, though, may be the enemy ships themselves. You need enough surplus crew to man both them and your own ships, extra navigators to command them, and the ability to defeat the enemy fleet without sinking all their ships. Still, they can wind up getting you a small fortune.
* PirateGirl: Catalina, though she is [[TokenGirl pretty much the only female captain in both games]].
* PlayerParty: To steer more than one ship, you need to hire a mate to serve as her captain. Also, the second game had three additional positions for your mates, First Mate, Book Keeper, and Chief Navigator, who possess skills that the PC doesn't (e.g. haggling and celestial navigation if the PC specializes in combat).
* PointAndClickMap: Only in ports, and only in the first game. The second instead went for a navigable ThreeQuartersView.

* {{Privateer}}: Otto Baynes.
* RagsToRiches: The gist of Ali's story. From an orphaned street urchin to the richest noble in the Ottoman Empire.

* RomanceSidequest: Romancing the princess in the first game was optional but brought you considerable material gain if you did it consistently. In the second game, you can romance the waitresses in various bars.

* SkillScoresAndPerks: In ''New Horizons'', characters had skill scores tied to their Sailing and Combat levels and up to five learnable perks.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Catalina is the only female captain in the entire second game (and there were no female captains in the first one at all), but this is {{justified|Trope}} by [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen the setting]]. The female presence in the games is mostly limited to various waitresses (each with her unique appearance), but there are a handful of plot-relevant women, as well, e.g. the Princess in the first game, Ali's sister, and Ernst's [[spoiler:Chinese girlfriend]] in the second.

* TimeSkip: Between the first two games.
* ThreeQuartersView: The navigation inside port towns in the second game. In the first one, you just clicked wherever you wanted to go to.
* TreasureMap:
** In a particularly nice touch, a treasure map appears just like your own global map so if your visual memory (or geography knowledge) is good enough, you can find the location of the treasure just by looking at it. Otherwise, you can ask around in bars (first game) or cartographer guilds (second game) for approximate coordinates of the location.

* UndyingLoyalty: Plot-relevant party members in the second game will never abandon you (except for plot reasons).
* WhiteHairedPrettyBoy: Ernst. Also, Joao, though he is more naturally blond than white-haired.

* WithThisHerring: Played with in Pietro's route and double-subverted in Otto's.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uw2nh_5382.jpg]]

''Uncharted Waters'' ([[MarketBasedTitle originally known]] as ''Age of the Great Voyages'') is a series of Japanese [[{{Pirate}} privateer]]/[[AnEntrepreneurIsYou trader]] video games set in TheCavalierYears. [[TheOriginalSeries The first game]] was developed by Creator/{{Koei}} in 1991 (for PC88, {{MSX}} and {{NES}}, and later for SegaGenesis, SuperNES, and the PC). The second installment, ''Uncharted Waters II: New Horizons'', followed in 1994 on PC98, SNES, and Genesis, later ported to PC, SegaSaturn, and {{PlayStation}}. Unfortunately, the second game was the last to be officially translated into English. Two more sequels, a GaidenGame, and a {{MMORPG}} based in the setting never made it out of Asia. However, as of October of 2010, the {{MMORPG}} is in an open beta for the English speaking world.

The second game takes place some [[TimeSkip 20 years after]] the first one and follows six main characters, each with their unique (and sometimes overlapping) storyline. Additionally, there are now three kinds of fame: [[BoldExplorer explorer]] (gained by discovering world wonders and remote ports and selling maps), [[{{Pirate}} piracy]] (gained by defeating enemy fleets, even if it is not, technically, piracy), and [[IntrepidMerchant trade]] (gained by investing large sums into ports and fulfilling {{fetch quest}}s), with each character having to build up one of them to advance their respective story. The six protagonists are:

* Joao Franco, Portuguese explorer and Leon's son, who is effectively kicked out by his father soon after coming of age, in order to achieve fame as a sailor of his own. Although he is considered an explorer, he is really a jack of all trades, as his storyline involves both trade and naval battles.
* Catalina Erantzo, a pirate from Spain, out to avenge the deaths of her brother and her fiancee at the hands of the Franco family (or so she believes). A FieryRedhead, she has the best (initial) combat skills of all six characters but starts the game with a literal armada of privateers on her tail.
* Otto Baynes, an English {{privateer}} on a secret mission by Henry VIII to defeat the Spanish Armada and prevent the Spanish domination of the Atlantic.
* Ernst von Bohr, a Dutch explorer and cartographer aiming to [[CartographySidequest compile a map of the entire world]] for his buddy Gerardus Mercator.
* Pietro Conti, an Italian explorer and treasure hunter, who inherited astronomic debts from his father and seeks ancient treasures to repay them.
* Ali Vezas, a Turkish trader who grew up in extreme poverty but slowly makes his way to the [[IntrepidMerchant richest merchant in the Mediterranean]], while searching for his long-lost sister.

** Cannon fire that scores a critical hit in ''Online'' can reduce your ship's max armor by a small amount each time.

* BribingYourWayToVictory: Since ''Online'' uses a microtransaction business model, Tecmo-Koei (and subsequently their distributors) introduced ships that were designed to either give a massive combat advantage or carry some other benefit like larger than normal hold space. The only way to get them is through the Treasure Box or Premium Tickets, and the chances of scoring one are minimal. On the [[ActualPacifist nonviolent side of the spectrum,]] though, there are items available that prevent ''all'' combat while at sea for 24 hours. Mention of either one tends to get at least a moderate amount of angry shouting [[StopHavingFunGuys on both sides]] [[{{Scrub}} of the issue.]]

** The LoveableRogue Pietro Conti bears uncanny resemblance to [[StarWars Han Solo]].
** Certain faces and accessories in ''Online'' resemble [[DynastyWarriors Sima Yi, Zhang Fei, Xu Zhu and Xiao Qiao.]]

** Shipwrecks in ''Online'' are found by using enough Shipwreck Map Pieces to reveal its location. It takes a bit of effort to raise the wreck and drag it to a nearby port, but exploring it could score some nice gear. One shipwreck in particular unlocks the Salvager job which focuses on primarily this.

* ItemCrafting: ''Online'' has a few skills devoted to this: Casting, which is used to make cannons, plates, and personal weapons and armor; Handicrafts, which can make medicine, ship parts and [[AnInteriorDesignerIsYou furniture for your quarters,]]; Cooking, which lets you convert foods, seasoning and spices into Vigour-restoring items; Storage, used mainly as a counter to the Plunder skill but also to make a few ingredients for Cooking; Sewing, [[MundaneMadeAwesome used to make clothes;]] Shipbuilding, which lets you [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin build custom ships]] and adjust the ratio of crew bunks, cannon chambers and hold space; and Alchemy, used to make magical items.

* TreasureMap: In a particularly nice touch, a treasure map appears just like your own global map so if your visual memory (or geography knowledge) is good enough, you can find the location of the treasure just by looking at it. Otherwise, you can ask around in bars (first game) or cartographer guilds (second game) for approximate coordinates of the location.

* {{Expy}}: The LoveableRogue Pietro Conti bears uncanny resemblance to [[StarWars Han Solo]].

* AscendedExtra: Khayr ad-Din from ''New Horizons'' was just a [[BossInMooksClothing frustratingly powerful NPC pirate.]] In ''Online,'' he's the antagonist of the Spain storyline.

* BoldExplorer: The protagonists can be played as such, particularly the playable characters of the Explorer background in the second game. Ernst is the best example, since his overarching quest is to [[CartographySidequest explore and map the entire globe]]. Pietro and Joao also do a fair bit of exploring, but the former is mainly after hidden treasures, while the latter's storyline involves an equal amount of naval battles.
** This is the whole point of Adventure-type jobs in the [=MMO=].
* BoringButPractical: ''New Horizons'': Buy Arts in Athens and sell them in Istanbul. Then buy Carpet in Istanbul and sell them in Athens. Repeat until rich. In fact, this is outright suggested by the game for Ali's story.
** The skills Fishing, Collection and Procurement in ''Online'' are meant to be cheap ways to get materials for crafting. Fishing auto-repeats every thirty seconds, and at higher ranks can score species of fish that are either a key ingredient in high-end vigour-restoring items or can be converted into large amounts of food for the crew. The other two, Procurement and Collection, auto-repeat every five seconds (though Procurement doesn't auto-repeat at sea). Collection in large amounts at the right landing ports can gather materials for the ''really'' good items, and Procurement? On land, lots of supplies for the crew (not counting ammunition for the ship's cannons) and on sea, a good amount of water per use. All this for 5 Vigour per use.

* CharacterLevel: There are actually two character levels for each character: the Sailing Level (gained by spending time at sea and affecting Intelligence and Wisdom) and the Battle Level (gained by winning naval battles and affecting Strength and Courage).
** ''Online'' uses three categories of character level: [[IntrepidMerchant Trade,]] [[AnAdventurerIsYou Adventure]] and [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen Maritime]]. The mechanics are otherwise the same.

* MaximumHPReduction: Ships in ''New Horizons'' can be repaired after sustaining damage in battle, but constant damage wears down their maximum durability. Notably, there is no way to restore this permanent damage, except selling the used ship and buying a new one.

* WoodenShipsAndIronMen: And how.

* DoYouWantToHaggle: It's not even a question of wanting, it's a question of how good you can do it. And Ali from New Horizons can do it better than anyone since his haggling is capped to his navigation level. {{Averted}} in the fourth game.
* AnEntrepreneurIsYou: In the first game, you will most likely begin by making the relatively simple sugar-porcelain runs between Lisbon and Bordeaux and go on from there until you have five carracks full of gold. Also, in the second game, pretty much the entire Ali storyline.

* InfiniteSupplies: {{Averted}}. Ports can run out of the goods that you're keep buying. It's especially obvious in Sakai where silver is very cheap.

* KarlMarxHatesYourGuts: {{Averted}} with a vengeance. Price are different everywhere, even if only by 1 or 2 gold pieces. You can even make a profit out of goods with minimal price fluctuation, if you have patience.

* NeverLendToAFriend: It strangely works well during Ali's story. He pester his friends for loans so he can get a trading running. Later he meet Pietro (also a potential player character), who is rather overly friendly and ask him for loans. Both cases end well for the lenders.

* OnlyShopInTown: In any big port you will have exactly one shop to trade in common goods, one to trade items and treasures (optional), and one to build and sell ships.