Late October.
Halloween Eve.
The last traditional holiday before the Christmas season.
Before nightfall, all sorts of mischievous kids, eager to cause trouble, had already dressed up in their outlandish costumes and started running and playing in the streets.
Okay, maybe it's not just kids. It's only one day a year when everyone can go wild and have some fun, so everyone wants to dress up and prank someone.
However, whether or not to start all this so early is something that needs careful consideration.
For many people, the precious morning time is used to do something more important.
Buy the DVD of " Pirates!!"
Leicestershire, United Kingdom.
"A little more to the left—a little more to the left, damn it, now you have to move back—"
Tim, leaning against a small ladder, looked up at his brother Chris hanging colored lights.
Can't you just explain it more clearly?
Chris was clearly annoyed and muttered angrily under his breath.
However, Tim continued to shout without a care in the world.
"Okay, don't move! Perfect!"
It's Halloween, so they need to create a festive atmosphere in the studio.
"Okay, you hang up the rest of the decorations, and I'll go buy two pumpkin lanterns."
At the request of Nintendo North America, their studio has been working overtime these past few days, and only today did they finally have a chance to relax.
Tim glanced at the [RARE Ltd] sign on the wall and nodded in satisfaction.
They are considered key members of NOA, and although they don't have many works, they are all quite popular.
The famous game " Slalom " was developed by them.
Well, while they can't compare to monsters like Gamenova, they're doing quite well within their own little circle.
It's not easy to get on Nintendo's good side; after all, Nintendo is second to none.
Just then, Tim arrived at the store.
"Let me see, a pumpkin lantern—wait, what's this?"
A card box he had never seen before appeared before him.
As a game developer, he naturally focused his attention on it immediately.
PIRATES!
The emblem is ornate and aristocratic, featuring a pair of crossed scimitars and a skull at the top—a typical Pirates! symbol.
A handsome young man is wielding a sharp sword, fighting against his enemy.
The enemy looks rather familiar.
He is the quintessential United Kingdom Pirates! figure, " Blackbeard " Edward Teach, one of the ten greatest Pirates!.
As a colonial empire during its golden age, United Kingdom was a breeding ground for privateers and Pirates!.
Besides Blackbeard, the cast includes Henry Morgan, the King of the Caribbean; Captain Drake, the Legend Pirates!; William Kidd; Captain Jack; and the Legend female Pirates! Anne Bonny.
In the context of Spain maritime dominance at the time, the British privateering system truly provided them with considerable assistance.
In a sense, United Kingdom Pirates! was actually a tool for expanding maritime power.
At the same time, United Kingdom is also the country that most likes to glorify Pirates!.
So, GAMENOVA cleverly released it simultaneously in the UK and the US.
Aside from the fact that other language versions will take a little longer, people in the English-speaking region can play it immediately.
Oh, provided you have a NeXT workstation or Hermes laptop.
And Tim actually happened to own one.
Or rather, their studio has one.
As an independent game development studio, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of various platforms and making flexible choices is an essential skill for survival.
That's why, even though a Hermes now costs nearly two thousand dollars, they still gritted their teeth and bought one.
After all, Bullfrog Studio originated in the United Kingdom.
Now that they've achieved instant fame, they've become a first-party studio for Gamenova.
Tim looked at the Pirates!! magazine on the shelf and grabbed two sets without hesitation.
"Hey, I have to buy one and see."
Pirates! was part of the traditional culture of their British Empire.
"Oh, sir, don't rush off."
The receptionist called out to Tim, who was about to leave, and reached into the storage space beneath him to rummage around.
Under Tim's questioning gaze, she pulled out two eye masks—and two Pirates! hats.
Purchase " Pirates!!" during Halloween and receive a free Pirates! costume!
"Wow, this is such a surprise, thanks."
Tim's eyes lit up, and he then grabbed his things and left.
Ten minutes later.
"So—you've forgotten about buying the pumpkin lantern?"
Chris looked at Tim, who had returned with a costume and a game cartridge, and was somewhat speechless.
"Don't be such a spoilsport! This is GameNOVA's first Founder title, aren't you interested?"
Tim shook the two game discs in his hands.
Those who are insiders in the industry have a clearer understanding of GAMENOVA's capabilities.
What kind of masterpiece will the creators of miracles bring to players this time?
"Why----"
Chris shook his head helplessly and simply gave up on the idea of renovating the studio.
The Stamper brothers' ability to grow from a garage studio to where they are today is undoubtedly due in no small part to their pure love for games.
"Okay, let's try it out—by the way, what's that hat you're holding for?"
"Of course, it's the amazing tool we'll be using later."
The two sat on the sofa, with electricity pulled from the wall socket via a power cord.
I must say, the laptop is a truly ingenious idea.
Now they can freely choose where to play the game.
To run this game, you must use the optional disc drive.
The standard version of Hermes actually does not include a CD drive in order to reduce costs.
However, people who are willing to spend nearly $2,000 on a PC will naturally not mind spending a little more money to get a fully configured PC.
As the disc's contents were read by the CD drive, Tim selected to run the game.
The main menu is very well designed, instantly bringing back memories of the Civilization that were back in the day when they were supported by NX.
The background image is a bit blurry, but it's clearly visible that this is the Caribbean Sea.
Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic were once fiercely contested territories by Spain and a host of other Europe colonial empires.
The next point upwards clearly marks Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.
The camera's field of view isn't large, but it just happens to encompass the entire Caribbean Sea region.
This was precisely where the most intense battles of the Uncharted Waters took place.
The options have clearly been specially designed, with each option marked with an iris symbol.
This is a representative pattern of France, symbolizing the royal authority of the nobility, elegance, and poise.
Today, this logo has long since become a cultural symbol, widely used in various designs.
Although the game hasn't started yet, it's not hard to tell what the game's theme is just from the title screen.
This is a game that focuses on Pirates! Adventure story set in the Caribbean Sea during a golden age.
It all started with a celebration----
The story is not complicated; in fact, it can be described as a classic.
When the protagonist was young, his family owed the count a huge sum of money due to a cargo shipwreck.
The count, accompanied by his guards, arrived at his door, kidnapped his entire family, enslaved them, and seized all their property.
The young protagonist, displaying extraordinary bravery, pushed past the count and escaped.
It's a classic revenge story, but traditionally it's a knightly tale, not Pirates!.
This backstory design is somewhat similar to the famous France novel " The Count of Monte Cristo ".
However, as everyone knows, Britain and France are sworn enemies, and even though the two brothers thought so in their hearts, neither of them said it out loud.
The scene shifts to ten years later.
[Ten years later, he has grown into an adult.]
The protagonist, carrying a tattered sack, stood on the street, his gaze fixed on the tavern sign hanging on the wall.
A young Adventure begins his journey to save his family and restore his destiny.
"Hey? This music seems kind of interesting."
Unlike Chris, who was diligently reading the script, Tim, as the technical lead at Rare Studio, had his attention completely elsewhere.
There's no need to elaborate on these purely 3D cutscenes; Gamenova already showcased them once back in Theme Hospital.
It's not the kind of live-action filming used in Biohazard; it's purely rendered 3D animation, which is much more technically challenging. However, what Tim cares about more than that is its background music.
Rare's daily work mainly revolves around the FC and SFC machines.
Therefore, that kind of electronic synthesized music with strong melodies and obvious loops has long been etched into their souls.
But this part is different in the opening animation of " Pirates!!".
"An atmospheric piece? It sounds like something a film composer would come up with over a career."
Although Tim isn't particularly knowledgeable about music, he could still hear such a huge difference.
Although Hermes doesn't have the top-of-the-line Hi-Fi sound quality of arcade machines, it's still close to native CD quality.
Hans Zimmer's composition is already making its mark from the very beginning of the animation.
Game soundtracks are rarely designed this way.
To satisfy the addictive and immersive nature of games, designers often emphasize loops, aiming to make players lose their sense of time.
It's rare to see such a focused effort on creating atmosphere.
[If you're looking for a way to get to the Americas, sign here.]
The tavern owner pulled a contract out from under the Table, clearly having been prepared beforehand.
Uncharted Waters, nine out of ten people who came here planned to go to sea and make a name for themselves.
The character creation interface isn't exactly a novel design.
It's simply a matter of choosing a name, selecting the level of difficulty, choosing a specialization, and choosing the time and context.
Many RPGs had already exhausted this formula a decade ago.
However, what happened next caught the Stamper brothers' attention.
Four people, completely different in appearance, demeanor, and style, sat at four round tables.
From left to right, they are clearly France, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
This is to force him to choose which faction to serve!
"Hey? That's interesting! What else is there to say? We'll definitely choose our British Empire!"
While being a Netherlands Adventure was certainly a good option, following the British in privateering was clearly the proper way to make a fortune.
And you can also take the opportunity to beat up France and Spain along the way!
Welcome, Mr. Tim. Have a safe voyage!