Avast ye maties! Do ye know your port from your starboard? That the Jolly Roger isn't a move ripped from the pages of the Kama Sutra? Do you have dreams of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow drifting into your mind? If you love to amass yourself in all things seafaring filled with pirate nostalgia, then Tortuga: Two Treasures look to bring the ship battling, swashbuckling adventures of the high seas to PCs everywhere. We got to talk a little with Alan Wild, Product Manager of Tortuga: Two Treasures, to see what we can expect from the final game when it is released.

What's the story of Tortuga: Two Treasures?

Thomas “Hawk” Blythe is the captain of the swift pirate frigate “Hawkwind”. Both he and his girlfriend, the voodoo priestess Sangua, captain ships under the high command of the notorious pirate leader “Blackbeard”.

Together, Hawk and Sangua embark on a search for the legendary treasure of Henry Morgan. Morgan was an infamous pirate and Governor of Jamaica approximately fifty years earlier. Many rumours surrounded Morgan and the immeasurable wealth he had amassed during his years of piracy and governing. It is said that, before he died, Morgan secreted away his treasures and ruthlessly eliminated all those who had any knowledge of these riches.

Whilst hunting for an almost mythical treasure brings its own difficulties, Hawk’s progress is hindered by a merciless twist of fate.

In a nutshell, Tortuga – Two Treasures tells of Hawk’s struggle against a world growing blacker by the day. Betrayal and death are but a small element of Hawk’s adventures. Forged treasure maps, voodoo magic, a deadly curse and the seemingly ever-present threat of Blackbeard’s wrath all appear focused on stifling Hawk as he plunges into a battle for power, romance, treasure and truth.

How does the game progress? Is it a mission/level based situation where you are placed where you need to be and after you beat something like a boss the game takes you to the next area, or is it an open-ended world where you have to actually go out to find your missions? How does the player go about getting/choosing missions?

Tortuga is a mission based game, which propels you through the story. You are not always placed precisely where you need to be, but rather within “sight” of where you need to get to. The strength of the story is that it feels like your own pirate adventure, in such a way as you actually feel a part of it (rather than being placed at set points for overtly transparent reasons).

What types of missions/quests are there in the game? Do you have to play them all to get to end or do you only have to play the more story oriented missions to advance on and can pass on perhaps missions you aren't especially fond of?

There’s a whole bunch of missions to play through. Some include key characters, with others perhaps more general in their objectives (for example, capture a ship to enter a particular harbor to reach land).

Pirates are known for sailing around on their ships and action at sea seems to be an important part of the game. How deep does your ship/crew situation run? Can you upgrade your ship? Do you have to seek out your crew or will they have a direct impact on how well your ship does at combat?

We wanted to go for a more arcade feel as opposed to a simulation. The nature and feel of the game really lends itself to that “quick and dirty” pirate action, whether it’s on land or on sea. If you’re clumsy at sea, then crew members can get blown off your ship… at the same time, if there are crew overboard (yours or those of your enemies), then you can sail over to them, haul them onboard and they’ll be more than happy to join your crew! – The alternative is you just sit back and watch as the sharks circle their unexpected human lunch.

Once you get started in a battle at sea, what all factors determine into if you live or die? Is it as easy as pointing your cannons and saying "fire," or are there more tactics to the battles such as wind speed, distance, etc. that you must be careful of?

There’s a bit more to it than pointing and firing. You need to keep an eye on your crew level, whilst selecting the appropriate ammunition, staying out of range of the enemy ships, get your broadside lined up with your target, and avoiding the reefs which not only slow you down but they don’t do your hull a whole lot of good!

How is damage to your ship handled? Can you permanently lose your ship if it takes enough damage? Can you get it repaired? Will the damage show on your ship as battle scars of sorts until you get it fixed up?

Ship damage can be repaired by way of ship repair kits. These can be purchased from merchants, or they might be found in cargo that, err, might previously have been aboard a previously seaworthy vessel.

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