Privateer nostalgia...

Who was the fat bearded guy?

I remember sometimes in that game I would meet the guy who would give me the Kraven mark 4 lasers. And other times I was never able to get them and therefor never even be able to buy them.

Yes, when I do get my Privateer 2 I'm sure I will have some tech questions. That game looks like it was meant for Windows and it's too bad that's it's so hard to get to work.

My hard drive is partitioned with win98 on it but it has no video driver installed and I don't know how to get the right one.
 
I have the EA Classics Privateer 2, which is the Windows version. Problem was that the in-flight sections ran way too fast on my computer. I should give it another try now that I have the patch...
 
Hm, that's odd...I'd always figured that Priv2 was Win9x-native. I got the "Deluxe" edition (with the fold-out poster and Chirichan Pirate patch), which apparently is already patched to run in Win95. And you've gotta run it on an old system (think P120-P166), or else it has the same way-too-fast syndrome that WC1 gets when you run it on a Pentium.
 
Deluxe is the re-release version. There's not really an official Windows 9x patch for the DOS version. Also, there's a patch available on HCl's website to fix issues related to P2 running too quickly.
 
One thing I really like about Privateer 2 is that the environment really seems *foreign*. The architecture, clothes, music... Genuinely makes you feel like the culture portrayed is separated from ours by centuries.
 
Most of them are, but.....

Bandit LOAF said:
I'm not really sure what you mean. Privateer 2 Deluxe is Windows 9x only.
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I've been researching this a lot lately, and it seems that Origin actually released two "Deluxe" versions. The first Deluxe title was in fact a DOS version which also came with the original Privateer, the strategy guide for Privateer 2, and I believe it also included the poster and shoulder patch. Apparently that Deluxe version was only available via pre-order from Origin, before the "standard" version of the game actually hit retail shelves. Origin's plan, as I understand it, was to eventually sell the DOS Deluxe version in stores, but the powers that be changed their minds at some point, and the only Deluxe version actually sold over the counter was the "Native Windows 95" version.

I've seen several Deluxe versions for sale in various places, and quite often they are the DOS type. So, I'd guess that Origin took a fair number of pre-orders for the DOS game. Unfortunately, when buying one second-hand, you kind of have to pin the seller down to identify what it is he/she is actually offering. Recently, after some effort, I found and bought a used but complete Native Windows 95 version. The seller knew what he had so it made the transaction much easier. The bottom corner of the box has a claimer stating, "Native Windows 95." It came with the game, the poster, and the shoulder patch- not included were the original Privateer and the strategy guide.

I think the confusion/duplicity was also contributed to by the fact that most PCs were still running DOS when Privateer 2 was released. Origin had to make a choice: Go with a DOS version that would work much easier on more PCs than not, or embrace a new OS and offer the game in a Windows 95 friendly format. The latter eventually won out.
 
Most Deluxe versions you see are the Windows 9x version. There are very, very few of the DOS editions, comparatively. The only way to have gotten a DOS Deluxe version was to pre-order via EA Direct in the little bit they actually advertised it, then say they didn't want want to get the regular version via EA direct when they announced it wasn't going to be available. If you said that you wanted EA Direct to send you regular P2 instead, you ended up getting the special P2 Deluxe, for some reason. It was never really intended for a widespread release, as far as I know, even before it was 'cancelled'.

So the only people who have it are people who saw the advertisment for the special version and ordered it in the limited timespan it was available and didn't decide it made more sense to just go buy regular P2 from a store, which would get it to you faster

ace, LOAF (overmortal, it seems...) and a couple of other people have it that I know of, along with OSI employees that bought it.

edit: The Windows Deluxe version is an oddity in computer gaming. It was released the year after regular P2. P2 was released in '96 when there were still lots of DOS games coming out.

edit2: Also, it has a big box, so it's not like you're going to go around confusing the two editions easily.
 
I got the delux version that came with the book, priv 1, and the patch. My patch is for the Chirican Pirate clan. I put it on a jacket I bought at the Goodwill, along with a Ghostbusters patch on the other arm.
 
overmortal said:
I got the delux version that came with the book, priv 1, and the patch. My patch is for the Chirican Pirate clan. I put it on a jacket I bought at the Goodwill, along with a Ghostbusters patch on the other arm.
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So, was your's the DOS version? Does it have "MS-DOS CD-ROM" printed on the bottom corner of the box?
 
Yes. They come with different stuff and the boxes are different sizes. Looking for something that says "MS DOS CD-ROM" to identify it is trying too hard.
 
TC said:
edit2: Also, it has a big box, so it's not like you're going to go around confusing the two editions easily.
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You make some very solid points, but I (and I assume many other enthusiasts)wasn't fortunate enough to buy the game new when it was released in 1996. A distinction is easily made if you have the box, assuming the inclusions match the packaging. But if you'll look at the rest of the contents of the game- the CDs, the jewel case, the cover of the manual, etc., there is no discernable difference between the DOS version and the Windows version. Nothing other then the box states, "Native Windows 95." To the untrained eye this can be very confusing. Also, if you are seeking a used or unopened copy, the secondary market often provides few clues to what you are actually buying, unless you are dealing with someone who truly knows the difference, or a seller who is willing to take the time to look. Most of the time I see the game for sale it comes sans box, poster, patch, etc. "Deluxe" is often listed in the item description, but which one are you getting- the DOS version or the Windows version?

I'll go out on a limb here and say that the DOS version is simply less desirable than the Windows version..... for most people. For example, I had a seller from a popular WEB site contact me less than 6 hours after I bought my Windows 95 version of Privateer 2. Apparently he had several copies of the game he wanted to sell, but he had no clue that more than one version of the title was produced. He couldn't tell the difference between a DOS version and a Windows version- he had no boxes- jewel cases only. He asked me several questions about the game, its contents, system requirements, and so on. I'm no expert, so I suggested the best way for him to tell what he had was to simply try an install- he claimed to have a Windows 95 machine he could use for testing purposes. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he'll make an accurate listing, but I maintain that the confusion surrounding the multiple releases of Privateer 2 is not easily understood at first glance.
 
The initial Privateer 2 Deluxe was a bit odd.

It was a "EA Direct" exclusive which was promoted heavily on the Privateer 2 website (this was some years before online ordering - you had to call EA). We were all very excited about it (I define we as ace and I). Unfortunately, about a month before the game was to come out the website announced that the deluxe version had been cancelled. If you called EA and ordered normally you were also told it had been cancelled.

... except it hadn't been! They produced 2,000 units (just like the WC3 Premiere), and if you called EA Direct and pressed two (for the 'Support' department) you could succesfully order it. The only person I knew who managed this was ace - every other copy I've seen came from Origin's company store.

Anyway, they didn't sell any copies... because they didn't let people buy them... and they ended up using a lot of the 'material' in the Win95 re-release. All the 'deluxe' stamped manuals, posters, etc. that weren't sold originally were reused in the Win95 Deluxe Edition.

You can tell which game the DOS one is because it's in a huge freaking box - the same size as the Ultima 9 Dragon Edition.
 
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