Unlike its predecessors in the Wing Commander universe, (which rewarded player with fast reflexes) Privateer gives gamers a chance to exercise their gray matter as well as their hand-eye coordination. From lugging cargo across the far reaches of the galaxy to battling enigmatic alien vessels, Privateer requires the player to simultaneously fill the shoes of an interplanetary tradesman and a mercenary starship captain for hire.
First Things First [NEXT]
Due to the multifaceted nature of Privateer, getting off
to a good start is essential. The game begins with the player at the Achilles mining base in the Troy star system, possessing a meager allotment of funds and a dilapidated space vessel. The first goal is to upgrade your ship as quickly as possible: Gemini sector is a very dangerous place. After the your ship has been upgraded to a reasonable level, you should start saving money toward the purchase of a new ship which will be suitable for missions outside of the docile Troy system. While no strategy is ever perfect, I found the following system to work well.
Step-by-Step [NEXT]
Once the game begins, you should immediately go to the
ship dealer and sell the following items off your ship: laser cannon, missile launcher (w/missiles) and plasteel armor. After those items are sold, buy tungsten armor, an afterburner, a torpedo launcher (w/10 torpedoes) and 1 Meson Blaster. With your remaining currency, go to the Achilles commodity exchange and buy as much iron and tungsten as possible. Exit the commodity exchange and access the mission computer, located in the center of the base. Select a single mission, preferably a "defend base" mission at either Achilles or Helen.
Onward and Upward [NEXT]
After accepting a mission, save your game. Once the game
is saved, launch your craft and complete the mission granted by the mission computer. Once the mission is complete, fly to Helen with your cargo of iron and tungsten. Sell the cargo in the commodity exchange and use the profits to buy as much grain as your ship can carry. Then go to the ship dealer and buy another Meson Blaster, giving you a total of 2. The dual Meson Blasters and torpedo launcher provide enough firepower to overcome most foes in the Troy system, while the tungsten armor provides a measure of protection beyond the stock plasteel variety.
