Category:Privateer 2: The Darkening: Difference between revisions

The Terran Knowledge Bank
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 119: Line 119:


==Box Contents==
==Box Contents==
Here's something a lot of people don't know: different versions of Privateer 2 featured readically different manuals! It's strange but true - the original UK release came with a "Crius Hospital Rehabilitation Guide" and an in-universe "Guide to Space Travel"... while the American version came with a single booklet, "Your Guide to the Universe". Well, it's time for the walls to come back: thanks to the scanning efforts of Kris Vanhecke and myself, now everyone can have both manuals! Get the American version [http://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/p2manual_usa.zip here] (13 mb, PDF) and the British set [http://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/p2manual_uk.zip here] (15 mb, PDF)
Here's something a lot of people don't know: different versions of Privateer 2 featured readically different manuals! It's strange but true - the original UK release came with a "Crius Hospital Rehabilitation Guide" and an in-universe "Guide to Space Travel"... while the American version came with a single booklet, "Your Guide to the Universe". Well, it's time for the walls to come back: thanks to the scanning efforts of Kris Vanhecke and myself, now everyone can have both manuals!
 
* The American version [http://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/p2manual_usa.zip here] (13 mb, PDF)
* The British set [http://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/p2manual_uk.zip here] (15 mb, PDF)


<gallery>
<gallery>

Revision as of 15:59, 30 June 2011

Privateer 2: The Darkening
Bd-box3.jpg
Release Date December 1996


Wing Commander Privateer 2 was created in the wake of Wing Commander III as the cinematic video step up for the Privateer subseries. Erin Roberts developed the game with a more modest budget in the UK. The main character, Ser Lev Arris, was played by Clive Owen. He was supported by Christopher Walken, David Warner, Jürgen Prochnow, Mathilda May and John Hurt. The game took place about 120 years after Wing Commander IV in an isolated pocket of space known as the Tri-System. Planet Anhur was been home to humans for some two thousand years, and the locals independently developed faster-than-light drives from the Confederation. The futuristic setting lets players utilize advanced jump gates, short-range time travel devices and massive cargo haulers. In addition to the traditional build-up phase and story portions of the game, Privateer 2 peppers the experience with random cinematic mini plot missions. Certain upgrades are only available once these subplots have been completed, and entire character arcs are explored with recorded video cutscenes separate from the main story.

Copy

U.K. box, front cover

Original U.K. Release

NAME: Ser Lev Arris

AGE: 30

DIAGNOSIS: Anterior Amnesia

U.K. box, back cover


RECENT HISTORY:
Ser Arris's condition was probably caused by accelerated
depassivity from a long artificial sleep, after being
pulled from the wreckage of a recent Cargo ship disaster at
Mendra spaceport. After a satisfactory physical recovery,
the subject was kidnapped in a violent attack on the
hospital resulting in a number of fatalities. The subject
seems to have escaped his kidnappers, and is now in
possession of a spaceship, trading and fighting his way
across the galaxy, seemingly in search of his lost
identity.

Deluxe Edition (U.S.)

Inner flap

U.S. box (Deluxe Edition), left inner flap
U.S. box (Deluxe Edition), right inner flap

THE ULTIMATE SPACE COMBAT TRADING EXPERIENCE


You regain consciousness, and the unfamiliar
faces around you inform you that you've lost
your ship in an accident. You're new to the
cutthroat world of Tri-System privateers, and
now your only order of business is survival.
You've got just enough credits to afford a new
ship, but it's going to need upgrades if you
expect to live long. The sector is full of
people willing to do business, but who can be
trusted? Legal or not, it's time to trade, travel,
and battle your way through a place where
high risk means high yield and those with the
brass reap the rewards.

Back cover

U.S. box, back cover

A new FACE...
A new PLACE...
A new STORY...

Strap in tight and jump into
the ultimate space combat
trading experience!


In Privateer 2, there are no rules.
You can fly over 100
different missions in
18 different ships.
Check out whatever you
want ― unique planets,
space stations, bars,
prison pits and more.


But without money, you're nothing.
Ship upgrades,
loadouts, repairs,
wingmen, information
― everything here
costs money. You'll
have to hunt, trade,
and fight to get it.


Only the fastest and most savvy survive.
Incredible new space
combat engine enables
hi-speed battles between
bands of pirates, greedy
police, desperate
privateers and you.

Strategy Guides

Development

Concept Art


  • The never-used box cover for 'Privateer: The Darkening'! The file, dated May 13, 1996, proves once and for all that Electronic Arts once seriously planned to release it without the '2'.

Storyboards

  • Download the PDF of all the P2 Storyboards HERE


Box Contents

Here's something a lot of people don't know: different versions of Privateer 2 featured readically different manuals! It's strange but true - the original UK release came with a "Crius Hospital Rehabilitation Guide" and an in-universe "Guide to Space Travel"... while the American version came with a single booklet, "Your Guide to the Universe". Well, it's time for the walls to come back: thanks to the scanning efforts of Kris Vanhecke and myself, now everyone can have both manuals!

  • The American version here (13 mb, PDF)
  • The British set here (15 mb, PDF)

Documentation

Cutscenes

Privateer 2 Videos! Single zip file (730 MB)


More Privateer 2 Videos!

We've located 'Tape B' from Origin's Privateer 2 video archive, which adds most of the videos not already in our archive (except, somehow, the introduction). Here's the roster:

Press

  • The Darkening - Article about Privateer 2 from The Times
  • Back in 1996, PC Zone magazine produced a special 20-page Privateer 2 preview booklet. It interviewed all aspects of the team, including programmers, the guys behind the full motion video... even the sound engineer! It was a beautiful magazine which featured many early screenshots. Download the PDF HERE

Credits

see Privateer 2 credits


Privateer 2: The Darkening development team! Take a close look at the details, too--there's an area on the wall for each Tri-System planet! Special thanks to the always-graciou

  • Back Row: Mark Goldsworthy, Phil Meller, Paul Hughes, Tony Stockton, Nick Goldsworthy, Jason Reeve, Adam Medhurst, John Miles, Erin Roberts
  • Front Row: Paul Chapman, Nick Elms, Mike Cottam, Chris Battson, Dan Blackstone


You've seen their picture take a look at their cartoon equivalents

Companies

News

People

Planets

Ships

Player Ships

Light

P2straith-vdu.gif
P2aurora-vdu.gif
P2velacia-vdu.gif
P2drakkar-vdu.gif
P2duress-vdu.gif
Straith
Aurora
Velacia
Drakkar
Duress

Medium

P2shaman-vdu.gif
P2jendevi-vdu.gif
P2skecis-vdu.gif
P2skecismkii-vdu.gif
P2kalrechi-vdu.gif
P2heretic-vdu.gif
Shaman
Jendevi
Skecis
Skecis Mk II
Kalrechi
Heretic

Heavy

P2karnenan-vdu.gif
P2icarus-vdu.gif
P2freij-vdu.gif
P2freijmkii-vdu.gif
P2danrik-vdu.gif
P2faldari-vdu.gif
P2faldarimkii-vdu.gif
Karnenan
Icarus
Freij
Freij Mk II
Danrik
Faldari
Faldari Mk II

Cargo Ships

P2geatransit-vdu.gif
P2geamkii-vdu.gif
P2ogan-vdu.gif
P2ilia-vdu.gif
P2iliamkii-vdu.gif
P2monolith-vdu.gif
Gea Transit
Gea Transit Mk II
Ogan
Ilia
Ilia Mk II
Monolith

Military Ships

P2lightcis-vdu.gif
P2mediumcis-vdu.gif
P2heavycis-vdu.gif
P2extraheavycis-vdu.gif
ML1b
ML2b
ML3b
ML4X
P2destroyercis-vdu.gif
P2prototypecis-vdu.gif
P2carriercis-vdu.gif
P2dreadnoughtcis-vdu.gif
P2transportcis-vdu.gif
Destroyer
Carrier
Dreadnought
Prototype
Transport

Pirate Ships

Jincilla Clan

P2skull-vdu.gif
P2veldor-vdu.gif
P2tacon-vdu.gif
Skull
Veldor
Tacon

Kiowan Clan

P2vector-vdu.gif
P2leighat-vdu.gif
P2krell-vdu.gif
Vector
Leighat
Krell

Chirichan Clan

P2demon-vdu.gif
P2heron-vdu.gif
P2testmos-vdu.gif
Demon
Heron
Testmos

Papagod Clan

P2tembler-vdu.gif
P2ecantona-vdu.gif
P2ashearer-vdu.gif
Tembler
Ecantona
Ashearer

Weapons

Guns

Missiles