Revision as of 10:42, 14 July 2011

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

Privateer 2: The Darkening
Privateer 2: The Darkening
Release Date	December 1996

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.

REVOLUTIONARY 3D space

combat engine supporting a
vast number of fully textured
ships, space stations and planets
in high-detail SVGA, with phong
shading, spotlighting and lens
flare effects.

ADVENTURE is not confined

to the cockpit - once
planetside, the player may visit a
multitude of locations, and meet a
vast array of characters, realised
through the talens of Clive Owen,
John Hurt, Mathilda May, Jurgen
Prochnow and Christopher
Walken

The SOPHISTICATED trading

environment allows the
player to make money dealing in
numerous commodities across
three solar systems, with prices
continually shifting according to
planetary market situations.

MULTIPLE main and sub plot

story lines require shrewd
detective work, utilising the vast
databases of the three systems.

An EXTENSIVE variety of

ships, weapons and
equipment are available to help
you meet the demands of over 150
non-linear missions.

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.

Box Contents

PC

Privateer 2 Manual (4.2 MB)
Privateer 2 Reference Card and Map (1.7 MB)

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)

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

Cast

These Privateer 2 cast photos were originally posted to the now defunct Privateer 2: The Darkening official website. Now, after nine long years, they're finally back in one place! The pictures, are, in order: Brian Blessed as Uncle Kashumai, John Hurt as Joe the Bartender, Mathilda May as Melissa Banks, David McCallum as the Captain of the Canera, Clive Owen as Lev Arris/Vel Ricaud, Amanda Pays as an assassin, Jürgen Prochnow as Xavier Shondi, Christopher Walken as David Hassan and David Warner as Rhinehart.

Cinematics

Privateer 2 Videos! All 24 movies is also available here in a Single zip file (730 MB)

The Origin Museum has kindly sent us a copy of a DVD containing many of the cinematics from Privateer 2 : The Darkening, and we are happy to be able to make them available to you! The original source for the DVD is a VHS tape which was donated to the museum so while the quality isn't DVD quality, it is still higher quality than the video used in the game. Sadly there were a few scenes missing from the tape, most notably the intro and the first Joe the Bartender scene but the rest is well worth a look. You can find the videos in the Privateer 2 part of the Holovids Cinematics section.

Trailer

Storyline

Side Missions

Development

From the Origin Museum -- a picture of an official Privateer 2 crew jacket! Check it out:

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'.

Interviews

Storyboards

Download the PDF of all the P2 Storyboards HERE

Documentation

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. Read it HERE or Download the PDF HERE

Strategy Guides

Commodities

Industrial

Medical

Food

Hardware

Luxury

Ores

Black Market

Companies

News

People

Planets

Ships

Player Ships

Light


Straith	Aurora	Velacia	Drakkar	Duress

Medium


Shaman	Jendevi	Skecis	Skecis Mk II	Kalrechi	Heretic

Heavy


Karnenan	Icarus	Freij	Freij Mk II	Danrik	Faldari	Faldari Mk II

Cargo Ships


Gea Transit	Gea Transit Mk II	Ogan	Ilia	Ilia Mk II	Monolith

Military Ships


ML1b	ML2b	ML3b	ML4X


Destroyer	Prototype	Carrier	Dreadnought	Transport

Pirate Ships

Jincilla Clan


Skull	Veldor	Tacon

Kiowan Clan


Vector	Leighat	Krell

Chirichan Clan


Demon	Heron	Testmos

Papagod Clan


Tembler	Ecantona	Ashearer

Kindred


Vendetta	Blade

Fixtures

Miscellaneous

Escape Pod

Weapons

Guns

Missiles

Turrets

Wingmen

Subcategories

This category has the following 9 subcategories, out of 9 total.

P

Privateer 2 Press‎ (13 P, 5 F)
Privateer 2: The Darkening Box Contents‎ (2 P)
Privateer 2: The Darkening Cinematics‎ (1 C, 54 P)
Privateer 2: The Darkening Editing Tools‎ (4 P)
Privateer 2: The Darkening Manuals and Game Documentation‎ (5 P)
Privateer 2: The Darkening Miscellaneous Files‎ (9 P)
Privateer 2: The Darkening missions‎ (4 C)
Privateer 2: The Darkening Patches‎ (7 P)
Privateer 2: The Darkening: Behind the Screens‎ (32 P, 49 F)

Pages in category "Privateer 2: The Darkening"

The following 15 pages are in this category, out of 15 total.

C

D

Der Profi-Guide: Privateer 2 The Darkening

O

Origin’s Official Guide to Privateer 2: The Darkening

P

S

Ship computer phrases

T

V

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 <BR>across the galaxy, seemingly in search of his lost
 <BR>identity.
+{|
+|<BR>
+* REVOLUTIONARY 3D space
+combat engine supporting a
+<BR>vast number of fully textured
+<BR>ships, space stations and planets
+<BR>in high-detail SVGA, with phong
+<BR>shading, spotlighting and lens
+<BR>flare effects.
+|<BR>
+* ADVENTURE is not confined
+to the cockpit - once
+<BR>planetside, the player may visit a
+<BR>multitude of locations, and meet a
+<BR>vast array of characters, realised
+<BR>through the talens of Clive Owen,
+<BR>John Hurt, Mathilda May, Jurgen
+<BR>Prochnow and Christopher
+<BR>Walken
+|-
+|<BR>
+* The SOPHISTICATED trading
+environment allows the
+<BR>player to make money dealing in
+<BR>numerous commodities across
+<BR>three solar systems, with prices
+<BR>continually shifting according to
+<BR>planetary market situations.
+|<BR>
+* MULTIPLE main and sub plot
+story lines require shrewd
+<BR>detective work, utilising the vast
+<BR>databases of the three systems.
+|-
+|<BR>
+* An EXTENSIVE variety of
+ships, weapons and
+<BR>equipment are available to help
+<BR>you meet the demands of over 150
+<BR>non-linear missions.
+|
+|}
 == Deluxe Edition (U.S.) ==
 === Inner flap ===

Category:Privateer 2: The Darkening: Difference between revisions