Category:Privateer 2: The Darkening

Privateer 2: The Darkening
Privateer 2: The Darkening
Platform	DOS, Windows 95
Engine	BRender
Release Date	December 1996 (Europe); January 1997 (U.S.)

Developed in the period following the success of Wing Commander III, Privateer 2 was conceived as a cinematic evolution of the Privateer gameplay model. Privateer 2: The Darkening was developed in the UK by Erin Roberts and his team at EA Manchester with its full-motion video cutscenes filmed on sets built at the legendary Pinewood studios. The game puts you, the player in the shoes of Ser Lev Arris, a mysterious figure in search of his past, and lets you play the game your way. Boasting an all-star cast, the game stars Clive Owen as Ser Arris, supported by Christopher Walken, David Warner, Jürgen Prochnow, Mathilda May, and John Hurt, among others.

Set in 2790, The Darkening takes place in a remote corner of the Wing Commander universe known as the Tri-System. Planet Anhur has been home to humans for some two thousand years, with the locals having 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

Original U.K. Release

U.K. box, front cover

U.K. box, back cover

NAME: Ser Lev Arris

AGE: 30

DIAGNOSIS: Anterior Amnesia

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.

Korean Edition

Korean Box), Front and Back

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".

UK Edition

Privateer 2 UK Manuals

US Edition

Deluxe Edition (US)

This Box Contains:

(3) CDs (your game).
Windows 95 Installation Guide (16 pp.) which is what you are reading now and which includes Installation and Troubleshooting information.
Pilot's Manual (32 pp.) that introduces the cockpit and describes how to fly, navigate and fight.
Your Guide to the Universe (48 pp.) that explains loading and saving the game, and how the CNN booth system and your PAD work.
Reference Card (4 pp.) that lists all keyboard, mouse and joystick commands in the game.
Registration Card — we'd love to know who you are!

EA Catalog
Chirichan Pirate Clan Patch

Korean Edition

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!

Cinematics

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

Misc

We recently discovered 1.2 gigabytes of individually rendered frames of Privateer 2 landing artwork. It's gorgeous stuff--an insane amount of detail went into the landing sequences... but we couldn't display thousands of images at once. Instead, we've used the images to reconstruct the videos using modern graphic capabilities! If you'd still like to examine the images themselves, you can grab them here (1.2gb).

Trailer

Storyline

Side Missions

Music

Inflight music (MIDI) - by James Hannigan

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

Manuals and Game Documentation

Controls

Afterburner			Tab
Fire guns			Space
Fire missile			Enter
Fire mine			Backspace
Accelerate			+
Decelerate			-
Full speed			]
Full stop			[
Cycle targets forward		A
Cycle targets backward		Z
Select closest hostile		W
Select closest friendly		S
Select target in crosshairs	Q
Disable targeting		Alt-T
Toggle radar style		Alt-R
Cycle guns			G
Full guns			F
Cycle missiles			M
Cycle mines			B
Damage HUD			D
Comms HUD			C
Forward view			F1
Left view			F2
Rear view			F3
Right view			F4
Chase view			F5
External ship camera		F6
Target external view		F7
Target chase view		F8
Fixed camera			F9
Cinematic camera		F10
Toggle distress receiver	O
Enable tractor beam		T
Disable tractor beam		Y
Warp shields			Alt-W
Transmit BSE virus		Alt-B
Activate PAD (on base only)	P

Cheats

Open the navigation screen by pressing Alt-N. Press F. Type one of the following and press enter.
NO TALENT (Invincibility)

REP ME UP (Repairs armor and shields)

NAPALM (Unlimited nukes)

PETY PETY (Full afterburners)

CHILL OUT (Lasers produce less heat)

Press

The Darkening - 1995 - The Times - 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

System Requirements

Deluxe Edition

Windows 95	The Deluxe Edition of Privateer 2: The Darkening is native to Windows 95 and requires Windows 95 to install and play the game.
Computer	Privateer 2: The Darkening requires at least a Pentium™ 75MHz or 100% compatible processor. A processor that is equal to or faster than a Pentium™ 90MHz processor is recommended. This game was tested fully with Intel-based processors. Other processors may not be compatible.
Memory	A minimum of 16MB of RAM installed in your computer is required to play this game.
Video Card	A 1MB (or greater) SVGA (640x480) video card that is compatible with Microsoft DirectX is required.
Hard Drive	You must have a minimum of 40 MB free on your hard drive to install and play this game.
CD-ROM Drive	A 4x-speed CD-ROM drive is required.
Mouse	A mouse (Microsoft or 100% compatible) that works under Windows 95 is required to play this game.