You take the role of a pirate captain who's headed for the top. After choosing which time period you want to live in, a trade to excel in, such as swords or medicine, a nationality to fly under the flag of, and your family name, you go out into the simulated world of privateering (Pirating) and begin doing all that stuff that pirates do. If you want treasure, go into town. Maybe you'll find a guy selling pirate maps. If you want to hurt someone real bad, go get into a sea battle with an enemy ship and ram it.

Play the role of a pirate in six different game scenarios or careers, each beginning with a different time period in history. Choose from the following: 1560s' The Silver Empire, 1600s' Merchants and Smugglers, 1620s' The New Colonists, 1640s' War for Profit, 1660s' The Buccaneer Heroes, or 1680s' The Pirates' Sunset. You can also select your nationality, difficulty level and one of five special abilities your character will possess, including fencing, navigation, gunnery, medicine, or wit and charm.