Uncharted Waters: New Horizons

Uncharted Waters: New Horizons (大航海時代II, Daikoukai Jidai II) is the second main title of the Uncharted Waters series.

Kou Shibusawa is the producer. Noriyoshi Ourai illustrated the game cover, and Yoko Kanno returns as music composer.

Gameplay

 * See also Uncharted Waters: New Horizons/Legend

Gameplay is similar to the previous installment with the following changes:


 * The player can choose between six different protagonists, each with their own play styles and objectives. It is necessary to advance their respective careers in order to succeed.
 * Fame is divided into three categories: trade, piracy, and adventure. All six protagonists are required to raise at least one Fame type to unlock new story events. Preferences for a particular fame can be determined by tasks given by a local ruler.
 * The game ends prematurely if the player's character is killed in battle, runs out of provisions, or reaches old age.
 * Gunpowder has been added to the essential consumables for sailing.
 * Trading now has a tax fee imposed by a port's own nation. Political power plays can affect petitions for exemptions. Newer methods of obtaining Gold are debt financing and official guild missions.
 * Facilities have new services and commands. Town NPCs can provide miscellaneous information.
 * Crewmen are divided into three different roles: navigation, lookout, and combat. Their effectiveness is limited by the amount of men a ship can hold.
 * Exploration has been revamped to include more disasters and native villages. Discoveries can be sold to collectors for huge amounts of money.
 * It's now possible to sneak into ports of hostile nations.
 * Fleets are divided into three types:
 * Merchant Fleet - Weakest and most common.
 * Voyaging Fleet - Slow guardians of merchant fleets.
 * Convoy - Powerful stalkers of blacklisted characters.
 * Pirates are a new independent faction. They will pursue nearby fleets and attack relentlessly. Early on, players may choose to surrender in order to avoid defeat, but will lose cargo and gold as a consequence.
 * Buccaneers - Weakest and often impersonate merchant fleets. Commonly found in the Caribbean or European ports.
 * Privateers - Middle class. Will not attack unless threatened. Majority are near Tunis.
 * Corsairs - Strongest class. Will actively hunt down the player if approached. Hover near Algeria.
 * Up to ten ships can deployed for battle. The player can only control the protagonist in this game; other navigators are directed by the AI.
 * Battles end at 9:00 pm. Failing to decide a victor results in a draw.

Duels
Duels are a mini-game feature introduced in New Horizons. They are triggered during certain story events or when two opposing flagships clash. Opponents are more likely to accept a duel if their crew number is sufficiently low. The goal is to deplete the opponent's stamina within ten turns by piercing through their defenses with properly-linked attacks.

The player is given a set of cards that represent three types of attack and defense stances. Drawing one card takes up a single turn and each one has a random counter indicating the command's strength. Card counters range from 1 (weak) to 9 (strong), though this aspect of the duel system is omitted in PC ports. Note that the Genesis port randomly shuffles card types rather than counters and may run out eventually.

The type of weapon equipped by the duelist has a great impact on their attacks, allowing them to bypass certain stances or be thwarted at almost every turn.


 * Straight Swords - Balanced and fairly good with all attacks.
 * Fencing Swords - Thrusts are made more effective against blocks. Best defended by parries.
 * Curved Swords - Slashes/Lashes are made more effective against dodges. Best defended by blocks.
 * Heavy Swords - Strikes are made more effective against parries. Best defended by dodges.

Winning a duel resulting in a total victory for the player.

Protagonists

 * João Franco
 * Catalina Erantzo
 * Otto Baynes
 * Ernst Von Bohr
 * Pietro Conti
 * Ali Vezas

Supporting Cast

 * Duke Franco
 * Rocco Alemkel
 * Enrico Malione (エンリコ・マリョーニ) - A professor at Lisbon University with a major in philosophy, Enrico joins João's voyage in hopes of reaching Zipangu and furthering his studies there. Serving as a voice of reason for the group, he provides them with valuable information on various topics and helps uncover the truth behind Atlantis. The Japanese version portrays him as a missionary who seeks to spread Christianity in Asia.
 * Domingo Manana (ドミンゴ・マニャーナ) - A stowaway caught hiding in João's flagship, Domingo is made a crewmate by the latter out of sympathy. After proving his worth throughout the journey and escaping death at the hands of pirates, he reveals himself as Prince Alberto of Portugal. His return to Lisbon helps clear Duke Franco's name and encourages him to embrace his royal duties.
 * Emilio Sanude (フランコ・サヌード, Franco Sanude) - Catalina's first mate and a former officer of the Spanish fleet, the cautious Emilio often struggles to alleviate his captain's hot-headed nature. He only agrees to help Catalina become a successful pirate in order to honor the memory of her late brother Michael who happened to be his best friend.
 * Andreas Paella (アンドレア・ギージ, Andrea Ghisi) - A commoner who rose up the ranks of the Spanish navy, Andreas shares Catalina's vengeful sentiments towards the Portuguese and helps her escape Ezequiel's men by setting some of their ships on fire. He and her fiancé Hernan were close friends in spite their disparate status. While loyal to Catalina, he and Emilio do not get along due to the former's brash personality and the latter's tendency to doubt.
 * Matthew Roy (マシュー・ロイ) - A companion of Otto who likes drinking, though the localized version turns him into a glutton instead. He refuses to cooperate with the nobleman at first, only changing his mind after losing in a duel. In contrast to the more chivalrous Otto, Matthew is ill-mannered but clever, often using sarcasm when interacting with others.
 * Hans Starten (ロイド・スタッテン, Lloyd Starten) - Employed by Mercator to assist Ernst, Hans dotes on the younger man due to his close ties with the latter's father. Cheerful and good with children, he loves playing cupid for Ernst and Paula much to their embarrassment. His wish before retiring is to see the fabled land of Zipangu.
 * Camillo Stefano (カミーロ・ステファーノ) - Pietro's adventure partner. While just as enthusiastic in finding rare treasures, Camillo tends to be the more sensible one and is sometimes exasperated by his friend's lack of manners. He serves as the middleman between Pietro and their sponsor Duchess Christiana.
 * Salim Jahan (ジャハーン・サリム, Jahan Salim) - A friend and business partner of Ali Vezas. He left the navy to help his father's business thrive only to lose him from an unfortunate accident. After mourning his death, Salim decides to support Ali's trading venture in hopes of making a profit for themselves. He harbors an attraction towards his friend's sister Sapha.
 * Carlotta (カルロータ) - One of the waitresses from the first game. She is now the owner of a small tavern called the Red Whale Pavilion and has a daughter named Lucia.
 * Lucia (ルチア) - Carlotta's daughter and a waitress of the Red Whale Pavilion. Having known João during their childhood years, she is infatuated with him and enjoys listening to his stories. Marquis Martinez later abducts her for eavesdropping on his plot involving Neo-Atlantis. She manages to escape thanks to Raul and is reunited with João.
 * Duchess Christiana (クリス夫人) - Duke Franco's wife and former princess of Portugal. Although supportive of João's first adventure, she constantly worries for his well-being and hires Pietro to watch over her son.
 * Felippe (フェリペ) - A high-ranking member of the Round Earth Society in Lisbon. He introduces João to Enrico and helps fund their journey. In the Japanese version, Felippe is a bishop instead.
 * Marquis Martinez (マルティネス侯爵) - An unscrupulous noble who seeks to undermine Duke Franco and seize control of the world. To this end, he and his cohorts establish a base of operations in South America while posing as Atlanteans to fool the natives into servitude. They also attempt to frame the duke for Prince Alberto's disappearance only to be foiled at the last minute. Later on, Martinez orchestrates Lucia's abduction to silence her and is in fact responsible for murdering Catalina's loved ones. His fleet is eventually crushed by the combined forces of João, Catalina, and Ezequiel.
 * Pirate Antonio Kahn (アントニオ・カーン) - A pirate hired to assassinate Prince Alberto and pin the blame on João. His first attempt fails due to Catalina's arrival. He later breaks into João's home and dies dueling the younger navigator.
 * Pirate Rudolph (ルドルフ) - A pirate in league with Kahn. He kidnaps Lucia and keeps her hostage in South America. His efforts to defeat João in naval combat end miserably.
 * Tafari/Taphali (タファリ) - A leading figure in Massawa, Tafari and his kinsmen are the remaining descendants of the Atlanteans who suffered retribution for toying with nature. Fearing that the Turkish army may attack them for their closely-guarded secrets, he entrusts João with finding the Staff of Poseidon so that the knowledge of Atlantis would never be abused once more.
 * Meconbe (メコンベ) - A servant of Tafari and another descendant of the surviving Atlanteans. He is initially suspicious of João's group, only backing off after being placated by his master.
 * Roberto Ezequiel (ロベルトゥス・エゼキエル, Robertus Ezekiel) - Commander of the Spanish fleet, Ezequiel is a man of honor who shows great concern for his subordinates including Catalina. When the female lieutenant turns rogue for being denied her revenge, the commander is forced to pursue her throughout the high seas. He later teams up with her and João to stop the forces of Marquis Martinez at South America. Otto's scenario has him develop a friendly rivalry with the English commodore for their similar ideals. His flagship is referred to as the "Santa Cruz".
 * Bret Perot (プレット・ペロー, Preto Perot) - A pirate encountered by Catalina at Syracuse. Bret constantly informs her of João's whereabouts and suggests that she use Lucia to lure him out of hiding. Initially portrayed as obnoxious and irritable, he is exposed as an accomplice of Marquis Martinez and taunts Catalina in spite of his defeat.
 * Edmund Gilbert (エドモンド・ギルバート) - An English noble whose disdain for Otto knows no bounds. He enjoys looking down on the older man and has no qualms making life difficult for him. Jealous of his rival's success, Edmund decides to form his own fleet in Daikoukai Jidai Gaiden only to suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of Salvador. In Miranda's story, he is one of two people the player can speak to regarding the Holy Grail's location; choosing the noble will result in him demanding gold for his assistance.
 * Paula Eustachio (パウラ・エウストキア) - An Oriental girl traveling with Ernst to find her true homeland. At the age of 4, she somehow wound up in Seville and was adopted by a mariner until his death. This spurs Paula to discover her origins and reunite with the family she had lost. During her stay with Ernst's group, she provides the explorer with reports on Mercator's business and gets flustered whenever Hans plays matchmaker between the two. In time, the two of them develop strong feelings for one another, causing Paula to remain with Ernst even after finding her long-lost family at Changan.
 * Gerhard Mercator (ゲルハルド・メルカトール) - Based on the historical cartographer Gerardus Mercator, he inspires Ernst to travel the world and find new discoveries so they can create a superior map for their company. Unable to travel because of his age, Mercator takes on the responsibility of managing the mapmaking business at Amsterdam while providing his colleague's fleet with much-needed funds.
 * Raul Franco (ファブリス・フェレロ, Fabrice Ferrero) - Leon's father and João's grandfather, he allegedly died at sea over 20 years ago. In truth, he was taken in by friendly natives after being shipwrecked; their hospitality lead him to discover the golden city of El Dorado. Some years later, Raul was caught by Marquis Martinez's men and became their prisoner in Neo-Atlantis. During Pietro's story, he manages to escape their grasp and reunite with his son.
 * Radino (ラディーノ) - A banker friend of Ali, Radino encourages the young man to find success and even helps fund his trading business. He eventually transfers to Venice.
 * Ladia (ラディア) - A waitress at Istanbul who serves as a love interest for Ali. She admires men who make good use of their talents and agrees to become one of Ali's investors. Once the player pays her back with interest, Ladia's friendship with the merchant will blossom into love.
 * Howell (シャイロック頭取, President Shylock) - Radino's associate and owner of the Marco Polo Bank. He serves as a role model for Ali early on throughout the latter's scenario. After purchasing a vacant building the young merchant wanted, Howell challenges him to buy it back for a very high price. However, when Ali brings in the required amount, he decides to give the building to him at no cost, having witnessed the merchant's sincerity in using his hard-earned wealth to help the less fortunate. His name in the Japanese version is a nod to the character Shylock from The Merchant of Venice.
 * Sapha (サファ) - Ali's long-lost sister, she is found working as a waitress at Basra and does not remember anything about her past. It takes some time for her to accept being related to Ali who invites her to stay with him near the end of his story.
 * Professor Juliano (ジュリアーノ教授) - An astronomy researcher from Naples who teaches celestial navigation to the player's crewmates. In Daikoukai Jidai Gaiden, he becomes Miranda's employer and assigns her to find rare discoveries for him.
 * Dr. Wolf (ウォルフ博士) - A gunsmith from Hamburg who teaches gunnery to the player's crewmates. In Daikoukai Jidai Gaiden, his research in creating high-quality cannons makes him a target for power-hungry pirates. Rescued by Salvador, he rewards the young man with the fruits of his labor.
 * Giovanni Verazzano (ヴェラツァーノ) - A cartographer from Venice who pays the player for exploring the world map. Daikoukai Jidai Gaiden has him teach accounting to crewmates instead.
 * Gerald de Jode (ヘラルド・ヨーデ) - A cartographer from Antwerp who seeks explorers to help complete the world map. Daikoukai Jidai Gaiden has him teach celestial navigation to crewmates instead.
 * Diogo Ribeiro (リベイロ) - A cartographer from Barcelona who pays explorers for discovering uncharted areas.
 * Olives (オリヴェス) - A cartographer from Palma who hires explorers to discover uncharted parts of the map. In Daikoukai Jidai Gaiden, he is revealed to be an acquaintance of Mercator.
 * Butler Marco (マルコ) - Leon's former first mate from the previous title. Now a butler in service to the Franco family, he doubles as a collector of discoveries in Lisbon.
 * Count Morie (モーリス伯) - A noble from Copenhagen who collects discoveries from explorers. Some of the game's dummied items poke fun at his baldness.
 * Ranajame (ラナージェム) - A collector from Alexandria who seeks to share new discoveries to noblemen.
 * Duke Joan (モデナ公ホアン, Duke Joan of Modena) - An eccentric noble from Pisa who collects discoveries. Offers the least amount of gold compared to other collectors. Daikoukai Jidai Gaiden has him teach negotiation to crewmates instead.
 * Professor Mordes (モルデス教授) - A scholar from Bordeaux, he collects discoveries from explorers and shares them with noblemen.
 * King Manuel (マヌエル1世) - The King of Portugal who shares ties with the Franco family due to his daughter's marriage to Leon. He praises João for finding his son and dispelling Marquis Martinez's accusations.
 * King Carlos (カルロス1世) - The King of Spain and the former liege of Catalina.
 * Sultan Suliman (スレイマン大帝) - Ruler of the Ottoman Empire, he employs Ali to secure alliances with multiple ports for his nation's prosperity.
 * Govenor General Petrus (ペトルス総督) - The Govenor General of Italy, he resides in Genoa.
 * King Henry VIII (ヘンリー8世) - The King of England who entrusts Otto with neutralizing the threat posed by the Spanish fleet.
 * Govenor General Neville (ネーブル総督) - The Govenor General of Holland, he can be found in Amsterdam.

Differences between ports

 * The PC version has players wake up at 4:00 am after sleeping at the lodge while console ports allow the waking time to be set manually.
 * The SNES port has superior music quality due to the console's Nintendo S-SMP chip and the usage of better instrument samples.
 * The SS and PS versions have enhanced FMV opening cutscenes as well as extended endings for the playable cast.
 * In the early PC-98 version, there is a bug that prevents players from achieving Otto's ending.
 * Players can toggle the display screen for wind velocity and water currents in console versions.
 * The PC version includes Dice as a second mini-game when using the gamble command.
 * Battles can be sped up in the SNES version by holding the Y button.

Expansions/Spin-offs

 * Mobile Daikoukai Jidai 2
 * Daikoukai Jidai Gaiden

Related Media
Two guidebooks for the game were published by KOEI on February 1994 and December 1996. A soundtrack CD was released on 1993.

Image Song

 * EMPTY EYES ～Emerald no Umi～
 * Performed by A.T.Gouppe