Patrician II is a real-time trading simulation (mixes trade, economics, sea battles and diplomacy) featuring elements of construction and the historical background of maritime trade in the North European area between London and Novgorod during the 1300's. The game lets you play the role of a merchant plying the 14th-century sea routes of Northern Europe. Successful trading brings both fortune and fame, as you try to rise in social standing to join the ranks of wealthy patricians and be elected mayor of their hometown or even leader of all the Hanseatic league. To achieve this goal, you must gain recognition and prestige among the people - rich and poor - and try to make profit by means of maritime trade, the production of goods and the completion of missions. Sure you can raise your standing through city improvement and diplomacy or you fills your treasury through piracy and smuggling :)
Patrician II features two separate game environments, dividing city activity and maritime trade, which results in optimum user-friendliness and ideal graphics for each environment, a realistic simulation of a complex world that comprises production, transport, trade and consumption and a number of various game modes and objectives, ranging from small single missions to "life-long" campaigns, additionally, game objectives and difficulty levels can be adjusted in various ways. Like most others strategy games, also Patrician II offers multiplayer games via network or using a single computer in turn-based mode for up to 8 players. The game graphic are excellent, German developers really rocks this year (remember the other strategy games made in Germany like Tropico, Settlers IV, Cultures ...) Patrician II has very detailed and historically adapted graphics (buildings, ships, city walls, citizens, etc.) with immense detail-richness by taking the historical background of late medieval northern Europe as well as historical events into account. It's not a game for 1 day, but game for a couple of weeks. That mean it's not easy brainless strategy! if you like challenging strategy games with trading elements and also want to use your brain-power, it's definitely game for you. Download playable demo (40MB).