Privateers and Gentlemen

The game received generally positive reviews, although some critics questioned the blending of both role-playing and naval combat, the lack of any scenarios or adventures, and the disorganization of the rules.

Privateers and Gentlemen is a role-playing game in which players create characters who are naval officers serving on Royal Navy warships during the late 18th century, during the days of Admiral Horatio Nelson and C.S.

Reading them and playing them in the playtest of the miniatures rules was frustrating at times... [due to] ambiguities, difficulty of reference and disorganized presentation of procedures."

It sacrifices detail of simulation for action and drama, but the tradeoff still retains a strong atmosphere with an effective mixture of heroic romanticism and grim realism...

"[9] In the November 1983 edition of White Dwarf, Ian Waddelow found that Walter Jon Williams wrote the rulebooks "with humour and authority.

"[10] Jane Vialls, writing about sexism within the role-playing game world, noted that Privateers and Gentlemen is "probably the ultimate example ... where female characters are virtually impossible.

Swan concluded by giving the game a solid rating of 3 out of 4, saying, "Privateers and Gentlemen stands as an exceptional product by a designer who clearly knows his stuff.