How do you play the game ships and sailors?

Can't remember name of old 90's adventure computer game, travelling and trading in distant lands, 2D?

• there was this game, i used to play in the late 90's, around 97-98, but the game might have existed prior to that, it is basically a 2D game, where you play a character, he is a merchant, and he owns a ship, and you can travel on the ship and go to other places around the globe, purchase goods and return to europe( london if im not mistaken ) and sell those goods and make a profit, on the map view, you manipulate the ship along the seas and come to ports of call on the world map, there you can discover different kinds of people and civilizations, in fact the game play is similar to the PC game civilizations . once u reach a port of call, the game view changes, now you can manipulate your character and move him on the screen with the arrow keys, he can walk around town, sleep in a motel or go to church etc. the game is set in the ancient era, where ships were still powered by sails and the only modern civilization existed in Europe, i would say the game was set around the 1700s- 1800s, the graphics is really average 2D only but it is the game play which is fascinating, played on MS-Dos at that time .. i really would appreciate anyone with any recollection of this game -dhanan

• Answer:

  im thinking it sounds like the first Sid Meier's Pirates game