The main problem with the game is that it has a very cumbersome interface. After this the mission automatically restarts before you have a chance to quit and restart from a saved point in the game. The saving and loading is also troublesome and does not follow any standards. You can trade in this game by going between friendly ports and freesstanding principalities. You can not autoroute ships or convoy ships.
All ports look alike.
In friendly ports you can upgrade their dock and their defense by paying for it. There is no change in the graphics, only in the information on the facility. You have a bigger variety of ships in this game 2. The gamemap is larger and at least in the first mission resembling the West Indies with its chain of islands and with the right names in the right places. There is a half hidden map in the sense that untravelled area is not shown as water.