From the back of the box:
BROADSIDES is a game of non-stop naval action, as fast and demanding as the historical battles it recreates: Constitution vs. Guerriere, Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis, and many more. In this two-player and solitaire simulation, both ships will be rigged, manned, and armed just like the real ships were, and will handle in the wind just as the real ships sailed.
For speed of play, the ARCADE game lets you sail right into the action. You set your course, maneuver and fire broadsides as fast as your crew can reload. For authenticity and historical detail, the TACTICAL game puts you on the quarterdeck. There, you make decisions real captains had to make: How much sail? What course for best speed? Aim your guns for the rigging or waterline? What range? Load with solid shot or grape shot?
When the ships move within grappling range, your boarding parties and sharpshooters will decide the battle. As you watch the action on your screen, you'll take a saber in hand and plunge into the heart of the fight.
If you wish to depart from the historical ships provided and design your own naval legends, BROADSIDES lets you build frigates and ships-of-the-line from the keel up, rigging them, manning them, and arming them with everything from 12-pounders to hull-smashing carronades.
By Wayne Garris