Just want to say thx

[Wisnu Wiradana Sudirham]

Hello, I’m singlecutguitar and I’m from Indonesia, I live in the border between Banten and Jakarta (VOC called it Batavia).

I’ve been playing this Era mod or two weeks and I’d say thanks for all Buccaneer’s Reef Team and especially Sir MK for creating this mod. I’m a fans for Age of Pirates game for year, but this game is very buggy. I even surrender to play this again because it keep crashing. Once I found GOF mod that fix a lot of bug but there’s references to PoTC movie. I don’t say that I don’t like the film, but I feel odd to see references of pop style film in the mod. On the other hand, I found this Era Mod on the youtube comment and I’m surprised that the team still support this until 2017. The first time I try this mod I’d say it was worth it. There’s many ships and character, complete with their historical background. The music are also improved, I can hear Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto when roaming across town. Playing this mod it’s like reading history books. I can spend hours to read ship’s model history and the character mini biography on the character selection. This mod has given this game more realist and historical approach. That 30 gigs of space are worth it ! Well done Sir MK and all Bucaneer’s Reef team. Too bad I don’t have coding skill whatsoever. If it is I gladly help this community. I’m majoring in musicology, maybe I can help discussion about music sometimes for more historical approach.

Regards,
singlecutguitar

P.S. : sorry my bad english

• This topic was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Wisnu Wiradana Sudirham.

[modernknight1]

Thank you so much for taking the time to drop by and give us your thoughts! This means a lot to me. I have to tell you that this site would be gone and I would have stopped doing this a long time ago if it weren’t for people like you. I was ready to call all of this quits a year ago because we get so little interest here or people think I’m some kind of bad guy. But then Jeffrey and Orazio show up and start doing amazing new things with the game and pushing the envelop on what’s possible and producing the most beautiful new cabin models and a new ship model. These are the kinds of things that keep me doing this.

Silly things will derail me and make me almost stop work. Two days ago a member sent me some screenshots of new ships on the German forum by one of my favorite modelers – Yo ho ho. I begged him to come out of the woodwork 6 months ago on our main page and consider giving his models to us. I even noticed he signed up for a membership here. But haven’t heard anything so I have to assume that we will never have those fine models. Sigh…. I just have to look forward to Orazio’s new model which is awesome and not let this get me down.

Anyway… Welcome to the Reef Mate! I hope others will choose to do as you have because it means that I have more motivation to continue. Your English is fine. I would rather people comment who don’t have English as a first language, than not comment at all.

Thank you again!

MK

[Wisnu Wiradana Sudirham]

The references about VOC is the main interest to me in this game. I live in Indonesia which is an archipelago. VOC may not as big as spaniard or british in caribbean, but they gain monopoly of spice here in Indonesia archipelago. And maybe that’s why Indonesia gain independence as a country in the whole archipelago (over 17,000 island). They succesfully get rid of british and portuguese. One of their ship even named Batavia, I was born in Batavia (now called Jakarta). Many Dutch architecture are still treated well and considered as national heritage.

There’s many connection between caribbea and indonesia in the age of sail. This ERA mod makes me learn more and more about world history. And thx again sir and bucaneer’s reef team. I’m looking foward more about the dutch references if you don’t mind 😀

Anyway is there any threat about musical references ?

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Wisnu Wiradana Sudirham.

[modernknight1]

I am glad you are enjoying the historical ambiance. This is the main reason I created the ERAS mods to begin with. Many of our Dutch WIC ships are identical to their VOC equivalents and I feel the Dutch finally get their actual historical presence in our game here than in any other historical game on the planet.

Actually the Dutch were every bit as active and a presence in the Caribbean as the French or English. Most western history written in English ignores this however. Dutch pirates (Zee Rovers) were one of the largest factions of pirates in the world during this time and much of the original Brethren of the Coast were not just French captains, but Dutch as well. The great Dutch pirate captains, DeGraaf, Marten, LeSage, Prinz, Blot, Yankey W, Van Hoorn and many other were some of the greatest and most active in the history of piracy.

The Dutch seized Saint Marten in 1632 and Curacao in 1634, followed by a whole slew of other colonies like those in Surinam, and they held Brazil for 40 years. Also Aruba, Bonaire, St Eustasius, Saba, Essqibo, and Tobago were all at one time Dutch colonies. Militarily they campaigned to take many Caribbean colonies held by other powers but usually only succeeded temporarily. They burned San Juan and attempted to take Puerto Rico which was a major cause for Morro Castle to become the fortress it is today. The great Admiral DeRuyter bombarded Bridgetown, Martinique and Saint Kitts and attempted an unsuccessful assault on Martinique. And then there is DeGraaf’s famous pirate attacks and sackings of Vera Cruz and Cartegena.

The Dutch had the largest merchant fleet in the world which was 10 times larger than France’s and England’s put together with 25,000 ships globally. In the 1660s the Dutch navy boasted more warships than France and England combined as well. In fact during the 3rd Dutch war they defeated the combined English and French fleets together at the same time twice!

I am very knowledgeable of your history. I have studied if for years and have read almost everything Brujn and Gosslinga ever wrote about the VOC and the East Indies. I plan to visit Batavia one of these days soon. One of my favorite books which I reviewed on this website is the Scents of Eden. I want to visit all of the abandoned Dutch spice island colonies and forts he talks about in the book.

I was under the impression that most Indonesian people don’t like the Dutch because of old animosity concerning colonial atrocities. Old stories of cutting off eyelids of slave labor and other tortures are infamous and not forgotten. So I have to ask you what is your opinion of this? …and just out of curiosity what is the prevailing attitude/opinion of people you know there concerning the Dutch these days?

Thanks!

EDIT: Don’t understand your question about the music??? Are you wondering about reference? If you take a look at the readme file you can find out who all of the composers are. Also many of the music files themselves are named for the pieces. This music was used with permission and or IAW USC 107 for educational purposes and cannot be reproduced for other uses or for profit. All of that legal jargon is stated in the READ ME file for the mod.

MK

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by modernknight1.

[Wisnu Wiradana Sudirham]

I thought since English become lingua franca, the history from non english historian become less dominant.

The dutch does colonial activity back in the day, slavery is one of them. We called it Rodi (Dutch forced labor). Not only in Indonesia, but many people from the island of java also sold into slavery and taken to the surinam, that’s way some surinam still speaks javanese until today. This is short wikipedia link about Javanese suriname. Story like this became main propaganda for the nationalist movement, it’s the main reason that unite indonesia archipelago into independence in one country. In the town of Batavia there’s a mixed raced between the native indonesian, chinese, and arabian called Betawi (indonesian tongue for Batavia). In their traditional performance art, the VOC often became the antagonist called kompeni (english : company) that refer to VOC. So Indonesian are anti colonialist as in the opening of our proclamation of independence. But sometimes it’s blurry between the VOC and dutch colonial goverment. Sadly our people nowadays became less care about our history.

Indonesian do not hate the dutch. On the other hand, many dutch come to teach indonesian about politics and protestanism (I personally born protestant). The dutch political figure like Douwes Dekker along with another indonesian activist dr. Tjipto Mangunkusumo (doctor and political activist) and Ki Hajar Dewantara (teacher and political activist) form the first political party in indonesia called Indische Partij that spread the idea about indonesia independent.

If you want to visit Jakarta, I’d gladly become your tour guide. We have Museum Bahari (bahari means maritime) in batavia, and many dutch building still used until this day in kota tua (old town). If the cuban has their cigar, we have our cigarette called kretek (if you’re a smoker). And we also have our coffee called kopi tubruk.

[modernknight1]

LOL! Your first sentence says in a nutshell why I write so many of the historical articles I do in order to reintroduce REAL historical truths back into the macro discussion of history for consideration.

Thank you for the excellent response! I am fascinated and would like to learn more. I took two long trips last year which were very historical in nature in my exploration. I am about to publish a new article on my last trip as we speak which will be featured on the front page. I am taking a trip to Yucatan in March and will be doing more research there. I don’t like to travel in the hottest times of the year or when it is stormy during monsoon season. My favorite times to travel are in the off season when its cooler and less crowded. How is the weather there in September/October time frame? I have not made plans for that time-frame and would gladly take you up on the offer of tour guide. In some of the literature I’ve read about the Banda chain and other islands around Timor and south of and around the Mallacas there is no way to get to some of them except by charter boat. My dream has always been to sail there and explore them over months of time, but I don’t own a big enough boat yet for such a trip and can’t afford a new one right now.

If I come to Jakarta/Batavia this year, I would want to stay for two or three weeks and part of the trip if possible would be excursions to these other islands. If you could get time off from your work I would be willing to pay for you to go along as my guide/translator to whatever other islands I could get to in order to photograph the old ruined Dutch towns, forts, churches and cemeteries. We can continue this dialogue by PM in order to iron out future details.

So I have another question. So I know that during the Japanese invasions and the fighting after between Field Marshal Slim’s counter attack that many of the original Dutch inhabitants fled to other places and then during the independence movement many others also left. I had heard that before they left they were considered elites and that the native peoples hated them. Are there any of these Caucasian Dutch people still living there from way back or are they all gone now? Also if there are still some remaining, what to the people think of them? I know in the Caribbean many Dutch people still live in their former and still claimed Dutch colonies. I have met them and talked to them quite a bit and they’re usually very sociable.

MK

[Wisnu Wiradana Sudirham]

Around September until January, there will be raining season here. I know how you feel sir. I have friends from Russia who don’t like go to Indonesia while in sunny season, it’s too hot for them. I think it’s the same with Americans. Sometimes I also can’t stand the heat. It’s too hot on sunny season and also the mosquitos. I’ll glad to be your guide, this year I’m focusing on my last assignment for college so I have much free time. And I can drive you around with my car. We can also go to Rangkasbitung, Banten province which are around two or three hours from Batavia, and they’re forts of the dutch that is still maintained by local government. Politically Indonesian hates colonialism but we don’t destroy Dutch buildings because they’re considered as national heritage. Many of the buildings are still operate like churches and post office.

Since the Japanese came to archipelago, the opinion of Indonesian are divided. Some of them support the Japanese because they’re like Asian big brother to Indonesian and Japan spread the anti west colonialist propaganda which gains much favor among Indonesian Nationalist. It’s called 3A Movement and led by Soekarno, founder of Indonesian Nationalist Party (later he become the first president of Indonesian Republic). The 3A Movement support the independence but under the Commonwealth of East Asia (I don’t know what it’s called in English) and Japan as its leader. The Japanese even form a political organization called BPUPKI (agency of effort to prepare indonesia’s independence) later it becomes PPKI (Preparation Committee of Indonesia’s Independence). This idea rejected by Communist and Socialist movement. They consider Japan as the new colonialist. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bomb are weakened Japanese forces so the Youth Movement takes advantage of this. They persuade the committee to proclaim the independent right away. So in 17 of August 1945 they proclaimed their independence from the Dutch. But the Dutch considered Indonesia’s independence in 1949.

As far as I know some of the Dutch fled to Australia while the Japanese invade Indonesia. VOC settles in Indonesia for around 1700, many of them marry locale native. Many of my friends have dutch descent. Manadonese which are from north Sulawesi island (west of Maluku) have dutch blood, some of them even look like dutch. Many of the Dutch descent still in Indonesia, but I never contacted them because they’re minor in Indonesia. In the colonial era, native are considered lower class and they often sold to the slavery. The mixed dutch are middle class and sometimes mistreated, that’s why many of them also have their part for Indonesia’s independence. Maybe that’s why Indonesian hate the colonist.

Most Dutch who came from catholic and protestant mission build schools (including my high school in Batavia) and hospitals. Indonesian don’t hate Dutch as in racistic terms but because of the class system that implemented by the colonial government. This class system actually existed in feudalism era long before the VOC. So it’s about all about class struggle.

Since the independent of Indonesia, The Dutch churches gave the churches to the protestant organization called GPIB (Protestant Church of West Indonesia). All the churches still operates until today. I’ll list the places that you visit Batavia and Banten

[modernknight1]

Fascinating! Actually the VOC kicked the English out of Jakarta and deposed the local ruler in 1619 (renaming it Batavia at that time) and then began immediately pushing deeper into greater Indonesia and the Mollucas throughout the rest of the century. The other native rulers complied with this because they recognized the native attack against the Dutch as illegal because the Dutch had secured treaties with the higher level regional Sultans. From what Gosslinga writes about it, the English were the ones that put Prince Jayawikarta up to the attack to try to expel the Dutch presence there. They almost succeeded until Coen showed up in the nick of time with a Dutch fleet. Later when the Dutch had become far too powerful – the local leaders regretted letting them in and there were a couple of attempts to kill the Dutch leadership. The attempted massacre at Kandy(Ceylon) went badly for them and most of the Dutch leaders and captains survived. This gave the excuse the Dutch wanted to make war on all of the native chieftains/sultans and take over everything. It was brutal. A truly bloody chapter of history so neglected in the history books. Most of the great Dutch historians like Bruijn and Israel don’t look at this deeply because there are too many other things going on at the same time and Bruijn is the navy expert mostly covering Dutch ships, leadership, battles, etc. Gosslinga however goes a little deeper into it which is why I enjoy reading his books so much. I have everything he has written.

It has always fascinated me how so many colonial powers fought with one another in the East when they were not at war in the west – allowing their trading companies to fight rather than the countries themselves. Look at the Dutch-Portuguese War, 1603-1668 I believe. That is a LONG war and during that time Portugal lost almost its entire eastern empire (with the exception of Goa, Bombay[which was ceeded to the English as part of Catherine of Braganza’s dowry when she married Charles II], and eastern Timor). This war was fought more by the VOC than by the actual Dutch state – although the WIC (Dutch West India Company) also held Brazil in the west for 40 years during this time as well.

So that’s the rainy season eh… OK so what is the best time of year to come when its the coolest and the least rain? Would that be February or March? If we have a year to plan I may be able to stay longer depending on what we can line up to see. We could make it a daily blog here on the Reef – showing all of the sights and places we go to with pictures. It could be a GREAT deal of fun!!!

I thought there were still Dutch people there and its no surprise to me that they are considered the upper class. They probably don’t come out into the day light in places the “simple folk” can see them that often.

MK

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by modernknight1.

[Wisnu Wiradana Sudirham]

There’s one of the world biggest flower endemic of Bengkulu (Bencoolen) called Rafflessia. The name is taken from British governor name of Bengkulu, Stamford Raffless. This species available at Bogor (Buitenzorg) Botanical Garden, one of the biggest in the world. Bogor is about 2 hours from Jakarta (due to the traffic jam). There’s dutch palace in Bogor that are used by the Dutch governor and later by the president of Indonesia. As far as I know it’s not open for public, but we can take photos from the outside. It’s worth the trip if you visit Batavia. If you already decide to come, I plan to bring a friend along to the trip, he’s young protestant pastor and his grandmother is dutch. He knows more about Batavia than myself.

February is the peak of rainy season. In Jakarta, we have heavy flood problem due to the bad city planning. Normally sunny season is in April – July, August or September will be an early rainy season which is good for traveling. Actually, sunny season isn’t a problem in Jakarta, heavy traffic is. So be ready to spend more time on the way.

As far as I know, The Dutch later succeeded to capture Gowa (now Makassar). There’s an interesting story. Prince Diponegoro a resistance leader from Java are captured by the Dutch and imprisoned by the Dutch government in Makassar. He never kneel to the dutch. The dutch build a low tunnel into his chamber so when Dutch call for him, he is forced to kneel. But Prince Diponegoro always get out from his chamber backward, refuse to kneel to the Dutch.

The Bugis (native of Makassar) are notable sailor and shipwright. There’s Bugis ship called Pinisi, influenced by the Dutch’s Pinnas.

In 1975 under the second president Soeharto, Indonesia tried to occupy East Timor. It’s one of the biggest crime against humanity that ever done by the Indonesian government. After the fall of Soeharto 32 years reign, in 1999 East Timor got their independence from Indonesia.

Many of Dutch are forced to sent back to Holland in 1950 because of West Papua conflict. The government even named the west Papua province Irian (Ikut Republik Indonesia, Anti Netherland / Join Indonesian Republics, Anti Netherland). The Papuan often held a protest against Indonesian government until today in Jakarta and they are supported and protected by Indonesian Human Right Activist. Until today the Indonesian government violated human rights in West Papua. Many of Papuan got arrested or killed.

[modernknight1]

Wow that sounds really great Wisnu. Is that what I should call you? I would love to see all of those places you described. I am particularly interested in any Dutch Artillery you might know of. Funny story. My last year in the US Army I was working at Ft. Belvoir quite a lot. That old Army base has lots of old cannon brought back during the Spanish American War. There are some excellent examples of Dutch Artillery that they brought back which must have been captured by the Spaniards. I took measurements and many pictures to document this fine 17th century Dutch artillery. Its in almost perfect condition and I wonder if anyone there even knows what they have. It just sits outside flanking the stairs of a headquarters building. I heard a story about a woman buying a Dutch 17th century swivel gun right there in an old flea market outside of Jakarta. Now that would be a thrill. Does the Government allow antiquities to be removed from the country illegally? I have a lot of artifacts in my personal collection – Real pieces of eight and an actual Dutch Coin and some VOC silver coins from the 1660/70s in excellent condition.

Oh with your offer to be a tour guide you can count on me coming. How is March? Is it a little better? Less rainy but not so hot/humid yet? As far as more people are concerned I say the more the better. I may bring someone else as well. So tell me about this Protestant minister. I am Methodist myself. Does the old Calvinist Dutch reformed church still function in this part of the world or is it another denomination now. What is the percentage of Christians in Jakarta and the surrounding areas now versus the traditional Muslim population?

MK

[modernknight1]

So I have been very busy with family issues, personal issues, property issues, etc. However I have still been working away at writing new stories for the site, working on a lot of new mod content and testing the heck out of the latest stuff Jeffrey and Orazio have provided. I have meant to pick up the dialogue on this topic again.

Despite my busy schedule, I have still been planning to go to Jakarta this year in September. However, I changed my mind about that this morning. With the extremist actions that the Indonesian government just took against their own governor for strictly religious reasons, as a western tourist and traveler I have to both question the sanity of this government and the people that support the decisions, and also worry for my own safety there as someone of a different faith than the majority of people. I think that all Western tourists should boycott going to Indonesia this year and next because of this crazy fanatic outlook. I can’t believe the western press hasn’t picked this up and is at the very least protesting these actions for tolerance and human rights concerns. This is just so wrong.

Here is the story and the video clips. https://www.rt.com/news/387702-indonesia-governor-jailed-blasphemy/

MK

• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by modernknight1.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by modernknight1.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by modernknight1.

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