You have been captured and put on trial for Piracy! This means that you have already been in jail for some time. The question now is - do you hang for your crimes (ending the game) or do you get away with your life?

The trial is essentially a Charisma skill test versus the charges against you. For each skill point of charisma you have, you gain 1 "dice". For each 100 doubloons that you promise above the cost of paying reparations, you gain an extra "dice".

With your "dice", you will need to equal or exceed the sum of the charges against you. These charges depend on the crimes you have committed against the empire in question + your reputation as a pirate (the higher your reputation, the greater the charges against you). Having rank in the empire will reduce the charges against you. The trial view will provide you an indication of how serious the charges against you are.

The trial view will provide you an assessment of your chances. If the assessment is that your chances are below average, this means that you will fail more than 50% of the time. If the assessment is that your chances are above average, this means that you are likely to succeed more than 50% of the time. If the assessment is that your chances are excellent, you should be able to succeed unless you are very unlucky. It can happen, though.

Press the Start Trial button (or the BACK button) when you feel ready to try your luck. If you are acquitted, you will be returned to the port you were locked up in, with a sum of money deducted equal to the reparations you owe (but also with a clean slate). If you are convicted, you dance the jig of the gallows and your game ends.