A fun game to play with others. Solo? Um no.
In that regard, Age Of Booty is a successful game. The depth of the strategy here isn't particularly intense as you can only upgrade your own ship and any town that your team owns, provided you have the resources. The game is geared more towards action, but even that is quite simple. The real trick with the game is the fact that it relies SO much on teamwork.
If you are playing online with people that don't use the headset or are just plain moronic, it severely hampers the experience. This is not a game that you can go solo and do everything yourself. Teamwork is everything so getting matched with random people can be a frustrating affair. I have ran into many people that had no idea how to play the game. Or they steal all the upgrades for themselves. Of they just don't work as a team, in general, and that means a 'loss' for you and your teammates. If there was ever a XBLA game that would be perfect for 'clans', this is it.
Overall, Age Of Booty is a fun game worth owning. The single player experience is anywhere between somewhat enjoyable and downright awful. Like I said earler, the best way to play this is online so if that is not your purpose here then don't bother getting this game. The game looks & sounds very nice and is very polished. It's a game that is well worth the $10, but just make sure you have some decent people to play online with. If not, it's not even worth a purchase.