I'm playing POTC on Xbox, awesome game but i'm having a slight problem...I have given all my officers pistols, health potions etc. However in a fight they just use thier swords and never pistols. They also die without using their health potions. How do I order them to fire their pistols or even better to get them to fire automatically in a fight? any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

The officers will fire on their own, but only in certain situations. primariy when they are a little distance form thier target, but thats not always guarenteed. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but they'll do it when they want and not sooner. Oh, Besure they are capable of using the selected gun; if they don't have pro gunman ability, they can't use the quadbarrel. As far as the health potions go, I wish I could make them use 'em but no luck. Hope I've helped.

I think I've had my guys use health potions. Just give them the largest best kind and then they'll use them and you'll see the effect. Played this game too long ago, but I think thats how it worked.

Maybe if you fire your pistol at the enemy they'll fire theres too, but I don't know. Like Krantos said make sure they even have pistols. I've seen my guys fire.

my caps only use halth potions they dont use guns even thought thhey have scrappers

sometimes you have to have a particular ability enabled to use some guns. this is also the same for your officers... my officers use their helth potions on odd occasions... not as often as they need to tho cos they keep dieing!... but the higher their meelee ability and gunman abilities are, the more they wil use their guns.. i find that anything officer over meelee 3 will use his gun fairly regularly, especially if you also fire upon the same target before hand eg. monkeys (stupid bitches of monkey that you can't defend against.....)

You can tell if your guy can use the quadbarrel or even the selected gun...check how many round dots (musket balls) are in his stats.

I've had a few guys just too stupid to use the health potions...most use them though.

The officers need the Expert marksman ability to use the quard gun and they generally will use them given the chance.
THe sad truth is that the AI in this game is primarily A, very little I. It is a early model for the system so you can expect too much.