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Captain skills tuning for all classes in PotBS build 1.2
A recent devlog at the Pirates of the Burning Sea site talks about the changes that are coming to captain skills (your at-sea arsenal) with build 1.2. It looks like every single class will have changes of some sort coming. These will be in the form of global changes to certain types of skills, and changes specific to each class in the game. The global changes include: stopping speed buffs from stacking, reducing the morale cost of skills that cancel upon taking damage, and the addition of crew recovery rate increases and decreases to some existing skills.The remaining changes coming to skills in build 1.2 are too numerous to list here, but we'll go over some of the highlights.
PotBS officially launches in Australia and New Zealand -- free cockatoo!
Although it's been possible to purchase Pirates of the Burning Sea online since its release, the official launch for Australia and New Zealand means that the dedicated Oceanic server is up, and Bigpond's free game offer is in effect. There is also still time to apply for an Ambassador position to help new player's on the Oceanic server, and score a year's free playtime in return.But there is one other very important thing to note about this launch -- any character made on the Australia/NZ server within its first month of opening will get a cockatoo to show off on their shoulder. This is certainly pretty neat, but don't expect to be the coolest cat in the Caribbean, because everyone on the server will have one of these squawkers.
New PotBS devlog reveals chat bubbles
A new official developer log over on the Pirates of the Burning Sea website gives a nice look into the new UI improvements coming down the pipeline with the 1.2 patch. We're happy to see the team take serious steps towards improving their user interface, especially with the addition of (optional) chat bubbles -- a highly requested item among the community. The other visual improvement on the agenda happens to be chat related as well -- the chat window.Sporting a new, sleeker appearance, the chat window also takes strides to reduce game-generated spam from players' main chat window. Aside from this change, there's floating names, improved tabs, spam reporting options and social window improvements. With all these changes, it's safe to say Flying Lab Software is serious about improve upon their game's weak points.[via MMORPGDOT]
PotBS updated to build 1.1.69.0
We're all getting excited about the features planned for Pirates of the Burning Sea's build 1.2, but lower your sails for just a moment, because build 1.1.69.0 has now gone live. This patch contains some of the fixes that FLS wanted to get in before 1.2 is released, due to their nature.Some of the bigger changes were to do with port contention. Now, when a port is in Pirate PvP or higher, you will no longer be able to do unrest turn-ins. Also, PvP kills were generating too much unrest, and this has been lowered to the intended amount. There are also some new missions that teach each race how to use their Claim Prize/Capture Ship/Scavenge skills. Full notes for 1.1.69.0 can be found after the break.
PotBS devlog looks at Open Sea Battle placement in 1.2
The way things currently are when engaging in an open sea battle in Pirates of the Burning Sea, players can often be dumped miles away from each other inside the private battle instance, even if they were very close when going in. This is one of the problems that is going to be fixed in build 1.2, and a devlog on the official site has gone over the planned changes.Little fixes to the system never seemed to solve the problem satisfactorily, so an entire overhaul was necessary. The old system placed people relative to one point in the center, but in 1.2, a closer version of the positioning on the open sea will be seen inside the instance, due to new spawn point tracking. Additionally, the angle of attack will now only be measured upon the initial strike, and not for each new person entering, so that it won't be possible to have a circle of ships spawn on one unlucky victim. The system that decides how far back you will be placed when you join a battle late has been tweaked, to stop people being dumped in a random spot when the intended area would have been invalid, and there will also be a few more options you can set for auto-joining a battle. Read more about these new features for build 1.2 via the link below.
PotBS lag fix for Vista computers
So if you've been trying to pillage or blast some pirates out of the water in Pirates of the Burning Sea lately, but find yourself lagging in and out of reasonable levels, fear not as there seems to be salvation. It appears that plenty of players in PotBS have been experiencing similar troubles, which means a solution was inevitable. We're sure there was a small -- but vocal -- group of players sending death threats of some variety to the live team.Thusly, Flying Lab Software has taken notice and offered a fix of sorts. Well all right it's actually a work-around, which means players are going to have to do some tweaking on their own. At least there's a step-by-step guide on how to do everything, but it's definitely not a permanent fix to the problem. Hopefully we'll see a patch come down the line soon that will address the issue.
PotBS announces Australian Ambassador program, offering years free game time
More Pirates of the Burning Sea love has been sent Australia's way, with Flying Lab Software's announcement of the Australian Ambassador Program. Full details of the new program can be found here, however you may need to log in to view the page, so here's an excerpt : "We believe that the best way to introduce new players to a game is by introducing them to people who know it best: the fans. We want a cadre of experienced players to create new characters and get in on the ground floor with their fellow Australians. You won't be required to do anything more than play Pirates of the Burning Sea!"As an incentive for being involved in the program, the appointed "ambassadors" will have their subscriptions paid up for an entire year. Unlike the free account program for Australians, you will need to be specifically chosen after applying to get the years free subscription, and applications will close on the 7th of March. The requirements state that you must be a current subscriber, and reside in Australia (duh). If you meet the criteria, you may as well apply and see if you can score a year of free PotBS.
Devlog for PotBS looks at ship tuning and new ships in build 1.2
The Pirates of the Burning Sea site has published a new devlog to do with the upcoming build 1.2, and this time around we're treated to details on some of the ship tuning that can be expected with the patch. There will be some global changes to make scouts a bit faster than they are, and some ships that have light top-deck batteries will see these guns move up a weight class or two. Most warships will also have their deceleration and turning deceleration multipliers increased, as a fully outfitted warship has been more maneuverable than intended.Apart from the global changes, there are some changes to specific ships as well. You can visit the devlog to see what happens to each of these, but the ships being tuned in some way are: the Arcadia, the Mignone, the Oliphant, the Cerberus, the Mystique Polacre, the Raa, the Myrmidon, the Tigre, the Capricieux, the Corsair, the Hercules, the Deliverance and the Defiant. Phew! Finally, a bunch of brand new ships will be introduced with 1.2, including the first high-level ship that can run against the wind effectively. Check out the full details at the devlog.
New producer, patch for PotBS
Joe Ludwig announced on his personal blog as well as in a new Pirates Devlog, that he is officially taking over the producer duties for Pirates of the Burning Sea, replacing John "Rev" Tynes in the position. No reason is given for the shift, Ludwig only briefly and cryptically saying that Rev is "going to work on other things." Ludwig assures us that he's fit for the role though, jokingly claiming that he's made it his job to meddle in relations with SOE over the last year anyway, even when it wasn't a part of his job title.Without sparing any time for further pleasantries, Ludwig dives right into business, announcing that their first big content patch is on its way. Among the most significant additions to the game will be a new and improved French Capitol. They are reimagining Pointe-a-Pitre both in terms of looks and mission content, and Ludwig assures us it will be quite the sight. Another interesting tidbit is the addition of a quest called "Bey's Retreat," which will be the first of hopefully many "epic" missions, and should take players in the area of 4-6 hours to run through completely. There's even more juicy bits that we don't have the space to describe here, so make sure to check out the new Devlog.
PotBS devlog discusses the art of town creation
There's a lot more to building a town in a game than just plotting out the buildings and filling in key NPCs. You can leave it at that (and it's unfortunate when that's the case), but to stop it from feeling like a ghost town, certain steps can be taken to build up the ambiance of a locale. The latest devlog available at the Pirates of the Burning Sea website is penned by the game's technical artist Xenobia, and focuses on the process of breathing life into the many port towns in the Caribbean.Some of the curious little events you might notice in PotBS's towns could probably be attributed to Xenobia. A woman kicking and screaming while being taken away over the shoulder of a pirate, drunks in various stages of consciousness -- things like this are of no consequence and will keep going in the background regardless of whatever else is happening, yet they greatly enhance the feeling that you're in an actual town. Visit the devlog to see what goes on behind the scenes -- including how it all looks in the Maya software -- when bringing a game-town to life.
Port contention turn-ins in PotBS to be scaled down
Until now in Pirates of the Burning Sea, some clever folks have been able to cause a totally peaceful port to instantly become scheduled for a port battle, by saving up their contention turn-ins en masse and across characters, and handing them in all at once. Over at the official PotBS site, Isildur has drawn attention to the issue and said that changes are coming to prevent this from occurring in the future.You couldn't really call this tactic an exploit -- it's more just a smart use of the mechanics available in the game -- but it's obviously not how Flying Lab Software intended for the whole process to go down. The plan was to make the contention process a bit more steady so that the home nation could have a chance to defend and bring the unrest back down again, and possibly save a full-scale port battle from occurring, while also giving the traders a bigger role in defending their business interests. The first steps to prevent the current insta-port-battles should be introduced with build 1.2.
FLS CEO does the rounds at Aussie gaming sites
The CEO of Flying Lab Software, Russell Williams, has been busy promoting the fantastic deal that involves Aussies getting Pirates of the Burning Sea for free, and has stopped in at the Australian branches of both GameSpot and IGN to discuss the finer points of the game.Both online publications have worthwhile articles, but while IGN's is intended (and named) as a PotBS Primer, the GameSpot interview with Williams focuses on the game's launch in Australia. Williams says that there is no retail launch planned at all for the Australian market, and that PotBS will only be available as a digital download through the aforementioned deal. He also says that there will be Australian servers -- although they won't actually be located in Australia. Check out both of the articles from the links below.GameSpot: Flying Lab Software on Pirates of the Burning Sea down underIGN: A Pirates of the Burning Sea Primer
Sony Online Entertainment is looking for interns
If you live and breathe gaming and are looking for some experience in the games industry, then you'll probably want to note that Sony Online Entertainment is currently looking to fill a number of intern positions. SOE is responsible for a whole swag of MMOs, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, Pirates of the Burning Sea, and Star Wars Galaxies, and some experience with them would likely be a valuable asset for further work in the industry, if not with SOE themselves.They say that an internship with them would stretch 9 weeks, is a part time and paid position, and each intern will have a mentor to help them develop during the program. Taking a look at the drop-down menu on the SOE Career Opportunities page shows that quite a range of internships are available, from working with the community, to programming and developing, to art and even QA. Pretty much all of SOE's internships are based in San Diego, but it looks like there may be a couple for Seattle and Denver as well.
One Shots: All aboard!
Yarr, mateys! Today we be bringin' yeh landlubbers another choice screen from the Flying Lab game, Pirates of the Burning Sea! These screens are "taken from the adventures of my Freetrader Jerold Quinn. (British, Morgan Server)" We can't tell if that's another player he's getting ready to board, if it's an NPC, or if he's just hanging out and keeping the waterways free of pirates, so we'll leave it up to your imagination! Do you have a cool screenshot of some of your adventures? Wanting to show the world how awesome your gear, build, raid, or just landscape is? If it's going on in your game, we'd love to see it. Just send your screens and stories to us here at oneshots@massively.com. Your screenshot and story may wind up being featured next! %Gallery-9798%
New details on the future of user content in PotBS emerge
Many people have wanted to get involved and enjoy Pirates of the Burning Sea's user-submitted content system, but as things currently work, the turnaround time between submitting a flag or sail design and actually being able to purchase it in game has left something to be desired. Thankfully, Flying Lab Software realized that this situation needs fixing, and have announced that User Content 2.0 is on the way.This re-haul of the user content submission process changes the way that player's designs are voted on and approved. Other players will be shown two different designs at a time, and will have to choose which one they think is better/more appropriate to the time. After a design receives a certain amount of winning votes, it goes off to be approved by FLS. To be able to submit more designs, players need to spend some time in the voting process, so there's incentive to do the sorting work. Some other changes to how you can show off your work in the forums are also detailed in the User Content 2.0 announcement.We haven't been told when exactly the new system will be in place, but for now the old process is still in use. Don't forget that if you're that little bit more adventurous, you can submit a 3D ship model as well, and if this intrigues you then check out the Shipwright Discussion forum -- you'll be in good company.
PotBS updated to build 1.1.54.0
Pirates of the Burning Sea has now been upgraded to build 1.1.54.0. The result is a patch that is a little bigger than the last few, but lots of changes have gone live. One update that I'm sure anyone who has been involved with the economy and spends plenty of time at the Auction House will love -- the auctioneer has been silenced! No more, "How many do you want? How many do you want?" when you aren't even buying anything.A more important fix is that Unrest supply bundles now work properly and can be handed in to raise unrest on an enemy port. Also, if you've done one of those bounty quests that require the killing of 1 or 2 rare pirate spawns, you'll know how annoying it was to actually find one sometimes -- the chance to find them in a group of NPCs has now been doubled. Looking at the Ships section of the notes, it appears that small/medium ships have had their defense reduced slightly, and large/huge/colossal ships have had a bit of damage reduction added. Perhaps that will help bigger ships bite back a little better in situations like these?Plenty more has gone into build 1.1.54.0 and the full patch notes are available after the break.
When the MMO love affair wanes
Did you ever find yourself suddenly disenfranchised with the current state of games? What was once a beloved personal hobby and cornerstone of your social life suddenly seems shallow and empty. Tovin over at Allakhazam paused to reflect on her own MMO anomie. For her, the problem is that none of the games released in the last year or that being released in the next couple months really light that fire. She muses on the fact that players relegated to casual schedules still have to slap down that same monthly fee, whether they use the time or not. And when she does actually get a moment to dive into a virtual world, their design seems to discourage casual social interaction. What's a gamer to do?For my part, I think Tovin is just suffering from a gaming slump. I think we've all gone through it at some point; you look around you and just don't find anything of worth in the hobby that has engaged you for so long. Of course, in my experience, this is usually a reflection of one's own personal state of mind, and not the state of the industry. But in this case, I think Tovin might be onto something. It's rare these days to play a game that really encourages the social aspects of MMOs in gamers who can't go raiding or PvPing every night. Rare, but not impossible to find. Methinks Tovin would do well to look into Pirates of the Burning Sea, as it's the most social game I've seen in recent memory. Also, Pirates! Yarr!
Pirates of the Burning Sea free in Australia
Here in the US playing the newly-launched age of sail title Pirates of the Burning Sea will set you back $49.99, plus the $14.95 monthly fee. If you're living in the land downunder, though, you'll be able to hit the seas for nothing more than a smile. Flying Lab is making the game available as a free download to every Australian gamer that wants it, via one of the largest local ISPs (BigPond). You'll still have to pay the monthly fee, of course, but the download comes with a seven day trial to start you off. Interested fans can pre-register now for a copy of the game, which launches in Australia on February 27th. If you act now you'll not only get downloading rights, but will secure one of 100,000 DVD copies of the game for yourself. It's a mighty generous offer, and one I hope we see repeated state-side soon.[Via Kotaku]%Gallery-12977%
Pirates of the Burning Sea's Kevin Maginn answers questions at GameSpot
GameSpot UK recently had an interview with Pirates of the Burning Sea lead designer Kevin Maginn, in which they fired off a series of questions that looked to flesh out the game's concept for anyone not yet familiar with it. As well as name-dropping the guys from Talk Like a Pirate Day, some of Maginn's answers reveal a lot of the reasoning behind some of the important design choices that make the game what it is today.One of these is the mainly solo-oriented mission structure in PotBS. In this case, it comes down to what Maginn himself preferred to have in an MMO -- he said that he enjoys group content, but wanted to have the ability to log on and achieve things on his own without needing to sink time into group setup. This brought about the system we see in PotBS now, with most missions aimed at a single player, but there are a few group missions that are much more elaborate than a regular quest and are repeatable, to satiate group cravings on a permanent basis.Maginn also says that, apart from updates on a roughly monthly basis, a major content update should hit every few months. One aspect of the game not mentioned in the interview is the interesting economy and crafting system, surely one of the game's big selling points. Check out the rest of the interview at GameSpot.
One Shots: Sailing off into the sunset
Today's gorgeous screenshot comes from Daggith Defoy of La Fédération on the Guadeloupe Server in Pirates of the Burning Sea. For those of you who haven't gotten to check this title out, the PvP in PotBS is done via ship battles, which makes for a gorgeous backdrop at the same time. Here's what he had to say:There have been a few screenshots of sunsets and water effects posted lately, so I thought I'd show you what it looks like in Pirates of the Burning Sea.We definitely love the seascapes there, ourselves. And hey, it's a game with pirates in it. You can't really beat that, either. If you'd like to show off some of the gorgeous water effects, sunsets, or PvP in your favorite game, drop us a screenshot and your story to oneshots@massively.com! You never know -- yours could be featured next for the rest of us to ooh and aah over.%Gallery-9798%
