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PotBS

Peter Willemoes

Peter Willemoes

Corsair
Storm Modder
Hi, just a little "energizer pill" to motivate you hardworking guys (and girls)

I just visited a guy in the PotBS closed betaversion and watched him play for about half an hour.
Now, I know PotC even with this build cannot be compared to Pirates of the Burning Sea, as they are two different games with different approaches in numerous ways, most obviously in the singleplayer and online gameplay (and the beta has limited gameplay, of course). But I think we are all waiting for this game with huge expectations, and it just don´t see how it fulfill them in any way, especially not considered the time some members of their forum is using collecting information about it.

Now, I dont think I am breaking the Closed Beta NDA when I am saying it´s not fun to play at all. In short, FLS is stating there is a total of 1000 missions for each faction (privateer, freetrader, naval officer and pirate). Well it´s probably true, if you combine these 3 factors in order to get a thousand:

1. Talk to this person
2. Sink this ship
3. Go to this cave (kill everybody on your way) and find the treasure

(P.S: swordfighting suck, but the ships rock!)

Sounds like fun and varied gameplay, eh? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> What I wanted to say is..you guys are working on an OOOLD game, but what you do is for the most part better compared to this huge software company with hundreds of employees and years of experience, having worked on PotBS for several years! Of course the graphics in PotC are no longer comparable to the standards of today. But you guys add the "N" in FUN in gamplay compared to what I currently think of PotBS <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="me.gif" />
 
I don't think that there will be much modders that will join you, there has been put great effort in POTC Build, and it is still not finished, so if we aren't ready with this game, we will not start to mod another.
 
Uhm, Thomas, who are you responding too? Hehehe... he wasn't talking about any modding of PotBS (because you cant mod an MMO, its all server side).

I will hold judgment until I personally get a chance to play the PotBS game. However from things I have read that are 'missing' from the initial game, and things they have taken privileges on to do it 'their way' vs 'the right way'... I am kind of teetering on the fence about whether to get the game or not.
 
I've been waiting on this for a long time. you telling me now my expectations are going to be shattered!? D=

what are they doing their way as opposed to doing the right way? and other things missing?
 
Oh, apologies then, sorry old chap. I once tried to convice ClutchMarauder (former potc modder) to put his POTBS ship online as gm file. Because I saw he tried his ship out in POTC, so I asked him to put it online. He liked the idea, and he responded, but then he wasn't seen a while on the POTBS forum, so no ship. So I put a thread about it on the forum, but it got deleted, because it had no relevance to POTBS.

Too bad, they are such nice ships.
 
Hehe no harm done, Thomas <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

Sorry to hear about the former PotC modder disapperaring. Are his ships in the Build, then? And if they are, what ships?
 
No, that is te problem, he was working with some others on a add-on the PMT add-on, and reserved his ships for them, unfortunatly, this mod was cancelled, and the fine ships he produced never put online.
 
maybe he still has them? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shrug" border="0" alt="dunno.gif" /> he visits ellaybe once in a while. i'll ask him when he shows up again.
 
What I'd like most from him is instruction how to set up locators hierarchy in Maya. My other contact on PotBS forum, <b>Duke Suraknar</b>, has gone silent, and this is basically all I need to actually export ship from Maya to PotC.
 
the duke is supposed to be at ellaybe as well, but i haven't seen him yet. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> right, i'll ask for those things when i can. i'll write them down to make sure.
 
Now that I think about it, the best thing to ask for would be Maya file with ship, ready to export.
 
Topic derailed?

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

About PotBS... so far the things I have read that don't appeal to me:

• No actual night/day transitions or weather that is belieavable, let alone realistic. Being able to see a sunrise while sailing, or caught in a sudden storm... come on, those things sailers live for (well, maybe not the storm parts).

• Sailing is really much too fast from what I have seen in the videos. I think its faster than the STOCK POTC was!

• Cannon fire is pidly and very lack luster.

• Shadows are not conveyed to the ground based avatar as you walk in and out of shadows/darkness. Yet somehow they have flags and ropes casting realistic shadows across your bow?

• No homes or captains cabin to have to put anything in that you could collect over the months. Likewise nothing to collect because you have no where to put it.

• Can't invite groups onto your ship and wander around your ship, or take people from one port to another on your ship (those who lost their ships or cant afford a new one yet etc).

• When standing on the pier, you can't look out into the ocean and see player's (and NPC) ships sailing around and/or fighting.

• When sailing near a pier, you can't see anyone on shore or in town from your ship (its like how PotC is where everything changes from one instance to another).

• Loading screens out the effen wazooooooooo!!! Every dang building, every room, every port, every location, every boarding, every non boarding, every encounter at sea, every exit of encounter at sea... IS A LOADING SCREEN! Fuuuukkkk.... I thought we were in a day and age where loading screens for every tiny thing was a thing of the past?!

• When you get into a sea encounter, its an instance made for that encounter, and not realistic to where a passerby could happen to show up on the horizon.

• No spyglasses!

• No real fog to hide in.

• No reputation. Can't fall out of good graces with one nation, and into piracy, or vice versa, or become a trader into another nation over time through reputation changes. You are hard locked into what you pick from the start, period.

• No Drinking allowed (yeah... NO drinking!). Taverns will serve... I dunno.. milk?? Stupid PG rating.

• No mini-games. Like in the tavern, or in an alley or something. None.


There are other things I dont know about yet how they are handled, which make a big difference in an MMO and the "fun vs chore" factors:

• How are in-game mails handled. If its like WoW, screw that!
• Will towns be filled with silent people because everyone is using some stupid "channel" instead of talking spatially?
• Will the trade interface be easy to use, or a chore to manipulate.
• How will lack of any quality on items match up in the long run for the economy.
• Will no-reward missions become super boring. No rewards, because nowhere to put such rewards... so its all based on money and xp.


Many, or none, of these notes may get addressed in future updates to the game as time progresses... however right now most all stand, and will be that way for who knows how long. I'm sure there are more I forgot to mention... its a lot to cover, and I will have a fuller list of Pros/Cons if I buy the game and get into playing it.
 
Hey, that´s MY opinions? Ah it really helps to unload one´s frustrations somewhere, aye? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />


Ok seriously, in some of the issues you mention, i totally agree. Most of them I dont know of. It´s obvious that you have spent a lot more time in the PotBS forums than I ever did..
(You see, I realized in an early stage that you can sit there and read for hours about something, that most of us really never tried and probably not will for at least several month ahead, in order to really get some feeling about the game. I want action. I dont want Spinnaker Sam or whoever have been reading those forums for aaaages, to correct me about whether the mizzen mast on the lvl15 Large Schooner model is yellow or brown. Because, folks like him actually KNOW these things, thats for sure!!...Horrifying <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blink:" border="0" alt="blink.gif" /> And waste of time IMO)

The PG-rating are not to be taken that seriously. The PG-rating is a guide here in Denmark, not a law, even within state and public affairs. The americans are frightened of most things they dont understand, especially their own kids - what they can handle and what they cant in certain ages. At the other hand, the parents wont have to dig too much into their childrens lives in order to take a stand on behalf of their kids. Law is so comfortably settled for the masses, making any discussion useless <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/poet.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":hmm" border="0" alt="poet.gif" />

Ok, once again the discussion went astray..
 
I'd only been part of the PotBS forums for a month... I read specific posts, and some of the faqs, asked a few questions about some things i couldnt identify in the screenshots/movies... and saw many things in the movies/screenshots that were troublesome.

As for the PG rating, well... FLS (the devs) have stated they want the game 'kid friendly'... and dont believe drinking should be in it. Yet, when you watch some movies, a single sword slice makes a gushing spurge of blood? How is that PG. LoL.

Yes, Americans actually dont care about ratings, because they watch or do whatever they want regardless (I'm an American, I know). Parents get all bent out of shape about something offensive, yet do they enforce anything on their own children? No... they complain to the instutions about content and vulgarity... yet do nothing in their own household to enforce their views.

Anyhow... I think no drinking, in a age of sailing era, is just silly, and put on the BIG CON list. I want to be able to go to a tavern, and 'get drunk'. I want to have the "/mood drunk" set so that when I talk out loud to people it says "O'brian slurs drunkenly: Yo sssailer, whass the dealy with yer funny haaaat?"

You can buy and trade rum in the game, but you cant drink it in a tavern. So my question to the people in those forums was "why even build a tavern then if you cant drink?!"

Anyhow... hehe, they made cave and finally add some better stuff to the game. Maybe once they get over their idea of trying to appeal to children under 13. Even WoW has drinking in game, and you can get drunk and your vision goes all wonky. WoW of all games! Talk about children...

Anyhoo... I must shutup now <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

Like I said, they may make the game much better in future revs, and some of my judgement is being held till I actually get my hands on it somehow (free trial, buy it, friend has it when I visit etc). So right now I cannot say "It is a bad game" or "It is a good game" either. Because I just don't know. I was only relaying some of the things I have read and seen that just ... rub me wrong.
 
holy shit. they actually managed to screw up that entire game! D= and here I was having all kind of high hopes. Hell even star wars galaxies beats that. and that game is all messed up. D= at least on those ships ya got space to store stuff and can walk around on it and such. >.<
 
<!--quoteo(post=215283:date=Sep 23 2007, 04:10 PM:name=Le_Sigh)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Le_Sigh @ Sep 23 2007, 04:10 PM) [snapback]215283[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->holy shit. they actually managed to screw up that entire game! D= and here I was having all kind of high hopes. Hell even star wars galaxies beats that. and that game is all messed up. D= at least on those ships ya got space to store stuff and can walk around on it and such. >.<<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I play SWG as well... it has serious issues, and the devs behind that game have their HEADS UP THEIR POSTERIORS. They make more bugs, screw with things that shouldn't be, and dont fix ground level heinous problems. Basically they are backward thinking nuckfuts.

Eh, but I still played the game... havnt much lately because I'm just so sick of all the problems in it, and it going nowhere in the 10 months I have played so far. I see it not getting any better soon. So I have been on the hunt for a new MMO... and PotBS might be it, if it doesnt drive me to insanity with a bunch of poorly designed things.

The devs of PotBS (FLS) seem to actually listen to the community, and work on things to be 'great'. However I dont know who they have been listening too, because some things many find kind of odd, but hmm. It may get better, but will only know if how the initial game turns out, and how the first revision does (if its actually a positive revision, or just a bunch of minor useless tweaks).

So, dont discount PotBS just yet... it may have some incredible stuff in it that more than makes up for the barrage of loading screens, and silly day-glow toons standing in shadows <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />
 
Good things? Hehe... you're asking a guy who always sees the problems in things before ever seeing whats actually done right or working... mwhaha.

Uh... good things... hmm, lemme think:

• Water looks nice.
• Ships look nice.

... oh... gotta be some other stuff...

• There are no "super stat items" you have to go grind and loot ( thus everyone ends up looking the same). Instead you can tailor your toons however you see fit, and be able to go to tailor shops and changes them over time.
• The toon customizations for uniqueness is vast... avast!
• The destabilizing of a Port and turning it into a PVP pirate and nation warzone sounds intriguing and could cause some interesting disruption to trade routes.
• Crafting is done on a manufacturing level, and not a 'grind the craft with resources ad nausiom ' method to skill up.
• One person cant build a ship from start to finish without anyone else (no self sufficient twinks in this game).
• You cant get UBER GEAR at level 1 and kill everyone. Because its all based on skills you learn as you progress, no super gear you had to grind hours and hours to loot.
• Ships can have upgrades, and better made cannons, and sails and things of that sort to give an edge... however all those things are manufactured by other players (or yourself).
• Pirates who capture a ship can only keep that ship for 'one round'. If they get blown out of the water, that captured ship is gone.
• Ships eventually blow up. You have 'durability' (lives) for each ship, and if you get destroyed enough times with a specific ship, you are thrown back to port without that specific ship. You lose, you lose it eventually (bigger the ship, the less count it has).
• Resources must actually be 'shipped' to a port for that port to have the resources for sale and trade/manufacture. So people actually out sailing with cargo holds of goodies means some nice fun for pirates if those people traverse PVP waters, mwhaha.

I have no idea how the interface is. No idea of the fluidity of the game. Nor how it 'sounds' (3d positional, EAX, overlay sounds and mixtures... no idea). Don't know if it will have any good waypointing system, or tracking of locations (if it even needs them, since all water based stuff is purely random chance instance). Not sure how extensive the ground questing, or sea questing system is.
 
If POTBS sucks then simple solution, go back to playing Voyage Century <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" /> lol. At least thats free even if it is a bit of a grind.
 
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