Rock, Paper, Shotgun

When news broke on Thursday about Pirates of the Burning sea going Free-to-play, we got in contact with Flying Lab Software and DEMANDED TIME FOR INTERVIEW-CHAT. They submitted, fearing our mighty wrath. WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME. Er… anyway, here’s CEO Russell Williams and Head Of The Design Department Declan O’Connell talking about this move to go free-to-play before the end of the year, what’s been happening on the Burning Seas and why people who launch subs-only MMOs from now “haven’t gotten the memo”…
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News that Pirates Of The Burning Sea has just released its first free expansion – the previously mentioned Whale-bone-ship-featuring Power & Prestige – has been somewhat shadowed by the simultaneous announcement that it’s joining Everquest 2 and Lord of the Rings Online and going free-to-play. When? Fall. That’s soon, isn’t it, Ameri-chums? Relatively soon, anyway. The model seems to be payments for “premium” content and items, or an alternative “Captain’s Club” subs model – though what this means for currents subs hasn’t been confirmed yet. In the mean time, Power & Prestige’s changes to the game, in terms of port management are available to everyone who’s playing and… oh, let’s just show that whale-ship-stuff again.
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We haven’t covered Pirates Of The Burning sea for a while – which is lucky, as almost all our previous posts featured a very sinister shot of a pirate. What were we thinking? Anyway, last week Flying Lab announced a free-to-existing-players expansion to come later in the year. The trailer says Summer. The press release says this will be out in August. Is August Summer? DEBATE COMMENT THREADERS. Main additions? 60 new missions, 4 new factions based around privateering, Port Governance and a brawling school of combat. The Port Governance is the most interesting sounding thing, allowing each port to elect a governor with special powers. I wish I had special powers. Sad Emoticon. Anyway – if you’re an active player you can sign up to the Beta here. If you’re not an active player, there’s a two week trial. And the trailer follows. Thing to make you watch the video: 1 minute in, there’s a boat with an enormous whale’s rib-cage on it. Want one!
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The Good Ship RPS rather enjoyed its time with Pirates of The Burning Sea, despite the rather sparse world it delivered. The highlights included the superb pirate city of Tortuga and those splendid faction battles across the high seas. It’s about as close to Eve Online as an 18th-century pirate game has come, I’d say. Perhaps, if you’ve not already sailed in its waters, you’d like to make your mind up for yourself by embarking on a free two-week trial? Sounds like a jolly good idea, especially since the game has benefited from something like nine major updates since it set sail.

So Pirates Of The Burning Sea is now live. One word review: patchy. Aha! I’ve still got it. I really like some elements of it, and bombing about in my boat, trading and getting into minor scuffles, is kind of fun. The towns, overall missions, and sword fights are a bit less interesting, however. I’m being paid to write about the game elsewhere so I’ll save my more detailed comments for them. What I would say, though, is I’m concerned that the game might not be game enough for either the bored WoW types, or those who want Eve on the high seas.

Anyway, this ship combat trailer rather of fails to convey the reload-progress bar watching and wind-GUI reading reality of ship combat, but it’s in the spirit of things, I suppose.

Ahoy, Game Trailers, you internet lubbers.

Buccaneering MMO Pirates Of the Burning Sea is about to open up its public beta, which reportedly appears today. (Although no sign of it at the time of posting.) I’ve been playing on the private beta and actually had a jolly (roger) good time. It’s a big mishmash of pirate-game staples, such as sword-fighting, raiding sea-forts, sinking ships and looking for treasure, and it all comes together rather fruitfully.

More sea dogging beyond the jump.
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