Pirates of the Burning Sea- OPEN BETA!

[tmp]

All I can say is, damn you NDA! Here, read this:

http://www.burningsea.com/page/news/article&article_id=10360

I think it is a pretty good summary of how combat feels.

It sounds pretty bad. I don't mean the battle itself, but rather how they'd do this kind of testing once per large beta phase, even if track record to date shows people crash left and right when such engagement occurs.

[Venkman]

How many pitched huge 0.0 battles happened in Eve beta :)

[tmp]

How many pitched huge 0.0 battles happened in Eve beta :)

Precisely, and then took them year+ of redesigning client-server communication to stop complete meltdowns of systems with more than dozen players ;/

[Venkman]

Yep. So, to me, PotBS falls on the "experimental" side of the genre, the side that doesn't get the record-breaking press coverage but which gets the niche-y sorta world-seekers who are very forgiving of experimental-type games and much more dedicated to the game. I don't know that this is an "advantage" per se, but as least Flying Lab isn't try to invent something while carrying the IP/license monkey on their back. I basically think some amount of it not being perfect, content complete and stable at launch isn't going to be as bad for them as it was for, say, SWG (big license with big attraction power), VG (generic fantasy in a sea of better offerings), or AoC (a lot more to prove than just the game, and a tough history).

[Venkman]

Preorder deal info is up. Of course, the PoTBS main site has been SOE'd, so it's hard to find anything there. Does look nice but too bad for people on slow computers or connections.

So here's the dope from TenTonHammer*:

WHAT: Pirates of the Burning Sea, the MMORPG featuring high seas action and adventure in a bold world of pirates and plunder, is scheduled to be available for pre-order starting Tuesday, October 23rd at participating retail locations.

PRE ORDER

FEATURES: Players who pre-order the game will receive the following:

* An invitation to the "Pre-Boarding Party" allowing them access to the live game up to 15 days prior to launch, and the ability to keep their characters, skills and equipment after launch with purchase of game and paid subscription (characters will have a level cap of 20 during the pre-boarding party)
* Captain's Best Friend - a blue and yellow parrot
* Mighty Blades - Swedish Rapier, Old World Steel or Musketeer's Matching Blades (depending upon which fighting style is selected)
* Original Game Soundtrack CD - 60 minutes of pirate themed music (comes in pre-order box)

WHEN: Pirates of the Burning Sea is scheduled to be available for preorder in North America on Tuesday, October 23, 2007. A European pre-order date has not been set at this time.

For more pre-order information on Pirates of the Burning Sea log onto www.piratesoftheburningsea.com

* Disclaimer: This is not to advertise TenTonHammer. I am source agnostic. This is not to support nor denegrate it or any competitor, it's readerbase nor anyone else's, and I couldn't care less about their site, even though the 'guides' they write are usually about topics 10 months outta date.

[Yegolev]

Too bad it doesn't say if it has changed much since the move to Station... not that I have any info, etc, etc, yada yada ... because now I will have to gather that information to determine if it's worth buying.

Or I might just resub to EVE.  The Rev 3 patch plus reading about PotBS has gotten the itch up.

[WayAbvPar]

Here is the non-SOE clusterfuck page. I have a couple of RL friends who are dying to play this, so I will likely preorder and play. Be a good chance to get in on the bottom floor of the economy and then play and then play a combat alt later on.

[Venkman]

Combat and economy are not so decoupled that you could master the first and then maybe-someday do the second. That is unless some of your friends focus on combat while you crafting. There's details to that but this is the non-NDA answer.

Also, why get in on the economy early? I'd rather wait for it to mature, study what's going on, wait for the inevitable player churn and then step in. Taking advantage of early-entry into the game is sort of an unsustainable advantage because a) the "good" stuff is quickly out-leveled into obsolescence; and, b) the devs are more likely to continue making sweeping changes early in life anyway.

YMMV of course. Depends on how fast you play :)

[WayAbvPar]

I would just like to get my freetrader alt up and running with his lots early enough to start supplying some of the core items (like ingots or hemp or something)- I don't really want to conquer the economy, just have enough cash to do all the PvP I want with my combat character in the future. Getting started at the beginning would make that easier, at least it seems that way to me.

It would be even better to get into a society and become part of their supply chain. Anyone know of a good one that takes casuals?

[Ixxit]

Looks like the the pre-order is delayed until November. Explained in the quote:

This is not the news that we wanted to bring you, but there’s been a hold up in the pre-order process. It turns out that the release of the preorder box is being delayed while the retailers and SOE finish processing all of the returns of Gods & Heroes preorder boxes. Obviously, the cancellation of Gods & Heroes after the preorder boxes were already in stores is a very unusual situation and it is taking a bit longer than expected to work out the kinks.

To give the retailers and SOE time to finish processing those returns, the PotBS preorder box is being delayed until the week of November 13th. 

We’re really sorry for the confusion, but we’re fixing it and then we can get the boxes in your hands.

Our friends at SOE are also very sorry. This has been a difficult week for them as most are working remotely out of hotel rooms and friends’ houses safely away from the fires. Some are getting back into the office today, and with their help we were able to sort out the issues involved in the preorder delay.

Before the preorder release date, we’ll make sure we have all the information you need: when the boxes will be in stores, what stores you can find it in, and where you can order the preorder box online. These are the three big questions you’ve been asking on our forums, and now that not quite so many things are burning (!) we will be able to get you those answers in time for the release.

Just a couple more weeks and then we’ll be there. Land is in sight.

Last week I went into my local EB and saw Gods and Heroes pre-order boxes on the shelves.  I smiled and told the clerk that the the game had been cancelled, and for my altruistic, sense of civic duty   received that blank stare that we are all so familiar with.  A couple of days later, the boxes were still there.

[Venkman]

God I love that smiley face 

And when the counter schmuck tells me they're not pulling the cancelled-game box from the shelf, I ask to speak to the manager. Civic duty and all that. I'm just some guy off the street so I understand that. But fact is fact.

[Yegolev]

It turns out that the release of the preorder box is being delayed while the retailers and SOE finish processing all of the returns of Gods & Heroes preorder boxes.

This made me laugh.  Were there so many preorders for G&H?  The fires, I can believe that.

[Venkman]

Sell-in vs sell-through :)

[Yegolev]

OK, my mistake.  But still, that amount of sell-in seems surprising to me.

[Ixxit]

And when the counter schmuck tells me they're not pulling the cancelled-game box from the shelf, I ask to speak to the manager. Civic duty and all that.

Heh, knowing the manager of my local EB  he probably would have given the same response..  As an aside, last year I needed to buy some more ram and dropped by the local mom and pop computer shop.  They had some old games (like Duke Nukem and Stonekeep) on the shelves and was suprised to see that they had a brand new, shrink-wrapped copy of Meridian 59  for $49.99.  Again I smiled and told the owner that the game shut down in 2000, that 3DO was gone, and since  it was an online only game that whoever bought it wouldn't be able to play it.  He stared at me increduously and I left with my ram.  One of the sticks of ram was problematic, so I had to come back to the store a few hours later to exchange it.  Lo and behold, Meridian 59 was still there, still covered with dust sans follow-up by the proprietor.

So in all matters retail, I've learned to  say my piece and leave it at that, although I have considered that maybe there is something about me that is not convincing enough.  :-D

[EDIT] I do know that the game is available again from Near Death Studios, but this was the original retail box from 1996 (that came with a free version of Netscape Navigator 2.0).

[Yegolev]

OK, then.  I was about to email Psychochild.

[Xanthippe]

So the NDA is still in effect but they're taking pre-orders?

I'm so not buying this game, and I'm a huge sucker for preorder swag.

[Signe]

Yes, you can pre-order online but the pre-order boxes are delayed until mid-Novemeber.  I'm also a sucker for pre-order plunder and I'm also not buying this game.  I can't find anything regarding the NDA either, so who knows?  Someone should cross off that bit of the thread title if it's untrue because, well, it's untrue!)

[Nebu]

Until I'm 100% certain about the state of the NDA, I'm going to stay 

FWIW, I am not buying this game. 

[Modern Angel]

Dammit. I want this game to be good and judging from the  BUT I AM NOT BUYING THIS THING NO WAY stuff it sounds like it's just not.

[WayAbvPar]

My feelings about pirates and naval combat are analogous to WUA's feelings about Star Wars, so I will likely buy it. No comment on the current state of the game. 

[Nevermore]

I tried the stress test and I would buy it if it didn't have a monthly fee.  I guess that's all I can say right now. 

[Falconeer]

There is no cake after the

[Hellinar]

PotBS are running another stress test this weekend.

[geldonyetich2]

Last week I went into my local EB and saw Gods and Heroes pre-order boxes on the shelves.  I smiled and told the clerk that the the game had been cancelled, and for my altruistic, sense of civic duty   received that blank stare that we are all so familiar with.  A couple of days later, the boxes were still there.

You'll still find boxes of Auto-Assault for sale, too.

I wonder what happens is you redeem one of those codes and make a stink.  Does NcSoft offer you a free month in another game?

[WayAbvPar]

PotBS boxes are on the shelves now as well. Pre-order deal is decent, although I am guessing it will be just like launch, since 99% of the people who are going to play it will preorder.

[Joey]

I got my beta invite and went to complete the confirmation/NDA process, only to have everything grind to a halt after linking my Station and Flying Labs accounts and logging in:

"The account you are logged in with has not been accepted into the Pirates of the Burning Sea Beta program.

If you received a Beta Acceptance email, please double-check that the account name as listed on the email is the account you're currently logged in with. If you need the password re-set on that account, please click here. If you've linked your Station account to the wrong account (that is, a different account than the Beta Acceptance email was sent to), we can unlink it manually (PM Aether or Rhaegar for details)."

At this point I pretty much lost interest and said the hell with it.   

[Hoax]

Remember when people thought this game was going to be awesome?  Like three years ago when there was no ground combat and it was just going to be EvE with pirate ships, less travel time and more skill-based pvp?

The fuck happened?

[tmp]

Remember when people thought this game was going to be awesome?  Like three years ago when there was no ground combat and it was just going to be EvE with pirate ships, less travel time and more skill-based pvp?

The fuck happened?

WoW happened and they changed mind? Not sure actually but the timeline sort of fits. Though if I remember right, they had plans for the AVs and then stuff to do with them from the beginning, but the game was to release initially without them... then they pushed back the date and kept adding the stuff as it went.

[Yegolev]

Remember when people thought this game was going to be awesome?  Like three years ago when there was no ground combat and it was just going to be EvE with pirate ships, less travel time and more skill-based pvp?

The fuck happened?

The old trap that developers fall into where they listen to people that don't like their game/genre, presumably because of low confidence or low paychecks.  See every Prince of Persia since Sands of Time.  So FLS added avatars because vocal people avoid EVE because of it, AND because their game didn't look enough like WoW with just boats.  Now it has avatars, incidentally increasing travel time by a shitload due to having to trot yourself all over Brown Town.  It also looks like WoW now, but with the crappiest UI mod ever.

I assume.

[Tige]

My feelings about pirates and naval combat are analogous to WUA's feelings about Star Wars, so I will likely buy it. No comment on the current state of the game. 

I hope your feelings about pirates and naval combat are strong enough to overcome

[WayAbvPar]

My feelings about pirates and naval combat are analogous to WUA's feelings about Star Wars, so I will likely buy it. No comment on the current state of the game. 

I hope your feelings about pirates and naval combat are strong enough to overcome

Stress test is underway now through Monday morning if anyone wants to come check things out. I am playing my first pirate character for the stress test on Rackham (Jean Bart  ).

[Signe]

I got my Caribbean and Burning Sea mixed up and removed this from my innertubes and I can't be arsed to dl it again so I can't join you. 

[WayAbvPar]

WHAT? I finally play a MMOG and you won't bother to join me?? 

[Signe]

We could play the Caribbean one if we were insanely masochistic.  I mean, I know I am, dunno about you.