We've had Red Beard the Pirate, Blackbeard the Pirate, Cpt. Jack Sparrow, and now you too can be join the list. Pirates of the Burning Sea promises to be a unique MMOG experience pitting you at the helm of merchant ship or a pirate galley. Along with a commodities based economy and player controlled ports of call. Pirates of the Burning Sea will definitely offer an one of a kind experience.
I got the chance the chat with Russell Williams concerning the upcoming release of PotBS.
Here is what he had to say:
Now that your game is in its extended beta, what has been the most rewarding part of bringing PotBS to life?
The most rewarding part is feedback. When you’ve worked on a game for years, it’s fun to see real people playing it and telling you what they like and don’t like.
How will the development of economic resources and the increased population of players affect the game world of PotBS?
The economy plays directly into the Realm vs. realm, and is the crux of our PvP areas, so tuning of it is critical. We’re continually increasing the number of beta players so that we have the right critical mass to the tune the economy properly.
Thus far, how has the naval combat been received?
Very well! It’s undergone the most tuning of any of our game systems, and while we still have a lot of improvements we’d like to make to it, people are having a lot of fun.
How are players enjoying the exploration aspects of PotBS?
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Our beta testers have really enjoyed exploring the Pirates of the Burning Sea world. Our beta testers share regular screenshots from their favorite moments in game -- shots so amazing that we've actually begun to share them on our site. I've included two of those screenshots with this Q&A. You are welcome to check out the previous submissions by visiting the official Pirates of the Burning Sea screenshot gallery, located here:
What has been the development team’s biggest hurdle in the production schedule for PotBS?
The sheer amount of work that’s left to be done. We have all but one of the major systems done and iterated through a few times, but polish is critical. Our milestones are scheduled for 60% new work, with the other 40% being reserved for bug fixing, performance improvements, and general polish. If I had to pick a specific feature, I’d say boarding combat, which is a massive technical challenge.
What new components are the developers and players most anxious to see implemented?
The biggest one is avatar combat. We wanted something that preserved the elements of ship combat (where maneuver, position, and situational awareness were critical) but that played much faster and felt comfortable for MMO players. We’ve developed a playable system, and now we’re putting it through its paces to make sure it’s what we want for the final game.
Which new features added in beta are you excited to receive user feedback on?
Avatar combat and the economy are two of the biggest pieces we’re looking for feedback on, but we’re always looking for feedback across the entire game. That's what closed beta is all about. We are adding beta testers on a weekly basis, so folks are encouraged to submit their application by visiting the: Beta Submission Page.
If you could change anything about Pirates of the Burning Sea, what would it be?
The timing. I would have liked to have been able to ship last year. That being said, Pirates of the Burning Sea will be launching in June 2007 -- and that isn't as far away as it seems!
Arrgh!! Matey's there be Pirates.
