What new pirate game are you most looking forward to?

[Camaero]

Just curious!

[ReallyDedPoet]

Something with some re-play value\variety in it. Last game I played was Sid Meier's Pirates, it got old fast.

[oche]

I enjoyed "Age of Pirates" for a while, sea battles are great, but got kind of tired of other elements of the game...i miss "Cutthroats"...guess we'll have to wait for "Pirates of the Burning sea"...

[Nell Quick]

The ideal pirate game seems to be as likely as Elite 4.

Sid Meier's Pirates! - great as long as you like cuddly happy piracy where no-one really gets hurt and everything has the air of a pantomime. And... dancing? What were they thinking? On the up side, Pirates! is the one I tend to play most often - it's a fairly open game, as long as you don't want to be an actual pirate. I always thought Sid Meier's Privateers! probably suited it better. But it's accessible, it has a great feel to it (both in terms of control and atmosphere), and it's professionally presented. But still, sneaking and dancing were bad ideas.

Cutthroats - the best of the existing pirate games in terms of depth. Cutthroats is only let down by the fact that it was buggy as hell and still suffers even now; it isn't too great graphically (although age is largely to account for that); and there are one or two slightly-more-than-cosmetic problems that I find actually cut down on the enjoyment: for example, the high mouse-sensitivity setting that can't be adjusted (as far as I can tell), the speed the game runs at in the Crow's Nest view, and the irritating crew videos that play every time you give an order or something happens and that cause the game to judder. On the up side, Cutthroats allows for pretty much any style of play, from trader through privateer to out-and-out pirate, and it's once again entirely freeform.

Tortuga: Terror on the High Seas - Ascaron's version of Pirates!, Tortuga suffers primarily from not working well with Windows XP. Aside from that, it's a little linear for my taste: you have to start in a certain time period from a certain nationality, and you have a specific goal to achieve before the game will allow you different choices. Although having said that, it's still fairly relaxed about how you achieve the goals.

Port Royale 1 & 2 - Another Ascaron title, the original Port Royale was the sister title to Tortuga above, but the player was a trader and the goal was to build up a fleet of ships, buy buildings, influence politics, and so on. Port Royale 2 is more of the same, but with more complexity and some refinement to existing features. The player can embark on a career in piracy, but it's difficult to operate as a true pirate and again, privateering is the only really viable option in that direction. Crews in Port Royale are paid by regular salary, as opposed to Tortuga's more conventional (for Caribbean pirate crews) system of sailing on account.

Tortuga: Two Treasures - Haven't played it, so I can't really comment, but every review I've seen indicates that it's a story-driven linear game. Personally I can't abide games that make you play them in a strict path - I really don't think there's any excuse for them these days, and they're generally just a short-sighted tactic by publishers who honestly seem to believe that we wouldn't buy new games at all if the older ones couldn't be 'completed'. On the other hand, I'm only judging Two Treasures on what I've read, so if someone wants to correct me by all means do.

Seadogs / Pirates of the Caribbean / Age of Pirates - These are graphically wonderful. Well, PotC certainly is - I can't say I've played AoP and it's that long since I saw Seadogs that I can't really remember. But they include a feature I've always marvelled doesn't appear more often: a 3D modelled ship, which you can sail yourself. At least, you can walk around on deck, and look around you at the rolling waves, and so on. The lighting is beautiful, the environments lovingly modelled, the ships detailed and reasonably convincing. What's missing is, unfortunately, a realistic map - instead of the Caribbean, you sail around a small clump of fictional islands. I find this takes away quite a lot from a game called '... of the Caribbean', but maybe that's just me. Combat is clunky, and feels a lot more like luck than judgement: without cheating, enemy ships - even traders - seem to far outclass and outgun the player. In this, as with all the above titles, there's very little opportunity to customise your character, although with Age of Pirates at least I understand that lady pirates are finally catered for.

Pirates of the Burning Sea - Again, I've never played it - it's not released - so I can't say whether it's a good game or not. But the basic concept seems to me to be essentially flawed. After all, the simple fact is that everyone wants to be Jack Sparrow, or an appropriate female equivalent. Don't they? Isn't that what pirate games are for? Even before we met Jack Sparrow, isn't it true that we all had the swaggering, swashbuckling and FUN pirate captain archetype in mind when we played the older titles? So create a massively multiplayer environment involving pirates and watch everyone trying to be the same person. I predict it's going to be like Star Wars Galaxies when they made Jedi a choice you could pick at the start instead of having to work towards it. There was no motivation for people to be anything else - after all, aren't the Jedi the epitome of cool? So what's the motivation going to be in PotBS for anyone to try to be anything other than their Inner Jack Sparrow?

So, the perfect pirate game:

• Sea graphics from Silent Hunter 4 (fewer submarines, more galleons)
• Play area is accurate Caribbean map, not fictional area (hell, while we're at it, why not throw in the whole world? Flight Sim can do it, after all, and there was plenty of piracy and nautical goings-on in other regions, too)
• Sailing and combat model along lines of PotC but more simulator than arcade game - can sail between ports either on map screen or standing on the deck of your ship
• Detailed character generation including name, appearance, clothing and background selection
• Can customise ship with flags, sails, paintwork, ornaments, etc
• Freeform, open-ended play with no set scenarios or time limits
• Ability to create pirate hideouts, manage crew, bury and recover treasure, etc - also, can take crew ashore, set up camps, villages etc, hunt, ambush enemies...
• Side missions and questlines available if wanted - missions detailed but randomly generated
• Boarding action more detailed: equip your crew for the assault, then board, and play out RTS-style engagement (maybe pause to give orders; jump into an individual and fight in first-person at will)
• Assault forts and towns, or sneak in, with similar RTS-style approach
• Complex diplomacy with governors, who have individual personalities - some open to bribes, some fiercely opposed to pirates, etc.

I could go on, but I've just realised how long I've already been going. Sorry about that. Still, if anyone out there planning a new pirate game reads this, I think you could do worse than incorporate some of these ideas...

[immortal44]

So, the perfect pirate game:

• Sea graphics from Silent Hunter 4 (fewer submarines, more galleons)
• Play area is accurate Caribbean map, not fictional area (hell, while we're at it, why not throw in the whole world? Flight Sim can do it, after all, and there was plenty of piracy and nautical goings-on in other regions, too)
• Sailing and combat model along lines of PotC but more simulator than arcade game - can sail between ports either on map screen or standing on the deck of your ship
• Detailed character generation including name, appearance, clothing and background selection
• Can customise ship with flags, sails, paintwork, ornaments, etc
• Freeform, open-ended play with no set scenarios or time limits
• Ability to create pirate hideouts, manage crew, bury and recover treasure, etc - also, can take crew ashore, set up camps, villages etc, hunt, ambush enemies...
• Side missions and questlines available if wanted - missions detailed but randomly generated
• Boarding action more detailed: equip your crew for the assault, then board, and play out RTS-style engagement (maybe pause to give orders; jump into an individual and fight in first-person at will)
• Assault forts and towns, or sneak in, with similar RTS-style approach
• Complex diplomacy with governors, who have individual personalities - some open to bribes, some fiercely opposed to pirates, etc.

Yes please :p I'd throw in crew doing duty on the boat and being able to fully explore it, not just stand on deck Want crew to be interactive and rpg-like, your top ranked crew to have personality etc. Properly interactive towns and a reputation system. There's so much that could be done with this genre, and I'm sure it would be hugely popular if someone bothers to do it right.

As far as upcoming games, Pirate Simulator and EIC but they're both '08, assuming EIC is still in development (it does have crew/ship management, had a cutwaway of the ship).

[Nell Quick]

Originally Posted by immortal44

I'd throw in crew doing duty on the boat and being able to fully explore it, not just stand on deck

Agreed. That's pretty much what I meant, in fact, I just expressed it badly.

But proper rolling seas, and waves, and spray, and all that stuff that makes SH3/4 so damn pretty; sails billowing in the winds, flags streaming, people running around doing stuff, and proper lighting, clouds and visibility... Oh, and the ability to Sail Into Port (if you want to) a la Pirates of the Caribbean but more detailed - not just get somewhere and instantly flip to the town view. Oooh, yes. Damn, I wish I could make computers do stuff.

[ajrimmer42]

Originally Posted by Nell Quick

So, the perfect pirate game:

• Sea graphics from Silent Hunter 4 (fewer submarines, more galleons)
• Play area is accurate Caribbean map, not fictional area (hell, while we're at it, why not throw in the whole world? Flight Sim can do it, after all, and there was plenty of piracy and nautical goings-on in other regions, too)
• Sailing and combat model along lines of PotC but more simulator than arcade game - can sail between ports either on map screen or standing on the deck of your ship
• Detailed character generation including name, appearance, clothing and background selection
• Can customise ship with flags, sails, paintwork, ornaments, etc
• Freeform, open-ended play with no set scenarios or time limits
• Ability to create pirate hideouts, manage crew, bury and recover treasure, etc - also, can take crew ashore, set up camps, villages etc, hunt, ambush enemies...
• Side missions and questlines available if wanted - missions detailed but randomly generated
• Boarding action more detailed: equip your crew for the assault, then board, and play out RTS-style engagement (maybe pause to give orders; jump into an individual and fight in first-person at will)
• Assault forts and towns, or sneak in, with similar RTS-style approach
• Complex diplomacy with governors, who have individual personalities - some open to bribes, some fiercely opposed to pirates, etc.

And Taverns! you can't forget the taverns, but decent ones where you can actually buy rum and drink it and maybe even get drunk, that'd be interesting. lol "yo ho yo ho a pirates' life for me..."

Also a ship design feature might be quite good too, where you can completely design and build your ship, similar to Naval Ops for PS2.

[stabiz]

Dont forget this one:

[Elysion]

Originally Posted by Nell Quick

Pirates of the Burning Sea

While it is true that mmorpgs tend to run into a unique problem, unlike single player games where the player can be alowed to be 'special' it runs into all kinds of problems in an mmorpg setting.

HOWEVER!

There is already an age of sail mmorpg out, its called voyage century online and its been out for several years (though was only just relased internationaly and is kind of buggy and clunky). While you can be a pirate in it you dont have to be, you can even just be a trader (or an explorer and wander around looking for things). I have some serious problems with this game, but only in ways certain mechanics where implimented. Gratefuly I, having been playing all kinds mmorpgs with extreem dedication for almost a decade now, see nothing wrong with this kind of game working in an mmorpg enviornment. I think overall voyage century online has shown me than an mmorpg like this can work quite well.

As usual, mmorpgs can vary quite dramaticaly based on both their playerbase and design. While its true you can not judge one untill it comes out (and has been out for quite some time) I am not already feeling bad about this game, because i believe the principal can work.

You will either come up with a short lived arcadeish casual game where everyones running around in the biggest ship possible fighting eachother/npcs, or you will end up with an eve online but with sail instead of ion thruster.

The one thing however, with mmorpgs. Is that as noted some turn into a bunch of neos walking around (matrix online, hehe), other are highly structured. In most of the good mmorpgs there are a few leaders, and a bunch of followers. Specialists and support people are required. A massive warship is not always the best choice, if the game models this properly i think it will work out just fine. Realism.. or at least pseudo-realistic consepts, are not bared from mmorpgs. Theres no reason to think right off the bat that this game will turn into another throwaway mmo.

[FAdmiral]

My take on a good pirate game would include most of the reasons above
but I would take it one step further by making a strategic & tactical game
akind to the "Total War" game series. Do all your planning on the full 2D
strategic map and then when the need arises, drop to tactical 3D
to fight battles, find things, interact with AI beings, etc....

JIM

[TheBrauerHour]

Originally Posted by Nell Quick

Pirates of the Burning Sea - Again, I've never played it - it's not released - so I can't say whether it's a good game or not. But the basic concept seems to me to be essentially flawed. After all, the simple fact is that everyone wants to be Jack Sparrow, or an appropriate female equivalent. Don't they? Isn't that what pirate games are for? Even before we met Jack Sparrow, isn't it true that we all had the swaggering, swashbuckling and FUN pirate captain archetype in mind when we played the older titles? So create a massively multiplayer environment involving pirates and watch everyone trying to be the same person. I predict it's going to be like Star Wars Galaxies when they made Jedi a choice you could pick at the start instead of having to work towards it. There was no motivation for people to be anything else - after all, aren't the Jedi the epitome of cool? So what's the motivation going to be in PotBS for anyone to try to be anything other than their Inner Jack Sparrow?

So, the perfect pirate game:

• Sea graphics from Silent Hunter 4 (fewer submarines, more galleons)
• Play area is accurate Caribbean map, not fictional area (hell, while we're at it, why not throw in the whole world? Flight Sim can do it, after all, and there was plenty of piracy and nautical goings-on in other regions, too)
• Sailing and combat model along lines of PotC but more simulator than arcade game - can sail between ports either on map screen or standing on the deck of your ship
• Detailed character generation including name, appearance, clothing and background selection
• Can customise ship with flags, sails, paintwork, ornaments, etc
• Freeform, open-ended play with no set scenarios or time limits
• Ability to create pirate hideouts, manage crew, bury and recover treasure, etc - also, can take crew ashore, set up camps, villages etc, hunt, ambush enemies...
• Side missions and questlines available if wanted - missions detailed but randomly generated
• Boarding action more detailed: equip your crew for the assault, then board, and play out RTS-style engagement (maybe pause to give orders; jump into an individual and fight in first-person at will)
• Assault forts and towns, or sneak in, with similar RTS-style approach
• Complex diplomacy with governors, who have individual personalities - some open to bribes, some fiercely opposed to pirates, etc.

I could go on, but I've just realised how long I've already been going. Sorry about that. Still, if anyone out there planning a new pirate game reads this, I think you could do worse than incorporate some of these ideas...

Man, wow, you are way off on your assumption of PoTBS. As you say you have yet to play, so who would blame you. But I would like to point out that, in fact, the PoTBS community (yes there are thousands of us and game isn't even released) is very against the Jack Sparrow wannabe crowd. If that is what you want to try and be, then go ahead noone is going to stop you, but you can also be a cutthroat Pirate that gives no quarter or a Naval officer in the true spirit of a Lucky Jack Aubrey. The game allows you to choose the following career paths: Merchant, Naval Officer, Privateer, or Pirate. Inside those roles you can truly go whichever way you choose for your character.

I recommend everyone that is for the 'dream list' up there for a Pirate game take a look at PoTBS. Look at the video, yes, but also take a look at the forums and see how dedicated and good the developers are. That is a point that should have been on that list of yours. The devs have made the community a part of the game even before release, and they have made sure they will be there to support the heck out of it after release. The forums also contain, in the devs own words, the fact that almost all of your requirements for a 'good pirate game' are already going to be in PoTBS.

Ok enough talk, now go check it out, join the forums and say hey!

http://www.burningsea.com/pages/page.php?pageKey=home

http://www.flyinglab.com/forums/index.php

[odinfish]

I'm impressed. This looks to be what may quench my thirst! What I have not uncovered about the game tho' is when abouts is it due to be released and is it an mmorpg? Looks somewhat similar to bits of Voyage Century but waaaaaay better in detail especially concerning ship to ship battles.


Mike