Anne Radcliffe on May 24, 2013 wrote:

Ha, ha, ha! thump (falling off chair laughing). Perhaps doing the 'Electric Slide' instead?
Virtuous Anne Radcliffe

LOL Anne XD yes lol

wow you almost have as much yars as posts! *thumbs up* s

Zan

Ethan the baron on Jun 9, 2013 wrote:

Thanks blind mew for the answers got a few more

1. In Bonnie Anne's 2nd promo deacon says his little fox hunt was over why was he hunting Bonnie Anne in the first place and wasn't after us? And will we ever find the traitor since mister m said he was going to find him/her.

2. I know you've stated your not fond of having an armada companion but with caligistro g I made up a little quest in my head that could end with an armada companion the quest I made up was this when we find caligistro he tells us no ordinary living person can kill Kane only an armada elite can kill Kane but we obuviously say why would an elite ever kill Kane so caligistro says their is a way to do it by using special parts from Valencia, krokotopia, and marleybone to reconstruct the one and only deacon! It takes us on many quests with challenges along the way but once we get them caligistro tells us while he constructs the armada reprogrammer or whatever it is called we need to go find deacons remains from motherlode mine and once we get back he does the repairs to his body and puts in the reprogrammer to the body and Phule interrupts and battles us with armada troops after we beat him he retreats and goes to Kane to report. And then we take caligistro to marleybone and works with mister m and deacon says when the time comes to battle Kane he will be prepared but while we venture to get the rest of the map pieces he will join us. And then he is our companion and that way he is the only armada companion and is available to all classes for free and everyone is happy with only one armada companion. Even if this doesn't get implemented will we at least get any armada companion eventually?

To be continued...

1. Given the new relationship the pirate has with Mister m and Special Branch by the end of Book 14, I'd say it's pretty likely - that plot developments gives us a good opening to keep that thread alive.

2. Nifty ideas! As for the Armada Companion, I'm still pretty dead set against it, but after the El Dorado story it might become more possible, depending on the resolution with Kane.

CaptainFlint193 on Jun 10, 2013 wrote:

Ok, so I've been going around the worlds a bit and I've been noticing quite a few things...

1. I THOUGHT I saw Boochbeard and Gandry at both the Motherlode Mine AND Catbeard's hilarious trial...which I should mention has a bug with the hilarious dialogue cut...but are there frequent appearances significant?
2. Any hints as to what those mysterious 'Celestial Computations' were?
3. Ok, as with Book XIII, can you give us an extremely brief sum-up of Book XVI? I remember you calling 'The Dogs of War' a 'war story', and that was about it, before it came out. Any words to describe the coming update to Valencia?
4. Hmmm...this is more of a suggestion/look back rather than a traditional question - I thought each class would be getting one of the Celestial Guardians in Book 12 (Pigsy, Friar Sand, Monkey King, Dragon Prince, and Shunzang the Wise) when I saw the puppet show. Do you think this would have been a good move? Or was having the Monkey King join us the plan through-and-through, no changes? (No regrets though - he is amazingly funny).
5. Fishfingers and custard...I was just doing the 'V for Vulpine' quest and I was amazed at the SINGLE modern Doctor Who reference...well played, Blind Mew, well played...
6. You stated in a different post that every companion will promote at least once more before El Dorado - I was wondering two things - a) Will Guy Fox ever be caught, since he did flee to Port Regal...he seems to be in our grasp, even though Bonnie Anne let him go... b) Any comments on Old Scratch's next promotion quest? I eagerly anticipate more lore on him and the spirit world of the Spiral. c) Valencia opens up many opportunities for promo quests, as you previously stated. Any promo quests we can expect? Oh wait...that's three things.
7. Is Captain Swing based off of anybody? His flamboyancy (and slightly sadistic?) personality gives me the heebie-jeebies...

1. They're fun little winks, nothing more. And the Trial will be getting the missing dialogue back soon.

2. Only this: they're really important.

3. It's about intrigue.

4. When we first came up with the plot, we figured Monkey King had to join the pirate - he's too cool. As for the others, it is a cool idea, but they're much more useful to me as NPCs in future quests or story beats.

5. You missed Captain Harkness?

6. a) Don't know yet. His return would be a pretty big deal. b) Old Scratch's next quest will arise as a consequence of the events of Book 14. c) That would be telling.

7) Captain Swing is is a "real" fictional character - during the industrial revolution in England, there were some nasty riots called the Swing Riots when laborers rose up to protest the introduction of new machines that they feared would rob them of their jobs - the angry letters the rioters sent to the authorities were signed "Captain Swing." As to our Captain Swing, I'm glad you find him so spooky. He draws more than a little bit from the Joker in the Animated Series, with a few other sources as well.

DomriUnseen on Jun 11, 2013 wrote:

I have a few more questions (and this time they're actually mine, not someone else's...). However, since I'm still looking through the first story thread, if you've already answered a question, may you please say what page it is on in the first thread?

1. Why don't the Magnificent 7 speak at all like the other main quest companions? We spent a whole book revolving around them, so what's with the silence on their part?

2. Speaking of the Magnificent 7, is the plan for the Privateer couple to alternate who gets the promo quest? In other words, will Wild Bill get the next promo quest, or will Jane get it again?

3. What is the reason behind the....I'll call "Ninja Pig" treatment for Monkey King? As in, why doesn't he have his own slow-mo trio of critical hits, nor does he have any powers (Critical Strike, Espirit de Corps, etc.)?

4. You stated we will get more groups of 5 for our companions based on decisions we made in character creation. Can we expect these companions to be related in a way, such as the Mag. 7 or the Mooshu 5? Or will they be more varied in species, such as the Kraken Skulls 5 or the Presidio 5 (being from different worlds or species)?

5. Would you ever consider putting in companions based on characters that are not exactly kid friendly (such as companions based off of the TF2 classes, which has been running through my mind recently....I really want a penguin spy or polar bear heavy...)? I understand Old Scratch and Dead Mike aren't lollipops and sugar plums, but you can't search up those names and find gruesome images....

1. Bandwidth more than anything else. The number of companions who are commenting from the peanut gallery is already pretty high - to my mind, if we crammed them in too someone would get crowded out.

2. Yes indeed - Wild Bill will get the quest next time.

3. I'll look into that.

4. It will definitely depend on the situation - but i will say I'm a big fan of variety.

5. We will never veer from Kid Friendly. Even the spooky ones will play for laughs. If you want companions with harder edges, I think Ratbeard and Subodai serve quite well.

Apue1 on Jun 15, 2013 wrote:

Hey, Blind Mew.
1. Will we ever return to Marleybone to find out who won the war with the Armada? I presume it was Marleybone that won but...
2. Will we ever see Meowiarty again? It sounded to me he was planning on escaping Glass House (I think that's the name of the prison ) If he does turn up, consider making him a companion. It can be like a redemption story, like Ratbeard's.
3. Is Rajah (I think that's how you spell it) a part of Mirage? Or are they just two completely separate worlds?
4. I know this is very early but how far are you into the next update, storywise? I love the story, very imaginative and extremely witty and clever! Great job to you and whoever it is that help... (Sorry but you never gave their names...)

Two-Faced Isaac Ashford
Level 58, Musketeer

1. It's a safe bet we'll go back to Marleybone. The war is currently at a stalemate, and it's likely to stay that way for a long time.

2. I'd love to see him again. And he's not going to escape, mind you - he's going to be released. Whenever he decides to be. I think he's a bit too weighty in the grand scheme of things to become a companion - beside, I'm sure he thinks he has better things to do.

3. They're related, but not attached.

4. Not going to comment on schedule or progress - but I'm happy with what's cooking. It's a little ambitious, perhaps, but it's my job to push the envelope (and my bosses' job to rein me into something we can finish on time and in budget).

Blind Mew, are there any plans to make a new group of 5 speaking Companions later in a future story update? I would like to see a new group that are from the worlds the PC was raised in as their childhood friends that had many adventures before the years of going solo and the time of being arrested by the Armada. So far, Marleybone, Scrimshaw in Skull Island, and MooShu are the seen, yet mentioned places and worlds, but also, Krokotopia and Grizzleheim are mentioned, but are yet to be seen worlds in the game, and those worlds are in the choices of where the Pirates were raised in after their parents were lost. It would be very amazing to see a new group of Companions added to the game since the MooShu 5, the Kraken Skulls 5, and the Presidio 5 at the game's launch. Hopefully, I would REALLY like to see that after Book 15... once it's done, that is. Think about this.

It seems the Spiral is full of many mysteries, and there a few I'd like to address if you don't mind....

1. SO MANY UNSEEN SKYWAYS. Ionian Way, Albion, Kent, Gibbonia etc....are there any we will DEFINITELY see at some point?
2. There was a boulder blocking some kind of entrance in the Passage in Aquila - a hint to the future or am I missing something?
3. Captain Harkness...ok, two modern Doctor Who references...but in my defense you lumped him up with UNIT, which made me forget him. Still, well played Blind Mew, well played....
4. Old Scratch's next promotion quest - may it have to do with the destruction of the Ophidian Fire Dancer's temple?
5. Does every world have its own set of gods or something? Monquista - saints and the Supreme Primate, MooShu has the Celestial Ministers, Cool Ranch has the Totem Spirits, Aquila has the Immortals...did Bartelby create them to run the show in worlds he couldn't see or something?
6. You said in a previous post we MAY go to Grizzleheim to track down Erika the Red, who may or may not be there. If we don't end up going to Grizzleheim or Krokotopia, how will we do the series of origin quests you plan to write?
7. Is the Stormgate to Aquila in Aragon Skyway going to come into play in Book XV?
8. Any clever references we can expect in the next update?

Blind Mew, if you don't mind I've got a few questions of my own about a particular side quest in AQ...
The quest is called "Temple Circuit" where we give offerings to the Immortals and they tell us some interesting things about our fate...
1.) When we talk to Apollo, he says "Remember the name Desdemona. Your fate hinges upon her love." or something like that. Anyway will this "Desdemona" play a large part in the next update?

2.) Is there any chance that this is the name of our mother? I know the answer to this question is " That would be telling" but it never hurts to try.

3.) When we talk to Poseidon he tells us "The Trident is key" Could he be meaning a literal three pronged spear or maybe three things put together that act like a trident? Such as mind, body, and soul...?

4.) Will this side quest be important in the future just like the mechanical birds were in Book 13?

Thanks for answering all these questions,
Smart Jeremy Nightingale level 65 Swashbuckler

coolster50 on Jun 19, 2013 wrote:

Is Bonnie Anne's name Bonnie Anne, Anne, Bonnie, Annie or something else the Bonnie would never tell us ? Or would that be telling

I believe Bonnie is a Scottish term for pretty as in ' Now there's a bonnie lass'. It's a term of endearment. Her name is Anne but she is "Bonnie Ann". Plus it is a pun on the real life pirate Anne Bonnie.

I have a few story questions of my own:

1. Are our pirates vegetarian? Think about it: They have bulls, chicken, fish, crabs, and pigs as companions. It would be very disrespectful if we ate any of those meats.
2. In Cool Ranch(The island itself) there are horses that stand on four legs and look like they're used for riding. But in Santa Pollo, horses walk on two legs and act like humans. Why is that?
3. Why are monkeys(and one gorilla) the only sentient beings in Monquista? The other worlds have a wide variety of sentient animals. Did the monkeys get rid of the other sentient beings in their world?
4. How did the citizens of Mooshu build Stupendor-X? There is almost no technology in Mooshu and that robot is the most technologically advanced in the Spiral.
5. Avery is one of the most successful pirates in history but where is his crew? Every good pirate needs a crew!
6. Why do some of the Armada ships have Greek names? "The Chimera"(a mythological monster) and Deacon's ship: "Erebus" (A part of the Underworld). The Armada is in Valencia ,which represents Italy, and Aquila represents Greece.
7. It seems as though every main school in W101 has a world that has something to do with it. Ice:Polaris Fire: Dragonspyre Myth: Aqulia Balance: Krokotopia Storm: Valencia(storm wizards are great engineers and there are stormy skies) Death: Darkmoore Life: Wizard City(On account of Bartlebey being the source of life) Was this intentional?
8. How long does the adventure take from our pirate's point of view? From escaping Deacon's ship to finding El Dorado. How long has our pirate been a pirate? A few weeks? Months?

Thanks a lot blind mew for the answers I have a few more

1. Have you ever thought about adding captain jack sparrow to the game I mean when I think of pirates he is the first person to come to mind in my opinion I think it would be funny have you ever thought about adding those pirates like I could imagine jack sparrow steeling someone of Marco pollos crew's map piece and we get to fight along side with him and fighting some of his enemies like Davy Jones. I don't know it just seems like a nice thing to add famous pirates and then putting them into the game.

2. Is their a reason why nobody knows the female clockwork elite what I mean is the people in the game know some of the elites like Avery knew deacon and Kane and they are known well same as bishop and rooke Gracie knew who bishop was and the marleybonians knew who rooke was. However Phule and the female never get mentioned by anyone Phule you said is mysterious and nobody knows him besides us all the clockworks have been seen or mentioned at least once but the female is not known or mentioned. Is Kane protecting her because she has an important role and he can't risk losing her or is their an emotion connection towards her that Kane has.

3. So Valencia is at war with marleybone and when I was reading the worlds monquista said that it was close to war with marleybone so it got me thinking Valencia and monquista don't seem to have any conflict against each other why don't since they both hate marleybone why don't they work together and take down marleybone they would over power marleybone since Valencia alone has proved to not be powerful enough to win the war couldn't Kane make a treaty with monquista they have no conflict and could work together to defeat their common enemy. And also the armada could also make an alliance with the radicals why don't they team up with marleybones enemies and finish the war so Kane can focus back to the grand design and other priorities.

To be continued...

I got a few more questions...
1. Presidio Companion: I have been wondering for a while, why don't we just have a sit down with our presidio companion and ask them about our parents? It seems like we have a database of our past that we are just prolonging to delve into. This would especially be useful considering the first 5 years memory wipe.

2.this has been something I am dying to know but never really got around too, are the Turtle Balls a Dragon ball Parody? I am a huge fan of DBZ and I can see a lot of similar plot elements.

3. This may be suited better to the designers, but I was wondering if you guys over at your HQ ever planned to give the crown shop version of companions the quest reward companion's promotion quest (ex: Wu Tang getting Wing Chung's Iron Monkey promotion quest). Promotions are my favorite aspect of the game and I would rather work for them in a cool storyline than just pay a couple of gold coins for them to upgrade.

4. Eagilles: He seems Like an Arnold Shwartzenager reference. I mean, Lapsed Action Hero, I'll be back, I get them all but I don't se the reasoning on combining Achilles, Eagles, AND Shwartzenager.

5. I know that you will give me the famous, "That would be telling", but I see Kane's goal is something besides trying to control or destroy something. I am kind of an expert on robot sci-fi, and would like to think that Kane and the armada rebelled because of some deep seated reason. It could be that they are taking programing to the extreme, (I, Robot) to find salvation and truth (Cylons from BSG) or to provoke warfare between others, leaving themselves as the only survivors (Terminator). No mater what the reasoning is, I bet it will leave us all looking back and going, "whoa, that's deep".