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Well, I asked for it! Blind Mew's Musings return

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Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
Wow. Thanks for the responses. I figure rather than start posting responses 2 pages deep into a huge thread, I'm better served starting a whole new thread to respond.

Also, right up front I'm going to ask that you keep placing new posts in the original thread - I'd hate to have to reference questions from 2 threads as I go forward - it'll be too easy to skip somebody.

Let's start by getting some general points out of the way: there are lots of questions several of you asked. So let's hit them up front:

Will Phule join the crew? Not likely.

Have we seen the last of Kane? That would be telling. Kane's fate is a mystery to be solved in Arc 2.

What's up with Trianon Palace and Valencia City? Well, it's a lot easier for us to put in islands you can't dock at than it is to add an island to an existing skyway. The story beats that took you to them were cut in the revision, but we put them in anyway - if more updates do come along and the story returns to Valencia, they're there and ready for future use.

What would have happened in Books 16 through 20? I'm not going to go into too much detail here, partly because I'd rather focus on what might be to come than on what might have been. Also, there are elements of the plot that may show up in an altered form, and I don't want to spoil them. That said, here's a look at the original outline:

Book 15's original end had you working with the Resistance to smuggle Gazpaccio out of Valenica - you weren't originally going to enter the machine until Book 18. Gazpaccio was going to be installed in a secret workshop off of Avery's Court, and turn into the primary quest driver for the next few books.

As originally planned, Books 16 and 17 would deal with Gazpaccio's original plan on how to defeat Kane. It didn't involve just slotting the Heart into him. As you'll recall from your Aquilan prophecies, a Hand and an Eye were also mentioned. Gazpaccio's plan was to build a second super clockwork, on Kane's level, but good instead of evil. His name was going to be Able. In book 16 you would have gathered some of the parts Gazpaccio needed, then he would have told you about the Heart, which was the goal of Book 17.

Book 18 was when you'd finally enter the Machine, using Able and his resemblance to Kane to sneak into the heart of Kane's inner sanctum. There you would have stolen Kane's map pieces and had a major confrontation with Kane himself, on a chessboard. Gazpaccio's plan would fail, and Able wouldn't make it out. But as a consolation you would track down Erika the Red's map piece, meaning you had all seven at last.

After that Book 19 would be a race with Kane to El Dorado, and the final confrontation with him would come on the golden streets of El Dorado in Book 20. Yes, I'm being super vague here.

You'll note I didn't use any world names. That's very deliberate.
Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Blind Mew on Jun 22, 2016 wrote:
Wow. Thanks for the responses. I figure rather than start posting responses 2 pages deep into a huge thread, I'm better served starting a whole new thread to respond.

Also, right up front I'm going to ask that you keep placing new posts in the original thread - I'd hate to have to reference questions from 2 threads as I go forward - it'll be too easy to skip somebody.

Let's start by getting some general points out of the way: there are lots of questions several of you asked. So let's hit them up front:

Will Phule join the crew? Not likely.

Have we seen the last of Kane? That would be telling. Kane's fate is a mystery to be solved in Arc 2.

What's up with Trianon Palace and Valencia City? Well, it's a lot easier for us to put in islands you can't dock at than it is to add an island to an existing skyway. The story beats that took you to them were cut in the revision, but we put them in anyway - if more updates do come along and the story returns to Valencia, they're there and ready for future use.

What would have happened in Books 16 through 20? I'm not going to go into too much detail here, partly because I'd rather focus on what might be to come than on what might have been. Also, there are elements of the plot that may show up in an altered form, and I don't want to spoil them. That said, here's a look at the original outline:

Book 15's original end had you working with the Resistance to smuggle Gazpaccio out of Valenica - you weren't originally going to enter the machine until Book 18. Gazpaccio was going to be installed in a secret workshop off of Avery's Court, and turn into the primary quest driver for the next few books.

As originally planned, Books 16 and 17 would deal with Gazpaccio's original plan on how to defeat Kane. It didn't involve just slotting the Heart into him. As you'll recall from your Aquilan prophecies, a Hand and an Eye were also mentioned. Gazpaccio's plan was to build a second super clockwork, on Kane's level, but good instead of evil. His name was going to be Able. In book 16 you would have gathered some of the parts Gazpaccio needed, then he would have told you about the Heart, which was the goal of Book 17.

Book 18 was when you'd finally enter the Machine, using Able and his resemblance to Kane to sneak into the heart of Kane's inner sanctum. There you would have stolen Kane's map pieces and had a major confrontation with Kane himself, on a chessboard. Gazpaccio's plan would fail, and Able wouldn't make it out. But as a consolation you would track down Erika the Red's map piece, meaning you had all seven at last.

After that Book 19 would be a race with Kane to El Dorado, and the final confrontation with him would come on the golden streets of El Dorado in Book 20. Yes, I'm being super vague here.

You'll note I didn't use any world names. That's very deliberate.
Well, to quote El Toro "That's absurdly complicated!"
I'm glad we didn't get to spend much time with Gazpaccio, as seeing him die at Kane's hands was heart wrenching enough. I think I like this installment better - good choice there, Mew.
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
Ok, here we go.

@The Epic One: A new card pack is a good idea. If all goes well and updates continue, that's definitely an avenue to explore.

@Angelis: All I can say to this is too reiterate that more players = more content. If that turns into a cycle where more content then = even more players, we win. That's the goal.

@Angelis2: As for the overall arc, see above. As to specific cuts in Book 15, a lot of it was what I call "blocker" stuff - the classic MMO trope of needing to get 3 things before you get the thing which lets you go where you need to go. There was a whole "getting there is hald the fun" interlude on another world before you even got to Valenica. Once you got there, you spent a LONG time jumping through hoops to reach Gazpaccio. It also took a lot of effort to get to Steed, and that Skeleton Key to the Clock Works was also very hard to get. We lost a lot of side quests as well.

All of these cut bits had flavor to balance the busy work - I saw someone lamenting the fact that we didn't get to know the crabs of Guinea Pigs better. Sadly, a lot of that fell out. The bits I found hardest to cut were the not one but two major set pieces that involved Queen. As originally written, you got to interact with her quite a bit. Good thing she's still alive...

@Grady000: There are ideas in place already, and it's WAY too early to even give hints at this stage. That Would Be Telling (TWBT).

@TechnomagePVP: Valenica City is there in the hope that we can get back to it someday. As for the level span of any future updates, we want to make them as big as possible, but that depends in part on how many platyers we have.

@LeSilverSwashbuckler: See above about stuff that got cut pertaining to Queen. As to future plans, TWBT, but we did spend a lot of effort on that last cinematic...
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@Vulorian: Not sure if we'll get to return to Valencia, but we've left the door open for it. If all goes well. I'm hoping future updates will include new worlds. We've got some unfinished business on old worlds too... As for new systems, that's outside my wheelhouse, and I'm unsure.

@AlexThePirate: Polaris? That would indeed be telling. Our prior glimpses of the place have only shown the tip of the iceberg, as it were...

@Swordroll: A list!
1) As hinted at above, the chessboard confrontation with Kane was something we were planning to do all along - given the Elites' names it was too good an opportunity to pass up. It happened much sooner than planned. As to elites returning (or getting replaced with newer models), the plan was for it to be a shocking reveal. Sadly, the compression of the arc in Book 15 lessened the impact because we had so many reveals stacked there at the end.

2) We left him alive for a reason. He's too fun, and even though he can't be the wild card to his dear father's plans anymore, there's still a lot he knows.

3) The Grand Design as a term first got raised in Book 13 - there was a bit of a gap between first mention and revelation. This was an element that was going to get revealed over the course of several books, and really be the focus on Book 18. Kane's defeat means that if it's not dead, it's at least on hold.

4) He didn't ignore the Map pieces - he got to two of them before you did, after all. But once he realized from examining how his two pieces worked, he decided it was far more efficient to make his own map. Him dismissing your efforts to get the Map and revealing that he can replace Elites is villain taunting - again, the shock value is lessened in the compressed context, but that's the big reversal he hits you with. Also, it allowed Books 19 and 20 to have both of you racing to El Dorado - you'd use the Map, Kane ended up not needing one. I didn't want reaching El Dorado to be a binary thing - you or Kane.
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@Swordroll (continued):

5. Glad you liked the fight. Ratbeard and the implementers are very pleased with how it turned out. As to what happened after Kane's death, that's the ultimate question - THE mystery. It'll be a big part of arc 2.

6. Yes, that was indeed curious. You might think they were offering some consolation for defeating Kane and destroying your most direct link to El Dorado. Or that might not be it at all...

7. The disposition of Kane's pieces is very much a question. If a trip to El Dorado is indeed in the cards, they'd come in very handy.

8. Lots of snow. And pickled herring.

@Anne Radcliffe: Glad you liked the update. As for Trianon, I'm not going to say anything at this time, save that I really would like to go there someday, if we get the chance. I saw your analysis of the name, and your research was spot on.

@Anecorbie: I loved writing "And Bob's Your Uncle." Mr. Carrington is an awesome character - I'll definitely be looking to use him again should the opportunity arise. We've roamed so far afield it was nice to have a pirate for a rival again!

Phule? TWBT. But it was a very deliberate choice not to have him on that chessboard...

@StormWizardPro1:
1. Valencia City - see the first post of this thread.
2. Like so many other places, Polaris is a world we could visit in the future if all goes well. Not going to commit more than that.
3. A while.
4. I think that shot was generated from an early version of the scene, where windstones were standing in for the mysterious crystals.
5. See number 2. I like Darkmoor too, btw.
Dread Pirate
Jun 13, 2011
2037
Blind Mew on Jun 22, 2016 wrote:
Wow. Thanks for the responses. I figure rather than start posting responses 2 pages deep into a huge thread, I'm better served starting a whole new thread to respond.

Also, right up front I'm going to ask that you keep placing new posts in the original thread - I'd hate to have to reference questions from 2 threads as I go forward - it'll be too easy to skip somebody.

Let's start by getting some general points out of the way: there are lots of questions several of you asked. So let's hit them up front:

Will Phule join the crew? Not likely.

Have we seen the last of Kane? That would be telling. Kane's fate is a mystery to be solved in Arc 2.

What's up with Trianon Palace and Valencia City? Well, it's a lot easier for us to put in islands you can't dock at than it is to add an island to an existing skyway. The story beats that took you to them were cut in the revision, but we put them in anyway - if more updates do come along and the story returns to Valencia, they're there and ready for future use.

What would have happened in Books 16 through 20? I'm not going to go into too much detail here, partly because I'd rather focus on what might be to come than on what might have been. Also, there are elements of the plot that may show up in an altered form, and I don't want to spoil them. That said, here's a look at the original outline:

Book 15's original end had you working with the Resistance to smuggle Gazpaccio out of Valenica - you weren't originally going to enter the machine until Book 18. Gazpaccio was going to be installed in a secret workshop off of Avery's Court, and turn into the primary quest driver for the next few books.

As originally planned, Books 16 and 17 would deal with Gazpaccio's original plan on how to defeat Kane. It didn't involve just slotting the Heart into him. As you'll recall from your Aquilan prophecies, a Hand and an Eye were also mentioned. Gazpaccio's plan was to build a second super clockwork, on Kane's level, but good instead of evil. His name was going to be Able. In book 16 you would have gathered some of the parts Gazpaccio needed, then he would have told you about the Heart, which was the goal of Book 17.

Book 18 was when you'd finally enter the Machine, using Able and his resemblance to Kane to sneak into the heart of Kane's inner sanctum. There you would have stolen Kane's map pieces and had a major confrontation with Kane himself, on a chessboard. Gazpaccio's plan would fail, and Able wouldn't make it out. But as a consolation you would track down Erika the Red's map piece, meaning you had all seven at last.

After that Book 19 would be a race with Kane to El Dorado, and the final confrontation with him would come on the golden streets of El Dorado in Book 20. Yes, I'm being super vague here.

You'll note I didn't use any world names. That's very deliberate.
Normally, I would place questions, but, since you made this thread and requested us to keep posting on your previous thread, I'll just comment here rather to ask questions, that is, with your approval.

1st, I know Phule would not join our crew, 'cause I still think he's untrustworthy, especially on how Kane could be stopped. I kept presuming he would lead us into a trap. Honestly, I still don't trust Phule.

2nd, I know Kane's Golden Mind is still active, 'cause that's what holds Kane's well being, so I'm guessing he's somewhere else.

3rd, I understand that those places you placed them in, yet they're unable to dock in their present state. I was looking forward to exploring them. Still, what you decide is OK with us.

4th, the original outline for what would've been done in Arc 1 all sounded very exciting and amazing. I was looking forward to seeing that come into play, had it mostly been kept as it would've.

The one thing Book 15 would've ended would be that we would've won with G out of Valencia & Kane's wrath being incurred even more & we would've had another battle with one of Kane's Elites with Kane, which would've been his 1st battle.

Books 16 & 17 sounded more like a thorough search for some parts needed to create Able, & the true plan to defeat Kane would be placed into motion, though Kane would've had another Map Piece by the time we were done.

Book 18 really sounded exciting, as going back to steal his Pieces & face Kane again would've been epic indeed, along with getting the last piece from Erika the Red.

Book 19 being the race with Kane to El Dorado would've been amazing to see. I merely pictured it in my mind before. And Book 20, that would've had the grand last battle with Kane would've been an epic conclusion to arc 1. Only thing is, he could've had many forms in that battle.

Overall, the outline to arc 1 would've been amazing. Too bad it was placed down to end it at Book 15.

Hope arc 2 will have a better outline, a proper finale, & not end too soon.
Dread Pirate
May 27, 2009
2131
Excellent -- maybe someday we'll get the "Director's Cut"
Ensign
Jan 21, 2013
38
Its a shame that this update didn't happen. It sounds very cool. I love the idea of Kane and Able! That sounds awesome! But i am glad we are able to move forward with arc 2. Glad to have you back Blind Mew! Your absence has been a tough one! See you in the Skyways!!

Au Revoir

JackThePirate
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@Trimond297:
1st - We shied away from M because the pressure would have been to immediately give the pirate a new mission. It felt better to leave things off with Avery - I didn't want a Return of the King ending with 3 or 4 celebrations in a row. That's the movie RotK, btw, and not the book. The book spaced those endings out with some lovely bits of story. If all goes well and updates continue, reporting to M is the obvious first step. As you've no doubt heard, I'm inordinately fond of Marleybone and will go there any chance I get.

2nd - That's the goal.

3rd - Side content is something I think the game could definitely use, whether whole worlds, clusters of gauntlets, or the event-type stuff you see in Wizard. If all goes well, balancing side content with updates for Arc 2 will be the interesting part. In an ideal world, we'll end up with enough pirates to do both.

@CaptainBunny093:
1) TWBT. As I said in the OP, though, El Dorado is still out there...
2) That is an interesting question.
3) It's a place we'd intended to go in a later book. We put the entrance in game in case we ever get the opportunity to open it.

@AOS Sheldon:
1) See above.
2) Not yet, my friend. But if all goes well, the hints will be forthcoming.
3) I have a lot of communication with the Wizard writers; I sit in on their brainstorms, they help with pirate ones.

@OldFaithfulCam: See above.

@Trimond297: Every world has some antagonists who are open for more detail. It'd be cool to get back to Cool Ranch, though that world has such a lion's share of content in the overall game that I'm not sure it's the first place I'd go back to embellish.
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@MistyDragon13:
Your parents and memories of them: That storyline probably won't be at the forefront of any future story updates, but it's a thread that's not done yet.
El Dorado: See above.
Your Dad: This is a tricky one. Given that I can't predict certain aspects of your pirate's appearance, I can't ever state with certainty what the priate's father might have looked like. Ditto on the name - I can't guarantee he'll have the same last name as your pirate, and just referring to him but his first name could get a little kitchy. That said, there's room to give out at least some more information about him. I'm leaving my options there as open as possible.
Worlds: No comment. I'd like to see side worlds - I think they could do a lot of good.
Grizzleheim Accents: We just really liked playing with the accent. Also, I presume that Grizzleheim is a really big place, with lots of regions we haven't seen yet. The bears from some corners of Grizzleheim sound different that the ones the wizards have seen so far.

@Willowydream:
Gazpaccio: It doesn't look good.
Bonnie Anne: That was intended to be a little bit of a meta joke about how long winded the exposition got at the end of Book 15. But I'm thinking that business with her brother has put a damper on her formerly pleasant disposition.
Saying goodbye to Steed: See above, but with some elaboration. In theory, you'd have gotten congratulations from your crew, then Steed, then M, then Avery, with some travel between each of them. That's a lot of endings.
Shiny thing: You'll have to ask Falmea.

@AverageMoe:
The Machine: Well, it presumably has more than 2 rooms inside it...
Stormgates: Hmmmmm... Yeah, that doesn't sound right. I'll have to look into that.
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@WizardRocks969:
1. See above.
2. Yes, that was odd...
3. All I can say about this is what I've said already: more players will enable more content.
4. I cannot confirm that, sorry. Neither can I deny that...
5. It's not like he carries them ON him! They weren't at hand when the battle was done, and there's really no clue where he might have hidden them.
6. You knew Bishop from Book 13 - at Beachhead you fought him 3 times as I recall, and he gave a whole puppet show! As for Queen, the story cuts that affected her were the deepest cuts of all.
7. TWBT, but it hardly seems unlikely, don't you think?
8. As stated in my original post, that's going to depend. But if more updates come, the plan is certainly to make them come closer together.
9. Lots of snow. And picked herring.

@ChrissyTheBlesser: As regards the original shape of the story, see above. As regards recruiting more players, I cannot hank you enough.

@PiratesOfTheSpiral:
Phule: See above about the crew. And yes, he was definitely playing his own game with regards to Kane. Did he win? That remains to be seen. It wouldn't take much to figure out Phule's role int he fall of Kane. Kane tolerated his madness, but I'm not sure Queen would.
Wizard City Skyway: Wow, never really thought about it before - it would be a crazy place to visit!

@Trimond297: If all goes well, the plan with the next arc is to build it to fit the scope, without needing to compress the end. Pacing will be a huge priority. I'm sorry Kane couldn't get more time in the arc - originally Book 15 was going to just be the first time you meet him: the final battle wasn't coming until Book 20.

I'm hoping we can bring new blocs of companions into the game if all goes well. The homeworld 5 is still a good idea.

Kan Devasi: are you asking if Kane is going to challenge us from beyond the grave? I'd say that's unlikely - if Kane returns, he won't need some ancient law to do it. Now, as for some ancient Pirate Code, I'd be shocked if there weren't any.
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@TheDoctor: If all goes well, card packs are definitely something to explore.

@IndigoRing: Thanks for the kind words. And as regards Alexander - I like the way you think...
As for the other ideas, they're all quite intriguing. Switchin things from one game to another might prove quite the hurdle, though. As for crossing the games over directly, the difference in combat styles are probably too difficult to overcome. But that is a crazy idea!

@CunningFinniganSharp: A lot of the things you're missing were in the material that got cut.
1. I didn't want to release half a book. If the second half was a long time coming, or never came at all, we'd have been left in the same position. When I got the chance to resolve that, I took it. It did involve sacrifices, but I really didn't want to leave things on a cliffhanger again.

2. TWBT. See above for lots of answers (hmmm, this should have been one of my opening general answers).

3. That was indeed very weird. I wonder why they did that?

@CunningFinniganSharp (again): Don't underestimate Kane's arrogance. He is completely self centered: he is, after all, smarter than everyone else he's ever met. Some of the particulars about his problems with imperfect people would have had more light shone on them in the longer version of the arc, but Kane in my mind was always cold, arrogant, and self-centered. He didn't start out in a generally innocent place and come to pass judgement on the world - he was a bad egg from inception. Why he should be that way is an interesting question.

Oh, and your speculations about his past are very interesting, but not entirely complete. The real question is how did he learn about El Dorado and the Map?
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@ItsaMario4:
1) See above.
2) As above, that needs to get looked into.
3) No the Machine was always intended to have multiple entrances. I hope we get to see more of it someday.
4) Sorry you think so. The plan is always to vary things up a bit between skyways, but to keep to the core concept.
5) They're there to show the skyway has much more going on than you can immediately interact with. And besides, i think they look really cool!
6) Perhaps to a degree, but not the degree you're implying. If we get to do Arc 2, it will have its own shape and span. Some of the things that had to be abandoned in future books may return in altered form, but it remains to be seen how much of that wil happen.

@CunningFinniganSharp (again!):
Some of those prophecies were referring to things from the original Books 16-20. I'm not really sure how many of them can still come to pass, at least in the envisioned form. Always in motion is the future...

As to pacing: Book 15 went a little too fast, especially at the end, but yes, the plan going forward if all goes well is to have smaller, tighter units of story.

@SaltedbaconStrip:
1. TWBT.
2. Not at this time.
3. That's one for Ratbeard, not me.
3. MooShu to Valencia is yellow, and that's all I'll volunteer at this time.

@DarkFire0548:
1) That would indeed be telling.
2) Unlikely. But there are lots of ways to bring up the wars again and shed more light on them, if all goes well.
3) Ultijmately, because it's funny.
4) What "what" are you referring to? What happened to Kane? I figure it'll take a while for the word to get out.
5) That's be a better question for Madam Falmea, i think.
6) As above, that prophecy got a messed with by the compression of the arc.

@Trimond297: If all goes well, we'll look at bringing these elements back in future updates.
Captain
Oct 16, 2012
619
Blind Mew on Jun 22, 2016 wrote:
Wow. Thanks for the responses. I figure rather than start posting responses 2 pages deep into a huge thread, I'm better served starting a whole new thread to respond.

Also, right up front I'm going to ask that you keep placing new posts in the original thread - I'd hate to have to reference questions from 2 threads as I go forward - it'll be too easy to skip somebody.

Let's start by getting some general points out of the way: there are lots of questions several of you asked. So let's hit them up front:

Will Phule join the crew? Not likely.

Have we seen the last of Kane? That would be telling. Kane's fate is a mystery to be solved in Arc 2.

What's up with Trianon Palace and Valencia City? Well, it's a lot easier for us to put in islands you can't dock at than it is to add an island to an existing skyway. The story beats that took you to them were cut in the revision, but we put them in anyway - if more updates do come along and the story returns to Valencia, they're there and ready for future use.

What would have happened in Books 16 through 20? I'm not going to go into too much detail here, partly because I'd rather focus on what might be to come than on what might have been. Also, there are elements of the plot that may show up in an altered form, and I don't want to spoil them. That said, here's a look at the original outline:

Book 15's original end had you working with the Resistance to smuggle Gazpaccio out of Valenica - you weren't originally going to enter the machine until Book 18. Gazpaccio was going to be installed in a secret workshop off of Avery's Court, and turn into the primary quest driver for the next few books.

As originally planned, Books 16 and 17 would deal with Gazpaccio's original plan on how to defeat Kane. It didn't involve just slotting the Heart into him. As you'll recall from your Aquilan prophecies, a Hand and an Eye were also mentioned. Gazpaccio's plan was to build a second super clockwork, on Kane's level, but good instead of evil. His name was going to be Able. In book 16 you would have gathered some of the parts Gazpaccio needed, then he would have told you about the Heart, which was the goal of Book 17.

Book 18 was when you'd finally enter the Machine, using Able and his resemblance to Kane to sneak into the heart of Kane's inner sanctum. There you would have stolen Kane's map pieces and had a major confrontation with Kane himself, on a chessboard. Gazpaccio's plan would fail, and Able wouldn't make it out. But as a consolation you would track down Erika the Red's map piece, meaning you had all seven at last.

After that Book 19 would be a race with Kane to El Dorado, and the final confrontation with him would come on the golden streets of El Dorado in Book 20. Yes, I'm being super vague here.

You'll note I didn't use any world names. That's very deliberate.
After reading this, it makes me sad to see that A LOT of potentially awesome stuff had to be cut out. While Valencia Part 2 was rather.....short (I finished it in all of 7 hours), the final fight is an epic one.
Lieutenant
Sep 21, 2014
177
Dread Pirate
Jun 13, 2011
2037
Blind Mew on Jun 22, 2016 wrote:
@WizardRocks969:
1. See above.
2. Yes, that was odd...
3. All I can say about this is what I've said already: more players will enable more content.
4. I cannot confirm that, sorry. Neither can I deny that...
5. It's not like he carries them ON him! They weren't at hand when the battle was done, and there's really no clue where he might have hidden them.
6. You knew Bishop from Book 13 - at Beachhead you fought him 3 times as I recall, and he gave a whole puppet show! As for Queen, the story cuts that affected her were the deepest cuts of all.
7. TWBT, but it hardly seems unlikely, don't you think?
8. As stated in my original post, that's going to depend. But if more updates come, the plan is certainly to make them come closer together.
9. Lots of snow. And picked herring.

@ChrissyTheBlesser: As regards the original shape of the story, see above. As regards recruiting more players, I cannot hank you enough.

@PiratesOfTheSpiral:
Phule: See above about the crew. And yes, he was definitely playing his own game with regards to Kane. Did he win? That remains to be seen. It wouldn't take much to figure out Phule's role int he fall of Kane. Kane tolerated his madness, but I'm not sure Queen would.
Wizard City Skyway: Wow, never really thought about it before - it would be a crazy place to visit!

@Trimond297: If all goes well, the plan with the next arc is to build it to fit the scope, without needing to compress the end. Pacing will be a huge priority. I'm sorry Kane couldn't get more time in the arc - originally Book 15 was going to just be the first time you meet him: the final battle wasn't coming until Book 20.

I'm hoping we can bring new blocs of companions into the game if all goes well. The homeworld 5 is still a good idea.

Kan Devasi: are you asking if Kane is going to challenge us from beyond the grave? I'd say that's unlikely - if Kane returns, he won't need some ancient law to do it. Now, as for some ancient Pirate Code, I'd be shocked if there weren't any.
To be honest, I previously grew to like that idea about spending quality time with Kane & having many battles with him before his final battle. I'll look to enjoying arc 2's pacing & having many battles with the next Big Bad before the grand last battle with the Big Bad without sacrificing all these. Better to keep it rather to give it up at all. I support you on that 100%, & we will not ask to skip to the end at all! We'll enjoy it with patience & anticipation!

Glad you still remember that, as well as have I. More blocks of companions besides the Home World 5, that's something to look forward to.

To answer that question about the Kan Davasi bit, no. I didn't say Kane would challenge us with that law. I'm just asking if P101 has it's equivalent to that law.

My opinion on it, I really don't think Kane would use it; he is a machine. I'm just thinking on the chance of someone, that is NOT Kane, who many thought was defeated for good on their previous defeat & sent into some dark void in a greater scheme to destroy us upon being defeated several times would use the ancient Pirate Code equivalent to Kan Davasi in their very last chance to end before they get defeated once and for all, only that someone had become extremely dangerous & insane to do so.

I only thought about asking that once learning about that law in W101's Castle Darkmoor.
Dread Pirate
Jun 13, 2011
2037
Blind Mew on Jun 22, 2016 wrote:
@Trimond297:
1st - We shied away from M because the pressure would have been to immediately give the pirate a new mission. It felt better to leave things off with Avery - I didn't want a Return of the King ending with 3 or 4 celebrations in a row. That's the movie RotK, btw, and not the book. The book spaced those endings out with some lovely bits of story. If all goes well and updates continue, reporting to M is the obvious first step. As you've no doubt heard, I'm inordinately fond of Marleybone and will go there any chance I get.

2nd - That's the goal.

3rd - Side content is something I think the game could definitely use, whether whole worlds, clusters of gauntlets, or the event-type stuff you see in Wizard. If all goes well, balancing side content with updates for Arc 2 will be the interesting part. In an ideal world, we'll end up with enough pirates to do both.

@CaptainBunny093:
1) TWBT. As I said in the OP, though, El Dorado is still out there...
2) That is an interesting question.
3) It's a place we'd intended to go in a later book. We put the entrance in game in case we ever get the opportunity to open it.

@AOS Sheldon:
1) See above.
2) Not yet, my friend. But if all goes well, the hints will be forthcoming.
3) I have a lot of communication with the Wizard writers; I sit in on their brainstorms, they help with pirate ones.

@OldFaithfulCam: See above.

@Trimond297: Every world has some antagonists who are open for more detail. It'd be cool to get back to Cool Ranch, though that world has such a lion's share of content in the overall game that I'm not sure it's the first place I'd go back to embellish.
OK. Just thought I would bring that question up since completing that mission from Special Branch would be the 1st thing we would do before talking to Avery, 'cause to me, I felt that we should've done that in the 1st place. I don't want to leave that out.

Just thought I would ask that question, since there is no Puppet Show in Book 5, at least, presently. Never hurts to do it someday, even if it isn't the 1st place you'd go back to. No worries. I'm not forcing you to do it or something. Still would like to learn how the Red Sash Gang was formed someday, since it would be interesting to know.
Dread Pirate
Jun 13, 2011
2037
Willowydream on Jun 22, 2016 wrote:
Excellent -- maybe someday we'll get the "Director's Cut"
I take it you mean an extended version of Book 15 that would be the original. That would be interesting to see.
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
Onward we go!

@ThunderHawk:
1. Ally. I wanted to make him die, and we can't take companions away.
2. Maybe...
3. Don't want to talk worlds - you'll note I was deliberately vague about that.
4. Ditto.

@ThePrivateer:
  • Possibly.
  • You'll have to read the original post.
  • That is a crazy theory. I'm not sure El Dorado is Shangri-La...
  • Very devious. And she has impeccable fashion sense.
  • See above.
  • Not at this time.
  • See above - I wanted 2 pats on the back instead of 4.
  • That's not my department, but I did say we'd keep reaching out. What I'm hoping is that word of mouth can become a major factor as well.
  • No comment.

@PiratesOfTheSpiral:

Thanks for the kind word, but again, I don't want to dwell on the past - I want to look to the future.

@AlexThePirate:
1. Potentially, yeah (if all goes well).
2. The Book 18 version? Undoubtedly.
3. Not unless we pick it up again later.
4. Possibly, if all goes well.
5. We already basically have that in Hamamitsu, don't we?
6. As we've said before, the games are happening at "roughly the same time" - the differences are geographical. Wizards' Polaris would be in a very different part of Polaris. But bear in mind I'm making no promises about worlds.
7. Possibly, if all goes well.

@Flash33:
1. Because I was shortening the arc and ending the Kane story.
2. Read the brief synopsis above. The Heart was going to be put to a different use, but Gazpaccio's plan would ultimately fail.
3. Possibly.
4. The wording was deliberate. And yes, the apparent inconsistency is indeed curious.
5. The original post is all I'm prepared to say on the subject. I don't want to dwell on the past.

@Anecorbie:
That's hilarious! I'd assumed she just moves with uncanny grace - her legs are working really hard under there, but none of it shows on the outside.
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@CaptainBlackwolfBowman:
1. See the original post.
2. I'm not going to talk about worlds. If all goes well and if we continue the quest for El Dorado, she'd be an obvious part of it. I agree - there's too little Grizzleheim in the content we've done so far.
3. If all goes well and new content comes along, side worlds are definitely something i want to explore. I'm not sure I'd do Cool Ranch, or at least not at first - compared to the other world we've got lots of Cool Ranch.
4. Not at this time.

@Vuloran:
Polaris: It's a nice place. I'm not going to speculate about possible future worlds. If all goes well I'd love to go there.
The Map Pieces: That would be telling.

@WizardRocks969:
Arc 2: Some ideas are definitely in place, the specifics aren't in focus yet.
Mom's piece of the map: you're right, I didn't tell you what happened with it. My summary was deliberately vague, if you'll recall.

@DarkFire0548:
1) I suppose it's possible, but then anything is technically possible...
2) I don't remember if it has been broght up before, actually. I expect Gracie could match the physical construction of a clockwork, but re-programming one or getting one's mind to work would be beyond her.
3) Unsure.
4) It's very stormy in there.
5) Potentially, and going forward (if all goes well) we'll have to look at length as a way to balance them with the other content.

@Trimond:
On the way to Valencia: there was some material originally, as I said above. It's a prime target for things that could come back if all goes well.
Khrysalis: In theory, every wizard world has a skyway. As to Khrysalis, I'm not going to commit or hint on worlds we might go to in the future.
Preview Quests: That's a very interesting idea.

@AlexthePirate: I'm not sure yet. Fewer than 15.
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@Naregoo:
1. They'd have to be for the next tier. I'm unwilling to commit to such a thing right now, but would love to do more promos if the fates allow.
2. That would indeed be telling. TWIBT
3. An interesting idea, but given the chance i'd rather make puppet shows for the current content than cover things you didn't get to play.
4. Refer that question to One-Eyed Jack.
5. Thank you. And bravo on the recruitment!

@KelseyFireheart:
As far as helping the game goes, the biggest thing is just more players: crowns or membership, more is more. Get new players in, and if they like the game they'll take care of the rest. As I said someplace above, more players = more content, which can then turn into even more new players = even more new content, etc.
Captain
Mar 24, 2013
732
I guess Kane will be back, for the next phase of the arc one storyline. Thanks for the the info.

The big question is what to do with Phule
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@Stephen361: That call will get made by somebody other than me. The firm plans aren't in place yet.

@CaptainBlackWolfBoy: These are all marketing questions that are beyond my pay grade. I know marketing efforts will continue.

@Anecorbie: Gazpaccio was driven out of business, and the Tortellinis conspired with money and influence to make in impossible for Gazpaccio to set up any kind of real workshop anywhere in Valencia. It wasn't a formal exile per se, but it amounted to the same thing - he had to leave Valenica to continue his work.

Kane saw in the Tortellinis the ideal mix of ambition, strength, and wealth. The fact that they lacked the strategic acumen to thwart him was also a plus. Not only that, but they owned Gazpaccio's clockwork making operation - he needed control of that to enact his schemes. The fact that Kane was as good at clockwork making as Gazpaccio was, if not better, and had no need for wages made him an ideal ally from the perspective of the Tortellinis.

As to how Kane rose in power, nothing succeeds like success. His victories in the Napoleguinic Wars pretty much cemented his place as a pillar of the Valencian government. The fact that clockworks and been installed in lots of government posts in the name of efficiency also helped (didn't get to show that one, but it was part of the original plan).
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@ItsaMario4:
1. Italian renaissance with a dash of imperial Spain. Wealth, high culture, and intrigue. Lots of intrigue.
2. Those villas are there in case we need them someday. I'm not sure it'd be worth the effort to change them. Besides, I figure the current configuration is a matter of fashion.
3. We put the transportaler in Florenza to save everybody the trip from Aragon. In addition to being a cultural hub, Valencia is also the biggest trade hub in the Spiral - an abundance of easy travel methods makes more sense here than it does elsewhere.
4. If all goes well I'd love to, but it's a little tricky to accomplish.
5. There's a definite use we had in mind for Avernus beyond the shortcut in Book 4. If all goes well, those plans can get revived.
6. Some of those were publicity images from a long time ago. I wouldn't say they're all necessarily in Andalusia, no...
7. TWBT (the real answer: as many as we need)
8. It would indeed. If all goes well, it could be great fun to go back there...

@SamUnderhill: Wow, what a question! Oh man, the mind boggles... I'd love to meet a Neanderthal. I'd love to hang out in the Library of Alexandria too. I'd also love to witness a manned landing on Mars.

@MonkRinx2024: Queen gear would be awesome! As would Kane's sword. Hmmmmmmm...

@The Privateer: Well, Pollo thought that before he went to El Dorado. He may not have been correct. Or he may have changed his mind after seeing the place...
The Machine: It's likely going to sit there, inert, for a while.
The Armada isn't going away, but I'm hoping to take a bit of a break from them for a while.
Writing Time: It really varies, and is ongoing - it's not just a draft and done. There are lots of revision waves, both before playtesting and after, and some revisions will happen right before release. Not even counting the time it takes to brainstorm and hash out the plot. Months. If this is a clever way to tease a potential release date btw, it's a nice try, but I won't be pinned down.
Captain
Jan 26, 2012
646
@JustinFirethief:
1. As noted several times above, that second crystal message is indeed. Odd. In addition to the questions you ask here, I'd add "are those really the same crystals?" and "what the heck ARE those crystals, anyway?" to the list.

2. The information Bishop was wringing out of the disks was the Aztecosaur astrology Kane needed to make his Map. When Bishop's message was sent, he hadn't finished yet. Also, they knew Gazpaccio was sending messages, but they didn't know what the message *said*, and therefore why he was sending it. Kane figured it was better to lay in wait knowing it was going on and outmaneuver anything that happens as a result.

3. I'd say they and it weren't for nothing.

4. I'd say Kane did indeed begin to suspect something was up when Typhon didn't report back, but he was very busy with the final steps of his Grand Design.

5. Kane is indeed stronger, faster, and smarter than any living being, and he is the power behind the throne in Valencia, but the Throne doesn't know that. King Cassimir has so much control over Kane because Kane is still sbservient to the King, so far as everyone knows. He has a lot of power, but if he were to suddenly commit a coup and turn all of Valencia against him and the Armada it would definitely negatively impact his agenda. It's a setback he could overcome, but why go through the hassle if he didn't have to? The Machine would take care of it all soon anyway.

@DeadEyeLuke:
Pirate has ended up going a little dark, and so far we haven't minded. I'm not sure if I feel the need to out-dark this arc in the next arc (wow that sounds weird spoken out loud) - I expect we'll stay about the same. We are a family game, after all. In places we've come up right to the line, but I think Pirate's a better game for it.
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