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Ratbeard Q & A

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AuthorMessage
Developer
Willowydream on Jul 25, 2019 wrote:
Snark, or homage?

Being a sincere Pirate101 supporter, one has to believe, or the Pumpkin Patch becomes a place of weeds, as anecorbie pointed out.

I sincerely believe that someday there will be actual answers to at least a few of our questions, or what is this thread really for, sir?

So... I have been away a long time.

Not only do I not remember the pressing issues of my day, I don't know the issues that have arisen since I left, and I no longer have the critical toolset skills I need to get in and fix things.

So I have a lot of "remembering" to do first, and then a lot of "catching up" to do, before any kind of "updating" is even open for discussion. (And those of you who play both games know that W101 demands a lot of my time-- I don't even have time to be present on the W101 forums as much as I would like.)

What is this thread for? This thread is to catalog the most pressing issues I need to look into without requiring me to crawl all around the various message boards to build a To Do list.

So the right approach to this thread would be, "Ratbeard, we know you can't say what's coming, when it's coming, or even whether it's coming, but when you get a chance to update P101, here are the things you should be looking at first."
Commodore
Feb 12, 2015
970
Ratbeard on Jul 26, 2019 wrote:
So... I have been away a long time.

Not only do I not remember the pressing issues of my day, I don't know the issues that have arisen since I left, and I no longer have the critical toolset skills I need to get in and fix things.

So I have a lot of "remembering" to do first, and then a lot of "catching up" to do, before any kind of "updating" is even open for discussion. (And those of you who play both games know that W101 demands a lot of my time-- I don't even have time to be present on the W101 forums as much as I would like.)

What is this thread for? This thread is to catalog the most pressing issues I need to look into without requiring me to crawl all around the various message boards to build a To Do list.

So the right approach to this thread would be, "Ratbeard, we know you can't say what's coming, when it's coming, or even whether it's coming, but when you get a chance to update P101, here are the things you should be looking at first."
Will do! Everyone rattle off the most serious issues of the day:

The Cabin Glitch. Perhaps the most infamous glitch of this day, so malicious that I dare not mention the means of doing it here. (Not only would it violate your Code of Conduct, I don't want more people doing this. This is Glitch Priority No. 1.

A lack of Side Activities. After the storyline is done, there is generally nothing enticing to do. PvP, Nautical PvP, and Pet Sparring are all generally vacant now. Our community leaders have some ideas on PvP, and I actually have some ideas for Pet Sparring and Nautical PvP, if anyone would like to hear them.

I'll remember some other issues when they come to me, and I encourage eveyone else to do the same. This may lead to the end of our slump!
First Mate
Dec 29, 2012
479
Ratbeard on Jul 26, 2019 wrote:
So... I have been away a long time.

Not only do I not remember the pressing issues of my day, I don't know the issues that have arisen since I left, and I no longer have the critical toolset skills I need to get in and fix things.

So I have a lot of "remembering" to do first, and then a lot of "catching up" to do, before any kind of "updating" is even open for discussion. (And those of you who play both games know that W101 demands a lot of my time-- I don't even have time to be present on the W101 forums as much as I would like.)

What is this thread for? This thread is to catalog the most pressing issues I need to look into without requiring me to crawl all around the various message boards to build a To Do list.

So the right approach to this thread would be, "Ratbeard, we know you can't say what's coming, when it's coming, or even whether it's coming, but when you get a chance to update P101, here are the things you should be looking at first."
Ratbeard,

The consolidation of bugs already occurred in March. Below you will find the link to where the official forum members posted their bug reports:

https://www.pirate101.com/forum/the-bilge-pump/how-about-a-bug-fix-update-8ad6a424693aa2e50169726e23530073

There were no updates on if/when those bugs would be fixed.
Ensign
Jan 27, 2017
14
Ratbeard on Jul 26, 2019 wrote:
So... I have been away a long time.

Not only do I not remember the pressing issues of my day, I don't know the issues that have arisen since I left, and I no longer have the critical toolset skills I need to get in and fix things.

So I have a lot of "remembering" to do first, and then a lot of "catching up" to do, before any kind of "updating" is even open for discussion. (And those of you who play both games know that W101 demands a lot of my time-- I don't even have time to be present on the W101 forums as much as I would like.)

What is this thread for? This thread is to catalog the most pressing issues I need to look into without requiring me to crawl all around the various message boards to build a To Do list.

So the right approach to this thread would be, "Ratbeard, we know you can't say what's coming, when it's coming, or even whether it's coming, but when you get a chance to update P101, here are the things you should be looking at first."
Ratbeard, I personally think a first topic for things to be looking at are in fact bugs. There has been ongoing bugs and I have no clue how much these are known to the team. There have been several bugs with the Christmas yuletide companions that came out in late 2017. Missing epics on the spirit of recieving, and a missing voice for the mouse. As well as promotions for all 3 of them.

Along with a stitching bug with the silent knight sets. The gear is apparently un stitch-able.

Just to help you get an idea of what could be looked at first.

Thank you.
Lieutenant
Jan 23, 2011
110
An issue that many of us have requested to be fixed are the various bugs with the Spirits of Yuletide companions. Specifically the Spirit of Receiving not receiving the epic talents that he should for being levels 15,35, and 55. There are also numerous problems with each companion's voices that can be found through this link.

Another issue I have come across is the ability to purchase Tricky Vinny from the crown shop after I have bought him and promoted him the final time. I know this issue had occurred with the Valvida Brothers and a few others as well, but currently Tricky Vinny is the only one that I am able to purchase again.

Also the Black Storm Scout companion isn't able to be bought from the crown shop after completing the "Black Storm Rising" quest. The Black Storm Shaman companion is rewarded in the crown shop but not the Black Storm Scout.

A small bug with Malik animations have occurred with his last promotion as well. There is now a point in his back that does not move along with the rest of his model resulting in a long stretched out part of him as he attacks and other various combat animations.
Ensign
Aug 29, 2008
10
i'm gonna assume this means you guys at least attempt. expanding mmo team would prolly help lighten that work load. or recreate the separate dev teams so you can output content without getting stressed or overworked.

here is what I'd like to see if you were to update pirate

before anything else this game needs a major two world update like aquila marleybone. pirates player base cant survive another two years without one.

(maybe polaris and grizzlehiem

second thing is crafting which I've already been hearing rumors about (thank you)

now if you cant do either of those I've got another idea. a side world. I've always thought a sky way based off Madagascar in zafaria with a chameleon musketeer companion would be cool.

thank you for communicating with us. it means more than you know
Developer
Oran from Urz on Jul 27, 2019 wrote:
Ratbeard,

The consolidation of bugs already occurred in March. Below you will find the link to where the official forum members posted their bug reports:

https://www.pirate101.com/forum/the-bilge-pump/how-about-a-bug-fix-update-8ad6a424693aa2e50169726e23530073

There were no updates on if/when those bugs would be fixed.
Thanks for the link!
Ensign
Jun 01, 2017
19
Ratbeard on Jul 26, 2019 wrote:
So... I have been away a long time.

Not only do I not remember the pressing issues of my day, I don't know the issues that have arisen since I left, and I no longer have the critical toolset skills I need to get in and fix things.

So I have a lot of "remembering" to do first, and then a lot of "catching up" to do, before any kind of "updating" is even open for discussion. (And those of you who play both games know that W101 demands a lot of my time-- I don't even have time to be present on the W101 forums as much as I would like.)

What is this thread for? This thread is to catalog the most pressing issues I need to look into without requiring me to crawl all around the various message boards to build a To Do list.

So the right approach to this thread would be, "Ratbeard, we know you can't say what's coming, when it's coming, or even whether it's coming, but when you get a chance to update P101, here are the things you should be looking at first."
List of updates compiled with credit given based on section (if you haven't seen most of them before):

Gear, Packs and Bundles Related

The Silent Knight Duelist set is offered during every Yuletide season. It is a weapon that has absolutely no stats on it (intended to be stitched), however, it cannot be stitched to any known weapon in the game. (Oran from Urz)
Missing Max Level of Bundles and Ships (i.e. Haunted Bundle/Galleon, Beluga Galleon, Cutthroat Bundle, Empire Bundle, and Hoodoo Bundle

Pets and Mounts Related

Morphing with another player often results in an infinite loading screen which forces you to restart the game. (Jesse Pew)
Clicking on a player causes their follower to disappear, it's annoying, especially in the morphing tent. (Jesse Pew)
Selfish musketeer epics for pets that can't use them (e.g. Quick Adjust), so why do they exist? (Jesse Pew)
Noelephant no longer jingles, is rather silent (Thrifty Tiffany Webb)

PVP/Combat Related
Contessa hitting enemies despite being dead (Jesse Pew 14:10)
Vengeance Strike activating twice (Jesse Pew)
Talents not activating for no reason (Jesse Pew 6:05 and 33:00)
4v4 Glitch → Longstanding glitch that has broken 4v4 for a while now, forts don't expire, summons/pets don't move. (Jesse Pew)
Can't see health bars most the time when spectating (Jesse Pew)
Can’t see enemy pirate's pet talent grants in battle (Jesse Pew)
Pets randomly don't have any animations (Jesse Pew)
Can't join a battle after a boss is defeated. This has become particularly noticeable with the introduction of skeleton key bosses. (Jesse Pew)
Obsidian Duck of Death is marked as a gauntlet preventing other players from teleporting to their friends fighting him, which isn't a thing for any other skeleton key bosses (Jesse Pew)
Obsidian Deathdealers still do only 80 damage despite being a level 70 weapon (Jesse Pew)
Serpent Augurs and some other enemies in the smuggler arena have missing critical hit animations. (Jesse Pew)
PvP rewards needs to be reviewed, and the current ones need to be removed or changed. The current items aren’t even for a weapon vendor. Either bring back the champion weapons or roll in some new ones. (Everyone)
When a companion dodges Contessa Argento's attack, they use their hurt animations instead on their dodge animations. (Lookit Light)

Game/World/Gameplay Related

Engineering on Beachhead it is possible to hit a lever before the quest prompts you to by avoiding a battle someone else started, breaking the dungeon and requiring a restart. (Jesse Pew)
Cabin Exploit: You can reset the final boss of a gauntlet by previewing a cabin in the crown shop, waiting a minute, and then exiting the cabin. (Jesse Pew)
All the colors and hues of Monquista are gone, instead replaced by a prevalent red. In La Mancha and the Summer Palace, the terrain is basically non-existent, there's black everywhere, and you can't see where you are. Also, there's no music at all. (Lookit Light)

Ships and Equipment Related

Gingerbread Raider Ships in Calabria Skyway are labeled as Armada Ships (Alex the Pirate)

Companion Related

The Presidio companion crownshop counterparts have obnoxious glitchy stretching textures when used in combat after their final promotion, such as Malik. (Jesse Pew and Steven Owlhunter)
The Spirit of receiving is infamous for not having a single epic talent grant to train. The Spirit of Giving doesn't have a voice when you give them commands in combat or in the companion interface. None of them are boosted by Baron Samedi's standard despite being ghosts. There is also the whole situation of how they're supposedly supposed to have promotions but don't. (Jesse Pew)
The Spirits also reuse voice clips and need new ones.

Other
The Badge "Savior of the Spiral" is awarded once the player has completed the quest "Keyduggery". This badge should be awarded once the player has completed the quest "The Final Countdown". (Alex the Pirate)
The rewards received from the Ambassadors on the Party Barge -- At this time, Privateers can NEVER receive anything for their class, and only Musketeers and Witchdoctors can receive max level items. (Willowydream)
Every time you click earn crowns, it says the offers are unavailable. (This happens in Wizard101 too.)
Ensign
Jun 01, 2017
19
Oh and I forgot one more thing. One very important thing that needs to change.

Pirate101 needs a dedicated team. Not more content ported over from Wizard.
Ensign
Jun 27, 2013
2
If I could sum up what this game needs (IMO) in order of importance it would be as follows:

Simplified List:

Needed in General: New Content

Complex List:

1.) New Story Arcs / Worlds.

2.) Review of Companions (Some need general buffs/tuning including most importantly the "Animal" types IE Skysnake, Scorpion ETC receiving promotions).

3.) Expansion of pet related content including pet based missions in overworld, (some) hatchable pet quest rewards, additional pets / combinations etc.

4.) Expanded / New companion story arcs.

5.) Review / Removal of Mercenary functionality

Detail:

1.) IMO new story arc's are a great way to appeal to both new and longtime customers. New content permits you to advertise, bring old players back, bring new players to the game, and generally appear like a living breathing entity (which helps immensely when someone is deciding whether or not to pick a game up). Long periods of recycled or no new major development drives potential customers away for not wanting to invest their time or money in something that may evaporate unexpectedly.

2.) Companions in general need a look under the hood. There are both over and underwhelming characters that could use tuning. My suggestion though is to buff underwhelming companions rather than nerfing the overwhelming. There may be some extreme cases that need actual changes but IMO buffs are always better received than nerfs.

Animal type companions like Skysnake, Scorpion, ETC need special attention. Despite being beloved by many they are subpar due to their being no promotions or epic talents available as they grow. They should be treated as any other companion IMO, especially considering they are often priced the same as other more fully fledged companions in crown shop.

3.) Pet related content is awesome already though I think it could benefit from some tie in to the overworld with missions. These could include quest rewards to provide hatchable pets, pet training gear, snacks etc. I think there is lots of room to expand this into the existing game, tie in locations to visit, possibly new / competing arenas to Beastia ETC. Give us reasons to explore and travel related to pet content.

4.) I firmly believe there should be more / expanded / new companion story arcs. It helps to improve your immersion with the characters and afford more opportunities for content / loot / etc. One of the hands down most exciting things for my son and I as we play is uncovering new companions, their backstories etc. As in the above, give us reasons to explore and travel related to companions. Secret missions / unlocks drive people to play.

*More badge related companions and pets would be nice as well (and get people to grind) IE kill 500 Buffaloons to unlock buffaloon companion etc*

5.) IMO in its current form the mercenary system is a failure. From a price point it is far too expensive for a single use companion. From a game standpoint it promotes single play over team play (in a game with an already smallish player base). All in all I dont believe it fufills its original intention.

IMO it would work better if you paid crowns to unlock mercenaries that once unlocked you could call in fights for gold (increasing per mercenary hired) perhaps even with a global cooldown if your concerned about overuse. This would allow them to be used more like a hired hand in a tough battle.

Or whatever your idea might be, i think this system needs a major overhaul or even possibly removal if there is no other option.

I hope this helps, and I am glad that someone is paying attention to this great game. I still think it has tons of potential to bring in new playes and earn money, especially with some new content and possibly some advertising.
Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Bobdolemite on Aug 10, 2019 wrote:
If I could sum up what this game needs (IMO) in order of importance it would be as follows:

Simplified List:

Needed in General: New Content

Complex List:

1.) New Story Arcs / Worlds.

2.) Review of Companions (Some need general buffs/tuning including most importantly the "Animal" types IE Skysnake, Scorpion ETC receiving promotions).

3.) Expansion of pet related content including pet based missions in overworld, (some) hatchable pet quest rewards, additional pets / combinations etc.

4.) Expanded / New companion story arcs.

5.) Review / Removal of Mercenary functionality

Detail:

1.) IMO new story arc's are a great way to appeal to both new and longtime customers. New content permits you to advertise, bring old players back, bring new players to the game, and generally appear like a living breathing entity (which helps immensely when someone is deciding whether or not to pick a game up). Long periods of recycled or no new major development drives potential customers away for not wanting to invest their time or money in something that may evaporate unexpectedly.

2.) Companions in general need a look under the hood. There are both over and underwhelming characters that could use tuning. My suggestion though is to buff underwhelming companions rather than nerfing the overwhelming. There may be some extreme cases that need actual changes but IMO buffs are always better received than nerfs.

Animal type companions like Skysnake, Scorpion, ETC need special attention. Despite being beloved by many they are subpar due to their being no promotions or epic talents available as they grow. They should be treated as any other companion IMO, especially considering they are often priced the same as other more fully fledged companions in crown shop.

3.) Pet related content is awesome already though I think it could benefit from some tie in to the overworld with missions. These could include quest rewards to provide hatchable pets, pet training gear, snacks etc. I think there is lots of room to expand this into the existing game, tie in locations to visit, possibly new / competing arenas to Beastia ETC. Give us reasons to explore and travel related to pet content.

4.) I firmly believe there should be more / expanded / new companion story arcs. It helps to improve your immersion with the characters and afford more opportunities for content / loot / etc. One of the hands down most exciting things for my son and I as we play is uncovering new companions, their backstories etc. As in the above, give us reasons to explore and travel related to companions. Secret missions / unlocks drive people to play.

*More badge related companions and pets would be nice as well (and get people to grind) IE kill 500 Buffaloons to unlock buffaloon companion etc*

5.) IMO in its current form the mercenary system is a failure. From a price point it is far too expensive for a single use companion. From a game standpoint it promotes single play over team play (in a game with an already smallish player base). All in all I dont believe it fufills its original intention.

IMO it would work better if you paid crowns to unlock mercenaries that once unlocked you could call in fights for gold (increasing per mercenary hired) perhaps even with a global cooldown if your concerned about overuse. This would allow them to be used more like a hired hand in a tough battle.

Or whatever your idea might be, i think this system needs a major overhaul or even possibly removal if there is no other option.

I hope this helps, and I am glad that someone is paying attention to this great game. I still think it has tons of potential to bring in new playes and earn money, especially with some new content and possibly some advertising.
Welcome to the message boards! That's a pretty comprehensive list!
Administrator
A quick friendly reminder to please ask short questions that can also be responded to in a relatively brief way. This is a single thread, so lengthy explanations or concerns should be put in their own discussion topics. You are free to contact us directly to as well of course through community email channels.
Dread Pirate
May 27, 2009
2131
Bat Masterson on Aug 13, 2019 wrote:
A quick friendly reminder to please ask short questions that can also be responded to in a relatively brief way. This is a single thread, so lengthy explanations or concerns should be put in their own discussion topics. You are free to contact us directly to as well of course through community email channels.
Well, perhaps this thread should be capped and a new, succinct Q&A begun? We did get a bit off-topic in our excitement at seeing a new thread from Ratbeard.

Ensign
Jun 27, 2013
2
Bat Masterson on Aug 13, 2019 wrote:
A quick friendly reminder to please ask short questions that can also be responded to in a relatively brief way. This is a single thread, so lengthy explanations or concerns should be put in their own discussion topics. You are free to contact us directly to as well of course through community email channels.
In my case the post was long but was hoping to address the list of what Ratbeard asked for "To do list for things to add if/when they update Pirate 101 in order of importance". Wasnt sure if this board supported spoiler tags else I would have put one so its not such an eyesore.

TLDR

Bold type was intended as the "short" list I hope people see (Ratbeard included). The detail might be helpful but is not required reading =P
Administrator
Bobdolemite on Aug 14, 2019 wrote:
In my case the post was long but was hoping to address the list of what Ratbeard asked for "To do list for things to add if/when they update Pirate 101 in order of importance". Wasnt sure if this board supported spoiler tags else I would have put one so its not such an eyesore.

TLDR

Bold type was intended as the "short" list I hope people see (Ratbeard included). The detail might be helpful but is not required reading =P
No worries! This wasn't directed at your previous post specifically, just trying to keep things as easy for Ratbeard to respond to as possible :).
Ensign
Jul 08, 2016
5
Will we ever be getting a new world? I'm predicting we're going to get one in 2020, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
Ensign
May 28, 2019
1
BeastModer12327113... on Sep 9, 2019 wrote:
Will we ever be getting a new world? I'm predicting we're going to get one in 2020, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
Yeah same, I personally think that if a new World/Storyline was added so much more players would start playing and older players would come back.

I also think that if they add Gardening, Fishing, And other things like that

, Level 70 Swashbuckler
Dread Pirate
May 27, 2009
2131
I'm beginning to wonder if Ratbeard may be considering a name change to Punxsutawney-Beard. Seeing his shadow with the bombardment of so many questions and issues, he retreated to his den for six more months of silence.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Willowydream on Sep 18, 2019 wrote:
I'm beginning to wonder if Ratbeard may be considering a name change to Punxsutawney-Beard. Seeing his shadow with the bombardment of so many questions and issues, he retreated to his den for six more months of silence.

Maybe we scared him a way? Come on, he said himself that he was busy - both expectedly and unexpectedly.
Admiral
May 30, 2010
1221
BeastModer12327113... on Sep 9, 2019 wrote:
Will we ever be getting a new world? I'm predicting we're going to get one in 2020, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
Go read the producer's letter. The short answer is "no".
Developer
Willowydream on Sep 18, 2019 wrote:
I'm beginning to wonder if Ratbeard may be considering a name change to Punxsutawney-Beard. Seeing his shadow with the bombardment of so many questions and issues, he retreated to his den for six more months of silence.

I'm here! I'm here!

Sadly, I have less time to devote to the forums now than I did in previous years-- and it's not just here: I'm not as present on the W101 forums, either. But given all my duties on both MMOs, spending time on the forums has to take a back seat to planning, design, implementation, etc.

I'm here this morning to thank everyone for this thread (and others), which were extremely helpful in assembling a punch list of fixes that we could get into the last update. This is an amazing community, and I am grateful for it.

And I got to do some pirate design again! It was great to open up my old spreadsheets and our game tools and get back into the guts of this thing... Ok, at times it was more like watching an old guy trying to ride his skateboard again. But it was fun! When you have been looking at W101 for weeks, and using W101 tools, and then you open up Pirate and it just looks. so. gorgeous and the tools are smart and powerful... Don't tell anybody I said that.

It is always a balancing act, but as always we tried to do as much in this update as we could that would have the most positive impact. We must balance design time, tech time, and QA time-- three very different gears to get turning at the same time with direction and power.

Not everything made it in. We have more that we need to do, and more that we'd like to do. I have had my eye on a ship combat overhaul (keel haul?) for a long time, as well as some cool changes to PvP to include that new ship combat design. Y'all are pirates-- you really ought to be raiding and pillaging each other's forts in massive ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore, and boarding actions. (Just so you know the kinds of things my black heart yearns for.)

Keep up with the feedback and bug reports. They are immensely helpful.

And again, I am very grateful to those of you who play the game, stream the game, advocate for the game, and support the game.
First Mate
Dec 29, 2012
479
Ratbeard on Oct 1, 2019 wrote:
I'm here! I'm here!

Sadly, I have less time to devote to the forums now than I did in previous years-- and it's not just here: I'm not as present on the W101 forums, either. But given all my duties on both MMOs, spending time on the forums has to take a back seat to planning, design, implementation, etc.

I'm here this morning to thank everyone for this thread (and others), which were extremely helpful in assembling a punch list of fixes that we could get into the last update. This is an amazing community, and I am grateful for it.

And I got to do some pirate design again! It was great to open up my old spreadsheets and our game tools and get back into the guts of this thing... Ok, at times it was more like watching an old guy trying to ride his skateboard again. But it was fun! When you have been looking at W101 for weeks, and using W101 tools, and then you open up Pirate and it just looks. so. gorgeous and the tools are smart and powerful... Don't tell anybody I said that.

It is always a balancing act, but as always we tried to do as much in this update as we could that would have the most positive impact. We must balance design time, tech time, and QA time-- three very different gears to get turning at the same time with direction and power.

Not everything made it in. We have more that we need to do, and more that we'd like to do. I have had my eye on a ship combat overhaul (keel haul?) for a long time, as well as some cool changes to PvP to include that new ship combat design. Y'all are pirates-- you really ought to be raiding and pillaging each other's forts in massive ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore, and boarding actions. (Just so you know the kinds of things my black heart yearns for.)

Keep up with the feedback and bug reports. They are immensely helpful.

And again, I am very grateful to those of you who play the game, stream the game, advocate for the game, and support the game.
Thank you, thank you Ratbeard.

You took care of bugs/glitches that have been present for years. It was very clear you took our old bug list and got to squashing.
Commodore
Feb 12, 2015
970
Ratbeard on Oct 1, 2019 wrote:
I'm here! I'm here!

Sadly, I have less time to devote to the forums now than I did in previous years-- and it's not just here: I'm not as present on the W101 forums, either. But given all my duties on both MMOs, spending time on the forums has to take a back seat to planning, design, implementation, etc.

I'm here this morning to thank everyone for this thread (and others), which were extremely helpful in assembling a punch list of fixes that we could get into the last update. This is an amazing community, and I am grateful for it.

And I got to do some pirate design again! It was great to open up my old spreadsheets and our game tools and get back into the guts of this thing... Ok, at times it was more like watching an old guy trying to ride his skateboard again. But it was fun! When you have been looking at W101 for weeks, and using W101 tools, and then you open up Pirate and it just looks. so. gorgeous and the tools are smart and powerful... Don't tell anybody I said that.

It is always a balancing act, but as always we tried to do as much in this update as we could that would have the most positive impact. We must balance design time, tech time, and QA time-- three very different gears to get turning at the same time with direction and power.

Not everything made it in. We have more that we need to do, and more that we'd like to do. I have had my eye on a ship combat overhaul (keel haul?) for a long time, as well as some cool changes to PvP to include that new ship combat design. Y'all are pirates-- you really ought to be raiding and pillaging each other's forts in massive ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore, and boarding actions. (Just so you know the kinds of things my black heart yearns for.)

Keep up with the feedback and bug reports. They are immensely helpful.

And again, I am very grateful to those of you who play the game, stream the game, advocate for the game, and support the game.
Not everything may have made it in, but I'm grateful for this update anyway! I was upset and angry at first, but now I think I see and am having fun! The skeleton key bosses are as challenging as they are fun to fight - a perfect combination! (Forgive me for whacking your evil twin.)

And another good note: The Spirits of Yuletide are fixed at last! The Spirit of Giving has a proper voice, the Spirit of Returning's talent issue has been fixed, and all of then can earn proper talents and be promoted... twice! Overnight they've turned from jokes into warriors! Thank you so much Ratbeard for satisfying this request of players! Everyone with the Spirits, go to a tavern cellar - they've become well worth the price we payed for them!

Merciless Brian Ornsley, level 70
Ensign
Jul 09, 2010
22
Dear Ratbeard,

Regarding the September 2019 newsletter: Thanks to Falme for the update about a new "Book" but I have some questions.

Can we get the why behind the Pirate101 team not planning on new books? We love the game format of Pirate101 and Wizard101 being in the form of adventuring stories. Not to argue at all--it's not fun if it's not fun for everyone, especially the creators. But "foreseeable" abandonment of such a player beloved format seems really drastic. What's up?

Does abandoning the Book format mean not opening new worlds?

Does abandoning the Book format mean not telling new full stories?

Can we know if the plan is to only add new instances and modules?

Thanks for your time and help in understanding what's going on and if there's a chance that "foreseeable future" might be known to be temporary but longer term than say a year or three. Or if it means no one has any viable ideas or interest in Books anymore.

Thanks, A.
Ensign
Jul 09, 2010
22
Ratbeard on May 11, 2019 wrote:
I'd like to know why the resources have not been more evenly divided between the two games. But, that may not be something you can answer.

I'll answer as much as I think I can.

The answer here is probably pretty obvious: W101 has more players.

Without revealing any bias on my part about which is the better game , I think P101 is the better looking game (for now at least...), and the things that P101 has going on "under the hood" are also better. This is just a consequence of P101 coming after W101, which provided the foundation for us to build on. In particular, the characters, companions, monsters and pets have a lot more animations and therefore a lot more personality (again, IMO). Tech is quite a bit easier to develop for P101, but art is a lot more difficult.

A successful strategy for P101 will be first and foremost to try to boost that player base, so you should expect us to be looking at the beginning of the game-- with, of course, an eye to supporting our existing players with engaging side content. What's something we could do to hook new players that existing players would also find engaging? I'd like to get all hands on deck and tackle that one with guns blazing.

I'd also like to know if we can expect at least some of the issues with the newest gear to be fixed - stats and stitching problems. Also, the Spirit Companions -- please tell us they will get their rightful powers and talents to make them worth the cost we paid for them.

I'll look into these issues.
"What's something we could do to hook new players that existing players would also find engaging? I'd like to get all hands on deck and tackle that one with guns blazing."

I'm wondering if this has been a Feedback Friday over on Wizard101. Seems to me that the ideal situation would be to have equal development on both games - but:

1) Get Wizard101 players over here -- like me and my family. We play both games in turn.

2) To stagger the releases on the games so that there is 1 big release on Wizard101 and 1big release on Pirate 101 per year 6 months apart. So while one game is developing we're playing the other game's new release. Then we switch for the other games new release when it comes out.

So the questions are:
What would make W101 players - who don't already love this game - come on over?
Would the P101 team be able to make those alterations/additions?
Would the two teams be willing and able to change the development schedule so that one game occupies
players while the other one is back in development?
Would it be possible to bring out a third kind of yearly membership that allowed players to switch between
the two games?
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