Pirate101 Monthly Newsletter

Christmas in July

July was even hotter here in Austin than last month! Fortunately for you Pirates we managed to cool things off a bit with Christmas in July and bringing back Mr. Krampus. If you haven’t checked him out yet from his inaugural reveal last year, it’s a real fun event!

Here’s a quick look back on all the July fun:

• JUL 5: Another Community Livestream with Bat Masterson (we defeated Ratbeard... again!)
• JUL 9: Summer Pack-a-Palooza
• JUN 22: Christmas in July! Did you defeat our dear friend Mr. Krampus?
• JUN 23: Poll – Would a Pirate rather have in their house a Craft of Scrips or a Skull Safe?
• JUN 25: KI Live! Missed the show? Watch it below on YouTube.
• JUL 29: Shark Week!
• Puppet Pirates #81 chosen! See the entry below.

KI Live Livestream with Bat Masterson & Professor Falmea

For more videos and recorded livestreams, be sure to subscribe to KingsIsle's YouTube channel!

Zone of the Month: Isle of Doom

Our Lead Creative Designer, Sam Johnson, has worked on Pirate101 for a long time now and has much to say about the history of the world that you may not have heard about yet. He continues his series of spotlights that dive deeper into the lore and history behind the game’s characters and locations.

Sam has been eager to provide more of this content since you’ve expressed interest in it. Several of you suggested something in Monquista, so we’ll go there next time while we explore one more area in Tradewinds Skyway... The Isle of Doom! Check out the selected zone’s secrets below...

Name: The Isle of Doom

Location: Tradewinds Skyway, in the world of Skull Island

Description:

An ancient and mysterious island not far from Puerto Mico, the Isle of Doom isn't named for the ill fate that befalls so many who visit – it's actually named for baron Ferdinand von Doom, who discovered the island... and died exploring it. The Isle of Doom is said to be a lovely place, so long as visitors avoid the carnivorous bees, flesh-eating plants, savage frog tribes with poisonous skin, monstrous spiders, and brain-eating parasites. Don't drink the water.

The Isle of Doom is covered in jungles, which hide many ruined cities of the mysterious pyramid-builders who left so many ruins all over Skull Island. The ruins are inlaid with gold, gold which the Monquistans have been prying out and shipping home to turn their kingdom into an economic powerhouse. Pirates will come to the isle of doom searching for the lonst Monquistador Gortez. Their journey will take them from Monquistan settlements, through troggy-infested jungles and finally to the Vale of the Gold Monkey.

Who’s That Boss?

Gortez, famed monquistador and future king of Monquista, is the climactic battle in the Isle of Doom storyline.

Don't Miss That Side Quest!

Not a side quest per se, but Mormo's first promotion quest, "Much Mojo," culminates in the tunnels below the ruins near the Vale of the Gold Monkey.

Behind the Dev Process:

The Isle of Doom's ironic name was a joke we hit upon very early in the writing process. The entire mainline narrative follows Conrad's Heart of Darkness, with some frequent allusions to Apocalypse Now. Gortez's exclamation "The aura! The Aura!" is an abominable pun of Kurtz's last words (The horror! The horror!). Gortez is named for Hernan Cortez, the monqistador who reached the capital of the Aztec empire. The Vale of the Gold Monkey is a punny riff on the old TV show Tales of the Gold Monkey, which aired when the writer was in middle school. The fight against Gortez was the first time we attempted to build a trigger-heavy, complex fight in Pirate with state objects and conditions. It took quite a few iterations to make it winnable!

Which area in Pirate101 should we spotlight for March? Let us know by tweeting your suggestion @Pirate101 or by emailing community@Pirate101.com!

Puppet Pirates

A Pirate's Pledge by Noble Donna Noble

Fan Screenshot of the Month

This screenshot is from Jack Nightingale. He captured this image of his ship’s immense cargo hold full of gold and jewels for as far as the eye can see!

Fan Art Spotlight

For this month’s fan art spotlight, we are showcasing a neat drawing from Magical Wizard of their pirate happily at home with their own little pile of gold:

Capture a screenshot of that magnificent sunset, secret discovery, or that monster about to eat your ship and send it to community@pirate101.com. We like showing off fan art, guides, and other content in our newsletters!

Thanks, Pirates!

Fan Video of the Month

Community News

• Adventures of the Spiral gave us some interesting Nautical Level Tips to help your pirate!
• Dragonspyre Pirate Blog's Pirate101 Arrrgust Contest begins!

• Matthew discusses the PvP Banlist in Pirate101, offering thoughts on powers that may be safe to unban.
• Krampus Boss Guide
• Interested in starting Pirate101 PvP? Check out this beginner PvP guide in Part 1 and Part 2 to find out how to best prepare yourself for the Sparring Chamber and Brawling Hall.
• In Part 2 of his Old Secrets behind Powers and Talents series, Logan discusses the meta changes throughout the years, focusing on how Talents originally worked for each class.
• Matthew also discusses the value of unique and creative gearsets in Pirate101 PvP, while providing an overview of what a 'good' gearset should look like.
• And a new Nautical XP event is being prepared for Aug. 17! Watch here for updates.