POTBS rant

[ochadd]

This game is doomed to fail if they continue as is. Dependant on the mythical niche of pirate loving care bears and patient gank squads.

The game is fun and surely worth the purchase price if you like what various websites report about it. After 30-60 days the game seems to stagnate. Max level comes on way too fast. It's PVP or nothing at this point. It's fine in theory but the game doesn't have the subscriber base to support it. Groups are restricted to 6 man teams and filling all spots is challenging enough; finding enemies is an even more difficult task. Port battles, which are intended to be epic 24 vs 24 battles containing people chosen from a lottery pool, aren't even getting 10 players on a side at times.

You will eventually, frequently unintentially, wander into PVP zones unless you enjoy an hour staring at the open sea for the hundredth time. Battles are commonly won or lost at the time they commence. Numbers, wind direction, and group composition. More often than not when intentially engaging an enemy their real numbers are hidden. The fight is rarely what you think or hope it will be. It's impossible to gain outside assistance after 2 minutes which means allies have to be in the immediate vacinity and on the open sea having a chance encounter of an ally willing and able to help is unlikely and has never happened to me or anyone I was attacking.

The game should be based on a Guild Wars type revenue model. They need bodies in the game for the enjoyment of everyone even if they have to give up some $ early on. The main point of the game is PVP and the elaborate economy and neither is viable at this point seeing as their are few targets or customers.

I play on the Blackbeard server and I've heard other servers are not so barren. From my somewhat extensive experience in MMOs most people are not willing to abandon their progress and identity voluntarily even if it is to their benefit.

If you think the cost of the game is worth 30-60 days of enjoyment it's worth giving a try. Leveling was fun and by far the best part of the game. It might not be something for the long term like WoW or Eve but its good entertainment for awhile. If the servers are merged or if subscriptions somehow pick up this could be something good.

 

[pontifex]

your "review" of the game isn't making me want to play...

 

[ochadd]

It seems none of the review sites mention some of the more serious short falls of the game. My review/complaints hopefully provides information on some of them. It's a game I hope people will try but also hope they don't expect something it isn't.

 

[Scouzer]

I'll probably pick it up when it hits $20-30 in stores.

 

[Maximilian]

To save anyone else googling POTBS means pirates of the burning sea.

 

[manimal]

I did the beta and liked alot about the game. When-if-they fix the hand to hand combat and make the endgame more varied then I may go back. As it is now Ill pass.

 

[hooflung]

I bought this game day one because most of the people in EVE that I know have it and this was supposed to be the new killer PVP game on the block. After playing it for a few days I am glad that someone else's money paid for it ( house sitted for a weekend for the game ) and felt that it was a complete waste of my time.

Basically, the hand to hand combat is utter shit. Complete and unforgivable shit. The missioning to lvl 20 makes you want to cut your eyeballs out with a spoon. The tricks the dev team pulled to lower PVP lag that riddles EVE with large scale conflict has brought its new set of 'game mechanic quirks' to the table which actually detract from my immersion. Instanced PVP, no thanks. Port battle lottery? give me a break. World Resets. Die in a fire.

The saving grace to the game is the actual naval combat which IS fun. There is no doubting that. The shipwrighting is also somewhat intriguing but ultimately I found resource collection boring. I don't know, the game is just a mixed bag that the only way for me to play it is if I had good friends in my timezone to play with to really fortify the faction I played. Anything else, meh.

 

[Gatoral65]

I must say I am a little surprised that things aren't going well for this... I played a bit in one of the open Beta bits and found the game to be entertaining, aside from avatar combat, which was an obvious tack-on. I do find myself wanting to buy the game, but have had second thoughts with all the posts mentioning what troubles there are right now. Perhaps the Buddy Key program will help get some subscribers in to pump up the numbers, I know I have been trying to get a hold of one, to no avail so far...

My personal thought is that the game has a great deal of potential and that the Developers have the ball in their court to address some of the early short falls, but maybe things are worse than what I am aware.

Perhaps I'll have to resub to Eve until I feel like getting sucked back into WoW.

 

[chorb]

I also played in the open BETA. Conditions were probably not there best as the servers were laggy and what not, but still the issues that have been brought to light in the above posts are the reason I didnt purchase the game.

The sword fighting is ridiculous and doesnt add to the game play at all, and quite annoying when a group of people attacks you and you have to spend 10 minutes wearing each one down and killing them.

The naval combat was a bit more intriguing, but was just a little too slow for my tastes; you set up to get in to range/position, then fire, then spend the next few minutes jockying for position again. Fights could drag on forever if both sides were committed and didnt try to run away.

 

[erwos]

My main complaint about the beta was the sea travel times. I just couldn't contemplate spending hours of my life staring at the sea, waiting to die at the hands of pirates.