This is the way I found out about it, over a forum.
Got quite impressed by this post, so I gave it a try:
- Some dude from another server wrote:
Alright, before you criticize its name, I suggest you really take a look at this game.
I used to play it a few years back, and I have to say it's the best MMO I've ever played (granted, I've played a LOT of unknown and known MMO's). It's basically a mixture between a sim, an RPG, and a puzzle game. You start out by choosing your ocean (server) and customizing your character. And of course, you start out in lowly rags with nothing but a foil. From there you start out on any random island (which are all player-governed, with player-run shops, stalls, and businesses) and are able to walk around and visit the various businesses. The whole "puzzle" idea is really just a minuscule part of the game, and is used for fighting and activities. You're able to join, or create, a crew, buy ships of all kinds, buy and sell businesses, own a number of different pets (from dogs to elephants, to monkeys that sit on your shoulder), and even buy yourself a house (ranging from a shack to a multi-room mansion). After years and years of playing I eventually led a crew as a Captain, bought a mansion, and bought myself nine different ships (even a Grand Frigate), all of which I still own. Unfortunately I never did conquer an island (considering you'd need about seventy ships to do so), but I did have a chance to war with many different crews and even establish my own flag and become a King.
As for the puzzles, whenever you go to do an activity, such as swordfighting, drinking, sailing, or anything of the sort, you do it through a puzzle, which, in my opinion, is a lot more fun than watching your character simply slash away turn-by-turn, or even mashing your keyboard hotkeys at rapid fire. And it does involve high-stakes Poker at the taverns.
It's a very extensive game that has really gone under the radar and been so underappreciated. Although I haven't played in a while, I suggest to anyone who favors a good overall game that doesn't keep you sitting at your computer all day and isn't graphically demanding (neither ugly), try it.
If I become a bit more motivated to play again, I probably will, seeing as I don't wanna leave all of my items behind. And for those of you not interested in paying your actual money for a subscription, go with a Doubloon ocean so that you can earn your way through hard work. There isn't that large of a roleplaying community, but it's certainly possible to do so within your own crew, which is what I used to do. And the game certainly gives you the support to roleplay.
It's quite fun actually. Although I was skeptical at first (just like you are right now).
The game has 3 servers (called "Oceans" IG. With a shitload of islands. Map is huge), with around 500+ players on each.
There were more, smaller oceans, but were merged into those 3 big ones.
Two of them are Doubloon Oceans and the third is a Subscription Ocean.
Doubloons are a second currency in-game, next to coins, called "Pieces of Eight" or "PoE".
1 Doubloon = around 2k PoE.
On Doubloon oceans, you earn money, normally, by sailing, jobbing on a ship etc etc..., and earn PoE, which you can convert into Doubloons (Dubs), which you can use for buying badges (ie Captain Badge - Allows you to be a Captain of a crew), pets (as mentioned in the quote), and other special privileges.
Or, you can buy Dubs with real money. Not sure of the prices at the moment.
On Subscription Oceans, you can Subscribe and buy Dubs.
Without being a subscriber on Subscription Oceans, you can't basically do anything.
Subscription Oceans are an easy way out - just donate for a shitload of Dubs and buy a whole freakin' fleet.
On Doubloon Oceans, you gotta actually work to buy a whole freakin' fleet. Work a lot in fact.
Some may think it's childish, "playing puzzles and running around with a pirate going "arr"...".
It's not childish. At all. In fact, the youngest person I've ever met in the game is a 15 year old.
The game requires brains. That's why it's not childish. You actually gotta think when in a battle, or a sea battle.
... Tactics, alliances, blockades, pillaging (robbing), maintaining a ship, recruiting crew, restocking your ship with cannon balls of different sizes, with rum, wood, fruit, cash... It actually gets pretty interesting.
The game is pretty well made. Different actions depend on other actions.
The ship will move slower(Sailing station on the ship) if the ropes aren't prepared(Rigging station), or if the deck is broken (Carpentry station). If the deck is broken, it's most likely leaking(Bilge station) and has to be sorted out. You cannot use cannons(Gunnery station) without restocking and so on.
Now, the game isn't graphically demanding, nor internet-side. Only the client download is like ... 200, 300 MB? Less? More? Gameplay uses less than 50Kb/s. (SAMP uses over 100Kb/s > )
Anyone looking for a fun and interesting game, and something different, I suggest you give it a try.
http://www.puzzlepirates.com/
