Pirates of the Burning Sea

After playing the open beta as well as the pre-release I've realized a couple of things. First of all, this game is truly a fun game to play. However, it is not a mmo as much as they would like you to think. Yes you do see other pirates running and sailing around, but until you reach end game or close enough that is pretty much the extent of it. Sure there are group quests, but they aren't like any other mmo. Not only is it hard to find a group, but the quests are usually only group quests because there are too many ships to take on yourself. Truly this is a single player game with multiplayer capabilities if you're willing to pay for the subscription until then. Secondly, what's with all the load screens? Loads to get into any building, to leave the dock, to enter the dock, etc. You are "magically" transported to the instances (which all are on the same island or in the same cave) where you kill the same pirates and so on and so fourth. Where is the fun in that? I can go buy Sid Myers Pirates for a lot cheaper and get a similar experience without the timely load screens (and without the annoying blabber of once WoW players looking for another game to whine about).

They did do a lot of things right however. If you have the patience to repeatedly kill pirates and upgrade ships the PvP is extremely entertaining. Nothing feels better than finding that pirate who sank your naval vessel only to upgrade, find him, and send him to Davey Jones' locker where he belongs.

While some people can get around the repetative grind and the annoying load screens, I find it ruins the whole "massively multiplayer" aspect of the game for me. Even though the game does have its high points and it's a wonderful idea, the gameplay as it stands isn't worth my 15 dollars a month. Isn't this supposed to be an online pirate world? Isn't that the whole appeal of an MMO? Hopefully the smart minds at Flying Lab realize these problems and when they do I will come sailing back.

Much of what you say is because of one reason: PotBS was supposed to be a much smaller game launched years ago. Income from this game was then supposed to be used to fund bigger projects. Didnt work out that way, and the game slowly morphed into something bigger and bigger. As a result, many game decisions that were made years ago stuck around, some for better, some for worse. The game is what it is and nothing anyone says or does will change how it ended up. We can only hope FLS will stay on the ball and keep improving the game, especially its weaknesses.

Originally posted by kdoane12

After playing the open beta as well as the pre-release I've realized a couple of things. First of all, this game is truly a fun game to play. However, it is not a mmo as much as they would like you to think. Yes you do see other pirates running and sailing around, but until you reach end game or close enough that is pretty much the extent of it. Sure there are group quests, but they aren't like any other mmo. Not only is it hard to find a group, but the quests are usually only group quests because there are too many ships to take on yourself. Truly this is a single player game with multiplayer capabilities if you're willing to pay for the subscription until then. Secondly, what's with all the load screens? Loads to get into any building, to leave the dock, to enter the dock, etc. You are "magically" transported to the instances (which all are on the same island or in the same cave) where you kill the same pirates and so on and so fourth. Where is the fun in that? I can go buy Sid Myers Pirates for a lot cheaper and get a similar experience without the timely load screens (and without the annoying blabber of once WoW players looking for another game to whine about).

 

They did do a lot of things right however. If you have the patience to repeatedly kill pirates and upgrade ships the PvP is extremely entertaining. Nothing feels better than finding that pirate who sank your naval vessel only to upgrade, find him, and send him to Davey Jones' locker where he belongs.

 

While some people can get around the repetative grind and the annoying load screens, I find it ruins the whole "massively multiplayer" aspect of the game for me. Even though the game does have its high points and it's a wonderful idea, the gameplay as it stands isn't worth my 15 dollars a month. Isn't this supposed to be an online pirate world? Isn't that the whole appeal of an MMO? Hopefully the smart minds at Flying Lab realize these problems and when they do I will come sailing back.

2nd post in the same day that I have to 100% agree with.

Wonderfull review, couldnt agree less with every word said. And the second poster just explained perfectly why the game became what it is. Congratulations to both. Althought I dont see too much ground to Flying Labs improve the game. I think it came to life to die hastly... It will have a very loyal fan base of no more than 150-200k players and thats it.

LOL!

150 to 200 thousand subscribers is far from failing, in fact it puts it in front of 90% of the MMO's on the market.

Personally, I think it'll sit closer to 50-80k...but even that is sustainable at a profit quite easily.

This game had a great hype, and based on its hype (and therefore the disapointing reality), 150k is a dead-end...  This game will survive even with 30k players, since SOE will back it up, even if only to let it in its full SOE package. But will be dead to his primary goal of being a big hit.

Originally posted by Domenicus

This game had a great hype, and based on its hype (and therefore the disapointing reality), 150k is a dead-end...  This game will survive even with 30k players, since SOE will back it up, even if only to let it in its full SOE package. But will be dead to his primary goal of being a big hit.

EVE took years upon years, with continual releases of expansions and great word of mouth and marketing to steadily grow from 50k to almost 300k just a month ago.

This is a NICHE game, it was designed as a NICHE game, and NICHE games don't do 250k subs.

I do agree with you Vincenz, its a niche game, however the market got bigger and its thirsty for some new thing, ANY new thing... Based on this, even being only a niche game, for a few, it will have 150k at peak... (with luck 200k). I am beting more in the size of market thant the qualities of the game itself...