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Zangor
12-05-2005, 11:20 PM
Ahoy, mates! I am here to tell you about a game, and that game is Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates. So sit back, and prepare to hear how untold tales of piracy can await ye!

Now, this game be an MMO. I know this sends shivvers down some of yer spines-- but I assure ye, just hear me out, mates, and ye may change yer minds. First of all, the game does away with the formula of click, miss, click, hit, click, hit, click, miss, click, hit, you are now level 23! Instead, ye play addicting puzzle games reminiscent of Tetris, Bejeweld, Dr. Mario, and other such time vacuums!

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/9123/sailingawesome4fs.jpg

The sailing puzzle! The better ye do here, the faster yer vessel can move!

Aye, that means that the greenest mate could take on the most experienced players-- and if he was an old Super Puzzle Fighter Guru, he'd likely win, too!

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are pirate empires! Though ye can eventually form crews, wich fly under player created flags, which can even fight over possesion of islands, ye must start small. Luckily, the game helps ye there. The navy will be willing to teach young pira-- ahem--- sailors how to play basic ship duties such as bilging the water out of the hold and fixin' the vessel with yer carpentry skills. They'll even pay ye a small pennance for the help ye provide, and they'll give ye nice clothes if ye help 'em enough! This pay, however, is nothing compared to what ye can earn whilst pillaging with other pirates; the most valuable thing ye get from it is the skills you need to pillage properly-- and trust me mate, the time you spend learning the puzzles pays for itself with intrest!

There are many things you can buy with yer hard earned gold, though most of them are either entirely or mostly for show. Swords, for example, give you a slight edge. But a great swordfighter with a stick will still win against a poor one with a scimitar.

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4901/review6wp.jpg
Here be me home sweet home! Every mate is given a free place to call 'is own, though larger ones are available to the well-off pirate kings!

And now, I feel I may want to tell ye about the economy: 'tis entirely player run. Players run each and every shop and stall. That rum ye drink as ye sail? Another pirate brewed it. The sword ye lunge at those scurvy brigands ye fought yesterday? A pirate forged it. Amazingly, the economy is still stable.

In simpler words, the gameplay is superb. However, all the great gameplay means little if the community to support it be a bunch of backstabbing bilge rats. Fortuneately, even on the more depraved oceans of Viridian and Sage, ye'll find the community to be far better other games ye may have tried. While the occasional landlubber may beg for free coin, true pirates are only too glad to show him the ropes. Indeed, the pirates be very useful-- though any mate will lend ye a hand, some of them even volunteer their gaming time to be greeters (Players who are specially marked to help out greenies, that is, new players).
In addition, there be very little scamming on the high seas or in port. Those who do attempt to decieve other mates are swiftly struck down by the wrath of the Ocean Masters.
One last thing about our community-- instead of that rediculous "leet" dialect that many landlubbers use, we speak like true sea dogs!

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/1993/shippic8sc.jpg
I am no landlubber; I am spoken like a real pirate!

Another important part of any MMO is the customer support. I am happy to report that the customer support is excellent. The Ocean Masters (Moderators) take active roles in the community, and they can often be seen on the docks, chatting with players as they take breaks from pillaging. They often run tournaments with huge prizes and no entry fees for the benefit of any mates who wish to test their skills against others for gold and glory.

Now, many may say that the game's graphics are poor. However, graphics are not fun. Fun is fun. Graphics are just nice. Anyway, the graphics work beautifully for the game, and I wouldn't trade them for the best that an Xbox could crank out. I mean, yer a leggo/playmobile pirate! What more could ye ask for?

All in all, I give this game a 9.5/10. It's great fun, and you can play the free trial for as long as you want! The basics are easy to pick up, but there's room for vast subtlety and skill! See you on the high seas!

Oh, and here's the link. www.puzzlepirates.com

Deleran
12-06-2005, 12:33 AM
While this seems strangely like an advertisement, I must agree: puzzle pirates is awesome.

Zangor
12-06-2005, 09:40 PM
Nah, I'm in no way affilliated with three rings. I just decided to write about the thing that sucks more of my time than any other.

kleedrac
12-06-2005, 10:30 PM
I've been wanting to play this game for two often overlooked reasons;
1) Written in Java
2) Runs on Linux

I really want to support both of these communities and if I weren't so hopelessly addicted to WoW and Civ IV I'd be playing this :) Other than those reasons it seems like a gimmicky MMORPG but I worry that the puzzles would get boring :) Also does your characters skill come into it or just yours ie - my character kicks butt at swordfighting so the puzzle gets easier or I'm having an off night and suddenly my pirate drops his sword?

Kleedrac

Zangor
12-06-2005, 10:34 PM
It's all about how good you are. Yer pirate wouldn't drop his sword, though, since the puzzle is, of course, an abstraction.

Yes, some of the puzzles occasionally get boring, though most people tend to find a few puzzles they love and never get bored with. And if you DO get bored, you can go play card games in an inn.

Deleran
12-06-2005, 10:51 PM
I never really get bored with the puzzles, they're really well done. I think the experience of captaining a ship in this game is really one of the best you can find in an MMO.

kleedrac
12-07-2005, 05:23 AM
I was thinking more from a WoW player's perspective ... there are times I play WoW when I'm tired so I tend to just go resource hunting ... farm some herbs or just grind a bit in a zone where there's no chance of dying. I would think that being in such a state of mind would not be condusive to playing any sort of puzzle as you're bound to miss combos, moves and possibly the game which will make your seminal pirate have 2 hooks in no time :)

Kleedrac

Zangor
12-07-2005, 05:42 PM
Then you can just chat at the docks or go play cards at the inn. :)

nathkry
02-10-2006, 08:46 PM
sounds fun, i'll probably join

Spuddly
02-11-2006, 07:15 AM
I'd like to put up a little link or two of my own:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/01/25

Hmmmm?

Deleran
02-11-2006, 03:11 PM
I'd like to put up a little link or two of my own:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/01/25

Hmmmm?

Their newest one is on the same subject, and its entirely possible that the guy is a plant, but it doesn't change the fact that puzzle pirates is a really fun game.

PS: Your avatar creeps me out.

Zangor
02-13-2006, 05:52 PM
I'd like to clarify that I am not a plant; I am not connected or afilliated in any way with Three Rings Design. I'm just a real player who happens to enjoy the game a little too much. If you logged onto Midnight ocean, you could find the pirate "Zangor" and talk to some of my friends ingame to verify that I am, indeed, a real player and not a developer or otherwise an employee. Oh, and you'll notice I endorsed a specific ocean, maybe. Three Rings doesn't do that; they are not supposed to "favour" any ocean. Of course, I see where you're coming from, and I could just as easily done that as an intentional measure to make it seem as if I was not affiliated, when, in fact, I was. But if you were to check out the forums, you'd probably find that I'm not at all similar in writing style to any of the developers. But, again, that could be intentional. But it's not, and you can take my word for it. Or not, if you so choose. But I can attest I am not lying.

However, believe what you will. It's STILL an enjoyable game.

Hm, a little long windied to say, "No, I'm not affiliated with OOO," but Oh Well.

Alchemistmerlin
02-14-2006, 01:56 AM
I'd like to put up a little link or two of my own:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/01/25

Hmmmm?



I'm always amazed how peole hang off every word on every page of PA. It's like watching lemmings or sheep just following the leader to their doom.

Simply amazing.

Jeramiahh
02-14-2006, 08:20 PM
Arr, Puzzle Pirates is great... plus, if you're dedicated enough, it's free!

Yes, what they don't tell you when you sign up is there there's two Ocean types, subscription, and dubloon. A sub ocean works just like any MMO... pay $10 a month, full acsess to the game. But a dubloon ocean? Instead, to play all but the essential games, or to buy anything, you need dubloons, which cost around 20 cents each, or 1000 Pieces of Eight if purchased from players. Many people, like myself, can play without having to spend a dime, and still become powerful and highly respected members of the game.

For those interested, the dubloon oceans are Viridian and Sage, the latter being older and much larger. The Subscription oceans are Cobalt and Midnight.

If you decide to join us Dublooners, look for me on Viridian!

--Jeramiahh, Fleet Officer of La Resistance, Ultimate Shipwright, Ultimate Bilger, Ultimate Sailor