Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Got PotBS questions? Ask Rusty!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/29/got-potbs-questions-ask-rusty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/29/got-potbs-questions-ask-rusty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/29/got-potbs-questions-ask-rusty/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Flying Lab Software's CEO Russell "Rusty" Williams has been fairly vocal about his company's game Pirates of the Burning Sea in the past, doing the rounds with media outlets and spreading the word. His latest project has just been announced on the PotBS official site, and will allow him to maintain his parlance with the game's community; a new podcast series called "Ask Rusty" will be featured on the site on a regular basis, and players will have the chance to do as the name would suggest and Ask Rusty questions about PotBS.

For the first podcast, questions were taken from the old "Ask an FLS developer" forum, but in the future, the questions will come from submissions to community AT flyinglab DOT com (make sure to use "Ask Rusty!" as the subject line). Russell is joined by lead designer Kevin Maginn and producer Michelle Williams in this first installment. There is a direct link to the podcast for those looking to download it or listen in their browser, and there is also an RSS feed that can be subscribed to if you like what you hear.

MassivelyGot PotBS questions? Ask Rusty! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ask-rustyceoflsflying-lab-softwarekevin-maginnlead-designermichelle-williamspirates-of-the-burning-seapodcastpotbsproducerrussell-rusty-williamsrussell-williamsrustyrusty-williamssoesony-online-entertainmentThu, 29 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS to close the gap on high level ships and add eleven new ships]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/potbs-to-close-the-gap-on-high-level-ships-and-add-eleven-new-sh/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/potbs-to-close-the-gap-on-high-level-ships-and-add-eleven-new-sh/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/potbs-to-close-the-gap-on-high-level-ships-and-add-eleven-new-sh/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Ahoy Captains, an overhaul of high levels ships will take place in the next Pirates of the Burning Sea (1.6) patch build. Also, you may see some never before seen ships on the waterways as eleven new ships will deployl. The ships setting sail are: Archelon, Cyclone, Dauntless, Mastercraft Couronne, Mastercraft van Hoorn, Monarch, Treason, Cruizer, El Dragon, Minerva and Trinidad.

In the latest developer log on the official PotBS website an explanation is given for these changes and the new ship additions. It's stated that a huge power gap between a level 50 in the right equipment versus other high level ships. To bridge this gap without nerfing the best ships in the game the stats on other high level ships will be boosted. This rebalancing act also presented the opportunity to add new ships. Captains should be wary. Your ship is always at risk from being hit with a stealth nerf when balancing occurs at a large scale. The ships and ammo change list is available after the cut, and there is a discussion taking place on the PotBS forums.

Continue reading PotBS to close the gap on high level ships and add eleven new ships

MassivelyPotBS to close the gap on high level ships and add eleven new ships originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archelonbalancing-actcruizercyclonedauntlessel-dragonflsflying-lab-softwaremastercraft-couronnemastercraft-van-hoornminervamonarcpiratespirates-of-the-burning-seapotbspotbs-1.6-patchship-changesshipssoetreasontrinidadTue, 22 Jul 2008 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Flying Lab Software team at Gen Con Indy]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/18/meet-the-flying-lab-software-team-at-gen-con-indy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/18/meet-the-flying-lab-software-team-at-gen-con-indy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/18/meet-the-flying-lab-software-team-at-gen-con-indy/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Any Pirates of the Burning Sea fans heading to Gen Con Indy this year will be able to catch up with the folks from Flying Lab Software. They will be there representing their game in the Exhibitor Hall at Booth #1033, but if you really want to get to know the team, then you'll want to go along to their meet-up at the pub!

On August the 14th, wear your PotBS shirt if you have one and head on over to Loughmiller's Pub. From 6pm to 9pm -- and probably later -- you'll find yourself in good (albeit pirate) company, with members of the FLS team and your fellow fans. There will even be some prizes up for grabs, so if you're going to be in the area, register for the meet-up and treat yourself to a night of PotBS fun.

MassivelyMeet the Flying Lab Software team at Gen Con Indy originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-lab-softwaregen-congen-con-indyloughmillers-pubmeet-uppirates-of-the-burning-seapotbsFri, 18 Jul 2008 14:05:00 EST<![CDATA[The PotBS "Great Testbed Screenshot Hunt" is on]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/the-potbs-great-testbed-screenshot-hunt-is-on/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/the-potbs-great-testbed-screenshot-hunt-is-on/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/the-potbs-great-testbed-screenshot-hunt-is-on/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Pirates of the Burning Sea players now have another contest to take a crack at if the video competitions don't strike their fancy. Flying Lab Software has announced the "Great Testbed Screenshot Hunt", which involves players logging on to the Testbed server, performing particular tasks and then screenshotting them.

The ultimate goal of this is to make the testing process a little more fun, but there are tangible rewards as well to spice things up a bit. After you've emailed your batch of eligible screenshots to FLS, you'll be in the draw to win one of 10 game-cards granting 30 days play time, or one of two PotBS t-shirts. Head over to the contest page to see what you need to snap to be in with a chance -- and make sure your character name is visible on each shot!

MassivelyThe PotBS "Great Testbed Screenshot Hunt" is on originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>30-day-game-cardflsflying-lab-softwaregame-cardgreat-testbed-screenshot-huntpirates-of-the-burning-seapotbsscreenshott-shirttestbedThu, 17 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Winning video chosen in PotBS boarding tutorial contest]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/15/winning-video-chosen-in-potbs-boarding-tutorial-contest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/15/winning-video-chosen-in-potbs-boarding-tutorial-contest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/15/winning-video-chosen-in-potbs-boarding-tutorial-contest/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Pirates of the Burning Sea video contest that we looked at a few weeks ago has drawn to a close, and a winning video has been selected. The aim of the contest was to create a video that could explain the process of boarding other ships to a new player, with a graphics card on offer for the winner.

Embedded above is the winning entry, from PotBS player Al "AlanB" Bradbury. It does a great job of outlining the boarding rules of thumb, and is an entertaining piece to boot, thanks to the surly pirate teacher and his interrupting parrot companion. New video contests from Flying Lab Software will be coming up in the future, giving players more chances to win prizes and show off their video creations.

MassivelyWinning video chosen in PotBS boarding tutorial contest originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>al-bradburyalanbboardingflsflying-lab-softwareguidepirates-of-the-burning-seapotbstutorialvideovideo-contestTue, 15 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS patch 1.5 hiccups, fixes, and character transfers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/05/potbs-patch-1-5-hiccups-fixes-and-character-transfers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/05/potbs-patch-1-5-hiccups-fixes-and-character-transfers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/05/potbs-patch-1-5-hiccups-fixes-and-character-transfers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Ye sea loving scallywags looking for adventure better look to Pirates of the Burning Sea, it has plenty of adventuring waiting in the latest 1.5.46.0 patch. Fitted just last week a build discrepancy caused sails to rip apart, a server reboot followed causing disgruntled nations on Rackham to take cover but the storm has since calmed. There will be twice a week scheduled server restarts to work out the remaining kinks on both NA and EU servers set to take place on Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:30am PST.

There's a lot of new content in this patch, including a new six man epic mission in Fortaleza Da Luz. The mission is intended for level 50 players and balanced at a high difficulty. Numerous other changes and updates in this milestone update can be viewed at the official Flying Lab support site. Also, both the testbed and live servers are now in synch with the same build and players can now copy a live character over to the test server. Forewarning, any active auction listing will be delisted. Vote on your favorite PotBS video, transfer a character or stick to plundering on a live server, it's time to get back to playing and drinking some rum!

MassivelyPotBS patch 1.5 hiccups, fixes, and character transfers originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-lab-softwarefortaleza-da-luzpirates-of-the-burning-seapotbspotbs-build-1.5potbs-patch-1.5rackhamSat, 05 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS policy updates on cross teaming and selling durability]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/potbs-policy-updates-on-cross-teaming-and-selling-durability/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/potbs-policy-updates-on-cross-teaming-and-selling-durability/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/potbs-policy-updates-on-cross-teaming-and-selling-durability/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Pirates of the Burning Sea's 1.5 patch deploys tomorrow morning, but effective immediately are two policy changes. In regards to cross teaming which is when a player uses two different accounts to play as a separate nation on the same server. The rule will be enforced and now applies to multiple accounts tied to individual account owners. It's not possible to play two characters of opposing nations on the same account so players would bypass this by using another account. The second policy change is that the selling of durability to Pirates is no longer allowed.

Players with multiple accounts that play as a differing nation on the same server will be given the opportunity to transfer their characters to another server. If players have any further questions regarding the new policy changes please petition in-game. The announcement also warns that repeat offenders are subject to further disciplinary action, most likely the ban stick. Joe Ludwig is responding to some dismayed players over on the official PotBS forums.

MassivelyPotBS policy updates on cross teaming and selling durability originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cross-teamingexploitflsflying-lab-softwarejoe-ludwigpiratespirates-of-the-burning-seapolicy-updatepotbspotbs-patch-1.5pvpselling-durabilityMon, 30 Jun 2008 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS video contest offers graphics card bounty]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/potbs-video-contest-offers-graphics-card-bounty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/potbs-video-contest-offers-graphics-card-bounty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/potbs-video-contest-offers-graphics-card-bounty/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Pirates of the Burning Sea community site has posted a neat guide to making videos of their game, covering a number of different programs, and the finishing touches that can turn a good movie into a great one. It's certainly a nice guide, but you might wonder if there is any particular reason that Flying Lab Software is educating their players so -- and of course, there is.

A new series of contests are on the way for PotBS subscribers, and the objective is to come up with some top-notch tutorial videos. The first contest is based around the art of Boarding Combat, and the winning video should be something that can explain to new players exactly how to succeed at this. The creator of the best video will sail away with a GeCube ATI Radeon HD 3650 graphics card, and entry closes on the 30th of June. You can visit the competition page to get all the specific requirements, and begin your career as a pirate teacher.

MassivelyPotBS video contest offers graphics card bounty originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atiboardingboarding-combatflsflying-lab-softwaregraphics-cardguidepirates-of-the-burning-seapotbsradeontutorialvideoThu, 26 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS 1.4 patch survey results and what players can expect in 1.5]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/potbs-1-4-patch-survey-results-and-what-players-can-expect-in-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/potbs-1-4-patch-survey-results-and-what-players-can-expect-in-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/potbs-1-4-patch-survey-results-and-what-players-can-expect-in-1/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Flying Lab Software makers of Pirates of the Burning Sea listen to their players, the developers really do! A player survey went live shortly after the1.4 patch, and after a few weeks of data-mining the feedback FLS is responding in a big way. In this latest dev-log by Joe Ludwig, Producer for PotBS, 55% polled in the survey said they prefer to focus their playing time on PvP, 58% from that group said that most of that time is spent on missions or economic activities. Developer logs show that players are repeating high level missions to afford ships and outfitting for PvP gameplay.

To address this "time-sink" an insurance system will be added in the 1.5 patch. This means players will receive 90% of the minimum production cost and permanent outfitting when losing their ship. The other deterrent to keep players from PvP is the itemization gap. Starting in 1.5 all permanent outfitting is player-craftable, including green items and will also undergo balance changes. With these two barriers alleviated PvP will become more accessible to a broader audience.

Continue reading PotBS 1.4 patch survey results and what players can expect in 1.5

MassivelyPotBS 1.4 patch survey results and what players can expect in 1.5 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-lab-softwareinsurancejoe-ludwigpiratespirates-of-the-burning-seapotbspotbs-build-1.5potbs-patch-1.4potbs-patch-1.5pvepvpunrestMon, 23 Jun 2008 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Renewed marketing, free trials to come following PotBS build 1.5]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/20/renewed-marketing-free-trials-to-come-following-potbs-build-1-5/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/20/renewed-marketing-free-trials-to-come-following-potbs-build-1-5/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/20/renewed-marketing-free-trials-to-come-following-potbs-build-1-5/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Flying Lab Software is hoping to breathe new life into Pirates of the Burning Sea with the upcoming Build 1.5. We've already seen that many towns will be getting a face-lift, but now CEO Russell Williams has outlined some of the strategies which he hopes will have new ships sailing into their waters. A couple of the next initiatives for PotBS from FLS will be to start up a fresh marketing campaign, and to begin offering 14-day free trials.

Williams mentions that the marketing around the game's launch was good, but short-lived, and that the new campaign will be aiming for longevity. The ads will talk about specific features of the game, mentioning the free trials that will be on offer. We are told that special care has been taken to stop trial accounts from being used as mules or tools for spamming, and that newbies can choose to convert to a paid subscription and continue to play their characters at the end of the 14 days. The trials should kick in around mid to late July, and the marketing will presumably follow.

MassivelyRenewed marketing, free trials to come following PotBS build 1.5 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>14-day-trialflsflying-lab-softwarefree-14-day-trialfree-trialmarketingmarketing-campaignpirates-of-the-burning-seapotbsrussell-williamsFri, 20 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS to have semi-weekly service downtimes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/potbs-to-have-semi-weekly-service-downtimes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/potbs-to-have-semi-weekly-service-downtimes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/potbs-to-have-semi-weekly-service-downtimes/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Pirates of the Burning Sea official site has announced that, to help with some ongoing issues, all servers will be subject to a regularly scheduled service downtime. This downtime will occur twice a week, and should only be a server restart, meaning you can log back on and resume looting and plundering within about 20 minutes if all goes well.

So far, we know that the downtimes will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays at 8:30AM GMT for North American and European servers -- times for the Australian server will be listed shortly. It has been said that the restarts can be moved around a bit to accommodate Port Battles, which is a very nice touch and shows quite a level of involvement from Flying Lab Software on a server-specific basis. They hope that the regular restart situation will be temporary, but it's good to see that they will try to soften the blow in the meantime.

MassivelyPotBS to have semi-weekly service downtimes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-lab-softwarepirates-of-the-burning-seaport-battlepotbsregular-downtimescheduled-downtimescheduled-maintenanceserver-downtimeserver-maintenanceThu, 19 Jun 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Revised PotBS Prima eGuide comes with reptilian pal]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/revised-potbs-prima-eguide-comes-with-reptilian-pal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/revised-potbs-prima-eguide-comes-with-reptilian-pal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/revised-potbs-prima-eguide-comes-with-reptilian-pal/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Flying Lab Software and Prima Guides have put the word out that a revised version of the Prima Pirates of the Burning Sea eGuide is now available. The guide was updated to fit with changes that were made to the game in Build 1.4, and contains handy information like the stats of all ships, strategies and tips, career guides, and a look at the new Buccaneer class.

But things like "information" and "strategies" aren't all that you will get with your purchase -- we know that you expect more, and so does Prima. President of Prima Games, Debra Kempker, said, "Continuing in a new tradition of in-game items, we were able to once again offer exclusive content -- something we hope to keep doing in the future." The in-game item you will receive with the PotBS eGuide is the shoulder-lizard you see at the top of this post, a very stylish accessory for any Caribbean adventurer. The eGuide (and shoulder-lizard) will be available from the Prima Games website for $19.99 and is only available in digital format.

MassivelyRevised PotBS Prima eGuide comes with reptilian pal originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buccaneerdebra-kempkere-guideflsflying-lab-softwarein-game-itemlizardpirates-of-the-burning-seapotbsprimaprima-gamesprima-guidesshoulder-lizardstrategy-guideWed, 18 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS towns to receive attractive makeovers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/potbs-towns-to-receive-attractive-makeovers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/potbs-towns-to-receive-attractive-makeovers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/potbs-towns-to-receive-attractive-makeovers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


The folks in the Environment team at Flying Lab Software have decided that some of the towns in Pirates of the Burning Sea look a little bit sad and outdated, and so they will be giving them graphical overhauls in an upcoming patch. The team has been kind enough to provide us with an early look at how these towns will be brought back to life in some before-and-after shots, and we have put these pictures in a gallery for you to check out.

According to the patch notes for the Testbed server, many towns have already received their updates and will probably move over to the live servers shortly. We are promised that the magic wand will be pointed at other towns in the Caribbean soon, making your on-land shenanigans a lot prettier to look at.

Gallery: Pirates of the Burning Sea town revamp preview

BeforeAfterBeforeAfterBefore

MassivelyPotBS towns to receive attractive makeovers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>environment-teamflsflying-lab-softwaregraphicspirates-of-the-burning-seapotbpotbsrevampsoesony-online-entertainmenttownsTue, 17 Jun 2008 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS ship outfitting balances coming in 1.5]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/potbs-ship-outfitting-balances-coming-in-1-5/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/potbs-ship-outfitting-balances-coming-in-1-5/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/potbs-ship-outfitting-balances-coming-in-1-5/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The next major content patch for Pirates of the Burning Sea, build 1.5, is currently being prepared for release to the live servers, and in the meantime we get to find out about some of the features of this update. One of 1.5's main focuses will be a revision of the ship outfitting items in the game, in an attempt to balance things out a bit.

At the moment, there are a number of particular outfitting pieces which are just plain better than others, and it is almost essential to own them to succeed in PvP. This takes away from the grand design of the outfitting system, which was supposed to offer players a chance to individualize their setup and to have unique and interesting strategies -- it simply doesn't happen if there are too many of these so-called "must-have" pieces out there, so this is going to be addressed. The other major change will be the scaling back some of outfitting pieces that are too good for their level, outperforming equipment that is much higher. These updates to ship outfitting will be found in Build 1.5 for PotBS, and you can expect some changes to player outfitting later on in 1.6.

MassivelyPotBS ship outfitting balances coming in 1.5 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-lab-softwarepirates-of-the-burning-seapirates-of-the-burning-sea-build-1.5player-outfittingpotbspotbs-build-1.5potbs-patch-1.5ship-outfittingsoesony-online-entertainmentTue, 17 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Pirates of the Burning Sea Testbed server tournament announced]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/potbs-testbed-tournament-announced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/potbs-testbed-tournament-announced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/potbs-testbed-tournament-announced/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Pirates of the Burning Sea has plenty to offer in terms of destruction. Sailors can take down ports in group conquest missions or just harass traders around the Spanish Main. However, spending all day chasing after booty is no way to flaunt your PvP skills. After all, you can only sink so many trade convoys before an angry fleet of fire ships is launched at your vessel. Flying Lab is offering a much more enticing form of combat for bloodthirsty sea dogs.

This Saturday, May 24th, on the Pirates of the Burning Sea Testbed server, will be your chance to blow your enemies out of the water and win some free game time, a video card, or even your own in-game parrot! As part of an effort to get the kinks worked out of PotBS patch 1.4, a PvP tournament is being organized to attract some traffic to the server. Details and prizes for the Testbed tournament have been announced and players are reminded to offer their feedback on the new patch. If you have a ship-of-the-line ready to unleash a wall of lead, set sail and see what you are made of.

MassivelyPirates of the Burning Sea Testbed server tournament announced originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 May 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-labpatch-1.4pirates-of-the-burning-seapotbspotbs-patch-1.4pvptournamentFri, 23 May 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS patch 1.4 available on test server]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/potbs-patch-1-4-available-on-test-server/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/potbs-patch-1-4-available-on-test-server/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/potbs-patch-1-4-available-on-test-server/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Those keen to sink their teeth into patch 1.4 for Pirates of the Burning Sea can do so ahead of its release on the live servers, by logging on to the Testbed server. Flying Lab Software is keen to get players to try out some of the new features that this patch brings (like the upcoming class changes) and have set up feedback pages for specific aspects of the game.

If you want to leave feedback about career skills in 1.4, you can visit this page, and feedback on the early game missions can be left here, with different forum posts for each nation. Additionally, there is a page for general 1.4 feedback that doesn't fit in these two categories. Don't be scared if you've never been on Testbed before -- there is a handy forum post that will answer all your questions, and you'll be helping test new content in no time.

MassivelyPotBS patch 1.4 available on test server originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 May 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>feedbackflsflying-lab-softwarepirates-of-the-burning-seapotbspotbs-patch-1.4test-servertestbedtestingWed, 14 May 2008 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Industry jobs: SOE and Flying Lab Software LFM]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/industry-jobs-soe-and-flying-lab-software-lfm/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/industry-jobs-soe-and-flying-lab-software-lfm/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/industry-jobs-soe-and-flying-lab-software-lfm/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Looking to get a job in the MMO industry? Two developers have posted to their community sites in the last few days to say that they are looking for more to join their ranks, and perhaps one of these jobs has your name on it. Flying Lab Software, of Pirates of the Burning Sea fame, have advertised two positions for a Game Programmer and a Senior Graphics Programmer to work at their offices in Seattle. If this is up your alley, visit the jobs section of their website and go from there.

On the other hand, if you want something a little more entry-level, Sony Online Entertainment are in need of some playtesters for EverQuest and/or EverQuest II. The job description asks that you have achieved a high level in the aforementioned games, among other things. It's well known that being a playtester is an excellent foot-in-the-door to get to where you really dream of being in a game developing company, so go chase that dream!

MassivelyIndustry jobs: SOE and Flying Lab Software LFM originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-labgame-programmerjobsplay-testerplaytestersenior-graphics-programmersoesony-online-entertainmentFri, 18 Apr 2008 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Character copy function introduced to PotBS' test server]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/character-copy-function-introduced-to-potbs-test-server/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/character-copy-function-introduced-to-potbs-test-server/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/character-copy-function-introduced-to-potbs-test-server/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The folks at Flying Lab Software have realized that they're probably not getting all the feedback that they could from their Pirates of the Burning Sea Testbed server, simply due to the fact that people have to level up a new character there. Testing out high level content from unreleased builds is left only to the most hardcore testers with this setup, so to remedy this, a "Character Copy" function has been implemented, allowing players to copy their live characters across to the Testbed. We are told that the tool will only be available for a limited time, so if you're likely to want a character copied to Test at any point, now's the time to act.

To copy a character across, players need to log in to the official PotBS site, and then visit the character copy page. Auction listings, in-game mail sent while logged out, landmark unrest and society associations will not be copied over. As well as this, at the time of posting an issue has been identified that is causing live characters to have their auctions delisted when they are copied. A fix should be coming soon, and the items are able to be relisted again in the meantime.

MassivelyCharacter copy function introduced to PotBS' test server originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auctionauction-listingscharacter-copyflsflying-labpotbstest-servertestbedtestingFri, 04 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Extended PotBS downtime yields player compensation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/extended-potbs-downtime-yields-player-compensation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/extended-potbs-downtime-yields-player-compensation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/extended-potbs-downtime-yields-player-compensation/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

A recent period of extended downtime in Pirates of the Burning Sea, caused by an issue with the latest patch, has left a mob of very angry pirates to placate. Thankfully, most pirates will forget why they were angry if you can toss them a handful of doubloons, and so Flying Lab Software has dug up a few treasure chests in order to give compensation for the lost play time.

Players will be receiving 6 Bonus Loot Books, which give a 20% chance to get double loot from enemies for two real-time hours, and 6 Bonus Experience Books, granting a 20% experience boost for two hours. These goodies will be put straight into player's inventories when they log in, after a small patch this Wednesday.

MassivelyExtended PotBS downtime yields player compensation originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bonus-experience-bookbonus-loot-bookscompensationdowntimeextended-downtimeflsflying-labpotbsMon, 31 Mar 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Recruiting pirates throughout the seven seas]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/recruiting-pirates-throughout-the-seven-seas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/recruiting-pirates-throughout-the-seven-seas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/recruiting-pirates-throughout-the-seven-seas/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Flying Lab Software recently announced their course of action for making new markets ready for the release PotBS. In Australia, free bandwidth allotments to encourage play. In Russia, a pirate ship in a game show and a commercial in the works. In Asia, negotiations are going well for a possible release later in the year.

Personally, I would like to see a real ship with PotBS themed sails floating into port complete with free handouts of chocolate gold coins, but a cameo appearance on a game show in Russia certainly will suffice. Despite the efforts being made to bring the ship-of-the-line to players around the world, players are assured that focus remains on continuing to improve the current market, North America and Europe, with updates and patches. 'We're doing pencils down for 1.3,' writes Flying Lab representative Rusty, 'then there's onto 1.4...which will have a lot of new content and improvements.' Yarr!

MassivelyRecruiting pirates throughout the seven seas originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-labpiratespirates-of-the-burning-seapotbsreleasessailingsoesony-online-entertainmentMon, 31 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Buddy Key system now available for PotBS]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/buddy-key-system-now-available-for-potbs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/buddy-key-system-now-available-for-potbs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/buddy-key-system-now-available-for-potbs/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The Pirates of the Burning Sea Buddy Key program we looked at the other day is now in place, and the official site has got the details on how to give your friends their free 14-day trial. Anyone with a paid SOE subscription for PotBS will be able to claim three keys to give away, with no expiration. You don't need to go and claim them now either, as they will be available indefinitely.

To get your keys, you'll need to log in to the official site, and then visit the Buddy Keys page to retrieve the codes. After that, you can give the keys to friends, and then point them to the game client installer page where they can download their copy of the game. To help with any questions that might come up during this process, a thread has been made on the forums to discuss the program.

MassivelyBuddy Key system now available for PotBS originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>14-day-trialbuddy-key-programbuddy-keysflsflying-labfree-trialpotbssoesony-online-entertainmentWed, 26 Mar 2008 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS to introduce Buddy Key program]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/23/potbs-to-introduce-buddy-key-program/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/23/potbs-to-introduce-buddy-key-program/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/23/potbs-to-introduce-buddy-key-program/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Enjoying Pirates of the Burning Sea, but can't convince your stingy friends to give it a try? Come Monday, a new Buddy Key program will launch that provides active account holders with three 14-day trials of the game to give to friends, so there'll be no excuses for them shunning your Caribbean exploits anymore.

There won't be an expiry date on these keys, so if you don't have three people that you want to hook at the moment, hang on to them for later. Instructions on claiming the keys will be provided on Monday, and we'll bring you the news when it breaks.

MassivelyPotBS to introduce Buddy Key program originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>14-day-trialbuddy-keybuddy-key-programflsflying-labfree-trialpotbssoesony-online-entertainmentSun, 23 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pirates of the Burning Sea gets its first major content patch]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-gets-its-first-major-content-patch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-gets-its-first-major-content-patch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-gets-its-first-major-content-patch/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Flying Lab Software has issued a press release to say that Pirates of the Burning Sea will be receiving its first major content patch today, Tuesday the 18th of March. This will bring the game to build 1.2.67, and the press release includes a few of the highlights that are in the update. These include a new and challenging group mission called "Bey's Retreat", changes that makes it harder for nations to win the world PvP map back-to-back, and some UI improvements (the chat bubbles we featured earlier will be making it in).

The press release also details some new community features available at the PotBS forums, and a link to a ginormous list of patch notes is provided. This list gives a few more notable changes: the introduction of a "/spam" command to report troublesome gold spammers, and the previously dicussed changes to Open Sea Battle placement. The whole press release is available after the jump.


Continue reading Pirates of the Burning Sea gets its first major content patch

MassivelyPirates of the Burning Sea gets its first major content patch originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1.2.67breakingbuild-1.2build-1.2.67flsflying-labpotbsTue, 18 Mar 2008 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Captain skills tuning for all classes in PotBS build 1.2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/28/captain-skills-tuning-for-all-classes-in-potbs-build-1-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/28/captain-skills-tuning-for-all-classes-in-potbs-build-1-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/28/captain-skills-tuning-for-all-classes-in-potbs-build-1-2/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A recent devlog at the Pirates of the Burning Sea site talks about the changes that are coming to captain skills (your at-sea arsenal) with build 1.2. It looks like every single class will have changes of some sort coming. These will be in the form of global changes to certain types of skills, and changes specific to each class in the game. The global changes include: stopping speed buffs from stacking, reducing the morale cost of skills that cancel upon taking damage, and the addition of crew recovery rate increases and decreases to some existing skills.

The remaining changes coming to skills in build 1.2 are too numerous to list here, but we'll go over some of the highlights.

Continue reading Captain skills tuning for all classes in PotBS build 1.2

MassivelyCaptain skills tuning for all classes in PotBS build 1.2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1.2build-1.2captaindeveloper-logdevlogflsflying-labpotbsskillsThu, 28 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS officially launches in Australia and New Zealand -- free cockatoo!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/potbs-officially-launches-in-australia-and-new-zealand-free-c/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/potbs-officially-launches-in-australia-and-new-zealand-free-c/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/potbs-officially-launches-in-australia-and-new-zealand-free-c/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Although it's been possible to purchase Pirates of the Burning Sea online since its release, the official launch for Australia and New Zealand means that the dedicated Oceanic server is up, and Bigpond's free game offer is in effect. There is also still time to apply for an Ambassador position to help new player's on the Oceanic server, and score a year's free playtime in return.

But there is one other very important thing to note about this launch -- any character made on the Australia/NZ server within its first month of opening will get a cockatoo to show off on their shoulder. This is certainly pretty neat, but don't expect to be the coolest cat in the Caribbean, because everyone on the server will have one of these squawkers.

MassivelyPotBS officially launches in Australia and New Zealand -- free cockatoo! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aussieaustraliaaustraliancockatooflsflying-labnew-zealandnzoceaniaoceanicpotbsWed, 27 Feb 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS updated to build 1.1.69.0]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/potbs-updated-to-build-1-1-69-0/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/potbs-updated-to-build-1-1-69-0/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/potbs-updated-to-build-1-1-69-0/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


We're all getting excited about the features planned for Pirates of the Burning Sea's build 1.2, but lower your sails for just a moment, because build 1.1.69.0 has now gone live. This patch contains some of the fixes that FLS wanted to get in before 1.2 is released, due to their nature.

Some of the bigger changes were to do with port contention. Now, when a port is in Pirate PvP or higher, you will no longer be able to do unrest turn-ins. Also, PvP kills were generating too much unrest, and this has been lowered to the intended amount. There are also some new missions that teach each race how to use their Claim Prize/Capture Ship/Scavenge skills. Full notes for 1.1.69.0 can be found after the break.

Continue reading PotBS updated to build 1.1.69.0

MassivelyPotBS updated to build 1.1.69.0 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1.1.69.0build-1.1.69.0capture-shipclaim-prizeflsflying-labport-contentionpotbsscavengeunrestMon, 25 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS devlog looks at Open Sea Battle placement in 1.2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/potbs-devlog-looks-at-open-sea-battle-placement-in-1-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/potbs-devlog-looks-at-open-sea-battle-placement-in-1-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/potbs-devlog-looks-at-open-sea-battle-placement-in-1-2/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The way things currently are when engaging in an open sea battle in Pirates of the Burning Sea, players can often be dumped miles away from each other inside the private battle instance, even if they were very close when going in. This is one of the problems that is going to be fixed in build 1.2, and a devlog on the official site has gone over the planned changes.

Little fixes to the system never seemed to solve the problem satisfactorily, so an entire overhaul was necessary. The old system placed people relative to one point in the center, but in 1.2, a closer version of the positioning on the open sea will be seen inside the instance, due to new spawn point tracking. Additionally, the angle of attack will now only be measured upon the initial strike, and not for each new person entering, so that it won't be possible to have a circle of ships spawn on one unlucky victim. The system that decides how far back you will be placed when you join a battle late has been tweaked, to stop people being dumped in a random spot when the intended area would have been invalid, and there will also be a few more options you can set for auto-joining a battle. Read more about these new features for build 1.2 via the link below.

MassivelyPotBS devlog looks at Open Sea Battle placement in 1.2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1.2build-1.2developer-logdevlogflsflying-labopen-sea-battlepotbsMon, 25 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS announces Australian Ambassador program, offering years free game time]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/24/potbs-announces-australian-ambassador-program-offering-years-fr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/24/potbs-announces-australian-ambassador-program-offering-years-fr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/24/potbs-announces-australian-ambassador-program-offering-years-fr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

More Pirates of the Burning Sea love has been sent Australia's way, with Flying Lab Software's announcement of the Australian Ambassador Program. Full details of the new program can be found here, however you may need to log in to view the page, so here's an excerpt : "We believe that the best way to introduce new players to a game is by introducing them to people who know it best: the fans. We want a cadre of experienced players to create new characters and get in on the ground floor with their fellow Australians. You won't be required to do anything more than play Pirates of the Burning Sea!"

As an incentive for being involved in the program, the appointed "ambassadors" will have their subscriptions paid up for an entire year. Unlike the free account program for Australians, you will need to be specifically chosen after applying to get the years free subscription, and applications will close on the 7th of March. The requirements state that you must be a current subscriber, and reside in Australia (duh). If you meet the criteria, you may as well apply and see if you can score a year of free PotBS.

MassivelyPotBS announces Australian Ambassador program, offering years free game time originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiaaustralianaustralian-ambassador-programflsflying-labfreefree-subscriptionpotbsSun, 24 Feb 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Devlog for PotBS looks at ship tuning and new ships in build 1.2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/devlog-for-potbs-looks-at-ship-tuning-and-new-ships-in-build-1-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/devlog-for-potbs-looks-at-ship-tuning-and-new-ships-in-build-1-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/devlog-for-potbs-looks-at-ship-tuning-and-new-ships-in-build-1-2/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The Pirates of the Burning Sea site has published a new devlog to do with the upcoming build 1.2, and this time around we're treated to details on some of the ship tuning that can be expected with the patch. There will be some global changes to make scouts a bit faster than they are, and some ships that have light top-deck batteries will see these guns move up a weight class or two. Most warships will also have their deceleration and turning deceleration multipliers increased, as a fully outfitted warship has been more maneuverable than intended.

Apart from the global changes, there are some changes to specific ships as well. You can visit the devlog to see what happens to each of these, but the ships being tuned in some way are: the Arcadia, the Mignone, the Oliphant, the Cerberus, the Mystique Polacre, the Raa, the Myrmidon, the Tigre, the Capricieux, the Corsair, the Hercules, the Deliverance and the Defiant. Phew! Finally, a bunch of brand new ships will be introduced with 1.2, including the first high-level ship that can run against the wind effectively. Check out the full details at the devlog.

MassivelyDevlog for PotBS looks at ship tuning and new ships in build 1.2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>build-1.2devlogflsflying-labpotbsship-tuningshipsFri, 22 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS devlog discusses the art of town creation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/potbs-devlog-discusses-the-art-of-town-creation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/potbs-devlog-discusses-the-art-of-town-creation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/potbs-devlog-discusses-the-art-of-town-creation/#commentsFiled under: , ,


There's a lot more to building a town in a game than just plotting out the buildings and filling in key NPCs. You can leave it at that (and it's unfortunate when that's the case), but to stop it from feeling like a ghost town, certain steps can be taken to build up the ambiance of a locale. The latest devlog available at the Pirates of the Burning Sea website is penned by the game's technical artist Xenobia, and focuses on the process of breathing life into the many port towns in the Caribbean.

Some of the curious little events you might notice in PotBS's towns could probably be attributed to Xenobia. A woman kicking and screaming while being taken away over the shoulder of a pirate, drunks in various stages of consciousness -- things like this are of no consequence and will keep going in the background regardless of whatever else is happening, yet they greatly enhance the feeling that you're in an actual town. Visit the devlog to see what goes on behind the scenes -- including how it all looks in the Maya software -- when bringing a game-town to life.

MassivelyPotBS devlog discusses the art of town creation originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>developer-logdevlogflsflying-lablively-townpotbstortugaxenobiaWed, 20 Feb 2008 23:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Port contention turn-ins in PotBS to be scaled down]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/port-contention-turn-ins-in-potbs-to-be-scaled-down/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/port-contention-turn-ins-in-potbs-to-be-scaled-down/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/port-contention-turn-ins-in-potbs-to-be-scaled-down/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Until now in Pirates of the Burning Sea, some clever folks have been able to cause a totally peaceful port to instantly become scheduled for a port battle, by saving up their contention turn-ins en masse and across characters, and handing them in all at once. Over at the official PotBS site, Isildur has drawn attention to the issue and said that changes are coming to prevent this from occurring in the future.

You couldn't really call this tactic an exploit -- it's more just a smart use of the mechanics available in the game -- but it's obviously not how Flying Lab Software intended for the whole process to go down. The plan was to make the contention process a bit more steady so that the home nation could have a chance to defend and bring the unrest back down again, and possibly save a full-scale port battle from occurring, while also giving the traders a bigger role in defending their business interests. The first steps to prevent the current insta-port-battles should be introduced with build 1.2.

MassivelyPort contention turn-ins in PotBS to be scaled down originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>build-1.2contentionflsflying-labisildurport-battlepotbssoesony-online-entertainmentunrestWed, 20 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[FLS CEO does the rounds at Aussie gaming sites]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/17/fls-ceo-does-the-rounds-at-aussie-gaming-sites/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/17/fls-ceo-does-the-rounds-at-aussie-gaming-sites/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/17/fls-ceo-does-the-rounds-at-aussie-gaming-sites/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The CEO of Flying Lab Software, Russell Williams, has been busy promoting the fantastic deal that involves Aussies getting Pirates of the Burning Sea for free, and has stopped in at the Australian branches of both GameSpot and IGN to discuss the finer points of the game.

Both online publications have worthwhile articles, but while IGN's is intended (and named) as a PotBS Primer, the GameSpot interview with Williams focuses on the game's launch in Australia. Williams says that there is no retail launch planned at all for the Australian market, and that PotBS will only be available as a digital download through the aforementioned deal. He also says that there will be Australian servers -- although they won't actually be located in Australia. Check out both of the articles from the links below.

GameSpot: Flying Lab Software on Pirates of the Burning Sea down under
IGN: A Pirates of the Burning Sea Primer

MassivelyFLS CEO does the rounds at Aussie gaming sites originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiabigpondflsflying-labfreegamespotignpotbsrussell-williamsSun, 17 Feb 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS devlog discusses the gold-spammer issue]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/17/potbs-devlog-discusses-the-gold-spammer-issue/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/17/potbs-devlog-discusses-the-gold-spammer-issue/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/17/potbs-devlog-discusses-the-gold-spammer-issue/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

"Do you annoy not afford new ship?" Anyone that has played Pirates of the Burning Sea since launch will have received countless private messages similar to the above, soliciting the sale of in-game currency. The latest devlog from the official PotBS site talks about how they are working to combat the spamming -- well, they tell us what they can, because if we can read it, so can the spammers.

Some extremely good news is that a new command is on the way that will make reporting spammers a breeze. Currently players have to leave the game or alt-tab out to condemn these nuisances, but those days will soon be over. The process for Flying Lab Software to actually receive and act on these reports is being streamlined as well. Behind the scenes, they say that they are looking at better ways to catch the spammers before they even get to spam, but as per the above reason, don't expect these methods to be made public. FLS has attemped to deal with this problem from the very start, and it looks like the beginning of round two is on the horizon.

MassivelyPotBS devlog discusses the gold-spammer issue originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-labgold-farmergold-farminggold-sellergold-spammergold-spammingrmtspammerspammingSun, 17 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New details on the future of user content in PotBS emerge]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/14/new-details-on-the-future-of-user-content-in-potbs-emerge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/14/new-details-on-the-future-of-user-content-in-potbs-emerge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/14/new-details-on-the-future-of-user-content-in-potbs-emerge/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Many people have wanted to get involved and enjoy Pirates of the Burning Sea's user-submitted content system, but as things currently work, the turnaround time between submitting a flag or sail design and actually being able to purchase it in game has left something to be desired. Thankfully, Flying Lab Software realized that this situation needs fixing, and have announced that User Content 2.0 is on the way.

This re-haul of the user content submission process changes the way that player's designs are voted on and approved. Other players will be shown two different designs at a time, and will have to choose which one they think is better/more appropriate to the time. After a design receives a certain amount of winning votes, it goes off to be approved by FLS. To be able to submit more designs, players need to spend some time in the voting process, so there's incentive to do the sorting work. Some other changes to how you can show off your work in the forums are also detailed in the User Content 2.0 announcement.

We haven't been told when exactly the new system will be in place, but for now the old process is still in use. Don't forget that if you're that little bit more adventurous, you can submit a 3D ship model as well, and if this intrigues you then check out the Shipwright Discussion forum -- you'll be in good company.

MassivelyNew details on the future of user content in PotBS emerge originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flagflsflying-labpotbssailshipshipwrightuser-content-2.0Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS updated to build 1.1.54.0]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/13/potbs-updated-to-build-1-1-54-0/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/13/potbs-updated-to-build-1-1-54-0/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/13/potbs-updated-to-build-1-1-54-0/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Pirates of the Burning Sea has now been upgraded to build 1.1.54.0. The result is a patch that is a little bigger than the last few, but lots of changes have gone live. One update that I'm sure anyone who has been involved with the economy and spends plenty of time at the Auction House will love -- the auctioneer has been silenced! No more, "How many do you want? How many do you want?" when you aren't even buying anything.

A more important fix is that Unrest supply bundles now work properly and can be handed in to raise unrest on an enemy port. Also, if you've done one of those bounty quests that require the killing of 1 or 2 rare pirate spawns, you'll know how annoying it was to actually find one sometimes -- the chance to find them in a group of NPCs has now been doubled. Looking at the Ships section of the notes, it appears that small/medium ships have had their defense reduced slightly, and large/huge/colossal ships have had a bit of damage reduction added. Perhaps that will help bigger ships bite back a little better in situations like these?

Plenty more has gone into build 1.1.54.0 and the full patch notes are available after the break.



Continue reading PotBS updated to build 1.1.54.0

MassivelyPotBS updated to build 1.1.54.0 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1.1.54.0auctioneerbuild-1.1.54.0flsflying-labpotbssoesony-online-entertainmentWed, 13 Feb 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pirates of the Burning Sea's Kevin Maginn answers questions at GameSpot]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/pirates-of-the-burning-seas-kevin-maginn-answers-questions-at-g/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/pirates-of-the-burning-seas-kevin-maginn-answers-questions-at-g/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/pirates-of-the-burning-seas-kevin-maginn-answers-questions-at-g/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

GameSpot UK recently had an interview with Pirates of the Burning Sea lead designer Kevin Maginn, in which they fired off a series of questions that looked to flesh out the game's concept for anyone not yet familiar with it. As well as name-dropping the guys from Talk Like a Pirate Day, some of Maginn's answers reveal a lot of the reasoning behind some of the important design choices that make the game what it is today.

One of these is the mainly solo-oriented mission structure in PotBS. In this case, it comes down to what Maginn himself preferred to have in an MMO -- he said that he enjoys group content, but wanted to have the ability to log on and achieve things on his own without needing to sink time into group setup. This brought about the system we see in PotBS now, with most missions aimed at a single player, but there are a few group missions that are much more elaborate than a regular quest and are repeatable, to satiate group cravings on a permanent basis.

Maginn also says that, apart from updates on a roughly monthly basis, a major content update should hit every few months. One aspect of the game not mentioned in the interview is the interesting economy and crafting system, surely one of the game's big selling points. Check out the rest of the interview at GameSpot.

MassivelyPirates of the Burning Sea's Kevin Maginn answers questions at GameSpot originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-labisildurkevin-maginnmajor-content-updatemissionspotbstalk-like-a-pirate-dayupdatesMon, 11 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Speeding away from combat in PotBS: balanced?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/speeding-away-from-combat-in-potbs-balanced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/speeding-away-from-combat-in-potbs-balanced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/speeding-away-from-combat-in-potbs-balanced/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Keen from Keen and Graev's Gaming Blog recently wrote about his experiences in Pirates of the Burning Sea with PvPing against small, quick ships. He said that most of the time, the quick ships with the right fittings can simply get away from his larger vessel, but what inspired him to actually write about it is that he believes some players may be using this ability to grief a slower ship. They would achieve this by getting into combat, bringing both players to an instance, and then simply looping around and tapping the other player every 2 minutes with a quick shot to keep them in combat and stuck inside. Others would just engage and then run away, with no apparent purpose other than wasting time, or possibly stopping him from attacking another target.

Personally, I am not at the stage where I'm doing much PvP yet (although one of my ships, the MC Cutter, is mentioned in Keen's article as a prime offender for this tactic), so I haven't the experience to comment on whether this really is widespread behavior or not. A ship like mine, meant for mid-levels, becomes insanely fast if a level 40-50 uses it with the skills and fittings available by then. The question is, should it be possible for a player to initiate combat with another PC and then simply run off inside the instance? Before anything is done, it would be interesting to know if this sort of griefing has happened to other people too.

MassivelySpeeding away from combat in PotBS: balanced? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-labmc-cuttermediator-cutterpotbspvp-instanceThu, 07 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS lead animator and art director interviewed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/potbs-lead-animator-and-art-director-interviewed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/potbs-lead-animator-and-art-director-interviewed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/potbs-lead-animator-and-art-director-interviewed/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Although this interview was done a couple of weeks ago, possibly before Pirates of the Burning Sea launched, all the other news that has come out about the game recently prevented PotBS Vault from posting it sooner. The interview features Lead Animator Tom Tobey and Art Director Bruce Sharp fielding questions about their work on PotBS, and there are a few hints in this article of things that may not have been discovered yet, even now, a few weeks into release.

There are things they mention that a lot of players will already have found, but some are probably still a mystery. The most interesting of these is the talk of an island that is not marked on the world map, with no clues given as to what might be waiting there. There are also some features that look to have been left out in the current build of the game, like the ability to change your body type at character creation (which sounds small, but I know people that have said they wished it was there). It does seem as though Tobey and Sharp have plenty of ideas still up their sleeves, and hopefully a lot more of their work will make it into the game in future patches.

MassivelyPotBS lead animator and art director interviewed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>art-directorbruce-sharpflsflying-lablead-animatorpotbssoesony-online-entertainmenttom-tobeyMon, 04 Feb 2008 23:10:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS devlog: the road to v1.1, ships and ship combat]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/31/potbs-devlog-the-road-to-v1-1-ships-and-ship-combat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/31/potbs-devlog-the-road-to-v1-1-ships-and-ship-combat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/31/potbs-devlog-the-road-to-v1-1-ships-and-ship-combat/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

A new devlog is up on the Pirates of the Burning Sea official site, explaining in detail a few of the changes and fixes that have gone into the next build of the game. The next major patch will bring the game to version 1.1, and is being deployed to the Testbed server this week and to live servers not too long after. Although there is much more that will come with v1.1, the devlog discusses NPC AI, outfitting, and ship fixes.

The most interesting part of the devlog is the discussion of the NPC AI. Previously, enemy ships didn't really change targets that often, and specifically did not react to the person who was dealing the most damage to them like in other MMOs (aggro). This has been fixed in v1.1, ending the viability of a few cheap tactics. Also being fixed with NPC AI is the seemingly random-at-times surrendering of NPCs. It's true that quite often a ship would just surrender out of the blue, but this is being changed so that NPCs will only abandon ship shortly after being attacked, so that there's some logical reasoning behind it. Check out the full devlog for the rest of the discussions on v1.1.

MassivelyPotBS devlog: the road to v1.1, ships and ship combat originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flsflying-labnpc-aioutfittingpotbsshipssoesony-online-entertainmenttestbedv1.1version-1.1Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PotBS end of beta events to kick off today]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/30/potbs-end-of-beta-events-to-kick-off-today/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/30/potbs-end-of-beta-events-to-kick-off-today/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/30/potbs-end-of-beta-events-to-kick-off-today/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's almost time for the Pirates of the Burning Sea beta to come to a close, with the game's scheduled release date not too far ahead. Flying Lab Software has updated the official PotBS page to announce the timing of some end of beta events that they previously hinted at.

Depending on the server you play on, the events will commence at different times of day. Black Bart server's event will begin at 12:00pm PST, Rackham at 2:00pm PST, and Blackbeard at 4:00pm PST. Each of these times are preceded by the word "about" on the official site, so there's no need to sit around tapping your pocket watch impatiently if the festivities haven't started precisely on the hour.

As of the latest build of the game, the level cap has been removed, allowing the maximum of 50 to be attained, and the auction houses have been packed with useful items like XP books (that speed the rate of experience gain) and ship deeds. To help buy these goodies, every player will receive 1 million doubloons upon logging in. It has been said that if all the items on the auction house get bought, FLS will be able to restock them. It looks like they really want to end this thing in style.

MassivelyPotBS end of beta events to kick off today originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>end-of-betaend-of-beta-eventflsflying-lablevel-cappotbsship-deedsoesony-online-entertainmentxp-bookSun, 30 Dec 2007 07:30:00 EST