Pirates of the Burning Sea: Overview
In 2002, Pirates of the Burning Sea was announced as a small, independent 3D naval MMO. Five years later, the game is still in development, but unlike many games that have taken this long, the reason it remains there is increased ambition, scope and expansion, not internal problems. When it sails this summer, Pirates of the Burning Sea plans to offer AAA visuals, strategic sea combat and a fully fleshed out land-based game, including combat and more traditional RPG elements.
Set in the 1720s, Pirates of the Burning Sea lets players play as English, French, Spanish or Pirate. Players are cast as small time seafaring captains with their first boat who must rise through the ranks to command larger ships. At sea, trade, pirate hunting and the conquest of new ports for your faction are the core goals. Each of the four factions has ports scattered around the Caribbean and players are able to team up and attack these ports both physically and economically. Once a port is deemed disputed, the two sides fight in an instanced battle for control.
On land, players can explore, undertake quests and get in trouble, like most MMOs. The highlight of their land system is their unique take on combat. Rather than the typical combat of MMOs, players in PotBS fight to whittle down the other's balance meter, before finishing them off. It owes more to fencing than the typical MMO's combat. Not all combat is done on land too. Players fight for control after boarding in a similar manner.
Seattle-WA based Flying Lab Software has also blazed new ground with the inclusion of player-generated art in their game. Originally, they hoped to augment their own art department with a few fan-created boats. This program has turned into something previously unimagined and allowed them to incorporate more than 50 real-world inspired player-controllable boats into the game.
The success of this program led them to a system where players can upload flags and other custom arts for inclusion in the game, with FLS approval. This means that potentially, guilds can fly their own flags as they rove the Caribbean.
Published under Sony Online Entertainment's Platform Publishing label, Pirates of the Burning Sea launched on January 22nd, 2008 and is available as part of the Sony Station pass.
