Putting the Glory back in Pirates Glory

[Grimrock Litless]

This is why I said, that a UI change is in order, we need the UI to change, it's 10 years old, or even older.

Web games usually update that every 1 - 2 years, but this game don't look like it've had any.

[Meliva]

as I said before banger, this game has it's lulls from time to time, and there are times when all is calm, activity is low or people are just keeping to themselves, but then a spark happens and things get exciting. Sort of like real life, sometimes everything is calm, steady and perhaps a bit boring, but sooner or later a storm hits, or something crazy happens and things heat up. Just wait a bit and things will change.

I appreciate your optimism but this is a bit more than a lul I am afraid. Granted I haven't played the game for as long as folks like Danik or Tom Lowe or CDV etc. and they may have a better perspective on the cycles of this game but lets look at the fact. Most days outside of your current RP thread there are virtually no threads that garner posts nor are there any new threads created. Activity in game is greatly diminished as well, less active guilds with less active players. Most guild chats are stagnant from the folks I have spoken too. We can't leave the blinders on or look at it through rose colored glasses. There needs to be some spark to garner interest or in a few months time it will just be a handful of us sitting around the tavern in Goroum talking about the good ol days.

As others have pointed out, this time of year is just always a bit slow. People are preparing to go back to school, or enjoying the last bits of summer, and are spending less time online. Now if activity died down big time for several months, then id' be worried. So if activity doesn't pick up by December I would say that something is wrong and needs to be fixed-but im positive either sometime within this month or next month at the latest things will pick up.

[Banger]

Meliva, come on its been slow for 6 month or so... who are you kidding? This isn't the first time time his has been brought up and I'm certainly not looking at just a small block of time. I know it's slower during summer but it's been slow since the new year...

[Meliva]

Meliva, come on its been slow for 6 month or so... who are you kidding? This isn't the first time time his has been brought up and I'm certainly not looking at just a small block of time. I know it's slower during summer but it's been slow since the new year...

like you said, it isn't the first time this is brought up. Im fairly certain this has been said a year before, and I think a year before that. And maybe things are slow and boring for you this year, but for me it's been a fairly exciting and fun time. For a while I was made leader for SSAA early this year and had to run it, I was able to donate quite a bit into the last draft earlier this year and it had the biggest prize pool to date, then I finally built up my goldsmith to a good level and joined a new guild.

And honestly, it seems like quite a few people are complaining of lack of activity, lack of action, that the game needs a spark, and if you all truly think that, then why not do something exciting and make some action. I am perfectly content the way things are, but if I was truly itching for change, I would go out and do something different. Maybe id go pirate for a while, light up someone I didn't like to plunder them, id try to steal some ships, etc. If there is no banter and no action, then simply complaining about it won't change that.

Edit- and also wasn't it early this year that there was that whole big event with several big players forming that anti griefing guild, and a lot of banter and action was held for a while? I forget what that guild was called, but that was fairly exciting.

[Stan Rogers]

This is why I said, that a UI change is in order, we need the UI to change, it's 10 years old, or even older.

Web games usually update that every 1 - 2 years, but this game don't look like it've had any.

I played a strategic browser based game before I came here. It had many links and directions to go as well like this game. Spent a couple years or more learning it. Actually, it took a year to learn how to fight in it as it was not for the point and shoot type player.
They went thru a massive UI where the whole look was changed. Trying to find the specific links to do specific tasks became too frustrating esp. in battle situ's. I finally left because of the frustration it caused me.

To avoid losing some long term players to change the look would have to be done very gradually.

[Meliva]

This is why I said, that a UI change is in order, we need the UI to change, it's 10 years old, or even older.

Web games usually update that every 1 - 2 years, but this game don't look like it've had any.

I played a strategic browser based game before I came here. It had many links and directions to go as well like this game. Spent a couple years or more learning it. Actually, it took a year to learn how to fight in it as it was not for the point and shoot type player.
They went thru a massive UI where the whole look was changed. Trying to find the specific links to do specific tasks became too frustrating esp. in battle situ's. I finally left because of the frustration it caused me.

To avoid losing some long term players to change the look would have to be done very gradually.

That is a fair point. I do think the UI should be updated, made a bit more appealing visually, and more importantly improve the links and how to move around. But if it just changes completely overnight, that would definitely confuse more then a few people.

Edit-and also by doing so slowly, this would allow players to give their opinion on certain things. Like link X should be available here, or that link is not useful there etc.

[Lachlan]

yeah this game needs a gradual overhaul. Suddenly changing everything will turn off older players

[Redish]

Making the game more appealing visually isn't really what Banger meant and to be honest I'd rather see development on the Flagship than a nicer UI.

There has been a cultural shift in the game away from piracy to trading and building vast wealth. Gone are the days of constant raids on traders by a handful of poor pirates who only login for the excitement. Traders are so complacent these days that hardly any use Mindbars.

It just seems like everyone is focused on building up plantations, banks, goldsmiths and the tax income from ports. Hopefully the introduction of the Flagship will spice things up a bit and if that isn't planned for release anytime soon, a simple thing like allowing the stacking of Sworm of Worms cards might get traders riled up again.

[Admiral Nelson]

*Looks at Redish's post about the flagship*...

*Thinks*

*Scratches head*

Ah that myth that was bought around by a few people.... Nevermind.

I agree with banger, to be honest.

[Vane]

I dont mind the shift where so many focus on wealth, trade, and buildings. This leaves lots of targets. The handful of pirates who can and will raid are still here, just bored is what i am getting from all of this.

Its easy to just simply skirmish and do very well for ones self. But how long can we stare at a screen pinging the little white ball back and forth?

What we need are incentives to battle. And no, not monetary ones as those are plenty. Even blockades, while a great addition for the game, will not promote piracy to the degree most of us want. This is why i vouch for the flagship. The need to win plunders and skirmishes in order to upgrade it to the best of its abilities make battling sound very attractive. Profit would become secondary in my mind.

Simply, create a need to fight that isnt coin.