We have interviewed  Tom Purdue, the Community Manager of Pirate101 about the game. He speaks about the mechanics and the features of the game so don't miss it!

Thanks for giving us the possibility to interview you about Pirate101. First of all, could you introduce yourself to our readers?

Thanks for this opportunity! My name is Tom Purdue, and I’m the Community Manager for Pirate101. I’ve been playing the game since its Alpha stages, and I’m tied at the hip to our wonderful community of players. It’s my pleasure to answer your questions.

How would you describe Pirate101 to someone who has never heard of it before?

Pirate101 is a massively multiplayer game in which Players undertake an epic adventure as they search for a great lost treasure, collect companions to join their pirate crew, and obtain amazing flying ships to explore the Skyways of the Pirate101 universe.

One of the coolest parts about the game is that it is set in the same magical universe as Wizard101. This means that we’ve been able to bring the same kind of humor to the story as you would expect from a KingsIsle property.

This is really a game for all ages. We’ve worked hard to make sure that the game remains safe and appropriate for our core younger audience, but is simultaneously entertaining and sophisticated for the adults that play with them.

When will the game be available?

Pirate101 launched to general availability on October 15, 2012.

What audience is this game for?

Again, we’ve tried to create a game that serves a broad and cross-generational audience. We do this by incorporating different levels of meaning into the story … pop culture references (such as bands and movies) that kids might laugh at because they seem silly, but that adults understand on an entirely different level.

Looking at the question in a different way, we’ve tried to make the game attractive to both casual and more serious players. This is a very tricky thing to do – but we’ve learned with our first game (Wizard101) that it possible to make systems and interfaces that are simple and intuitive (critical for keeping casual players happy) but at the same time offer systems with a great deal of depth and sophistication (just as important for entertaining the more dedicated audience).

We have also seen that the game has many different races, and various types of pirates. Which will be available for players?

There are five different types of pirates. Buccaneers are burly melee fighters. Musketeers strike from a distance. Privateers control the battlefield and motivate their companions. Witchdoctors use powerful hoodoo magic. Finally, Swashbucklers are duel-wielding whirlwinds of steel. Each class offers a different approach to the game, and each will see different storylines unfold as their journey progresses.

While all player Pirates are human, they will build a very diverse Pirate crew made up of almost any kind of animal species you can think of: We’ve got everything from the frog-like Troggies to Watermoles and Foxes.

What is the history of the game? What is the objective for players?

It is a wondrous time of exploration and adventure in Pirate101, when tall ships fly the endless skies and brave the stormgates of the Spiral. After Marco Pollo opened up connections between the various realms, trade and commerce sprang up all over the Spiral. There is a ton more background online: https://www.pirate101.com/free_game/background.

How big is the world of Pirate101?

It is a huge world of heart-pounding adventure. At launch there will be hundreds of hours of fully-voiced quest content to explore. There are five distinct worlds, each with dozens of individual areas and Skyways to discover. You will find hundreds of companions to collect, train and level-up. Finally, the game boasts a massive armada of ships to command and customize.

In some ways, Pirate101 is like two games in one because you’ll be both running around on foot and sailing the skyways. In fact, a lot of our players seem to feel this world is larger than Wizard101! This might be due to all of the space in between the docks of the various worlds we’ve created for our players to adventure in. Captaining a ship in Pirate101 will take you far and wide in the Spiral and you’ll see both new worlds and familiar worlds in a new light.

In Pirate101 will we get our own flying boat? Will we be able to form a crew. Can you give us some details about these features?

In Pirate101, gathering the companions that make up your crew is one of the primary activities you will undertake. Over the course of your journey you will collect dozens of quirky creatures, each with unique powers and talents to help you in your adventure. Each companion will need to be trained as you gain power. Some special companions offer elaborate promotion quests that enable them to reach great peaks of power.

Similarly, the ship system in Pirate101 is highly customizable. Each world offers three distinct classes of ships, from small skiffs to mighty frigates. Ships can be customized with special sails, protective armor, and decorative mastheads (that grant powerful attacks and special abilities). Every pirate will be free to configure their vessels with equipment they discover, or purchase, along the way.

Will the game have social features, such as guilds?

Neither Wizard101, nor Pirate101, support in-game guild creation or management. Grouping in both games is free-form. Up to four players can enter a battle, whether they are grouped together or not. At the conclusion of the fight, everyone gains the same collection of random loot, so there is no competition over who gets the best reward. This casual approach to collaborative play means that players can join, or leave, a group at any time and with no negative impact.

Can players kill each other?

At launch there is no support for player vs. player combat. However, lots of content, worlds and system updates are planned over the next several years.

Are Pirate101 and Wizard101 connected somehow?

While they are both set in the same general universe, they are totally separate games. You will see glimpses of the same world; however, Pirates and Wizards seldom mingle. Pirates sail the Spiral Threads between the worlds of the Spiral whereas Wizards simply exit through a magical door from one world to the next. Their stories and concerns differ, but the pulse of Wizard101 will show up occasionally in Pirate101 in the form of rumor and stories. One thing is for sure, Ninja Pigs are everywhere!

Pirate101 will be F2P? Is it going to be micro-transaction based?

Pirate101 has a number of different pricing models similar to Wizard101. The first part of the game is free to all. Eventually players will find they are presented with an option to either become paying members or unlock an area and storyline with crowns. It’s nice to give players purchasing options because we all play games differently. While some may burn through a game in a few months, others may want to play more slowly and methodically. We’re happy to accommodate all kinds of players this way.

In what languages and regions are you planning to release Pirate101?

We currently have no announcements about releasing Pirate101 in other languages and regions.

Thank you for all you answers. Would you add something?

Thanks for this interview, and I hope your readers really enjoy playing Pirate101! We have a lot of plans for the future in terms of expansions, new content and systems, and it’ll be interesting to see how Pirate101 has evolved in the future much like Wizard101. I hope to see you all enjoying the ride as we sail the skyways for years to come.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 22nd, 2012 at 5:59 pm and is filed under MMO News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.