Interesting questions.
I don't hold too much knowledge on these subjects, but I can give some input.
Topic one: When comparing Galleon vs. Brig, one will usually choose the brig. The brig outshines the galleon in most aspects. The galleon may not be useful in comparison to the brig, but it can still be useful. POTCO wouldn't remove the galleon ship from the game, probably because it would upset some players who prefer the galleon to anything else. If anything, having four types of ships gives the game a little more variety, and will cater to different modes of gameplay. Galleons in this game also look the most realistic (the brig and sloop look OK, but the frigate is just very funky-looking--but hey, it's a fantasy game...). I like sailing galleons on my little pirates from time to time because they look nice (I love historical ships, and the galleon is one of my favorites), so they're not completely useless.
Topic two: automatic-defense weapon skills are up to your preference. I personally like them, and carry a nice blunderbuss with Hex Ward on it to defeat Voodoo-wielding enemies, because it has come in handy at times. I play Pirates at a slower rate than most players, so I don't mind an extra second in shielding an attack. Some people don't prefer that, and that is fine. Hex Ward is also great at shielding grenade attacks, which is great against Spineskull and various grenadiers. Use is limited in automatic-defense weapon skills, but I like them for what they can do.
Topic three: Life Drain Immunity is a passive skill that prevents the pirate from being knocked out by the enemy when it uses a Life Drain attack. Seems handy when you're at low health, since it prevents you from dying to a Life Drain attack, and instead keeps your health at 1 HP. There are passive skills in other games that give a "second-chance" by keeping 1 HP left on the player, but in POTCO, use is very specific to Life Drain, so it's not too useful, but nevertheless can be. Again, personal preference.
Topic four: Yes, sometimes land combat can be too easy. I think that is made so younger players won't have such a hard time when fighting AI, since this game is catered to a younger demographic. It would be nice for some upper-level (40+) AI to have more complex fighting techniques, not just for more advanced gamers but also to encourage teamwork (not so great when the server is quiet). I hope the "broken/fallen-enemy" glitch gets some fixing...
Topic five: I just got my Voodoo staff last week, so I haven't taken a detailed look at it yet. However, I do like the spell animations!
Thank you for sharing, CarribeanThunder! Happy plundering.
