Release Notes - January 30, 2009

[Batleth]

Release Notes - January 30, 2009

• New and improved Port Royal: Players should see significant performance increases thanks to the new layout.
• New and improved Tutorial: Now more action packed!
• Added a player Profile Card so you can view details about players you meet.
• Early Quest Line has been smoothed out and should be much more fun.
• Overall smoother gameplay: Fewer hiccups and pauses during the action.
• Improved crew making and display: Starting and joining crews is easier than ever before. The onscreen crew display is now even more useful.
• Improved Chat interface: Only one text entry box now and it routes your message appropriately.
• Clothing Store changes: It is much easier to browse through all your wardrobe choices.
• Fixed another exploit that allowed you leave a PvP while still undead.
• Reputation gains are no longer reduced for Basic Access players.
• Lots of other small tweaks and improvements!

[Will Badbreaker]

I've seen the note about improved chat where it "routes your message appropriately" and I have no idea what that means. In using it, I still have to select which tab the message belongs in. How is it doing any routing? Anyone have an explaination?

[Maximvs]

Originally Posted by Will

"routes your message appropriately"

The Plus Filter Chat is gone - instead replaced by the Italics filter, hence instead of guessing if you can type in the box or if someone with plus chat is in the group - they will still see some of the messages (and you will know what they don't see).

[Chris]

Known Issues - January 30, 2009

• If you have issues launching the game or experience poor performance with OpenGL, please try changing the graphics library to DirectX9 via the "Graphics Options" button on the Launcher.
  • When clicking on another pirate or a friend in the friend's panel you may experience a crash. If this happens, change your graphics library (API) to DX9. This should resolve the problem.
  • The text describing emotes is not showing up in the chat log. We are currently working on a fix.

[Commodore Larence]

I just found a massive bug in the game today. I was on the new Port Royal testing out the privateer lookout (which i can not find a way to turn off once activated)... But back to my story. While sided with Spain, I came across another player on the French side. He began to hack his sword, and I hacked back at him... we were damaging each other. You can fight other players who are either in lookout for privateer or sided, I'm not sure on the specifics of it... It may just happen while on the new Port Royal. Is this supposed to be this way? I dont think it is... this seems to me like a giant bug in the game. Sorry if this is old news, I have not seen it posted any other places.

Larence Tuppington
GM: Skallywag Alliance
Lvl-40

[Poison elf]

This looks like a altercation from the svs bug I have been posting. This a big bug I thought, but apparently not taken as so from the reports I sent in on test.

If in a crew before entering your ship in svs this occurs. Soon as you dock, you can no longer get back in svs on your side. (maybe you can if 1 or more ships are on other side than your side)

Any Case this seems to break the svs, you remain to have privateer chat, though it can't be used. As well your entire crew shows flying a flag for your side of svs.

Last I saw this was still happening, I haven't got to live and checked this particular one. I tried many things in test but only way to get this off you is logging out from what I could find.

[Crazypirate]

Can anyone answer for me why I can run shader lvl 4 with openGL or DirectX9 but with DirectX8 it tells me minimum hardware not detected and doent give me the option to use it at all. DirectX8 its the only one that doesnt lag real bad when I sail now with new updates.

[drwr]

Originally Posted by Crazypirate

Can anyone answer for me why I can run shader lvl 4 with openGL or DirectX9 but with DirectX8 it tells me minimum hardware not detected and doent give me the option to use it at all. DirectX8 its the only one that doesnt lag real bad when I sail now with new updates.

DirectX8 doesn't support shaders, so you can't enable shaders when you are running with DirectX8. Incidentally, this might be why it doesn't lag as bad as the others. Have you tried disabling shaders on OpenGL or DirectX9 to see if it smooths out there? A lot of cards have performance issues rendering shaders.

David

[Crazypirate]

Thx it helps alot but just wondering why it started I never had any lag issues b4 update with graphics turned all the way up even in svs or abasa.

[Will Badbreaker]

Originally Posted by Maximvs

The Plus Filter Chat is gone - instead replaced by the Italics filter, hence instead of guessing if you can type in the box or if someone with plus chat is in the group - they will still see some of the messages (and you will know what they don't see).

Ah ok thanks. I had noticed the difference with the italics and things in red. It is refreshing to know you can type and it will go through, just still not always sure if the other side will get everything.
Also typing shortcuts like PR for Port Royal now is in red and italics, which is silly.

[Dhestroyer]

Originally Posted by Maximvs

The Plus Filter Chat is gone - instead replaced by the Italics filter, hence instead of guessing if you can type in the box or if someone with plus chat is in the group - they will still see some of the messages (and you will know what they don't see).

ah I see but one question, could they read my pirate name and or guild name when typed before the update? My Pirate name is Darius or I go by D, both of which is now red and italic along with my guild's name. Seems it would make it very difficult for youngsters to ask for help from a particular person in and out of guild. It seems to me that if Disney approved a pirates/guild name it should be able to be typed and read by all. Incidentally "rumrunners" is italic but words such as "dumb" and "stupid" aren't.

[Dr. Zeppers]

Originally Posted by Dhestroyer

ah I see but one question, could they read my pirate name and or guild name when typed before the update? My Pirate name is Darius or I go by D, both of which is now red and italic along with my guild's name. Seems it would make it very difficult for youngsters to ask for help from a particular person in and out of guild. It seems to me that if Disney approved a pirates/guild name it should be able to be typed and read by all. Incidentally "rumrunners" is italic but words such as "dumb" and "stupid" aren't.

Here is how I believe it works, as its a combination of TT chat now.

If you have/had "Open Chat", then you should see everything it allows, even the italicized words not found in Big D's dictionary. (this is comparable to True Friends in ToonTown)

If you have/had "Plus" chat (previously requiring the [+] be turned on), then you can see all the chat EXCEPT for the italicized words not in Big D's dictionary, these show up as "arrrr!" etc. (this is comparable to Plus chat in ToonTown)

[Edward Edgemenace]

Originally Posted by Dhestroyer

ah I see but one question, could they read my pirate name and or guild name when typed before the update? My Pirate name is Darius or I go by D, both of which is now red and italic along with my guild's name. Seems it would make it very difficult for youngsters to ask for help from a particular person in and out of guild. It seems to me that if Disney approved a pirates/guild name it should be able to be typed and read by all. Incidentally "rumrunners" is italic but words such as "dumb" and "stupid" aren't.

The difference is, now they hear "blah blah blah arrrr blah blah" instead of nothing at all. I test several accounts over and under their age limit; when my pirates can't hear each other (on the same computer, no less) then it is a problem (By the way, it's Rumrunner's.)

The italics filter in that regard, is about 50 million times better than the old plus chat filter.

[Dhestroyer]

Originally Posted by Edward Edgemenace

The difference is, now they hear "blah blah blah arrrr blah blah" instead of nothing at all. I test several accounts over and under their age limit; when my pirates can't hear each other (on the same computer, no less) then it is a problem (By the way, it's Rumrunner's.)

The italics filter in that regard, is about 50 million times better than the old plus chat filter.

Ah ha left out the apostrophe hehe .
I understand the filter and the fact that it IS somewhat better than before ... when the entire line was censored. I just know from talking/chatting with the +chat kids that they find it frustrating to chat to get help. And it is frustrating for me to try to understand what type of help they need. I just think it could be a very simple program tweak to have the pirate names/guilds and islands able to be typed so everyone could read them. Remember that some of these kids aren't good spellers or typers to begin with. I've even had problems typing something simple as "I need to kill 5 Navy Soldiers" (and of course rumrunners - LOL) the word "kill" seems to be the problem word ... so I've gotten use to saying Keel - LOL - also you can't type De Porc - LOL you have to type it as De Pork.

[StellaInTheSky]

1. The chat interface kinda stinks. And no more typing numbers is really irritating as well. I know it's a parental safety/Disney thing, but still.
2. Crewing is all kinds of messed up. Looking for SVS crew, it just keeps popping up ANY crew that's open instead of solely SVS. Also, when looking for a crew the crew captain's name is clickable (to pop up the Player Profile card...?) but nothing comes up when clicked.
3. My dagger is useless as of right now. Using the first 2 throwing blades just makes my pirate lock up momentarily while the dagger is thrown, but I never know where it goes. No red circle for it or anything. Just the sound effect.
4. My formerly white skirt is now BLUE. I go into a tailor and find that my white skirt is a sky blue, and when I went to the color wheel, Disney's white is apparently blue as well. Weird thing is, my other white clothes stayed white...

But I will say that all in all I like the new Port Royal. Even though my guildmates and I were lost pretty much the whole night. =)