All You Basic Members!

[Chrisanne]

I am a basic member (because here in Germany I cant get unlimited) and I stopped playing pirates because you cant do anything special as a basic member and its no fun anymore. It also seems like you cant use the full chat thing because many words get replaced with confusing arrrs and yarrrs and the chat doesnt send all my messages (and I didnt type anything "bad" ) but ok one more "not paying" member (that would pay if there were a chance) left.. so who cares.

Have fun.

[Poison elf]

I have deleted like 6 posts I have started to put here, so Max didn't have to super slap my hand 6 times, haha.

In a simple nut shell, basics need the same thing unlimited need. Some sorta of content to move forward, and as most simply put I can, SOMETHING TO DO.

I feel unlimited are in a worse situation, because every single new build with us comes a downgrade. Sitting at level 40 mastered for like a year, I can only find a basic has more than we do. Even if its a quest to get notoriety over and over. Add to this, I don't see basic accounts taking downgrades in multiples like we do, every time something comes out.

I can't put it much more plain then this. Svs, curse, Thanksgiving, any of these things, has got unlimited and basic both what higher level, what better weapon skill, what new spell, what special item to trade, etc.?

I know Uk is suppose to have something opening up for other players to pay. Have seen no knew updates on their site though. A year and nothing happening here, I wouldn't attempt to make a guess when that could happen.

I can't say I have liked the way things have gone either as a unlimited. I refuse to show my kids what I see being done here, they have liked Disney in the past. For me to show them Fury does a lot more damage than lightning, and them see it do half in actuality would sure give them a different view of Disney. Or for that matter, how do I explain that is says put 5 points in spirit mastery for 25% increase, and use curse for 30% increase so they can see on the other computer the player with 4 points in spirit mastery does more damage, and not use curse?

Why we keep seeing these things going from completely terrible to worse, I would love to know as well. At this point we seem to be still sitting going no where while more skills are altered to do not what they say. If my kid sits with a stop watch and times something like leadership, well I would expect it to be right.

I don't feel all these things should be getting altercations for only pvp, and the game left on the back burner going down. I think all basic and unlimited alike should get something going forward.

I know what ya mean with the chat as well, another pet-peeve I had. At least that now does go through if the youngest one spends 3 minutes typing a sentence out.

Though I have argued lag has been overall top request by players, it never has been my personal view. With Port Royal, now Tortuga, My max 40 has now what to do unlike sitting around as before? The basics as well now has what new to do?

[Edward Edgemenace]

Originally Posted by Poison elf

Though I have argued lag has been overall top request by players, it never has been my personal view.

Almost getting offtopic, but can't resist commenting. I honestly wish there was a better definition for "lag." Unexpected game delays can be any of a hundred things, such as:

1. Network latency (that is the normal definition of lag - poor "ping" times - this has NEVER been an issue with POTCO though.)
2. Video rendering lag (very rarely an issue in POTCO, but for the last 2 months, the primary focus of what the developers have been trying to speed up.)
3. Server saturation delay (150 or more pirates in a single zone cause high latency.)
4. Client resource delays (not enough fast memory on client computers.)
5. Sinister game-rule-induced lag (Indicated by "Stunned" or "Slow" thing over health bar. E.g. cutlass brawl, grave shackles, dagger, etc.)
6. Truly evil bugs, where would-be-game-rules give no indication they are causing the lockup (shrapnel, barrage, firebrand, thunderbolt, explosive and fury.) Nor any indication at all, that the victim is stunned...just a bug from the server, refusing to send you any more network packets until the stun expires.

Of those 6, the last three are (in my theory) the only regular forms of lag people experience in POTCO. The third type happens only at blister events (e.g. Meet the GMs.)

So while they are trying very hard to reduce "lag," by removing all the eye-candy that make so many people love the game, I theorize that they are barking up the wrong tree, by focusing on #2 instead of #6. And if the delays from #6 actually are intended, all they have to do is spam "STUNNED" when you are stunned on a cannon.

On the other hand, I saw yesterday a stunning difference in their client-side memory management. I'm not positive, but it looks like it may be starting to work. (It goes berserk when I try to run TEST and OPEN side by side.)

[akamystic]

Originally Posted by Poison elf

I have deleted like 6 posts I have started to put here, so Max didn't have to super slap my hand 6 times, haha.

In a simple nut shell, basics need the same thing unlimited need. Some sorta of content to move forward, and as most simply put I can, SOMETHING TO DO.

I'm not going to quote everything you had....but had to comment. See my post on page one of this thread regarding Basic and Unlimited. IMO Basic access is a essentially a "teaser" in order for you to sign up for Unlimited. That does makes sense from Disney's POV. If Basic had close to the same options as unlimited why would you bother to pay? There goes the funding for the game....along with development and updates/fixes.

I don't disagree that being maxed at 40 leaves you with, well....not much to do but flip coins and SVS/PVP. Moreover, basic does get monotonous...as they planned it to so you will convert to a paying member. Hopefully we will continue to see upgrades and new features in 2009 (to include higher notoriety and gold). So far, so good. I cannot complain with all the most recent things that have been coming out.

[Will]

I'm basic, only because i'm one of the British , so i'm you pirates enemies in a way, cos your being harrassed by the British Navy XD.

Back to the topic, I think basic access members should be allowed to have all the ships and be allowed to actually get some free items given out.


Cheers, Will