Test Release Notes - January 13, 2009

[Batleth]

Release Notes - January 13, 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.
• Changed the default graphics API from OpenGL to DirectX 9
• 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's much easier to browse through all your wardrobe choices.
• Fixed another exploit that allowed you to leave a PvP while still undead.
• Reputation gains are no longer reduced for Basic Access players.
• Lots of other small tweaks and improvements!

Test Known Issues - January 13, 2009

• If you have issues launching the game, please try changing the graphics API back to OpenGLvia the "Graphics Options" button on the Launcher.

[Amelia Heartburn]

What about a LARGER Closet? A Girl likes to have several different outfits for Plundering you know!!!

[Edward Edgemenace]

Please post screenies of the player profile things. Will I be able to see if a friend on my friend's list has been inactive (and/or when they were last on?)

Looks like it is time to recycle my level 1 pirate a couple times...

Hey...updates to the tutorial implies they'll be starting a new ad campaign soon, to bring in a fresh wave of new players? (Crosses fingers.)

[Rackat]

Interesting information. They've changed PR's layout? I wonder how much has changed?

[Maximvs]

Figures... (looks at clock) 8 hours before I get home to play...

[swashbuckler II]

Ill be on in a min

[Sarah]

Come take a tour with me....


Player interface is cool. It's going to take some getting used to, but the options here are awesome. You can friend, guild, report, tp, and open a side bar to check their weapons stats (thought I got a pic of that but it didn't go thru, ty Grace for being my guinea pig )



The Clothing options are nice, you can switch colors and see what it looks like before you buy



The town layout is confusing to me....but it looks really cool. Lots of twists and turns, stairwells, bridges...and a few new gypsies.

one in town



and one in the fort



And the fort is sweet






More to come

[Edward Edgemenace]

Thank you for the screenies!

So, what are the changes to crew? Do you just automatically become crewmates with other pirates that are nearby on compass, now?

And what are the chat changes? Just that it puts (g)/(c) before instead of in the middle?

[ukebec]

Wow Sarah! Thanks for those screenies. It's hard to believe that Fort Charles.

[MacIronhawk]

Thanks for posting the pictures sarah.
EDIT: When I click options I can't change my window size, I can't change a lot of thing besides graphics.

The water also looks boring now. Notice how that nice blue color is gone?

[akamystic]

Sweet....things are finally changing! Now I just need to get out of work and go login! Perhaps I could sneak into the conference room.....lol.....j/k (not that this has not been done by others).


Robert Darkskull
Pistols N Bladez

[katarakyan]

nice changes , hopefully the next changes will be new quest or new challenges for lvl 40 pirates.

[Chris]

OH MY GOSH! Port royal looks AMAZING!!!!! -screams!!!!1-

[Jack I]

Looked at all the new feautres, liked them all (including the new way to pick how your friends are sorted on your friends list, they didn't mention that.) But mainly focused on this, new "action-packed tutorial".

Changes to the Tutorial:

• Rambleshack
  • Rambleshack now hosts Will Turner's Warehouse instead of the bar, so no more getting slapped.
  • On the path to Bo Beck's ship, there are now 2 undead gravediggers to fight. (Will has given you your sword.)
  • Instead of shooting at a sunken ship, you're now fighting a weakened level 17 French Shadow Crow. (Yes, it fires back at ya' mate.)
• Cutscenes
  • In the final cutscene between Will Turner and you, two of Jolly Roger's minions now spawn behind him to "come after him" instead of the angry mob you used to hear.
  • All cutscenes now have a transparent notice in the top left corner saying "Press ESC to skip."
• General Tutorial Help
  • Will Turner now shows you how to assign skill points and makes you put 1 skill point into sweep, and then makes you use it on the dummies.
  • The optional compass tutorial now uses a large compass, an undead, and a townsfolk to explain how the compass works.
  • When you shoot Jack the Monkey, a little notice under his health bar gives a message from Barbossa about taking a fine shot.

Other interesting things I have noticed.

• New music on islands including Tortuga, Devil's Anvil, Port Royal, Ile d'Etable de Porc, and Isla de la Avaricia. (I am guessing all islands have new music, considering this pattern.)
• Friends List can now be sorted by player name or their online status.
• Privateering is now listed in the lookout section.
• Chat has been refined.
  • There are now two buttons, one leads to the emotions list and another to the speedchat. Clicking the arrow takes you to chat.
  • All text said is now white, in all chat channels.
  • Names are now color coded.
    • In Local chat, names show up in Orange.
      Example: Jack Ironmalley:Testing
    • Crew chat unknown at this time
    • In Guild chat, names now show up in the same light blue as before, and now start with [Guild].
      Example: [Guild] Jack Ironmalley:Testing
    • Privateering chat names also show up in orange, with either [Spanish] or [French] as the prefix.
      Example: [Spanish] Jack Ironmalley:Testing (or) [French] Jack Ironmalley:Testing
  • If a user logs in or out, it shows up with a - before it and in orange text.
    Example: - Jack Ironmalley has gone offline.
  • All accomplishments are now in lime green with a - before them.
    Example: - Level Up! Notoriety Level 2

Pictures will shortly be in my gallery, and I'll post a blog with details on the Tutorial.

Blog: http://www.piratesonlineforums.com/f...blog.php?b=513
Pictures: http://www.piratesonlineforums.com/g...ry.php?cat=641

[Bartholomew Foulsteel]

A better wrapper on the same old cereal?