New Game

I've been spending some time doing something that I never thought I would. I've been playing an MMORPG[1].

For years, I've avoided this type of game. Mostly because - in all honestly - I have an addictive personality. So, mindful of the horror stories of "Evercrack"[2], I dipped my toes into the world of Puzzle Pirates. Mostly because, well, it's one of the few that isn't pay-to-play.

Most MMORPGs are along the lines of Dungeons and Dragons: a magical fantasy setting, and killing monsters (or other players) makes your stronger. And this formula has worked well for everything from the old text-based MUDs to the latest upgrade to World of Warcraft. And the problem I have with them isn't that I don't like the setting or gameplay; it's that I do. And when I like something, I tend to go overboard on it.
But I decided to try my luck at Puzzle Pirates. It's less of a traditional MMORPG; it's a series of puzzle minigames connected by common theme and graphics. There are still the basic MMORPG elements to it; you can go solo or join a clan (crew) or guild (flag) to attack (pillage) roaming monsters (either actual sea monsters or Non-Player Character pirate crews) or other even other players. But what makes it interesting to me is the free (as opposed to subscription) servers economies. Goods (except for raw materials and cash) are all controlled and produced in-character. That means if you want a sword, you either have to find someone who has the sword you want and buy it from them, or go to the blacksmith and have a sword made. Want a ship? Go to the shipyard; if they have the raw materials, they'll make you the ship.
The only thing that really isn't produced in-character (or via the spawning system which controls commodities and cash) are dubloons. Dubloons are a higher-priced currency, that are created by purchasing them on-line, around 25 cents per dubloon. Dubloons are used for delivery costs on things like ships, and to unlock certain puzzles for a month or so. You can trade for them at the banks; the exchange rate is around 1000 PoE for a Dubloon, though it varies quite a bit.
As for the puzzles themselves, most of them are fairly familiar. If you've played Bejeweled, you'll be comfortable Bilging, Dr Mario fans will grep Sailing fairly quickly; Bubble Bobble masters will rock at Rumble. As for the more esoteric puzzles, there are help guides and in-game tutorials readily available.

Tell you what, click the logo to download and try it yourself. The download may take a bit, but I think it's worth it. The software is free, playing is free. If you go through this link (or the widget at the top of the page), you get 500 PoE to start your piratey lifestyle - and Gilles De Rais (my pirate on Hunter ocean) gets some cash out of the deal as well. Give a "tell" on the bottom bar if I'm online. I'll hear you anywhere on the ocean.


[1] That is, a Massively Mutliplayer Online Role Playing Game.
[2] A play on the actual name, Everquest. It was one of the first "mainstream" MMORPGs, and got a lot of publicity when some younger players would neglect friends and family in favor of the game.