PotBS 2017

Nebless

Ahoy Maties!    Yes the servers are still open and there are still a few playing.  Just re-downloaded it for some nautical action.  It's still a great game, just needs some more players to return.

wanderica

Despite some obvious shortcomings (with non-naval combat topping the list), I actually had quite a bit of fun with that game.  How has it held up graphically over time?  Are big nation battles still a thing?

Nebless

Still beautiful looking on the water, maybe more so now that most of us have better computers than when it first came out!  In town and on the ground maps it still looks the same, of course I'd never have called those area's 'cutting edge' even when it came out.

Port Battles are still happening that I do know, but how many show up?  I really doubt it's the 24 vs 24 with players bummed cuz they didn't get in as it was way back at the start.  Unfortunately the new O forums are not in any way shape or form up to the standards of the original so there's no PB postings / video's to actual see what's what.  

rodarin

Naval Action is an updated version of it. While they say it isnt its almost identical. Other than it doesnt have avatars. Its all ship battles.

Problem with that game though is its 40 bucks and its early access. But a few people play it. Lot less than used to though.

Asheram

Black Sails season 4 is starting tonite therefore I might have to redownload PoTBS. It is unfortunate that it is the last season, just like with Penny Dreadful I wish there was more

filmoret

Great game absolutely fantastic.  Only major downside is the game doesn't deal with wind direction very well.  So any advantage one would normally have with wind doesn't exist in this game.

Nebless

Asheram said:

Black Sails season 4 is starting tonite therefore I might have to redownload PoTBS. 

They re-showed seasons 1 -3 on Encore which is what got me to re-download PotBS.  Great show to stick some advertising in at the end of each episode -- 'Why only watch when you can play it?.

Nebless

wanderica said:

Despite some obvious shortcomings (with non-naval combat topping the list), I actually had quite a bit of fun with that game.  How has it held up graphically over time?  Are big nation battles still a thing?

And for the PB question; was just on and asked - yesterday it was 11 Sp vs 10 Fr and today 9 Sp vs 8 Brits but I'm told 24 vs 24 still happen's for the big ports.

Nebless

rodarin said:

Naval Action is an updated version of it. While they say it isnt its almost identical. Other than it doesnt have avatars. Its all ship battles.

Problem with that game though is its 40 bucks and its early access. But a few people play it. Lot less than used to though.

I've had 2 different players tell me that after trying Naval Action people are leaving and coming back to PotBS.  I guess it's a bit too realistic and the nit picky stuff gets in the way of the fun, plus as it's all ship action you can't break it up by doing ashore missions like PotBS.

Beautiful looking game, but $40 vs F2p that I'm familiar with; welllllllllll........

Nebless

filmoret said:

Great game absolutely fantastic.  Only major downside is the game doesn't deal with wind direction very well.  So any advantage one would normally have with wind doesn't exist in this game.

I don't know, it is kind of interesting how the wind can go 180 out while in Open Sea, but if I attack with it at my back than that's how it will be when it shifts to the battle map.

My biggest complaint was always how HUGE ships could go faster than the small one's.  'Don't send that frigate, let's send the 3 decker!'.

The old O forums used to be filled with the back and forth on the games flaws, but we all loved it.

wanderica

Sounds like people are still around then at least.  It's a shame the servers aren't a little busier.  Those huge battles were certainly something to see.  I'll have to check it out again when I get a chance.  To be honest, I'd totally forgot it even exists. 

rodarin

PoTBs had the most realistic and maybe the best economy crafting balance of any game, including EVE. Problem is not enough people played it so it went free to play and multiple accounts and that ruined it.

But you had to actually think about where you wanted to be and what you wanted to focus on. Then of course moving all the items you had.

Its one of those games that NEEDS a fairly decent and more or less equal playerbase to see its full potential. If you could keep 4-5 hundred people from each nation online all the time it could be epic. Problem is I dont think it ever had that many to begin with. Thats why it struggled.

It was really at its best during the beta (like a lot of games actually) because a lot of people played it and it showed its potential.

But major performance issues drove most of them away before it launched and they never came back.

Nebless

Very much a game where more is better.  What we'd start with, 6 servers?  Didn't take long for that to go to a steady 3 (I think).  Had a good run.   Now it's just 2 servers, and except for the rule you can't have different nations on the same server (in your account) they'd do well to combine them into 1.

filmoret

Nebless said:

filmoret said:

Great game absolutely fantastic.  Only major downside is the game doesn't deal with wind direction very well.  So any advantage one would normally have with wind doesn't exist in this game.

I don't know, it is kind of interesting how the wind can go 180 out while in Open Sea, but if I attack with it at my back than that's how it will be when it shifts to the battle map.

My biggest complaint was always how HUGE ships could go faster than the small one's.  'Don't send that frigate, let's send the 3 decker!'.

The old O forums used to be filled with the back and forth on the games flaws, but we all loved it.

Yea I always loved how 3 pirates would pound the crap out of you and one of them would roll up in a tiny boat and finish you off and get rewarded because he took you out with a small boat.   The wind thing is what made me quit playing.  Tricking someone to turn face into the wind and then watching them simply turn back around like it never happened ruined all sense of tactics that I had about the game concerning the wind factor.  Which really is what sailing evolves around.

Sailing in Sid Meyer's Pirates was more realistic.

KieferC

Still going.  I keep coming back to it.

Kyleran

Was always one of those games I meant to try but there was always some issue,  performance,  balance or gameplay issue that kept me thinking,  as soon as the fix "that problem " I'll give it a try.

Waited too long and everyone left, ever since I've been waiting for the " next" good pirate/ naval MMORPG.

Still waiting...

oldrobcat

Tried POtBS while waiting for UWO to revive under its new servers. Game doesn't work any more it seems. As a newbie free-trader I followed the starting path but the economy is broken. Can't sell produce, auction prices less than production costs and no buyers on the Roberts EN-UK server. Nobody there, no help. Abandoned the game.

KieferC

oldrobcat said:

Tried POtBS while waiting for UWO to revive under its new servers. Game doesn't work any more it seems. As a newbie free-trader I followed the starting path but the economy is broken. Can't sell produce, auction prices less than production costs and no buyers on the Roberts EN-UK server. Nobody there, no help. Abandoned the game.

That is a shame.  Roberts... never tried that server full time, but I always knew that it's 'economy' was non existent.... No market, just self-made alt produced goods for the single player.  

On Antigua server the economy is the opposite.  You will still find the alt-heavy Luddites who refuse to partake in an economy, but there is a growing trading and economic mindset in this server.  You can't find any prices less than production costs, and the supply is low.  You would have found a wide open market to supply in Antigua.  Roberts is a Euro based server and they never fully embraced a market economy, and this is its logical conclusion and presentation for new and returning players... 

Antigua isn't overcrowded by no means, but you will see players and you will see activity on the Auction House, but it does need more producers (you...  ).  

I am sorry that you took the time to try the game but hooked up with the wrong server.  

H0urg1ass

Kyleran said:

Was always one of those games I meant to try but there was always some issue,  performance,  balance or gameplay issue that kept me thinking,  as soon as the fix "that problem " I'll give it a try.

Waited too long and everyone left, ever since I've been waiting for the " next" good pirate/ naval MMORPG.

Still waiting...

Weird, this is exactly how I felt too.  I kept watching the progress for years, and hoping for updates that would put it in a place where I would leave EVE or AoC to play it, but it just never happened.

Then I started hearing some really shitty stories about the current owner.  IIRC there were some ethical concerns with payment, subscription cancelling... something along those lines.

Nebless

H0urg1ass said:

Then I started hearing some really shitty stories about the current owner.  IIRC there were some ethical concerns with payment, subscription cancelling... something along those lines.

Well it's F2p so those stories; even if true, shouldn't worry you.

Was just on a couple of days ago.  World map looked pretty quiet on Roberts, but Antigua had an upcoming Port Battle and a bunch of area's in unrest so there's still action going on.

I played it heavy when it first came out, but it's become a secondary game for me.  Something to jump on and do some sailing and ship sinking on my lvl 50 or do some of the quests on my lvl 36 alt.

Totmes

I absolutely miss that game! I often still think about all the fun I had playing that game on the Roberts server. Ofc I could try installing the game again (still have the original CD). But I guess you guys know when I say "You cant replace a good memory" It wouldn't be the same. It was the combination of the role game itself and the people playing at that time when the game was new. I played for years and one day I found myself being one of the last salty yarrrr's out there. And the game developers devastating decision to let players have cross account (faction hopping) when it became free to play. And all young players with no clue of what respectful role playing is. Killed the game in the end. It still makes me sad thinking of that. Course it was one of my best moments in my life. 

Miss you Ubert!

Totmes

ossur

Could anyone share playerbase info? Which server is more populated? Is it worth to download the game?

KieferC

@ossur
Antigua Server is by most players' measure the more populated of the two.  I am obviously biased, but it is still an enjoyable game.  It doesn't cost anything to check it out.  Look me up in Britain or send me a message from whatever nation you decide to join.

http://forums.burningsea.com/

Check the forums, too if you wish to get some more input from the rest of the players, who vary from the blindly devoted, to the trolls .