Bi-Weekly Clan Update 01/16/2014

[Buccaneer Dan]

CLAN UPDATE

 

State of the Clan

Well the clan is limping along. Many of the of the regulars have all but faded away. Blackksmith aka: Bow Hunter aka: Cabello the other founding member of the clan has not been heard from oe logged into the game in over a month. The cluster of folks who made the 55 club in December have mostly trickled off as well.

I have cancelled the Teamspeak server and not really due to the clan slow down. Even when we had a lot of active members is was seldom used. I felt it was silly to pay for a feature no one is using. If the clan gets to a point where we have enough members who want a VoIP server I will gladly get one (teamspeak, mumble, ventrilo or whatever).

I am not going anywhere so the clan may end up where it started someday as me as the only member. I have personally been doing other things, although I try to make an appearance in the game once a day. The clan needs a shot in the arm and some active recruiting. I just don't have the time or the energy right now to dedicate to growing the the clan and bringing in and properly taking care of a batch of new members (who are usually new players who need a lot of hands on time). 

So anyone who would like to work on growing the clan be my guest. I still have a number of personal goals in the game to complete, so as I said I am not going anywhere or disbanding the clan.

Part of the problem is once you reach level 55 there is very little new stuff to do and why people after hitting 55 disappear. The Dome and G.O.R.E bosses and the same PvP areas are not overly stimulating after having done them a few times. 

The game needs drastic improvement for max level characters. Not just raising the cap to say 60 or 65. The game is in serious need of more content. I am sure they will expand some in the future, but not nearly fast enough or vast enough to keep people playing.

Blackksmith and I have been playing for 4 years each. Both of us have left and come back several times because we ran out of things to do that we thought were fun. I am sure that is his case now with him as he just ran out of stuff today. The "been there, done that" syndrome. 

If you need anything send me an in-game email as I am usually on once a day. Chillum Daize is on the most frequently these days and can help you out as well. We are still here for you. 

 

Promotions 

• Congratulations to Chillum Daize (and his alts) who has been promoted to    Pirate Lieutenant. 

Exits

None officially that I am aware of. 

 

Recruiting 

• We are always recruiting new Members so if you run across players looking for a clan and they seem like they might fit in, please send them our way. 
  You can help by getting the word out while you are roaming around the wasteland. I often will post in /region and /Global1 the following: 
  
  The GamePirates Clan is currently recruiting. Looking for Mature, laidback players. Check us out at http://GamePirates.us and apply online if interested. All factions and levels. Thanks!
  
   I also send this to players via PM who say they are looking for a clan. Feel free to do the same You can copy (CTRL C) and paste (CTRL V) into the chat window. Just be sure not to do this in /Help chat unless you want to be scolded by the Help Police or even a GM (I though I do on purpose once in a while and then say "Sorry, mt".  

 Contests 

• Again ideas are greatly welcomed.
  

 

 Other Games in GamePirates future

I am always looking for that next great MMORPG. The one that several of the founding members and other charter members are watching is The Repopulation (click here to go to their website). This is a kickstarter funded game and I have contributed $$ to the game's development and I know Blackksmith has as well.  It is most likely we will create a Nation (like a clan) when the game comes out in final form (projected for November of 2014). As backers we also have been guaranteed private and public beta slots. Here is brief overview of the game for those interested.

The Repopulation is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game in a science fiction setting.  In many ways it is a throwback to the social aspects and sandbox driven gameplay that made titles like Star Wars Galaxies and Ultima Online successful. But it also integrates more recent innovations and introduces an array of its own unique wrinkles.

The driving force behind this game is choice to play the game in the way that you want to play it. The choice to play the game like an RPG or a first/third person shooter. To advance your character through combat or peaceful means. The freedom to craft and harvest without being forced into combat. To act as a hero or a villain. A thief, diplomat, home builder, tamer, crafter, or an entertainer. To participate in Player vs. Player combat or to avoid it altogether.

 

• Unique three faction PvP system, where the third faction is allowed to set its alliances on a nation by nation basis.
• Featuring both a Standard and a Hardcore rule set for PvP on separate servers. Standard rules include large protected regions where players can avoid PvP completely if they wish, and no player looting is allowed.
• Build cities in the open world or besiege the cities of your enemies.
• The city management system allows Mayors to micromanage a city’s resources and happiness levels.
• Military advancement system which rewards players with special abilities, titles, and gear.
• Set your alliances with other nations to one of five different levels ranging from Ally to Nemesis.
• Create up to 99 ranks for your nation, each with their own customizable names and settings.

 

• Engagements are similar to public quests which can mutate and spread throughout an area, changing its appearance or content. 
• How players respond to an engagement will affect how it progresses or spreads.
• Engagements are intended to get players working together from the early stages of the game or encourage exploration.
• There are both combat and non-combat oriented engagements.
• Many engagements have long-term and far reaching effects.
• Settlements can turn into dungeons and towns can be overrun. Allowing this to happen can seriously alter the content available in an area.
• Player vs. Player engagements are similar to Open World battlegrounds.
• Inquire with NPCs to find out which engagements are available in different areas throughout the world.
• Auto-grouping options allow you to instantly group up with nearby participants, or disable it to play a more solo style.

 

• An Advanced Generated Mission system allows us to create complex multi-stage missions which are tailored specifically for your character.
• Missions can have branching outcomes based on a player’s actions and choices.
• Generated missions are mailed to your character as job offers and are accessible from anywhere in the game using your in-game PDA system.
• NPCs can speak about things that have happened to them. You can inquire of them to ask questions about many things, revealing hidden bits of knowledge or even special missions.
• Your actions will be remembered by NPCs, and they may attempt to exploit your tendencies.
• One Time Missions spawn in random locations throughout the wilderness to encourage exploration.
• Players can filter which types of missions they wish to receive, so only those missions are generated for them.
• Missions are not all combat oriented. There are crafting, harvesting, diplomatic, theft related, taming, and other non-combat variations available.
• Completing missions in a group will generate bonus rewards and automatically split them among your group.

• Skills based gameplay which features over 75 unique skills, and 12 tiers within each skill line.
• Players are not forced into combat roles. Crafting, harvesting, diplomatic, trapping, taming, entertainment, and other non-combat oriented skills can operate and progress independently of combat.
• Skills increase automatically through use. Abilities are earned and not given automatically.
• Multiple hidden skills waiting to be unlocked by true achievers.
• Skill Imprinting system allows you to imprint knowledge of skills into yourself, to make up for time spent doing other activities such as missions or engagements.

• Advanced Crafting systems which allows players to create thousands of variations of items through a total of 24 different trade skills.
• Three distinct harvesting methods: Harvester, Manual or Extracted. Harvesters allow you to place harvesters on nodes and then return to collect the resources later. Manual harvesting utilizes tools and requires player interaction with each node. Or you can extract resources such as hides, meat, tissue or DNA from corpses.
• Over-harvested areas will run dry of resources and recover slowly, rewarding players for discovering more remote locations.
• The crafting event system will require players to make decisions during the crafting process which will influence their result.
• Each of the game’s recipes has its own mastery level which can be increased to produce higher quality items.
• Extensive customization through the refinement process and fitting systems.
• Access the Auction Network from anyplace in the world using your in-game PDA. Place work orders as well requesting a certain resource at a requested grade.

Once I am invloved in the beta I will keep you informed of the chance of us starting a Nation there. The game will be be Free to Play with paid sub models and marketplaces similar to FE.

Also if you find a promising new or expanded/upgraded MMORPG let us know. I am always on the lookout for new games of this type.

  Remember to keep "Bringing good to a bad day" and I will see you all in The Grand Canyon Province or wherever.

 

Buccaneer Dan.