POTCO Current News: 28 July 2008

The Battle Begins

"Man the cannons and lay waste to all those who oppose our flag!"

It's time to choose a side and take to the sea as a Privateer! Aye, Ship Privateering has finally arrived to the Live Game after being docked (temporarily) on our Test Server -- a special thanks to all our Unlimited Access/ Test Server Players who helped us test and debug this great new addition to the game.

Side with the Frenchman Pierre by setting sail from the privateering port of Ile D'Etable De Porc - or side with the Spaniard Garcia by departing from Isla De La Avaricia, then with your "private license" in hand and able crew in tow, set off for some pillaging and plundering on the high seas!

The Rise of the Privateer

Lore Chapter 3 'Tis a time of feuding as a French and a Spanish "lord" struggle for control over newly discovered territories. The Pirate "Lords" Garcia and Pierre have rallied several able-bodied adventurers -- and turned the attention of those seadogs toward Privateering.

Seeking fame and fortune, one such Pirate swore his allegiance to the Spanish flag. Ye too can turn to Privateering, but you'll need a stout crew. Here be a journal entry made by a Privateer flying the Spanish flag during the midst of battle, now witness firsthand what this Privateer hath faced. Read the journal entry.

Ultimate Ship Battle Screenshot Winners!

Contest Winners We challenged you to take screenshots in the heat of ship battle and you obliged. Thanks to all the Pirates that participated! Now, take a look at the top ten screenshots that not only earn a tip of our hat, but aye, an iPod touch. View Winners.

Watch for future contests on the horizon that could yield even greater rewards!

How to: Crew Up

Crew Up While we're on the topic of Privateering, building a good Crew is vital to your success as a privateer, and for that matter, your success as a Pirate! Yet many of you scallywags are still a bit groggy on the process.

In order to Crew with other players:

• Press the 'F' key to open the Friends Panel
• Select 'Crew' then 'Crew Options'
• Selecting 'Search for a Crew' allows the ability to seek out other Pirates that are in need of a crew.

Game Tip: Pirates that defeat enemies and sink ships with their Crew will gain an additional Crew Bonus of 50% Reputation with an 8 Pirate Crew.

Crew Enhancements

Speaking of Crew, we've made several improvements to the Crew Interface, that is, how you manage your Crew. Let's take a look:

1. A Health Meter for each Crewmember will appear on the Crew HUD. This can be toggled on/off from within the Friends Panel.

2. The Crew Bonus will be shown above the Health Meters.

3. A Crew Status Indicator is displayed next to the Crewmember's Health Meter. The Crew Status Indicator shows what activity the Crewmember is currently performing:

- Sailing is represented by a steering wheel icon - Cannoneering is represented by a cannon icon - Parlor Games are represented with a card icon - Land Combat is represented by a weapon icon that matches the weapon currently equipped - AFK is represented with "AFK" - No Activity will not show any icons

If the Crew HUD is closed, the player will need to re-enable it via the Friends Panel.

Player Q&A

You've got questions? We've got answers. We've updated the Player Q&A page with a recent batch of inquiries from some curious Pirates. Thanks for the e-mails - keep them coming. Read Player Q&A

Keep to the Code

Set down by the powers above, the Pirates of the Caribbean Online Code of Conduct is law, and despite what some Pirates think, all players must keep to the code. Violate the code and ye won't be given a Right of Parley.

Just a friendly reminder mate -- keep your identity and personal information private. Don't share account information, passwords, or other information in-game or online, it's just not safe. Also remember that all chat is moderated, so watch your tongue, thar be Pirates from all walks of life - even young ones - set an example as the gentleman or refined lady you are, so others may follow.