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Close this windowPre-PAX Burning Sea Q&A with Taylor Danes
Posted August 23rd, 2006 by Ethec
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A Burning Sea Pre-PAX Pirate Parley with Taylor Daynes
Pirates of the Burning Sea's Lead Designer on Jigs, Romance, and High Seas Adventure in a virtual 18th century Caribbean Sea
Several members of the Flying Lab Software team are planning to avast development on Pirates of the Burning Sea and head to Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in Seattle this weekend, where Burning Sea, so long a deep-in-development major convention corner dweller, will announce a release date and make its maiden voyage as a belle of the expo ball. Lead Designer Taylor Daynes sailed in for an entertaining pre-PAX Q&A about the dev team's recent progress with this highly anticipated buccaneer beaut of an MMORPG.
Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle, Ten Ton Hammer - The most memorable image of Pirates of the Burning Sea from E3, for me, (that rhymed… sorry) was seeing the deckhands dance a little jig after sinking an enemy. Is jig the correct term? What inspired such a brilliant stroke as the after-battle dance?
Taylor Daynes, Lead Designer, Pirates of the Burning Sea - Dancing is the best way to end a busy day of bloody plunder, so when our animators gave us a “jig” emote we knew what we had to do. We ambushed our developers, tied them to their chairs, and forced them to make your whole crew play some emotes while at sea. We were going to send them to the briny deep afterward, but they did a good job, so we left them marooned in their cubicles instead. On a related note, while it’s true that everyone in the office is a fan of the jig, one of our Mission Designers, Gavin Irby, is a particularly devoted terpsichorean. In fact, he’s got a whole storyline mapped out about the healing and bonding power of dance. Hopefully he can convince our Mission Lead about the merits of this idea. |
Ten Ton Hammer - So here's another question while we dictionary.com "terpsichorean." In an interview with Firing Squad, John Tynes stated (with respect to the career story arc), “You’ll have your own supporting cast of sidekicks, enemies, and love interests, and you’ll make real choices that affect how the story goes.” Are these “Sims” style relationships that you impact through your actions (or inaction), or something like the faction system common in MMORPGs? Walk us through how to win the heart of a love interest in Burning Sea, because guys like me will need all the help we can get!
| Taylor - A little less Sims, and a little more Final Fantasy 7. As you progress through your personal story arc, there are pivotal junctures where you will have to make a decision one way or another. For instance, two different people may be in peril, and you may have to make the choice which one to save. A decision like that is obviously going to have a big impact on your story, and the characters in it. Likewise, you’ll have opportunities to single out a romantic interest. It’s not that hard, really – you meet a pretty girl at a party held in a grog-soaked tavern and you strike up a conversation. You flirt a little bit – maybe comment on the size of her knives, and then who knows? By the end of the night, you’re sure to win someone’s heart. |
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Ten Ton Hammer - We know what a pirate is, we know what a naval officer is, now we know what a terpsichorean is (n. A dancer.), but what's an adventurer? A privateer? Frat boys taking daddy's yacht for a spin? How is playing an adventurer different than playing a pirate?
| Taylor - Adventurers are the Han Solos of our world. They are independent captains, making their way through the world through wit, alliances, and the point of their sword. They can sign up with Trade Companies, or can make a fortune setting up economic ventures like mines or plantations. They can help the Navies with special missions, or they can even play more as “privateers” – daring captains who get Royal permission to act like pirates, so long as they don’t target their own countrymen.
Adventurers are the dashing rogues of Pirates of the Burning Sea. They value their independence and freedom, but they are fiercely loyal, and will fight valiantly for their country when the situation gets dire. |
Ten Ton Hammer - Would you say that because pirates must capture better ships makes pirates a more sociable career path, since pirates must band together to attack more powerful ships (capturing more powerful ships is the only trade-in option open to the piratey sort)?
| Taylor - While taking over ships is a strong reason for pirates to band together, there are lots of other reasons to band together as well, no matter which nation you play. Traders will want to sail in convoys for protection, perhaps even with warship escorts if they expect to pass through dangerous waters. Naval squadrons obviously benefit from numbers as well, particularly if they are seeking an enemy squadron, or are trying to force a port into contention. And everyone will want to work together whenver they think they’ll face much tougher opponents – whether they are trying to defeat them, or simply survive. |
Ten Ton Hammer - One of the most vile- yet most lucrative- forms of trade in the 18th century Caribbean Sea was in slaves. Will the truly dark side of the historical Caribbean be a part of Burning Sea, or is this one of those themes where historical accuracy takes a backseat to keeping things light and fun?
| Taylor - Slavery is an incredibly delicate issue. Presenting it in a game in a responsible way would be a weighty task, particularly when anything in a massively multiplayer game is so ripe for mockery. We decided early on to avoid the issue entirely, and we’ve never looked back. |
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Genre: Fantasy
Status: Published
Release Date: January 22, 2008
Fee: P2P
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