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Story Thread 3: The Search for Plot

AuthorMessage
Developer
DS Devereaux on Dec 28, 2013 wrote:
What could Deacon be, then? Surely, by your perspective, he couldn't be a knight. (Or could he?) The two spots for Bishops are taken up by Bishop and Phule*, and I doubt Deacon at all fits the spot of a rook. If Deacon thus serves as a knight and were (based on fan wishes) to return, would this be more obvious? Was he meant to be a knight-ish clockwork the entire time, but overlooked by lack of obvious details? I'm still quite shocked that the archbishop counterpart was a mere coincidence.

Wishing you well,

DSD

(*Phule. In a bishop chess piece, the split top part is considered to be a jester's cap, called a fou in French, translated in English as fool. This proves him as a bishop, by research. By role, I'm not quite sure.)
As I said, the analogy is imperfect. But Deacon as a Knight isn't a bad thought - he certainly has a habit of swooping in seemingly out of nowhere...

Developer
jxvaldy43 on Dec 28, 2013 wrote:
OK so I'm sorted of this and that about people wanting it to immediately go to a new world when it most likely seems like its going back to either MB or Monquista since while we there the skyways didn't give as many options as Mooshu or skull island. We could simply go back to Aquila to finish a certain dungeon then go to a previous world or brand new world to continue for El Dorado. Even if we did get to El Dorado there are still many thing i feel will be controversial like if pirate101 and wizard101 actually did intertwine towards the total end. It does seem Pirate101 is trying to catch up to wizard101's level which is about 30 lvls away now, but we should still have worlds like pigs wick that are secondary but still have awesome dungeons (waterworks in Crab Alley). But I still would also want to know if lady elite could possibly be a companion because her luminescent beauty for a clockwork amazes me. I also NEED to know if more HUMAN enemies will soon be created instead of them being NPCs because it is saddening that we never get to fight humans. Also is it possible that you could hint us to the story line after El Dorado? Thanks
As to intertwining Wizard and Pirate, actually having both kinds of players play together isn't practically achievable - how can you reconcile the combat models? As for future worlds, expect a mix of new with additional places in old worlds.

Side quest worlds - as I've stated before, the hard part is spending the effort to do them instead of continuing the main story. We only have the bandwidth to do so much, and I'd rather keep the main line going.

Now, as for awesome dungeons, folding some cool gauntlets back into existing territory is a great idea, and much easier than a whole world - I'm all in favor of that.

As for enemies, you raise an interesting point. I know we do have some Humans in the pipeline, but humanity has never been that much of a force in the Spiral, in either Wizard or Pirate - Dragonspyre was the closest to a Human land we get, and look what happened there. A new faction of Human enemies is something I'll have to chew on, but I'm not sure i NEED it as much as you seem to.

Post El Dorado? I'm still going to stay tight-lipped on that for now.

Developer
Cunning Finnigan S... on Dec 28, 2013 wrote:
Blind Mew, I was just curious on something.

1.) Is it at all possible that there will be future Books with no new worlds in it and instead features multiple chapters on just going back to a previous worlds, fleshed out with new skyways? You've hinted before that one book will feature only Valencia (and I'm starting to get a hunch that that may just be Chapter 15). I'm also wondering how travels back to previous worlds might fit in. You did say Chapter 18 will be a dosy, which leads me to believe we have something of a much smaller scale (but still large) Marleybone-Aquila plan going on.

2.) Also, would you ever at all making El Dorado have a 2-Part ending like Wizard101's Khrysalis? That would be pretty interesting to see.
  1. Well, when you consider the number of Books we've had in the past that didn't have any new worlds in them, just additional skyways of exiting worlds (off the top of my head, that's Books 2, 6,7,8,9,10, and 12 - 50% of the existing content), I'd say it's very possible. I'd also say that it's not a very big deal - new Skyways can feel very different. As for travel to previous worlds, again, look at how we've done it in the past. You had to go to Skull Island and MooShu to even get to Marleybone, and the side quests and promos can always send you back to old familiar spaces.
  2. Don't know about that. If it means shortening the delay between releases, i could be convinced.

Developer
flash33 on Dec 28, 2013 wrote:
I have a question regarding the Majordomo; how come when we get ready to depart to Monquista he asks us not to mention his name there? Is it because the Crown (at the time) isn't too pleased with some of his actions or what?
Well, people who attract the Crown's attention tend to meet with nasty fates (see: every Governor of Puerto Mico), so he's eager to keep a low profile. Also, I think he grasps very quickly how scandalous this whole Gortez thing could turn out to be, and is ducking to avoid any blowback.

I love the Majordomo - he's found the perfect niche. A comfortable job that's far enough from the capital to keep him out of the intrigue. Governors may come and go, but he's a steady constant. And he gets to play pranks on all the lanky foreigners with impunity!

Developer
Jovahex on Dec 29, 2013 wrote:
Might there be a story segment where we and our crew are cursed ala Pirates of the Caribbean:Curse of the Black Pearl?
An intriguing idea. The trick is giving the quest enough teeth to make it undesirable but to still give you the freedom to ignore it and go farm/pvp/whatever you want without it affecting you.

Developer
Bold Benjamin Hawk... on Dec 30, 2013 wrote:
I was wondering if there is any plan for the future for a port siege. Like those powerful turrets in the tumbleweed skyway I was hoping we might eventully have to face a port like that in the main quest. I think it would be very fun to take over a complete port with four towers. I got this idea the other day when I was questing in Puerto Mico and saw four aquila galleons that were as big as the port itself. And on a side note if we will ever have any nautical dungeons were there will be a sigil outside the skyway and we get to enter and have to take over a port or destroy a turret etc. Please tell me if this will be too hard on a technical view or if it's a good idea.
These ideas would indeed be pretty difficult, but we've definitely taken some steps in that direction - the turret bosses, the guns on Beachhead, and Scylla all come to mind. A sigiled Skyway... that's a pretty crazy idea (cray in a good way!) - I like it, but I'm not the guy who has to make it work!

Ensign
Apr 08, 2010
3
hey blind mew what the future story about the yum factory in milo graytail story

Gunner's Mate
May 02, 2009
253
Blind Mew on Jan 2, 2014 wrote:
An intriguing idea. The trick is giving the quest enough teeth to make it undesirable but to still give you the freedom to ignore it and go farm/pvp/whatever you want without it affecting you.
Maybe perhaps making this exclusive to a dungeon then? I think that would be the most reasonable solution should you guys decide to implement this idea in the future.

Ensign
Dec 25, 2012
9
1.Why did you choose chess to represent the Elites in the Armada?
2.When your going to get the windstone to Valencia (early in game) Captain Avery says "Go to Hooktail and tell him im sorry" What happened between Avery and Hooktail and what he sorry about?(if its mentioned later in the game sorry but atleast tell me when)
Thats all my questions.
Hopefully you can answer them!
Two-Faced Flint Spinnaker (cool ranch is fun )

Ensign
Jul 05, 2012
36
Hi Blind Mew! First, I would like to join my fellow players in thanking you for taking the time to answer (however vaguely) our burning questions. It means so much to us!
Okay, I have a few qusetions for you (and I am trying really hard to think of some that won't merit a "That would be telling"):

1) I absolutely loved "The Ode to Bright Eagilles" sigil, especially after I worked out what it was referencing. Will there be more non-fight sigils to come? Also, is it possible for awesome scenes, such as Catbeard's courtroom scene (which was sadly glitched for many players) to be made into sigils so that we may revisit them?

2) While Polaris is obviously referencing France, is it also referencing Russia? It seems as if the Penguin revolution could double as both the French and Russian revolutions, and the Ice Bear's presence there never seemed disinctly French.

3) I am dying to know: Is the yum-yum fruit a One Piece reference?

4) In Aquila, why did we automatically side with the Eagles? The only government we have sided with so far was Marleybone, and that was partly for our own benefit and partly out of guilt. I guess the Oracle was an Eagle, but the three Ophidian Mysteries gave us alot more information (for a considerable price) than she was able to. When did we decide the Ophidians were the bad guys?

5) Why does our PC never have dialogue?

6) How far in advance will y'all at KingsIsle give a release date before a new world is released?

7) Why were there no rat or mouse NPCs in the Isle of Dogs when there were plenty in Marleybone City?

8) Are some companions designed with specific crew roles in mind? (Navigator, shipwright, chef, ect.)

9) Is there a pet training pavillion in the works? Currently, our pets appear frequently in battle, but are fairly weak. Maybe we could use companion training points to up their stats?

10) Which game is your personal favorite: Wizard or Pirate?

Thanks Again!

- Fair Charlotte Firth, Level 65 Musketeer

Ensign
Apr 08, 2010
3
hey blind mew i have another question is their any witchdoctor armada troops in the armada besides bishop and phule

Lieutenant
Sep 17, 2012
102
I'm back with a host of new questions. Hopefully you'll be able to answer at least some of them ;)

1. I noticed several quick references to unvisited skyways throughout the game (Ionian Skway for example), but one reference has had me curious for over a year now. Early in the game, a place called the Mines of Oryx is mentioned. Can you tell us more about this place?

2. There has been a lot of discussion regarding King Casimir and his role. Is he aware of Kane's actions or has Kane defied the king's authority?

3. How exactly did the Stormgates come to be?

4. Assuming El Dorado is reached via Stormgate, how is it possible for it to move around or be so hidden? Also is it possible then the close or destroy other Stormgates as well?

5.Why did Marco pollo rip up the map as opposed to burning it or destroying it completely?

6. In Valencia we helped Ridolfo Capoferro (leader of the resistance) escape. What is the current state of the resistance now? (Assuming one still exists)

7. Will we learn more about the significance of the ancient ruins relics and bishop's experimentation?

Lieutenant
May 06, 2012
131
Forgive me if this question has been asked but how long does the game take place? Surely the war between the armada and mb could not have started in a few days. Could it?

Ensign
Apr 06, 2009
11
Hey Blind Mew I have one quick question that I wanted to ask. I'm not sure if this has already been asked but, when we go back to Valencia will it be like the first time? Will we get to fight other types of enemies besides the clockworks?

Ensign
Jan 05, 2013
34
Are we 100% sure that Blind Mew is being truthful when he tells us how he lost his eyes at the beginning of the game? It just seems that it's a little too convenient for him to show up when he does. He prods us in certain directions (like directly back to Avery), and sure it might just be helpful but does he really seem like an innocent character?

There's another character in the game who loses an eye - Old Scratch at his first promotion. What if Blind Mew gave his eyes in exchange for something else? We see he still has both hands (apparently).

Retrieving that telescope at the beginning of the game could be a horrible idea, especially if it has something to do with the way to get to El Dorado. You know, like a special telescope that helps you stay on course to a stormgate that keeps moving around.


Developer
jude680 on Jan 3, 2014 wrote:
hey blind mew what the future story about the yum factory in milo graytail story
All in good time. Though to be fair, we may not revisit the Yum distillery for a while. The Presidio companions are about to have other directions for their promo quests to take.

Developer
flash33 on Jan 3, 2014 wrote:
Maybe perhaps making this exclusive to a dungeon then? I think that would be the most reasonable solution should you guys decide to implement this idea in the future.
Now something like that is a fine solution.

Developer
Thenilesmaster on Jan 3, 2014 wrote:
1.Why did you choose chess to represent the Elites in the Armada?
2.When your going to get the windstone to Valencia (early in game) Captain Avery says "Go to Hooktail and tell him im sorry" What happened between Avery and Hooktail and what he sorry about?(if its mentioned later in the game sorry but atleast tell me when)
Thats all my questions.
Hopefully you can answer them!
Two-Faced Flint Spinnaker (cool ranch is fun )
  1. It seemed cool and thematic, and speaks to the idea of Kane as evil genius. Also, the notion of a machine being good at chess felt right.
  2. I'm more than content to let these sorts of character beats remain vague - your imagination can fill the gaps in cool ways. Avery does have a little guilt - I expect Hooktail approached him to help fight the Armada, and Avery ultimately didn't follow through.

Developer
TackUpwind on Jan 3, 2014 wrote:
Hi Blind Mew! First, I would like to join my fellow players in thanking you for taking the time to answer (however vaguely) our burning questions. It means so much to us!
Okay, I have a few qusetions for you (and I am trying really hard to think of some that won't merit a "That would be telling"):

1) I absolutely loved "The Ode to Bright Eagilles" sigil, especially after I worked out what it was referencing. Will there be more non-fight sigils to come? Also, is it possible for awesome scenes, such as Catbeard's courtroom scene (which was sadly glitched for many players) to be made into sigils so that we may revisit them?

2) While Polaris is obviously referencing France, is it also referencing Russia? It seems as if the Penguin revolution could double as both the French and Russian revolutions, and the Ice Bear's presence there never seemed disinctly French.

3) I am dying to know: Is the yum-yum fruit a One Piece reference?

4) In Aquila, why did we automatically side with the Eagles? The only government we have sided with so far was Marleybone, and that was partly for our own benefit and partly out of guilt. I guess the Oracle was an Eagle, but the three Ophidian Mysteries gave us alot more information (for a considerable price) than she was able to. When did we decide the Ophidians were the bad guys?

5) Why does our PC never have dialogue?

6) How far in advance will y'all at KingsIsle give a release date before a new world is released?

7) Why were there no rat or mouse NPCs in the Isle of Dogs when there were plenty in Marleybone City?

8) Are some companions designed with specific crew roles in mind? (Navigator, shipwright, chef, ect.)

9) Is there a pet training pavillion in the works? Currently, our pets appear frequently in battle, but are fairly weak. Maybe we could use companion training points to up their stats?

10) Which game is your personal favorite: Wizard or Pirate?

Thanks Again!

- Fair Charlotte Firth, Level 65 Musketeer
1) Yes, there will be (book 15 will have a non-combat sigil that's a doozy!). As for making Catbeard's trial a sigil - that's a great idea. I'll see how easy that change is to make.

2) Very astute - yes, Polaris is indeed calling out to both places. The revolutions do have a lot in common, and when you consider how much French was spoken in Imperial Russia at its peak (Peter and Catherine the Greats), it doesn't seem too long of a reach.

3) The name is actually a call out to the character of Yum Yum in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. That's why they're from MooShu. I'm not familiar with the source you're citing.

4) An interesting question. Ultimately, our intent was to have you play out the Illiad and Odyssey, so putting you in Greek shoes was the way to go. Making you have to win the Trojan War to accomplish your mission seemed the most effective way to do that quickly. Besides, I'm not sure the Ophidians would have ever trusted you...

5) Two reasons: first, I don't like putting words in your character's mouth, and any system that let you choose from a menu of responses bloats the dialogue beyond anything we could reasonably accomplish; and second, if we gave the PC dialogue we'd need to give it VO, and it'd be impossible to select a voice that everybody would like. Again, having several voice choices would bloat the sound footprint past anything reasonable - heck, just having different male and female voices would have a huge impact on the download.

6) I don't talk schedule, that stuff is all way outside my sphere. But I can tell you that every new bit of content will hit Test for a period of weeks before it goes live. Also, marketing is fond of trumpeting things before we release them.

7) That's a budget thing - MB introduced a boatload of new characters, and we limited the scope to stick to what we could build int he time we had allotted.

8) Not so much, no - they have story roles (Bonnie Anne spots things, Gracie knows machines, Ratbeard is all about violent solutions, El Toro is the heroic impulse, etc).

9) That would be telling.

10) I've never played very much Wizard - I didn't want their tone, themes, and story choices to influence ours, even at a subconscious level. So, I'm not really qualified to answer the question. And even if I were, do you expect an unbiased answer?

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
*Squeals with delight* Oh Yay Blind Mew is posting again. . Your posts are such a well written delight. (Like that should surprise me, lol *Rolls eyes at own silliness*.) Your answers are so wonderfully phrased to give us just a tease yet we walk away thinking we have just feasted. You always spin my brain into new directions and those few "Ah Ha I thought so" moments that it is so stimulating to be able to hear the results of so many picking your brain, all at once. You have the patience of One-Eyed Jack and your mind blowing intelligence and brain stretching teasing always makes my day. It is such a pleasure to try to work out your intriguing puzzles that are always whimsically complicated by your wry sense of humor.
This pirate and her loyal crew highly appreciate it.

Petty Officer
Mar 04, 2012
52
Hey Blind Mew, I have but one question. This is probably a "that would be telling" question but here goes nothing, will us pirates visit every world we see in the spiral threads as of now? Thanks, Daniel Radcliffe, Level 65,

Ensign
Feb 21, 2009
14
Blind Mew, I have had a question I have been having for about a year now :P: How do we or anyone know our parents died. I know they did because you said, but from a storyline perspective, it doesn't quite add up. Where were we if we didn't go with them. Surely if they got "lost" we would be lost as well, if their ship was destroyed by a squid, surely we would have perished too right? As for our companions and almost everyone, how do they know too? None of the Presidio companions were there or else they have the same flaw? Can you please answer this cause as it stands it is almost a huge plot hole. -Fearless Nicholas Kent *By the way I am a HUGE fan of your work, if I don't get a job as a concept artist, second job for sure will be game storyline writer*

Ensign
Feb 21, 2009
14
I also have been piecing together that an American revolution world would kinda be awesome. I was thinking focus on more or less New England but also maybe some middle colonies. Also I thought it might be hilarious if you add a place to the "Massachusetts" area called Salem where you kinda go through a story similar to the book the Crucible. The Marleybonian colonists are so frightened by the idea of wizards and witches that they see you with old scratch and think you might be a witch, for witchdoctors it would be REALLY good. Also badges like "Witch Hunter" and stuff could be made by actually killing witches in a forest setting. This world could also have native american enemies like small woodland creatures like porcupines, possums, stuff of that nature. Obviously triangular slave trade would be a cool feature with Zafaria and maybe if you don't do ZF immediately you can have some NPCs from Zafaria that would act as the slaves. Also things like Benjamin Froglin, George Washingtalon (an eagle in a powdered wig), and just the theme of New England and stuff would be a really awesome change from most worlds. Skyways could be like Appalacian Skyway, the Saratoga Skyway and stuff like that. Also ships might get words of "America" as a whole (Freedom, Liberty, Providence, Eagle, Star, etc.) The whole world is ambitious in reality but I have made my own concept, maps, stuff of that nature and maybe one day a few years down the line past El Dorado if could be made. Though I still don't have a name :P Also gotta love the great Monquistan explorer who found this new world, Christopher Colobus :P

Bosun
Nov 03, 2012
365
Thanks for answering my first questions Mew. Here are a couple more:
1. What is this-?????
2. On a more serious note I would like to ask if you guys have used any ideas from the "Do You Have An Idea" thread and if so what are they?
3. The armada said that they heard rumors about a pirate haven in skull island but they didn't know where it was. Since the armada has been excavating Skull Island shouldn't they have found us pirates by now?
4. There are armada troops in the jungle near Gortez's kingdom but there are no armada ships at the dock. Why?
5. Will there ever be a grub guardian type game for Pirate101?

Ensign
Nov 16, 2012
1
Hello Blind Mew, I know you may get this a lot, but when could we be expecting the next new world? My brother and I are very excited for it and can't wait.

Noble Zachary Windlass-