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Story Thread 3: The Search for Plot

AuthorMessage
Captain
Oct 15, 2012
538
1.your going to fight against kane,gray mann in a mech and herobrine(from the past since present herobrine sucks)and the only thing you can fight with is highly flamable lamp oil,rope and bombs as well as a blade made with rubies tell me do you research on the characters and tell me how you would defeat each character with your limited weapons
2.any food you would want to try in the pirate101 world if it was real?
3.top 3.favorite parts of pirate101 you written and why.

Captain
Oct 15, 2012
538
almost forgot.
4.does the dialoge change when you kidnap mabel as a girl?

Ensign
May 23, 2010
16
thatonevalenciansw... on Jan 18, 2014 wrote:
almost forgot.
4.does the dialoge change when you kidnap mabel as a girl?
Since I've just finished that one as a boy when most of my characters are girls, I can tell you the answer is "no".

I have to say I love the way Mabel's kidnap has been expanded since the original release. It's much more fun this way.

(Yes I am a bit strange. I've got my 5 main characters (all girls) fully leveled and got them all the badges they can get. So I'm using the sixth slot to replay everything as a boy just to see what's different. I started him when Marleybone and Aquila were released to see what had changed in the tutorial, and kept him because I liked the changes so much.)

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
Row4n412 on Jan 17, 2014 wrote:
They're in there after we secure the area and go back upstairs. I always imagined that they represent all the enemies the PC and his crew defeated and locked up, since we never kill and rarely even destroy clockworks.
I thought of that but they are there even before you talk to Phule and Napoleguin. Heh, I am one of those pirates that loves to look around before triggering battles in an area just to see how it is decorated and to see if there are cool things I can try (well hope) to have in the background of a shot to make it more interesting. It's how I stumbled across them. At first I thought it was an interrogation going on but both seem to be well armed so I wondered if there was some kind of trap set that backfired when the target mistakenly shut the cell door or something interesting like that.

Ensign
Oct 26, 2012
7
Hey Blind Mew I have another question for you. Are Lucius and Marcus Fox related? They both have the same last name and seem to be pretty smart. And will we ever see Marcus if we return to Marleybone? Thanks

Lieutenant
Dec 13, 2008
135
I was looking at earlier story posts on the other two threads and I came up with questions that you haven't answered yet.
1. Where does Kane build the Clockworks? In factories? And why haven't we seen any of these factories? Will we destroy one of these factories?
2. By the time we reach El Dorado, will we destroy every Elite? And is Rooke really defeated? I kinda forgot since Marleybone was a while back. I know Deacon was defeated.
3. We defeat Bishop twice. But he is still up and running. Why didn't he blow up like Deacon and maybe Rooke?
Thanks Blind Mew! You rock!

Bosun
May 06, 2009
371
Blind Mew, I have another list of questions to ask you:

1. Valencia is said to have the most Stormgates than any other world in the Spiral. Could we be using Valencia as an advantage to get to most worlds?

2. Was Cool Ranch the very first world KI worked on and/or concieved? King Artorius answered a question of mine saying Cool Ranch was originally planned for Wizard101 before Pirate101, but I guess they couldn't find a good fit for the world in the first arc. Then you answered a question saying Cool Ranch was first world the Pirate101 writers worked on and all other worlds sort of formed around it. It seems like Cool Ranch is like KI's "baby" and I'm sure a lot of pride and sweat (and gunslingers) was put into it. I think you might have to consult with Alhazred, but I hope you can answer this one.

3. Could the Kraken Skull 5's recent power up have any possible correlation to an uncoming plan you have with them? I know you've said Book 15 has many promotions planned, and Bonnie Anne got a new heal before she got a new promotion in Book 13 so...

4. Would you ever considered making a handicapped or disabled character in Pirate101? I've noticed KI has made many blinded characters and some that have lost an arm, but I don't recall a character in a wheel-chair ever being made. If the need ever aroused, would you consider it? That orphanage in Darkmoor (if it still stands) might be a good start.

5. How big is this larger update KI's planning? I don't want to know what's in the update (not that you'll spill anything), but if all this preparation requires the amount of time it has, are we talking a fairly large "lots-of-surprises" kind of update?

6. Keeping a surprise party a secret is probably something you could do with ease, yes?

Lieutenant
Jul 15, 2013
121
Chrissy Th'Blesser on Jan 16, 2014 wrote:
Plus, with one exception, there is no Armada presence in Cool Ranch so papers would not be necessary.
Deacon was in Motherload Mine and in Boothill so I would assume that there is an Armada presence in Cool Ranch but not a very powerful commanding one .........................................yet.

Developer
Noble Zachary Wind... on Jan 10, 2014 wrote:
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-
I don't talk schedule, sorry!

Developer
Row4n412 on Jan 11, 2014 wrote:
1) Since Cool Ranch has the haunted skyway and Wizard City has Nightside, would you consider adding a "nightside" skyway to the other worlds as well?
Marleybone must have a dayside skyway or two, just to grow crops.
Darkmoor might not have a sunny skyway, but maybe you can allude to how magic or something makes the strange plants there grow anyway? I imagine Darkmoor will have a chemoluminescent underwater adventure area or two there, since the dominant (aristocratic) species there are river monsters like the wizard found as a subjugate species in Crab Alley in Wizard City.
Skull Island would do well to have a nightside. It would be the most dangerous skyway, accessible only to a pirate lord, and full of undead, and stealthy carnivorous plants. Maybe there would even be an Aztecan Death temple, and stormgates to benighted worlds?
Monquista has at least two more skyways to be explored, maybe one is a nightside skyway? Maybe the PC can stall an Armada invasion in another skyway there?
I expect that most of Polaris will be night side, but could you please include a dayside skyway or two there as well?

2) I'm sure the first arc story is all planned out, but would you please address the climate change and possibly recent lack of day and night change in the spiral during the second story arc? I know the PC cannot reverse this, because it would be impossible for the art department, but I would love for the PC to become an EcoWarrior, stopping the loss of rainfall in Monquista and Cool Ranch before it becomes too late for the people there. Surely some sinister intelligence is behind this and other climatic events that the PC is currently unaware of? Maybe Kane will even allude to issues like this when he defends "The Grand Scheme" just before we destroy the Armada at the end of the first story arc?
1) It's always easier (and faster) to make the skies of a world uniform - ensuring that color palettes look good in different lighting can take a little effort. In the cast of Cool Ranch, there are so many Books set there we decided that a variant Skyway would be necessary just to break up the potential monotony of the orange scenery. If the story demanded it and the budget allowed, I'd be happy to have some different Skyways on worlds in the future.
As to crop growing, I'm presuming that every world in the Spiral experiences a night (or in MB's case, a day), but they always do it offscreen, when your character isn't there to see it. Hand wavy? Indeed it is, but this is ultimately a game - we deal with it in the same way we deal with how your character eats, sleeps, and what not.
As for requests for dayside or nightside Skyways, bear in mind that it's extra work - unless it's absolutely necessary from a story standpoint, I'd rather have that artist spend more time on making islands or interiors.
That said, there will be future opportunities to mix things up a bit, but in more indirect ways. As we visit future Wizard101 worlds, there's no reason we couldn't change things up a bit. We had talked about our Marleybone book being in daylight at the concept stage, but ultimately the deep blue of midnight was so gorgeous (especially in contrast to super bright Aquila), that we kept the night. But for future worlds, set in daytime on Wizard101? Flipping to night might be a good change of pace.
As for Darkmoor, it's themes and setting demand a very specific sky. You'll no doubt agree when we get there.

2) As hinted above, I don't think the Spiral lacks a day and night cycle - we just don't show it. While day to night transitions might add to the story, I don't think the lack of a day/night cycle in game subtracts from it. It's not a small thing to implement, from a technical standpoint, especially if we didn't begin with one, and it immediately raises lots of other questions: will NPCs have activity cycles? Are buildings locked at night? Do the spawners change? More technical hurdles, chances for bugs or odd unexpected gameplay problems, and to do it right we have to essentially build every zone twice, which means we'll end up producing half as many zones for each update. I think we're doing just fine without it.
As for climate change, I also have strong feelings about the issue, but so far we haven't had the opportunity to explore something like that in the story - it'd feel a bit shoe horned in. The desertification of Monquista is about as close as we get right now. We will keep it in mind for the future, however.

Developer
Duke of Westminste... on Jan 13, 2014 wrote:
The skeleton hoplites in aquila are shaped like human skeletons. In aquila there are no humans! There are just birds snakes some monsters and one hippotamus. Plus centaurs. However NONE are shaped like humans. Because of this i am wondering why there are human skeletons?????????????? Don't make no sense.
Well the skeletal warriors in MooShu aren't shaped like Cows, either...

Either there was some ancient Human civilization that got swept away long ago..., or we like to re-use art assets.

Developer
Duke of Westminste... on Jan 13, 2014 wrote:
Blind mew. Will there ever be a minotaur companion? Those guys were so cool! It seems sad that their only in one dungeon. I understand there is a pet but a companions would be amazing!
Maybe... I kind of wrote myself into a corner with the Minotaurs, making them a few unique individuals instead of a whole species/culture. It'd be a little tricky as things stand now. But who knows what the future might hold? I like them too!

Developer
Trimond297 on Jan 14, 2014 wrote:
Blind Mew, I have one plot gap that you may need to hear before this story thread gets to a close someday soon.

During the quest that starts Book 5, "Go West, Young Pirate", I went to talk to Brother Varo in Monquista's St. Bonobo's Abbey, then, after that, the goal was updated to go to Cool Ranch by Skull Island, but something didn't make sense. Once I simply went through that, I realized that there were no travel permit papers to Cool Ranch required as of the moment being. Isn't it odd that there's no errand or task needed to get these papers? And on top of all that, no one even mentioned in the story that the Blue Windstone was the key to entering Cool Ranch by going via the Stormgate in Flotsam Skyway, not even our Companions in the storyline! Acquired Blue Windstone, plus no travel permits, plus no return trip to Captain Avery, plus simple travel to Cool Ranch with no directions to there, equals no sense! What's up with that? Sorry, but I just had a realization when I remembered going through that. When travel to another world is required, we'd regularly need a Windstone and Stormgate blockade travel permits to that world in order to go there. I say this plot gap needs to be filled in by extending that main story quest to accompany these changes as new quest goals. Can this gap be filled in soon, Blind Mew? I wish to see that story gap bridged.

Also, if you're planning on making Catbeard's Trial a non-fight sigil, can the "Resumed Docket 2-4-6-0-1" scene be turned into a non-player controlled event?

Thanks once again for answering!
The other posters answer this question right on the nose - tematically, needing travel papers to go to Cool Ranch doesn't make much sense. Remember, just because we usually handle something (world travel, in this case) a certain way most of the time, that doesn't require us to do it that way every time. Consider Cool Ranch: there's no centralized authority on the other side to secure or regulate the Stormgate the way there is just about everywhere else - the Rangers come close, but they aren't much of a factor in Cooper's Roost. And as for the Skull Island side, what power is there? Flotsam doesn't even seem to have a mayor!

Somebody brought up the Armada in Cool Ranch - bear in mind that Deacon was operating on his own there, hunting the PC and stirring up in little trouble in Santo Pollo. There's no Armada base in Skull Island the way there is in other places - there's not way they could hope to secure that Stormgate.

Developer
Trimond297 on Jan 14, 2014 wrote:
Blind Mew, I have one plot gap that you may need to hear before this story thread gets to a close someday soon.

During the quest that starts Book 5, "Go West, Young Pirate", I went to talk to Brother Varo in Monquista's St. Bonobo's Abbey, then, after that, the goal was updated to go to Cool Ranch by Skull Island, but something didn't make sense. Once I simply went through that, I realized that there were no travel permit papers to Cool Ranch required as of the moment being. Isn't it odd that there's no errand or task needed to get these papers? And on top of all that, no one even mentioned in the story that the Blue Windstone was the key to entering Cool Ranch by going via the Stormgate in Flotsam Skyway, not even our Companions in the storyline! Acquired Blue Windstone, plus no travel permits, plus no return trip to Captain Avery, plus simple travel to Cool Ranch with no directions to there, equals no sense! What's up with that? Sorry, but I just had a realization when I remembered going through that. When travel to another world is required, we'd regularly need a Windstone and Stormgate blockade travel permits to that world in order to go there. I say this plot gap needs to be filled in by extending that main story quest to accompany these changes as new quest goals. Can this gap be filled in soon, Blind Mew? I wish to see that story gap bridged.

Also, if you're planning on making Catbeard's Trial a non-fight sigil, can the "Resumed Docket 2-4-6-0-1" scene be turned into a non-player controlled event?

Thanks once again for answering!
Oh yeah - making Catbeard's trial into a repeatable sigil is definitely on our radar. Stay tuned.

Developer
Duke of Westminste... on Jan 17, 2014 wrote:
Mr. Mew I have a important question that MUST be answered. It's about wind stones. In the game the windstones seem so rare. Yet it seems that everyone else has one. I mean the clockworks had to have a bunch of windstones to get there army to Marleybone. So how come whenever our pirate goes to a new world there is only one specific wind stone to get? That windstone is usually in a dungeon. Shouldn't Avery have a ton? I feel weird when I have to go through a lot of trouble to get one windstone. When there should be so many. These aren't spiral keys in Wizard101 these should be pretty common items. Also why does our pirate always need travel papers? Since when do pirates obey the law?
About Windstones - they are definitely not as rare as Spiral Keys, but they're nowhere near as common as shoes, either. Every ship doesn't have one - you don't need them to fly, just to move between worlds. I'm presuming (from a game fiction standpoint) that they're fairly rare - I've toyed with the idea that they're a finite resource, and that nobody can manufactutre them anymore. That's a bit extreme - it may just be that they're very very difficult or expensive to manufacture. The major powers have lots of them, and likely engage in bitter rivalries to get hold of them. They jealously guard their stockpiles, doling them out to make their navies or merchant fleets Spiral capable. Free Traders (like Captain Reynolds) either have to scavenge for them or license/rent them from government at exorbitant prices.
So no, I don't think Avery has very many, and certainly none to spare. The Pirate alliances of the real world tended to by very egalitarian - there's no way Avery could try to take all the Windstones of his allies and hope to keep breathing, and he's never had the luck or strength to go raid some major stockpile. So, as an independent Pirate, you're stuck with stealing or salvaging them. But isn't it more fun that way anyway?

Developer
Duke of Westminste... on Jan 17, 2014 wrote:
Mr. Mew I have a important question that MUST be answered. It's about wind stones. In the game the windstones seem so rare. Yet it seems that everyone else has one. I mean the clockworks had to have a bunch of windstones to get there army to Marleybone. So how come whenever our pirate goes to a new world there is only one specific wind stone to get? That windstone is usually in a dungeon. Shouldn't Avery have a ton? I feel weird when I have to go through a lot of trouble to get one windstone. When there should be so many. These aren't spiral keys in Wizard101 these should be pretty common items. Also why does our pirate always need travel papers? Since when do pirates obey the law?
As for travel papers, we handwave here - ultimately, I need a way to stop you from traveling between worlds willy nilly, to keep you from going places your character can't handle yet, or that we haven't finished yet. Travel papers are a convenient fiction that lets us maintain that barrier for gates where you have the appropriate Windstone. Besides, getting those papers is a nice barrier I can hang a quest on - so that's ideal for me!

Developer
Pirates in the Sky on Jan 17, 2014 wrote:
I finally have a decent question!

Did you base any of the story/game elements off of the book "Airborn" by Kenneth Oppel? There are some similarities (flying ships, "Skyway"s, etc.)

If not, make sure to pass this on to Librarian Adelmo!
Hmmmmmmm

I'm not familiar with that book - I'll have to look into it.

Developer
Chrissy Th'Blesser on Jan 17, 2014 wrote:
Greetings Sir Mew. I have always wondered this and I kept forgetting to ask you; When doing the Fort Elana quest, in the lower level I come across this strange pair inside a jail cell and wondered if they have a story that just didn't make it to the plot line. Please see linked Screenshot of this Odd Couple Jailbirds.
Thank you muchly for your time and hopefully a tidbit of your fascinating imagination.
I fear, like that Old Scratch running around in Miranda, that they're just set dressing. Sorry, I'll try to make the next tidbits more fascinating.

Developer
thatonevalenciansw... on Jan 18, 2014 wrote:
1.your going to fight against kane,gray mann in a mech and herobrine(from the past since present herobrine sucks)and the only thing you can fight with is highly flamable lamp oil,rope and bombs as well as a blade made with rubies tell me do you research on the characters and tell me how you would defeat each character with your limited weapons
2.any food you would want to try in the pirate101 world if it was real?
3.top 3.favorite parts of pirate101 you written and why.
1. Oh dear... I don't play Minecraft or TF2, so you'll have to pardon me if my answer is unsatisfying. But, since you asked...
I figure since Herobrine doesn't exist, that's one down right there. I'd find Kane and offer to tell him how to get to El Dorado if he'll spare my life and destroy Gray Mann, then so hide in a basement somewhere until that was all over. When the smoke cleared, I'd go after whatever's left of Kane: even with mech there's no way Gray Mann beats him, but I expect Kane would be pretty chewed up.
During the fight I'd have disassembled the bombs and chemically refined the phosporous out of the blasting powder. I'd light that, creating an incredibly bright point source of light, and shine it thought he ruby blade to focus it into a laser beam that I'd use to blast what's left of kane into smithereens. Then I'd sell the rope and oil for ready cash.

2. I'd be eager to see what Yum-Yum fruit tastes like. I've honestly never even imagined it.

3. Favorite bits: just about all of Book 13 (especially the end of Beachhead and both promo quests), the Magnificent 7 story, and the puppet shows. In every case, I think we managed to make stuff that was genuinely funny, but that also had stakes and a bit of depth; meaningful stuff. Well, maybe not the puppet shows...

Developer
thatonevalenciansw... on Jan 18, 2014 wrote:
almost forgot.
4.does the dialoge change when you kidnap mabel as a girl?
Nope.

Developer
OUducks31 on Jan 19, 2014 wrote:
Hey Blind Mew I have another question for you. Are Lucius and Marcus Fox related? They both have the same last name and seem to be pretty smart. And will we ever see Marcus if we return to Marleybone? Thanks
They are distantly related. Fox is a very common name in Albion (as you might imagine) - it's the "Smith" or "Jones" of the highlands.

Developer
Grizzley117 on Jan 19, 2014 wrote:
I was looking at earlier story posts on the other two threads and I came up with questions that you haven't answered yet.
1. Where does Kane build the Clockworks? In factories? And why haven't we seen any of these factories? Will we destroy one of these factories?
2. By the time we reach El Dorado, will we destroy every Elite? And is Rooke really defeated? I kinda forgot since Marleybone was a while back. I know Deacon was defeated.
3. We defeat Bishop twice. But he is still up and running. Why didn't he blow up like Deacon and maybe Rooke?
Thanks Blind Mew! You rock!
1. You'll find out. And you haven't seen any because you haven't come anywhere near the heart of Kane's influence. Why on earth (or whatever) would he build his Clockworks off int he middle of nowhere?

2. Unsure, but I think it's safe to say no. I'm presuming Rooke is truly beaten, like Deacon.

3. Bishop is slippery - he always has contingency plans, and is definitely a coward. Rooke never really considered escape plans: why would he? Alas, that arrogance was his undoing.

Developer
Cunning Finnigan S... on Jan 20, 2014 wrote:
Blind Mew, I have another list of questions to ask you:

1. Valencia is said to have the most Stormgates than any other world in the Spiral. Could we be using Valencia as an advantage to get to most worlds?

2. Was Cool Ranch the very first world KI worked on and/or concieved? King Artorius answered a question of mine saying Cool Ranch was originally planned for Wizard101 before Pirate101, but I guess they couldn't find a good fit for the world in the first arc. Then you answered a question saying Cool Ranch was first world the Pirate101 writers worked on and all other worlds sort of formed around it. It seems like Cool Ranch is like KI's "baby" and I'm sure a lot of pride and sweat (and gunslingers) was put into it. I think you might have to consult with Alhazred, but I hope you can answer this one.

3. Could the Kraken Skull 5's recent power up have any possible correlation to an uncoming plan you have with them? I know you've said Book 15 has many promotions planned, and Bonnie Anne got a new heal before she got a new promotion in Book 13 so...

4. Would you ever considered making a handicapped or disabled character in Pirate101? I've noticed KI has made many blinded characters and some that have lost an arm, but I don't recall a character in a wheel-chair ever being made. If the need ever aroused, would you consider it? That orphanage in Darkmoor (if it still stands) might be a good start.

5. How big is this larger update KI's planning? I don't want to know what's in the update (not that you'll spill anything), but if all this preparation requires the amount of time it has, are we talking a fairly large "lots-of-surprises" kind of update?

6. Keeping a surprise party a secret is probably something you could do with ease, yes?
1. Other than the fact that it's the central power base for your archenemy and the big bads of our entire story, Valencia makes a perfect travel hub, yes.

2. No, Wizard City was the first world KI ever created. Cool Ranch had started development as a Wizard world, but I'm pretty sure it was conceived after Dragonspyre. Their story shifted in a different direction after some assets had been built, and the world was on the back burner. Once work on Pirate began in earnest, we needed a world - and we didn't want the first world we made to be the starting area. Why? The beginning is a dangerous time, as the princess once said - bettwe that we use Cool Ranch as our shakedown cruise, and work out things like how big battleboards need to be before we build the critical first impression zones. So Wizard graciously gave us their stuff, and we built Cool Ranch. It was a lot of work, but I don't think it has a special "mascot' style place in our hearts, any more than any other world does.

3. That adjustment was entirely a systems thing, one change among many to boost one aspect of gameplay. I hesitate to say more - it's really for Ratbeard to say more (or not, as he chooses).

4. I would indeed. My dad spent quite a while in a wheelchair before he died, and I think for the right character that could be a very cool choice. The perfect opportunity hasn't come along yet. But maybe in Book 16...

5. It's pretty big. And I'm pretty sure it will catch you guys by surprise.

6. Actually, I tend to hint way too much. People know the party's coming, they just don't know what we'll be doing!

Developer
CanaanBC on Jan 20, 2014 wrote:
Deacon was in Motherload Mine and in Boothill so I would assume that there is an Armada presence in Cool Ranch but not a very powerful commanding one .........................................yet.
See above. Deacon was there to track down the Map Piece, and trended to work through intermediaries. The attempt to arm Santa Rana represents the first serious attempt by the Armada to build any influence in Cool Ranch. That didn't end very well, thanks to you!

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
CanaanBC on Jan 20, 2014 wrote:
Deacon was in Motherload Mine and in Boothill so I would assume that there is an Armada presence in Cool Ranch but not a very powerful commanding one .........................................yet.
Oops I forgot about Boot hill. Good call. I stand corrected.