Let's actually rebuild Pirates Online!

[Christopher Gault]

Yar fellow plunderers, I have noticed very many people have tried to rebuild Pirates Online but have failed either due to lack of funds, or it was too hard! I'm here to tell you that with the passion of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' plus my uncle used to work on the films as the Special Screening Officer. I personally have a degree in 3D game design and environmental design from a 2 week course at an ID Gaming Academy out in Irvine. I have the passion and knowledge to get a rebuild going, but at the same time that requires people, lots of people and I wish to be open to ANY comments, ideas, and art work and to make this rebuild the most open source their is! I don't want to be behind closed doors and not have people know whats going on, I want people to know whats going on and if they don't like something we will change it till they do! All i'm saying is I want to build the "open source" version of PotCO! Please just give your thoughts and if you want to really help we can talk on Skype remotely and actually build this game!

 

[Captain Redhorn]

Hi Christopher!

I believe the newest games are coming a lot farther along than you may think. POTHS was the only game that has been cancelled so far and from what I hear the newest pirates games have their development pretty open to the public for opinions/ideas/etc.

You might have more luck joining a game that is in the development process already, but if you create your own game I wish you luck!

 

[Shamus The Brute]

I don't want to be behind closed doors and not have people know whats going on, I want people to know whats going on and if they don't like something we will change it till they do! All i'm saying is I want to build the "open source" version of PotCO! !

To date, you are the only person - Christopher - whom was willing to approach the ex-POTCO community in this regard as all other gaming projects approached the community after the fact to proceed with their plan to develop a POTCO new game/emulator. For that, I commend you sir for your willingness to keep the community in mind in so far as whether or not such a gaming project should proceed (in response to the aftermath of September 19, 2013).

I don't know about everyone else but what is most important to me (as a ex-POTCO player) is for someone to actually approach the community of players and include the community wholly within the decision-making process. As it remains now, ex-POTCO players and the community are overloaded with so many gaming projects at hand that (in my opinion) I do not feel that the availability of such choices will keep the community intact, as it has been up to this point.

Avast! Multiple choices are always good but there remains a downside to them as well. As the old saying goes, "a house divided by itself will not stand."

Thanks for approaching and including the community first before you proceeded to make such plans, Christopher. ~ It's a refreshing gesture!

 

[Irene]

First off, welcome to our forums Chrisopher

Second, I really like the fact that you express yourself openly and talk about your skills. If I remember correctly no one of the previous managers/admins/leaders etc came to say ''Hey, I'm .... and I know ..... and I would like to .... with your support ''. No offense to anyone, just what I think. As @Captain Redhorn said, your skills would be most appreciated it in either another remake (Pirates Online Rewritten) or POTGS or BFO.. for more info about those 2 games you can contact @Johnny da Pirate since he knows more and does the advertising.

 

[Sparky Wonderwolf]

Well, I welcome you and all that jazz, but frankly I have lost a lot of hope I had previously for any of these "REBUILD POTCO" "RELIVE POTCO" and other sorts of Post-POTCO Projects for the ones that are far enough along for me to analyze. I don't really see any of these projects (that are far enough long to see where they'll go) being what we hope they'll be. I'm already starting to hear the souring up of another remake just like POTHS did. Rumor has it that some RP people were banned for asking some questions about the new leadership there, which, if true, leads me to believe that we are watching another POTHS without the money involved. I don't see anything happening with anyone anytime soon. If you succeed then I will gladly give my support but I just find myself losing hope every time I see the "POTHSness" come out in some of these projects.

 

[Jack Wildwrecker]

Well, I welcome you and all that jazz, but frankly I have lost a lot of hope I had previously for any of these "REBUILD POTCO" "RELIVE POTCO" and other sorts of Post-POTCO Projects for the ones that are far enough along for me to analyze. I don't really see any of these projects (that are far enough long to see where they'll go) being what we hope they'll be. I'm already starting to hear the souring up of another remake just like POTHS did. Rumor has it that some RP people were banned for asking some questions about the new leadership there, which, if true, leads me to believe that we are watching another POTHS without the money involved. I don't see anything happening with anyone anytime soon. If you succeed then I will gladly give my support but I just find myself losing hope every time I see the "POTHSness" come out in some of these projects.

I think theres too many people trying to "REBUILD POTCO" instead of just making something new INSPIRED by POTCO. The amount of pirate-themed games is also increasing rapidly, and starting to scatter and overwhelm the POTCO community, and when a lot of these teams take on a MMO they don't realize how much work it will take to build (I think this is part of what happened to POTHS) and shoot out these release dates that are only 8 months or a year away, not realizing the authoritative networking (among other things) is going to be so much work.

I sincerely hope the another remake team isn't sour, and at risk of turning into another POTHS, but if they are banning people for asking questions then they shouldn't be making a game.

 

[Shamus The Brute]

...but if they are banning people for asking questions then they shouldn't be making a game.

Here is an original thought; How about developing a game which doesn't involve use of an actual FORUMS???

If I have said it once, I will say it again; a game's development need not rely upon a forums platform to promote and/or assist with the actual gaming project. Hence, it makes "sense" to rely upon an actual gaming website for the same purposes that a forums could provide for any particular game (in development).

~ While highly effective, relying upon a forums platform is damaging (yes 'damaging') to other forums communities that have long been around before Disney made the decision to oust POTCO from it's virtual online worlds, portfolio. In addition to this, you have POTCO players (like @Zin aka 'Captain C Ray') that have been banned simply because they seek out the truth to the questions they ask on such "gaming" forums.

It absolutely irritates me that while on one hand a particular gaming project implements a forums platform into it's mix to develop/promote it's game that then OTHER gaming projects feel as if they have to follow suit. ***Does everyone not realize that by providing additional forums outlets, this minimizes the strength of the ex-POTCO community as a whole?

Come on mates. Let's begin to utilize the creativity within your heads that I do know and understand is there! IF you do this, you will not only be more pleased with the outcome which results but you would have also contributed to the indirect "saving" of OLDER forums communities/POTCO fan-sites that have long existed prior to anyone jumping on the (game) development bandwagon!
:welcome:

Maroon 5 - "Pure Imagination" (listen and 'learn,' ye pirate)

 

[Jack Wildwrecker]

@Shamus The Brute

Never thought about it that way.

When we ran MC servers we always had forums, and my intention was to have forums when BFO got a website (finally), I've always enjoyed the forum platform, easier to interact with the community and get feedback in my opinion, but you are making me consider not having the forums and just a plain website much like POTCO used.

 

[Irene]

@Shamus The Brute

Never thought about it that way.

When we ran MC servers we always had forums, and my intention was to have forums when BFO got a website (finally), I've always enjoyed the forum platform, easier to interact with the community and get feedback in my opinion, but you are making me consider not having the forums and just a plain website much like POTCO used.

I agree with this, if you do that though Im sure someone else will think of Forums, or we could include BFO in this Forums like other games.

Another idea would be to have the forums on the website too like SWTOR or GW2

 

[Shamus The Brute]

@Shamus The Brute

Never thought about it that way.

When we ran MC servers we always had forums, and my intention was to have forums when BFO got a website (finally), I've always enjoyed the forum platform, easier to interact with the community and get feedback in my opinion, but you are making me consider not having the forums and just a plain website much like POTCO used.

A website would be so much easier on the developers time, I think.

For example, there would be less need for them to uphold the added responsibility to have others "moderated" while at the same time, a website would provide a centralized location where the exchange of ideas and/or feedback could still be shared. In addition to this, it frees up time on the developers behalf to focus strictly on developing the game itself.

Take it from me, a forums platform is "highly addictive" and it does have the capability to overtake your time if you are not disciplined. *What I would hate to see are developers whom may lose their precious time on their own forums to where their efforts never become realized.

Where would be the fun in that, eh?

 

[Sparky Wonderwolf]

I do agree with what Shamus has to say wholeheartedly, but if for some reason there is an ever so need by some of these games to have a forums, then fine. Have one.... but on your official site, not one that is like ours, with XenForo. It would probably be cheaper to incorporate a Forums into your site and have someone code the site than to buy a XenForo thing to be able to use it. I don't really have a problem with the forums either it's just their timing as to when they are being used and how. There is nothing wrong with social interaction between supporters or constructive criticism that does not break the written out policy (which was the problem with POTHS and a problem that is in development in another remake), it's when it is destructive or counter-productive that it kills a project. Incorporate a Forums by all means, but don't make it your top priority. Making yourself transparent, well known, and all that jazz should be; along with updates, then followed by a Forums. Now obviously if you are going to incorporate a Forums feature into your site, then make sure the people manning staffer positions have legitmate experience by asking them questions such as "Where and how long have you been _____?" "What was your screen name there?" "What did you do as _____?".

 

[Shamus The Brute]

...Incorporate a Forums by all means, but don't make it your top priority.

And in my opinion, don't incorporate a Forums either with the purpose (intentional or unintentional) to adversely affect all others. (Much planning and 'care' is required to assure that this does not happen. It's about achieving a healthy balance for the good of the community).

As a POTCO player, it was difficult enough to accept the game's closing! What makes things worse now for me (as a person whom loves to 'write'/long-standing forums member here), is to understand that some traffic has been diverted. This was not the case, during the many years that POTCO was open. *I must ask myself the question then as to "what has changed?"

Anyway, catching myself going off-topic here so...I apologize.

 

[Fortune]

In my opinion, there is a big difference between a forum run by the game and a forum run in a more public format. Forums run by the game are focused on promoting that game. Fair enough. Forums run privately allow much more freedom of expression and thought. Disney had posts but would not post every comment and would only post positive comments. As soon as anyone gets the feeling that a game based forum is being filtered / controlled, people will not trust it and flee.

In the long run, pubic based forums will always have more trust than forums run by the developers.

 

[Bart Gunshot]

As soon as anyone gets the feeling that a game based forum is being filtered / controlled, people will not trust it and flee.

I agree with everything in your post but this. The people who have the opinion that is being filtered/controlled will leave. Then there are those who will never leave and who are bias. They will run around telling anyone who has a slight concern about the game to instead support the game because the developers are doing the best they can. They will like the reply, towards a concerned person, that says you should instead support the game because the developers are doing the best they can. They are blinded by the hope that the game will be great and they will have a great time. Ignoring and bashing anyone who dares bring up a slight concern. When the game fails they simply crawl away hopeless and distraught ready for another bad developer to once again give them the false hope of a great game. /end rant
Sorry if this is off topic and/or sad I'm making a point and hopefully they will learn. Probably not.

 

[Jack Wildwrecker]

@Bart Gunshot

I agree with you stating that people become blinded with false hope, and bashing anyone who has a different opinion.

I have absolutely no problem with someone expressing concern, or their opinions, negative or positive, but I think they need to do so without being rude. And if you disagree with someones opinion, and feel the need to reply, do so without being rude, otherwise don't say anything at all. In other words, everyone needs to stop bashing each other, and be kind and considerate, or just say nothing at all.

I also feel that if a game decides to have a forums, they should NOT be so controlling as to not allow people to freely express themselves and their opinions, even if those opinions are negative, forums are for people to discuss topics, and voice their opinions freely, if you don't want any negative opinions, don't have forums, or learn to deal with the negativity and use it to improve your game or project.