GDC 07: Pirates of the Burning Sea Hands-On

[destrukt]

http://kotaku.com/gaming/gdc07/gdc-07-pirates-of-the-burning-sea-handson-243166.php

Large Scale World Control PVP

Just to touch on what is probably the most intriguing feature of Pirates of the Burning Sea, the port control PVP aspect could take the MMO world by storm. Each of the four factions control several forts in the Caribbean. Owning a port allows members of that faction to build structures and harvest resources used in crafting items, along with various other benefits. Each port has an unrest level, which can be increased by members of other factions running missions or sinking their ships. Once the unrest level reaches the boiling point, large scale conflict breaks out.

This leads to a three day PVP battle around the port, where players of all factions can come and join in the fray. After three days, the top twenty-five members of each faction are pulled into a massive battle to determine who owns the port.

The beauty of the system is that even if you don't want to fight other players you can still run missions to contribute to the unrest points of any particular harbor.

Periodically the world will return to its default state. it wasn't uncommon for a port in those days to receive orders from Europe to relinquish control back to the original owner, so i isn't that far-fetched a concept. Once this reset occurs the faction with the most points (bit cloudy on this bit) is crowned the server victory, with all members of the faction receiving commendations good for buying powerful temporary items. The losers get a handicap in the form of free points towards the next round.

On PVP

Last but not least, here is how world PVP will work. Battles being fought will be displayed on the large travel map in the form of light-colored curcles. As you travel you'll be able to mouse over these circles and see what factions are fighting, the levels of the combatants, etc. If your peeps are fighting and you are of the appropriate level, you can choose to join in the battle, racing to your compatriots rescue. What starts as a one on one fight can easily escalate into a full-blown naval war. It sounds glorious.

I don't know if I like combat too much but PVP sounds so awesome.