Tortuga. The high seas. Rum. Mention these three things in the same sentence and you instantly think of pirates. And of course that is followed by plundering, pillaging, and general mayhem. Isn't that what pirates do? Well, maybe not all pirates... but not for lack of trying! Enter into the world of mischief and mayhem when you sail the Burning Seas... the Pirates of the Burning Seas, that is. Oh, come on. You had to know that was coming! Sony Online Entertainment treated us to a viewing of their pirate tale during their CES press event last week, and while I have had an opportunity to tour the game with Jess Lebow late last year, I wasn't about to pass up the chance to sit down with the team in person to experience it once again. The team is very excited about their upcoming release later this month, as well they should be. After several years of development (since 2002), Pirates of the Burning Sea is finally going live. And rather successfully, I might add.

Pirates have long been a passion for many gamers... and many developers have tried to meet the demand for a swashbuckling tale. However, until lately none have quite hit the mark. Not that previous titles had nothing to offer; quite the contrary. But when you're looking for a MMO with all of the feel, depth, and structure of a MMO while still being a pirate, there are few choices. Until now.

I've played Pirates of the Burning Sea for awhile now, and I have to say that I'm addicted. Of course, my initial craving was immediately met in the character creation screen. There are so many options to choose from, and not just in hair style and chin size. A complete color palette is provided for your clothing, with the ability to choose two different shades for each item you wear. Including your hat. Should you choose to wear one, of course. There are different styles of footwear, leggings, tops, and coats... and headwear. Mix, match, and coordinate until your heart's content. No matter which way you look at it, PotBS has one of the most involved character creation screens I've ever had the pleasure to play with. For hours. And if I suddenly don't like my look one day? No problem! A quick trip to the tailor and I can get me some fancy new clothes! For free! Yes... one of the greatest aspects of this game is that once you choose a set of clothing you're not stuck with it forever. And you don't have to be rich to change. Thank you, devs!

Of course I had to eventually find my way into the world created by Flying Lab Software, and I was immediately stunned by the vivid appearance of the surrounding areas. Once you finally make your way to the docks, you are given over to the sound of the water hitting the shore, seagulls crying from overhead, and the bustle of people in a hurry to load their ships and head back out to sea. There are not only pirates all around, but merchants, townsfolk, mercenaries, and naturally the peace keepers. Just by walking the streets you can see how vast the towns are, and you've not yet entered a single building. There are people everywhere... and one woman has just been thrown over a local man's shoulder and carried off! Scoundrels, to be sure, but other players abound everywhere you look. While there is much to see around the city, it's inside the buildings where the real action is happening. At this point, I feel it only fair to point out that there is a lot of instancing in Pirates of the Burning Seas. Each of the building zones are an individual instance, as are each of your quest zones. For some, such as myself, this won't pose any problems. For others, however, I believe this may be an issue. However, there are "community" areas in the game... the cities and the open seas. So if you're more interested in the ship-to-ship PvP battles, the instancing won't affect you as much. However, us questing junkies will have to learn to deal with it. Personally I don't find it that difficult to manage. At least while I'm zoning I have a brief moment to take another sip of my coffee, right?

When you purchase a ship, you use it to travel the seas in between ports, and hope that if you are beset upon by enemies you can either outrun them or successfully fight them off. If you outrun them, then there's no problem. However, if you do become engaged in battle, someone has to win. And someone has to lose. In some cases, losing means your ship sinks. In others... your ship is commandeered by the attacking captain. If you lose your ship, you lose all of your cargo. So if you've just been to a distant isle harvesting rare salts for the tangy foods people love in your home port, with the hope of selling the salts for a premium price considering the distance and dangers traveled to obtain them, and you are plundered by a band of crazed pirates, you can count yourself lucky if you escape with your life. Just don't expect to save your ship.

So what do you do in order to ensure your efforts do not go to waste and you're left with nothing but a soggy captain's hat? Well, you can secure warehousing on the isle where you've harvested your precious salts. Of course, you'll also have to pay taxes on your exports (and possibly your imports once you reach home, too!), and maybe mercenaries to help protect you during the trip home. The gold coins are piling up in the "pay to" column, aren't they? But, that's the price of doing business... and that is also the unique economy created within PotBS. Players can be paid as your mercenaries, and thus also making you unattackable by them during the course of your agreement (to avoid players taking advantage and engaging in PvP combat against their employer). You can also purchase bigger and better ships which may win your battles in the end. Regardless of which direction you choose to go, it will have an impact on this unique system.

Of course, sailing the open seas is why we all want to be pirates, right? So I wouldn't do the game justice if I didn't at least mention the ship-to-ship battle. As of yet, I've not engaged in any PvP combat - I'm still learning how to be a good captain, and I've not yet upgraded my rather valiant but woefully inadequate ship to compete with the big guns. But in PvE combat... it's a little slow. You can purchase a faster ship for combat and travel, or a heavier one with bigger cannons and able to withstand more blows, but for those players who want to get in and start fighting, this could be a frustrating factor. With that said, I've always believed that anything worth doing is worth doing well. So you might as well hunker down and do all of the quests you can for the cash to pay for that upgrade. While you're at it, make sure and gain your captain skills, which will help you in your combat.

That does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that the combat is a mess.  It's not... you need to become skilled in the art, and you will improve.  So will the experience of the open sea battles.  When you're able to move faster and win more, you become far happier with the results. Of course, other skills do exist, such as swashbuckling, that will help you in your fight to survive on the high seas. And plenty to choose from, as well. So when you first begin your quest for experience, be sure to plan out your skills beforehand. If you're not careful, you may end up with some that are essentially worthless to you depending on your gear, goals, and playing styles. For instance, don't equip a gun if you have no shooting skills. Pay attention to your points so you don't end up with some wasted unnecessarily in the process. There is lots of space to explore in Pirates of the Burning Seas, and many things to keep one occupied. Even for those people that enjoy soloing and questing. I've enjoyed my time doing just that, and have yet to get bored. When I need a break, I find a town to just wander around in and listen to the people talk or watch the critters run around. You never know what you might catch in those little forays into the NPC world... and a suprise may just be waiting for you somewhere. The developers on this title have a definite sense of humor, and it's evident in some areas of the game. I find that refreshing, though... it's nice to see some personality come through to touch us during our play times.