Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales Preview

Swashbuckling mister, who be goin’ there? I just put on me wooden leg and I don’t care for talkin’ too much.

Wait!  What’s this I see over in Akella’s booth with me one good eye? (I lost the other in a hook fight. It’s somewhat blindin’ but at least now I can where a patch!)

What I be seein’ is Age of Pirates! An RPG/pirate simulator where we can sail the high seas. And I don’t have to walk on me gimpy wooden leg to do it.

[Rips off pirate mask, Mission: Impossible-style]

Age of Pirates is going to be a massive, time-consuming game. The first thing you’ll notice is purely graphical: the ships, the water, the buildings and backgrounds. Characters move fluidly but still have some work to go before they’re complete. The water sparkles beautifully in the changing light sources, rippling well, but not quite perfectly.

Combat wasn’t shown to me during the demonstration, but I’m told that it’ll involve the same good stuff you see in pirate flicks. New screens reveal accurate stances, which means that they should be going in the right direction. The stance of each character, believe it or not, has a big effect on how real humans fight. Wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) the same be true for video games?

The endlessness of the ocean is what makes the game seem so massive. But it doesn’t just seem that way. Explore individual towns and you’ll find that, contrary to assumptions, they’re massive, too. Lots of people to talk to and gain information from.

Quests can be generated randomly (more or less). Great concept – but will it work? Only the developers know how things are going, and thus far they say that it’s going great. I’m keeping my fingers crossed because, if done on a deeper level, this randomly generated technique could be a great way for developers to give us more for our money, and more reasons to invest in their games in the first place.

Four multiplayer modes are being planned – Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Defend the Convoy and Capture the Fort.

Age of Pirates is nearing completion and should be out before the end of summer.

For All E3 2005 Previews