Pirates of the Caribbean Interview

Fans of the naval adventure Sea Dogs will no doubt be intrigued by this upcoming title. Not very long ago, Akella and Bethesda Softworks have announced that the sequel to Sea Dogs was put on hold and that a completely new multiplatform game, Pirates of the Caribbean, had begun to unfold. In spite of their busy schedule and preparations for this year's E3, the crew at Akella has treated us to a quick peek at their RPG at sea. We learn more about the characteristics of in-game ship-models, trading, some of the many RPG aspects of gameplay, the visuals, and so on.

I had pack of jimmies in here somewhere...

Their sales are a goner capn’!

Action Trip: So, how are you guys doin'?

Akella: Doin' just fine, thanks.

AT: First off, will we ever see Sea Dogs 2?

A: It's not currently in development, so there isn't much point in talking about it. The game we're making is Pirates of the Caribbean. A lot of work from the last couple years has gone into Pirates, and so anyone who was looking forward to playing Sea Dogs 2 will find that Pirates of the Caribbean offers exactly the kind of game they wanted.

AT: Currently, how far along is the development process of Pirates of the Caribbean?

A: We're in the testing stages now, so all of our effort is in fixing bugs, balancing gameplay, etc. In short, applying all the spit and polish you need to make any game really good and fun.

AT: Could you reveal more details about the game's storyline? Is the plot closely tied to the upcoming movie?

A: The storyline of the game takes place in the same place, and around the same time, as the movie. It is NOT based on the movie's plot at all. Certainly there will be things from the movie that you'll see in the game, but we aren't trying to exactly replicate the story of the movie. We're making a good RPG where you get to be a captain during this age and play a good guy or bad guy as you see fit. The main story involves a quest to find a mythical artifact said to possess great power...

AT: Tell us about trading and diplomacy. Is it similar to what we've seen in Sea Dogs?

A: It's very similar to the system in Sea Dogs, only more robust. For example, we've added a Trade Book menu that allows you to see what items any given island is importing or exporting, and what is considered contraband. You can also buy new personal items for yourself, like new swords and pistols.

AT: Can you reveal some of the ship-models we'll be able to use (describe some of their main characteristics)?

A: Ships come in seven different classes, with seven being the smallest ships and one being the big boys. Obviously each ship has different attributes with regard to its top speed, number of guns, turn rate, cargo capacity, crew requirements, and so forth. Not only do all the ships look different, but the scale is very well done. If you're in a huge battleship with guns on three decks and you pull up next to a class five ship, you can look down at them from the deck of your ship and get a real sense of, "oh yeah, I'm definitely gonna blow that thing to bits." And standing on a small ship looking up at all those guns...well, let's just say that's not anywhere you ever want to be. On the bright side, death will come pretty quickly so you won't suffer long.

Ah, makes you wanna hum a romantic tune to your sweet lass doesn’t it?

Full speed ahead!

And, when you board a big ship, like a Battleship, you actually have to fight your way through several levels of the ship. So, you and your crew will start on the deck of the two ships and have to win that battle. Then you'll take whatever crew is still alive and go to the next deck for another duel. You may have to do this three or four times for the largest ships, so it really gives you a sense that you're attacking something very, very big.

AT: What about the characters? In what way will the players be able to advance their experience?

A: You gain experience in a number of ways. Defeating foes in combat on land (in a duel) or at sea by sinking their ship, or capturing it through boarding. Experience is a relative, so you get more experience for sinking a larger ship with a smaller ship then you would if you had a big Battleship. So, in some cases you'll find that you want to stick with a smaller ship because you're good at sailing it, you don't have to pay a large crew in order to sail it properly, and you're getting more experience for sinking the enemy then you would if you upgraded to a larger ship. You'll also get experience for completing different quests in the game.

AT: What can you uncover a few details about the visuals? We sure like those snazzy water surfaces and cool-looking weather effects... The game apparently uses the same engine as Sea Dogs 2, correct?

A: Pirates of the Caribbean uses Akella's Storm 2 engine, which is the next generation of the engine used in Sea Dogs. The water effects really are amazing, as are the different lighting and weather effects seen throughout the game. As you walk through the grass in towns and jungles, you'll see it animate in the wind and move as you walk through it. Just from an artistic standpoint, Pirates of the Caribbean is a stunning accomplishment and it's even more impressive when you see it being played and not just in screenshots.

AT: Are you planning to include a multiplayer mode in Pirates of the Caribbean?

A: No, multiplayer will not be included in Pirates. Much like with Morrowind, we chose to focus on single-player and making that experience the best it could possibly be, rather than splitting our focus between two different kinds of game.

AT: Which versions can we expect - PC, PS2, or Xbox?

A: The Xbox and PC versions will be out in June. We aren't talking about any PS2 version at this time.