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Round One
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4th December 2006
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Well... round one of the testing was started on the weekend and we've had some good feedback so far. All feedback is good, especially
any bug reports, frame rate issues, suggestions for gameplay improvement, etc. And we have had plenty of all so far. :-) Once we can
catalogue the issues as well as the system specs that people are encountering these problems on, then we are well on our way to fixing
them. We've set up a Testing specific forum (called Keel Hauling) for everything test related and all posts should be made there for now so
we can see them all in one place. Thanks again to everyone who has downloaded the test version so far - we will be uploading a newer version
shortly that will address many of the issues raised so far. When this is done we will post a proclamation on the Forums rather than blanket
mailing everyone on our mailing list. :-)
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Test Date Set
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16th November 2006
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OK, (finally) we have some news concerning some testing! It's mixed news,
but it's not all bad. ;-) Firstly the date WILL be December 1st. It simply
isn't in a fit state to roll out this weekend, although we have tried our best
to get it there. Secondly, our "Beta" build will not have all the game elements
in - a more accurate description of the testing we want to conduct would be...
preliminary, closed-session pre-beta, multiplayer testing, or some such.
While we could do this solely "in-house" using friends, we thought it would be
nice to invite players from outside who have been tracking the game's progress,
giving an opportunity to help mould the final stages of development. We are
very eager to get opinions BEFORE the game is finished and who better to ask
than those who have already shown an interest.
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Final Multiplayer Fixes
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3rd November 2006
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The final additions to the multiplayer game have now gone in and will be tested
over the next few days to ensure that they are all working properly. When this is
done we shall be posting a definite Beta Test Demo Day! We are aiming to have this
fall on Saturday the 18th of this month, but will confirm this when we know that
absolutely everything is working as it should. We hope to see a lot of you there! :-)
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Internet Multiplaying
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26th October 2006
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OK... a few updates today.
Firstly we're delighted to announce that we've had the Buccaneer multiplayer game working
across the internet for the first time this week. This is massive news for us as it means
we are almost ready to commence some serious testing and yes... we're going to be mailing
everyone who has put their name forward for Beta testing to help us out. The exact format will be
detailed in the next week or so, but will probably take the form of several closed sessions on a
single map with a limited selection of ship classes. More details to follow.
We have also removed our web counter from the site. We're not sure what the web
counter has been counting, but it sure wasn't hits to the site or even hits to the page that it was on.
Our web hosts have been able to provide exact figures of hits to the site and they make for much better reading.
In October alone, for example, we have had 6,000 unique hits to the site and over 1,000 downloads of our
trailer, while the web counter has only shown 700 hits. If there is anyone that can enlighten us as to why or know
where we might get one that actually works... then we would love to hear from you. :-)
Finally we thought we would detail the last ship class we have added to the game - The Raven Class. This
ship is a bonus vessel that is unlocked when you... well, that would be telling. Suffice it to say that this
ship is a prize worth having - fast, tough and with plenty of firepower. This jet black ship will strike fear
into the hearts of opposing players.
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Game Trailer updated
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16th October 2006
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Being the perfectionists that we are... we've made some amendments to the game trailer and uploaded it again.
It's a slightly bigger file size (12.5mb), but the in-game clips just flow a little better now.
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GAME TRAILER!!!
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13th October
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Friday the 13th is often viewed as a day when only bad things can happen. Not so. It is also the day
that the Buccaneer Game Trailer is released! The trailer
shows off elements of Buccaneer gameplay as well as giving you a first listen to the
totally awesome theme music, penned by Joel Steudler
(www.zebox.com/steudler/).
We hope you enjoy it. :-)
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NEW Buccaneer Movies!!!
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12th October 2006
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Well... it's been a long time in coming, but at last we have the multiplayer game up and running! It certainly isn't
complete or bug free, but it's working and more importantly... it's fun! We'll soon be rolling it out to everyone
that has put their name forward for testing - just a couple more bits to implement. We thank everyone for their patience
and in the meantime... enjoy the movies on the Screenshots page. We've put together some movies
displaying various aspects of gameplay to give you a sneak peek of what the final game will look like. All these movies
are actual in-game graphics, although the finished game will look even sweeter! :-)
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Expanding the Fleet
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25th September 2006
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In an effort to add greater variety and flexibility to the multiplayer game, we have added another
2 ship classes - the Auxilliary (Monk Class) and the Sloop (Chimera Class).
The Monk Class Auxilliary vessel is a lightly armed merchant vessel designed to offer support to other
ships in the fleet. It's primary function is to "harvest" health kits from shipwrecks and to
transport them to remote areas of the map where other players can use them to repair their damaged ships.
Ordinarily players can only pick up a single health kit at a time, which can be used to repair a small
amount of damage. Health kits take the form of raw materials that can be found floating near
shipwrecks that are dotted throughout the various levels. Once picked up, health kits will eventually respawn as
fresh supplies float out from the shattered hulls of wrecked ships. The Monk Class vessel is capable of
picking up 10 health kits and transporting them in its hold. These can then be dropped into the sea for
other ships to collect and use.
The other unique function of the Monk Class vessel is its ability to gather treasure hordes. Too large and
awkward for fighting ships to take on board, treasure hordes can add large amounts of Infamy points
to the faction that secures them and these can only be picked up by fleet Auxilliary ships.
The Chimera Class Sloop differs from all the other ship classes in the game in that it has no side mounted
armament. With only a single cannon mounted on the bow of the ship, the Chimera Class is very lightly armed.
The reduced firepower is offset by the fact that the gun is firing directly forward and is thus easier to aim.
The boat is also very lightweight and extremely fast - ideal for hit-and-run tactics and reconnaissance. But
the Chimera's most dangerous weapon is set at the stern of the boat, where a number of crew members are ready
to roll barrels of gunpowder into the water in the ship's wake to thwart pursuit by enemy shipping. With dodgy
fuses set by even dodgier fingers, Chimera Barrel Bombs are guaranteed to cause a navigational nightmare for
both sides.
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Stirring Sounds
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25th September 2006
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We also have some great news on the sound front. The Buccaneer theme tune and in-game music has
been written by Joel Steudler
(www.zebox.com/steudler/)
and is quite simply... awesome! The music is all tied into the front end and selection screens and we can't
fire the game up without nodding our heads and grinning whenever we hear it. Joel's music is of the absolute
highest quality and in our opinion... he should be writing musical scores for Hollywood.
As well as wonderful music, we also have a host of piratical phrases guaranteed to amuse and delight and add
an extra dimension to multiplayer gameplay, as each faction has their own unique voices with which to taunt
their opponents.
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Wedded Shipmate!
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25th September 2006
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Aye, that's right! Captain Harvey "The Rat" Greensall has just returned from 2 weeks in
Cyprus where he made an honest woman out of "Mrs G". Rumours abound that Mrs G made her
vows at the point of a cutlass, but whatever the truth... the reception was held onboard
ship in the finest tradition of any pirate captain. I'm sure that many of you will want
to raise a glass, shout "Ah Harrr!!!" and offer hearty congratulations to the happy couple.
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