Puzzle pirates

Puzzle Pirates is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) in which hundreds of players play together simultaneously in a virtual pirate world.

Puzzle Piraten has been developed by Three Rings, a US game developer, since July 2001. The first alpha test was started in October 2002, the advanced beta version started in July 2003. On December 8th of the same year the MMORPG was finally released for the masses in the USA .

Between 2004 and 2006 there was an independent German version. The publisher was Gamigo .

Since December 8, 2006, the manufacturer Three Rings itself has offered a German server. A Spanish version followed in June 2009.

Puzzle Piraten is officially supported from Java version 1.4 on Windows (Vista, XP, 2000, ME, 98), Linux, Unix and Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther).

You also need at least a 500 MHz Pentium II with 256 MB RAM and 100 MB hard disk space. It is also possible to play the game on slower computers, but this can lead to delays and dropouts, especially in heavily populated areas. A particularly powerful graphics card is not required.

The game won both the Technical Perfection Award and the Audience Award at the Independent Games Festival in 2004 .

About the game

Puzzle Pirates shares many of the possibilities of text and graphics based games like Ultima Online or Everquest . There are thousands of other players there, and you can develop your character, team up with others and change the world around you.

The difference with Puzzle Pirates is that the entire game is solved using puzzle games - as an example: The winner of a sword fight is determined by the performance in the respective puzzle, not by a statistic or a certain level.

A special feature of the game design is that there is no blood and no violence, as one would expect from a "pirate game", since even the "necessary" brutality is handled like a sword fight over puzzles. The game is therefore suitable for all age groups - although it is only recommended for ages 13 and over due to the skill of combining.

It's easy to bond and communicate with others. If you play the game more intensely, it goes much deeper, so that you can also discover and achieve several things. For example, you can participate in the political decision of a flag - an association of individual crews - or contribute to the development of a trading empire.

You can also have a lot of fun and success in Puzzle Pirates if you only log in for a short time. Even a playing time of only half an hour can get you moving.

When you play Puzzle Pirates, your pirate's reputation and experience increases with your own ability to master the puzzles. You can get titles in your own team or flag, and if the trips are successful, great fame and fortune too.

Politics and commerce are a big part of the advanced game. Players have the opportunity to pursue a career as a pirate king or trader, both at the same time. Pirates can own and build businesses and houses. The flags can search, develop and rule entire islands. There are also a couple of shops e.g. B. a pub, bank, pharmacy and much more.

There are currently 5 different game servers, also called oceans, which are divided as follows:

Subscription Oceans: Anyone can play here, but restrictions apply to non-subscribers: For example, you can only be promoted to a certain rank in a team, and can only wear certain items of clothing and weapons.
Doubloons: Here you play absolutely free of charge, but you need so-called "doubloons" for certain weapons, ranks, items of clothing and much more. You can buy them for real money, but you can also exchange them with other players in the game for pieces of eight worked out there, the currency of puzzle pirates. It is therefore possible to play for free without any restrictions on doubloon oceans.

The current subscription ocean is "Cerulean", the doubloon oceans are "Meridian", "Emerald", "Opal" and "Jade". "Opal" is the German ocean and "Jade" is the Spanish ocean.

The player in the game

The player can create up to three pirates on each ocean / server and customize them with different attributes such as hair type and color, beard type, skin color and gender as well as the name. You can equip this pirate in the game with various items of clothing, weapons and other objects that are important for a pirate. With this character you can move across islands and ships, interact with other players or just watch the goings-on.

Crews

One of the most important interactions is the union of several pirates in a crew. In such a crew there are seven different ranks that can be assigned to a pirate, from “jobber” to “captain”. Each rank brings its rights and duties in the community, so each player can individually control how intensively he or she wants to play Puzzle Pirates.

It is also easier to set sail with your own crew or to communicate using your own chat system.

Flags

A single crew seldom has enough influence in the game to make a political statement. In the game, the crews can therefore band together to form flags and fight together for their goals.

Flags can also form alliances with other flags, go to war, or block an island in order to take it over. This creates a complex system of relationships between the individual players, which makes up a large part of the advanced game fun.

As in crews, there are also ranks in flags that can be occupied by pirates of the member crews, from simple "member" to "monarch".

Puzzle descriptions

Multiplayer puzzle

These puzzles are played by two or more players at the same time. You can also fight for a mission. The sword fight is also used at sea. In drinking , sword fighting , scuffling and toss tournaments can be aligned.

When drinking , 2 to 6 players play against each other. You try to earn most of the points before the set goal is reached. Drinks are available in 4 to 6 different colors and containers. In order to be able to place a drink on the gaming table, it must be placed next to (horizontally or vertically, not diagonally) an already placed drink. The color or shape must match. If several drinks are touched, the drink to be placed must match all drinks. In addition to the standard drinks, there are also special parts : The fries can be placed anywhere, the hook removes a drink that has already been placed and the keg only takes on a color after it has been placed. By placing it, the corresponding playing field is colored in the color of the player and the player receives points. As soon as a row (horizontal or vertical) is completely filled with drinks, these are removed from the table and the player who placed the most drinks there receives bonus points.

Possible game goals are:

Play up to a certain number of points
Play until the table is completely colored.

In a sword fight , pieces fall into the playing field in pairs from above. These parts come in four different colors and two types: solid or so-called breakers . Solid pieces of the same color will merge into larger blocks when properly arranged. Breakers destroy all connected blocks of the same color. If blocks are destroyed, then they send swords into the opponent's playing field, which first slowly disintegrate into normal solid blocks and can then be removed. The choice of sword to buy from a blacksmith affects the pattern into which swords sent will disintegrate. If the playing field is completely filled, you are eliminated from the fight. The sword fight is won by the player (or his team) who is last in the game.

Sword combat can be played as a duel against a single player, as a wrestling with two teams, or as a sea battle while boarding a ship (like wrestling).

When scuffling , the player shoots individual balls of different colors into the playing field from below, which he can choose from two hands each time. If the balls touch the ceiling or other balls, they get caught there. If the player shoots a ball at at least 2 others of the same color, they dissolve. If other balls lose their connection to the ceiling and / or the other balls, they will fall down and disappear.

Balls that have been dissolved and dropped are scattered from below into the field of the opponent in order to hinder him and fill his playing field. As soon as a ball touches the lower edge of the field of play, he is eliminated from the fight.

The choice of weapon that can be bought in the shipyard affects the colors of the balls that are sent to the enemy as attacks.

Wrestling can be played as a duel against a single player, as a wrestling with two teams, or as a sea fight while boarding a ship (like wrestling).

The coin toss is somewhat reminiscent of Parker's Avalanche game from 1966. It is only played with two players at the same time. The players take turns tossing a coin into the top of the board. On its way down, the coin has to pass levers. Depending on their position, the coin flips them over or they stop them. So it is possible for one coin to trigger an avalanche of other coins. At the bottom of the game board, the coin falls into one of several shafts that bring different points to the player's account. The game goes over four rounds. In each round a certain number of points must be achieved before the next round starts. In each round, the shafts at the lower end are also given new point values. The game is won by the player who has the highest total number of points in all 4 rounds.

Hearts is played according to the rules of the original card game, which is particularly popular in the USA. Here it became known through the Windows operating system, where it is supplied as a game. 4 players are always required to play alone.

Spades is played according to the rules of the original card game, which is particularly common in the USA. You always need 4 players who play in two teams.

Poker is played in Puzzle Pirates in the Texas Hold'em version, at tables with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 10 players. The creator of the table can choose between the bidding options "Fixed Limit", "Pot Limit" and "Without Limit" in different amounts of blind stakes as well as shopping and re-buying.

Work puzzle

The production of goods is simulated by working puzzles. Shopkeepers and employed pirates play these puzzles to work on ordered goods in the corresponding shops. In contrast to many other MMORPGs, the owners and managers of shops determine which product is manufactured at what price, the employees work on the goods ordered and are paid for it. In other games, the player collects the raw materials and produces the goods himself without using a shop. At Puzzle Piraten he can order the goods he wants in the store.

When distilling , good rum, grog or liquor must be distilled . The cauldron is the playing field that is filled with different balls that represent rum of different quality. Light balls are lighter, good rum, dark balls are heavy, bad rum and brown balls are neutral, mediocre rum. There are also balls that add flavor to the rum. The position of two balls in relation to one another and their properties determine whether they can swap places. Spice cannot be moved. At regular intervals the rightmost column of balls is burned and evaluated. The ratio of the balls is crucial. If the column consists predominantly of light balls, it rises into the distillate tank, if it is predominantly heavy balls, the column is burned. If good rum burns, these balls are brought back into the field on the left as burned rum. They can be moved like good rum, but are rated like bad rum. After 12 successfully distilled columns, the puzzle is over.

The following goods are produced in distilleries:

Rum / grog / drink keeps the pirates happy, i. H. if none of this is left on the ship, the pirates' performance on board decreases regardless of how well they master a ship puzzle.
Hemp oil for pharmacies
Jugs that can be used while drinking .

In alchemy , potions must be mixed. For this purpose, the alchemist has tanks in the three primary colors red, yellow and blue. The playing field consists of a tubular frame and separates the tanks from bottles that have to be filled with one or more specific colors one after the other. These can be the primary colors or secondary colors that must first be mixed by connecting two tanks. The alchemist must now turn the pipes so that a bottle is connected to the tanks. Pipes are straight or bent or branched at 60 ° angles.

The following goods are produced in pharmacies:

Dyes for dyeing fabrics
Paints for painting ships and apartments
Paints for furniture
Enamels for weapons, jugs and furniture
Travel drinks for pirates
Medicines to change the appearance of a pirate.

In shipbuilding , parts are made for ships. On the 5x5 field of play there are various elements that can be moved depending on the type. Wood can be moved vertically, iron horizontally, rope diagonally. Canvas can only be moved passively by swapping places with another element. Gold cannot be moved at all, but can replace any other basic element in a component. Under the playing field there are six components of the ship, which are also made up of combinations of the four basic elements wood, iron, canvas and rope. By moving the elements in the playing field, at least one of the components must be reproduced. The component is manufactured when it is dragged to the appropriate place on the playing field. The elements used disappear and are replaced by new elements. There is a time limit for moving the elements, because the tide approaches the components and pulls them with it if you do not manufacture a component. The puzzle is over after 20 components have been produced.

Be in shipyards

Ships of various sizes for attack and trade as well
Guns built for fighting.

There are still no puzzles for some works. The work in these shops is simulated. These works are:

Tailor

Clothing for pirates is made at the tailor

Forge

The following goods are manufactured by iron dealers:

Swords that affect sword fighting
Cannon balls for ships

Weave

The following goods are produced in weaving mills:

colored cloth for clothes, shoes and furniture
colored good cloth for clothes, shoes and furniture
Canvas for ships

Outfitter (furniture)

Furnishings for apartments, shops and ships are manufactured by the outfitter

Ship puzzle

These puzzles can only be played on a ship. They help to maintain the ship and move it.

Sailing uses the same game mechanics as Dr. Mario for the Game Boy . Marbles fall into the playing field in pairs. Marbles come in three colors that represent different elements of sailing. White = wind, yellow = rigging, blue = waves. Four or more marbles of the same color horizontally or vertically are destroyed. Already placed blocks in the three colors can also be used for grouping. In addition, there are targets that are destroyed when the target points are filled with the corresponding color. Destroying the targets is the main task in the puzzle.

A good performance in sailing increases the speed of the ship.

Zimmer used the idea of pentamino puzzles . The playing field shows four holes in the hull of the ship, which have to be repaired with different boards with as little loss as possible (i.e. with as few overlaps as possible). The boards are available in twelve pentamino shapes , and there is also a bucket with putty that fills any gap up to the size of five units (= one board). At any time, the carpenter has three random boards or the bucket at his disposal. Once two adjacent leaks are patched, they are replaced with new leaks. The quick and loss-free mending of the leaks determines the performance in the puzzle.

The room is used to repair damage to the ship caused by hits or bumps during a sea battle. Even during normal voyages at sea, the ship suffers some damage that should be repaired continuously.

When pumping , the playing field is the ship's bilge . It is filled with different blocks in five to seven colors, shapes and patterns. Two horizontally adjacent blocks can be swapped. Three or more identical blocks, arranged horizontally or vertically, are destroyed and replaced by the following blocks. In addition to the blocks, there are crabs that cannot be actively moved, puffer fish that destroy the 8 surrounding blocks and jellyfish that destroy all blocks of one color. In addition, the current water level in the bilge is displayed on the playing field. Blocks below the waterline move more slowly. The top three rows always stay above the waterline, the bottom three rows always below.

Pumping removes bilge water from the ship that leaks into the boat. A full bilge has a negative impact on the sailors' effective performance.

When loading cannons, the playing field is the deck with four cannons. In the middle there is a barrel that dispenses the required materials (powder sacks, cotton wool, cannon balls and water buckets) for loading cannons. In addition, the playing field is randomly populated with obstacles. The elements are always in motion. If you hit an obstacle, change the direction of movement by 90 degrees to the right until the path is clear. The movement can also be influenced with arrows. A maximum of 3 arrows can be on the field at the same time. The gunner has to equip the four guns in the correct order: first the gunpowder, then the cotton wool and then the bullet. Once the cannon is loaded, the navigator can fire it in sea combat. The water bucket is used to clean incorrectly loaded or fired cannons before they can be reloaded.

Regardless of the number of cannons on a ship, only four cannons can be loaded at a time. Then you have to leave the puzzle to load the other cannons. If curves are driven during the naval battle, the supply barrel can roll around.

When navigating , the navigator must correctly control star constellations. The playing field is a compass with three concentric rings. Each ring has eight positions in the major and minor directions . A constellation of at least one star is shown on the playing field. There are five different stars that differ in shape and color. While navigating, a star appears in one of the cardinal directions on the outer edge of the compass and slowly falls towards the center. The navigator can turn the individual rings and thus change the position of the stars that have already fallen. If three or more of the same stars lie next to each other on a ring or in one direction, then they disappear. The aim is to equip the rings of the compass with stars and to position them so that the specified constellation is fulfilled. Even then, the stars of the constellation dissolve and a new constellation is displayed.

Good navigation enhances the sailor's performance. If the navigation is screwed up, it means a loss of speed and a change of course.

The sea battle follows, after a vessel has been successfully intercepted and divided into two phases:

The combat navigation takes place on an enlarged sea map and is reminiscent of the game mechanics of the Robo Rally game . The two opponents and various obstacles such as reefs, currents and whirlpools are placed on the playing field. The game is played in several rounds until a ship is boarded or one of the two ships withdraws. A lap consists of four moves that have to be preset by the navigators of both ships between the laps and then processed at the same time. In each turn, a movement (straight ahead or a turn) and an action (fire cannons or throw grappling hooks) can be carried out. The movement markers are generated by the sailors through their performance.
The scuffle breaks out after a ship is boarded. It's like wrestling with one team on each side.

The team that wins the scuffle partially loots the loser's ship and brings money, raw materials and goods into the ship's loot. Only in a port can the booty be divided up by an officer (or higher) of the crew. The money is distributed among the pirates depending on the participation in the sea battles, goods and raw materials are transferred to the hold of the ship.

Fame and honor

Unlike in a conventional MMORPG, there are no levels in PuzzlePiraten that give you any advantage over other players. The quality of a player in a puzzle is determined by two characteristics: experience and reputation.

The distinguishing feature of the experience is that it increases every time you play one of the many puzzles. There are eleven levels of experience in the game itself. It takes a very long time to reach the highest level.

In contrast to experience, the reputation of a player shows his ability in the respective puzzle. It is increased by winning in PvP games (player against player) or doing particularly good work in ship and work puzzles. You can fall in reputation again if you lose several times or work poorly. Only a few pirates achieve the highest rank in reputation. The game has a top 10 reputation list for each puzzle.

Web links

Official homepage ( Memento from June 6, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (German)
Puzzle Pirates at MobyGames (English)

Individual evidence

↑ igf.com, 2004 Finalists & Winners

[1] .com, 2004 Finalists & Winners