User:Skatc

=Puzzle Pirates Press and Awards!=

Arrgh! It is not often said that Pirates have much time for writing and book-learning, their interests being mostly booty and harsh liquors. Fortunately a few erudite men and women of letters have taken a fancy to a Pirate's life, and we recount some snippets of their tales here, with thanks.

Reviews

 * 1up reviewed PP and, with a 'Dynamite' score of 8.0 said:
 * "A massively multiplayer anything-that-isn't-an-RPG is such a simple, perfect idea. In retrospect it's shocking how long it went without being realized. One would think that with the absolute glut of high profile MMOPRG's out there right now that more would have broken from the formula of killing things to make numbers get bigger laid down by World of Warcraft, EverQuest, and ultimately, the text based MUDs of the ancient world. As usual, it took a small developer to take the risk of doing something different. The result is a game that stands out in a sea of competitors not because of an enormous budget, years of hype or an expensive movie license, but because it's simply unique and fun."
 * Gamespot gave us an 8.1 "Great!" review:
 * "Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates, one of the weirdest and most original puzzle games we've come across in quite a while... No online game can survive without a solid and enthusiastic community. In the case of Puzzle Pirates, enthusiasm is one thing this community has no shortage of. After spending quite a bit of time playing, we've come to the conclusion that everyone playing Puzzle Pirates is completely insane, but in a totally endearing way. Essentially, people really seem to get into the whole pirate mentality here... As puzzle games go, Puzzle Pirates is a winner, and it's not just because of how good its puzzles are by themselves, but also because of how it ties all of its puzzles into the larger gameworld, creating a completely self-perpetuating economy and community purely out of puzzling. It's a bizarre concept that's done very well."
 * Killer Betties, an entertainment magazine for women, reviewed Puzzle Pirates;
 * "Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates is every casual players dream online game... While lacking any sort of violence and mundane tasks pretty much don't exist, Puzzle Pirates is still an MMORPG. It's a very social game, although people often are so busy playing the puzzles, they can't talk that much. The general environment is very friendly and the games are a lot of fun. It's one of those game gems that there's almost nothing wrong with. It would be nice if there were more tradeskill puzzles, but they will come in time. Beyond that, it's a game that will keep even the most critical of gamers happy for a while. It's a great game whether you have 10 minutes or 10 hours to play."
 * Fourhman reviewed PP:
 * "Puzzle games, like Tetris, are addictive right up until the point where it dawns on you that there's no point to getting any better. Once you've satisfied the learning curve, without any reason to keep pushing that boulder uphill, the desire to do it fades. Puzzle Pirates attempts to put several reasons why you should continue -- fame, fortunate, and the excuse to say 'Arrr, me buckos!' when swordfighting against other players."
 * Virtual Worlds Review had this to say:
 * "... this world should appeal to a variety of ages and is one of those rare worlds that is amenable to both short-term casual play and long-term marathon sessions. For those willing to give themselves over to the way of the pirate, Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates offers an upbeat, creative, and fun virtual world experience."
 * Bilgemunky had a most Piratey opinion:
 * "There are many fantastic points to this game - it's fun, it's clean (arguably g-rated). But I think its greatest feature is that the pirate crews have to work (get this) AS A CREW. Some folks work sails as others pump the bilge or navigate. Somebody's got to load the cannons while the captain barks his orders so you can all collect some booty. And isn't that what its all about - cooperation and booty? I'd review the game in more detail, but I'm not sure I can. Puzzle Pirates is an entire world of piratey goodness, and your options are endless. I could tell you about my experiences in the game, but they won't be your experiences. All you can do is take my word that this is a fantastic game and go learn about it for yourself. It's like a game of Monkey Island that never ends - and I can think of no higher praise. Go there, subscribe - I promise your real life will crumble from neglect."
 * Planet Geek was pleased with our Linux support:
 * "As someone who has never played MMORPGs before, studiously avoiding what I see as the truly life-sucking nature of them, this was a new experience in meshing gameplaying with socializing and true multi-player over-the-net interaction (not just blasting away at a random Quake character). I was pleased I didn't have to compromise on anything because I was running under Linux. The system just plain worked, and worked well."
 * Game Zone gave us an 8.6 rating:
 * "Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates is a collection of addicting and fun puzzles within a living world. It can be played solo, but the true experience lies online where you and many other pirates meet and explore the sea as well as the many islands that inhabit it. So grab your sword and bandana and get ready to drink and pillage in puzzle form!"
 * Thumb Bandits's reviewer GirlyGamer said this:
 * "The end conclusion is final: if you love to play puzzle games, you really need to check out Puzzle Pirates. Choose the trial version or the totally free version with some restrictions. Don't expect top graphics, it' s more cartoon-like. The characters look like playmobil dolls which makes the game cute. So guess, what I'm doing in about five minutes, after publishing this review? Exactly, playing Puzzle Pirates to get another 1000 "pieces of Eight" to buy that lovely red dress."
 * Van Hemlock wrote a little review:
 * "To be honest, this all started as a bit of a joke review really, but soon suprised me by being a well-rounded, complete and functioning MMO, albeit a simple one. The basic preimise is that you are a pirate, and to get on in the world, you take on various jobs, all of which are presented in the form of small, throwaway Tetris-like puzzles. The game has an economy, trade skills, exploration, a significant social aspect, and even PvP of a fashion - everything you'd expect from a more 'serious' contender like WoW or EQ2."
 * onRPG.com wrote a review:
 * "In many ways, Puzzle Pirates puts the oooh's and ahhh's back into MMOs... The major points in Puzzle Pirates far outweigh the trivial downsides, and in my personal opinion, Puzzle Pirates is an example of innovation working at it's finest."
 * WarCry reviewed Puzzle Pirates and gave us a good old score of 8.5!
 * "In this industry, it seems you have to have a small team of start-up developers to shake things up and deliver something completely different. Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates, the debut MMO title from Three-Rings, is exactly that."
 * Apple penned this super piratey review o' Puzzle Pirates, including a crib o' our lexicon!
 * And if ye still think the pirate's life is the one, remember this 'fore ye go on the account: buccaneers enjoy plenty o' drinkin' an' sword-fightin', and ye'll need to do both in Puzzle Pirates. Aye, they be puzzles too, but they require ye to think smartly an' keep a finger on yer mouse button."
 * Our first review at IGN PC, scored 8.5 and garnered Editors Choice, no less! Thanks!
 * "Three Rings Software, however, not only breaks the mold, but smashes it to pieces. Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates takes puzzle games and puts them smack dab in the middle of a persistent state world with a player driven economy. iNot only that, but you get to be a pirate, complete with cleaver and hat (if you so choose). How could you not love that?"

Linking Praise!

 * BBC News gave us a lovely mention in a piece about women and gaming:
 * "Online games such as Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates, in which gamers have to solve a series of puzzles and games set in an a pirate world, are proving highly successful with women."
 * Time Magazine named Puzzle Pirates one of it's 50 Coolest Websites in 2004:
 * "In this multiplayer online role-playing game, you're a pirate that solves arcade-style puzzles to win treasure and further the story of your character, your crew and the virtual ocean world around you. Fans call it addictive; even game snobs admit it's amusing. Yo ho ho!"
 * Penny Arcade mentioned us in a news post. Thanks Tycho!
 * "Puzzle Pirates is founded on one of the most amazing gaming concepts I have ever heard of."
 * IGN PC published this most excellent preview by Rosethorn. Thank ye!
 * "Three Rings Design has a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game that will have many a gamer exclaiming "Shiver me timbers!" Currently in open beta, Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates is quite addictive. For anyone who ever wasted hours playing Tetris or Bejeweled, this is the game that takes that style of entertainment to the next level."
 * Slashdot Games linked to the IGN piece, thank ye sirs!
 * PC Gamer (print) said that PP was, 'cute and ceaselessly amusing', noting that 'everyone is trying to talk like a pirate'. 'Yohoho! is one of those games that slides out of nowhere to suddenly amuse and entrance' they said. Har!
 * The Jaded Gamer liked PP enough to change their top banner, which gave us a good giggle.
 * NeenerNeener said that PP would be "the totally awesomest MOG of ALL TIME". Muhaha!
 * gamesite.collapsar.net gave us a lovely little mention. Thank ye!
 * "What separates PP from other MORPGs, aside from its super-cute, gorgeous art style and the fact that you're a pirate is the gameplay. Quite simply: you get to play."

Famous Game Designers' Corner

 * Steve Jackson's Daily Illuminator said some very nice things about Puzzle Pirates:
 * "It's Puzzle Pirates, a (massively) multiplayer online game from Three Rings. This is a first effort from a small group of experienced game creators who banded together to do something different. And boy howdy, they did. I'm having a huge amount of fun with this game."
 * Richard Garfield, designer of Magic the Gathering, had this to say about Puzzle Pirates:
 * "Puzzle Pirates is a blast to play. The atmosphere is fresh and fun for anyone. You have never played anything like it."
 * "The game has a great community and is strikingly original. The designers have taken the MMORPG concept and been unafraid to challenge the dogmatic assumptions that everyone else seems to be making."
 * "MMORPGs have driven me crazy with their tedium focused game play and the power accumulation that fragments the player community. Puzzle Pirates has challenged the dogmatic principles these games are built on by replacing the tedium with puzzles, and gets rid of the bulk of power accumulation. What does this mean? It means you don't have to spend 20 minutes doing nothing but clicking while walking somewhere or crafting something, you actually play puzzles to perform these tasks, often as part of a team. And it means it isn't a burden to play with your friend who only wants to play once a week."