Sky Commander!

Yep, you all read that right! I, Eccentric Austin Ornsley, have achieved the level of 50 (Sky Commander) in Pirate101 and cleared out my quest book. I need to go make final sweeps of some areas to see if quests have opened up, because I'm still missing Chapters 8, 9, 11 and 12 Sidequest Completion badges (and 3, but that one has been confirmed to be bugged).  I'm also Nautical level 48 and am flying The Wakeful Spectre, my Royal Navy Galleon. Now my goal is to train my first page of companions all to level 50. That's going to take some time. Who wants a few pictures? Yes? Ok. I promise, I won't show any high-leveled story-relevant companions (in this post) to avoid spoiling too much. I make no promises about side quest companions or showing off promoted forms of story-relevant companions, though!

My current First Mate.  She's a level 52 Seashbuckler Ninja Cat named Shiriku Neko. 

Kan Po, the Witchdoctor Starter Companion in my colors at Tier 2. Promoted at level 46 to this form. He's AMAZING. I recommend giving him Flanking!!

Dead Mike, my Presidio Companion. He's a Buccaneer.  Poor guy keeps falling apart more the higher I promote him. 

Mormo, my Kraken Skulls Bar Brawl Companion. His mask keeps getting more elaborate as he promotes higher. I see players using his staff and have heard it's from Chumba Wumba. I may have to farm some if/when stitching comes around.

The lovable Bonnie Anne, reading to kick troggy tail and take names. She's a Fox Sniper after the second promotion and is often referred to as a Machine Gun Companion. 

Old Scratch. Do I really need to say any more? Oh, yeah, I do. Make sure to grab Improved Mojo Blast 2 to turn his damage from an X to a 3x3 square. (That goes for Mormo, too). 

Ratbeard! He's also Tier 2 (second promotion). I liked his Tier 1 hat better...

Time to plug some bundles! Handsome Dan is the adorable little Bulldog Privateer from the Admiral's Bundle. He's incredible (and is pictured at Tier 2).

Laughin' Mack Sharkley is a taste of what you get from the Cutthroat Bundle (though I think his name is randomly generated at redemption). This is his Tier 2 look. 

Kung Yao, Privateer Oni Destroyer. He's from a side quest in MooShu. Name is random, I think. 

Smart Bart Lester, Swashbuckler Cat Pirate from the Boochbeard Bundle at Tier 1. 

So Po, my Swashbuckler Pig from the Mailer promotion. Watch this space -- I'll have a brief contest for ONE Ninja Pig soon, hopefully. *UPDATE* One Amber Firesword has won the pig! Congratulations, Amber!

My ship, the Wakeful Spectre, moored at my Castaway Cove. 

Feel free to ask me any and all questions about the Witchdoctor class and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Also look out for the Witchdoctor Edition of "From the Crow's Nest" over at Pieces of Eight Radio next Wednesday, 11/14/2012, at 8:45 CST. I'm being interviewed.

Yours in Piracy,
Eccentric Austin Ornsley

Pirate101 Updates

Hey-o Spirates. Eccentric Austin Ornsley here with some riveting news. I've finally made it out of Cool Ranch (for now...) and am adventuring in Port Regal. I've earned every sidequest completion badge along the way (except Chapter 3...which seems to be bugged or there's a quest hiding VERY well).  I just bought a new ship, the Dauntless Spectre (a level 26 Ship for pirates level 24+ of Royal Navy origin).

In other news, my crew just won't stop growing and I love it. Companions are awesome, and while many people would love to trim their crew down to around 5-6 companions to play with I find myself wanting more and more variety. It adds more depth to the gameplay. This was taken a while ago, but it pictures Moresco de Valvida and I outside of the Phule fight. I had just won Phule's mask and Moresco was my newest crew member (and is still my Firstmate). Isn't he precious?

If you all aren't playing Pirate101 you really should be. Hopefully I'll see ya in the Spiral!

Your in Piracy,
Eccentric Austin Ornsley

Which Witch is Which?

Soo.....Hey-o guys! This is long overdue. I'll go ahead and tell you all that I caved and opted to make my first toon a Witchdoctor by the name of Eccentric Austin Ornsley. I maintain that I never got my acceptance letter to Ravenwood, so I left Krokotopia to become a pirate.  If you see me running around, don't hesitate to say hello. Be warned that I'm not adding tons of random people because I've got so many people already on my list.

I have not bought a bundle yet. I'm still debating on getting a Boochbeard Bundle, and even if I do, it won't be until after my next payday (Wednesday the 24th). Currently, I'm crowning my way through the game and have just made it to the Isle of Doom. Ratbeard and Bonnie Anne have both been promoted. I'm rocking purple and green, and my crew has never looked better.

Oh, and the Pioneer's Eyepatch. It's awesome. I keep seeing it at a slight angle (that doesn't show the strap) and thinking it's this thing called an Eye Drive from the best British Import to the US EVER (Doctor Who).

Well, that's about it. Oh, and I'm a Tubthumper. See you all on the flipside.

Your Comrade in Piracy,
Eccentric Austin Ornsley

Pirate101 Central

Hey guys! Did I mention that I'm on Pirate101 Central? Well, I am. Feel free to add me HERE.

--Witty John Loughton

Beta!

Hey there gang! Just wanted to drop everyone a line. The cat is officially out of the bag and Closed Beta has launched...and I'm setting sail for adventure in it! I'm currently keeping on the down low because I don't want everyone to know the awesome name I've chosen for myself yet. Maybe I'll still be John Lifeglen. Maybe I'll be [redacted] or [redacted]. Who knows? You'll all know once things go LIVE! And oh how I can't wait for them to go LIVE! You all are going to absolutely LOVE the new game. Here's a brief summary of my adventures so far.

I started out as a [redacted] on [redacted] talking to [redacted] about [redacted]. I went to talk to [redacted] about [redacted] and [redacted] and met [redacted]. I played in [redacted] and am now in [redacted].*

Welp, that's all for now, folks!

Your Friend in Piracy Always,
[redacted].

*When things go Live I might come back and edit all of the annoying "[redacted]" into what they really should be. Or maybe I'll just post the phrases for you all to fill in the blanks :)

--Originally posted at Through the Eyes of a Privateer, pre-merge--

Progress

It's been a while since I last posted, and there's good reason for that. There's been a lack of news for Pirate101 lately, and that's kept me from being super active. Today, though, progress is occurring. The Fansite Kit for Pirate101 has now been released (as many of you could probably guess from the new header). I can't tell you how excited I am to be getting even tiny little bits of new information.  Everything looks great, and I can't wait to be playing in another part of our Spiral with old friends and making new ones along the way.

There's also some exciting news for KingsIsle! Pirate101 is already taking the world by storm and winning some awards.  Dad Lab has also made a video. And for those pen-and-paper game lovers, check out this great link!

I know it's short and sweet, but that's all I've got for you today. Hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy the new kit from Pirate101 as much as I did!

[John Lifeglen?]

--Originally posted at Through the Eyes of a Privateer, pre-merge--

Cap'n Autumn's At It Again!

First, go read THIS.  Then, consider those as rules to blog by.  These are both important steps before we dive into things here.

These guidelines are an important piece of how to blog well. Specifically the one about keeping private disputes private. Nothing turns blog readers away faster than seeing rant posts at another person. If you need to rant about how [BossX] refuses to drop [HatY] for [Z] amount of time, go for it! Those are often the most colorful (and sometimes helpful!) posts for readers, because if they're having issues they know they aren't alone. If you need to sort out personal matters with someone, though, and it's not a friendly war going on (Friendly and Autumn, anyone?) you need to find their blog and track down contact information (not post rude comments on their posts).

Speaking of comments, it's often a good idea to keep your comments set to moderated. This way if any trolls decide to start posting, you can protect your readership. Having comments set to moderated also helps if you're running a contest where they submit entries via comment.

That's all I've got for today.  Sorry the posts are short, sweet, and so few and far between. There's just not a lot I talk about until things get rolling. Stick with me, because once this game takes off I'll be all kinds of all over it.

[John Lifeglen?]

--Originally posted at Through the Eyes of a Privateer pre-merge--

Congratulations to the Friendly Witchdoctor!

For those of you who haven't heard, our fair skyways have a new CM (Community Manager). Thomas Lionblood, AKA the Friendly Witchdoctor (or The Friendly Necromancer, for those more familiar with Wizard101). Congratulations, Tom, and may much success and happiness come your way!

[John Lifeglen?]

--Originally posted at Through the Eyes of a Privateer, pre-merge--

NDA is No Joking Matter

Until we get to some Pirate101 content, this blog will be a journal of thoughts on related topics. Last night, someone divulged information. Just a couple of small details, yes, nothing ground-or-game-breaking, but information nonetheless. Anyone who has ever been involved in Alpha or many Closed Betas can tell you that NDA is not a joking matter. It's a legally binding contract and can have some serious repercussions.

Now, nobody involved in the Alpha for Pirate101 confirmed the information (nor could they, NDA again), so it could just be someone trying to sound important with no actual knowledge of the game. If they are involved in testing right now, they may not be for long if KingsIsle discovers what is going on.

My advice to any gamer who gets involved in a game during Alpha or Beta (if it's not open, at the very least) is to bite your tongue, shake your head no at everything saying "I can't tell you that, I'm under NDA", and hide under a rock until NDA is lifted if you think spoilers are going to be a problem. 

Not all games have an NDA, though. Games like The Missing Ink have been sharing updates for some time now and are in Open Alpha. Everyone is allowed to talk about it if they want to. Accounts can be created by virtually anyone. You'll know if there's NDA, as it is pushed a bit harder than the TOS. 

Have a great Tuesday, I'm off to work and finals. 

[John Lifeglen?]

--Originally from Through the Eyes of a Privateer, pre-merge--

Pirate101

Pirate101...the second game by KingsIsle Entertainment to offer a family-friendly environment and turn based gameplay. It was announced on April 25, 2012. I heard about it over twitter. This blog, Through the Eyes of a Privateer, will outline the game and the adventures it holds for me. That is, as soon as I'm able to play it.  Here's to many adventures on the high-skys!

[John Lifeglen?]