Pirate Class

[BardMal]

overheard at townhall 2008 in San Diego:

BardMal: "When are we going to have a Pirate Expansion?"

Leurocian: " We have received a lot of interest, and we would like to create a pirate class in the game."

BardMal: "Is that why they're making a gargoyle expansion now instead?"

Leurocian gives BardMal "THE look".

I believe that both the player base and the game developers would like to add pirates to the game.

Here are some thoughts, some possible, and others maybe not so. Feel free to add your own.

Pirate class would be a "skill group" similar to necromancy, where weapons and or spell could be used. Also, it would require two skill groups, like mager/eval, necromany/spirit speak - one as "an ability" check, one as a "strength check".

For the purpose of illustration, let's refer to them as : "Piracy" and "blood thirst"; or "P" and "BT", where "BT is similar to eval or spirit speak - a "strength modifier".

Some overall ideas for the class:
"Stealing" skill to be a modifier to BT in a similar way that inscription is to magery.
Being "Red" adds" a 5% modifier to BT, or a base value to "Piracy" skill.
"Snooping" skill adds an ability to "notice" which players/mobs have the highest gold value or insurance - similar to higher resources for human when resource gathering.
"fishing" skill adds a base value to "Piracy" skill or a similar addition to resource/gold as snooping - maybe like an increase in luck against mobs.
"Cartography" skill adds an addition to the base "Piracy" skill"
"Lockpicking" skill adds an addition to the base of "BT" skill.
"Tracking" skill can be a modifier for specific abilities.

This would allow for the revamping and enjoyment of many current templates.

Now on to some abilities

UO has been an "8 based" system in spells, so let's start with:

"Pieces of Eight": a 1st level spell designed to increase the luck drop on a targeted mob, similar to "enemy of one" in chiv. Increase strength based on a combination formula including both Piracy and Blood Thirst.

"Scurvy": a damage ability; causes a 5 (?) point str reduction & places an area effect of poison damage on the targeted mob or player, where the inflicted target receives damage equal to the combined damage of everything within that target radius. Radius and duration effected by"caster's" BT level.

"Shiver Mi Timbers": converts damage against a specific target to effect against targets cold resist - similar to "corpse skin". Strength and duration caused by caster's BT.

"Keel Haul": target receives a "bleed effect" on stamina, the strength and duration based on a comparative formula of the caster's BT against the targets MR.

"Arrr": converts a percentage of the caster's mana into "live" hit points - "he'll live, but be dumber for it". Strength and duration determined by a combination of caster's Piracy and BT.

"Tie 'em to the Yardarms": similar to an "area peace" except there are rumors that Legendary Pirates can use this to cause many mobs to target specific players. Causes a momentary pause in mobs combat and allows caster to place mob targeting on specific players by a comparison of BT to MR.

That's all I have time for now, I hear the bell ringing in tha poop deck.

 

[Dor of Sonoma]

overheard at townhall 2008 in San Diego:

BardMal: "When are we going to have a Pirate Expansion?"

Leurocian: " We have received a lot of interest, and we would like to create a pirate class in the game."

BardMal: "Is that why they're making a gargoyle expansion now instead?"

Leurocian gives BardMal "THE look".

Har!!

*grins widely*

I have been the recipient of THAT look more times than I care to recount.

Good luck to ye!

 

[Xalan Dementia]

nice job, looks like an interesting addition.

 

[Old Man of UO]

No no no! Pirates don't cast spells!

Pirates use cannons with shrapnel and brim fire, for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore damage;
Grappling hooks and planks to tie up ships;
Undersea mines to block harbors, and lamprey bombs to sink ships, and maybe even a torpedo or two;
Sails and tacking to cut the wind out of any other ships they are follow to close on them;
Pirates with a touch of magic fishing skill control the sea beasties like sea serpents and krakens to bring down other ships;
Alchemical pirates used brim fire to create stinkpots and sickening fog;
Muskets, daggers, cutlasses, grenades, caltrops, pikes and crossbows to fight ship-to-ship...

WE WANT PIRATES! We want Sea Wars! I want something scarier than fishing up a sea serpent!

 

[BardMal]

"Summon Kraken" shouldn't necessarily be "control Kraken", unless one were a "Legendary Pirate". Lowly pirates which summons tha beast might themselves face a thrashin'.

But a Pirates breath is near unto black magic as a man is like to come, as well as many a pirate would be pickin' up sea worthy vestages of voodoo as they traveled them that islands, from Madam Mcree.

An thar be a long look for a more superstitious lot a talisman carryin', wind spittin' lot as them which travels them seas and plunges into the depths o' the earth a looking in caves and dungeons fer sum booty.

Many a tug a tha rum was given to hearty mates tha' seemed to absorb magical like strength from bottle and led to a thrashing a friend an foe alike.

So perhaps a "spell" which allows a scally wag to hold both a hatchet an' dagger, breath the scurvy stench of foul air, and visit some what of the fear of tha plank be fittin' abilities fer pirates to carry even into the depths of the earth.

 

[Chad Sexington]

For the purpose of illustration, let's refer to them as : "Piracy" and "blood thirst"; or "P" and "BT", where "BT is similar to eval or spirit speak - a "strength modifier".

No no no! Pirates don't cast spells!

Here was my idea that I've posted a couple times.

The Pirate skill should be called Plundering. And the modifying skill (eval, spirit speak, karma, arcanists) shouldn't be a skill at all. It should be how drunk you are.

That's right. Drink up and stay drunk.

You won't have to add extra code or extra restrictions to restrict priates from being mages. They'll automatically be *hic* *hic* *hic* all the time and will normally fizzle their spells. You won't have to force players to remove magery. But it won't be easy. (Cast protection?)

They'll also have a hard time walking around. Not impossible depending on the benefits and skills. But more suited for boats.





Edit: If they're constantly drunk, you'll also be able to see (and smell!) them coming.

 

[Schuyler Bain]

Yo Ho - I too, be wantin ter see some pirates!

 

[Maplestone]

Far be it for me to get in the way of a good brainstorm, but shouldn't we wait until SA is finished before planning the next expansion?

But I would focus on adding new systems rather than new skills ... we have lots of skills that are underutilized, lets add reasons to use them. For example:

- cartography: a small speed boost for boats based on the skill of the navigator (allowing one to overtake opposing ships).
- cooking: brewing of ales that give different forms of drunkenness
- taste id: have a system of rare wines/ales that can be identified with this skill
- detect hidden: secret moongates at sea leading to a dave jones' locker style "sea dungeon"

But I think even more important than skills is content:
- an ocean-based champion spawn (which it sounds like we might get rather soon) gives a reason for people to be at sea.
- boats for bulk transport ... commodity deeds have made it easy for players to do bulk transport, but for the sake of the world there needs to be a sense that all these seaports exist for a reason. There needs to be a class of objects that cannot travel by recall or gate so that there are meaningful quests that require ships. Ideally it would be something that could be transported in bulk by boat but only one at a time on horseback.
- custom boats: it should be possible for ships to become famous (I'd also add an age, like parrots, but allow for new decorative upgrade slots that open depending on the age of the boat)
- non-leathal bar brawl champ spawn-like system for people with wrestling
- more pirate caves (watery dungeons)
- daily map fragment quest (people with the fragments are beacons - if someone can assemble through trades/copies/PvP more than half the fragments, they get a map to a treasure with "daily rares") ... at server down, the fragments of the past day are wiped.

hmm ... I did suggest waiting though, didn't I?

 

[Nok]

overheard at townhall 2008 in San Diego:

BardMal: "When are we going to have a Pirate Expansion?"

Leurocian: " We have received a lot of interest, and we would like to create a pirate class in the game."

BardMal: "Is that why they're making a gargoyle expansion now instead?"

Leurocian gives BardMal "THE look".

I was there when you got "THE look".

I want a nautical expansion just as bad as the rest of us parrot heads, I've been asking every chance I get (SD '08 you beat me to the punch) and ranting for years. What I know now (several conversations) is that we'll pretty likely (nothing was promised) get one in the future... when all the server code is rebuilt around SA and most importantly doesn't have to support 2D anymore. THAT, the server code, is what holds the UO team from doing things like nautical expansions (and other ideas). The legacy server code is the anchor around the team's neck.

Obviously 2D is going to be around for sometime. So a nautical expansion is still only an idea somewhere off in a vague future. I like your ideas though.

 

[Old Man of UO]

Anndd... and... Pirate Bards! Ya, singing
"YO HO! A pirates life's for me!"
and other pirate music just for me boat.
And music for the ocean instead of the constant wave sounds. Anything except "It's a small, small world!"

 

[the 4th man]

Well, I like the idea of a pirate class..........and anyone who knows anything about the caribbean piartes then knows of a lil thing called voodoo.....The Obeah Man Returns!!!!!!!

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

If anyone wonders why a gargoyle expansion came before a sea-based one, there's at least 2 reasons I can think of. It seems like it'd be far easier than a sea-based expansion, for example. Also, gargoyles are far more firmly-established in Ultima lore than are priates. (There were pirates in the Ultima games, and in the early days of UO, both PC and NPC, but most people are more likely to think of gargoyles and Ultima in the same breath than pirates and Ultima.

As to those who argue pirates shouldn't effectively be spell-casters....

I've been thinking a lot about this lately. And since we've had the AoS era for longer than we've had the pre-AoS era, I think it's finally time that we just accepted that warrior classes need Mana now. They likely will from now until UO either shuts down, or introduces yet another expansion that changes everything around and pisses everyone off (like AoS did), or the universe ends (in other words if UO basically continues perpetually).

And really....When you think about it, Samurai abilities aren't really spells in the proper sense. They appear to rely on no supernatural forces, unlike Magery or Chivalry. It's just skill and concentration. Ditto for Ninjitsu. (And for the latter, also add some neat tricks of the eye and sleight of hand.)

So if a pirate class ever came out, I would surely expect it to have to use Mana and to have spell-like abilities. That's the paradigm now. But I'd suspect that they wouldn't rely on supernatural forces, and that's the dividing line in my head between a "spell" and an "ability."

-Galen's player

 

[deadite]

I don't think they should add a pirate class. They should just improve the ships and ocean/sailing gameplay overall.

Why?

Because I think that if they add a "pirate" class, then they should add a "royal navy" type class along with it. Some people may want to get into the ocean content without having to be a pirate.

But if they just really open up boating and sailing gameplay, then we can be whatever kind of character we want and we're not pigeonholed into a "class."

To me, that's UO!

 

[Warpig Inc]

A thread was run on the ideal of a waterbound champ spawn. Gold sits on the water so its not an issue for gathering. Hell ask any necro after a champ spawn how to get the gold, Minion. Just have to make sure gold doesn't block boat travel still. And on that their could be a new sea creature called a Coral Elemental the 3rd or 4th spawn level. Once this critter dies leaves a column of coral blocking ship movement. I can see a boat surrounded by spawn and archers putting an arrow between the necro's eyes the first time they wither when the boat is encircled. We already have a bunch of snow piles so the art team don't have to get in a tizzy over the coral columns. Whip out your salmon pink crayons. I like the whole Sea Quake ripple effect from the champ damaging players and boats. It could push a boat back maybe hitting a coral column for more damage. Keep a Captains hands full picking best angle and path of attacking the champ. A higher level of sea serpent could be added over the template of a lich lord.

Yes the whole wall spells+boats+water needs a tweak. And as far as boat PVP.........If you find yourself the only mage, than better have Protection active, on a boat full of cutlas swinging dexers ....... better have a Map or known route to nearest healer.

The fire dungeon rope bridge is great for boarding attacks. Must have more range then a spell or arrow. Like 15 spaces. The boats pull together slowly and at 5 spaces it breaks. The bridging rope has no targeting under 10 Spaces. This gives 5-10 spaces for the receiving boat to cut the rope. Give a true lumberjack carpenter better odds of cutting it being the rope would be like a summon with a lifebar.. Those on the rope when it goes end up in the water. The tillerman would be for targeting but for image it would be a plank location to plank location rope. A hit would stop each boat turning them in location for side to side facing.

Players in water can use the same seated on a mount look while in water. No need for that walking on water image, done already. Besides the rope drop in water gives the should of had a carpenter onboard for repairs to aviod sinking. So boats can sink filling the swimming pool. Now the art team can add in the three images of the sinking boat. last stage before the boat is gone is the tillerman waste deep and mast and bow at water level. This stage puts any players in seated image or new laying on back image (something to quiet those that think they need to lay in their beds - bed placement hides water tile under it). And anything in the hold is placed in the water.

Now your in the water. Characters are in peace mode and get fizzles and fingures slip. Just like an animated undead is on a timer so is your lifebar. Sorry but damage will be greater then a human in max HPR and based off a players wieght in stones. Players in water within 3 spaces of an active gankplank........sorry gangplank, move with a ship and anyone in the water can DC (double click) to get themselves onto the gangplank.

I took my mule to a champ! There is already the game mechanics to repair a golem with tink. It is not the same animal as heal or vet with the skill use timer put to tink repairing. The tillerman lifebar is used to be the ships lifebar (this can better represent orphaned ships at sea poof factor). Boards and nails are used at each heal attempt. The higher your carpentry /tink/ cartography the more you repair the ship. So ideally a captain would have a friend along, a second mate, that be some template that's a carp/tink with a combative side. We know a boat is nothing more then a house style item in the game mechanics that moves. Thats why the Tillerman just needs to be the targeting factor of the boat. Carp items could be added for custom bow carving/main sail/aft flag.

Hey lets drive the code magi real nuts and like the key is coded to the boat when created also add a Ships Journal Book coded to the ship. This book has 3-5 of a random 10+ spell/ship enhancements generated the first launch in owners backpack. Ships Journal Book is bound to the owners backpack like some of those pesky quest items. If the ships model is trashed or the boat is destroyed the book is gone and holder gets ghosted (going down with the ship). Cartography opens the book as it does a map, revealing the water stained runes/ship spells. Spells that alters the ships resistance (lightning rod-fire proofing-armor plating sort of resist effect). The cannon shot be it one directed at another ship or area effect on oppenents. One that activates small area damage at the front of the ship for ramming (standing on the bow at this time bad - plp and your ship also receives damage in bow area). HP regeneration. Teleporting. Dragons breath flame thrower. Summon wild random sea spawn. Different types of targeting spells to represent cannon use. Reagents resources and oddities used for casting like vines/deadwood/bola balls/rope/keg and paragon deco drop stuff for the bigger spells. Ships Captian would have buff icons for duration effect abilities. Rope bridge for boarding effect so idiots onboard have no say to your boats future would be a standard ability. Some spells be nonecombative like fishing net or a harpoon ballista. NET would be on deck upon summoning and DCed to use/toss. Works like 2 or 4 fishing poles and like a greedy minion would have to be opened and emptied before tossing/using again. HARPOON hits target with strangle effect and teleports them to the bow. Hitting a player would open a window option to allow the effect.

Captains would have have a skill paperdoll titles of Captian, Admiralis, Skipper or Pirate, Buccaneer, Corsair. A ships owner would add a new aspect to the game like a tamer is nothing without their pet so it would go for a captain. Can see the tricorn hat from water champ with +20 Cartography. Ya Pirate wouldn't be hard to aviod if to much Pepper Shot and ramming another boat in fel. There'd be Tram side quest hunts for Pirates around the southern Isles. Ships takes commands from Captain only while onboard or by a player with a copy of the ships key. These copied keys would always be cursed. If a Captain dies a cursed key copy will be on his corpse. This will allow boarding and taking of a ship after her crew is killed. A ship can be controled then but it's specialized abilities is bound by journal holder. A ship can be taken to a dock to a harbor master NPC. There it could be held for a ransom cost or an old bounty system could be ship linked. Cool twist to the insurance gold passing and like a stables anydock could be used to recover lost boats.

Isle of the Avatar tram and fel side or any other island with a cove could have game placed docks. With max storage house plot on the beach. A boat anchor at one theese docks would not be on decay timer. The dock would be an extension of the house front stairs and a remove thyself targeting of tillermen would transport a boat to the center of the cove. Non crafted boats would have same transfer option or destroy. Blue or Red skeleton keys that would be acquired through rare champ drop or long Pirate quest hunt or EM event. DCing the key and targeting an unclaimed beachhouse gives you the "Do you wish to place?" option for new home. The key holds the house name & stays with the owner and only trading active key for active key can changer ownership of beach homes. Sort of pet transfer like option on the key. A barrel will be at the house corner under the house sign. Conquered ship keys are placed in the barrel and are viewable like a storage crate by the owner, UO Staff or EM. Motivating Captains to be active to their roll to keep the home. Certain quota or a low 10% sweep of beach houses will envoke eviction. The barrel is removed and a random timer is put to the house sign when it will return to a plot for new owner to claim. Conquered Ship keys are gotten through the sinking of an NPC or player ship. Conquered Ship Key shoots 10 spaces random direction from the sunken ship and has death cloak timer for decay. The NPC sunk ships would be a random generator chance of there being a conquered key....... a new vendor trade for those that don't own a beach house.

Orphaned ships. With the tillerman life bar of ship left at sea would allow a passerby to see what it status is. Like a pet needs to be fed and see their owner, a boat will have its own special check. After one or two days feels ignored. If no owner visit to renew the ship goes to grey status i.e. wild. Undead Pirate NPCs would take control of the ship for this duration. The Undead CPT generates a cursed key copy for bounting the ship. Few days of being grey and server refresh removes the ship. Captain logs on and Ships Journal Book explodes killing the CPT as a reminder his boat is gone. In theese days of wild status the ship can be destroyed for a conquered key. Theese would have to be ships only made by cartogarpher/carpenter/tinker Captains that have the lifebar tillerman. A quest for parts of a boats construction can only be done by a Captian once a month. Need some method to aviod farming like killing your naked red buddy for justice BS. Theese boats crafted are owner bond with an option on the boats pack model to delete it. This would allow for a chance to get better or other Journal Book spells combination. But still need a once a month quest for an ingriedent that is questee bound to aviod abuse.

Fisher can still have their regular lifeless raft type boats the way they are. Unless they like the ideal of taking out fished up serps with a buckshot load from a ships offensive spell.

 

[hawkeye_pike]

Sneak preview:

Details here:
Pirate and Seafaring Expansion

 

[Scarst]

Me and my brothers originally joined uo to rp pirates when my oldest brother first saw pirates pulling up on vesper I think it was it's been about 10 years.

 

[Stupid Miner]

Anndd... and... Pirate Bards! Ya, singing
"YO HO! A pirates life's for me!"
and other pirate music just for me boat.
And music for the ocean instead of the constant wave sounds. Anything except "It's a small, small world!"

Ooo a pirate could play the buccs den theme song, kinda like a music box.

 

[Turdnugget]

hawkeye. I didn't read that whole UO Blog on the Pirate Expansion... but after reading a few ideas and seeing the pictures of ships...

You get my vote to lead the Dev team for a Pirate Expansion/New content

 

[hakeem]

hawkeye. I didn't read that whole UO Blog on the Pirate Expansion... but after reading a few ideas and seeing the pictures of ships...

You get my vote to lead the Dev team for a Pirate Expansion/New content

I gotta second this. As a fan of pirates, UO, and Hawkeye's ongoing discoveries and adventures I say lead on Huntmaster Pike, hoist the black flag, prepare to slit throats, to the deep with the naysayers, give them death before the mast.
*hoists a mug of his famous Old Spiced..*

 

[Uvtha]

It would be cool to have random islands that would spawn of different sizes with inhabitants to plunder. That would be a fun time, sailing around looking for tiny island hamlets to invade.

 

[Siteswap]

Because I think that if they add a "pirate" class, then they should add a "royal navy" type class along with it. Some people may want to get into the ocean content without having to be a pirate.

No reason they cant add both a "Pirate" class/skill and a "Kings Navy" class/skill at the same time ... much like they did with the 2 opposing skills of Chiv and Necro. And of course the wider sea based content to go with it.

I cant wait to see a wild west expansion myself ... Cowboy Hat of the Magi anyone?

 

[Gem]

Aye Pirates!!!!

Cannons!

Or anything to improve sea-faring at all.

Having played since beta, my hopes and expectations are low. (However Leurocian is one of the few to ever give us fisherfolk some love...so I'm still hopeful.)

Given my low expectations, I'd settle for new shipwreck loot (how hard can that be to implement?).

 

[Urk of LS]

As much as I do not like Fel.... I think any piracy should be a Fel only expansion. Esp any dungeons created therein.

Sorry after re-reading my posty it seems like an anti Fel slam... Its not. Its more like Piracry is better suited to a Fel ruleset rather than a tram one. I'd love more content for the open seas, but at the same time Player Pirates are more a Fel thing.

 

[hawkeye_pike]

As much as I do not like Fel.... I think any piracy should be a Fel only expansion. Esp any dungeons created therein.

That probably won't happen. To my opinion, Felucca how it is today, is a dead end anyway.

 

[Gem]

As much as I do not like Fel.... I think any piracy should be a Fel only expansion. Esp any dungeons created therein.

Sorry after re-reading my posty it seems like an anti Fel slam... Its not. Its more like Piracry is better suited to a Fel ruleset rather than a tram one. I'd love more content for the open seas, but at the same time Player Pirates are more a Fel thing.

I think I agree--if there were some rewards for piracy in Felucca....it might work...of course, there would need to be good reason for seafarers to take the risk....but that COULD be factored in.