Caribbean Pirates: Seriously bad game design

[Stacy_Strong_5392338]

So I checked out the Caribbean Pirates after playing the game for almost a week. I tried to board a ship and found out I needed a map. So I found out how to get a map - 100 donations at my guild. Okay!

So after waiting until I had 100 donations, I claimed a map and boarded a ship. Then found out I needed someone from my guild with the other half of the map. Disappointed, I left the ship.

I came back with my guildmate. That's when I found out that just boarding the ship and leaving it meant I no longer had a map anymore. That's pretty bad game design and it irritated me. Fortunately, it was midnight and I could get up to 100 and claim another map. So I did and boarded the ship. I was literally in the process of telling my guildmate - who is in the same physical room as me - which ship to board to join me when I'm attacked by someone way above my level, killed, ejected from the ship...and now I don't have a map again.

So this part of the game is designed to just have you waste your time having no clue of what's going on and get you killed by people who can swat you like bugs. Are you certain that you're trying to build a fun game?

That is completely, utterly, ridiculously, and incomprehensibly stupid game design. That's the kind of thing that tells people like me that our time is being completely wasted in a terrible experience like this. I still have no idea what the deal is with the Caribbean Pirates. I don't know the rewards available, the mission that it presents, how strong I need to be in order just to try it out...nothing. All I know if that I've spent several days trying to figure out how to start this incredibly stupidly designed farce of a mission and I can't even get enough time to get my crew on board before being killed by people who have no business fighting someone who has been playing less than a week.

Games are made to be fun. There is no fun to be had here. If the goal was to create an incredibly annoying and awful time, then congratulations - you've created a game that leads ignorant players to the slaughter and refuses to allow us the chance to play the Caribbean Pirates section. Well, there are two ways to not play this game. One is to keep us from having the resources needed for a particular section. I doubt that you're shooting for what the second option is.

[smokingfox]

So I checked out the Caribbean Pirates after playing the game for almost a week. I tried to board a ship and found out I needed a map. So I found out how to get a map - 100 donations at my guild. Okay!

So after waiting until I had 100 donations, I claimed a map and boarded a ship. Then found out I needed someone from my guild with the other half of the map. Disappointed, I left the ship.

I came back with my guildmate. That's when I found out that just boarding the ship and leaving it meant I no longer had a map anymore. That's pretty bad game design and it irritated me. Fortunately, it was midnight and I could get up to 100 and claim another map. So I did and boarded the ship. I was literally in the process of telling my guildmate - who is in the same physical room as me - which ship to board to join me when I'm attacked by someone way above my level, killed, ejected from the ship...and now I don't have a map again.

So this part of the game is designed to just have you waste your time having no clue of what's going on and get you killed by people who can swat you like bugs. Are you certain that you're trying to build a fun game?

That is completely, utterly, ridiculously, and incomprehensibly stupid game design. That's the kind of thing that tells people like me that our time is being completely wasted in a terrible experience like this. I still have no idea what the deal is with the Caribbean Pirates. I don't know the rewards available, the mission that it presents, how strong I need to be in order just to try it out...nothing. All I know if that I've spent several days trying to figure out how to start this incredibly stupidly designed farce of a mission and I can't even get enough time to get my crew on board before being killed by people who have no business fighting someone who has been playing less than a week.

Games are made to be fun. There is no fun to be had here. If the goal was to create an incredibly annoying and awful time, then congratulations - you've created a game that leads ignorant players to the slaughter and refuses to allow us the chance to play the Caribbean Pirates section. Well, there are two ways to not play this game. One is to keep us from having the resources needed for a particular section. I doubt that you're shooting for what the second option is.

ok after reading this..

if you allrdy so frustrated here.. u better quit.. nice to know u

[Morgan le Fay]

It's not a bad game design, it's learning how to play it. Basically, don't board any ship until you have a partner to sail with and it's also wise to ask one of the larger members of your guild to help carry you across. This will help you two-fold. One to learn how to play Pirates and secondly, give you a power ballpark.

Look for guidance and assistance from the more experienced members of your guild, you will soon pick it up.

[Stacy_Strong_5392338]

So you're saying that the game isn't playable at all for the person who just logs on and tries to play. That newcomer will be endlessly frustrated by pitfalls and traps that are set in the game that can only be handled by people with long experience.

That, my friend - and I speak from 37 years of experience playing and writing video games - is very poor game design. When learning to play means helplessly walking into land mines that are poorly marked and come with penalties far in excess of the misstep, you've created a game that - by sheer logic of game theory - encourages timid and trepedacious play. That's a terrible, terrible idea. It means I can no longer tell my friends "Let's try this!" because now I won't know what landmine I may be walking into and what insane penalty I'm about to be subjected to without warning or recourse.

Thank you for letting me know that this is exactly the game experience that you're striving to achieve. You've helped me quickly learn not waste my precious time with this horribly designed experience. Good luck with your future endeavors.

[Nooberix]

Every game is a bit of a struggle at first for newcomers. No game you can just log in and start playing like a pro, you have to learn the ropes. You mentioned you were in a guild the smart thing to do is to ask your guild members for help. Come to the forums and see if there is a guide for newcomers. Just coming to bitch about how you struggle in a game you just started is a bit much isn't it?

[Herby]

So you're saying that the game isn't playable at all for the person who just logs on and tries to play. That newcomer will be endlessly frustrated by pitfalls and traps that are set in the game that can only be handled by people with long experience.

That, my friend - and I speak from 37 years of experience playing and writing video games - is very poor game design. When learning to play means helplessly walking into land mines that are poorly marked and come with penalties far in excess of the misstep, you've created a game that - by sheer logic of game theory - encourages timid and trepedacious play. That's a terrible, terrible idea. It means I can no longer tell my friends "Let's try this!" because now I won't know what landmine I may be walking into and what insane penalty I'm about to be subjected to without warning or recourse.

Thank you for letting me know that this is exactly the game experience that you're striving to achieve. You've helped me quickly learn not waste my precious time with this horribly designed experience. Good luck with your future endeavors.

Can I ask, in your 37 years of experience in playing and writing video games, what games have you written and contributed in making?


Also, if you have so much experience in gaming, why are you so easily frustrated by such a simple challenge?

Even a newbie who has zero experience in writing and playing video games would only take a few mins of experimenting, asking around, and researching through the internet and forums, to find out how Caribbean Pirates works.

[sookkean_8343097]

Yah, and sometimes when u are sailing halfway across your friends attack you just to say hi

[DaBooMan]

It's a PVP not FarmVille think you have entered the wrong web address. Boohoo mommy the big kids are picking on me

[smokingfox]

It's a PVP not FarmVille think you have entered the wrong web address. Boohoo mommy the big kids are picking on me

ty i love this commment ^^

[ChickenWing]

We all learned how it works the hard way. I, too, was sunk and robbed quickly the first times. Then I knew. I never was frustrated about it. They could certainly write a better introduction to it though.