Star Pirates!
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
As an avid reader of Starslip Crisis, when Kris Straub recommended trying Star Pirates, I jumped right in. Such is the power of the internet.
Star Pirates is a browser-based game centered around an Earth-less solar system. Now based out of Mars, civilization (mostly) lawlessly roams among the planets, mining for precious metals and stealing everything that's not locked down. The game is free to play, though should you find yourself with extra cash laying around you can purchase an advantage. (Basically, you can do faster what it takes normal "free" players longer to do.)
It's funny how a game where everyone's a pirate evolves a sense of honor and a code of conduct. Attacking or raiding someone while they're online is frowned upon, and retaliation is usually swift and virtually guaranteed. Successfully attacking someone online sends them to a shipyard for 15 minutes, severely limiting what they can do. Raiding someone doesn't have that effect, but it does take a percentage of any cash they're foolishly handling. Attacking someone with a higher level than you will almost certainly result in defeat; raiding someone (online or offline) is where every player is treated equally. The "rules" are simple and yet poor behavior (by pirates) is frowned upon.
The game is definitely fun and doesn't take much time. Unlike other games, there's not a very steep curve where it takes forever to do anything. It's designed to be played casually or all day. Sign up and try it out!
Star Pirates is a browser-based game centered around an Earth-less solar system. Now based out of Mars, civilization (mostly) lawlessly roams among the planets, mining for precious metals and stealing everything that's not locked down. The game is free to play, though should you find yourself with extra cash laying around you can purchase an advantage. (Basically, you can do faster what it takes normal "free" players longer to do.)
It's funny how a game where everyone's a pirate evolves a sense of honor and a code of conduct. Attacking or raiding someone while they're online is frowned upon, and retaliation is usually swift and virtually guaranteed. Successfully attacking someone online sends them to a shipyard for 15 minutes, severely limiting what they can do. Raiding someone doesn't have that effect, but it does take a percentage of any cash they're foolishly handling. Attacking someone with a higher level than you will almost certainly result in defeat; raiding someone (online or offline) is where every player is treated equally. The "rules" are simple and yet poor behavior (by pirates) is frowned upon.
The game is definitely fun and doesn't take much time. Unlike other games, there's not a very steep curve where it takes forever to do anything. It's designed to be played casually or all day. Sign up and try it out!
posted by Burton at 12:26 AM
6 Comments:
That's my man: pillaging and plundering the depths of the intertubes!
I played SP for 5 months starting shortly after the game released. I can say now its a complete waste of time. At first it is fun and addicting, but you find the people that spend real US dollars become bullies and there is no competitive way to keep up with them. They can effectively keep you from playing for a whole day straight simply by attacking you repeatedly, keeping you "repairing' for 15 minutes at a time.
Unless you are willing to drop over $500 USD into a browser game with no graphics, I do not recommend this game. That $500 will not even see you get competitive, it will simply put you on par with people that have been playing without cash for 6 months... in one day.
The moderators are players themselves and have "bought" into the game in more ways then one. In return for working for free, they get discounts on the amount of in-game items they purchase.
If you get griefed, don't bother going to a moderator as they practice the same type of playstyle.
I would really suggest looking for a different game. The community appears friendly at first but if you stay for any length of time, you realize that if you aren't into Roleplaying, or mindless chatter about some "hero of the past" then you won't be welcome.
Giddy, that's totally not my experience at all. The community is a seconed home for me. I've made friends there, lifelong friends. Two of my friends in the game MET there and are now MARRIED. Yeah, it's that kinda cool place.
The only time the community rejects people is when they simply don't fit -- if you dissed one of the "heros of the past" then yeah I can see how you were totally rejected from the game. In a community this big, some of the players have died in real life. Talk about them poorly at your peril - it's called being friends.
The Shipyard is only 15 min. It just means you can pay a few points and get out of there immediately. You get a lot of free in game money every day so who cares?
And hell it's good to be beaten sometimes. Who wants to win all the time?
Real life $500 to play? What are you talking about? I know some pay that, and they get to play with the biggest ships in the game. I also know others that have worked their way up without paying. The admins and mods don't seem to care. I do though, I didn't start out as a supporter as it's free, but after two months I became one. It costs $5/month and I'm happy to. It pays the Admins who work on the game.
And the mods are great. The admins PLAY the game with us, chat with us. I honestly don't get where you are coming from. But honestly I'm glad you're not there. The place is better without you.
"Giddy" = Rayvenx. Guy caused his own grief by being a jerk, whined when he got hit back, begged to be banned, was banned, begged to come back, was let back and promptly started again.
Finally (yay!) the admins kicked him and he started cut/pasting his false statement around the web to 'get back at them' for being fair with him. You can tell too as he posts the same lies but hides behind other player names and moderator names (someone told me they even saw him use admin256's name LOL)
Why? He's a fruitloop...so many of us are really, REALLY glad they kicked him. It was long overdue...
It's amusing I'm automatically anyone that badmouths Starpirates. I had my differences with the admins and a few rather "ruthless" players and did ask to be banned both literally and metaphorically. I do however, have the cahones to post using my actual name. I sometime in the last year and a half sent a letter to the admins with an apology and congratulations on the success of the game. I'd appreciate it if my name wasn't turned into a metaphor for a troublemaker as there were many that acted as I did on different levels.
The admins and moderators suck, and they definitely don't want intelligent people playing this game. They'll ban you for mystery reasons, they'll ban you for making suggestions, they'll ban you for everything. Whatever you do, don't waste your time with this firm. Heaven forbid if I actually put money in their mouths. I do invest in decen online games, but everyone should beware that this game is not one to do so. Giving their eagerness to ban people they'll just take your money and run and you'll never know why. Good luck holding them accountable outside of Canada. Talk to their government and demand that they stop providing government welfare for these low lifes. Maybe they can then sell it to a more competent management team who put the customers first.
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