MY FIRST DAY IN TALES OF PIRATES
Having seen Pirates of the Caribbean Parts 1 and 3 (and half of 2; I closed my eyes during the gross parts) and having read Treasure Island, I felt that I was ready to tackle Tales of Pirates (http://top.igg.com), IGG’s（http://www.igg.com） MMORPG about, well, pirate-y things. What I was not prepared for was how colorful and … dare I say the word? Cute! … Tales of Pirates is! Rather than the expected gloomy quest set aboard a leaky ship full of dirty pirates, Tales of Pirates is bright, cheerful, and fun.
MY CHARACTER
First you choose what type of character you want to play. There are four types of characters — named Lance, Carsise, Phyllis and Ami — to choose from as you personalize your character. Keep in mind as you select your basic character that you will advance to the first class at Level 10, and the second class at Level 41.
Lance is the handsome man of action, but reading over the bio gives you the impression he’s a bit vain. Choose him if you wish to be a Swordsman, Hunter or Explorer. When you reach Level 41 you can train to become a Crusader, Sharpshooter or Voyager.
Carsise is also a Swordsman, but, as the bio says, “he will always be willing to sacrifice his life to protect you!” I noticed that the choices for Carsise are practical but very limited; at Level 10 you become a Swordsman, and at Level 41 a Champion.
Choices for Phyllis include Hunter, Herbalist or Explorer at Level 10, and at Level 41 Sharpshooter, Cleric, Seal Master or Voyager. Her description is a lot like Lance — good looking and ready for adventure.
Ami is an elf, described as being sometimes capricious and sometimes naughty, but always very cute. If you decide on Ami you choose between Herbalist or Explorer, with further choices at Level 41 of Cleric, Seal Master, or Voyager.
While more experienced players would know at once which one to choose, I decided to close my eyes and pick at random; I got Phyllis. The character you choose has a crucial influence on your choices as you advance to the higher levels, so I’m not recommending my method to the serious gamer, but for me it worked just fine.
Next came the fun task of personalizing Phyllis. I gave her the name of Jadeen, and spent several fun minutes trying out hair styles and different faces. (Pink hair? Green hair? Pigtails? Short or long? And what type of face and eyes? I finally settled on long brown hair and what my husband called a boring face. Next character I’ll go wild!)
After selecting hairstyles and other physical characteristics, I chose where Jadeen would start adventuring.
MY BIRTHPLACE
As a newbie, you have a choice of three homelands (Ascaron, Deep Blue, and Magic Ocean), each with its own beginning points and areas of adventure and wonder.
Deep Blue is made up of three large islands — the Spring Island, the Summer Island (home of the Black Dragon) and the Autumn Island. Fair warning: these islands are overrun with animals, monsters and some very hostile aboriginals. Deep Blue also boasts Icicle Castle, a snowy land where rumors claim the Undead roam. Both Hunter and Sharpshooter class changes are available here.
In contrast, Ascaron is a large continent with a few scattered islands. Ascaron is home to the major cities, along with the primary military posts and the home ports of the traders. It’s most prosperous and important port is Argent City. Here people from all over the world gather to barter, trade, buy and sell goods, and here Swordsmen and Explorers come to begin their training. Also located in Ascaron is Thundoria Castle (the military base, which is surrounded by higher-level monsters). Swordsmen, Explorers, Champions and Crusaders all make their start here.
To the southwest of Magical Ocean lies a large continent covered by sand and desert. This land is sparsely populated, unless you count the monsters! The main city is Shaitan City. It is to the Magical Ocean you go to become a Herbalist, Seal Master and Cleric.
There were too many good directions to choose from for my first destination. I decided to play to my strength and again chose at random. Argent City (in Ascaron)! Yes! City life!
After selecting my new homeland, I got to work, or in my case, play.
MY FIRST DAY
Argent City has the feel of a city during a festival. Street vendors are set up on every corner, flowers are in bloom, and the background music is light and perky. My first stop is with Senna, the image consultant for Argent City and over-all fount of knowledge for all things Argent City-wise. Jot her coordinates down; you will be returning to her over and over again.
Side note here: every place in Tales of Pirates has a coordinate listing. When you hit [Alt] [R] and then input the coordinates, a gold arrow appears and guides you to your destination. This is a great boon to directionally-challenged folk like me, although my husband, who knows how to read maps and can tell his left from his right, doesn’t use it.
Immediately I am sent on a mini-quest to Goldie the Blacksmith to deliver a letter, who then sends me back to Senna. Off I go again, this time to Granny Nila the Tailor with another letter, and back again to Senna. Sensing a pattern (what am I, the Post Office?), I realize that I’m being trained to get around the city. Future mini-quests include a visit to Marcusa (outside of the city!) to help him fight off Mini Bees, and to Ditto the Physician, who desperately needs some Octopus Ink.
So far the quests are not too challenging. In addition to the Mini Bees (which buzz threateningly but are remarkably easy to kill), I’ve fought Forest Spirits and Greedy Shrooms (polka-dotted mushrooms that hop). It’s reassuring to know I can take on ten quests at once, as I still haven’t located any Octopi or Octopus ink! And the NPCs assure me that they will guide me away from any creatures that are too ferocious for me, at least until I go up a few more levels.
Ah, you say, all this is well and good. But what equipment have you picked up on the way? Glad you asked! I started out clad only with what looked like underwear (blush!) and that’s all. Fortunately, I was able to score very early on in the game. I started out on Level One with Newbie Shoes with a +2 Defense and Newbie Gloves with +2 Defense, and by Level Seven I had acquired a Novice Shirt with a +4 defense and high Durability. Not only that, but by that time I had three swords, giving me something to trade as well as keep. Not the grandest of equipment, but certainly good enough for what I was facing.
Things I have learned so far:
(1) NPCs with an exclamation mark above their head send me on quests and answer a limited number of questions. (Senna, by far, is the chattiest NPC I’ve found.)
(2) If I get confused about how far I’ve advanced on a particular quest (so, exactly how many bee’s wings have I collected so far?), all I need to do is click on the exclamation mark in the bottom right row of screen icons for a complete update.
(3) I desperately need a notebook to keep track of coordinates and NPCs. My current system of writing names and coordinates on sticky notes is just not working.
(4) The text is very, very tiny! Equip your reading glasses.
After less than an hour of play I’ve grown up to Level 7; at Level 10 I’ll have my choice of either a Normal Quest or a History Quest. I’ve also discovered, but haven’t done anything with, the five different Chat Channels. (Something to keep in mind next time I play!) My main problem has been keeping focused on playing. It’s just too much fun to wander around the city, people-watching. Here’s a man with bright blue hair, sitting in a patch of flowers. There, leaning against a wall, snoozes a warrior in a large hat, with his pet … is that a bat? What is that thing? …hovering nearby. Over there is a vendor with bright orange hair selling heaven key sets, while across the plaza a lady, with wings fluttering, looks over a selection of Fusion Scrolls and juices. Butterflies and other flying creatures flit all about, and fairy gold is suspended everywhere. The whole atmosphere is that of a lighthearted festival, just the place to go after a hard day in the Real World.
You don’t need to buy a subscription to play Tales of Pirates, nor are there any monthly fees. However, you can spruce up your character a bit in the Item Mall, where such diverse items as costumes, pet fairies, your own personal set of wings, and something called Snow Dragon Fruit can be bought through your PayPal account, Western Union, or Google Checkout.
I’d tell you more, but I’ve really got to find that Octopus Ink. And I hear there’s this strange mouse-like looking creature with wings I’d like to meet. See you in Argent City!
Jadeen
