Allods Online

I've always been a huge fan of games that completely break out of the mold and present a fresh, enjoyable experience. Three Rings Design has managed to do just that, and I think it went a little something like this:

1. Introduce players to an enormous world of islands interconnected by trade routes. Bring the islands to a boil until they each have their own unique economies, entirely fueled by the players that inhabit them. Bring the heat down to medium-low and simmer until there are player-run shops, player-built houses, and lively inns in which pirates can play games head-to-head and even create and join tournaments.

2. Populate the sea with NPC ships, both pirates and navy. Add player-built ships exploring, trading from island to island, and even taking part in a little bit of pillaging. Remove from heat.

3. Since combat is often stale in most MMOs cooked by other designers, try to add a new flavor. On second thought, completely switch cooking methods. Instead of having players activate a boring 'attack mode' and watch as they character slugs away, have combat played out entirely through puzzles. For ship-to-ship battles, each player must man different stations on the ship. The bilge, for instance, must be accomplished through a variation of Bejeweled. Other stations include sailing, carpentry, gunning, and navigation. The collective effort of the entire crew determines the ships success in battle, shown by an onscreen grid.

4. Once the game has browned, you are ready to work on the player-to-player combat. Add chopped Tetris. Stir occasionally. Whether simply brawling in the inn between a few pirates, or out on the sea in a battle between several dozen land lubbers, player combat is carried out through a 'sword fighting' puzzle. This puzzle is similar to Tetris, but players must use "sword pieces" to break up colored bunches. These are then dropped onto your opponent in the form of hindering blocks. The sword you own even determines your drop pattern, which encourages players to save up money, pieces of eight, in order to purchase a new sword-from a player-run ironsmith of course.

5. Prepare player economy. Add employment. Stir until players can work at a variety of different shops including alchemists, shipwrights, and distilleries. Many of these shops have their own puzzles which players must do in order to earn money. This, in turn, will complete labor on items that have been ordered in a shop. An alternative to manually working in a shop is to simply apply. Once you are officially employed at a shop, your labor is added up in real-time. Logged off, you still accumulate labor at these shops up to a maximum of 24 per day. Of course, it is much more interesting to actually play the puzzles-alchemy is my personal favorite. You'll also increase your skill in the game from basic to skilled to expert. Your pirate's skill determines what kind of labor you automatically produce at the shops where you are employed. Having a higher skill level ensures you make the most money possible each day. Of course, those pirates not too keen on working for a living can spend all of their time at sea. Watch out for scurvy, though.

6. Dress pirates in various piratey fashions. Stir mixture to prevent thickening. Clothes range from rags and simple bandanas to elaborate suits and traditional pirate hats. Each article of clothing can be customized with a primary and secondary color when you order it from a shop. Certain colors will cost more than others, while some colors, such as gold, will be extremely expensive. Other items which can be ordered from player-run shops for your pirates include: swords, mugs (for use in the drinking game puzzle), ships, potions, paint, and other commodities. You can even order furniture to place in your home. Items range from decorative, to practical-lights or games.

7. Separate the elements into different pots to prevent confusion. Wash your spoon! Players can take part in as little or as much of this complex economy as they like. Simply hopping on board a ship as a 'jobber' is perfectly fine. Travel the seas and accumulate your piratey wealth by stealing it from others. Or, you can join a crew and ascend through the ranks of pirate-society. You can even become a captain and buy your own ship! Drain and allow to air-dry.

8. While drying, toss tournaments until mixed thoroughly. Add sword fighting, drinking, and treasure-drop tournaments to the inns. Allow players to create their own, specifying entry fees as well as bonus pools for winners. If prize pools are large enough, announce tournament to the entire ocean to ensure maximum participation. While waiting for a match in a tournament, pirates can simply go about their business. They will be warned when a match is about to begin and then automatically taken to the puzzle screen. Afterwards, they are returned to their original location. Participating in tournaments is a great way to increase your skill in the different puzzles (in the same way as with the employment puzzles) and to earn pieces of eight.

9. Mix community into boiling water. Add tightly knit crews as well as an enormous support-base, including a Wikipedia-type encyclopedia for all things Puzzle Pirates. The puzzle-based atmosphere of the game seems to ensure that only mature players stick around very long. In the end, there are some pretty great people to meet and play with. The crew system allows players to work together on a ship. Crews can even ally under a flag to form a fleet of ships.

10. Add cartoon-like, colorful graphics and a dash of paprika for flavor. Let the entire game-world consist of this bubbly, lego-esque style. The end result is a fun looking game that doesn't need a great PC to run well. Even battles with several dozen pirates run flawlessly.

11. For the interface, combine easy to recognize buttons, a tab-based sidebar, and comprehensive in-game help file. While the movement may appear jittery at times, it doesn't detract from game play since walking around is merely for show and social reasons. You can basically 'warp' anywhere you like on an island via the minimap, or take a ferry to different islands. If a ferry isn't available, one swig of a whisking potion will 'whisk' you away to any island you need to go. These need to be ordered from an alchemist, however.

12. Let entire mixture sit to cool before adding two separate server types for subscription variety. One based on a monthly fee; another as a 'pay-as-you-go' system called 'Dubloons.' Add a slew of piratey talk, regular player events and contests, and serve!