Pirates of the Burning Sea isn’t a new title (originaly it was scheduled for release this January) but news of the game has all but ceased since January. Way back in November the devteam announced a rework of the graphics engine, and well.. just look (click for larger images):

So if that has your attention then get this: A massive online game where you control a pirate ship n’crew sailing the Carribean in the 1700’s. You can side with the the French, English or Spanish, purchase ships from sloops to man-of-wars, and take missions to persue/capture NPC personalities , blockade ports, hijack shipping, etc. The map consists of towns that your country can capture from the other player factions. The end goal is to conquer a marjority of the region’s ports, at which time the map will reset and conquering starts anew. The ongoing metagame provides extra context beyond the normal MMORPG Quest-engine (which is also part of the game).

Combat takes place in real time. Steer your ship to gain wind advantage over your opponents, bring them into position and angle your ship just right for cannon volleys. Assign priorities for your crew to reload cannons or repair damage to you ships hull and sails. There’s two tactical games that make up combat - position your ship against your opponents to avoid or deal damage, and also the mantain of your ship so that it can best serve the combat needs of your group. I’m sure the “fight or flight” question will often present itself in this game, and instead of simply running away as in most MMORPGs, you’ll actually have to work toward the goal of escape (fix hull leaks, repair sails, repulse ships attempting to board you, etc).

Beyond that the game has this notion of NPCs who are your entourage:

“Our mission system gives you a starring role in your own epic. Each player accumulates a personal supporting cast of NPCs, including old enemies, new friends, lost loves, and treacherous allies. No two players have the same cast, and their stories will take them to different places and fight in different battles. And since each NPC can have multiple roles, the pirate who is your arch-nemesis may be the good friend and ally of an enemy player. Your long-lost cousin may turn out to be your best friend’s sweetheart - or a treacherous spy! We bring the plot twists and the bold adventure of classic adventure fiction to life every time you play.” — http://www.burningsea.com/features.php

Back in the day Burning Sea promised user generated content. Design your own sail style and logo, email it to the support team for approval, and then it would be available to you in-game. It now seems the product is in a more advanced stage, so perhaps this feature is missing, but it still seems like the developers are down to earth and have a grasp on what the community finds fun.

Tack (get it?) on an interesting marketing game of sea trade,and the game draws in the Eve: Second Genesis crowd. I’m not convinced Burning Sea will be a huge hit, but for someone who wants to get away from the turn based combat of MUD-centered MMORPGS (World of Warcraft, Everquest, etc), the the game should be a great breath of fresh air. I’m currently enjoying the rework of Sid Meir’s Pirates! (a gift from Russ and Christina for my brithday– thank you), and Burning seems to be a perfect MMO extension of the Priates! formula that has worked for 15 years. I’m excited.

The game doesn’t have a release date yet, but I would assume it ships sometime this year. For further information and screenshots check out the Pirates of the Burning Sea homepage.