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A sad announcement

AuthorMessage
Commodore
Feb 12, 2015
970
I have something very important to say.

First, let me begin by saying how much I enjoy these games. I have been playing Wizard101 and Pirate101 since I was little, and my family has always known and loved these games since its release. I have played Wizard101 since near the beginning, and I have fond memories of Pirate101's Beta stages.

However, I simply have run out of patience. It has been four years since the release of Valencia Part II, Which itself was somewhat rushed. Four years since then, we have received nothing but half-hearted attempts to keep this game afloat. There are consistent problems in both Wizard101 and Pirate101 that have been left for years. The Cabin Glitch is still here. Companions haven't been improved. No means of progressing further has been presented. There is no reason to wait any further. Time has run out.

It is for this reason that I am sadly announcing that I am retiring indefinitely from Kingsisle Entertainment's games for the near future. I'll still be around, probably checking out Wizard101's latest update, or seeing what we get in September, maybe still chatting sometime, but I no longer have any good hope for this game.

Kingsisle, you have been a very great company with very great games, but as Wizard101 and Pirate101 get older, there have been some glaring holes and signs of an aging game. Your blatant disregard of Pirate101 is no longer acceptable. Your attempts to dodge the subject and not provide any answers are no proof otherwise.

Bat Masterson, I bear no anger at you, but take this message up to Professor Falmea, Ratbeard, Captain Avery or whoever is your superior nowadays: It was your ignorance that made me lose hope. If you presented your ideas, set forth your plans for the future and worked towards them, maybe I would still have reason to hope. Instead, you never shared Pirate101's future with us.

If you can give me reason to hope again, maybe I shall return. But for now I have no other option.

Oh, and the rest of you on the message boards... It's been great being able to chat with you.

Sincerely, Lookit Light. Farewell, for now.

Merciless Brian Ornsley, Level 70

Mini-Light

Dread Pirate
May 27, 2009
2131
Smooth sailing to you, and best wishes for the future!

[omg - still no ship icon...]

Ensign
Jun 12, 2020
11
Lookit Light on Jul 1, 2020 wrote:
I have something very important to say.

First, let me begin by saying how much I enjoy these games. I have been playing Wizard101 and Pirate101 since I was little, and my family has always known and loved these games since its release. I have played Wizard101 since near the beginning, and I have fond memories of Pirate101's Beta stages.

However, I simply have run out of patience. It has been four years since the release of Valencia Part II, Which itself was somewhat rushed. Four years since then, we have received nothing but half-hearted attempts to keep this game afloat. There are consistent problems in both Wizard101 and Pirate101 that have been left for years. The Cabin Glitch is still here. Companions haven't been improved. No means of progressing further has been presented. There is no reason to wait any further. Time has run out.

It is for this reason that I am sadly announcing that I am retiring indefinitely from Kingsisle Entertainment's games for the near future. I'll still be around, probably checking out Wizard101's latest update, or seeing what we get in September, maybe still chatting sometime, but I no longer have any good hope for this game.

Kingsisle, you have been a very great company with very great games, but as Wizard101 and Pirate101 get older, there have been some glaring holes and signs of an aging game. Your blatant disregard of Pirate101 is no longer acceptable. Your attempts to dodge the subject and not provide any answers are no proof otherwise.

Bat Masterson, I bear no anger at you, but take this message up to Professor Falmea, Ratbeard, Captain Avery or whoever is your superior nowadays: It was your ignorance that made me lose hope. If you presented your ideas, set forth your plans for the future and worked towards them, maybe I would still have reason to hope. Instead, you never shared Pirate101's future with us.

If you can give me reason to hope again, maybe I shall return. But for now I have no other option.

Oh, and the rest of you on the message boards... It's been great being able to chat with you.

Sincerely, Lookit Light. Farewell, for now.

Merciless Brian Ornsley, Level 70

Mini-Light
I (and I'm sure every single person who plays it) totally understand. And the saddest thing is that in a way I hope the moderaters are human so that they could see this and all our other pleas but I also hope they are just automated so that its not that they are seeing them and not at least telling someone . They apparently don't understand (either Kingsisle or Pirate101 whoever is responsible for being able to update it) that they are losing out on a TON of money, especially with people giving up on it. I don't have the heart to especially because I want to be with my boys Kobe and Lucky (and the others of course lol). I've tried messaging them on facebook about it but its like none of them care (someone prove me wrong please!)...they keep deleting and not even responding to my messages 99% of the time. I hope to meet you out in the skyways someday, hopefully not too far into the future.

Farewell for now and good hunting mate

Brave Kiley Noble, Level 36

Bosun
Aug 10, 2011
304
Lookit Light on Jul 1, 2020 wrote:
I have something very important to say.

First, let me begin by saying how much I enjoy these games. I have been playing Wizard101 and Pirate101 since I was little, and my family has always known and loved these games since its release. I have played Wizard101 since near the beginning, and I have fond memories of Pirate101's Beta stages.

However, I simply have run out of patience. It has been four years since the release of Valencia Part II, Which itself was somewhat rushed. Four years since then, we have received nothing but half-hearted attempts to keep this game afloat. There are consistent problems in both Wizard101 and Pirate101 that have been left for years. The Cabin Glitch is still here. Companions haven't been improved. No means of progressing further has been presented. There is no reason to wait any further. Time has run out.

It is for this reason that I am sadly announcing that I am retiring indefinitely from Kingsisle Entertainment's games for the near future. I'll still be around, probably checking out Wizard101's latest update, or seeing what we get in September, maybe still chatting sometime, but I no longer have any good hope for this game.

Kingsisle, you have been a very great company with very great games, but as Wizard101 and Pirate101 get older, there have been some glaring holes and signs of an aging game. Your blatant disregard of Pirate101 is no longer acceptable. Your attempts to dodge the subject and not provide any answers are no proof otherwise.

Bat Masterson, I bear no anger at you, but take this message up to Professor Falmea, Ratbeard, Captain Avery or whoever is your superior nowadays: It was your ignorance that made me lose hope. If you presented your ideas, set forth your plans for the future and worked towards them, maybe I would still have reason to hope. Instead, you never shared Pirate101's future with us.

If you can give me reason to hope again, maybe I shall return. But for now I have no other option.

Oh, and the rest of you on the message boards... It's been great being able to chat with you.

Sincerely, Lookit Light. Farewell, for now.

Merciless Brian Ornsley, Level 70

Mini-Light
I wish you farewell. If at any point you make your full return, the community here will wait for you with open arms!

Ensign
Mar 09, 2018
4
Commodore
Feb 12, 2015
970
chiliman05 on Jul 4, 2020 wrote:
I wish you farewell. If at any point you make your full return, the community here will wait for you with open arms!
Thank you and everyone else for your kind words. I wish I could stay, too. But I'm following through on what I said. After so many years, I feel Pirate101 is finally on its deathbed.

Miwais1 is right. I can easily forgive and forget a small hiatus in attention. But if that hiatus lasts four years, with no clear reason why, and Kingsisle's management actively avoiding the subject altogether, it has crushed everyone. They are treating Pirate101 like they are their mobile games, trying to keep it afloat with minimal effort while simultaneously trying to get as much as they can. (And I'll admit, it worked with me for a bit... Nikeeta was a waste of Crowns.)

With this blatent disregard, my reasons for leaving are not unfortunate. They're perfectly understandable. Pirate101 is not Alphacat. Pirate101 is not Rise & Destroy. Pirate101 is not Everclicker or Animal Cove or any other mobile game. Pirate101, at its peak, was a fully functional, respectable, and most importantly enjoyable MMORPG game with a loyal and loving fanbase numbering tens of thousands, even outside America (Some proof? I'm Canadian). It was that now-rare game that could please all ages and peoples and had a true connection with its players.

Those who originally developed this game must have spent countless hours and millions of dollars developing this. Are they really going to throw all that love, all that beauty, all that money away just because they want to put it into Wizard101? Even when this game, struggling to survive, still has so much potential? Even now, when I am leaving, I am desperate that that isn't the case.

And to be clear, I'm not blaming all of Kingsisle for this. Bat Masterson didn't cause this. Vanessa Mythdust didn't cause this. One-eyed Jack didn't cause this. I wholly and sincerely blame Kingsisle's management for this entire catastrophe. If they are reading this, it is your fault that Pirate101 has died. You have had who knows how many chances for redemption, and you have passed over all of them. For that, you have lost my trust in you.

If Kingsisle plans on reconciling with what little of us are left, their last good opportunity has already passed. But if they still want to, they had better start right now.

And I'll say something again to the others on the message boards. Whatever you do from here, know that I have enjoyed my time here with you.

This may be one of my last messages on here for a long while. Smooth sailing to you all, and may the Spiral fare you well...

Commodore
Feb 12, 2015
970
Any parting words for a disappointed fan, Kingsisle?

Administrator
Lookit Light on Jul 10, 2020 wrote:
Any parting words for a disappointed fan, Kingsisle?
Hi Lookit Light!

I wish you would stay as you are one of the bright energetic players posting that we've noticed. We very much appreciate your contributions. I will understand though if you do take a break at least, given that we haven't been able to update the game to the community's satisfaction.

I would love to be able to say we had another book coming, but we don't. Our latest producer's letter still stands as the state of the game today. The community's feedback and suggestions for existing content are still being received and reviewed of course.

Look at the bright spot in this community, and it's the community itself. Our community team does a lot to help you all out, including providing giveaway codes and organizing contests and events. There are streamers and YouTubers that we aid in this way as well. As long as you all care about each other and the existing efforts in the game, that's what really matters.

I hope you will stay with the community Lookit Light, or at least come visit from time to time to see what's up. We'd like to see you around, and I'd like to think I can rely on your interest in the game to help lead the rest of the community, especially any new players that join.

Commodore
Feb 12, 2015
970
Bat Masterson on Jul 10, 2020 wrote:
Hi Lookit Light!

I wish you would stay as you are one of the bright energetic players posting that we've noticed. We very much appreciate your contributions. I will understand though if you do take a break at least, given that we haven't been able to update the game to the community's satisfaction.

I would love to be able to say we had another book coming, but we don't. Our latest producer's letter still stands as the state of the game today. The community's feedback and suggestions for existing content are still being received and reviewed of course.

Look at the bright spot in this community, and it's the community itself. Our community team does a lot to help you all out, including providing giveaway codes and organizing contests and events. There are streamers and YouTubers that we aid in this way as well. As long as you all care about each other and the existing efforts in the game, that's what really matters.

I hope you will stay with the community Lookit Light, or at least come visit from time to time to see what's up. We'd like to see you around, and I'd like to think I can rely on your interest in the game to help lead the rest of the community, especially any new players that join.
What a glowing description of me, Bat Masterson. Thank you for your kind words.

Sadly, I do still intend on leaving Kingsisle for the near future. I've already said why. Make no mistake, I love this game and enjoy your closeness with your community, and the closeness that the community has with itself. Having community connection is probably one of the reasons Kingsisle's MMO's have been so long-lived in the first place.

However, in order to survive, a game also needs attention, maintenance, and improvements or advancements that occur on a respectable basis. Look at the past four years. What has gone into this game? After Valencia Part II (which was itself a bit rushed, but I can excuse that since I know you were tight on resources at the time), the updates started to diminish. Skeleton Key bosses were fun at first, but they quickly faded into obscurity and repeatedly farming them became dull. Virtually all the mounts we've received have been copy-and-pasted from Wizard101 (Including those Clockwork Steeds you added recently). All the pets are just reskins of others.

And look at the bugs and inconsistencies! There have been virtually no fixes to those! We've been begging for the Cabin Glitch to be fixed for years, and yet little has been done! The others here could name several other issues that have been left hanging for just as long. I've heard the excuse that Pirate101's code is more complicate than Wizard's, but that doesn't excuse leaving them this long. Some of them could likely be fixed in a matter of days, but instead they've been left for years.

And about still being at the spot since your last Producer's Letter. That absolutely BLOWS MY MIND. That producers letter was released in December. It is now July. Kingsisle's development team has had half a year to do something. That sounds like more than enough time at least get started on something big. I seem to remember that the big Marleybone/Aquila update took about a year's time to develop and release to the public. During that time, there was communication between Kingsisle and the community on its progress.

Compare that to now. You're saying that you are still at a position that you were in last December. During that time, there has been no communication with us on any such updates, including those content and activity updates that have been promised in past newsletters, despite your insistence that they are "coming soon." This has been give or take your argument four the past four years of Pirate101's life. During that time, I would estimate that there would be more than enough time for at least two updates of a similar scale to Marleybone/Aquila if proper time and resources were allocated to Pirate101. Instead all you can claim to is some small things released every September that don't mean much in the long run.

Why have they done this? Forgive me if this seems to come out horribly wrong, but I would attribute it to simple ignorance. Not from you, Bat Masterson, but from your superiors. It is the belief of me and my family that the current heads of Kingsisle have failed to pay attention to Pirate101. They have cut off communication with a fanbase that, until very recently, adored them and trusted their decisions. Who but yourself has talked to us recently, Bat Masterson? They have denied that Pirate101 is in any trouble. And they have broken their promises. The promised updates that never came. The issues that you and other staff said would be resolved have had no progress. And remember the June KI Live? You promised (in response to a post that I myself asked you specifically) that all KI Lives would be 'an equal mixture of Wizard101 and Pirate101 gameplay.' But the past two KI Lives have been nothing but Wizard101.

This is why I am leaving. It is not just because I have given up, but also because your own superiors have refused to listen or acknowledge Pirate101. It is because their actions, done very deliberately, have severed their ties with us. I want to keep believing, but for the moment I cannot. If this disappoints you, Bat Masterson, I understand. It disappoints me too to have to say this. The community interaction and events are great, but no game can survive without decent updates and fixes. If you can prove to me that these can still be provided, then I shall return. And I'll make sure to check out what you do in this year's update.

But for now... I cannot support this kind of neglect towards Pirate101.