Pirate Vinnie Tales! 3/27/08

[slinkyman]

Originally Posted by StitchMad

Well I hope an 8 year-old can be bothered reading that because I can't.
Let me guess the prize will be a Treasure Dectector Magic Pin Single Use and you need a lot of points on pirates?

Yep.. I sure give out ALL my luck to the 8 year-olds who play.

It was quite interesting in my opinion... It didn't give details about VMK until the very last small paragraph.

Originally Posted by prisoner

While generally interesting, I have to agree with those that say the story was a bit dull to read.

I can't help but feel like VMK missed a massive opportunity here that illustrates how they really don't understand the game that they have. Instead of telling the entire backstory (to what will probably be a quest), why didn't they have all the NPCs give out parts of the story over the past month? Why didn't they make mini-quests that told part of the story leading up to the big quest? Why didn't they make small arcade games that told part of the story?

VMK is a radical new way of telling stories - why didn't they use it to tell this story?

With luck, the quest itself will actually be part of the story and not a lot of random activities leading to the treasure. Here's hoping they've learned their lessons from their practice quests all month!

I personally thought it was a great story. I think this history of Captain Blackheart might help us in this big quest coming up. The story is more suppose to lean toward the legend of Captain Blackheart and not all these "VMK NPCs."

I think this MASSIVE opportunity is just beginning.

[Stemaboat_Tyler]

Oh great. This quest better not be based on that introduction @_@ Anyone know when it'll be out?

[slinkyman]

Originally Posted by Stemaboat_Tyler

Oh great. This quest better not be based on that introduction @_@ Anyone know when it'll be out?

As stated before & in the newsletter:

Starting in a few days, VMK will launch our biggest Quest ever, with rewards beyond your wildest dreams!

[TheMagicWithin]

The quest will probably be at the end of the month, to finish Pirate Month off.

[slinkyman]

Originally Posted by TheMagicWithin

The quest will probably be at the end of the month, to finish Pirate Month off.

The end of the month is in three days...

[TheMagicWithin]

Sometime inbetween now and then

[prisoner]

Originally Posted by slinkyman

I think this history of Captain Blackheart might help us in this big quest coming up.

I think its possible. Better than throwing away a good backstory. Clearly we'll be expected to be searching for his treasure.

The real question will be how well do they integrate it into the game. Will the quest be the only aspect of it? Will there be other and better tie-ins?

For example - is the loading screen supposed to show the Scarlet Sorceress? Will the Pirates game be re-themed to include the Declaration and the Sorceress? Will Blackheart's comments be more in line with the legend?

Originally Posted by slinkyman

The story is more suppose to lean toward the legend of Captain Blackheart and not all these "VMK NPCs."

I think I was unclear. I wasn't proposing that we get a story about all the NPCs. I was proposing that the NPCs be part (and not the only part) of what tells the story about the Legend of Captain Blackheart.

For example, I've mentioned the load screen already. Let's assume it is the Sorceress that is shown there, although the description doesn't quite match the legend. It is a good way to "set the mood" for the rest of the story - think of it as the movie poster. The catch is - we need to know thats what it is. As it stands, its a movie poster for the double credits days instead. What if it said (or said in addition) "Experience the Legend of Captain Blackheart".

I've also suggested that the POTC game should have been changed. What if the ships were renamed without telling us anything? It would create a mood and a mystery... a sense of a story one would tell in the cabins of sailing ships.

And the NPCs would do their share. For example, Gator Waiter could have started at the beginning of the month talking about a lad named James Black and how his parents used to run the Bayou, but as he grew up, he joined the Royal Navy to experience life on the sea.

The story would be picked up by the Yeti a week later, talking about how Black was unhappy with his life in the Navy. He was a common deckhand, and never offered the opportunities to really help his ship. Until one night when the ship was attacked by pirates.

The next week, Ned would talk about how the pirates were from the Scarlett Sorceress, a crew known from England to Africa for the cleverness and ruthlessness of their captain. But Black was just as clever, sneaking aboard the pirate ship in the heat of battle, and capturing the Captain. Just as it looked like the Navy had won the day, the clever pirate crew turned the tables, burning the navy ship to the water, and sparing only Black, who was thrown in the brig.

Finally, Esmeralda would tell how Black grew more experienced among the pirates, eventually becoming the First Mate. On his deathbed, the old captain told Black the location of his great treasure, and made him captain. The crew, however, were not happy about this and mutinied. Black barely escaped with his ship and the map, washing up on a strange shore, and hiding from his crew.

Some minor quests would be included along the way - mostly to direct us to the NPCs to listen to their parts of the tale as it was woven. Adding their own bits to the story. Perhaps a trip to Fantasyland in the Sky to ponder about the pirate ship thats there, always searching for their captain. Or visiting the gallery and pictures of pirates and pirate items there that tell part of the story. Perhaps there would be an arcade game of Black trying to evade capture by his crew.

And of course the newsletter would play its part. Not just making sure we saw the NPCs telling the story and the quests that were part of that legend, but also acting as part of that "movie poster" or "movie preview" effect, building up our excitement about the entire story (not just one quest), and filling in some of the gaps of the story. Perhaps hinting that there was a mystery behind the good Captain... perhaps pointing out that he was the only one not contributing to the story...

Now, they can still do all of these things - and there are many many more that can be done. But it just disappoints me that with all of these different resources in VMK they could have used to tell the entire backstory all month long - they chose to just publish it as a long story in the newsletter.

Originally Posted by slinkyman

I think this MASSIVE opportunity is just beginning.

I'm not so optimistic. To really take advantage of that opportunity, they would have to have a lot more planned than just a single quest. And all they've hinted at so far is that single quest. They haven't even suggested that pirate month will be extended.

The opportunity should have begun at the beginning of the month, building up to a climax with this quest at the end. Its how you tell a story! Building it up bit by bit - breaking it into scenes or chapters that make you want to read more. Leading up to a great finale!

Instead, it feels like the story is being told this week in one huge lump, and will end next week with a quest as it kinda trails off into another months theme. That is the opportunity that I think was lost here.

In a way - I envy VMK. I've been trying for almost 3 years to use VMK to tell various stories, and supplementing those stories with the backstory here on VMKF. I've had no choice - I'm very limited in what I can do with VMK (I can't make an NPC say something, and I'm usually limited to running one room at a time with limited in-game story space). But they don't have that limitation! Compared to us, they have a wide wealth of resources to tell the story in new and innovative ways. So it frustrates me when they don't use all those resources to their advantage.

Looks like I was almost as long as their story. Anyone read all the way down here?

[izzie]

Originally Posted by prisoner

I think its possible. Better than throwing away a good backstory. Clearly we'll be expected to be searching for his treasure.

The real question will be how well do they integrate it into the game. Will the quest be the only aspect of it? Will there be other and better tie-ins?

For example - is the loading screen supposed to show the Scarlet Sorceress? Will the Pirates game be re-themed to include the Declaration and the Sorceress? Will Blackheart's comments be more in line with the legend?



I think I was unclear. I wasn't proposing that we get a story about all the NPCs. I was proposing that the NPCs be part (and not the only part) of what tells the story about the Legend of Captain Blackheart.

For example, I've mentioned the load screen already. Let's assume it is the Sorceress that is shown there, although the description doesn't quite match the legend. It is a good way to "set the mood" for the rest of the story - think of it as the movie poster. The catch is - we need to know thats what it is. As it stands, its a movie poster for the double credits days instead. What if it said (or said in addition) "Experience the Legend of Captain Blackheart".

I've also suggested that the POTC game should have been changed. What if the ships were renamed without telling us anything? It would create a mood and a mystery... a sense of a story one would tell in the cabins of sailing ships.

And the NPCs would do their share. For example, Gator Waiter could have started at the beginning of the month talking about a lad named James Black and how his parents used to run the Bayou, but as he grew up, he joined the Royal Navy to experience life on the sea.

The story would be picked up by the Yeti a week later, talking about how Black was unhappy with his life in the Navy. He was a common deckhand, and never offered the opportunities to really help his ship. Until one night when the ship was attacked by pirates.

The next week, Ned would talk about how the pirates were from the Scarlett Sorceress, a crew known from England to Africa for the cleverness and ruthlessness of their captain. But Black was just as clever, sneaking aboard the pirate ship in the heat of battle, and capturing the Captain. Just as it looked like the Navy had won the day, the clever pirate crew turned the tables, burning the navy ship to the water, and sparing only Black, who was thrown in the brig.

Finally, Esmeralda would tell how Black grew more experienced among the pirates, eventually becoming the First Mate. On his deathbed, the old captain told Black the location of his great treasure, and made him captain. The crew, however, were not happy about this and mutinied. Black barely escaped with his ship and the map, washing up on a strange shore, and hiding from his crew.

Some minor quests would be included along the way - mostly to direct us to the NPCs to listen to their parts of the tale as it was woven. Adding their own bits to the story. Perhaps a trip to Fantasyland in the Sky to ponder about the pirate ship thats there, always searching for their captain. Or visiting the gallery and pictures of pirates and pirate items there that tell part of the story. Perhaps there would be an arcade game of Black trying to evade capture by his crew.

And of course the newsletter would play its part. Not just making sure we saw the NPCs telling the story and the quests that were part of that legend, but also acting as part of that "movie poster" or "movie preview" effect, building up our excitement about the entire story (not just one quest), and filling in some of the gaps of the story. Perhaps hinting that there was a mystery behind the good Captain... perhaps pointing out that he was the only one not contributing to the story...

Now, they can still do all of these things - and there are many many more that can be done. But it just disappoints me that with all of these different resources in VMK they could have used to tell the entire backstory all month long - they chose to just publish it as a long story in the newsletter.



I'm not so optimistic. To really take advantage of that opportunity, they would have to have a lot more planned than just a single quest. And all they've hinted at so far is that single quest. They haven't even suggested that pirate month will be extended.

The opportunity should have begun at the beginning of the month, building up to a climax with this quest at the end. Its how you tell a story! Building it up bit by bit - breaking it into scenes or chapters that make you want to read more. Leading up to a great finale!

Instead, it feels like the story is being told this week in one huge lump, and will end next week with a quest as it kinda trails off into another months theme. That is the opportunity that I think was lost here.

In a way - I envy VMK. I've been trying for almost 3 years to use VMK to tell various stories, and supplementing those stories with the backstory here on VMKF. I've had no choice - I'm very limited in what I can do with VMK (I can't make an NPC say something, and I'm usually limited to running one room at a time with limited in-game story space). But they don't have that limitation! Compared to us, they have a wide wealth of resources to tell the story in new and innovative ways. So it frustrates me when they don't use all those resources to their advantage.

Looks like I was almost as long as their story. Anyone read all the way down here?

Only the last paragraph :p

[slinkyman]

Originally Posted by prisoner

I think its possible. Better than throwing away a good backstory. Clearly we'll be expected to be searching for his treasure.

The real question will be how well do they integrate it into the game. Will the quest be the only aspect of it? Will there be other and better tie-ins?

For example - is the loading screen supposed to show the Scarlet Sorceress? Will the Pirates game be re-themed to include the Declaration and the Sorceress? Will Blackheart's comments be more in line with the legend?

Good predictions but I doubt it. I think the only real tie-in is the character Blackheart and his treasure. VMK has became un-predictable recently, so I guess we will have to wait and find out.

Originally Posted by prisoner

I think I was unclear. I wasn't proposing that we get a story about all the NPCs. I was proposing that the NPCs be part (and not the only part) of what tells the story about the Legend of Captain Blackheart.

For example, I've mentioned the load screen already. Let's assume it is the Sorceress that is shown there, although the description doesn't quite match the legend. It is a good way to "set the mood" for the rest of the story - think of it as the movie poster. The catch is - we need to know thats what it is. As it stands, its a movie poster for the double credits days instead. What if it said (or said in addition) "Experience the Legend of Captain Blackheart".

I've also suggested that the POTC game should have been changed. What if the ships were renamed without telling us anything? It would create a mood and a mystery... a sense of a story one would tell in the cabins of sailing ships.

And the NPCs would do their share. For example, Gator Waiter could have started at the beginning of the month talking about a lad named James Black and how his parents used to run the Bayou, but as he grew up, he joined the Royal Navy to experience life on the sea.

The story would be picked up by the Yeti a week later, talking about how Black was unhappy with his life in the Navy. He was a common deckhand, and never offered the opportunities to really help his ship. Until one night when the ship was attacked by pirates.

The next week, Ned would talk about how the pirates were from the Scarlett Sorceress, a crew known from England to Africa for the cleverness and ruthlessness of their captain. But Black was just as clever, sneaking aboard the pirate ship in the heat of battle, and capturing the Captain. Just as it looked like the Navy had won the day, the clever pirate crew turned the tables, burning the navy ship to the water, and sparing only Black, who was thrown in the brig.

Finally, Esmeralda would tell how Black grew more experienced among the pirates, eventually becoming the First Mate. On his deathbed, the old captain told Black the location of his great treasure, and made him captain. The crew, however, were not happy about this and mutinied. Black barely escaped with his ship and the map, washing up on a strange shore, and hiding from his crew.

Some minor quests would be included along the way - mostly to direct us to the NPCs to listen to their parts of the tale as it was woven. Adding their own bits to the story. Perhaps a trip to Fantasyland in the Sky to ponder about the pirate ship thats there, always searching for their captain. Or visiting the gallery and pictures of pirates and pirate items there that tell part of the story. Perhaps there would be an arcade game of Black trying to evade capture by his crew.

And of course the newsletter would play its part. Not just making sure we saw the NPCs telling the story and the quests that were part of that legend, but also acting as part of that "movie poster" or "movie preview" effect, building up our excitement about the entire story (not just one quest), and filling in some of the gaps of the story. Perhaps hinting that there was a mystery behind the good Captain... perhaps pointing out that he was the only one not contributing to the story...

Now, they can still do all of these things - and there are many many more that can be done. But it just disappoints me that with all of these different resources in VMK they could have used to tell the entire backstory all month long - they chose to just publish it as a long story in the newsletter.

Interesting thoughts... I think instead of doing all that work they decided to just put it into a story on the newsletter, this way they could work on something "big" and not have to worry about other NPCs. (but yet - we don't know what VMK has up their sleeves )

Originally Posted by prisoner

I'm not so optimistic. To really take advantage of that opportunity, they would have to have a lot more planned than just a single quest. And all they've hinted at so far is that single quest. They haven't even suggested that pirate month will be extended.

The opportunity should have begun at the beginning of the month, building up to a climax with this quest at the end. Its how you tell a story! Building it up bit by bit - breaking it into scenes or chapters that make you want to read more. Leading up to a great finale!

Instead, it feels like the story is being told this week in one huge lump, and will end next week with a quest as it kinda trails off into another months theme. That is the opportunity that I think was lost here.

In a way - I envy VMK. I've been trying for almost 3 years to use VMK to tell various stories, and supplementing those stories with the backstory here on VMKF. I've had no choice - I'm very limited in what I can do with VMK (I can't make an NPC say something, and I'm usually limited to running one room at a time with limited in-game story space). But they don't have that limitation! Compared to us, they have a wide wealth of resources to tell the story in new and innovative ways. So it frustrates me when they don't use all those resources to their advantage.

Looks like I was almost as long as their story. Anyone read all the way down here?

Maybe they have more planned then a little quest?

Maybe this is the start of something big/new?

Maybe this will turn out bad?

Maybe this will turn out good?

I guess all these questions will be answered when details/quest comes out.

Originally Posted by prisoner

Looks like I was almost as long as their story. Anyone read all the way down here?

Yes, I did read down to there.

[KrazyLuke]

I thought the story was pointless and boring. Irrelevant maybe also?
That's the end of it.
They should just close VMK and push everyone to other games like they try.
VMK seems to be a never-ending pointless story that will go on and on with its odd way of doing things.

Seems like it's going to be a let down as well. Even if they release something amazing or Flying Carpet Magic- the anticipation isn't the same as it was 2+ years ago.

VMK isn't like it used to be, and thats a FACT

[smalld]

Originally Posted by KrazyLuke

I thought the story was pointless and boring. Irrelevant maybe also?
That's the end of it.
They should just close VMK and push everyone to other games like they try.
VMK seems to be a never-ending pointless story that will go on and on with its odd way of doing things.

Seems like it's going to be a let down as well. Even if they release something amazing or Flying Carpet Magic- the anticipation isn't the same as it was 2+ years ago.

VMK isn't like it used to be, and thats a FACT

Can i ask you a question, Why do you play VMK if it is

never-ending pointless story that will go on and on with its odd way of doing things

? From what i have seen you must play VMK because you just won a award not too long ago.

~Smalld

PS- Flying carpet is the same as 2 years ago maybe even more!

[Disney101]

Originally Posted by KrazyLuke

I thought the story was pointless and boring. Irrelevant maybe also?
That's the end of it.
They should just close VMK and push everyone to other games like they try.
VMK seems to be a never-ending pointless story that will go on and on with its odd way of doing things.

Seems like it's going to be a let down as well. Even if they release something amazing or Flying Carpet Magic- the anticipation isn't the same as it was 2+ years ago.

VMK isn't like it used to be, and thats a FACT

If your so negative about VMK, just leave and quit. o_o

[slinkyman]

Originally Posted by Disney101

If your so negative about VMK, just leave and quit. o_o

[KrazyLuke]

Originally Posted by smalld

Can i ask you a question, Why do you play VMK if it is ? From what i have seen you must play VMK because you just won a award not too long ago.

~Smalld

PS- Flying carpet is the same as 2 years ago maybe even more!

Threads are not made for personal questions. If you have something to ask or say to someone that concerns that person personally than they have a nifty thing on Forums called Private Messages. I am not going to waste my time posting to the public, so you will receive your response through PM soon

[prisoner]

Originally Posted by slinkyman

Good predictions but I doubt it. I think the only real tie-in is the character Blackheart and his treasure. VMK has became un-predictable recently, so I guess we will have to wait and find out.

They weren't so much predictions, but wishes and hopes. They were what I think VMK should be doing to tell this story.

Originally Posted by slinkyman

Interesting thoughts... I think instead of doing all that work they decided to just put it into a story on the newsletter, this way they could work on something "big" and not have to worry about other NPCs. (but yet - we don't know what VMK has up their sleeves )

Oh dear... and the bulk of my proposal wasn't even stuff that would have taken a lot of work. Adjusting the NPCs to say different things isn't (I hope) all that difficult. They changed some of them for pirates month, after all.

And no, we don't know what they have up their sleeves - but its pretty common for them to tip their hand. Building anticipation for things isn't bad.

So combining the two - spending all month building up to a grand finale big thing would have been greatly to their credit. A weak lead-up (with this story) leading to the same big thing would be more disappointing.

Originally Posted by slinkyman

Maybe they have more planned then a little quest?

Maybe this is the start of something big/new?

Maybe this will turn out bad?

Maybe this will turn out good?

I guess all these questions will be answered when details/quest comes out.

It is difficult to imagine that this is the start of something big or new. It is certainly possible, but it more feels like its just an afterthought for this months theme. (There have been minor hints all month that something big was coming - and this might be it. But it always sounded like a single big thing and not the start of something.)

Originally Posted by KrazyLuke

Irrelevant maybe also?

Given everything else we've been told - that seems less likely. It will likely be relevant in some way to the quest.

Originally Posted by KrazyLuke

Seems like it's going to be a let down as well. Even if they release something amazing or Flying Carpet Magic- the anticipation isn't the same as it was 2+ years ago.

Oh dear, doesn't seem that way to me. The anticipation is exactly the same. And the letdown afterwards would be exactly the same as the letdown if they had released it 2+ years ago. Just like the letdown after shark magic. Just like the letdown after space suit magic.

Don't confuse the excitement building up to something with the "ho hum" that people develop afterwards for that same thing. VMK players are fickle like that.

Originally Posted by KrazyLuke

VMK isn't like it used to be, and thats a FACT

VMK isn't like it used to be, and never was.

Actually, VMK is just like it always was - the great thing about VMK was never in the staff - it was always in the players. And it still is. Thats unchanged.