Forum discussions are now taking place on Discord. For all account questions and concerns, please continue to contact Customer Support directly.

Keep updated on Pirate101 on Twitter @Pirate101, Facebook, Discord, and @KI_Alerts!

 Search  Updated Topics  Hottest Topics  Rules

Latest Test Realm is great but where is the story?

1
AuthorMessage
Petty Officer
May 13, 2010
82
So I got all excited that the test realm is up and running, but when I was reviewing the content I noticed no story expansion? It has been over a year and a half since the last one, and to be honest I feel kind of let down with this latest update. The black market sounds interesting but I really want to fight the Armada again I was hoping to be exploring new worlds during the Christmas break but it now looks like that is not going to happen Hopefully the live event on the 20th will shed some light on whats going on.

The P101 community has been very patient but it's about time for a story expansion and level increase

Also, if you are paying an annual membership you have paid for pets and now a black market in two years. That is a very expensive purchase, which some may view as not being worth it

Hopefully KI will prove me wrong and have a new world by Christmas, I would be more than happy to publicly apologize for this post if that does happen
Gunner's Mate
Jan 06, 2011
228
I totally agree with you. I understand that creating new story content takes time but, as 1 Pirate Dad said, it has been over a year and a half since the last story update. And no, I don't consider the Skull Island expansion because three new quests does not constitute a story update.

I had dropped my membership for a year and only recently picked it back up again, because the game is so awesome and I wanted to play again. Please make it worth my while by releasing some more story soon.
Captain
Oct 16, 2012
619
1 Pirate Dad on Nov 20, 2014 wrote:
So I got all excited that the test realm is up and running, but when I was reviewing the content I noticed no story expansion? It has been over a year and a half since the last one, and to be honest I feel kind of let down with this latest update. The black market sounds interesting but I really want to fight the Armada again I was hoping to be exploring new worlds during the Christmas break but it now looks like that is not going to happen Hopefully the live event on the 20th will shed some light on whats going on.

The P101 community has been very patient but it's about time for a story expansion and level increase

Also, if you are paying an annual membership you have paid for pets and now a black market in two years. That is a very expensive purchase, which some may view as not being worth it

Hopefully KI will prove me wrong and have a new world by Christmas, I would be more than happy to publicly apologize for this post if that does happen
KI is using these updates as a fun and good way to keep us occupied as they continue work on what I believe will be a 2-3 world update. An update as large as that takes a ton of time to make, and KI wants to make a quality update. Just give them some time, and good things will come!
Ensign
Oct 20, 2011
20
I was also really saddened to see that there wasn't a story expansion, but that doesn't mean there isn't one! KI could be holding the update and maybe have taken out or locked up access to the next world if it comes out next patch. Like its hidden and we cant get to you. So there still is the chance we will get a story expansion next "major" patch. Or the patch coming out is a minor winter patch and another major one comes out in spring? All we can do is wait, and pray, and farm for gold, and find any leaks of info in the test realm, and have fun of coarse!
Captain
Dec 01, 2012
607
1 Pirate Dad on Nov 20, 2014 wrote:
So I got all excited that the test realm is up and running, but when I was reviewing the content I noticed no story expansion? It has been over a year and a half since the last one, and to be honest I feel kind of let down with this latest update. The black market sounds interesting but I really want to fight the Armada again I was hoping to be exploring new worlds during the Christmas break but it now looks like that is not going to happen Hopefully the live event on the 20th will shed some light on whats going on.

The P101 community has been very patient but it's about time for a story expansion and level increase

Also, if you are paying an annual membership you have paid for pets and now a black market in two years. That is a very expensive purchase, which some may view as not being worth it

Hopefully KI will prove me wrong and have a new world by Christmas, I would be more than happy to publicly apologize for this post if that does happen
I reinstate what I always state:

As long as a new book comes by the Month of May in the year 2015,I'm happy and satisified

Blind Mew said that even though he doesn't talk schedule,it'd be weird,even for him,if it took another year.
So rest assured,that it will come by then!

And I can wait that long.
Admiral
Nov 23, 2011
1407
Are you sure it has been a year and a half since the last expansion? The game itself was only released slightly over two years ago! I'm pretty sure it took more than six months for the big expansion.

I too look forward eagerly for the next expansion - but that shouldn't distract us from the fact that the new changes are really nifty, and include things we have been clamoring for since almost day 1.

-Indigo
Petty Officer
May 13, 2010
82
The Hoodoo Master on Nov 20, 2014 wrote:
I reinstate what I always state:

As long as a new book comes by the Month of May in the year 2015,I'm happy and satisified

Blind Mew said that even though he doesn't talk schedule,it'd be weird,even for him,if it took another year.
So rest assured,that it will come by then!

And I can wait that long.
Hoodoo Master,
I understand these updates gives KI more time to complete the story expansion. I do have a personal objectives as to why I was hoping the new world is released in Dec.

I started playing W101 with my kids and then switched to P101 because it was easier for them to understand, play, and I liked the format better. So the three of us would sit together and play the game.

Because of the time between worlds my kids have become bored of playing and the other games are much more violent. Some I wont even let them play regardless of the constant pleading.

I am in the military and have received notification of an upcoming deployment for an extended amount of time. I was hoping the expansion would be released so I could play the game with my kids again. Unfortunately, I will soon be living in a place just as hot as Krokotopia and will have to wait until I get back.

Obviously I will do other things with them before I leave but it's fun watching the expression from my kids when we are fighting the armada together

So I know KI wants to continue to make a great game, and I cannot be mad at them for that. I was just disappointing that the timing did not work out to see the next world and I could not experience it with the Kiddos.
Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
1 Pirate Dad on Nov 21, 2014 wrote:
Hoodoo Master,
I understand these updates gives KI more time to complete the story expansion. I do have a personal objectives as to why I was hoping the new world is released in Dec.

I started playing W101 with my kids and then switched to P101 because it was easier for them to understand, play, and I liked the format better. So the three of us would sit together and play the game.

Because of the time between worlds my kids have become bored of playing and the other games are much more violent. Some I wont even let them play regardless of the constant pleading.

I am in the military and have received notification of an upcoming deployment for an extended amount of time. I was hoping the expansion would be released so I could play the game with my kids again. Unfortunately, I will soon be living in a place just as hot as Krokotopia and will have to wait until I get back.

Obviously I will do other things with them before I leave but it's fun watching the expression from my kids when we are fighting the armada together

So I know KI wants to continue to make a great game, and I cannot be mad at them for that. I was just disappointing that the timing did not work out to see the next world and I could not experience it with the Kiddos.
Thank you for your service and the sacrifice of leaving your family for an extended period. I hope and my prayer is that you will soon be state-side and engage in many fun hours playing P101! I was hoping for at least a tiny hint that new content would be on it's way.
Gunner's Mate
Jan 06, 2011
228
Indigo Ring on Nov 21, 2014 wrote:
Are you sure it has been a year and a half since the last expansion? The game itself was only released slightly over two years ago! I'm pretty sure it took more than six months for the big expansion.

I too look forward eagerly for the next expansion - but that shouldn't distract us from the fact that the new changes are really nifty, and include things we have been clamoring for since almost day 1.

-Indigo
The game was released in October 2012. The Marleybone & Aquila expansion came out in May 2013, 7 months after release. It is now November 2014, 18 months since then. So yes, it has been a year and a half with no major story updates.
Lieutenant
Feb 15, 2014
140
GiNgErBoSs on Nov 20, 2014 wrote:
I was also really saddened to see that there wasn't a story expansion, but that doesn't mean there isn't one! KI could be holding the update and maybe have taken out or locked up access to the next world if it comes out next patch. Like its hidden and we cant get to you. So there still is the chance we will get a story expansion next "major" patch. Or the patch coming out is a minor winter patch and another major one comes out in spring? All we can do is wait, and pray, and farm for gold, and find any leaks of info in the test realm, and have fun of coarse!
alright crew
aim for the data walls and find the new storyline
Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
1 Pirate Dad on Nov 21, 2014 wrote:
Hoodoo Master,
I understand these updates gives KI more time to complete the story expansion. I do have a personal objectives as to why I was hoping the new world is released in Dec.

I started playing W101 with my kids and then switched to P101 because it was easier for them to understand, play, and I liked the format better. So the three of us would sit together and play the game.

Because of the time between worlds my kids have become bored of playing and the other games are much more violent. Some I wont even let them play regardless of the constant pleading.

I am in the military and have received notification of an upcoming deployment for an extended amount of time. I was hoping the expansion would be released so I could play the game with my kids again. Unfortunately, I will soon be living in a place just as hot as Krokotopia and will have to wait until I get back.

Obviously I will do other things with them before I leave but it's fun watching the expression from my kids when we are fighting the armada together

So I know KI wants to continue to make a great game, and I cannot be mad at them for that. I was just disappointing that the timing did not work out to see the next world and I could not experience it with the Kiddos.
You and your family's sacrifice is beyond appreciated and I could not be more proud of you and your fellow warriors of our freedom. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I really hope something happens in storyline release in time for you to enjoy with your kidlets. I have no idea if it is even possible to have WiFi in deploy areas, I know that skype type calls happen, is there a way to have gaming for those warriors in rest and regeneration mode? Then you could play the game with your loved ones no matter how far away you are protecting them.
First Mate
Mar 30, 2011
483
I'm pretty sure that the next world will come early next year, I think that KingsIsle has just been making tweaks to the game for advanced gameplay and have released these update to keep us busy for the release of the next worlds, who knows maybe they will release 5 books? Maybe not but always have hope aye?
Captain
Dec 01, 2012
607
1 Pirate Dad on Nov 21, 2014 wrote:
Hoodoo Master,
I understand these updates gives KI more time to complete the story expansion. I do have a personal objectives as to why I was hoping the new world is released in Dec.

I started playing W101 with my kids and then switched to P101 because it was easier for them to understand, play, and I liked the format better. So the three of us would sit together and play the game.

Because of the time between worlds my kids have become bored of playing and the other games are much more violent. Some I wont even let them play regardless of the constant pleading.

I am in the military and have received notification of an upcoming deployment for an extended amount of time. I was hoping the expansion would be released so I could play the game with my kids again. Unfortunately, I will soon be living in a place just as hot as Krokotopia and will have to wait until I get back.

Obviously I will do other things with them before I leave but it's fun watching the expression from my kids when we are fighting the armada together

So I know KI wants to continue to make a great game, and I cannot be mad at them for that. I was just disappointing that the timing did not work out to see the next world and I could not experience it with the Kiddos.
*Big Chrissy Hug*

I am very happy to hear you and your kids have the opportunity to spend at least some time together.I can understand completely,after all,during the war,most men were separated from their families for a period of 4 years,and I know quite a few who didn't make it out in one piece but that's a story for another time.

I can't say much,for I'm not a KI employee.And I can't say much,because I'm the Not-A-Lot-Of-Things-Bug-Me kind of player.

I can't wait to meet you guys some day in the Spiral,and blessings and giggles on you!

In the meantime enjoy the ''sock'' of farming as Valkoor put it and the ''box'' of new system stuff.

Thank you for playing this game and being a kind member of this community.

As hot as Krokotopia?LOL,Utah?
Gunner's Mate
May 13, 2009
232
If this new update comes to live in december, then the new world content is going to have to come out in January or later since there is only one update per month so far in the history of both games. (updates that include the test realm). It does not mean that the test realm for new worlds will not come in January, but it could be mid december or sooner. Well, thats just what I think.
Gunner's Mate
Jan 06, 2011
228
EMC99 on Nov 22, 2014 wrote:
If this new update comes to live in december, then the new world content is going to have to come out in January or later since there is only one update per month so far in the history of both games. (updates that include the test realm). It does not mean that the test realm for new worlds will not come in January, but it could be mid december or sooner. Well, thats just what I think.
As much as I want more story content, I don't expect the great folks at KI to work through the holiday period. So, unless they surprise us and open up new worlds with this update, it probably will be later than January.
Ensign
Jul 21, 2010
45
The Hoodoo Master on Nov 20, 2014 wrote:
I reinstate what I always state:

As long as a new book comes by the Month of May in the year 2015,I'm happy and satisified

Blind Mew said that even though he doesn't talk schedule,it'd be weird,even for him,if it took another year.
So rest assured,that it will come by then!

And I can wait that long.
What do you mean by book....? If you mean the reading kind, 'The Heir' is coming out May of 2015 and I am so excited! If you don't... then I have no idea what you're talking about.
Ensign
Jul 21, 2010
45
1 Pirate Dad on Nov 21, 2014 wrote:
Hoodoo Master,
I understand these updates gives KI more time to complete the story expansion. I do have a personal objectives as to why I was hoping the new world is released in Dec.

I started playing W101 with my kids and then switched to P101 because it was easier for them to understand, play, and I liked the format better. So the three of us would sit together and play the game.

Because of the time between worlds my kids have become bored of playing and the other games are much more violent. Some I wont even let them play regardless of the constant pleading.

I am in the military and have received notification of an upcoming deployment for an extended amount of time. I was hoping the expansion would be released so I could play the game with my kids again. Unfortunately, I will soon be living in a place just as hot as Krokotopia and will have to wait until I get back.

Obviously I will do other things with them before I leave but it's fun watching the expression from my kids when we are fighting the armada together

So I know KI wants to continue to make a great game, and I cannot be mad at them for that. I was just disappointing that the timing did not work out to see the next world and I could not experience it with the Kiddos.
Thank you for your service.
Developer
Oh. You guys want more story? Why didn't you say so sooner? We had no idea.

Of course we know that many of you are waiting for more story. We have many different teams and skill sets working on Pirate-- designers, programmers, and many different kinds of artists-- concept artists, character artists, environment artists, FX artists, UI artists... While we continue to work on the next story update, we have bandwidth in other disciplines to continue to deliver other kinds of updates to you guys. It is not a case of giving you one kind of content in exchange for another. Story advancements are very art intensive, and that frees up other resources (like design and programming) to build additional side content with lighter art requirements.

It is also important to remember that our player base forms a kind of pyramid. At the top of the pyramid are all of the players who have reached the end cap and are waiting on more story. But below that point, there are more and more and more players who have not reached the end of the story yet. The farther down the pyramid you go, the more players there are. Part of the reason for that is because not all players advance to the end content at the same rate. And part of the reason for that is because new players join the Spiral every day. There will always be more players at the bottom of the pyramid than there are at the top. We build all our games for the long term, with the knowledge that, in fact, there are more players out there who have never played the game before than have ever played the game so far.

So we will continue to build up the game with side content, not only to support that broad base of the pyramid, but to make that base even wider. Pets, PvP, the Black Market, Crafting-- you can expect to see all of these things, a few more things that you can guess at, and a lot of cool things you can't even guess are coming.

And of course we will continue to advance the story as well.
Dread Pirate
Jun 13, 2011
2037
I think I can remind you of what Blind Mew spoke of before in his post about the main storyline's progress...

"Each update, finite resources forces us to make a choice: extend the game (higher level cap, big new chunks of content), or improve the game (add new systems and activities, tighten up gameplay). We can't do both. Wizard101 alternates between the two, and I can't argue with the results. We're following the same plan."

The latest update is not an extension update. Rather, an improvement update, and not to mention another one at that, & the best extension update yet. I do wish the P101 team could be large enough to follow both plans at once... one day. Wouldn't we all? Until then, they're still going with switching between these kind of updates in their plans.

True enough, it's been over a year since we've had new main storyline adventures, but to remind you, they're still doing their best to alleviate our boredom while we still wait for Book 15 to come out. I wouldn't be surprised if they would release 2 Books in one extension update again like before, rather than only one. If they went with releasing 3 Books, or maybe more, at once... well, wouldn't THAT be going far enough for them, now, would it? This wait is not exactly like matching the very extensively long wait of another major story arc world in Wizard101 all over again or anything like it. I know that was a very long wait to W101's players to continue their adventures, but that long wait was worth all the fun they've had as much as the W101 team had creating them.

Just keep being patient. I know we were all eager to keep on going with more adventures, but, we can wait a little longer.
Dread Pirate
Jun 13, 2011
2037
Rainbow0839 on Nov 23, 2014 wrote:
What do you mean by book....? If you mean the reading kind, 'The Heir' is coming out May of 2015 and I am so excited! If you don't... then I have no idea what you're talking about.
Not like it, exactly. It's their terminology for this game that it is considered a part of the major story arc containing numerous quests, both main & side quests, & they're divided into Chapters, & they must be played in a linear order in order to move on to the next until we reach that Book's conclusion. Any other optional quests added to a Book they choose in later updates are considered a part of that Book, but won't be available to Pirates until certain levels are reached.

If we revisit a world we visited in a later Book, we may explore a new Skyway &/or lands, because the way we visit worlds in the game functions quite differently from Wizard101's world visiting structure.

To place it simply. Books in the game are split into Chapters that contains many quests. Once a Book is clear, we go on to the next until we reach the cliffhanger point, of which is where we have to wait for the next Book to be released, & so on.

Hope this clears it up for you.
Petty Officer
May 13, 2010
82
Thank you everyone for your kind words.

I don't believe I have ever seen KI do an update like the one currently on the test realm, then turn around the next month with a story expansion. It seems there is a couple of months between updates. I would guess its so most of the bugs from the updates are fixed prior to adding more content.

If I miss the new world then it just gives me something to do with the kids when I get back
Dread Pirate
Jun 13, 2011
2037
Ratbeard on Nov 23, 2014 wrote:
Oh. You guys want more story? Why didn't you say so sooner? We had no idea.

Of course we know that many of you are waiting for more story. We have many different teams and skill sets working on Pirate-- designers, programmers, and many different kinds of artists-- concept artists, character artists, environment artists, FX artists, UI artists... While we continue to work on the next story update, we have bandwidth in other disciplines to continue to deliver other kinds of updates to you guys. It is not a case of giving you one kind of content in exchange for another. Story advancements are very art intensive, and that frees up other resources (like design and programming) to build additional side content with lighter art requirements.

It is also important to remember that our player base forms a kind of pyramid. At the top of the pyramid are all of the players who have reached the end cap and are waiting on more story. But below that point, there are more and more and more players who have not reached the end of the story yet. The farther down the pyramid you go, the more players there are. Part of the reason for that is because not all players advance to the end content at the same rate. And part of the reason for that is because new players join the Spiral every day. There will always be more players at the bottom of the pyramid than there are at the top. We build all our games for the long term, with the knowledge that, in fact, there are more players out there who have never played the game before than have ever played the game so far.

So we will continue to build up the game with side content, not only to support that broad base of the pyramid, but to make that base even wider. Pets, PvP, the Black Market, Crafting-- you can expect to see all of these things, a few more things that you can guess at, and a lot of cool things you can't even guess are coming.

And of course we will continue to advance the story as well.
Well, we have been getting plenty of side content updates, but we wish to continue on with the main storyline, too. I know we've been waiting longer, but I would like to see another story advancement soon. It's been well over a year since we've had one, you know.

Just two questions, Ratbeard...

Will we be getting some teasers about the latest chapter in the next main storyline update? I would like to see them. And if we do, what form of teasers about the next chapter would you provide?
Captain
Jul 16, 2014
583
Trimond297 on Nov 24, 2014 wrote:
Well, we have been getting plenty of side content updates, but we wish to continue on with the main storyline, too. I know we've been waiting longer, but I would like to see another story advancement soon. It's been well over a year since we've had one, you know.

Just two questions, Ratbeard...

Will we be getting some teasers about the latest chapter in the next main storyline update? I would like to see them. And if we do, what form of teasers about the next chapter would you provide?
If we told you about teasers ahead of time, they wouldn't be a surprise (or very teaser-y).

Patience, dear Pirates.
*Bonnie Anne, Your Pirate101 Community Manager*
Ensign
Feb 17, 2013
22
Ratbeard on Nov 23, 2014 wrote:
Oh. You guys want more story? Why didn't you say so sooner? We had no idea.

Of course we know that many of you are waiting for more story. We have many different teams and skill sets working on Pirate-- designers, programmers, and many different kinds of artists-- concept artists, character artists, environment artists, FX artists, UI artists... While we continue to work on the next story update, we have bandwidth in other disciplines to continue to deliver other kinds of updates to you guys. It is not a case of giving you one kind of content in exchange for another. Story advancements are very art intensive, and that frees up other resources (like design and programming) to build additional side content with lighter art requirements.

It is also important to remember that our player base forms a kind of pyramid. At the top of the pyramid are all of the players who have reached the end cap and are waiting on more story. But below that point, there are more and more and more players who have not reached the end of the story yet. The farther down the pyramid you go, the more players there are. Part of the reason for that is because not all players advance to the end content at the same rate. And part of the reason for that is because new players join the Spiral every day. There will always be more players at the bottom of the pyramid than there are at the top. We build all our games for the long term, with the knowledge that, in fact, there are more players out there who have never played the game before than have ever played the game so far.

So we will continue to build up the game with side content, not only to support that broad base of the pyramid, but to make that base even wider. Pets, PvP, the Black Market, Crafting-- you can expect to see all of these things, a few more things that you can guess at, and a lot of cool things you can't even guess are coming.

And of course we will continue to advance the story as well.
Crafting? When you say crafting, do you mean that we can upgrade our weapons?
Because some weapons have great abilities and it would be awesome if we could raise their damage level to match our pirate's level.

Please, Ratbeard, elaborate what you mean by crafting.
Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
insane zane on Nov 24, 2014 wrote:
Crafting? When you say crafting, do you mean that we can upgrade our weapons?
Because some weapons have great abilities and it would be awesome if we could raise their damage level to match our pirate's level.

Please, Ratbeard, elaborate what you mean by crafting.
Crafting is a way to make your own gear, furnishings, houses- it uses special equipment and 'reagents' basically ingredients found around areas. You gather reagents, take them to the crafting station in your home and voila! Instant gear, etc. That's how its done in Wizard101.
Crafting is coming to P101! ( Does happy dance ).
1