My Hopes For Pirate101 and Choosing A Class (Help Me Pick!)

Once upon a time there was a Death wizard frolicking along in his Tower of Winter Wings, when suddenly, a company called KingsIsle threw him into a completely new environment full of pirates, both allies and enemies, and all new choices that made him game completely different from anyone else's. Suddenly, he's faced with the first of many decisions: which class shall he focus on?

Pirate101

Pirate101 is practically here. Already, many a player has been into beta. All of those many wizards already know very well what the new world of Pirate101 is like, at least in it's early areas and stages. That being said - I have not been accepted into beta, and have certainly not been fed any information. Therefore, my assumptions here are based on what I've read and seen.

Good vs. Evil

Recently, one of my newer Wizard101 endeavors has been movies. In Pirate101, I look forward to continuing use of my graphic abilities, while doing more movies. In Pirate101, there's plenty of content to play off of - the mysteries of unseen worlds and endless skyways in the Spiral, the enemies and battle against the evil Armada. However, there's one concept I really hope that they stick with, and envelope strongly with the story. That is right vs. wrong and the personal decisions that come with that concept that makes a person who they are.

You're a pirate. You're not a small, innocent wizard by any means. You haven't necessarily agreed to set out and save the Spiral. In fact, you start the game in an Armada prison, orphaned and alone. I sure hope that the creators of Pirate101 didn't think that someone like that would be perfectly willing to run away and destroy all evil that comes their way. After all, so many of us joked that we'd have said "yes" in responses to Morganthe's asking us to join her, if we'd had the option.

The right vs. wrong concept ties in with the all new experience that Pirate101 brings, and that's what makes it so appealing. While I can't wait to continue saving the Spiral from the evil Morganthe, I'm ready to swing a sword or fire a gun! I can't wait to try out this new way of combat! Map out your moves, and see them acted out each turn!

Deciding on a Class

That very sword-swishing and gun-slinging is part of what makes the class decision so difficult for me, and that's one reason for this post. You're going to help me decide which Pirate101 class I'm interested in - both for beta (if I'm selected) and the live game.

Keep the following in mind:

• The class that I like the most is currently determined by looks and combat style
• I do not want to play my live class in beta; I want to keep my favorite class for live

The Options

Let's start with Witchdoctor. At first, I was sold on this class - I have to be a Witchdoctor. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realize how uninterested I actually was in this class. First, it may not be magic, but it's Hoodoo, and that's got to be pretty close. I don't want Pirate101 to be a wizard in a new environment. I've also already played a Death character, and Witchdoctor is basically a combination of Balance and Death.

Then there's Buccaneer. I could do that, but I did a combat and wielding post, and I imagine that Buccaneers are modeled after the Storm class, which I'm not a big fan of. They will also probably be the ones with large, two-handed swords, and I didn't like the way they designed those in Wizard101. While I am more interested in function than looks, this class seems to fail in both. That being said, I haven't seen a Buccaneer, so it could be something I'm actually interested in.

After that, there's Privateer. He looks to be based, at least in part ,off of the Life school. The upsides of such a school include the fact that you have the potential to have more companions than any other class. You can also heal companions and allies in battle. Sounds like Myth as well. This could be a deadly combination if they introduce PvP in the Pirate101 spiral. Privateers learn from the Commodore, who resides in a room full of maps that beams sophistication. In real life, I like to plan things out carefully, and always know what's happening and when it's occurring. In many ways, this'd make a fitting Privateer. In addition, it might be one of the easier schools for beta to get started with Pirate101.

Next up in a Swashbuckler. Though I'm not sure I like the two identical swords at the sides, a Swashbuckler's outfit is oftentimes very appealing, and who's to say they won't end up with one, more powerful sword? I like the idea of a Swashbuckler's combat play style, too. Not only that, but this is definitely one of the true pirate classes, which is definitely a plus.

Finally, there's musketeer. The outfits look good, the combat style is one of the most fun, and I absolutely love this style! I do know that I like an accurate style, and muskets are not the most accurate (more modern gunsr propel the bullet in such a way that it spins. Firing a musket vs. the guns after it was like throwing a football with and without a spiral. In fact, musketeers who used these guns fired rather randomly, with a goal of landing a number of shots into the enemy line, and not necessarily hitting something specific), but they do sound interesting. We actually use Sparkshooters in Pirate101, firing lightning rather than bullets.

Conclusion

You now know what I'm most looking forward to, and my thoughts on the various classes. So, what do you think? Here's your opportunity to help me decide? Which fits my personality?

Thanks for reading, and see you in the Spiral!