Pirates of the Caribbean Online
Encyclopedia
Pirates of the Caribbean Online, sometimes shortened to Pirates Online or POTCO, is a MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....

 (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), created by the Walt Disney Company. It is based on the film series
Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy-adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski and Rob Marshall , written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...

 and theme park attraction
Pirates of the Caribbean (theme park ride)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a log flume type of dark ride at the Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris theme parks....

 of the same name. The game is the second MMORPG developed by the Disney Online Studios - Los Angeles section of the Disney Interactive Media Group
Disney Interactive Media Group
The Disney Interactive Media Group , formerly known as the Walt Disney Internet Group and Disney Interactive Studios, oversees various websites and interactive media owned by The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries....

, after Toontown Online
Toontown Online
Disney's Toontown Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by The Walt Disney Company and billed as the first such game intended for kids and families. Designed for children as young as seven, but teens and adults also play this, the depth of the game's content has drawn...

(which launched in 2003).

The game was first announced by The Walt Disney Company on April 26, 2005. It was originally scheduled to be released in summer 2006, to coincide with the release of the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 adventure fantasy film and the second film of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, following Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . It was directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by...

, but its release was pushed back multiple times. The game went through two beta testing phases during 2007 and was officially launched on October 31, 2007.

The game is officially available to players in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, parts of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The game runs in the Panda3D
Panda3D
Panda3D is a game engine which includes graphics, audio, I/O, collision detection, and other abilities relevant to the creation of 3D games.Panda3D is open source and, as of May 28, 2008, free software under the revised BSD license. Releases prior to May 28, 2008 are not considered Free Software...

 graphics engine.

Gameplay

In Pirates Online, players are able to create customizable characters (2 per account for Basic Members, 4 per account for Unlimited Members), customize and captain a ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...

, assemble crew
Crew
A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard...

s, complete quests, and play the role of a pirate in the fictional Disney version of the 18th century Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

.

Player interaction takes place in and around Port Royal
Port Royal
Port Royal was a city located at the end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it was the centre of shipping commerce in the Caribbean Sea during the latter half of the 17th century...

, Tortuga, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

, Padres del Fuego, and other minor islands. Characters from the film series appear as NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...

, including Jack Sparrow, Will Turner
Will Turner
William "Will" Turner, Jr. is a central character in the first three titles of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series produced by Walt Disney Pictures. He is played by Orlando Bloom . Will is a blacksmith's apprentice working in Port Royal...

 and Elizabeth Swann
Elizabeth Swann
Elizabeth Swann is a major character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series produced by Walt Disney Pictures. She appears in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and its two sequels, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End...

. Gameplay also involves encounters with new characters and enemies unique to the game, such as Jolly Roger. In order to become a "notorious pirate," players are required to forge alliances, complete quests for reputation and gold coins, hunt for buried treasures, battle evil forces and outsmart enemies.

Skill levels
The game's "Notoriety" Level cap was initially 40, but has since been raised to 50. For a short time there was a bug in the game that allowed some players to get higher than 50 (during "Invasions"). There is a maximum skill level of 30 for weapons and sailing/cannon. Upon reaching level 30 on a Weapon, the game shows "Mastered". As of the update in 2009, the game allows players to re-train for an in-game fee of gold coins; 250 coins per skill the first time, 2500 the second, and 10,000 each time after that.

Gold coins
Players collect and earn gold coins, which was originally capped at 65,000. In 2009, the gold cap was changed to 200,000. Players can play Tortuga hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...

 and blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...

 in taverns, with the ability to bet gold on each game. They can also get gold by repairing ships for people or fishing. These games can be played against NPCs
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...

 or other online players. Gold can also be acquired from "loot pouches" and "loot chests", found when enemies are defeated.

Character appearance
In April 2010, there was a change to clothing and jewelry/tattoo inventories. Changes to appearance no longer required a trip to shops, and instead could be performed instantly in a drag and drop manner.

Ships
Ships are very important; providing a way to travel and to fight. Players assemble crews to run the ships while in battle. However, crews only last while logged in. If a player remains logged-out for more than five minutes, the crew is lost. Ships, apart from going against the enemy organizations' ships, can also take part in Player vs. Player version of Ships, which is known as privateering.

Weapons/Combat
The game has a large selection of available weapons. Originally there was a set six inventory (storage) slots for weapons, one for each weapons category: Sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...

, Voodoo Doll, Gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...

, Dagger
Dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...

, Grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...

, and Voodoo Staff. Each inventory slot was unlocked when the appropriate level of "notoriety" was reached and the accompanying quests were completed. Besides storage, there are four "active" weapon slots which can be used in combat. Originally the player was automatically equipped with the weapon they had for whichever category they chose at the time; it was only possible to carry one weapon of each type at a time.

In 2010, there was a major overhaul of the game's GUI
Gui
Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...

 and inventory system. When killed, enemies drop pouches or chests, and hundreds of weapons can be collected from enemies. Also added were new weapon classes like Sabre
Sabre
The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...

, Broadsword
Broadsword
Broadsword may refer to:*Broadsword , a military sword used by heavy cavalry during the 17th to early 19th centuriesIn more modern times, it has also been used to refer to:...

, Musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....

, Bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...

, Blunderbuss
Blunderbuss
The blunderbuss is a muzzle-loading firearm with a short, large caliber barrel, which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore, and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity and/or caliber. The blunderbuss could be considered to be an early form of shotgun,...

, and Throwing Knives
Throwing Knives
Throwing Knives is a collection of short stories by Molly Best Tinsley, first published on 1 February 2000. It was awarded the 2001 Oregon Book Award for fiction, as well as the 1999 Sandstone Prize in Short Fiction offered by the Ohio State University Press.-External links:*...

, as well as different classes of Voodoo Dolls and Staffs. In April 2010, Disney released several updates which included a major overhaul in the number of accessible weapons. Currently in the Inventory page of the pirate ('I') the player can hold a maximum of 35 weapons in storage, not six, plus the four weapons in the active slots. Any of the weapons in inventory can be placed into or swapped into any of the four slots whenever the player wants. The update also increased the number of weapons classes. In September 2010, a new class of weapons called Cursed Blades were released, featuring moves from Cutlasses, Sabres and Broadswords. Along with the change came new combos or styles of attacking, though it continues to be a set of choreographed rote techniques.

Leaderboards
The game leaderboard
Leaderboard
Leaderboard is a series of golf simulation video games that was developed by Bruce and Roger Carver, and published by Access Software.-Summary:thumb|left|Teeing off on the first hole ....

s enable players to compare scores with other pirates and guilds. The ranking criteria of Top 25 players and guilds include overall notoriety, enemies defeated, ships sunk, Pirate vs. Pirate battles and blackjack hands won.

Expansions

There have been many expansions and updates to the game since it was introduced and officially launched. They have gone from minimal graphic updates to complete island overhauls, as Port Royal, Tortuga and Padres del Fuego did in 2009. More recently the Queen Anne's Revenge
Queen Anne's Revenge
Queen Anne's Revenge was the name of English pirate Blackbeard's flagship, used by him for less than a year, but an effective tool in his prize taking....

was launched as a flagship to coincide in with the latest movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 adventure fantasy film and the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series...

, which was released in theaters three days later.

Background

The game's storyline is situated between the events of The Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest. With the fall of the Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...

 curse, settlements which had been pestered by Captain Barbossa (e.g. Port Royal) are flourishing again and with them, so is piracy. Pirates in the Caribbean freely sail the waters. However, Jack Sparrow, who is in eternal fiendship with the Undead Captain Jolly Roger, uses the help of friendly pirates to shield himself - and the Brethren Court - from Roger's wrath and Undead armies, starting the invasion of the main islands in the Caribbean. Meanwhile, a new threat looms over piracy - the East India Trading Company.

Story Quest: Set Sail

The basic story of the character begins in the island of Rambleshack, where the character is freed from jail by captain Jack Sparrow. As the player escapes, they find the small island being attacked from nowhere by cannon fire. As they enter a warehouse on the island, they meet Will Turner
Will Turner
William "Will" Turner, Jr. is a central character in the first three titles of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series produced by Walt Disney Pictures. He is played by Orlando Bloom . Will is a blacksmith's apprentice working in Port Royal...

, who trains them with the Cutlass
Cutlass
A cutlass is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket shaped guard...

. As the player readies to leave, skeletons appear and take on Turner. Turner gives the player a cutlass and they leave the warehouse. As the player escapes the warehouse through the back door, they take on the Skeletons that block them.

They then enter a ship captained by a man named Bo Beck, who takes the player with him. After confronting and destroying an undead warship, the game's main villain appears on the ship. It is revealed that Beck had made a deal to bring Sparrow to Jolly Roger, but double crossed Roger for Sparrow. Jolly Roger then turns Beck into a skeleton, but lets the player live as a warning to Sparrow, making them walk the plank. The player then swims to Port Royal.

In Port Royal
Port Royal
Port Royal was a city located at the end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it was the centre of shipping commerce in the Caribbean Sea during the latter half of the 17th century...

, voodoo mistress Tia Dalma
Tia Dalma
Tia Dalma, played by Naomie Harris, is a fictional character from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and a primary character in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, in which a significant amount of the plot revolves around her and her powers...

 warns of dark forces of the EITC and Jolly Roger rising in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

, and that only the Black Pearl
Black Pearl
The Black Pearl, originally Wicked Wench, is a fictional ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. In the screenplay, the Black Pearl is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. The ship was originally named Wicked Wench before she was ordered burned and sunk by Lord Beckett...

is needed to keep piracy alive; but unfortunately the Pearl has been captured by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

. As Elizabeth Swann
Elizabeth Swann
Elizabeth Swann is a major character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series produced by Walt Disney Pictures. She appears in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and its two sequels, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End...

 is approached for help she tells the player that the release of the Pearl would not be easy, and gives the player a ship, a light sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....

. Captain Hector Barbossa
Hector Barbossa
Hector Barbossa is a fictional character and pirate in the Disney film series Pirates of the Caribbean. Barbossa was first introduced in the series as the main antagonist of the first film, and pirate captain of the Black Pearl after committing mutiny against the ship's former captain, Jack...

 then hands the player a pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...

 as he is met in his Grotto in Devil's Anvil.

Story Quest: The Black Pearl Crew

After meeting Barbossa, the player then has to go to the Faithful Bride to meet Jack Sparrow. Sparrow tells them of the list of people to recruit for the Pearl's crew. From then on the pirate has to do innumerable quests for the recruits (one at a time, and returning to Joshamee Gibbs
Joshamee Gibbs
Joshamee Gibbs, often referred to as Mr. Gibbs, Master Gibbs, or simply Gibbs, is a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, played by Kevin McNally and voiced by Steven Jay Blum in video game adaptations .-Character overview:Gibbs is a generally...

 in the Faithful Bride after each), and the first chapter of the story ends with the Black Pearl boss battle, in which players have to team up to sail the Black Pearl out of the harbor it was kept in by defeating the guarding crew, sinking navy escort ships, blowing up enemy forts, and destroying the main boss ship, the Goliath. Upon returning to Jack Sparrow, Sparrow rewards the player with the leadership ability, which increases the rate of cannonfire, speed, and cannon reload rate.

Story Quest: Raven's Cove

To take part in this quest, players do not have to complete the Liberation of the Black Pearl Story Chapter. Jolly Roger has set up a rum blockade to get Jack out in the open. Jack sends the player to Raven's Cove a desolate, cursed island that was destroyed after Jolly Roger and the EITC raided it for weapons. Every soul was killed besides one and now ghosts haunt the isle. The player must help the friendly ghosts carry out their last wish, in order to get to the mines where El Patron's Cursed Blades are rumored to be located. Jack needs these in order to defeat Jolly Roger. Once the player enters the mines he must help Doctor Bellrog, a soul trapped in the mines by Jolly Roger. After helping him the player is able to unlock the door at the end of the mines which grants access to El Patron's Ship, which was landlocked in a pool during a mutiny. The cursed blades are on the ship, however the player must battle the Ghost of El Patron to get them. After defeating El Patron the player chooses 1 of 3 cursed blades, and receives an Evil Curse of Doom (Which bares a striking similarity to the Black Spot from Dead Man's Chest) by touching it.

Reception

Pirates of the Caribbean Online has received some moderate reviews. Reviewers generally noted the game's family-friendly atmosphere, rather simple graphics, and easy yet tactical ship combat. The game also was recently voted for the Beckett Massive Online Game Survey, under the category for best online game for family friendly atmosphere, in which it won runner-up.

See also

Film
  • 2003: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
    Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
    Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 adventure fantasy film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney theme parks. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...

  • 2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 adventure fantasy film and the second film of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, following Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . It was directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by...

  • 2007: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
  • 2011: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
    Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
    Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 adventure fantasy film and the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series...


Video Games
  • 2003: Pirates of the Caribbean (video game)
    Pirates of the Caribbean (video game)
    Pirates of the Caribbean is a 2003 computer game for Windows and Xbox, developed by Akella and published by Bethesda Softworks. The Xbox version was the first U.S. console game developed in Russia...

  • 2003: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (video game)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (video game)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 video game prequel to the film of the same name.-Storyline:Just like the film, Jack Sparrow fails to listen to Barbossa and walks the plank...

  • 2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (video game)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (video game)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a video game based on the film of the same name developed by Griptonite Games and Amaze Entertainment for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and PSP...

  • 2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow
    Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow
    Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow is a video game by 7 Studios for the PlayStation 2 and PC. It features playable levels based on the experiences of Captain Jack Sparrow after the events of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl...

  • 2007: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a video game published by Buena Vista Games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows PC, PSP, Nintendo DS and the Wii.-Plot:...

  • 2011: Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
    Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
    LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game is a video game in the Lego video game franchise, developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Disney Interactive Studios and the first Lego game from a Disney movie...

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