DEV - Day 2

I heard one member describe the fleet as, "a roster of guys playing a single-player game on a PVP server." This is probably a bit unfair, but there is definitely a culture of inward focus, especially among the pirates who have been here the longest. I can see how that might make them all seem indifferent to the community, or even somewhat jerky. This is not my experience as I begin to interact with them, though. They are very social after a clinical fashion. Breakdowns of builds, battles, etc. are sure to garner some replies and spark an analytical discussion as in-depth as any I have ever had in-game.

The Dare Devils, especially with some of the newer members, are actually quite friendly in this succinct way. I wouldn't call them chatty, of course, but they're not jerks. And they are very loyal. I think they're peripherally aware of a certain reputation for arrogance or pomposity, but are genuinely mystified by it. These guys (with a couple of exceptions) spend all their time playing the nuts and bolts of the game experience. They log in, spend a serious chunk of time power-leveling, and log out. The focus of their experience is about basic gameplay. It's not just the primary focus, but possibly the entirety of the experience. For them, something like a war is only interesting as a way to achieve something in-game. I suspect the #1 spot on the ladders is something DEV wants for the search turns and the medals more than the bragging rights.

Wars are a means and not an end in themselves. Compare this to a fleet like the Gizmonics or the 633's, who love the sheer chaos and challenge of war for its own sake and you see some really big differences in approach. This Saturday, we're going to fight in a war with a revised hit point total to test out a proposal for less war points for the higher level fleets. I am looking forward to exploring the culture of war and how it plays out.

DEV - Day 1

DEV has a truly huge stash of research gear, so I expect to be able to get some nice boosts on my stats. Top notch in the armory regard, for sure, but that really is no surprise.

Internally, they seem like a quiet fleet, at least as far as the Mass Messages go. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as I could definitely imagine places where the talk is a truly miserable thing to have to endure. Looks like we'll be going to war sometime soon, too. I'm looking forward to seeing what that looks and feels like from the inside. Hopefully I will also gain access to parts of the fleet forum as well.

Interesting thing: The fleet ranks are pretty much entirely based on level and not stats. This definitely reflects the focus on level, both individually and as a fleet. These guys are all about power-leveling and getting the experience. I might be all about raids and money, but they're all about gear and XP points.

A Star Pirate's Life for Me

Hi, my name is Qilapid and I am a pirate.

Actually, I am a player in the game Star Pirates. I was a fleet leader for a time and came from a pedigree of powerful fleets. Like a true pirate, I look for profit in every possible avenue, so I sold my most recent fleet, the Erisian Exiles. Newly unattached to any fleet, I bought a Dreadnought-class ship upgrade for myself, and I decided to pack up and become a wanderer among the stars.

Okay, let me back up a bit. Star Pirates is a browser-based, free-to-play game in which players take the role of pirate spaceship captains in a post-apocalyptic Solar System where the surface of Earth was rendered inhospitable by the StarCrash event. Big ol' asteroids smashed everything up and us survivors have to scrabble, steal, and kill to survive. This game plays like a browser-based MUD, but is far more interactive. Imagine a game that is fun like WoW, has a really great community of people to talk to, doesn't need fancy graphics, has great PvP, and that you can play anywhere, even on phones. Star Pirates in a nutshell. In the game, players organize into fleets in order to fight wars and enjoy mutual protection as well as share the most valuable items in the game.

I was going to be a neutral pirate. I could live a fleetless existence without trepidation, but the deluge of people inviting me to come hang with them sent me down a different path these last few days. One of the great things about the game is the people who play, and I would like to get to know them better. I am going to use the opportunity provided by my freedom to join fleets to get to know the players in them and hopefully provide an entertaining and useful catalog of the experience.

My first fleet?
I am starting at the top.
#1 on the Universe and #1 on the Pluto war ladders: [DEV] Dare Devils (link only works when logged in to Star Pirates)