In Plundr Size Matters - Kotaku Comments

In Plundr Size Matters

ConstyXIV — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 06:03:46 MDT

@CK20XX:
Do you have to be outdoors to pick up a WiFi signal? You could be in a car, on a bus/train, in a coffee shop/etc...

ConstyXIV

In Plundr Size Matters

fearoffours — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 05:16:16 MDT

I'm playing on a wired connection, so it's kinda missing the point. Seems to be locating me 174 miles from my actual location... Could it be where a gateway server is?

fearoffours

In Plundr Size Matters

DefenderShip — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:29:06 MDT

The people whining about this not working for gamers in specific locations are missing the point entirely. That's like saying "Why would anybody make a game online only?! Some gamers don't have the internet!" No way, seriously? Could it be that the game is being marketed to people who - I don't know - HAVE the internet?

In the same way, this game is not meant for people who live outside of Loki's current "Coverage areas". I know as I just now started a Plundr account, and found an island. That's all good and well...except the game is listing my location as about four miles from my actual location. Yikes.

Still, maybe as coverage increases (please come to Asia as promised, Loki!), the game will be something I pick up. Until then, I'm content screwing around with the PC version.

DefenderShip

In Plundr Size Matters

teruma — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:55:55 MDT

This sounds like an awesome game. I think positioning is a fantastic way of using the DS's Wifi capabilities in an interesting way (not involoving friend codes! Bonus). Could build a stronger community as well. As long as there's stuff to do just in one area, I don't see the concept of actually moving to discover new islands restricting at all. Also the fact that the developers mention Boktai as a good idea gone tragically wrong is a very good sign.

Pyrate Love!

teruma

In Plundr Size Matters

egyptiansushi — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 22:00:00 MDT

There is Wifi@goc: I can get free Wi-fi basically everywhere I've been in my city. In my apartment alone, I pick up 39 signals, and 12 of them aren't protected. At least two of them work fine before I had internet, though I use my own cable now.

I've had NetStumbler running on my laptop while I've been in the car before, and literally with every new block come a dozen or so connections.

egyptiansushi

In Plundr Size Matters

pikachumariachi — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:46:00 MDT

Looks pwnsome.

It's like an innovative MMO, you can play yourself and without fee

pikachumariachi

In Plundr Size Matters

qwip — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:13:57 MDT

This game is very cool. I've been playing the PC beta version since the DS version was hinted at in this blog.
I've discovered 6 islands between my house and several wifi hotspots. The beta right now is playing as a dumbed down version of Tradewinds from Sandbox Games. It is too easy to make millions in gold in a week.
But based on some of the forum entries, it seems that the developers are planning to build a much more robust economic model behind the game. And according to the article above, they seem to be working on the hard parts first. So I expect to see them adding in more pieces of fun over time to really develop the game part.
I think this is the type of game to keep an eye on. But only one eye, because the other is covered by a patch. Arrr!!

qwip

In Plundr Size Matters

HappyWulf — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:03:07 MDT

I hope this see's the light of release, think of how much more meaningful a trip to the Mc.D's would be if you got to visit an island while there, or a Buffalo Wings. Or a friend's house who has Wifi..

HappyWulf

In Plundr Size Matters

NoMoreTrolls — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:54:09 MDT

Uh... Seems like a good idea when written down, but in practice... not so much, I think. Does anyone really want to be stuck on one island for most of the time --such as the one in which your house is located-- and then have to travel in the real world in order to get "farther" in the game? Depending on how large the islands are (say that they are monstrous and you need to travel for 5 miles to get to a new one, for instance), I can't see many people driving around and spending money on the now expensive gas in order to oncover other islands. This game could be good, it just depends on the scale that it works with. (I'm not saying that it sucks.. who could know that? All I'm saying is that it is a definite possibility.)

NoMoreTrolls

In Plundr Size Matters

wiitendo64 — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:40:23 MDT

I don't think there's enough free wifi to drive something like this. How do they expect it to work unless wifi is basically everywhere anyone would ever be playing it?

wiitendo64

In Plundr Size Matters

itcomesinwaves — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:32:50 MDT

A little bird told me that Apple was experimenting with the same location-over-WiFi technology in the iPhone.

itcomesinwaves

In Plundr Size Matters

TOCATL — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:28:00 MDT

Since the moment i knew that was an online pirate game i thought, online pirate game + crecente = lots a lots of future news on this game....

TOCATL

In Plundr Size Matters

Brian Crecente — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:23:35 MDT

@Dr.Chocobo: You can trade goods, attack ships and upgrade your ship. Its sort of like Shanghai, but with WiFi and real world islands.

Brian Crecente

In Plundr Size Matters

Dr.Chocobo — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:16:34 MDT

@crecente: I know this is a pre-beta that your playing with, but is there anything else you can do besides name an island?

Dr.Chocobo

In Plundr Size Matters

Dr.Chocobo — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:14:04 MDT

@ZombiePuppy: Ah, I now see the limit of this.

What happens when you get out of the wifi? They could, of course, justdownload a map of 200 mile radius or something.

Then again, even if everything is downloaded you won't be able to get updates while walking around.

Meh, we'll see how it turns out in the end.

Dr.Chocobo

In Plundr Size Matters

Brian Crecente — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:04:01 MDT

weeee, just found an island in the PC version. I named it Isle De Kotaku

Brian Crecente

In Plundr Size Matters

Sabre_Justice: Okay, no more long name. — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:34:37 MDT

Hm, this could be interesting. What islands will be where I live?

Sabre_Justice: Okay, no more long name.

In Plundr Size Matters

ZombiePuppy — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:34:34 MDT

Sounds pretty awesome. But that would require lots of peopel playing the same game in the same area. It's hard for me to find anyone that owns a DS where I live, nevermind someone playing this game! And if it uses the WiFi connection, I'd be limited to playing at home with a connector or to fancy places with public connections, which are also not very common here yet.

ZombiePuppy

In Plundr Size Matters

StocDred — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:33:16 MDT

@CK20XX: It's been a while since I played Boktai, but I recall positioning myself near a sharp shadow (edge of roof) and lining myself so the shadow covered the screen and the light hit the sensor.

And anyway, couldn't you just stand around on a safe screem and let the sunlight fill up your gun's charge so you could actually play later, indoors?

StocDred

In Plundr Size Matters

Marion517 — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 18:56:44 MDT

I concerned about how necesary the environment is. If a kid lives in the middle of nowhere, he needs games more than ever. Also, I like the idea of gaming roadtrips, but I don't see that ever coming to fruition. And what about early adopters? Is there going to be enough gameplay without this network fully up, even in out of the way places? Maybe I'm understanding this incorrectly.

If nothing else, I hope it's a good pirate game. The location thing sounds cool, but so does a good pirate game.

Marion517

In Plundr Size Matters

CK20XX — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 18:35:42 MDT

It sounds like an excellent idea... on paper at least. But unfortunately it reminds me of the Boktai series for the GBA.

See, the Boktai games are EXCELLENT. They're wonderful imaginative RPG adventures. But they require sunlight to play, and if you take your GBA outside, the glare of the sun blinds the screen, making it impossible to play! If you play in lower light, often the cartidge's solar senor can't detect it. So either way, you're stuck, unless you think you can make a sun visor for your screen.

I'm not convinced that RL and games mix well. I hope this doesn't turn out to be a brilliant game that is ruined by what was supposed to make it innovative.

CK20XX

In Plundr Size Matters

2dskillz — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 18:24:29 MDT

The idea of a road trip offering two forms of discovery is great. I would really love to see this take off. Area Code seem to have a top notch philosophy. Thanks for the informative feature.

2dskillz

In Plundr Size Matters

Cwolf267 — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 18:21:30 MDT

Sounds fun, but I honestly don't see myself running into other people who play it that often.

Cwolf267

In Plundr Size Matters

Camann — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 18:20:10 MDT

I'll give this game mega points if I can buy it for different systems and have the same account/user/whatever-else-identifies-me follow me across platforms.

And by mega points, I mean I'll most likely buy it multiple times.

If they pull it off, it sounds like it'll be an awesome game.

Camann

In Plundr Size Matters

Murrytmds — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 18:20:06 MDT

I wonder how many stupid people will tresspass or wander into dangerous city areas just to get better islands. It could be funny. ^_^

Murrytmds

In Plundr Size Matters

StocDred — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 18:16:39 MDT

This is interesting as hell and I hope it comes together in the final product.

Does that say "GeoWankers" in that top pic?

StocDred