• Greetings!

  There will be maintenance on the Session databases across all games on Wednesday September 9, 2009.  It will begin at 12AM PDT and is estimated to last until 12PM PDT.  All game worlds will be unavailable for the estimated 12 hour maintenance, as well as the Station Store and all commerce avenues.  This may affect the performance of the forums and any or all accounts' abilities to log in.

  We apologize for the inconvenience and will update the information as we are able.

  The Community team will provide updates via twitter for anyone who follows us:

  • Grimwell
  • Naylie
  • Kiara
  • Virrago
  • Zatozia
  • Soffrina
  • Momochii
  • Ashlanne
  • Gnobrin
  • Amnerys
  • Raijinn
  • MinervaSOE
  • Draakull

  You can also follow game twitters for updates:

  • Free_Realms
  • everquest
    
  • everquestii
    
  • eqoa
    
  • vanguardsoh
    
  • planetside
    
  • poxnora

  We apologize again for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

   

• 

  Labor Day marks the end of summer for those of us the in United States.  SOE would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!

  Customer Support will be operating normally on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2009.

• Reunion on the High Seas on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th at HIGH NOON EST!

  It would be great to see all of the old gang back together to fill the rooms with good conversation and cannons roaring. PM ( in the forums) some of the players from your guild or companions that you haven't seen in a while and invite them to the reunion.

  Let's have a good time of reminiscences and talk of new adventures ahead. We hope to see as many of you Knightly-Nutz-Perez-Clad-Rouger-Ponies as possible with the rest of the Pirate hoards. Try to make plans to be on as much as you can through the weekend of September 4-6, 2009! Maybe we can even fire off some fun tourney rounds to help you get your sea legs back!

  Post up if you plan on attending!

• This announcement marks an important milestone for Station Launcher. After months of community feedback, prioritization, trials, some errors (of course), and a lot of hard work and diligence by teams across all of SOE to deliver a release update whose performance is so improved, that we can finally tell you . . .

  Station Launcher is officially out of beta!

  Since we last shared our vision of what Station Launcher could be at last year's Fan Faire, we began listening to your feedback and it's been a long road traveled to get to this point . . .

  • You asked for a better (and free) way to use voice chat to communicate with guild mates. We've at last delivered on the promise of Station Voice to enable you to communicate with others, whether they're in a game or outside of it.
    
  • You asked for better performance to get game updates – you were tired of endless patch updates and content downloads that took forever. We are now using a new content distribution network which now enables updates at download speeds up to 4 times faster than ever before, and up to 10 times faster than the old launch pad clients. You will get into your games faster.
    
  • You wanted to be able to run Station Launcher without administrative privileges so that you can let your kids use your machine to play Station games.
    
  • New players told us that our UI and menu systems were too confusing to get stuff done. We've simplified the menus so all players can find and modify preferences and settings more easily, quickly download new games and spend more time playing games.

  The past nine months of release updates have allowed us to get closer to our objectives: to make Station Launcher a launch pad that makes it easy for our players to manage their Station games experience, to enable players to easily communicate with their friends, and everything just works when you use it.

  Sometimes our updates didn't work right the first time, but you were diligent in telling us about it. And we'd work to get it right. We think we're getting closer to delivering that "right" experience, but we're not about to stop. As always, please keep talking to us and leave your constructive feedback in the forums. It's the only way we will continue to improve and evolve Station.

  To get this version of Station Launcher, you will need to run the update installer located at http://launcher.station.sony.com/update/StationLauncher_setup.exe. It will update your existing shortcuts and preserve your current settings and preferences.

  Below is a list of the changes that are available in Station Launcher 1.1.0. Enjoy!

  Support for Station Voice

  • One can join as a character from one of the games or their Station Handle.
    
  • Guild and Guild Officer channels are supported for characters that have such membership. One can create and join a voice channel independent from the games by selecting their Station Handle; others may join this channel from Station Launcher as well.
    
  • In EverQuest II, one can join a user channel by typing the name of the channel in the "Channel Name" field of the Voice dialog. This is equivalent to the in-game slash command: /join voice channelName. If a channel with that name exists, the customer will be joined to that channel. If it does not exist, it will be created.
    
  • Channel participants are displayed in the Voice dialog. One can manage the settings for each participant with the right-mouse menu.

  New download mechanism for faster games updates

  • All updates are served via content distribution system that caches files regionally. Updates should be approximately 4 times faster than previous versions of Station Launcher and 8-10 times faster than LaunchPad.
    
  • Station Launcher now supports the ability to have multiple versions published, enumerated on the "Change version" menu item on the "Help" menu.
    
  • The application will open the Update Page to display information while an update is being performed, displaying release notes.
    
  • All updates now use standard web ports to improve connectivity through firewalls and proxy configurations (account login and game use still require UDP ports to be opened).
    
  • Games now default to the "Installed Games" folder, allowing them to be updated separately by another (future) mechanism.

  Administrator privileges are no longer required

  • All updateable components for the application are saved in a location that can be updated without Administrator privileges.
    
  • All games are installed in a location that can be updated without Administrator privileges.
    
  • No information is written to the Windows Registry as part of the normal operation of the application.
    
  • The operation of the application has been verified to work in Windows Vista with User Account Control (UAC) enabled.

  New menu layout

  • There is now a single menu that is consistent between both Games and Friends Panels.
    
  • All of the account menu items are now consolidated under a single "Account Info..." item under the "Station" Menu.
    
  • "Enter Activation Code..." is now under the "Games" menu.
    
  • Installed games are now listed on the "Games" menu for quick access to the Game Detail screen.
    
  • One can access the game-specific preferences from the "Games" menu when on the Game Detail screen.
    
  • One can start a chat or other Friends feature from either the Games or Friends panels.
    
  • The log is now accessible from the "Help" menu (as well as its original location on the Preferences dialog).

  Streamlined game install flow

  • Certain information is set to a default and left to be adjusted later in the Preferences dialog.
    
  • "Automatically keep my game up to date" is now ON by default.
    
  • Optional content is only accessible from Preferences.
    
  • Game shortcuts are no longer part of the installation flow; they can be created from the Game Preferences screen.

  Other UI improvements

  • The download progress message is focused on bytes remaining and observed bit rate.
    
  • "Run Full Scan" (replacing "Delete Scan Cache") on the Game Preferences screen allows one to perform a full scan and update of game assets.
    
  • Many of the Preferences categories have been condensed and simplified.
    
  • The Install Location screen uses a new dialog to scan for installed game assets.
    
  • The custom "Browse" dialog has been changed to a standard Windows dialog to select (or change) an install location.
    
  • The application no longer uses LaunchPad.exe to update its assets...one less hole in the firewall configuration
    
  • The mini update screen is displayed only when needed and may now be moved on the screen.
    
  • One should not get stuck in the "endless processing loop" when set to "Automatically Log in."
    
  • Game shortcuts may now be created at anytime from the Game Preferences screen; they will be placed on the desktop.

• 

  This Monday, May 25, 2009, SOE will be closed in observance of Memorial Day.

  Memorial Day is a national U.S. holiday, designated as a day to remember those who have died in military service for our country. Some also take time to honor all of their friends and loved ones who have passed on. The National Moment of Remembrance takes place at 3 PM local time on Memorial Day.

  The day has also unofficially become recognized as the beginning of summer, which is often celebrated with picnics, cook outs, and summer sports and acitivities. We hope everyone has a safe and pleasant Memorial Day holiday!

• 

  We're getting closer and closer to Fan Faire... Are you ready? You don't need to start throwing things in your suitcase yet, but it's a good idea to start planning. We've got some advice and tips on stuff to do ahead of time and things you might want to bring with you. (Take it from us. We've done this a few times!)

  Please Identify Yourself

  Of course you'll need ID for traveling, but it's a good idea to keep it on you at all times at Fan Faire, tucked safely away. You'll need it for checking in to your hotel, procuring adult beverages and gambling if you so choose, as well as for picking up your Fan Faire registration packet. Some of our larger events also require ID and your conference badge for entry, especially our 21+ events.

  Another good idea, if you're planning to do any networking or you're meeting up with in-game friends, is to bring business cards. If you're meeting guildmates for dinner or before a panel, you'll probably need to exchange cell phone numbers, and business cards are a handy way to be prepared. (If you don't have business cards, you can always make some yourself and print at home!)

  What Did They Say?

  Of course we're all going to Fan Faire to have fun, but we're also exchanging a lot of information. Maybe you run a fansite or a gaming blog. Or maybe you're just there to represent your guild and get the latest scoop. Either way, there's a good chance you will be the designated "Information Bearer" for your guild and friends. Attendees are welcome to bring cameras, camcorders and audio recorders to the panels and events. Or if you prefer the good old fashioned way, notepads and pencils are also welcome. (Just be sure to avoid taking your recording devices into the casinos, as that's a sure fire way to draw security aggro!)

  Fun and Games!

  If you plan to enter the EQ or EQII tournaments, make sure you keep an eye on the EQ Players and EQII Players websites for more information and instructions on prepping for those events, if needed. Details will be coming as we draw closer to the event.

  The Community Team is hooked on the Free Realms Trading Card Game! We're bringing some booster packs with us, so bring your decks and any cards you want to trade, and maybe you'll go home with some new stuff!

  We'll also be having late-night gaming sessions. Although you won't really need to bring anything for these, do remember to have your Station ID and password handy if you want to log in to play on our computers.

  For the truly adventurous types, we will once again be hosting Live Quests for EverQuest, EverQuest II, Vanguard and Star Wars Galaxies! We provide the adventure and gear -- just bring yourself and any teammates you'd like to play with. (Teams are usually limited to 10 people.)

  Travel

  If you'll be traveling by air, be sure to familiarize yourself with the latest TSA regulations. As of May 15th, they're really cracking down on ticketed names exactly matching your identification, in order to reduce security delays. Also, if you plan on bringing any foods, liquid/gel personal items (shampoos, toothpaste, and even medications) you'll want to know the rules for carry-ons and checked bags.

  Speaking of checked bags, your airline might charge an additional fee to check baggage so it's a good idea to look into that ahead of time (you might even be able to pre-pay). And don't forget things like wearing shoes that are easy to remove in the security line, keeping your ID handy to show while you're checking in and going through security, and making sure all your gadgets are charged up so you don't get stuck looking for something to do at the gate.

  More Tips

  Over at Zam, Calthine has prepared a very helpful list of some things to remember when you prepare for Fan Faire. She has some great tips, and probably some you wouldn't have even thought of, so be sure to give it a quick read before you pack. (Thanks, Calthine!) Our EQII community shared even more advice...like where the closest drugstore is!

  If you have any additional tips you'd like to share, hop on over to the Fan Faire forum and leave your advice in the Fan Faire Tips thread.

  We'll see you in Vegas, baby!

• 

  Greetings Everyone!

  We have a few emails that will be sent out soon that you don't want to miss! So make sure you're signed up to receive SOE Emails.

  What's included when you sign up?

  • You'll receive the quarterly newsletter for whichever games you select as well as any marketing and promotional materials for those titles, such as account winbacks and special offers.
    

  To make sure you receive the next one, do the following:

  • Click on My Account on the top bar of any Station page
  • Click on Change Email Setting
  • Select those you wish to receive
  • Click on apply. (If you aren't sure you are getting the emails, click on Make Changes even if you don't change anything, just to refresh the setting.)
  • Or you can just visit this link.

  

   

  How come I never seem to get any of the emails?

  There are a couple of reasons you may not be receiving the emails from SOE:

  • Update your Email Address: An incorrect email address is a common reason for not receiving the emails from the Station. To update your email address, click on My Account, go to email preferences and then click change next to the email address currently assigned to your account.
  • Email is being blocked: If your email system has a block, junk, bulk, or spam mail folder, you'll want to make sure that it allows email from soe.com [info@soe.com] and The Station@sony.com [station-mailer@sony-online.com] . You will need to check the options, properties, or preferences of your mail system to determine how to set this up, or click here for tips on how to add these addresses to your Address Book.
  • Options not saved: There's a chance that your options were not set correctly when the system changed over to this system. To fix this, click on the [Clear All] link and click on Make Changes. Then select your options again and click on Make Changes again. That should refresh the list.

• This week we feature a player from Pirates CSG Online.

  Real Life First Name: Shraiskreskik (My name is Stasy, I'm her interpreter *waves*)

  Forum Handle: ShadowMouse

  Game Handle: ShadowMouse

  Where do you live?
  In an apartment, it's cozy and it's over that way, ummm… no wait… over there…
  ( *places hand on forehead*, Not this again… )

  How long have you played Pirates?
  Oh wow, ummm let's see…
  (January '07)

  Do you play Stargate, Star Chamber or Legends of Norrath?
  Yes
  (A very brief way of saying that I looked at all of them but only actively play Legends of Norrath and Star Wars Galaxies, but I'm new there.)

  Do you play any physical TCGs?
  No, but I like looking at them.
  (This is true)

  What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most?
  A friend of mine signed up the account and I kinda played it more so it's mine now XD. Me likey thinking games, games that make you think.
  (Which is not a very hard thing to do)
  That's righ... ...wait, ... what?

  What type of work do you do?
  I get coffee, take notes, shuffle files…
  (Legal assistant)

  What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other than Pirates?
  Me likey bright, shiny objects and shoes.
  (I play Chess, I love to sing and dance, and I love NASCAR !!Go Smoke!!)
  Smoke!Smoke!Smoke!

  What is your favorite deck type?
  Cherrywood. It's firm, resilient and it looks good too.
  (*sighs*, Something different every single time. Cookie cutter is boring, boring, boring.)

  What is your favorite card (playability-wise), and why?
  Bonnie Peel
  (Bonnie Peel)
  For whom does the bell peel, it peels for thee!
  (*hides face* I don't know this person)

  What is your favorite card (art-wise), and why?
  There are sooo many, ummm…
  (Screaming Mimi, she's angsty, she looks cool and if she doesn't get her way, she'll wail on you)
  … yeah that one.

  What type of TCG player are you? For example, are you an Art Lover, a Competitor, an Innovator?
  Pretty, its all about the pretty.
  (Card art drew me to Legends of Norrath and Star Wars Galaxies as well.)

  What do you like best about Pirates?
  The Potential. There are not a lot of games that can be played so simply, yet with a few agreed-upon restrictions it's a whole new game.

  Could you describe, in brief, a memorable game you had, or opponent you faced, and why it stands out in your mind?
  One player I miss, winterpegger, got me my first LE, Pandora's Box. I was so excited I practically threw the trade packs at him in the trade room for it. I'm pretty sure he ducked; I was on a sugar buzz rush for hours afterward.
  (It's true, I had to live with it)

  Do you run or work for an OSG or TCG Fan Site?
  I wish.

  What is one thing no one would ever suspect about you?
  I'm not crazy.
  (LOL … *cough* sorry *smirk*)

  Feel free to leave ShadowMouse a friendly note on the Pirates CSG Online forums!

• Beginning at 3 AM PDT on Thursday, April 16, 2009, SOE Account and Commerce flow, Station Store and the Station Marketplace will be unavailable due to maintenance. We expect this maintenance to take approximately 5 hours.

  During this time, no new game sessions will be able to be started. Players already in-game should be able to stay in the zone they are in, but changing zones will cause you to lose your session. We expect the session maintenance to take approximately 2 hours.

  This might also cause some forum accounts to temporarily lose permissions, due to the inability to verify account status while the maintenance is taking place. This is only temporary and normal permissions will return automatically once the maintenance is complete.

  We apologize for this interruption and will resume all affected services as soon as the maintenance is completed.

• Round 1 Voting is now LIVE in The Escapist's March Mayhem: Developer's Showdown, where the top 64 game developers go head-to-head to see who is the best. The elimination style tournament has started and won't end until one developer remains, and it's YOU who will determine the outcome of each match-up by voting for your favorite developer! If you need a little more info to get you started, they have a video on their site.

  You can help vote SOE to the top! In the first round of the West Division SOE is facing Ironclad. Show the world who your favorite developer is and help us take down those guys at Ironclad. (We're sure they're very nice, but this is a competition after all!) Just register for free, then place your vote to make sure your team makes it all the way to the end!

• 

  If you have never been to an SOE Fan Faire this is the year to make the trek to Bally's Hotel in Las Vegas! SOE is planning a big birthday bash for the EverQuest 10th anniversary, and players of all SOE games are invited to join the party! Fan Faire is a great place for SOE gamers to mix and mingle with each other, and meet some of the faces behind their favorite SOE games. Here's just a taste of some of the great activities we're planning:

  • Special announcements and sneak peaks of upcoming SOE titles at the Third Annual Community Address from SOE President John Smedley
  • Autograph signings with members of the original EQ development team and other key contributors
  • Lots of in-game tournaments; and live, game-themed competitions and quests
  • Developer forums and roundtables
  • Cool giveaways and other fun items!
  • Player of the Year - details coming soon

  And, that's just the beginning! Visit the Fan Faire website for more details at www.soefanfaire.com. Tickets are expected to go on sale in April.

• This week we feature a player from Pirates CSG Online.

  Real Life First Name: Joe

  Forum Handle: Ikthultu

  Game Handle: Same ( most call me Ik, Ikky, Ikkthy).

  Where do you live?
  Los Angeles.

  How long have you played Pirates?
  Online, about 2 years. TT (tabletop) casually for about 2 years before that.

  Do you play Stargate, Star Chamber or Legends of Norrath?
  Nope.

  Do you play any physical TCGs?
  Just this(Pirates TT).

  What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most?
  I've been video gaming since before the 2600 (Atari). In my teen years I got into RPGs (AD&D, Rifts). My favorites are turn-based strategy games, seek & finds & first-person shooters.

  What type of work do you do?
  Contract office furniture repair & delivery.

  What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other than Pirates?
  Rennaisance faires. There I'm "Fry Pies", Lead Cook for my guild The Port of the Black Sail.

  What is your favorite deck type?
  It varies a lot. I like to switch up my deck strategies all the time.

  What is your favorite card (playability-wise), and why?
  The OE Calico Cat. An extra action and +1 to guns is a great combo for the build cost.

  What is your favorite card (art-wise), and why?
  Online, La Siervente (such an elegant looking schooner). In TT I love Abomination from the Fire & Steel set (Looks like Rob Zombie's flagship!).

  What type of TCG player are you? For example, are you an Art Lover, a Competitor, an Innovator?
  I think most would say I'm an innovator. I was one of the first here to run a Cursed Zeus. And most of the vets have played against my fishing derbys and "Ik's seafood buffets". I'm hoping to draw some interest in "racing fleets" next.

  What do you like best about Pirates?
  There is so much to like here. Obviously, the game itself is wonderfully thought out. But one of the main things is the friendships around the country and the world I've created. This is due to the fact that even for a bunch o' motley pirates, the vast majority of fellow players are a great bunch of folks.

  Could you describe, in brief, a memorable game you had, or opponent you faced, and why it stands out in your mind?
  About a month ago Tupe & I had a 60 point std match for first place that went a good ten turns each. Our fleets were near identical (same power ship & primary treasure ship). I lost but it felt good to make Tupers fight for the win.

  Do you run or work for an OSG or TCG Fan Site?
  Not currently.

  What is one thing no one would ever suspect about you?
  I keep a mogwai enslaved in my kitchen whose sole job is to kill roaches.

  Feel free to leave Ikthultu a friendly note on the Pirates CSG Online forums!

• 

  On Monday we'll be observing Presidents' Day, a federal holiday in the United States. Originally Presidents' Day was a holiday honoring George Washington's birthday and was observed on his birthday, February 22nd. In more recent years the holiday was expanded to honor both Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday is February 12th, and was moved to the third Monday of February.

  Some of us might remember celebrating the two presidents' birthdays separately back in our schooldays, and many of our players are not from the US. Stop by the Pirates CSG Online forums and tell us about your Presidents Day memories or similar holidays you observe!

  Please note that due to the holiday, SOE's Customer Service staffing will be limited on Monday, February 16th. We appreciate your patience and understanding for any delays you may experience.

  Enjoy our Presidential Hamster!

  Avatar size

  

  Small – Click for Large

  

  Small Wallpaper!

  Large Wallpaper!

• 

  We've combed through every piece of feedback and have worked hard to implement much of it to improve your overall experience and satisfaction. The daily usage levels indicate that more and more of you are adopting Station Launcher as your everyday launchpad for your game updates, to launch your games, and to connect with friends and guild mates online.

  A new release update of Station Launcher was launched today, Monday, February 9th. It features improvements based heavily on feedback from the Station Launcher forum - especially for the functionality around the Friends network.

  Here is a rundown of what you can expect in this update:

  • "Inactive" Characters – A large number of players have reported that the Friends network contains characters that have long been abandoned. While we're working with the game teams to purge these from our databases, we've also enabled the client to mark a character as "Inactive". An inactive character will not be logged into the Friends network nor will it be displayed on the Friends panel. This can be controlled on the "Preferences" dialog, under the "Friends Privacy" category.
     
  • Context Menus on Friends panel – You can now apply actions to characters and their friends on the Friends panel by using the right mouse-click, or "context" menu. For Characters, one can change the state and visibility of that character. There are also shortcuts to add or ignore a friend of that character. For friends, once can initiate a chat session, edit the label, ignore or remove the friend. You can apply most actions to multiple selected characters or friends as well. Remember, when you remove a friend within Station Launcher, you also remove them from your in-game friends list.
     
  • Join Friend in Game – When you find one of your friends is online in a particular game, you can select "Join [friend] in [game]". This action will launch that game with the appropriate character/server selected.
     
  • Server Name for Character – When your characters are displayed in the Friends panel (on the "By Character" tab), the server name will be displayed as well. This will help differentiate customers who have characters with the same name on multiple servers of a particular game.
     
  • Server Name in "Add Friend…" – The server name has also been added to the "Add Friend" dialog.
     
  • Improved Scanning Performance – Before a game is launched, the Station Launcher will scan the game directory to make sure that all assets are up to date. The performance of this process has been improved.
     
  • "Exit" Menu Item – There is a new menu item under the "Account" menu on by the Games and Friends panel. This will allow one to completely shut down the Station Launcher application. Previously, this was only available as on the context menu of the icon in the Windows system tray (lower right corner).
     
  • Automatic Re-Login – There is an item on the "Preferences" dialog (under the "Log-In / Log-out" category) that will allow one to "Automatically log me in". This is normally used for when the application is started. If the network is disconnected (and this setting is enabled), the application will try to re-login when connectivity is restored.
     
  • "Disconnect" on Friends Panel – Instead of "Log Out", the Friends panel now has a button called "Disconnect". This will disconnect the account from the Friends network without causing a complete "log out" for the application. This is the same as marking all characters as "disconnected" (in the menu at the bottom of the panel).
     
  • Update Notes instead of "News" – When you launch the Station Launcher with the "game" command line argument (e.g. "--game EQ"), the Update Notes pop-out for that game will automatically open. Previously, the "News" pop-out would open.
     
  • Direct to Try/Buy/Activate - When you launch the Station Launcher with a "game" command line argument (e.g. "--game EQ") to a game which you do not have a subscription, you will be automatically taken to the "Try/Buy/Activate" screen.
     
  • Return to Game Select - Previously, the application would always display the "MMO" tab when going to the Game Select screen, even if one was returning from a Game Update screen from the "Strategy" tab. This bug has been fixed - you will return to the correct tab.
     
  • Support Links - The Game Support links from the Help menu have been updated so that they point to the correct address.
     
  • Pirates of the Burning Sea - The Update Notes and support URLs have been updated for the Pirates of the Burning Sea. Arrrrrgh!
     
  • Feedback - The "Feedback" menu item in the Help menu points to our perpetual "How are we doing?" survey, instead of directly into the Station Launcher forum.
    

  Thank you for all of your feedback and support!

  Offer your feedback on the Station Forums.

• This week we feature a player from Pirates CSG Online.

  Real Life First Name: Matt

  Forum Handle: RedDragon

  Game Handle: RedDragon

  Where do you live?
  Hollywood, CA

  How long have you played Pirates?
  May or June of 2007 is when I started up.

  Do you play Stargate, Star Chamber or Legends of Norrath?
  I don't play any other online games, currently.

  Do you play any physical TCGs?
  I've played the TT version (of Pirates CSG) a couple times, but I don't play regularly and I don't really have many of the physical cards.

  What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most?
  Ikthultu used to be my neighbor and Memorial Day of 2007 he got out his TT cards at a BBQ. We played a game and I loved it, so he told me about the online version and I joined that night, I think.

  When I started out, Deathmatch games were my favorite for quite some time. Once I got used to the game and the cards, I started to play a little Std. too. I guess I got hooked on the Std. game during the Holiday Tourney Marathon of 2007. That's where I really learned how to play and win at the Std. game, against guys like Metal_Carnage and Capt.Ron.

  What type of work do you do?
  I'm a special ed. teacher at a school for kids with behavioral disorders.

  What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other than Pirates?
  I play softball in a league with people I work with. I hike with my dog, Stella. I love reading, writing, and music. Pirates takes up most of my "hobby" time, which isn't much, since I am in grad school at night.

  What is your favorite deck type?
  I'm pretty much a power-gamer, I suppose. Especially in tourneys, I tend to rely on the big guns and fleet actions...sometimes I bring Angelica with me in larger format games.

  What is your favorite card (playability-wise), and why?
  Ships: I love Zeus...the guns and ability to make it into a 4 turn nightmare makes me happy!! I do miss using The Bonaparte and Sister's Rage. Can't wait until they're fixed and playable again.

  Crew: I guess Havana Black or Capt. Blackheart are the most useful cards in the game, but I love using things like The Inquisitor or Diablito too. Surprising someone by eliminating all their crew after a boarding is always fun.

  What is your favorite card (art-wise), and why?
  Crimson Angel from Crimson Coast...she's a hottie.

  What type of TCG player are you? For example, are you an Art Lover, a Competitor, an Innovator?
  Hmmm, I suppose I would be a competitor. I love the competition of tourney play. I try to be an innovator, but I'm probably more of a competitive strategist.

  What do you like best about Pirates?
  Definitely the people who play. I've made some really great friends in this game and I truly believe there isn't another community quite like it anywhere else online. Great people who truly care about the future of the game. I have to say I've laughed out loud many times from the antics of guys like Strack, mongoevil, Tupemaro, Capt.Ron, Jester, Da, Metal, Redcorsair, Ikthultu, Maheswani, and of course the ladies....Lady_Evil (the hilarious one), Shadowmouse (the goofy hottie), Narcissa (the sweety), Serra_Angel (the Cowgirl), and Isabella (the haughty one).

  I also LOVE the amount of strategy that goes into all phases of this game...from fleet building to execution of strategies, responding to the situation, and the flow of the game. I've not really found this level of complexity in any other game I've played. Truly unique!

  Could you describe, in brief, a memorable game you had, or opponent you faced, and why it stands out in your mind?
  The game that stands out in my mind is the 80-pt. DM teamer game that I played with Ikthultu, when we were both in The Pirate Council, against Capt.Ron and Brian of the Ironclads, during the Guild Wars. When we were placing our ships Ron was shocked to see that his partner, Brian, had placed only two subs and a bunch of events. Ron said, "Uh, Brian...THAT'S your fleet??"

  I still laugh about that to this day. Iky and I won that one. It was really a great match and anyone who happened to be watching it had a lot of fun too. Capt.Ron of course is one of the toughest players in the game, so beating him was a feather in my cap.

  Do you run or work for an OSG or TCG Fan Site?
  Sort of...I kind of run the Pirates Online Hall of Fame for this game.

  What is one thing no one would ever suspect about you?
  In high school, I was a singer in a punk band called Chuck Manson and the Headhunters.

  

  Feel free to leave RedDragon a friendly note on the Pirates CSG Online forums!

• She sank in a violent storm in the English Channel, and both her captain, Sir John Balchin and a lighthouse keeper on the island of Alderney took the blame. She was one of the largest ships of her time, with a length of almost 175 feet, a beam of 50 ½ feet, and weighing in at 1,921 tons. She carried more than 100 cannon and 1,100 men, and her sheer size was used to intimidate rival nations and keep Britain's sovereignty at sea unchallenged.

  But the HMS Victory's very size was her weakness; she was top heavy, with a pronounced tendency to roll. Carrying a full cargo of gold bullion, plus a complement of the largest bronze guns ever manufactured, 42-pounders, she was no match for the violence of the sea during a storm. On October 5th, 1744, she became separated from her fleet and went down with all hands, never to be heard from again.

  It was a mystery only a little less notorious than that of the Titanic.

  American treasure hunters have now claimed to have discovered the wreck of the HMS Victory, over 50 miles from where she was thought to have gone down. The evidence exonerates both Sir John Balchin and the court-martialed lighthouse keeper from Alderney. One 42-pounder over 4 tons in weight has been brought to the surface already, and many more still wait beneath 330 feet of ocean in the Channel. No trace of her golden cargo has yet been found, but that matters little to Royal Navy historians; the true treasure lies in the solving of a centuries-old mystery.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090201/ap_on_bi_ge/shipwreck_discovery

  http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-victory3-2009feb03,0,1974339.story?page=1

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7863840.stm

• What's a pirate without his doubloons? Why, poor, of course.

  The Spanish doubloon was a gold coin minted in Spain and the New World (Mexico, Peru and Nueva Granada) and used until the middle of the 19th century.

  There is some debate as to the usage of the term "doubloon". The root of the word is the Spanish dobla, meaning "double". Therefore a doubloon is a coin of double value. But the double value of what? Some sources claim the doubloon was a 2 escudo coin, while others claim it was a 4 or even 8 escudo coin. Escudos were gold coins also minted by Spain.

  Adding to the confusion was the fact that "doubloon" was a slang term used by sailors, pirates and shopkeepers to mean any gold Spanish coin. The term "doubloon" was not used in any official capacity by the Spanish government to denote any of its gold coins.

  Doubloons were especially favored by pirates because they were made of pure gold, giving them an intrinsic value in addition to their face value. A pirate who made a lucky haul could melt the coins down into bars for quick, easy resale or use them as currency anywhere.

  Doubloons; the ATMs of the Golden Age of Piracy!

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://blindkat.hegewisch.net/blindkat/pirates/money.html

  http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-doubloon.htm

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubloon

• 

  Support SOE's G.I.R.L. Scholarship!

  SOE official G.I.R.L. T-shirts are available for purchase through SOE's Station Store, perfect for the girl gamer on your holiday list! Three different styles of the shirts will be offered, including two styles for women and one for men, all priced at $19.99 (plus applicable taxes). SOE will donate 100% of T-shirt sales to the G.I.R.L. Scholarship.

  First awarded in 2008, the G.I.R.L. scholarship was created by SOE and encourages female students toward career paths in the creative and applied arts, with the ultimate goal of developing video games that are more interesting for women to play. In 2009, the program will be managed by Scholarship America®, a leading nonprofit educational support program. SOE will offer students in undergraduate programs related to video games a chance to compete for the scholarship by submitting original artwork and essays to a panel of judges.

  SOE's G.I.R.L. (Gamers in Real Life) initiative is raising awareness of the rapidly growing female gaming audience by encouraging the gaming industry to positively promote women throughout all facets of games, game production and game management.

  Purchase a G.I.R.L. T-shirt!

  
  
  
  
  

• One might think that the very sea itself would offer a bounty of food for the industrious and clever pirate. Sometimes, yes. But in those times when the sea was jealous of her treasures, pirates had to have a back-up plan to make it to the next port.

  Two common foods aboard a pirate ship were dried and salted strips of meat packed in casks and hard biscuits made of flour and water and baked to a hardness resembling rock ("hard tack"). If the dried meat frequently caused tummy trouble and the biscuits always grew weevils, well, it was a sailor's life for sure.

  At the start of a voyage several types of animals might be loaded on board the ship and kept in a kind of ship's manger until needed. These types included hens, which provided meat and eggs, pigs, goats, and sheep. In the Caribbean, pirates frequently fished for tuna and dolphin, as well as scouring islands for all types of fruit, coconuts, and shellfish along the shore. One of the greatest delicacies was turtle meat, said by some pirates to be similar to the best beef.

  If the pirates were at sea with no land in sight, the sea unforgiving, and their food stores run out, they might resort to eating their leather satchels or shoes, or in extreme cases, each other.

  With all the other uncertainties in a pirates' life, food was no exception and it was wise to stuff oneself when one had access to food; table manners be darned. Enjoy your salmagundi, me hearties!

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.sea-thieves.com/education_pages/seathieves_edu_diet-food.htm

  http://freenet-homepage.de/hawkeyepike/

  http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/pirates/72165/1

• This week we feature a player from Pirates CSG Online.

  Real Life First Name: Ian

  Forum Handle: Bootyjuice (we are pirates.... it's a double entendre people....please don't ban me)

  Game Handle: see above

  Where do you live?
  Sunny West Australia

  How long have you played Pirates?
  about 18 months

  Do you play Stargate, Star Chamber or Legends of Norrath?
  Nope. I love the movement aspect of pirates. It is what sets it apart from other games of its type.

  Do you play any physical TCGs?
  No, but good friend keelhauled lets me play with his.

  What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most?
  I don't mind some first person shooters but strategy games always come first. I think being a complete social outcast in high school got me into gaming..... anyone else get banned from playing dungeons and dragons in the library or is that just me?

  What type of work do you do?
  I'm a painter/decorator and semi retired rock promoter/manager.

  What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other than Pirates?
  I like to play basketball, read, watch live music and drink beer. Not in any order.

  What is your favorite deck type?
  I love a fast fleet. A quick game is a good game.

  What is your favorite card (playability-wise), and why?
  Maybe King Blackheart, because of the random factor he can add to the game.

  What is your favorite card (art-wise), and why?
  I like the art work on the OE Le Gaule; very nice swirls and patterns on most of the ship.

  What type of TCG player are you? For example, are you an Art Lover, a Competitor, an Innovator?
  Very much a competitor, however unfortunately my fleets aren't that competitive.;)

  What do you like best about Pirates?
  The matching of wits with players who are probably the best in the world at this game. I also like the community and support the pirates have for new players.

  Could you describe, in brief, a memorable game you had, or opponent you faced, and why it stands out in your mind?
  I got lucky and beat RedDragon once, as he is one of the best players (if not the best) it was a great honor and he was a very gracious loser for one who rarely loses.

  Do you run or work for an OSG or TCG Fan Site?
  No but our guild has a great forum site.

  What is one thing no one would ever suspect about you?
  I'm the one who convinced George Lucas that Greedo should shoot first..... I'm just that evil.

  Feel free to leave Bootyjuice a friendly note on the Pirates CSG Online forums!

• 
  
  

  All of us here at SOE would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. Have a great holiday, be safe and eat hearty.
  
  At SOE we are Thankful for...
  
  Two successful expansion launches
  
  Hoth!
  
  Free Realms Beta Sign ups
  
  Our Families who put up with our long hours and gaming habits
  
  Our friends both in our worlds and the real world
  YOU!!!

• This Thursday and Friday, November 27th and 28th, Technical and Account/Billing staffing will be limited to email support. Please visit the support site to submit your inquiries. Phone and Live Chat Support will resume on Monday, December 1st from 10am to 7pm.

• Please be advised that SOE phone support and in-game support will be unavailable from 10am – 2:00pm (PST) this Friday, November 21st. Phone support will resume at 2:00pm and be available for the remainder of the day until 7pm. In-game support will resume at 2:00pm and be available for the remainder of their normal business hours. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.

• X never marks the spot, especially on a pirate map.

  There are few actual pirates known to have buried any of their treasure; William Kidd was one, but he did that in a bid to save his own neck (and ultimately failed). Kidd's treasure was quickly recovered, but rumors immediately sprang up that he had buried more. Many false maps have surfaced over the years, none of them leading to anything at all.

  The story that fixed the idea of buried treasure to pirates was likely Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. It fired the imaginations of countless readers and made the stories of these seafaring criminals even more mysterious and romantic. It also made it easier to believe in "treasure maps" and rumors of buried treasure that have emerged over the years and led many treasure-hunters to their deaths.

  In reality most pirates were only too happy to spend all their loot rather quickly, knowing that their careers were short and would end with them dangling at the end of a noose. You can't take a pile of gold with you in the afterlife, whether heaven or hell. Blackbeard and Charles Vane were famous for a wild party on the shores of an island just off the Carolinas; shortly thereafter Blackbeard was killed in battle and Vane captured and hung. They enjoyed their gold to the fullest, even as it ensured their doom.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2728/did-pirates-bury-their-treasure

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buried_treasure

• The most famous of pirates' punishments, "walking the plank" was probably the invention of an imaginative writer.

  Picture a ship at sea, flying the Jolly Roger. She's just taken a rich prize, but the pirates aboard want nothing to do with hostages. They'd have to feed and guard them after all. So instead, a convenient plank is extended over the side of the ship and the victims, bound and blindfolded, are forced at sword point to walk off the end to their certain deaths.

  It's gruesome, especially since there were liable to be sharks in the water, and sensationally horrifying. And it's probably made up.

  There is no documented evidence during the Golden Age of Piracy to support the idea that pirates made victims "walk the plank". In later periods there are accounts of sailors who had mutinied making their officers walk the plank in a feeble attempt to avoid a murder charge ("But I swear I never touched him!"), but these accounts were very rare, and even suspected to be false by court officials.

  Yet the vision of a lone man standing bound and blindfolded on a thin plank over a roiling sea makes for some beautiful paintings and cinematic shots. Howard Pyle and J.M. Barrie cemented the idea of walking the plank into modern pirate lore with their works, and Hollywood took up the image and ran with it.

  After all, it is rather horrifying and breathtaking at the same time.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.bonaventure.org.uk/ed/punishments.htm

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_the_plank

  http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/walk-the-plank.html

• 

  November 11th Veterans/Remembrance Day is celebrated by many throughout the world. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice, which ended the fighting in World War I back in 1918 however it doesn't just honor that occasion, it is a holiday to celebrate the cause of world peace. What this day is really about is honoring our troops and their loved ones, both retired and current, for all they have done for this country and our world.

  From all of us here at Sony Online Entertainment to all of our present and former troops, their families, and supporters of freedom and peace, we give you our thanks. We salute you!

   

  We would like you to meet some of the Veteran's that work here at SOE!!

  Tracy "Owlchick" Seamster Game Designer The Agency

  Alan "Brenlo" Crosby Sr. Director, Global Community Relations

  
  

• Rum was "a hot, hellish, and terrible liquor", according to a 1651 document from Barbados. So why drink it?

  Rum is made by fermenting sugar cane juice or molasses, which is a by-product of sugar manufacturing. Just before, during, and long after the Golden Age of Piracy, sugar was in great demand in Europe and elsewhere as a sweetener. The islands of the Caribbean were ideal for growing sugar cane and plantations, run by slavery, quickly sprang up. It was not long before it was discovered that molasses left in the sun would ferment, producing a fiery drink that was said to cause "rumbullion" or "rumbunctiousness" in anyone who drank it. The island of Jamaica called it "Kill-Devil", the Royal Navy called it "Grog" (when mixed with water or lime juice), and many others called it "Demon Water" and "Pirate's Drink".

  Under any name it was indeed a harsh, rough drink, suitable for sailors and pirates and few others. Rum quickly replaced brandy as the drink of choice aboard ship in both the Royal Navy and in pirate crews; besides being cheaper than brandy, it killed the algae which frequently grew in the water casks aboard ship, and tasted better than soured beer. Pirate captains were known to ration out rum for their crew to keep them happy in between capturing ships; possibly it was to keep them just a bit too tipsy to mount a mutiny. Certainly there are several tales in which pirates, having drunk too much rum the night before, were too drunk to fight the next day.

  The trade in sugar and molasses was extremely profitable (in itself fueling the slave trade), and explains why pirates were often just as happy, if not more so, to take a cargo of sugar than one of gold. And with a by-product like rum, what more could any pirate need?

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum

  http://www.articlestree.com/food-and-drinks/origins-of-rum-tx225039.html

• 
  
  

  Tell us what you think about the Station Launcher! What do you like? What needs improvement? How can we make it something everyone will appreciate? You can give us valuable feedback about your Station Launcher experience by clicking on the "Station Launcher Feedback" button at the bottom of the launcher screen (or click on the image here) and taking the short survey. With your help we can make Station Launcher even better and deliver a fantastic experience for everyone.

  
  
  

  Make sure you tell your friends about Station Launcher and get them to try it out too! They can find the beta download at http://launcher.station.sony.com/.

• Beta Release Update is Live!

  During the past month, the Station LauncherTM development team has been going at it nonstop in working to bring you a Station Launcher product that improves and simplifies your online gaming experience - by managing all your games, updates, and downloads from one convenient place.  We're reading your feedback on the Station message boards to better understand what you've liked and what you haven't liked about the Station Launcher beta experience.  Because we're in a beta phase, your feedback provides guidance that enables us to fix problems you've identified, improve them, and ultimately helps us build the best experience possible for you. 
  This morning we released a Station Launcher beta update that addresses several key issues that you've written about in the Station forums.  The past month of work by our team here has been focused primarily on addressing and fixing some of those major challenges encountered since the first Station Launcher beta release.
  Here is a rundown of what you can expect in this update: 

  • Preferences are now saved - There's a fix for a "Lost Settings" bug that was commonly reported and caused many players to lose their saved preferences.
  • Improved Network Resiliency - The update enables Station Launcher to be more resilient to network fluctuations and reduces the need for players to retry file downloads.
  • Improved Auto Launch behavior - When clicking on a shortcut to a game, the customer will immediately be presented with the Game Update screen for that game.  The "News" pane will also be opened automatically.  Previously, players were taken to the Game Select screen and forced to wait for 5 seconds, before being allowed to proceed.
  • Game Update screen now includes "Show All Games" - There's a button on the Game Update screen that's now labeled "Show All Games," instead of "Back to Games".
  • Ability for Vanguard players to enter a game with selected character - There's now an "Enter As..." support for Vanguard players; a menu on the Game Update screen allows a customer to enter the game with their character already selected.  This is also supported within EverQuest II and Star Wars Galaxies.
  • Automatic Directory Location selection - When you switch to a different server version, Station Launcher will create a directory based on the name of the new server.  Previously, you had to manually choose a directory location.
  • Multi-Instance Support - Players will be able use the application to play more than one instance of a game.  This does require additional setup steps and is recommended to be used only by advanced users.
  • We want to know more about your Station Launcher experience - We want to make it the best experience possible for you.  We want to know how its functionality is working for you, and understand what you think can make Station Launcher even better.  When you click on the "Station Launcher Feedback" button, you'll be taken to an online survey to share your experiences.  Be brutally honest with us.

  Here are the Known Issues within Station Launcher.  We're continuing our work to resolve these: 

  • Interrupted Downloads - Game updates are interrupted when you leave the Game Update screen.
  • Multi-Instance Support - Additional support for this ability has not yet been added to the application, including the user interface and command-line syntax.
  • Minimize from Task Bar - The application does not toggle to and from the minimize state on the Windows task bar as is common in other Windows applications.
  • "Enter As" while using UK English - The "Enter As" feature - the ability to enter a game with a selected character -  is not working when the language is set to English (UK).
  • Update Scanning - The scanning for files has become slower and sometimes gets "stuck", especially when quickly switching between different server versions.
  • Chat Copy - One can paste into a chat session within Friends, but cannot copy selected text.

  The team here wants everyone using Station Launcher beta to "keep it coming" - keep sending us your feedback and thoughts about the latest release.  Post your suggestions and comments on the board, and also leave detailed feedback through the new survey link that's available to you in Station Launcher.  Let us know if the new fixes are working for you.  If you're enjoying Station Launcher, tell your guild mates who haven't yet tried it, to try it out and let us know what they think.  All of your input enables us to improve, refine, and deliver the best Station Launcher experience for everyone.
  Offer your feedback on the Station Forums.

• 
  

  Greetings Everyone!

  We have a few emails that will be sent out soon that you don't want to miss! Make sure you are signed up to receive SOE Emails. What's included when you sign up?

  • You'll receive the quarterly newsletter for whichever games you select as well as any marketing and promotional materials for those titles, such as account winbacks and special offers.

  To make sure you receive the next one, do the following:

  • Click on My Account on the top bar of any Station page • Click on Change Email Setting • Select those you wish to receive. • Click on apply. (If you aren't sure you are getting the emails, click on Make Changes even if you don't change anything, just to refresh the setting.) • Or you can just visit this link.

  
  

  How come I never seem to get any of the emails? There are a couple of reasons you may not be receiving the emails from SOE:

  • Update your Email Address: An incorrect Email Address is a common reason for not receiving the emails from the station. To update your email address, click on My Account, go to email preferences and then click change next to the email address currently assigned to your account.

  • Email is being blocked: If your e-mail system has a block, junk, bulk, or spam mail folder, you'll want to make sure that it allows e-mail from The Station@sony.com [station-mailer@sony-online.com]. You will need to check the options, properties, or preferences of your mail system to determine how to set this up.

  • Options not saved: There's a chance that your options were not set correctly when the system changed over to this system. To fix this, click on the [Clear-All] link and click on Make Changes. Then select your options again and click on Make Changes again. That should refresh the list.

• A group of eighty or more men on one ship looking to capture other ships for fun and profit is a disciplinary disaster waiting to happen. None knew this better than the captains trying to control them. So the Pirate Articles, or Code of Conduct, was born.

  Early Pirate Articles, or Chasse-Partie (Charter Party), were a set of rules by which the first buccaneers operated. These became known as Articles of Agreement, and varied from one captain to another. They were strict rules that provided for discipline, specified how much each crewmember could expect to receive when treasure was taken, and how much a permanently injured man could receive as compensation.

  Each crew member was required to sign or make his mark on the articles, then swear an oath of allegiance to the captain and the rest of the crew. Once this was done, the new crew member could vote for officers and in other situations that were important; such as going after a ship full of gold but also heavily armed. Of course, signing the articles also meant that if you were ever captured, you'd likely hang from the end of a rope, as such documents were often used to prove a pirate's guilt in court.

  Few actual pirate articles survive, for the reason above; pirates would often burn or throw them overboard to avoid giving the court evidence. One famous set that survived belonged to Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts, most likely because his crew, demoralized at their beloved captain's death, forgot to destroy them.

  Who would ever have guessed that pirates would have the first democracies in the New World?

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_code

  http://www.cindyvallar.com/makingmark.html

  http://www.thepiratesrealm.com/pirate%20code.html

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• The naval sidearm of choice in the Golden Age of Piracy, the cutlass was a pirate's most reliable weapon and all-purpose tool.

  A cutlass is a broad cutting or slashing sword, usually with a cupped or basket hilt to protect the hand of the wielder and with only one edge sharpened. The blade was short and might have been curved or straight; efficient in close-quarters combat both above and below decks. In addition, the cutlass was useful in cutting heavy ropes, canvas, and wood, making it of even more use to the common pirate.

  The word "cutlass" is probably derived from the Latin for a cutting instrument, cultellus, which made its way over several centuries and through several countries such as Italy and France before reaching its final form.

  While the cutlasses one sees Hollywood use in its swashbuckling movies are not technically inaccurate, they are usually patterned after later model swords, such as those called hangers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

  The cutlass was such a mainstay among sailors that it is recorded it kept its place among official navy weapons lists until as late as 1949. How's that for a slice of history?

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.thepirateking.com/historical/cutlass.htm

  http://www.gentlemenoffortune.com/swords.htm

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutlass

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• Beginning at 9 AM PDT on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, SOE Account and Commerce flow, and the Station Store will all be unavailable due to maintenance. We expect this maintenance to take approximately 4 hours.

  We apologize for this interruption and will resume all affected services as soon as the maintenance is completed.

• Grenadoes, or Grenades as we know them now, were a common weapon aboard ships during the Golden Age of Piracy. Most grenadoes were between 2.5 and 4.5 inches in diameter, consisting of a hollow cast iron ball with a hole in one end. The grenadoe would be loaded with gunpowder and whatever small bits of shrapnel suited the moment; nails, grapeshot and anything else that would cause a lot of damage. A tapered wooden peg served as both stopper and fuse, keeping the contents in and yet guiding the path of the spark when lit.

  Pirates and Royal Navy alike used these weapons to clear a ship's deck prior to boarding, and they were very effective, usually exploding upon impact and killing many men in a radius around it. These first grenades were primitive and pretty unstable, however; it was not uncommon for them to explode in the owner's hands rather than after they were thrown.

  Adding to the danger of this was the hand mortar that launched grenadoes. Similar-looking to a flintlock pistol, it had a much heavier stock and much larger, shorter barrel to accommodate the iron balls. The trick was in firing the thing. Did you light the fuse on the grenadoe before loading and firing the mortar, and hope the mortar did then fire? Guns in the Golden Age of Piracy were notorious for jamming. Or did you jam the grenadoe, fuse down, into the mortar and then fire it, trusting the act of firing to light the fuse on the grenadoe's way out? Fuses jammed into grenadoes and then lit were very prone to exploding immediately.

  Either way, grenadoes were more often than not a useful tool in a pirate's arsenal, and well worth the risks commonly associated with using them. Sam Bellamy, Blackbeard, and John Paul Jones were all known to have used these dangerous yet highly efficient weapons with success.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.gentlemenoffortune.com/weapons.htm

  http://www.cindyvallar.com/tactics.html

  http://www.thepirateking.com/historical/grenadoe.htm

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• 
  
  

  It is difficult to believe that so much time has passed since we heard those first unbelievable reports that two planes had crashed into the buildings of the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon and yet another in a Pennsylvania field.

  The anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, offers a time to remember and to reflect about this unforgettable moment in history, and to reconsider the effect that September 11 has had on the United States and the world. Let's all take a moment today to remember all those who were affected by these events and to reflect on what was learned that day about patriotism and tolerance.

• This week we feature a player from Pirates CSG Online.

  Real Life First Name: Harold.

  Forum Handle: Captain Ron

  Game Handle: Capt.Ron

  Where do you live?
  Upper Westchester, New York.

  How long have you played Pirates?
  16 months now.

  Do you play Stargate, Star Chamber or Legends of Norrath?
  No.

  Do you play any physical TCGs?
  Just Pirates.

  What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most?
  Since my father taught me how to play chess at a young age I developed a love for all strategy board games. I also like stats and the meaning of those numbers within those stats and role playing games have all of that. I LIKE ROLE PLAYING GAMES TOO.

  What type of work do you do?
  I am a Electronics electrician for the NYC Transit authority.

  What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other than Pirates?
  I love to paint model figures, play miniature games like Axis and Allies, DnD, HeroScape, and Warhammer 40k. I have a 1000pt IronWarriors Army. I love to Play Futbol (soccer for us Americans).Most important I love to see my three kids kick that ball with me. It puts a smile on my face.

  What is your favorite deck type?
  PIRATES OF THE SPANISH MAIN. (WizKids please make a Spanish Main 2!!!)

  What is your favorite card (playability-wise), and why?
  CrimsonCoast Jackhawkins. Gives you a same action twice and your crew can not be eliminated. Good for dueling too. Put him on the Raven.

  What is your favorite card (art-wise), and why?
  Spanish Main Captain Blackheart ( hey, that picture fits his ability. SAC, CAPTAIN.)

  What type of TCG player are you? For example, are you an Art Lover, a Competitor, an Innovator?
  Competitor, A student of this great game.

  What do you like best about Pirates?
  The game is so in depth, so many options to go with. Every game you play has its little story. The std format with all its UTs and Events makes for great play.

  Could you describe, in brief, a memorable game you had, or opponent you faced, and why it stands out in your mind?
  JUNE 17, 2007 40ptstd tournament. I played PaladinSG HARBY vs RevansNeck What a great game, Islands where set in a straight line. He collected the first 12 gold. I took out his harby with my revansneck and set sail close to his home island to steel 5 gold coins from his runner. Sail back to my home port to win 16 to 12 with 18 seconds left. I also beat Capt.Strack in this one, but lost to Brocka (talk about the who's who in Pirates Online) Either way I was new at the time and that tourney was my coming of age. I CAN PLAY WITH THE BIG BOYS.

  Do you run or work for an OSG or TCG Fan Site?
  No.

  What is one thing no one would ever suspect about you?
  I am the same I believe online and in my Life. I try to be fair, helpful, and friendly to all. Most importantly I like to defend those whose can not defend themselves. I feel better.

  Feel free to leave Capt.Ron a friendly note on the Pirates CSG Online forums!

• In which we learn that the passage of time and a skilled pen can turn a life into legend.

  Pirate of the Week: Edward "Blackbeard" Teach c.1680-1718

  Edward Teach, or Thatch (or even Drummond) is a figure shrouded in myth. Little is known about his early life. He may have been born in Bristol, England around 1680. There is also speculation that places his birth in London, Philadelphia, Jamaica, or Virginia.

  Wherever his birthplace, he went to sea as a young man, like many of his contemporaries. He served on an English ship in the War of the Spanish Succession, including Queen Anne's War, as a privateer along the Spanish Main. He would have seen many battles and almost certainly helped plunder Spanish ships of their treasures.

  When England withdrew from Queen Anne's War in 1713, Teach, trained as a privateer, turned his skills to piracy. He was not alone in this lateral career move. Benjamin Hornigold, a highly successful privateer, had also turned pirate and took Teach under his wing. Once Hornigold established his pirate base on New Providence Island (now Nassau), other privateers-turned-pirates joined them and the start of many legends of the Golden Age of Piracy began.

  Edward Teach was a formidable captain and his crew was well-disciplined. But was their discipline a result of fear, or respect? Lurid contemporary newspaper accounts described a vicious, cold-blooded killer, seven feet tall, with a long black beard that smoked from cannon fuse woven into it and lit on fire. Flashing black eyes pierced one's very soul and reminded victims of hell, while every word from his mouth was of damnation and death.

  Blackbeard was said to have shot his own first mate to "remind his crew of who he was", and to dare them to see who could last the longest breathing in "the fumes of hell" (pots filled with brimstone and lit on fire) while shut into the hold.

  He was said to have taken fourteen wives but treated each one of them poorly, giving them to his men when he tired of them or perhaps beating them.

  Despite this nasty reputation, there are no verified accounts of him killing anyone, or torturing anyone to the degree that some of his contemporaries such as Edward Low did.

  This did not stop him from cultivating his barbaric, homicidal image. For one thing, it made his job much easier; merchant ships had only to sight his flag to give in, convinced the legions of Hell were about to bear down and destroy them if they didn't. For another, it kept his crew in line during lean times. Blackbeard was not afraid to fight, but some of the prizes he took were short in the treasure department, providing food or drink instead of gold and jewels.

  Despite this his crew remained loyal. Food, drink and weapons kept them on the sea until they could hit a richer target. Even if that ship were loaded with cocoa and sugar instead of gold, clever Teach had contacts in North Carolina who would gladly declare his prizes derelict and take a share of the cargo, giving gold for the rest.

  These contacts, which included corrupt government officials, were also more than happy to grant Blackbeard "pardons" for his piracy, although he continued plundering merchant ships and selling them the loot. Teach knew the system and exploited it to the fullest.

  Blackbeard's legend really took off when in the early summer of 1718 he entered the mouth of Charleston harbor in South Carolina with a flotilla of four ships. He blockaded the harbor, bringing shipping to a halt, and took several merchant ships, one of which had some important Charleston citizens aboard. Teach held these people for ransom, demanding only a chest full of medicines for their release.

  Once the medicines were delivered, Teach released his hostages and escaped with his entire fleet northward, towards North Carolina and safe haven.

  Two of his ships ran aground at Beaufort Inlet, the Queen Anne's Revenge and Adventure. Whether he did this deliberately or not remains a topic of much speculation; certainly some of his crew believed he did it in order to keep most of the treasure in the ships for himself. History seems to bear this out, in that he also marooned most of his crew, stripped three ships of all treasure (making Stede Bonnet furious at him for it), and took the fourth ship to Bath, North Carolina to accept a pardon.

  With the pardon secured, Blackbeard retired to Ocracoke Inlet to enjoy his loot, even welcoming another notorious pirate, Charles Vane to the party.

  But not everyone was convinced of Blackbeard's apparent retirement. He had accepted pardons before and continued taking ships. Governor Spotswood of Virginia was not happy that there was a near-legendary pirate settling so close, and that the North Carolina government was apparently turning a blind eye to that fact.

  Spotswood sent Captain Maynard out with two hired sloops to take Blackbeard in and end his threat once and for all.

  Maynard and Teach met at Ocracoke Inlet in an epic battle that was the crowning glory on the legend of Blackbeard. It was said that Blackbeard was stabbed at least twenty times and shot five times as well before blood loss brought him down. Maynard beheaded him and hung the head from his bowsprit.

  Legend says that Blackbeard's headless body swam around the ship Adventure from 2 to 7 times before sinking out of sight.

  After Teach's death his legend only grew. From claims of buried treasure to his own skull made into a drinking chalice, the romanticized view has far outdone what even the clever and resourceful Teach actually accomplished in his lifetime.

  With the discovery of the wreck of the Queen Anne's Revenge in 1996, there is an opportunity to both refute some of the more outlandish claims, and find out even more interesting facts about history's most notorious pirate.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbeard

  http://www.ncmaritime.org/blackbeard/default.htm

  http://www.qaronline.org/rcorner/genhistory.htm

  Updates on the excavation of the Queen Anne's Revenge!

  http://www.qaronline.org/

  Discuss this article on the forums.

• If you can’t make it to Las Vegas for Fan Faire this week, but would like to be connected to the news as it happens, we have a number of options for you! You can watch SOE President John Smedley’s Community Address live on Friday night, or if you would rather tune in while playing the game we can make that happen too!

  Players of EverQuest, EverQuest II, and Star Wars Galaxies can listen live to SOE President John Smedley’s Fan Faire Community Address live this week by using Station Voice from within the game clients.

  Read more to learn how to do this for each of the three games.

  Star Wars Galaxies

  Players of Star Wars Galaxies can listen in on the Community Address by entering /voice join swg.broadcast.fanfaire on the command line from any live server. Players online after the broadcast channel is live will also be able to join the address channel by clicking on the “Fanfaire” channel on the voice bar.

  Broadcasts will also occur in SWG before the address begins to remind everyone that they can tune in.

  Please note that you must have the voice bar active and enabled in these games in order to join the channel and listen in, and that the channel will be a streaming broadcast of the Community Address, and not a two way conversation with Fan Faire attendees.

  EverQuest

  Players of EverQuest can listen in on the Community Address while playing on the EQ Test server Friday night. Shortly before the address is scheduled to begin, a new button will appear on the voice bar to allow you to join the address. The address will also show up on the channel list while it is happening, so you can find it in either way.

  Please note that players currently connected to the EQ Test sever may need to relog to see the button on the voice bar. Also note that Station Voice is only available on the EQ Test server at this point, and can not be accessed from live servers.

  In-game broadcasts will be made prior to the Community Address to help you remember that you can listen in while you play!

  EverQuest II

  Players of EverQuest II can listen in on the Community Address by entering “/voice join test.fanfaire” (without the quotes) on the command line from any live server. Because Station Voice is live on all EQII servers, you do not need to be playing on the EQII Test Server to listen in on the address.

  Just as with EQ, in-game broadcasts will be made before the Community Address begins, to help everyone remember that they can listen in. There will be a clickable link in the broadcast that you can use to automatically join the channel.

• 

   

  You've heard about the Flickr account set up for Fan Faire but did you know we have created other exciting ways to share and enjoy the Fan Faire experience?

  A Twitter account has been set up so you and your friends can get updates while the event is taking place!! Head on over to Twitter, click the green check mark with the word "Following" next to it and you will now get the updates. You can even enter your cell phone number and get the updates as a text message. The SOE Staff will be updating the Twitter throughout Fan Faire so tune in for updates! To stay up to date Twitter also offers an RSS Feed! You will need a Twitter account to access the feed.

  You can watch video clips taken at Fan Faire on You Tube! We would also love for you to tag and videos you take at Fan Faire and upload to You Tube with "fanfaire2008".

  All attending Fan Faire 2008 are welcome to share their photos with the community through the newly created Flickr group. The group is listed as "SOE Fan Faire 2008". The group was specifically created for this upcoming Fan Faire so all attending are able to enjoy each other's pictures. Do you already have an account with Flickr? Make sure you tag all of your photos, blogs, and other submissions related to Fan Faire with "fanfaire2008". We hope this will serve as a way to share your Fan Faire memories with everyone!

• Come see the team at Jillian's during Gen Con!

  With more than 26,000 attendees last year for Gen Con in Indianapolis Indiana, this year's event is expected to be even bigger and better! This will be an event to remember so be sure to get out there and enjoy!

  While you are in the area, Sony Online Entertainment would like to extend an invitation to our Gen Con Meet & Greet. Join us August 14th, 2008 for a night to remember.

  Hosted by the SOE Community Team, you will have the opportunity to meet members of the Community Relations team as well as the developers of our Online Strategy Games. So be prepared to discuss your favorite SOE Card game with them!

  Quick Details:
  When: August 14th, 2008 7-10PM
  Where: Jillian's
  141 S. Meridian St.
  Indianapolis, IN 46225

   

  Meet us at Jillian's from 7 pm until 10pm for a good time socializing with SOE employees, friends & other players. Free food will be served including pizza, mini-burgers, multiple dips & chips, fries, and chicken. Free drinks including Hosted Deluxe Well, Beer, House Wine & Non-Alcoholics will be offered throughout the night.

  Come join us for a night of socializing, food, drinks, games & fun!

  
  
  

  21 and older only (photo issued government ID required)

• SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT PRESIDENT TO DELIVER SECOND ANNUAL
  "COMMUNITY ADDRESS" AT FAN FAIRE IN LAS VEGAS
  Pre-Registration for Live Webcast Now Open

  WHAT

  See what's new at SOE! To kickoff the 2008 SOE Fan Faire, SOE President John Smedley will provide opening remarks to more than 1000 video game fans at the Hilton Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The second annual "Community Address" combines a live presentation with a streaming video broadcast online. Smed will give both Fan Faire attendees and gamers worldwide the kind of inside look at SOE products usually reserved for industry insider events.

  SOE's Fan Faire is a unique social event in which players of SOE 's most popular titles congregate to meet their online, game-playing peers. Fan Faire guests will have the chance to demo new titles throughout Fan Faire weekend, August 15th-17th, including the highly anticipated Free Realms™ . This year's event boasts a plethora of game-themed live events including tournaments, contests, live quests, a variety of panel discussions and tons of great gaming-related contests.

  WHEN

  Friday, August 15 th at 6:00pm PST.

  WHERE

  To listen to the webcast, please go to:

  http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=50659

  WHO

  SOE is hosting its annual Fan Faire event in Las Vegas for fans of its massively multiplayer online (MMO) gaming lineup including the hit titles EverQuest ® , EverQuest ® II, EverQuest ® Online Adventures, PlanetSide ®, Star Wars Galaxies™ and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes ® . This year's Fan Faire will also feature upcoming titles such as Free Realms™, The Agency™ and more.

  For more information on the SOE Fan Faire visit: http://events.station.sony.com/fanfaire/.

• 

  This year's Fan Faire will be held in the famed Hilton in Las Vegas from August 14th-17th. Today, August 8th,is the last day to pre-register, so don't delay! Pre-registration can be completed the official Fan Faire website: http://events.station.sony.com/fanfaire/index.vm

  Hilton Hotels Corporation owns 2,645 hotels in more than 80 countries. The Las Vegas Hilton is the largest Hilton in the entire world and contains 3,174 rooms within the building. It was recently renovated this year and has 100,000 square feet of gaming space. With wonderful amenities in the Hilton, and a great schedule for Fan Faire planned out, we look forward to seeing you August 14th!

  For all those attending, here are a few maps of the inside of the hotel where the events will be taking place. Feel free to use these to map out strategies for maximizing seeing as many panels as possible, or print them out so you reduce the risk of getting lost during the three day celebration.

  The event schedule has been updated with new panels and other fun events. These new exciting additions include the G.I.R.L - Gamers In Real Life Breakfast, a developer preview of the Agency, and a VIP Rock N Roll Karaoke Party at the Las Vegas Sports Center. A full schedule of updated events can be found at: http://events.station.sony.com/fanfaire/index.vm

  

  The Ballrooms & Pavilions

  Friday, August 15th

  Pavilion 1
  10am- 11pm "Station VoiceTM powered by Vivox." 11am- 12pm Station Launcher
  12pm- 2pm EverQuest II: Live Quest: To Tame the Savage Beast
  2pm- 3pm EverQuest II: Guild Hall Preview
  3pm- 4pm EverQuest II: Anatomy of an Update
  4pm- 5pm EverQuest II: History and Lore
  5pm- 6pm EverQuest II: Anything Goes

  Pavilion 2
  10am- 11am Podcast
  11am- 12pm Customer Service
  2pm- 3pm EverQuest: Game Mechanics
  3pm- 4pm EverQuest: Quest Workshop
  4pm- 5pm EverQuest: Raids and Missions
  5pm- 6pm EverQuest: General Session

  Pavilion 3
  10am- 11am Legends of Norrath
  11am- 12pm Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game QA
  2pm- 3pm The Agency: Developer Preview
  3pm- 4pm Welcome to Free Realms
  4pm- 5pm The Art of Free Realms
  5pm- 6pm A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Monumental New Title in Development
  
  

  Saturday, August 16th

  Pavilion 1
  11am- 12pm Customer Service
  2pm- 3pm EverQuest II: Preview the Upcoming Expansion
  3pm- 4pm EverQuest II: History and Lore
  4pm- 5pm EverQuest II: Anatomy of an Update
  5pm- 6pm EverQuest II: Anything Goes

  Pavilion 2
  10am- 11am SOE Marketing Panel
  11am- 12pm SOE Community Panel
  12pm- 2pm EverQuest Live Quest: Portal Fragments
  2pm- 3pm EverQuest: Game Mechanics
  3pm- 4pm EverQuest: Quest Workshop
  4pm- 5pm EverQuest: Expansion Highlights
  5pm- 6pm EverQuest: Special Feature Addition

  Pavilion 3
  10am- 11am Legends of Norrath
  11am- 12pm SOE Community Panel
  2pm- 3pm The Agency: Developer Preview
  3pm- 4pm The Animation of Free Realms
  4pm- 5pm Free Realms: Designing a Casual MMO
  5pm- 6pm A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Monumental New Title in Development

  

  Conference & Board Rooms

  Friday, August 15th
  

  Conference Rooms 8 / 9 / 10
  12pm- 2pm Star Wars Galaxies Live Quest: Battle of the Echo Base
  2pm- 3pm Star Wars Galaxies: Trader and Entertainers
  3pm- 4pm Star Wars Galaxies: All About Combat
  4pm- 5pm Adding Content to Star Wars Galaxies
  5pm- 6pm Star Wars Galaxies: Storyteller, roleplaying and events

  Conference Room 7
  10am- 11am Pirates of the Burning Sea
  11am- 12pm Pirates of the Burning Sea
  3pm- 4pm Vanguard: General Game and Development
  4pm- 5pm Vanguard: State of the Game

  Conference Room 12
  10am- 11am Live Gamer
  2pm- 3pm PlanetSide: Roadmap 2008 and Beyond
  3pm - 4pm MxO: The Ongoing Story
  
  

  Saturday, August 16th

  Conference Rooms 8 / 9 / 10
  2pm- 3pm Star Wars Galaxies: Collections
  3pm- 4pm Star Wars Galaxies: Heroic Encounters
  4pm- 6pm Star Wars Galaxies: Galactic Assembly

  Conference Room 7
  10am- 11am Pirates of the Burning Sea
  11am- 12pm Pirates of the Burning Sea
  12pm- 2pm Vanguard Live Quest: Trouble on the Trade Route
  3pm- 4pm Vanguard: High Level panel
  4pm- 6pm Vanguard: Create a Quest!

  Conference Room 12
  2pm- 3pm PlanetSide: Design Session
  3pm- 4pm MxO: Developing the Story and Live Events

  

  Center Rooms

  Thursday, August 14th

  Conrad Room
  4pm- 8pm Early Bird Registration and Badge Pick Up
  4pm- 8pm Legends Lounge Open
  10pm Late Night Legends of Norrath Play Session
  
  Baron Room
  8pm Welcome Reception
  
  

  Friday, August 15th

  Conrad Room
  9am- 8pm Registration and Badge Pick Up
  9am- 8pm Game Room Open
  9am- 8pm Vendor Bazaar and Phat Lewt Store Open
  9am- 4pm EverQuest Best of the Best Tournament
  12pm Silent Auction Begins
  
  Baron Room
  6pm Annual Community Address from John Smedley
  
  

  Saturday, August 16th

  Conrad Room
  9am- 8pm Registration and Badge Pick Up
  9am- 8pm Game Room Open
  9am- 8pm Vendor Bazaar and Phat Lewt Store Open
  9am- 4pm EverQuest II Tournament
  4pm Silent Auction Ends
  10pm Game: Champions of the Force Play Session
  
  Baron Room
  8pm Grand Banquet

• 

  There is going to be a stress test of the new Station Launcher this weekend, August 8th through August 10th and YOU are invited! Tell your friends... tell your loved ones... tell your guild mates... they are all invited too!

  

  Station Launcher will include:

  • Launching Station Games - One place for all your games - launch games from one location, no separate logins, and delete shortcuts on desktop.
  • Easy, Behind-the-Scenes Updating - Ready to Go Anytime - Automatic Updating, updating can take place while computer is in use, and manage download settings for each game through preferences.
  • Connect with Friends using Station Friends - All SOE friends listed on one application, stay connected to friends in-game, game characters names private, see what SOE games your friends are playing when you are online, send and receive tells, and connect with legacy friends.
  • Purchase Station Games, Updates and Items- purchase & download a variety of content, able to pre-load games, stay current on Station news, and subscribe.
  • Localization - Station Launcher will be available in several different languages, choose the one you wish to use.

  

  Sony Online Entertainment is expecting to launch Station Launcher in the near future. Station Launcher will be faster than the current launchers, easier to navigate and secure.

  Station Launcher will allow each player to customize their preferences in many areas, and will offer a new way for players to keep in contact with their friends who play SOE games. Players will be able to chat with their friends while they are in-game or out of game and the most exciting thing about this is that it works across games - Play EQII and chat with friends in SWG!

  

  All new aspects of the Station Launcher will make game access easy and convenient, as well as automatically keeping all the games up-to-date. No more waiting when you haven't logged into a game in a few weeks. The update will be there and downloaded just waiting for you to play!

  Visit http://launcher.station.sony.com/ for more information including frequently asked questions & answers, a user guide and a link to directly access the forums.

  

  

• 

  All attending Fan Faire 2008 are welcome to share their photos with the community through the newly created Flickr group. The group is listed as "SOE Fan Faire 2008". The group was specifically created for this upcoming Fan Faire so all attending are able to enjoy each other's pictures.

  Do you already have an account with Flickr? Make sure you tag all of your photos, blogs, and other submissions related to Fan Faire with "fanfaire2008". We hope this will serve as a way to share your Fan Faire memories with everyone!

• 

  Are you an aspiring artist looking for some professional guidance for your career or advice on your artwork? Then stop by and see Joe Shoopack at Fan Faire 2008 in Las Vegas!

  Joe Shoopack is the Director of Artistic Development for SOE studios. Joe is driven to continually improve the art culture and quality at SOE studios. He is proud to have contributed in helping multiple artists gain recognition for their artwork from Legends of Norrath selected for the latest Digital Art Annual. (Some works from the annual by SOE artists are pictured below)

  

  In addition to maintaining quality across SOE studios, he also helps define individual career growth paths for the artists at SOE and is involved with art schools and recruiting efforts. He has previously worked as Associate Art Director on Star Wars Galaxies and as an Art Director on EverQuest II and its first 3 expansions. Joe has shipped over 30 game titles and is also an accomplished pen and ink editorial illustrator.

  

  Joe Shoopack is truly a respected artist and valuable addition to SOE studios. Anyone with an interest in an art career is more than welcome to stop by and meet him. He will be available to look at individual art pieces or portfolios and offer guidance on portfolio building for games, commercial work, or just for fun.

  

  Joe will be at Fan Faire conducting art portfolio reviews in the Conrad Room from 2pm-3pm on Friday and Saturday in the career pavilion.

• Beginning at 9:00 AM PDT on Thursday, July 31, 2008 all SOE account and commerce flow and the Station Store will be unavailable for maintenance.

  We expect this maintenance to take approximately three and a half hours. During this maintenance period game servers will still be accessible. We apologize for this interruption and will resume the affected services as soon as the maintenance is completed.

• In which we learn that choosing a cool name is no immunity against the vagaries of fortune.

  Pirate of the Week: Israel Hands 1718

  While Israel Hands did not seem to have a notable career before 1718, in that year he met Blackbeard and became enmeshed in the legend forever after.

  Hands must have been an able sailor and leader of men, because Blackbeard made him his second-in-command. Such honor was not without risk, however. Blackbeard one day accidentally shot him in the knee while aiming at another man. When Hands asked why he had done that (as any loyal second might), Blackbeard replied that "if he didn't kill one of them every now and then, they would forget who he was". In March 1718 he was given the ship Adventure by Blackbeard himself, after it was captured from Captain David Herriot. Hands participated in Blackbeard's famous blockade of Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, and afterwards settled with him on Ocracoke Island. When Blackbeard was defeated by Captain Robert Maynard, Hands and other crew members were captured and put on trial in North Carolina. In return for his life, Israel Hands testified against corrupt North Carolina officials who had made deals with Blackbeard and taken his loot in exchange for supplies.

  It is not really clear what happened to Hands after that. One source claims he died a beggar on the streets of London, much fallen from his days of freedom and plunder on the open ocean.

  Robert Louis Stevenson immortalized him in Treasure Island, using "Israel Hands" as a name for one of Long John Silver's pirates. And why not? It's a great name for a pirate, real or fictional.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.kipar.org/piratical-resources/pirate-fame.html#H

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Hands

  http://www.privateerdragons.com/pirates_famous3.html#H

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• 
  
  

  Player of the Year 2008

  The judges have spent many hours sifting through nominees and debating who is worthy of the prize at hand, a free passage to Fan Faire 2008 held at the prestigious Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. With such pressure over who to grant this opportunity of a lifetime to, outsiders who have tried to touch the Tylenol bottle in the community area have taken their life in their hands. After rigorous days spent concentrating and much deliberation, a conclusion has been reached! It is a pleasure to announce the two winners of the 2008 Player of the year contest:

  Rikoo Rakoo
  of Vanguard's Xeth Server
  
  ~ and ~
  
  Tnexus the Forgotten Hero
  of EverQuest's Prexus Server

  Rikoo Rakoo has truly inspired many Vanguard players he has come across. He is actively involved in game, creating fun activities open to everyone. Rikoo posts his adventures online for all to read, and those who read enjoy his tales. He is an avid poster on the forums and co-hosts the Voyages of Vanguard podcast informing listeners of what is new in Vanguard. He shows his passion for the game by helping those around him enjoy the game as much as he does. With multiple nominations it is clear that Rikoo Rakoo is a valued member of the Vanguard Community and more than deserving of the 2008 Player of the Year.

  Just as deserving is our other player of the year, Tnexus the Forgotten Hero. Tnexus has displayed the true meaning of dedication through his actions and thoughts. Playing EverQuest for 9 years, Tnexus takes pride in his knowledge of the game and sharing it with others. He has made good friends through the game, and continues to meet new people and help them with their journeys. He has held numerous leadership positions in guilds and for the website EQOutrider.net. Tnexus showed his fun-loving side by doing 15 epics just for fun and to enjoy. He has actively participated in attending Fan Faires and obtaining EQ related merchandise. With such dedication to the same game for so long, and all of his wonderful talents, it is a pleasure to award player of the year to such a worthy individual.

  Other players are not to go without mention. With over 100 entries there was quite a competitive pool this year, the judges had a hard time reaching a final decision. Honorable mentions go to emu.ninja of the Matrix Online for creative writing and providing players with entertainment outside of the game. MasterCosmo of Stars Wars Galaxies for his "Mother Teresa" qualities. Another honorable mention goes to Zunnoab for his in and out of game dedication to EverQuest and his server.

  We thank everyone for their participation in our 2008 Player of the Year contest. Once again, we would like to congratulate our winners Tnexus and Rikoo Rakoo.

  We look forward to seeing you both at Fan Faire!

• SOE presents Fan Faire 2008 at the Las Vegas Hilton August 14th-17th Fan Faire will be returning to the lively city of Las Vegas for 3 days and nights full of gaming, socializing, and fun! The upcoming Fan Faire is predicted to be one of the best; this is not an event you will want to miss! Fan Faire 2008 will be packed with sneak peeks at three monumental new games in development, plus special activities, roundtables, developer forums, and live in-game tournaments and quests for many games. In addition there will be many advantages to attending. An extended All-Access pass will allow you to receive an invitation to the beta testing of Free Realms and the new expansion pack for EQ II. Be prepared to receive gifts and in-game items as well! Players are actively talking about Fan Faire in the forums. The excitement is building up with only 17 days left until the big event takes place. "Registered... see you there!" ~ Jod_ledgemai, SWG "Just registered the whole Family... hope to see yas there" ~ Tigiar, SWG "*dances* We have our minimum of 10 guildies (for the discount and the table and stuff) even with at least 3 of the ones who plan to attend not in the list yet. *impish grin*" ~ Rijacki, EQII "Will be there, with a bunch of my guildmates." ~ Kalthanan2, EQ "I shall be attending! :-D YAYYYYYY! /dance dance" ~ Winter, EQII "I'll be there with bells on :-D ...Someone has to represent the old E'ci (now Tunare!)" ~ Merekitty, EQ "I'm going to be there. Sorted out flights and hotel today. Hope the 14 hour flights and time difference doesn't kill me :-D" ~ NeillM, SWG "I'll be there! I've had my plane tickets and hotel booked for a good while now... now I'm just trying to save money so I can eat while I'm there !" ~ Tharkis, EQ "The best DO go to Fan Faire." ~ Jyve, EQ "More Tigers!" ~Nadadini, EQ "If I'm not in the tournament it's not the best of the best..." ~ Swampfunk, EQ "I'm going, and I'm looking forward to seeing everybody there! :-D" ~ DominoDev, EQII "I'm looking forward to poking the Devs, seeing Vegas and letting my geek-side run free. :-D" ~ NeillM, SWG "The discussions of what the future holds for Everquest II is what I'm most anticipating and a chance to look at the next expansion. See you all in Las Vegas." ~ TheFever "I plan on attending! =). I turn 21 on August 16th, so it will give me a reason to go to Vegas and Gamble as well." ~ Tigris67, EQ "Registered, hotel reserved, plane tickets bought, and getting married while I'm there... Woot! I hear there's even going to be Darth Vader" ~ Freica, SWG   For a full list of details & to register, check out: http://events.station.sony.com/fanfaire/ All additional questions, comments or concerns can be directed to: FanFaire@soe.sony.com

• Real Life First Name: Stevie. Yes I am a real Stevie, not a nick-name but what a nurse in an Arkansas hospital named me.

  Forum Handle: Da

  Game Handle: Da

  Where do you live?
  I currently live in Ocean County New Jersey and Newark, Illinois. I work in NJ and get home to Illinois as often as I can.

  How long have you played Pirates?
  Table Top - Since the release of Pirates of the Revolution. Online - Since the first year. When I started there were perhaps 15 or 20 online. My first "buddy" was the Sword Lord.

  Do you play Stargate, Star Chamber or Legends of Norrath?
  No.

  Do you play any physical TCGs?
  Pirates and Star Wars.

  What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most?
  I picked up a board game by Avalon Hill in 1965. It was the "Afrika Korps", and then I got hooked on all strategy games. I played in an 80-participant game of the tactical game "Squad Leader" in the basement of San Diego State gym in 1971. The game lasted 4 weekends simulating the winter '41/42 Russian counter-offensive. Pure and enjoyable chaos!!!

  What type of work do you do?
  I have been in Nuclear Power since 1971, first as a reactor operator in a nuclear-powered submarine, then as a reactor inspector with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and currently I am a regulatory specialist in one of the largest nuclear utilities. I am retired from the NRC and plan to retire again between October 2009 and June 2010. My other job is......Santa. I never want to retire.

  What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other than Pirates?
  I was in Civil War Re-enacting (mounted Cavalry, both Union and Confederate) for 20 years, movie extra and fledgling stunt man (bad move on my part and still in pain from that), I did French & Indian War re-enactments for about 10 years (French Marine) and mainly I love to cook on open fires and camping.

  What is your favorite deck type?
  Pirates of the Revolution, the set I got started in.

  What is your favorite card (playability-wise), and why?
  Da, my custom card made by my son, an art teacher in Illinois, as a Christmas gift.

  
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/15812450@N08/2325833302/in/set-72157604088307774/
  

  What is your favorite card (art-wise), and why?
  The ship, Paul Revere. It's everything a sailor would love.

  What type of TCG player are you? For example, are you an Art Lover, a Competitor, an Innovator?
  Collector and Competitor.

  What do you like best about Pirates?
  Red_Corsair, ShadowMouse (miLady), Mongo and Lady E (milady too), Sword Lord, Khhhhhhaaaaaan, the Flying Pink Geeko, Jester and Lady Jester, Doc DownUnder, Strack, Carnage (Shinny of shinny bones), Fang, Short, CBW, all of the Horse, Numnutz, RS and 'Clads too (forgive me), DeeJay, The Shinny Knight, Cissy, KeelHaul, Betholder, Bill Dratz, Captains Yippy and Ron, LoneWolf...wolfieooo, Philineous, Ket and Sire Tupe. Friends present and past. If I forgot someone, forgive me and remember; I am an Old Man with only one active gray cell, lol.

  Could you describe, in brief, a memorable game you had, or opponent you faced, and why it stands out in your mind?
  My first game, a 4-participant FFA with XXX, Targe and Sword. XXX came in so hard and fast tearing through myself, Sword and Targe that we would taunt him by offering to send him to "Anger Management" sessions.

  Do you run or work for an OSG or TCG Fan Site?
  No.

  What is one thing no one would ever suspect about you?
  I am very focused. The first time I met my wife while we were both in high school, I asked my neighbor (I had just transferred in) who that girl was. "My girlfriend," he replied. "No," I answered, "I am going to marry her!" That was 39 years ago and we have been married for 35....my first and only date.

  Feel free to leave Da a friendly note on the Pirates CSG Online forums!

• Not Barbossa of "Pirates of the Caribbean" fame, but Barbarossa, "Redbeard".

  Pirate of the Week: The Barbarossa Brothers 1470-1546

  Oruc, or Arudj, was one of four brothers born in the 1470s on the Isle of Lesbos to a Muslim Turkish knight and his Christian Greek wife. Initially the brothers helped their father with his pottery business, using his boat to trade across the sea. Then the maritime life caught hold of three of the brothers; they became sailors while the eldest remained with his father and inherited the family business.

  Arudj was a successful sailor and trader. He knew five languages; Italian, Spanish, French, Greek and Arabic, and thus could drive a hard bargain at any port he visited. With his younger brother Ilyas he plied the waters of the Levant between Anatolia, Syria, and Egypt. Arudj's brother Hizir chose to sail the Aegean and there make a name for himself.

  It might have ended there. Successful traders and wealthy men, Arudj Reis and his brothers could well have faded into history as no more than merchants and traders. But the Knights of St. John, based on the island of Rhodes, were not happy that Muslims had expelled Christians from the Holy Land and were now spreading across the Mediterranean. They took up privateering, attacking trading vessels and any non-Christian ship, taking captives as slaves or imprisoning them in Bodrum Castle.

  Arudj and Ilyas were on their way home from a trading voyage when the Knights of St. John attacked their ship. The sons of a knight, Arudj and Ilyas fought back, trying to defend their ship, but were overwhelmed. Ilyas was killed and Arudj wounded and taken prisoner. For three years Arudj was a prisoner in Bodrum Castle, until his brother Hizir, in a daring raid, managed to help him escape.

  From then on it was war. The successful merchant sailors became privateers themselves, vowing vengeance against the Knights of St. John and any Christian ship to cross their wake. Arudj received help from the governor of Antalya, an Ottoman prince, in the form of eighteen galleys and a letter of marque to fight the Knights of St. John. In this, Arudj proved himself as capable as when he had been a trader. He captured several ships and attacked forts on the coast of Italy in his first run, returning triumphant to present his sponsoring Sultan with his treasure.

  After some political maneuvering when his sponsoring Sultan fell from favor in the Ottoman court, Arudj set out once again, charged with raiding the coast of Italy and Christian-controlled islands in the Mediterranean. In 1503, Arudj made the island of Djerba his new base (moving from Alexandria), and moved into the western Mediterranean. Here the treasure was richer, and more dangerous. In 1504 Arudj captured a Sicilian warship on its way from Spain to Naples, and two large Papal galleys. In 1505 he raided the coasts of Calabria, and in 1508 the coast of Liguria.

  Arudj seemed unstoppable and his accomplishments drew other corsairs to him from all over the Mediterranean. Arudj and Hizir became the founders of the Barbary Corsairs, and were notorious for their fierceness and success. It was Arudj who bore the red hair and flowing red beard, earning him the name 'Barbarossa'. After Arudj's death, Hizir would dye his darker hair and beard with henna, a russet red dye, to carry on the name and the fear and terror the sight of Barbarossa evoked.

  Despite his unrelenting ferocity, Arudj was said to only employ violence if it was necessary, or cruelty only when disobeyed. He was loved, respected and feared by his sailors and family, and his fame only grew when from 1504 to 1510 he transported fellow Muslims from Christian Spain to North Africa, taking them to safety.

  Later in 1510 Arudj, joined by his brother Hizir, returned to raiding the Mediterranean, repulsing Spanish attacks on North African Muslim cities and raiding the coasts of Sicily and Southern Italy. In 1512 the exiled ruler of the North African city of Bougie asked them to drive out the Spanish. During the battle Arudj lost an arm, which he replaced with one of silver, earning him the nickname "Silver Arm". This grievous wound did not appear to slow Arudj down at all. Later that year Arudj and his brothers succeeded in capturing twenty three ships in a month around Andalusia, Minorca, and Liguria.

  In 1516, Arudj captured Algiers from the Spanish and installed himself as the Sultan there, fending off all attacks. He was known for attaching sails to cannon to get them across the North African desert to wherever he needed them, which must have been quite a sight for the locals. In 1517 Arudj renounced his sultanate for the protection of the Ottoman Empire, which was easier than having to constantly fend off the Spanish himself. Arudj became governor of Algiers, supported by troops sent by the Ottoman Sultan.

  The frustrated Spanish ordered the nearby ruler of Tlemcen to attack Arudj by land, but Arudj found out and struck first, taking Tlemcen and executing its ruler. In 1518 Charles V of Spain, finally heeding his subjects' pleas, marched on Arudj at Tlemcen with an overwhelming force. Arudj held out for twenty days, but in the end was overrun and killed.

  Arudj's brother Hizir took over the Barbarossa name and continued his brother's mission, taking Tlemcen back from the Spanish in December of 1518, and going on to raid, plunder and pillage Spanish ships, forts and cities from Italy to Southern France. He continued his brother's practice of escorting Muslims to safe haven while smashing all fleets sent against him, including a large Christian fleet assembled by Pope Paul III to fight the Ottomans. This was the Battle of Preveza, in 1538, and Hizir's victory assured Turkish dominance over the Mediterranean for the next thirty-three years.

  The Ottoman Sultan made Hizir Fleet-Admiral of the Ottoman Navy, and for fourteen years he ruled the Mediterranean, surpassing even his brother Arudj and assuring that the Turks would remain a Mediterranean Sea power for three more centuries, ranked behind only Britain and France.

  In 1545 Hizir Barbarossa retired to his palace in Istanbul, leaving his son Hasan Pasha as his successor in Algiers and writing his memoirs in five volumes. In 1546 Hizir died of a fever, with three Arabic words to announce his death to a mourning empire; "The chief of the sea is dead."

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.thepiratesrealm.com/Barbarossa%20Brothers.html

  http://www.cindyvallar.com/BCcaptains.html

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oru%C3%A7_Reis

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarossa_%28Ottoman_admiral%29

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• SOE's Third Annual Block Party

  Our annual Block parties are a blast and this year will be no different! Join us at SOE Headquarters for music, food, tours, previews of upcoming games, give-aways, raffles and much more. There will be activities for kids as well. Meet with dev team members and staff, socialize with employees and friends, and have a great time.

  This event is scheduled to be held during Comic-Con on Saturday, July 26th. Even if you are not attending Comic-Con, stop by the block party anyway! All are welcome! Attendance is FREE!

  This just in - from 4:00pm to 5:30pm you can meet comic book artist Jim Lee!

  When: Saturday July 26th, 2008 - 4:00pm-8:00pm

  Where: SOE Headquarters
  8928 Terman Court
  San Diego, CA 92121

  Shuttle buses are scheduled to travel round-trip to SOE from Comic-Con every 30 minutes from 4:00pm-6:00pm. Look for the SOE signs near section B of the Convention Center. Buses will be returning to the Convention Center every 30 minutes until 8:00pm.

  * For those of you coming on your own, we highly recommend carpooling, as parking will be limited.

  Please RSVP as soon as you can at: BlockParty@soe.sony.com.

• One of the few female pirates history knows of, the Lioness of Brittany matched a legendary love with a talent for revenge.

  Pirate of the Week: Jane de Belleville, the Lioness of Brittany

  Jane de Belleville was born in Brittany in 1300, the daughter of minor nobles. At the age of 12 she was married for the first time, and subsequently had two children. The fourteen-year marriage ended with the death of her husband. Her second marriage came four years later, and by all accounts was a very close one. Jane and her husband Olivier had five children together and a very contented life.

  Olivier was a wealthy nobleman with several castles, and in 1342 joined with Charles de Blois to defend Brittany from the English. He was unsuccessful at keeping the English from taking Vannes, however, and this brought him under suspicion from de Blois. For unknown reasons he defected to the English, but this ploy would not save him.

  In 1343 he was captured by the French and taken to Paris, where he was tried and found guilty of treason. He was executed by beheading on the orders of King Philip VI.

  Jane de Belleville was devastated. Her husband of thirteen years, the father of her five children, had been executed by men he had trusted and fought alongside against the English. Charles de Blois had been instrumental in accusing him and bringing him to trial.

  Instead of taking a third husband, instead of quietly retreating to her estates a widow as most women of the time would have done, Jane de Belleville swore vengeance. She aimed high; King Philip VI was first on her list. Second to the king of France was Charles de Blois.

  Jane de Belleville sold off her husband's estates and bought three warships. These she had painted black, with red sails. No one would mistake her for anyone else. With this "Black Fleet" she took to the Channel between England and France, and proceeded to hunt down the ships of King Philip VI.

  She was utterly merciless with the crews of the ships she captured, and yet clever as well, always leaving two or three alive to relay to their king exactly who was to blame. The Lioness of Brittany was angry, and the French would pay. French noblemen unlucky enough to be aboard ships she captured were executed personally by the Lioness. She beheaded them and dumped their bodies overboard, entirely contemptuous of their positions and hating them for their treachery against her beloved husband.

  Jane de Belleville's rampage did not stop at French ships. She was also said to have raided Norman towns all along the coast of France, destroying whole villages with fire and sword.

  For thirteen years, the length of her marriage to her beloved Olivier, the Lioness of Brittany punished the French, even after King Philip VI had died. In 1356, Jane de Belleville retired from piracy to marry an Englishman, a lieutenant of the English King during the war against de Blois. She eventually returned to France and in 1359 died there, near the lands she and her beloved Olivier had once owned.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A14066408

  http://freenet-homepage.de/hawkeyepike/bios/bio71.htm

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_de_Belleville

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• 

  Fan Faire is quickly approaching, and the event schedule has been updated to include a large selection of the panels and parties we'll be hosting. Stop by and check out the list so you can start planning your itinerary. This is a weekend you don't want to miss!

  Click here to see the updated Fan Faire schedule.

  For more information and to register, visit the official SOE Fan Faire Website.

• Please be advised that SOE phone support specifically, will be unavailable from 10am – 1:30pm (PDT) this Friday, July 18th. Phone support will resume at 1:30pm and available for the remainder of the day until 7pm. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.

• The forums will be unavailable while maintenance is performed on Wednesday, July 16, at 6:30 AM PDT. The maintenance period is scheduled to end at approximately 11:00 AM PDT.

  Thank you for your patience during this time.

• Considered a pirate by the Spanish and a hero by the English, "El Draque" definitely left his mark.

  Pirate of the Week: Sir Francis Drake 1540-1596

  Francis Drake was born in Devon, England in 1540. Although many of his relatives had connections to royalty, he himself emphasized that he was of mean birth (or, he made no pretensions to nobility). In his early teens Drake went to sea with the crew of a merchant ship trading across the Channel, and at twenty years old he became the owner of the ship after its captain died.

  Francis Drake was twenty three when he made his first voyage to the New World in the company of his second cousin Sir John Hawkins. The two were trading to Spanish towns in America, in defiance of England's command. Their squadron was attacked in the harbor of St. Juan de Lua and all of their vessels except two were destroyed.

  Immediately Drake and Hawkins returned to England to plead with the government to demand redress of Spain. The English crown, perhaps taking the view that they had gotten what they deserved by ignoring the prohibitions against trading with Spain, would hear none of it. Not to be deterred, Drake and Hawkins decided to take up pirating expeditions against the Spanish.

  From 1570 to 1572 Drake visited the West Indies three times, and on the last visit took and sacked the town of Nombre de Dios, famous for being the town which held all the gold and silver mined from the Pacific coast before shipment to Spain. The raid was a success, and even though only a moderate amount of gold and silver was actually captured, it lead to something greater; Drake glimpsed the Pacific, and vowed that one day an English ship would sail there.

  Perhaps because of his continuing success against the Spanish, the English Crown (Queen Elizabeth) sent Drake on an expedition to harass the Spanish along the Pacific coast of the Americas. In his flagship the Pelican, he set out from Plymouth with four other ships and 164 men.

  His fleet soon swelled to six ships after he captured a Spanish ship; it was well that he did, for he lost men and ships on the Atlantic crossing and reached the Straits of Magellan with only three of his original fleet. Drake made it through the Straits at the southern tip of South America with his fleet intact, but violent storms ended up destroying one ship and causing another to need to return to England.

  Francis Drake was not one to give up so easily. Rechristening the Pelican the Golden Hind, he continued alone north up the Pacific coast of the Americas, on a rampage the Spanish would never forget. He attacked ports, captured and sacked towns, and captured treasure ships. One of the ships, the Cacafuego, was carrying 80 pounds of gold, 26 tons of silver, 13 chests full of royals of silver plate, jewels, and a gold crucifix. It was their most profitable capture ever, and probably the most treasure a privateer had ever captured to date, at that time.

  After this success, Drake sailed north and discovered a good port where he and his crew rested and repaired the Golden Hind. The location of this port is apparently a matter of some controversy among modern scholars; Drake and the English Crown kept the precise spot secret and there are now no surviving maps of it by Drake's hand. Theories of the location include California, Oregon, and Vancouver Island.

  Once rested and repaired, Drake set sail West across the Pacific, nearly lost the Golden Hind on a reef near eastern modern-day Indonesia, eventually rounded the Cape of Good Hope at the tip of Africa, and sailed into Plymouth on September 26 of 1580.

  Drake was a hero in England, as the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and bring home a load of treasure beyond even the Crown's wildest expectations. On April 4th 1581, Queen Elizabeth awarded Francis Drake a knighthood aboard his ship the Golden Hind.

  Sir Francis Drake continued his successes well into the late 1580's, fighting for England after war broke out between Spain and England in 1585. He sacked several Spanish ports in both the New World and Spain itself, harassed her shipping, and in 1588 destroyed the Spanish Armada as it attempted to invade England.

  As Drake continued privateering into his fifties, his successes dwindled. After a string of unsuccessful attacks in Spanish America, he attacked San Juan, Puerto Rico, but was defeated. In 1596, at the age of 56, he died of dysentery while anchored of the coast of Puerto Bello, Panama. He was buried at sea in a lead coffin.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Drake

  http://www.mcn.org/2/oseeler/voy.htm

  http://www.britannia.com/bios/gents/fdrake.html

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• 
  
  

  Sony Online Entertainment is proud to announce the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game! This brand new online TCG is the first ever card game based on the Star Wars® Galaxies universe! Subscribers to Star Wars Galaxies will be able to:

  • Choose between the light and dark sides of the Force and fight virtual matches for the Rebel or Imperial factions,
  • Challenge their skills in story-based solo play or against other players in epic one-on-one battles,
  • Find more than 20 "loot" cards in the first release, Champions of the Force, that can be redeemed for fantastic virtual items for use in the Star Wars Galaxies massively multiplayer game!

  In addition, Star Wars Galaxies subscribers will receive five free Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game booster packs every month as part of their regular subscription to the game.

  More information on the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game and its first release, Champions of the Force, can be found at www.StarWarsGalaxies.com/tradingcardgame.

  Click here to read the press release.

• Love sometimes does not conquer all…

  Pirate of the Week: Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy 1689-1717

  Samuel Bellamy was born in Devonshire, England in 1689. As a young sailor, he left England (and also, some sources claim, a wife and children) to seek his fortune in the New World. On his way to Jamaica, he stopped in Eastham, Massachusetts on Cape Cod and there met Mary Hallett, a young woman with whom he fell in love.

  More determined than ever to bring back riches for his love (possibly because her father thought he was a penniless sea dog), Bellamy set out for the coast of Florida, from where news had come about a sunken Spanish treasure ship ripe for the picking.

  Once Bellamy and his partner Paulsgrave Williams reached the wreck site however, they discovered it had already been plundered of most of its treasure. Instead, the two turned their sights on Spanish shipping and soon crossed paths with Benjamin Hornigold, a former British privateer-turned-pirate. They joined his crew, which at that time included a young Blackbeard, and together attacked the Spanish and French with moderate success.

  In 1716, Hornigold was deposed as captain because of his reluctance to attack British ships, and Bellamy took command. His friend Paulsgrave Williams commanded Hornigold's former ship the Mary-Anne, while Bellamy took command of a ship they had taken a short while before named the Sultana.

  Sam Bellamy, called "Black Sam" because he was said to have worn his long black hair tied back with a black bow, was also nicknamed "The Prince of Pirates" for his reputation of showing mercy and generosity towards those whose ships he captured. He was once stated to have said,

  "They vilify us, the scoundrels do, when there is only this difference, they rob the poor under the cover of law, forsooth, and we plunder the rich under the protection of our own courage. Had you not better make then one of us, than sneak after these villains for employment?"

  in reply to a captain who had stated he would rather follow the laws of God and man than become a pirate in Bellamy's crew.

  His own crew called themselves "Robin Hood's Band", although they were less merciful than Bellamy and forced him to burn some ships rather than return them empty to their owners.

  Bellamy and his crew, in a little under a year, managed to take about 50 ships with small treasures, a moderate amount of success for any pirate. But in the spring of 1717, Black Sam took his greatest prize ever when he captured a 300-ton slave ship, the Whydah Galley. She had just finished offloading slaves and was carrying a fortune in gold, ivory and indigo.

  Flush with success, Bellamy gifted the Sultana to the Whydah's captain (empty of course), fit his new flagship with 28 guns, and set sail for the Northeast and his lady love. Some sources speculate that the plan was to split the treasure, part ways, and retire. For Black Sam, it meant he would have enough to convince Mary Hallett's father that he could support her as his wife.

  Within reach of his goal, Fate dealt Black Sam Bellamy and his waiting bride a cruel blow. A violent storm near Wellfleet, Massachusetts, drove the Whydah onto a sandbar where she sank, taking Bellamy and most of his 146-man crew with her. Of the nine men who survived, seven were captured and six of those hanged, with the last sold into slavery.

  Mary Hallett, in the habit of waiting on the shore for her lover to return, would wait forever for Black Sam Bellamy.

  In 1984 the wreckage of the Whydah was discovered off the coast of Cape Cod, the first confirmed pirate ship recovered in modern times.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Bellamy

  http://www.thepiratesrealm.com/Samuel%20Bellamy.html

  http://www.republicofpirates.net/Bellamy.html

  Information on discovering the wreck of the Whydah!

  http://www.whydah.com/

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• This week we feature a player from Pirates CSG Online.

  Real Life First Name: Mahes

  Forum Handle: maheswani

  Game Handle: maheswani

  Where do you live? Sydney, Australia

  How long have you played Pirates? Since September 2007

  Do you play Stargate, Star Chamber or Legends of Norrath? No

  Do you play any physical TCGs?

  I have a lot of TT Pirates, but never played a competitive game. Beating your 7yr and 5yr old children is not really competitive.

  What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most?

  I started RPG (Basic D&D) games when I was 12 years old and I loved it. I still like playing but it is hard to get the guys together these days.

  What type of work do you do? Oral Engineer

  What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other than Pirates?

  Family, golf and still the occasional RPG game

  What is your favorite fleet (deck) type? 60 pt. Std.

  What is your favorite card (playability-wise), and why?

  Crew - Bonny Peel, although a high point cost, she has a good surprise factor.
  

  Ship - The Harbinger - useful in both death matches and standard games. Works nicely with Bonny Peel too.

  What is your favorite card (art-wise)?

  Zeus. I just love its tattered appearance.

  What type of TCG player are you? For example, are you an Art Lover, a Competitor, an Innovator?

  Both competitor and innovator, I enjoy fleet building as much as I do playing the game.

  What do you like best about Pirates?

  Firstly, the other players in the community; they are a warm and friendly bunch. Secondly, the fact that Pirates CSG is a cerebral game with many layers of strategy. Also there is no player or fleet combo that is invincible.

  Could you describe, in brief, a memorable game you had, or opponent you faced, and why it stands out in your mind?

  I remember losing to betholder72 about 14 times straight. In just about every game, at a crucial moment the dice gods would let me down. We both had a lot of laughs from those games.

  Do you run or work for an OSG or TCG Fan Site?

  No but I am involved in running events for our guild, Rogue/Saber Squadron.

  What is one thing no one would ever suspect about you?

  In real life I am a serious person who is well respected by the local community.

  Also I can see dead people.

  Only joking! About the first bit only.

  Feel free to leave Maheswani a friendly note on the Pirates CSG Online forums!

• 
  
  

  That time of year is almost here...

  The time when SOE players from near and far gather in one place to celebrate their favorite MMOs by engaging in fun, food and fraternization! But there will be some that walk among the crowd... a couple players so respected by their gaming peers that they will have the distinct honor of being crowned SOE's second annual Players of the Year!

  Will you be one of them?

  To celebrate the 2008 Las Vegas Fan Faire (Aug. 14-17), Sony Online Entertainment will select and bring two lucky players to the Hilton Hotel to join in the festivities. So, here's your chance to nominate a friend (or even yourself) for this coveted title! We want to know who YOU think is the most deserving and why.
  
  From Wednesday, July 2, 2008, (12:01 am, US Pacific Time) through Friday, July 11, 2008 at (11:59 pm, US Pacific Time), Sony Online Entertainment will be hosting the Official Fan Faire "Players of the Year" contest. Participating games include EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, EverQuest Online Adventures, The Matrix Online and PlanetSide.
  
  Good luck to everyone and we hope to see you all in Las Vegas for Fan Faire!

  

  Contest:
  Do you know someone who is the poster child for your MMO? Someone so dedicated that they walk around bloodshot and sleep deprived in their favorite wrinkled gaming T-shirts and baseball caps (what else would they be wearing?). Someone who goes so above and beyond the call of duty helping other community members in-game, out-of-game and everywhere in-between that they're practically an online Mother Theresa? Well, they just might be the perfect candidate for SOE Player of the Year and we want to know more about them!
  
  Nominate a fellow player (or yourself) by writing a 200 word (or less) letter or role-play story explaining why the person deserves to be an SOE Player of the Year. Optional - you can also include a link to an image (screen capture, artwork, video or photo) with your entry as support for your story but please note that a written submission is still required.

  

  How to Enter:
  Please view the Official Contest Rules to determine eligibility for this contest before submitting an entry.
  
  Submissions should be sent in an e-mail to SOEContests@soe.sony.com. Be sure to include all of the following information with your submission:

  • Subject of Email: SOE Player of the Year - Main Game Name (Include game name in the subject).
  • Real Name:
    
  • Character Name:
    
  • Server Name:
    
  • Station Name: (User Name - do no include passwords)
    
  • Mailing Address: (Street Address Apt #, City, Zip Code - Do not use PO Box)
    
  • Forum Community Handle: (If applicable)
    
  • E-mail Address:
    
  • Submission Text:
    
  • The written entry can be placed directly in the body of the email.
    
  • Written entries should be plain text (.txt), word document (.doc), or rich text (.rtf).
    
  • Entries should be in Times New Roman text format, font size 12.
    
  • Please do not use indents, smiley faces, or all caps and avoid slang terms unless it fits within the theme of your entry.
    
  • Spell out server names, city names, and other terminology as much as possible.
    
  • Please use spell checker before submitting the entry. Entries will be reviewed for typos but those that require too much editing may be disqualified.
    
  • Length: 200 words or less.

  Additional Nomination Submission Information:
  

  • If you are nominating someone as Player of the Year, you may want to let them know in case they would prefer not to be considered.
    
  • We will not need you to include their station account or mailing address. We only need Character Name and Server name. We'll retrieve the extra information where needed.
    
  • Be sure to have the person you are nominating update their email address on their Sony Station account.
    Optional Image Information:
    
  • You can include a link to where the image (screen capture, artwork, video or photo) is hosted but all files must be hosted externally. The supporting image work will not be downloaded so it has to be readily accessible in that location.
    
  • Do not include anything with your submission that is copyrighted.

  

  Contest Rules:
  

  1. Please review the Official Contest Rules before submitting a nomination.
     
  2. Nominees must be an active SOE subscriber to at least one of the games with account being in good standing.
     
  3. Must be a US resident and 21 years of age.
     
  4. Please remember to stay within the Terms of Service Agreement when participating in this contest or you will be disqualified and further action may be taken. This includes inappropriate names, words, or images.
     
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• Inconceivable!

  Pirate of the Week: The Dread Pirate Roberts (fictional)

  The movie The Princess Bride introduces us to one of the most successful fictional pirates of all time, the Dread Pirate Roberts.

  Like young men in the real Golden Age of piracy, Westley has no money, and to fulfill his dreams of marrying his lady love and starting a life with her he must go off to seek his fortune. He boards a ship for America, but during the voyage pirates attack and capture the ship. The pirate is none other than the Dread Pirate Roberts himself.

  When the captured crew and passengers are brought before Roberts, Westley intrigues Roberts by asking only that his life be spared so that he can reunite with the beautiful Buttercup. Roberts makes Westley a member of his crew, but keeps him in line by telling him every night "Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning."

  Three years later, Westley is second in command, and Roberts reveals the secret of the Dread Pirate Roberts. Successive men had inherited the name and the ship Revenge after the previous captain retired. In all, four men including Westley had been bequeathed the ship and taken on the name of the Dread Pirate Roberts. Each time the ship changed hands, the old crew would be offloaded in port and a new crew taken aboard under the new Captain Roberts. The previous captain would stay on as ships' mate for a few months, making sure to call the new captain "Roberts" in front of the crew and regaling them with tales of Dread Roberts' exploits. After a suitable time, the old captain was dropped off to retire with his wealth in happiness and peace.

  Westley, having learned much in his time as a pirate, uses his skills to find and rescue Buttercup from her abductors. He displays excellent sailing skills in his pursuit of Vizzini across the sea, considerable climbing skill, and a fencing skill so remarkable he beats Inigo Montoya, the best swordsman in the world. Westley beats Fezzik by being physically and mentally quicker and more agile than the giant; jumping on his back and slowly choking off his air until he falls unconscious. And finally, Westley outwits Vizzini by appealing to his enormous ego and challenging him to a battle of wits. Vizzini is the only one Westley outright kills in the entire movie, and even then it can be said that Vizzini's overbearing ego is what does him in.

  Even the clever and resourceful Dread Pirate Roberts cannot escape death once he is captured by the evil Prince. But his good deeds have not gone unnoticed. Inigo and Fezzik rescue him and bring him to a miracle man, knowing they will need him alive to rescue Buttercup.

  In the end, it is mere threat and the clever words of the Dread Pirate Roberts that make the evil Prince back off, letting him escape the castle with his love Buttercup.

  Many pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy used stories and hearsay to make their own reputations more fierce, and while this worked in the short term, none of them were able to escape death as Westley did, through the power of true love and miracles.

  Interested in reading (or seeing) more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dread_Pirate_Roberts

  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/

  http://www.godamongdirectors.com/scripts/princess.shtml

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• The other half of one of the most unusual duos in pirate history, less is known about Mary Reade's early life than that of Anne Bonny.

  Pirate of the Week: Mary Reade 1685-1721

  She was born in England around 1685 or so, the daughter of a woman widowed by her sailor husband. Mary was most likely illegitimate, but her older brother was not. His father's mother paid for his support, although she never would have for Mary, and so the little family was able to survive.

  It was not long before Mary's brother sickened and died, and Mary's mother faced a dilemma. Her husband's mother would not keep paying for a dead child, and would certainly not pay for an illegitimate one. Some quick thinking and boys' clothes transformed Mary into her brother, and the grandmother's money kept coming. It also helped that Mary and her mother lived far away from the grandmother and only rarely saw her.

  In time, the wealthy grandmother passed away, and once again Mary and her mother were without means. Mary, who by the age of thirteen was well acquainted with living as a boy, took a job as a footboy to a wealthy Frenchwoman in London. For a time this sufficed, and were Mary a dutiful daughter she would have kept the position as long as she was able.

  But Mary had been raised with freedoms most women never saw in that era. She had seen what world was offered to boys her age, and what happened to women without money. In short order Mary had run off and joined a crew aboard a Royal Navy Man O'War. Being paid for a life of adventure on the highs seas seemed infinitely more appealing than scraping for coins in the streets of London.

  But the hard life aboard a navy ship was not what Mary had bargained for. The hard work and abuse quickly took its toll, and Mary soon jumped ship to join the army without any man the wiser. She distinguished herself with her bravery and fighting skills. Some say she was promoted to a Horse Regiment, other sources claim that since she could not afford to buy a commission in the army she left for the Horse Regiment.

  Whatever prompted her to join that force, it was not long before she met and fell in love with a fellow soldier, risking all to reveal her true gender. In a surprise turn of fate, her chosen love returned her affections, and they were married and discharged from the army to start their new life together as owners of an inn.

  It might all have ended there, an unusual story in and of itself with a happy-ever-after ending.

  But fate had more in store for Mary Reade, a series of events which would make her story even more incredible and earn her a place in history.

  Mary's beloved husband soon sickened and died, leaving her alone with the inn. Due to the recent peace, traffic slackened and once again Mary was without means. Mary put off her dresses (the only time in her life she had ever worn them) and once again set off to make a living in a man's world.

  She joined the crew of a ship sailing for the Dutch West Indies, seeking her fortunes in the New World as so many sailors were at the time. During this voyage, or perhaps shortly after, her ship was overtaken and captured by pirates. Mary, disguised as a man, was given the same choice the other men were given; join the pirates or die.

  Mary chose to become a pirate aboard Calico Jack Rackham's ship, and the rest is history. Her life became intertwined with that of Anne Bonny's; the two were fast friends. Mary was perhaps the better fighter, and Anne fierce and unrelenting. When they were finally captured by the authorities they were the last two on deck, defying their own deaths to retain their freedom.

  While Anne had a wealthy father to buy her out of jail and her predicament, Mary was once again a woman without means. Mary died in jail in Jamaica in 1721, either in childbirth or of a virulent fever, having dared to live free and take life on her own terms.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Read

  http://www.piratesinfo.com/biography/biography.php?article_id=27

  http://www.achievements.co.uk/articles/mary_read.html

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• Registration is still open for the annual SOE Fan Faire being held on August 14-17, 2008 at the Las Vegas Hilton.

  Whether you're a player of one of SOE's many games, or someone who just loves games and good times, SOE Fan Faire is the party where you'll find friends and a whole lot of gaming fun stuffed into an unforgettable three days!

  Don't miss out on your chance to meet fellow MMO players from around the world, participate in discussion panels, live events, and tournaments, and mingle with the teams behind each of the SOE games.

  For more information, visit the official SOE Fan Faire Website.

  Chat about Fan Faire with other players in the Pirates CSG Online Forums!

• Pirate of the Week: John "Jack Shandy" Chandagnac (fictional)

  John Chandagnac, aka. Jack Shandy, is the creation of Tim Powers, and is the central character in his novel On Stranger Tides.

  Set in the year 1718, we are introduced to John as he sails to the new world to confront his uncle, who has stolen his father's inheritance. John's father is dead and John himself adrift in the world and rudderless. Seeking to right a past wrong gives the young man a purpose beyond simply scraping out a living with the skills of a puppeteer.

  Aboard ship he discovers the beautiful Elizabeth Hurwood, the daughter of an English scientist, and also discovers another purpose in his life; that of wooing her. Her father has plans that do not include her marrying a penniless puppeteer, however.

  Before they reach their destination, their ship is overtaken and captured by pirates. The captain is killed, and Chandagnac given a choice; join the pirates in life or the captain in death. The choice is easy for John. He becomes Jack Shandy, a puppeteer turned pirate, willing to do what he must to save the life of his love and bring justice to his uncle.

  Along the way Jack encounters many obstacles including the Royal Navy, voodoo magic, and sunken ships crewed by zombies. He also encounters historical figures, including Woodes Rogers, Anne Bonny, and the formidable Blackbeard himself.

  Tim Powers uses his skills at creating alternate histories to create a believable yet magical Caribbean, full of traditional pirate swashbuckling, but also darkness and horror. His treatment of Blackbeard and explanation of why he twists slow matches into his hair and beard is nothing short of creepy.

  Yet through it all John Chandagnac is the traditional pirate hero, who perhaps has his eyes opened to the true workings of the world, but only falters momentarily in his quest to save his love and that imperfect world.

  If you like pirates and dark fantasy, this book is for you.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Stranger_Tides

  http://bellsouthpwp2.net/b/r/branch_c/tp6_tides.html

  http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Tides-Tim-Powers/dp/0441626866

  And of course, read the book! On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers.

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• This week we learn that a sense of style coupled with the appropriate symbolism goes a long way towards immortalizing your name.

  Pirate of the Week: Christopher Moody ?-1718

  Little is known about Christopher Moody. He was believed to have pirated off the coasts of North and South Carolina. Various sources have placed him at times as part of both Bartholomew Roberts' and Blackbeard's crews.

  It is thought that he scoured the Carolina coasts from 1713 to 1718, taking part in Black Bart's attack on Principe Island as well as Blackbeard's blockading of Charleston, South Carolina.

  He was known to give no quarter in battle, and is probably best remembered for flying the "Bloody Red", a flag more feared than the traditional black Jolly Roger with its skull and crossbones. Moody's flag was blood red and depicted a winged hourglass, an upraised arm holding a sword, and a skull and crossbones. All this symbolized to his victims that their time was running out, there would be slaughter to come with no quarter given, and death would be the result; all on a background of blood.

  Moody was making sure his intentions would not be misunderstood, and perhaps trying to make his work easier. Like most pirates, his flag probably symbolized his own fate as well as his victims'.

  Moody was hung at Cape Coast Castle in Cabo Corso, Ghana in 1718.

  Interested in reading more about Moody and the history of the "Jolie Rouge"? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Moody

  http://www.cosmosmith.com/moody.html

  http://www.kipar.org/piratical-resources/pirate-flags.html

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• Registration is now open for the annual SOE Fan Faire being held on August 14-17, 2008 at the Las Vegas Hilton.

  Whether you're a player of one of SOE's many games, or someone who just loves games and good times, SOE Fan Faire is the party where you'll find friends and a whole lot of gaming fun stuffed into an unforgettable three days!

  Don't miss out on your chance to meet fellow MMO players from around the world, participate in discussion panels, live events, and tournaments, and mingle with the teams behind each of the SOE games.

  For more information, visit the official SOE Fan Faire web site.

• This week we feature a player from Pirates CSG Online.

  Real Life First Name: My friends call me CeeCee.

  Forum Handle: Narcissa

  Game Handle: Narcissa

  Where do you live? United States

  How long have you played Pirates? A long time.

  Do you play Stargate, Star Chamber or Legends of Norrath? Yes Legends of Norrath as an Iksar avatar.

  Do you play any physical TCGs? No.

  What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most? My brother got the board game and broke all the little ships but there was a coupon for this site in it so we tried playing here. I like thinking games.

  What type of work do you do? Schoolwork.

  What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other than Pirates? Spending time with my friends, and I play Wood Elves in Warhammer because I like them.

  What is your favorite fleet (deck) type? France.

  What is your favorite card (playability-wise), and why? Princess Arii, she leads my witch boat.

  What is your favorite card (art-wise)? I like the portrait crew cards, I think they are pretty.

  What type of TCG player are you? For example, are you an Art Lover, a Competitor, an Innovator? I think I like the art best.

  What do you like best about Pirates? I like playing with the other people, they are very nice here.

  Could you describe, in brief, a memorable game you had, or opponent you faced, and why it stands out in your mind? There are so many, I remember in one game against Admiral Spirit we played using only DJC cards for a guild war island battle game and I took only French cards but I think I did pretty well.

  Do you run or work for an OSG or TCG Fan Site?No.

  What is one thing no one would ever suspect about you? I'm a klutz, I can trip over nothing. :p

  Feel free to leave Narcissa a friendly note on the Pirates CSG Online forums!

• It is surprising to go twenty-five years thinking a pirate is fictional, and then discover he is based on a real pirate.

  Pirate of the Week: William Henry "Bully" Hayes 1829-1877

  The film Nate and Hayes was made in 1983, a part of the deluge of swashbuckling adventure stories that came out after the first hugely successful Indiana Jones movie. As such, the plot is relatively thin, but the action sequences and humor are great entertainment.

  Tommy Lee Jones plays Bully Hayes, a roguish buccaneer known for running guns and rum to South Sea Islanders, and occasionally dipping as low as slave trading. The "Nate" in the title is erstwhile missionary Nathan Williamsen, played by Michael O'Keefe.

  When Nate's new bride Sophie (Jenny Seagrove) is kidnapped by evil slave-trader Ben Pease (Max Phipps), he seeks out Bully Hayes, not for help but to find Sophie. Pease is Bully's nemesis, and made his attack on the missionaries' home island look like Bully's work.

  After some fast talking on the part of Hayes, he and Nate team up to find and rescue Sophie and get revenge on Pease. What follows is an adventure that is pure fun and not to be taken too seriously. You can tell that Tommy Lee Jones had fun with the role, and the island locations are pretty and Hollywood perfect.

  Bully Hayes himself was a real pirate, the "last of the buccaneers", who operated around the South Sea Islands in the late 19th century. Born William Henry Hayes in Cleveland Ohio c. 1829, he was known primarily for running guns and rum, but was not above slave-trading and privateering.

  He was described as large in stature and with a quick temper and tongue. Bully was his nickname, acquired because he was frequently rude and overbearing to his crew. Despite this, he could be entirely charming and well-mannered when it suited him. He was also very cunning and quick-witted, once escaping the grasp of Hawaiian customs officials by getting them drunk at dinner and stealing the very brig they had imprisoned him on.

  Bully was well-known by fellow sea-captains in the area, all of whom wouldn't trust him as far as they could throw him. With his ship Leonora, Bully caroused his way through the South Seas until his ship wrecked off the coast of the island of Kosrae in 1874. Three years later Bully was murdered in a violent argument with a former crewmember, Peter Radeck, or "Dutch Pete", and his body thrown overboard.

  In both the movie Nate and Hayes and in real life, Bully Hayes was a larger-than-life figure who lived for adventure and the sights just over the next horizon.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_and_Hayes

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_Hayes

  http://www.janesoceania.com/restieaux_hayes/index.htm

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• John Smedley, one of the original creators of "EverQuest" and the president of Sony Online since 2000, has watched the rapid changes in the space his company once owned, and he believes it's time for a change.

  In his keynote speech at an online game conference in Seattle recently, Smedley spoke of the need to reinvent the MMO - and he says the two new games his company is developing, "The Agency" and "Free Realms," will do just that.

  Read the entire article and Smed's interview on MSNBC's Technology & Science.

• Ahoy mateys! This week we learn that a good teacher is worth his weight in doubloons.

  Pirate of the Week: Benjamin Hornigold ?-1719

  Captain Benjamin Hornigold first makes his appearance just after the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713. It is likely that Hornigold, like many of his contemporaries, had been a privateer during the war and with its end found himself out of work.

  Along with many other men in similar straits, Hornigold sailed for Nassau, which had been destroyed during the war. There he and a colleague, John Cockram, set up a "pirate's republic" and proceeded to attack Spanish ships with small ships purchased from local settlers.

  Hornigold's early gang included several pirates who would later go on to make names for themselves in the Caribbean; Sam Bellamy, Paulsgrave Williams, and Hornigold's best student, Edward Teach. The infamous Blackbeard apparently impressed Hornigold so much he was soon awarded command of his own ship, and the two went on to terrorize the area around Nassau for years.

  Within three years the pirate gang under Hornigold and Cockram had grown to more than 200 and their control of the surrounding waters was uncontested. In 1715 Hornigold had threatened British authorities who attempted to arrest some of the pirates in the area who were raiding the wreck of a Spanish treasure galleon. But he refused to attack any English vessels, keeping his loyalty to the English crown and eventually causing a break with other captains who were not so loyal.

  Still, Hornigold was a skilled captain despite his reputation for being the nicest pirate on the ocean at the time, and the pirate colony remained largely his. It was even claimed by one source that after attacking and taking one ship, Hornigold asked only for the victims' hats, as his crew had thrown theirs overboard in drunken revelry the night before. After getting what he wanted, Hornigold sailed away, leaving the ship in peace.

  Benjamin Hornigold was a man who did what he had to in order to survive, and turned his loyalty for England into an excuse to attack Spanish ships. No small surprise then that when Woodes Rogers arrived from England in 1718 with a pardon from the King, Hornigold happily accepted, to the dismay of many members of his gang.

  Edward Teach, Charles Vane, Calico Jack Rackham, and many others fled the island, vowing to take down Woodes Rogers and likely their former mentor. But if Hornigold had taught them much of the pirating life, he hadn't taught them everything he knew. Rogers employed Hornigold as a pirate-hunter, perhaps recognizing the man's skill and dedication, and was not disappointed.

  Though Hornigold was not able to take in Charles Vane or his former best student Blackbeard, he did succeed in capturing many of his former colleagues and essentially turning full control of Nassau over to the English governor. Once this task was done, Hornigold had earned retirement to a life of ease, although he apparently did not take it.

  Accounts differ as to what happened to pirate colony-founder and successful privateer Benjamin Hornigold. One account claimed he was sent on a trading mission to Mexico, but his ship struck a reef far from land and all hands drowned. Another says he accepted a commission from Woodes Rogers to hunt Spanish ships once again but was captured off the coast of Cuba and imprisoned in Havana, where he died.

  Whatever happened to Hornigold, his legacy far outlived him in the skills he passed on to his students and followers and the legends they in turn engendered.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.republicofpirates.net/Hornigold.html

  http://www.geocities.com/captcutlass/bio/hornigold.html

  http://www.piratesoul.com/notable_detail.aspx?id=15

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• On Thursday, May 22nd Tech Support will be closed from 11:30am-3:00pm and will resume operations from 3:00pm-7:00pm Pacific Time. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.

  Regards,

  SOE Customer Service Team

• Ahoy mateys! This week we learn that sometimes appearances can be deceiving.

  Pirate of the Week: "Calico Jack" Rackham ?-1717

  History first takes notice of John Rackham in 1717, when he becomes known as Charles Vane's quartermaster. Having fled the island of New Providence with Vane when Woodes Rogers started cleaning up the pirate haven, Rackham was already entrenched in the pirate life. He preferred to wear flamboyant clothes made of bright calico cloth, earning him his nickname, Calico Jack, and he liked to throw money around and impress women… many women. It was a life that required treasure on a constant basis.

  When Vane and his crew surprised a French warship, rather than attacking Vane decided to pass up what promised to be a long hard battle in favor of keeping his skin in one piece. Rackham and the rest of the crew were angry; they had been ready to fly into battle even against the odds for such a rich prize and a more powerful ship. The crew put Vane and some loyal crew members in a smaller sloop and sent them packing, and Rackham was elected Captain.

  In the position of power, Calico Jack took his crew on a rampage around the Caribbean, taking several smaller vessels and, all in all, doing moderately well. But, in an eerie echo of his future, while Jack and his crew were resting ashore after one of their runs, his ship was seized by a patrol out of Jamaica.

  With his career abruptly cut short, Calico Jack found his way back to New Providence, intent on securing one of the pardons Woodes Rogers was giving out to former pirates. While there, Rackham's snappy dressing, charm, and profligate spending lured in Anne Bonny. Anne herself was an heiress, and pretty besides, with a fiery temper and a taste for adventure. In the face of that, who could blame Calico Jack for stumbling?

  Anne was already married, and her husband, James Bonny was a pirate hunter for Woodes Rogers. Discovering that Anne had taken up with Rackham, James went to the governor and demanded she be punished as an adulteress, which at the time included a public whipping. Calico Jack, apparently secure in his charm and wit, offered to buy Anne from James Bonny, but this only had the effect of enraging Bonny further.

  Rather than see Anne publically humiliated, Calico Jack forsook his pardon and stole a ship with her, and the two sailed away in the dead of night. Anne disguised herself as a man until she could prove her fighting skill. By the time her gender was revealed, no man in the crew would willingly take her on, as she had killed several men already, including one who had challenged Jack himself.

  Having a woman aboard who fought as well or better than the men was odd enough; Calico Jack's run passed from sensational into legendary when it was discovered that another "man" who had joined their crew was a woman as well. Mary Reade joined the pirates when they took her ship and forced her to decide at sword point; it was Anne who discovered her gender after attempting to seduce her. A jealous Jack soon discovered Mary's secret as well. What were the odds? Two female pirates on one ship. A probably very bemused Calico Jack let them stay.

  Rackham and his unusual crew succeeded in capturing several more ships, due in no small part to the fierceness of the two women, who apparently could fight and swear better than any man on the ship. It was a profitable run, but Woodes Rogers had put out a bounty on Calico Jack, and his career was about to come to a second, and final, end.

  While Rackham and his crew celebrated a recent capture, a sloop belonging to the governor surprised Jack's ship at anchor. Most of the male crew were drunk and in no condition to fight, including Jack. The women fired pistols into the hold where the men hid, swearing at and insulting them, but it did little except kill one man and wound another. The women fought as long as they were able, but in the end the entire crew was overcome.

  The pirates were taken to Port Royal and jailed to stand trial. It is here that Jack asked to see Anne and Mary one last time. Perhaps Jack knew that Anne's rich father would buy her freedom from jail, and hoped she would plead his case to her father for him. But Anne, feeling sorely betrayed by Calico Jack's lack of fight, only uttered to him her famous words,

  "I'm sorry to see you here, Jack, but if you had fought like a man you need not be hanged like a dog."

  Calico Jack Rackham was hanged at Port Royal on November 28th, 1720. His body was hung in a cage at the entrance to the harbor as a warning to all pirates; fight for your freedom or hang like a dog.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.kipar.org/piratical-resources/pirate-fame.html#R

  http://www.geocities.com/captcutlass/bio/rackham.html

  http://www.thepiratesrealm.com/Jack%20Rackham.html

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• This week we feature a player from Pirates CSG Online.

  Real Life First Name: Josie

  Forum Handle: Lady_Evil

  Game Handle: Lady_Evil

  Where do you live? Indiana

  How long have you played Pirates? Since October 29, 2007

  Do you play Stargate, Star Chamber or Legends of Norrath? Nope.

  Do you play any physical TCGs? Nope.

  What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most? I started the game to spend time with Mongoevil while he's away from home. I love The Sims2 pc, yahoo pool, and some ps2 games like Final Fantasy and Resident Evil.

  What type of work do you do? I'm a full time Mommy of 2, sometimes 3 when I count Mongo, hehehe . ;}*

  What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other than Pirates? I like camping, painting, music, good movies, watching CSI & Criminal Minds, playing games and antique shopping, all with Mongo.

  What is your favorite fleet (deck) type? SCS (South China Seas) then CC (Crimson Coast)

  What is your favorite card (playability-wise)? Titan with Myngs, Owen, helms, and the Gentleman

  What is your favorite card (art-wise)? The Junks like Baochuan, but the Turtles have cute designs on them too.

  What type of TCG player are you? For example, are you an Art Lover, a Competitor, an Innovator? I'm a Social Butterfly with a ship-burning desire, lol.

  What do you like best about Pirates? The People, they're a great bunch; helpful, protective, and very funny. I luv'em, especially my girls. {purrrrr}

  Could you describe, in brief, a memorable game you had, or opponent you faced, and why it stands out in your mind? TheSwordLord and Jester were partners vs. Ikthultu and I. Ikky said, "remember don't shoot me", lol. With Lordy on my aft and Jester at the front I didn't have a chance, but it was so much fun.

  Do you run or work for an OSG or TCG Fan Site? Nope.

  What is one thing no one would ever suspect about you? I'm very shy in person. When I'm embarrassed I giggle like a little girl. :{

  Feel free to leave Lady_Evil a friendly note on the Pirates CSG Online forums!

• Well, he had to be gotten to eventually.

  Pirate of the Week: Jack Sparrow (fictional)

  That's Captain Jack Sparrow, actually. He doesn't let anyone forget it, least of all his erstwhile first mate, Hector Barbossa.

  Jack Sparrow, portrayed by Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, shares many qualities with his historical counterparts. He is bold, charming, clever, defiant, and unrepentant. He is not above trickery and guile to get what he wants, and seems to frequently change sides, turning in his compatriots one moment and saving them the next.

  Unlike real pirates, he never kills without cause and frequently performs heroic acts that have no profit for him, confusing his friends and enemies alike. Jack started as a one-dimensional character, but as the story progresses more and more facets of his personality are revealed.

  First impressions show us a foppish man, frequently drunk and possibly a victim of heatstroke. He has slurred speech, odd mannerisms and a large ego that seems rather misplaced. Other characters usually see him as eccentric but harmless, allowing him to go where a more straightforward person might be stopped.

  But Jack's eccentricities mask a single-minded determination, a sharp and intelligent mind, and a basically honorable heart. Throughout the first movie, no matter what happens, his goal is his precious Black Pearl, and there is little anyone can do to stop him for long.

  Jack values freedom above all, and the Black Pearl is the vehicle to that freedom. For him, it was never about treasure, or killing, but about the love of the open sea and the right to go where and when he pleased. His first mate, Hector Barbossa explains that this is why he and the rest of the crew mutinied. Jack was not a successful pirate by their standards, and so they marooned him and sailed away in the Pearl, only to be cursed by the very treasure they had so greedily sought.

  Jack Sparrow literally has a moral compass; a magical compass that shows him the direction to his heart's desire. His one weakness, rum, frequently interferes with the power of the compass, proving that one must have a clear head to attain one's goals. In one scene, as his ship and crew come under attack, Jack abandons them to their fate, only to turn the rowboat and head back when he sees his compass pointing back towards the ship. Jack may be a reluctant hero, but hero he is; he cannot deny even the little good that resides in his heart. This is, perhaps, why he drinks; he knows that his good nature will one day get him killed.

  Jack is frequently apt to embellish stories about himself, making him appear more clever, stronger, or fearsome than he really is. He actually appears wounded if someone insults him, and feels the need to correct people's impressions of him. His large ego would seem to write out the possibility of an inferiority complex; what then, is his motivation? Like many real pirates, Jack knows that having a reputation that precedes him actually helps him avoid trouble; many ships, seeing a pirate flag heading their way, were apt to surrender if they recognized the particular symbols on the flag as belonging to a notorious torturer or killer. Jack is nothing if not a negotiator. He prefers to talk his way into treasure and out of trouble rather than fight. His quick mind allows him to see options as they develop, relate them to his overall goal, and act, often before others even guess what he is up to.

  Jack often defies Death itself, in the form of Davy Jones, but unlike his real counterparts, he manages to avoid that final noose through a combination of trickery, luck, and quick thinking. It could be argued that Jack is ultimately selfish and self-centered, interested only in attaining immortality so that he can sail free forever. But at the last moment, when there is a choice to attain his goal or help a friend, he makes (to him) what must have been the ultimate sacrifice. That single scene is the only scene in any of the three movies where we see Jack truly upset and uncertain. It may be the only scene in which we see the true Jack.

  Jack Sparrow constantly fights that good side of himself, using rum to foul up his moral compass; in the final scene of the series, we see him at sea, about to set off on another adventure. The compass points back towards port, where he has left his friends, and where Barbossa has once again stolen the Pearl. But as soon as he uncorks a bottle, the needle swings in the opposite direction, he grins, and sails off into the sunset on another misguided (but probably very fun) adventure.

  "Drink up me hearties, yo ho!"

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Sparrow

  http://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/Jack_Sparrow

  http://www.potcinteractive.com/capjack.html

  Discuss this article in the Pirates CSG Online forums.

• This Friday, May 2nd SOE Phone Support will be closed for a few hours from 10am - 12:30pm Pacific Time. Phone Support will resume operation from 12:30pm - 7pm Pacific Time. We apologize for the inconvenience.

  SOE Customer Support Team

• Avast me hearties! This week we learn that sometimes it's better to quit while you're ahead.

  Pirate of the Week: Thomas Tew - ? – 1695

  Details of Thomas Tew's early life are unclear; he claimed to have come from a well-to-do Rhode Island family that had been settled there since 1640. Historical records do not bear this out, although speculation and research indicate it was likely he was at least related in some way to this family.

  In 1690 Tew arrived in Bermuda with gold in his pocket and a taste for adventure. With a commission from the governor, he bought a share in a 60-ton sloop named the Amity, and with the support of various backers set sail for Africa. His mission was supposedly to attack French holdings in Gambia, destroy a factory there and take slaves. But once a storm separated him from a fellow vessel, Tew took command of the expedition and persuaded his men that the real opportunity lay in the Red Sea, among the treasure-laden ships of India's Great Mogul.

  His crew went along with this plan without much convincing; Tew was either a good captain or a charismatic leader or both. Once they had elected a quartermaster they headed for the Red Sea and fortune. In late 1693 Tew and his crew ran down a "tall vessel" laden with treasure. She was heavily armed with 300 Indian soldiers, but Tew's charisma won out over caution and the Amity attacked. The pirates' enthusiasm won the day, and without a single loss they took the larger ship and its treasure of gold, silver, pearls, gems, spices, ivory and silk.

  After sharing out the loot, Tew set a course for Madagascar, where he stopped to careen the Amity before returning to America. It is Thomas Tew who is credited with bringing the Madagascar trade to the Americas, and some sources claim he spent four months charting its coast. Some sources also claim he spent time there ruling a "pirate colony" in partnership with a French pirate, Captain Misson, which was later destroyed by natives. There is no hard evidence to support this claim, as of yet.

  In 1694 Thomas Tew returned to Newport, Rhode Island, where he sold the Amity, paid off his backers, and seemingly retired into a life of ease. He frequented dinners given by the governor of New York, with his wife and daughters dressed in silks, and regaled other guests with tales of his adventures in the Red Sea. All of New York knew he was a pirate, and yet he was treated as a conquering hero with all of society listening to his tales of Madagascar and Arabia.

  Whether bored of his easy life or urged on by others who wanted exotic new tales, Thomas Tew decided to take another trip on the Pirate Round. In late 1694 he bought a letter of marque from Governor Fletcher of New York, fitted out a new Amity, and set out once again for the Red Sea. In August of 1695, Tew happened across a fleet of pirates, including Henry Every, who were also hunting the rich waters of the Red Sea. Tew threw in his lot with them, perhaps figuring it would be easier to take large ships with a fleet.

  In September 1695 a convoy of 25 Mughal ships approached the Mandab Strait, following their normal shipping route, and the pirate fleet attacked. The Fateh Muhammed was their first target, and Tew attacked it in the Amity. Unfortunately for Tew, one of the Fateh Muhammed's only answering shots was the last he saw. According to a witness, a cannon ball tore away Tew's stomach, leaving him holding in his intestines for a short time, until he finally collapsed to the deck. Seeing their charismatic captain felled at last, Tew's crew surrendered immediately and were captured. Henry Every's crew released them when they took the Fateh Muhammed a day later, the Mughal ship having taken damage from the Amity.

  Thomas Tew's remains were never recovered, although he did leave a sea chest behind which is now in a pirate-themed museum in the Florida Keys; the only known sea chest with provenance leading back to a pirate.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Tew

  http://www.piratesoul.com/notable_detail.aspx?id=3

  http://www.redflag.co.uk/thomtew.htm

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• Ahoy maties! This week we learn that a head made for business and a body made for sin add up to fame and fortune the likes of which most male pirates never saw.

  Pirate of the Week: Cheng I Sao 1775-1844

  Cheng I Sao was born around 1775 in China. In 1801 at the age of 26, she was working as a prostitute when she caught the eye of the notorious pirate captain, Cheng I. The dashing pirate captain asked her to marry him, but even at that young age, Cheng I Sao was a shrewd wheeler-dealer. She agreed to marry him on the condition that they were to share power equally and that she would have the opportunity to help him build more wealth. Cheng was more than willing to have his new bride use her business acumen on his behalf, and for the next six years they terrorized the South China Coast from Macao to Canton. Coastal villages paid Cheng and his bride to keep them from raiding and pillaging in their area, and the pirate fleet even joined in a Vietnamese rebellion. Six years of wedded bliss, and Cheng and his lady were the most feared pirates in the South China Seas with a fleet of 400 junks and over 70,000 men.

  In 1807, tragedy struck. Cheng was killed in a gale at sea, leaving the Lady Cheng a widow. At this point, Cheng I Sao might well have gone into retirement, leaving her husband's adopted son Chang Pao to take up the captain's position. But Lady Cheng was only 32, at the height of her power, and no slouch. Instead of stepping aside, she took up the reins of her husband's empire, took her adopted son Chang Pao as her lover, and proceeded to build her fleet into the largest on the South China Seas.

  Lady Cheng realized that despite her previous power beside her husband, it was likely that the men in her pirate fleet would not easily take the rule of a woman. She made Chang Pao her lieutenant and gave him direct command over her pirates while running the political, business, and strategic aspects of the fleet. She developed a strict code of laws that were brutally enforced. Many rules, if broken, incurred capital offenses punished by execution; commands were only to be given by the leaders, female captives were not to be raped, villages that paid their protection money were not to be raided, and the treasury was not to be touched. Even female captives who supposedly consented to relations with their pirate captors were chained about the legs and thrown overboard, while their captors were beheaded. Desertion was punished by the removal of an ear and public humiliation.

  For a year Cheng I Sao attacked weak merchant vessels, coastal villages and inland villages along rivers, building her fleet and treasury, at the mercy of none except the weather. In 1808, the Chinese Imperial Navy attempted to reign in her depredations, but she destroyed fleet after fleet sent against her, and actually ended up with more ships in her fleet. She was known to have captured Imperial Navy officers tortured and killed. One man was nailed to a deck and beaten until he vomited blood, then taken ashore and cut to pieces. Others committed suicide when capture seemed imminent, to avoid a slow painful death. Villages who attempted to raise militias against her raids were punished in horrific fashion. In 1809, 80 men of the Sanshan village were beheaded and their wives and children held for ransom or sold into slavery for attempting to defend themselves against her fleet.

  Shrewd, disciplined, and merciless, Lady Cheng seemed unstoppable. Then, in 1810, a rival appeared on the scene. O-Po-Tae, in a series of epic battles against Lady Cheng's fleet, forced her to retreat, although he could not destroy her entirely. At a stalemate, both pirate leaders were ready and willing to accept the Chinese government's generous pardon when it came in 1810. O-Po-Tae, fearing Lady Cheng's revenge on him, accepted first, but Cheng I Sao was quick to follow, using her business acumen and power to negotiate a very sweet deal indeed for her men and herself.

  Chang Pao and many of her pirates received military government positions, while the Lady Cheng retired from piracy and opened a successful gambling hall (and some sources also claim an opium smuggling operation) in Guangzhou.

  Sao I Cheng died peacefully in 1844 at the age of 69, a wealthy business owner and grandmother as well as one of the most feared and respected pirates of her day.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/worklife/08/27/woman.pirate/index.html

  http://www.thepirateking.com/bios/sao_cheng_i.htm

  http://www.cindyvallar.com/chengsao.html

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• 

  The votes are in and your voices have been heard! FitzAwlScyzes, The_Sword_Lord, djwesterdale, and CaptainStrack are the new inductees in Captain Strack's Pirates' Hall of Fame. Congratulations on providing your fellow players with the total pirate experience!

  Current members are listed below.

  Strack's Pirates CSG Online Pirates' Hall of Fame

  • Capt. Ron
  • CaptainStrack
  • djwesterdale
  • FitzAwlScyzes
  • Jester187
  • LoneWolf-JDR
  • MetalCarnage
  • PaladinSG
  • The_Sword_Lord
  • Winterpegger

  The next ballot will be held in three months.

  See the process in the Pirates CSG Online forums.

• 

  If you've never been to an SOE Fan Faire before, you've been missing out! Fan Faire is a great place for SOE gamers to mix and mingle with each other and meet some of the faces behind their favorite SOE games. Here's just a taste of some of the great stuff we're planning:

  • In-game tournaments
  • Live, game-themed tournaments and quests
  • A costume contest
  • Lots of social activities, including a Kickoff Reception, a Grand Banquet and a VIP Party with live entertainment
  • Sneak peeks at SOE titles currently in development
  • The 2nd Annual Community Address from SOE President John Smedley
  • Developer forums and roundtables

  And that's just the beginning! No matter which SOE game you like to play, Fan Faire will be a blast! Even if you're not an SOE gamer, we encourage you to join us and bring your friends!

  Passes will go on sale later this Spring, but you can book your hotel stay now! The Las Vegas Hilton is currently accepting reservations at the discounted Fan Faire rate of just $139 per night. Just call (800) 635-7711 and tell them you're with Sony Online Entertainment, booking code SSOE8 or click here to make online reservations. Space is limited – so get your room soon, in case they sell out!

  Hope to see you in Las Vegas!

  Watch for passes to go on sale and other Fan Faire announcements on the Fan Faire site.

• It's quite ironic that there are so few records of Henry Every's life, when he was the most famous pirate of the year in 1695.

  Pirate of the Week: Henry "Long Ben" Every 1653(?)- (disappeared from record 1696)

  Henry Every was born near Plymouth, England around 1653, and like so many of his contemporaries, became a sailor in his youth. The borders of the world were expanding, trade was booming, and untold riches were crisscrossing the oceans of the globe daily.

  As a Royal Navy sailor, Every would have been part of the hustle and bustle, and would have seen the flow of riches and perhaps glimpsed the rich lives of those benefiting from trade with exotic ports. But also as a Royal Navy sailor, Every would have been as far from rich as the earth from the sun, with a lot of extremely hard work to do for nothing but weevil-infested hard-tack and stale water.

  No surprise then that in 1694 Long Ben decided he had had enough and led a mutiny aboard the ship Charles II, on which he was first-mate. The mutiny went over easily, as it was well-planned and the Captain was apparently drunk and had no idea what was going on until the next day.

  Every sailed from Spain to the Cape Verde Islands just off the west coast of Africa, where he took his first three ships, all English merchantmen. After taking two Danish ships near Principe, he put in at Johanna Island to careen and modify the Charles II, which he had renamed the Fancy. When Every set sail again, it was in a much faster ship, as he had removed (razeed) parts of her superstructure. At that time Fancy was probably one of the fastest ships in the Indian Ocean.

  "he was too nimble for them by much, having taken down a great deale of his upper work and made her exceeding snug, which advantage being added to her well sailing before causes her to saile so hard that she fears not who follows her." (Earle, 126) (1)

  Indeed, Every and his crew went right out and captured a French pirate ship, looting her of everything and recruiting forty more men. Long Ben left a note behind in Johanna addressed to English ship captains falsely explaining he had taken no English ships, and that if they were to show him a certain signal should they ever meet, he would not attack. Was he remorseful for taking the three English merchantmen? Or was he merely ensuring that he would know by the signal if he were attacking an English ship and therefore be certain to put all aboard to the sword? Perhaps he was hedging his bets, hoping the English would defend him as a privateer and give him safe haven should his pirating career get out of hand.

  Whatever the reason might have been for the letter in Johanna, Every was soon to scuttle any hopes of safe haven. He stopped in Madagascar to resupply (paying for those supplies with the seventeenth-century equivalent of a bad check), then continued on towards the Red Sea. There he was joined by several other pirates, and together they formed a fleet of six ships. Small, but more than a match for overloaded merchant ships.

  In September of 1695, the fleet crossed the wakes of two ships, the Fateh Muhammed, an unarmed merchant ship, and the Ganj-I-Sawai (Gunsway), a heavily-armed merchant ship belonging to India's Great Moghul. The Fateh Muhammed was taken without a fight, yielding gold and silver coins amounting to more than 50,000 english pounds. The Ganj-I-Sawai had a much more formidable fighting force; 62 guns and 400 to 500 musketmen. But Every did not hesitate to attack.

  Luck was with the pirates. A cannon aboard the Ganj-I-Sawai exploded in their opening salvo, killing dozens of crew members. Every's next broadside snapped their mainmast, bringing it crashing to the deck and killing more. The ships' captain fled below decks and hid among his concubines for the rest of the fight.

  It took two hours, but Every's pirate fleet hammered the Ganj-I-Sawai into submission, losing only about 20 men. For their hard work, they were rewarded with treasure beyond any of their wildest dreams. 500,000 pieces of silver and gold, a ruby-studded saddle made expressly for the Great Moghul, and drifts of jewels. Modern-day estimates put the overall worth of their take at $105,000,000 to $188,000,000 with the difference explained by the disparate estimates put forth at the time by the East India Company and the Great Moghul himself.

  In the debauchery that followed this successful attack, several Indian and Muslim women passengers either threw themselves into the sea or killed themselves to avoid being dishonored by the pirates. Those who did not were taken prisoner, but by the time the pirate fleet had scattered and Every reached St. Thomas intending to sell his vast loot, there is no further record of them.

  The Great Moghul was livid upon hearing of the attack and threatened to kick the East India Company out of India and halt all trade unless they made reparations and declared Every and all his band pirates. The East India Company quickly placed a bounty on Every and his crew, and from then on no place was safe for the Arch-Pirate or his men.

  At this point, perhaps wisely, Every decided to retire. He sailed for the Bahamas and attempted to bribe the governor of Royal Island for a pardon, even going so far as to give him the Fancy. But this governor lacked the authority to grant them. Next Every sailed for Jamaica but the governor there refused to be swayed by bribes. The East India Company was out for blood and he knew anyone who got in their way would pay very dearly indeed.

  Henry Every then took a new alias, Benjamin Bridgeman, purchased a sloop, and sailed for England. Once there, several of his crew were soon caught, either because they couldn't keep quiet about their wealth or because they tried to sell their loot to those who informed on them. Twenty four men were caught in all. Six were hanged and others were sent to the Americas as convict laborers.

  And Henry Every? Also known as Long Ben, the Arch-Pirate, and Benjamin Bridgeman? Henry Every disappeared, with his unimaginable wealth, never to be heard from again.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Every

  http://www.cindyvallar.com/every.html

  http://pirateshold.buccaneersoft.com/roster/henry_every.html

  (1) Earle, Peter. The Pirate Wars. St. Martin's, 2003.

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• Real Life First Name: Bobby

  Forum Handle: FitzAwlScyzes

  Game Handle: FitzAwlScyzes

  Where do you live? Chapel Hill, NC.

  How long have you played Pirates? First week of retail.

  Do you play Stargate, Star Chamber or Legends of Norrath? I play and collect Legends of Norrath.

  Do you play any physical TCGs? Not currently, played Magic pretty heavily early on and tried most of the second generation CCG games.

  What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most? I was hooked on computer gaming in middle school with the original Might and Magic. I have always loved any kind of strategy game. Titan and 1830 by Avalon Hill are my favorite board games.

  What type of work do you do? Project Management/Engineer for Lenovo.

  What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other than Pirates? Golf, Tennis, attending UNC collegiate sporting events, Texas Hold'em Poker, raising a newborn daughter.

  What is your favorite fleet (deck) type? 80 point commons only.

  What is your favorite card (playability-wise)? Longshanks, with SM Jack Hawkins and a Helmsman.

  What is your favorite card (art-wise)? Independence.

  What type of TCG player are you? For example, are you an Art Lover, a Competitor, an Innovator? Definite Competitor but I do like winning with combos or cards outside of the accepted power fleets.

  What do you like best about Pirates? As much as I like playing, I most favor the economy and trading aspect of the game.

  Could you describe, in brief, a memorable game you had, or opponent you faced, and why it stands out in your mind? My favorite games so far have been the 2vs2. CaptainStrack and I would team up and take all comers. I can't wait till the game mechanics completely support teams and multiplayer battles.

  Do you run or work for an OSG or TCG Fan Site? Nope.

  What is one thing no one would ever suspect about you? I proposed to my wife as part of the TLC TV Show Perfect Proposal.

  Feel free to leave FitzAwlScyzes a friendly note on the Pirates CSG Online forums!

• Yes, a chain of seafood restaurants stole his name. But that doesn't diminish the stature of possibly the most famous fictional pirate ever.

  Pirate of the Week: Long John Silver (fictional)

  Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island in 1883 as a serialized children's story. On the surface, it is a rousing adventure, full of danger, suspense, and of course treasure. It's not very difficult to imagine a child of that time identifying with young Jim Hawkins, dreaming of sailing the high seas, following a treasure map to a chest full of gold doubloons.

  But there is much more to the story than that. Originally titled "The Sea Cook", it has been argued because of this, and because of the character of Long John Silver, that the story was not about Jim Hawkins at all.

  John Silver had served in the Royal Navy under a man named Hawke, and at some point during this service lost his leg. He was presumably discharged for this impairment, and taken on by the pirate Captain Flint. A man must survive somehow, after all. Silver was apparently so good at his adopted career that he was the only man Flint feared; a considerable accomplishment, since Flint himself was formidable. Silver became Flint's quartermaster, and served under him for many years.

  Flint's career lasted twenty-five years, an enormous length of time for one in such a risky profession. During this time he buried the bulk of his treasure on a remote Caribbean island, killed the six men who helped him to do it, and kept the map of its location a secret until he lay on his deathbed.

  Flint's remaining pirate crew scattered after his death; he had shared out what loot was left after he buried the greater portion. But the wily Silver knew it would not be long before the others would try to find the treasure, and so he gathered a few of his own crew and set off to recover it himself. What follows is the adventure of Treasure Island.

  Stevenson, in his portrayal of Silver, gave rise to much of the modern perception of pirates. Long John Silver uses crutches very effectively after losing his leg; this may be where the association between pirates and peg legs comes from. A parrot (rather wryly named Captain Flint) rides his shoulder and screams "Pieces of eight, pieces of eight". He uses a treasure map to find a buried treasure, something few if any actual pirates ever did. (Captain Kidd buried loot to hold as a bargaining chip, but it was quickly recovered by the authorities.)

  But Long John Silver is not at all a one-dimensional character. Like his real-life counterparts he is a mix of good and evil. He shows a friendly, even fatherly side to Jim Hawkins, perhaps seeing something of himself in the young adventure-seeking boy. To others he is by turns friendly and ruthless, murdering fellow crewmen without a flicker of emotion and manipulating them for his benefit. He is clever, self-serving, greedy, and a hardened killer, and yet likeable despite all of that.

  An excess of charm? Perhaps. Long John Silver is no more or less than the real-life pirates who terrorized the high seas in the Golden Age of piracy, with all their charm and murder. He is easily believable as a real person, mixed up in an adventure most of us only read or dream about, of treasure maps, tall ships, and the Jolly Roger against a clear blue sky.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.deadmentellnotales.com/onlinetexts/treasure/island.shtml

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_John_Silver

  http://www.piratesinfo.com/legend/treasure/common.html

  http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC051310/piratesfactfromfiction.htm

  And of course, read the book! Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• Ahoy, me hearties! This week we learn that defiance in the face of authority can be fun times, until the authorities recognize your face.

  Pirate of the Week: Charles Vane ?-1719

  Records are scant on the early life of Charles Vane, but given his skills at sailing and capturing ships, one can surmise he spent some time as an ordinary sailor.

  Vane was introduced to piracy in 1716 by the privateer Henry Jennings, who took him along with a large force to the coast of Florida to harass a Spanish salvage operation. A fleet of Spanish treasure galleons had sunk just off the coast during a hurricane and the Spanish were trying to recover the silver that still lay scattered among the wrecks. Jennings' formidable force intimidated and ran off or killed the salvage crew and made off with a substantial amount of recovered silver. Vane's first successful foray only whet his appetite for more.

  Based out of the notorious pirate haven New Providence, Charles Vane raided shipping in the Bahamas with a modicum of success, taking several ships and building a small fleet for himself. He was well-known and despised for his cruelty, often torturing or killing the crew of the ships he captured, and he was said to have cheated his crew of their fair share of booty by claiming more for himself.

  When Woodes Rogers arrived with three English Navy vessels to take the post of governor of New Providence, Charles Vane refused the offered pardon to pirates. In a flamboyant display of defiance, he fired one of his recently captured prizes and sent it adrift towards the approaching Navy ships, then escaped the harbor, cannon blazing and hold full of booty. Benjamin Hornigold, a former pirate himself, was dispatched by Rogers to capture Vane, but Vane would have none of that and easily escaped.

  Soon after his flight from New Providence Charles Vane captured a sloop off the Carolina coast, put one of his crew in command, and proceeded to attack shipping entering and leaving Charleston. It was a similar strategy to Blackbeard's blockade of the port a few months earlier. This had the effect of outraging the citizens of South Carolina, and the Governor commissioned two armed ships to rid the coast of pirates, and Vane in particular.

  Again the wily Vane evaded capture, and in September 1718, having passed near Ocracoke Island, he ran into the infamous Blackbeard. The two most defiant pirates of the era recognized a kindred spirit in each other, and after saluting one another with cannon proceeded to spend a week and a half in drunken celebration on the beaches of Ocracoke Island.

  Charles Vane continued his successful run along the South Carolina coast, taking several vessels, but always aware of the pirate hunters in his wake. He even went so far as to tell his crew to mention the wrong directions in earshot of any survivors of the ships he captured, thus throwing off pursuit. On November 23, Vane spied what looked like a ship ripe for the taking and approached, raising his flag. But the other ship responded with a broadside instead of surrendering, and Vane realized his mistake. It was a French Man of War they faced, and no easy win.

  Vane decided discretion was the better part of valor and fled. But his crew, used to success, used to their captain's cruelty and defiance, were outraged at what they perceived as cowardice. Vane's quartermaster, Calico Jack Rackham, was voted captain, and Vane and a few of his supporters were set adrift in a small sloop.

  Undaunted by this turn of events, Vane and his small crew returned to piracy and had quick success, taking and plundering several vessels. It looked like Fortune was once again smiling on Charles Vane. But Fortune is a fickle lady.

  While prowling the Bay of Honduras, a fierce storm scattered Vane's new fleet and wrecked his sloop on the shore of a small uninhabited island. Vane was the sole survivor, living off the charity of local turtle fishermen who sometimes stopped at the island. Other ships would stop at the island to take on fresh water, and eventually one did. But it was captained by a former buccaneer, Captain Holford, who knew Vane all too well and would not trust him aboard his ship.

  It was not long before another ship arrived, this time without anyone aboard who knew Vane. He was allowed on board and set to work with the crew, which he did with no complaint and without revealing who he was. But Fortune was no longer smiling on Charles Vane. The ship he had been taken aboard ran into none other than the one captained by Holford, and Vane was recognized and put in irons.

  Holford returned Vane to Jamaica where he was tried for piracy on March 22, 1720. Charles Vane was hanged at Gallows Point, after which his body was tarred and hung in chains at Gun Cay, as a warning to all other pirates where their bold defiance would end.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.charlestonpirates.com/charles_vane.html

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Vane

  http://www.piratesoul.com/notable_detail.aspx?id=16

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• Beginning at 9:00 AM PDT on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 all SOE account and commerce flow, the Station Store, character transfer service, and the CSG Store will be unavailable for maintenance.

  We expect this maintenance to take approximately three and a half hours. During this maintenance period game servers will still be accessible. Please watch the forums for further updates regarding this maintenance. We apologize for this interruption and will resume the affected services as soon as the maintenance is completed.

• Beginning at 4am PST/11am GMT on April 1, 2008 all game servers and community sites will be unavailable due to network maintenance. We expect this maintenance to take approximately 5 hours.

  We apologize for this interruption and will resume all game servers and community sites as soon as the maintenance is completed.

• Pirates CSG Online introduces its 7th expansion, Pirates of the Revolution! Marines, ships, and characters from American history come alive in this new set. John Paul Jones, his ship the Bonhomme Richard, and his deadly enemy the HMS Serapis face off amidst the ever-present dangers of Foul Winds and treacherously beautiful Mermaids. Protect your Forts with Marines, and fire your enemy's ships to the waterline with Firepot Specialists. With this many new cards, mayhem under the American flag has never been so much fun!

  "I have not yet begun to fight!"- John Paul Jones

  Click here for all the details!

• To provide our customers with more credit card security, Sony Online Entertainment has partnered with Visa and MasterCard. Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode have now been added to our Station Store purchase flow.

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  A: Sony Online Entertainment will still accept transactions from card issuers who do not use either program.

  Please visit the Verified by Visa and Master Card SecureCode sign up pages for more information about these programs and how to sign up.

• This week features a fictional pirate, but one of the greatest fictional pirates of all time! I remember watching this film on TV on Sunday afternoons at my grandmother's house when I was a child, and it was better than anything else on TV or in the theater at the time.

  Pirate of the Week: Captain Blood (fictional)

  Rafael Sabatini wrote Captain Blood: His Odyssey in 1922 as an adventure novel. The hero is Dr. Peter Blood, a gifted Irish physician with a previous career as a soldier and sailor. Dr. Blood settled in the town of Bridgwater, Somersetshire England, and was content to see patients and tend to his flowers, until rebellion sweeps across his part of the country. Dr. Blood does not take part in the rebellion, but makes the mistake of tending to a few wounded friends who were rebels. As a result he is charged with treason and sold into slavery in the Caribbean.

  Peter Blood is bought by the beautiful daughter of a local sugar plantation owner, Arabella Bishop, in a fit of pique. She is very beautiful (played by the legendary Olivia de Havilland in the 1935 film), Blood is very handsome (played by the equally legendary Errol Flynn in the film), and we can see where this is going already. Because of his medical skills, Dr. Blood is soon taken out of the plantation fields and set to helping ailing workers instead.

  When the Spanish attack Barbados, Blood escapes with a number of other former plantation slaves, captures the Spanish ship, and becomes a pirate in the Caribbean waters. Hated and feared by the Spanish, he is very successful against them, and once the Glorious Rebellion of 1688 is over, he is pardoned by England and treated as a hero.

  The 1935 film is faithful to the book, although the romance between Blood and Arabella Bishop is of course played up. This was the film that made Errol Flynn a star, and all one has to do is see the film to realize why. A perfect blend of danger, adventure, romance, and political skullduggery on the high seas, it epitomizes the romantic ideal of pirates. Though made in 1935, in black and white, Captain Blood is timeless, fulfilling all our notions about the pirate as honorable hero, fighting against injustice, winning beautiful ladies, and defeating vile enemies.

  "Alright me hearties! Follow me!"

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Blood_(novel)

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Blood_%281935_film%29

  http://www.eccentric-cinema.com/cult_movies/captain_blood.htm

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• 

  Discuss this card in the forums.

• TCGPlayer.com has some exclusive Pirates of the Revolution artwork on display! Swoon over LaFontaine, shudder at Diego Cesar Olano and raise a mug with Amos the happy drunk! Check out all these images and more here.

• 

  Discuss this card in the forums.

• We apologize for the short notice. This Friday, March 21st, Tech Support will be limited to Email only. Phone and Live Chat support will resume operation on Monday, March 24th from 10am-7pm Pacific Time.

• So who was this man who sailed into New Providence (now known as Nassau) in the Bahamas, and turned the well-known pirate haven upside down? He features in the life stories of many of history's more well-known pirates, and in many he is the last chapter of those lives.

  Pirate of the Week: Woodes Rogers 1679-1732

  It takes a man of some skill to hunt and capture pirates. Skill and knowledge of their methods. It should be no surprise that Woodes Rogers was a privateer well before he became governor of New Providence.

  Woodes Rogers was born around 1679 in Bristol, England, the son of a seafaring family and reasonably well-to-do. He was apprenticed as a sailor, but after marrying the daughter of a local admiral his fortunes were looking up, and he became a merchant.

  Rogers was as successful as any other merchant of his day, but also took the same losses others did when pirate (and privateer) activity on the open sea increased. In 1708, the merchant company that Rogers was a part of, the Bristol Company, put him in command of an expedition and gave him letters of marque to hunt French and Spanish ships. The French and Spanish preyed upon English ships at this time as well, and such an expedition would not have raised any eyebrows.

  The privateer Woodes Rogers set sail, not for the Caribbean, but for the Pacific coast of the Americas, harassing Spanish shipping right where they thought they were safe. Rogers was very successful, raiding towns along the coast and gently liberating gold and jewels from Spanish ladies. He took many rich ships, one of his last being a heavily laden Spanish Treasure Galleon.

  Woodes Rogers paid a price for taking the galleon; he took a lead ball in the mouth. Still, it was small enough price to pay for a haul that would make him and his crew rich for life. In need of medical care, Rogers set sail for home by crossing the Pacific. The island of Batavia (now Java) served as a safe harbor while doctors fixed Rogers' mouth, and also cared for his heel, which had been pierced by a huge splinter during a failed attempt to take another treasure ship.

  Once home, the excitement of Woodes Rogers' success was soon eclipsed by legal troubles. The East India Company claimed its trade monopoly had been infringed upon and tried to take all the loot Rogers and his crew had worked so hard to steal from the Spanish. Beset by financial difficulties, Rogers lost his family home in Bristol for a little while, and his crew had to struggle to avoid being press-ganged into the Navy. It would be three years before any of them would see a single pound, and by then the treasure haul was much reduced.

  In 1718 Woodes Rogers was made the first Royal Governor of the Bahamas, and sailed to New Providence (now Nassau) to take the colony in hand and clean up the den of lawlessness and chaos. The pirates would not go without a fight, however. Charles Vane seized and burned a Navy ship that arrived too far ahead of Rogers' ships, right in New Providence harbor. Blackbeard fled, but only at the last moment, defiantly firing on Rogers' ship as they passed in the harbor.

  A crowd of over 300 people welcomed Woodes Rogers and accepted the pardon he offered to the pirates still there. But Rogers was no fool and quickly grasped control of the island, hanging any pirates who had falsely accepted the pardon. Those pirates who had actually committed to giving up their criminal pasts were sent out after those who had fled, in a very clever strategy indeed. Who better than a pirate, after all, to catch one?

  Despite his successes in cleaning up the New Providence colony (a feat that is remembered by the inhabitants to this day), the endeavor bankrupted Rogers and he returned to England a pauper, to be jailed in debtors' prison for a few years.

  In 1729 Woodes Rogers would return to New Providence, once again in the capacity of governor, but this time focusing on attracting trade and settlers to the island. He set up the island's first General Assembly, helping to insure that New Providence would not again fall into lawlessness and chaos.

  Woodes Rogers died on New Providence in 1732 of "mysterious causes", some sources implying that one of his many enemies had poisoned him.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.longjohnsilvertrust.co.uk/projects/woodesrodgers.htm

  http://www.thepirateking.com/bios/rogers_woodes.htm

  http://home.earthlink.net/~artrogers/Woodes.htm

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• 

  Discuss this card in the forums.

• This week's edition comes to us from Pirates Constructible Strategy Game Online.

  This week's Player Profile: djwesterdale.

  Real Life first name: Don

  Forum handle: djwesterdale

  Game name: djwesterdale

  Where do you live? S.E. Michigan

  How long have you played Pirates CSG Online? Joined the first week it opened

  Do you play Legends of Norrath, Star Chamber or Stargate? No

  Do you play any physical TCG's? Yes, Pirates CSG, own almost every card. All played ships are customized with markers.

  What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most? After a childhood of board games, the attraction of a Naval chess game intrigued me in my later{cough} years. As a former sailor and after reading A.Thayer Mahan's book on Naval tactics, I decided to put theory to practice. I have forsaken all other games for Pirates.

  What type of work do you do? Steel Mill Rat

  What other hobbies do you enjoy other than Pirates? Ummm, lemme get back with you on that one.

  What is your favorite deck type? Barbary Coast, hands down. I'm a fool for the underdog. In a 9 player, 300 point Table Top nation pure Death Match, my Corsairs came in second. Spanish Main runs a close second.

  What is your favorite card (playability-wise)? DJC Davy Jones

  What is your favorite card (art-wise)? Baochuan

  What type of TCG player are you? For example, are you an Art Lover, a Competitor, an Innovator? Innovator, as most of my mates can see. I have no "stock" fleet of the creme de la creme. I appreciate an under used ship/crew combo more than the Harby with a Sac Capt.

  What do you like best about Pirates CSG Online? I can still lose to a newbie and beat the best veteran.

  Could you describe, in brief, a memorable game you had, or opponent you faced, and why it stands out in your mind? An excited but under carded newbie ran his Shark into my Proud Tortoise and boarded only to find the Unique treasure, "Livestock", a cow, which is almost never used. The Prime Rib dinner, extra raw, sent his Shark flying across the board and we both had a big laugh.

  Do you run or work for an OSG or TCG Fan Site? No

  What is one thing no one would ever suspect about you? I'll never get more than 20 feet from the shore ever again, I respect the High Seas.

• Keep Your Characters Safe!
  

  Account theft isn't isolated only to those who choose to trade or share their station accounts. (which is ignoring the EULA!) As the internet and online gaming population grows, so does the cesspool of scammers.There are a variety of ways in which people will attempt to gain access to your account, and the list grows everyday. Fear not, there are simple tips to ensure that your account is protected. Keep in mind these worn-out (but useful!) words of wisdom:

  Sharing your account information is never a good idea.
  

  Gamers have heard the advice before, yet a lot of people still opt to share their account information with close friends. Having a guildmate complete a quest for you while you're sleeping may seem mostly harmless, but bad things can happen. While it doesn't always end in catastrophe, you could log back in with a new last name like "Lovetrollslongtime" or something slightly worse which might result in a banning. It's not always obvious, malicious attacks that cause good accounts to go bad!

  I'm sure we've all heard the fateful stories of guildbanks emptied and outfit members booted. Sadly, this is often a direct result of sharing account information. Not only do you run the risk of virtual strangers reeking havoc on all you've worked hard for, but you make it difficult for SOE's customer service staff to investigate and resolve issues.

  
  
  Be aware of phishing sites!
  

  What is a phishing site? Simply, it's usually a website created to mimic a well-known or frequently used site in an attempt to fraudulently gain sensitive account information. Gaming communities have been targeted in the past via email, spamming a link that takes the reader to a site that, upon first glance, appears to be legit. The imposter site may offer in-game items for completing surveys, or pose as a game representative, warning that your account is in limbo.

  Here at SOE we do not offer enticing ways to earn in-game money through email. We prefer the old fashioned way of logging in, killing mobs, completing quests, etc. Be extremely cautious when exposed to external sites through email, claiming to be affiliated with Sony Online. You will only be prompted to enter your password when logging into an SOE game, or when visiting an official Station site.

  
  
  SOE employees will NEVER ask for your password.
  

   Not in email. Not in-game. Not on the phone. Never! We have ample ways to access your account; the only thing we require from you is patience and a Station name. If you suspect that someone is impersonating a CSR in-game, use the /report feature and again, do not divulge your account password.

  Things you should know:
  

   Account security is the responsibility of the account owner. This includes password protection, running virus checks, disabling file sharing, or any other means of checking that the owner's account has not been stolen or compromised.

  If you find yourself a victim, not all is lost! CSR's may be able to offer a one-time only "character restoration." But first you must recover your account (details on doing this can be found here.)SOE strives to maintain an exciting and safe gaming environment. To make things more enjoyable for everyone, we offer basic advice on how to keep your account secure.

  Time Honored Tips:
  

  • Use a unique Station name.
  • Use an alpha-numeric password consisting of at least 8 characters; a mix of letters, numbers and special characters is best. Never write down your password!
  • Never use the same word for your Station name and password; change it periodically.
  • Never trust a troll in a dress.
  • Always create a secret question when prompted (this allows for quicker password recovery and confirmation when needed.)
  • Keep your registration information, including current email address, up to date in so that we can contact you regarding your account and for retrieving lost passwords. (SOE will not use your email for marketing purposes, unless you specifically opt in for newsletters and announcements.)

  Keep your credit card information safe too. Here is a handy place to get some good tips.

•    
  

  As announced in a press release today, effective April 1, 2008 Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) will report to Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI). The new structure is designed to mutually benefit both companies by further accelerating the PlayStation business through SOE's strong online gaming expertise.

  SOE is currently part of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Under the new structure, SOE will continue to develop its games for the PC and the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system.

  The day to day workings of SOE will not change and no employees will be let go. We are thrilled and excited by this change in structure! As Smed was quoted in the press release, "This move is going to broaden our capabilities and expand the development of our products into new and exciting directions."

  Press Release

• Ahoy maties! This week we learn just how far charm and wit will get you, and what happens when those traits are met with a lead ball.

  Pirate of the Week: Howell Davis 1690(?)-1719

  Howell Davis was a Welshman, a sailor by trade, and a charming and handsome one at that. He was first mate on the slave ship Cadogan when the pirate Edward England captured it. Davis put his likeability to good use, joining the pirates and so impressing Edward England that England gave him the Cadogan as a prize.

  Flush with good fortune, Davis sailed for Brazil, intending to sell the Cadogan. But his crew disagreed with him and forced him to sail for Barbados. Where was Davis' legendary charm at this moment? It did not appear to make much of a dent against his mutinous crew.

  Arriving in Barbados, Davis and his crew were arrested on suspicion of piracy and jailed for three months, an inauspicious beginning to their pirating career. Once free, Davis sailed to New Providence, intending to seek haven at the notorious pirate colony. But Woodes Rogers was there before him and all the smart pirates had fled before being arrested and hung. Davis was put on a ship with Rogers' men, (perhaps press-ganged into joining them) but at the island of Martinique he raised a mutiny and was chosen captain.

  The life of a pirate was often hard and short; why are there so many tales of otherwise ordinary sailors quickly following one man into a career that promised certain death? The life of an ordinary sailor was quite often as hard or harder than that of a pirate, with little promise of reward or rest. Such a life would make it easier to turn to that of a pirate, with a share of loot, a bottle of rum, and a bit of rest in between the fighting. In other cases it was preferable to keep one's life rather than be killed out of hand. Perhaps in some cases, that one man who bade others follow had more charisma and charm than any reasonable Navy man could hope to muster.

  Davis was learning how to employ his talent at charm to considerable effect. North of Hispaniola he took two French ships, disguising the first as a pirate ship to intimidate the second. It worked; the second French ship surrendered without a shot, thinking herself outgunned. In reality Davis had only 35 men and had forced the captured sailors to brandish their swords and yell along with he and his men on the Buck.

  Davis next sailed for the West Coast of Africa. There he took several prizes off the Gold Coast, including the ship which carried Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts. Roberts, another charming and clever man, joined Davis' crew and would be with him until the end of Davis' life.

  Howell Davis loved disguise and trickery, and it worked well for him. The governor of St. Nicholas, believing Davis a privateer, welcomed him and even resupplied his ships. Davis sailed to Gambia and deceived the commander of the Royal Africa Company's fort there, dressing like a dandy and inviting him to dinner. Once the commander arrived, Davis and his men held the man for ransom, escaping with 2,000 pounds.

  Davis then captured several rich prizes; British and Dutch ships loaded with slaves, gold dust, and ivory. He was well on his way to amassing a fortune, and he was intelligent and attractive besides. What more could any pirate want? Gold.

  Davis sailed for Principe Island, where he intended to kidnap the governor and ransom him for a large sum. The plan had worked brilliantly in Gambia; of course it would work here. But Davis' reputation preceded him. He was discovered in his ruse and shot dead by the governor's men, all his charm and clever wit availing him nothing.

  Bartholomew Roberts, captured by Howell Davis and turned pirate under his command, avenged his captain's death by shelling and burning the town on Principe Island before sailing away to start his own infamous career.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howell_Davis

  http://www.thepiratesrealm.com/Howell%20Davis.html

  http://www.thepirateking.com/bios/davis_howell.htm

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• Thursday March 13th, 2008 Technical and Account/Billing will open at 10:30 am.

  Please visit the support site at http://www.station.sony.com/en/support/ to submit your inquiries.

  Normal Support will resume on Friday, March 14th from 10am to 7pm.

• Beginning at 1am PDT/8am GMT on Wednesday, March 12th all SOE services including game servers, forums, game websites, and subscription services will be unavailable due to system maintenance. We expect all systems to be back up at approximately 7am PST.

  We apologize for this interruption and will resume all affected services as soon as the maintenance is completed.

• Ahoy there, sea dogs! There's a difference between havin' adventures and readin' about 'em. This week's pirate did both, only to find out that readin' about adventures is much the safer option.

  Pirate of the Week: Stede Bonnet 1680-1718

  Stede Bonnet was born in England around 1680, to a moderately wealthy family. He was well-educated, some even said bookish. He joined His Majesty's army and had attained the rank of Major by the time he retired to the island of Barbados. There he became a sugar plantation owner, marrying and having four children, one of whom died in infancy. Stede Bonnet, at middle age, had a comfortable life to look forward to from this point.

  In 1717, Major Stede Bonnet bought a sloop, telling his family and friends on Barbados that he intended to use her for trading voyages. He hired a crew of about 70 men in Barbados harbor, and set about readying his ship, the Revenge, for her upcoming voyages. And then one night, without telling anyone, he slipped out to sea and headed north along the coast of Virginia and the Carolinas. Shortly he captured, plundered, and burned four ships, and Major Stede Bonnet's comfortable middle-age life was over.

  The respectable families of Barbados were shocked at Bonnet's actions. It was suggested he had a "disorder in his mind", or an aversion to respectability. Still others thought that he had fled because of a nagging wife. Whatever the reason, Bonnet, in middle age and without a shred of experience as a sailor, took to piracy on the high seas.

  Stede Bonnet became known as the "Gentleman Pirate", because he purchased rather than captured his own ship, and paid his crew wages instead of shares of plunder. He was said to have a personal library aboard his ship, and to prefer to remain there reading, leaving the running of the ship up to his quartermaster and officer. This inspired no confidence in his crew, and despite their first few successes they began to plot against him.

  Bonnet and his restless crew took a few more prizes off the New England coast, and then set sail for Nassau. On the way they ran into a Spanish man of war, a serious problem for a pirate crew without a strong leader. They escaped, but the Revenge took heavy damage, Bonnet was badly wounded, and half the crew was killed.

  In Nassau, Bonnet set about healing himself, repairing his ship, and replacing his crew. While there Bonnet crossed paths with the infamous Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard. Whether threatened by Blackbeard, or overawed by his larger-than-life reputation, the disabled Bonnet was no match for him. Blackbeard soon convinced (or threatened) Bonnet into ceding command of the Revenge to him, increasing his own fleet and holding Bonnet as a "guest" aboard his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge.

  With these two ships Bonnet and Blackbeard plundered eleven ships in Delaware Bay, and then returned to the Caribbean, where they continued their successful run. Bonnet did not have a lot to do with their success, and was even described by one victim as wandering the deck in his nightshirt after battles, without any semblance of command.

  In early 1718 Bonnet convinced Blackbeard to allow him to command the Revenge once more, and the two parted ways. But Bonnet's success left with Blackbeard, and when he ran into the infamous pirate again, his crew deserted him for the more successful man. Blackbeard put one of his crew in charge of the Revenge, and once again Bonnet was Blackbeard's guest.

  Blackbeard added a third ship to his fleet when the Revenge captured a sloop named Adventure. With these ships and Bonnet a hapless prisoner, he sailed for South Carolina and blockaded the port of Charleston. Although Bonnet is said to have participated in this famous event, it is likely he did little more than sit in a cabin in the Queen Anne's Revenge and read.

  In the summer of 1718 the governor of North Carolina issued pardons to any pirate willing to travel to the capital, Bath, to receive them. Blackbeard convinced Bonnet that they should go, and the Gentleman Pirate went willingly. Once Blackbeard had beached the Anne, however, he convinced Bonnet to go alone into Bath to receive his pardon.

  When Bonnet returned to the beach, he discovered that Blackbeard had abandoned the Queen Anne's Revenge, transferred all of the loot to the Adventure, and sailed away. Bonnet was furious at this betrayal and swore revenge against Blackbeard; with his new pardon he was able to receive a letter of marque and set out hunting pirates, the treachery of Edward Teach foremost in his mind. But Bonnet never crossed Blackbeard's wake again.

  Bonnet's time with the legendary pirate had influenced him; despite his pardon he reverted to piracy and managed to take almost a dozen more ships. While resting and careening his ships in the Cape Fear River he was discovered and attacked by men the governor of South Carolina had sent out after him. The battle lasted five and a half hours, but eventually (and literally) the tide turned for the governor's men and they arrested Bonnet and his entire crew.

  Bonnet wrote to the governor, begging for clemency and promising never to commit acts of piracy again, but the governor was unmoved. After a lecture berating him that a gentleman of his upbringing should have known better, the governor sentenced him to death.

  Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman Pirate, was hung at White Point in Charleston, South Carolina, on December 10, 1718.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stede_Bonnet

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A7210784

  http://www.piratesinfo.com/biography/biography.php?article_id=31

  Discuss this article in the forums.

• Your job is clear; hunt down the Forsworn and force them to retake their oaths to the Tribunal or face the consequences! You will not be alone in this. Along the way meet up with the Oathbound heroes Terin, Cyndra, Karlemayne and Eluviel and employ their special skills to help you achieve your goals.

  Inquisitor, the latest and greatest addition to Legends of Norrath, features 250-plus cards including new units, avatars, abilities, items, and loot. Get the scoop on all the new features here. Then head over to the Design & Strategy Articles forum where you'll find great articles on Inquisitor by the LoN game designers.

  Starting today and running through the weekend, the Tournaments Lobby will be hosting Release Events. Each player will receive one random Inquisitor Starter Deck and 3 Inquisitor Booster packs to build their tournament deck. Each participant will also receive a Burynai Rockshaper (3P2) digital promo card! Please see the Events Calendar for details. Don't miss it!

• Gary Gygax, co-creator of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game has passed away today. We here at Sony Online Entertainment count ourselves amongst the millions of people influenced by this man's ideas, dreams, and hard work. Many of our games are a part of the grand legacy of fantasy worlds inspired by our first steps into the lands of Greyhawk, Krynn, Toril, and countless others, made possible by Gary’s game.

  In his lifetime, Gygax was the creative mind behind not just the Dungeons & Dragons gaming system, but a host of other fantasy role-play systems such as Dangerous Journeys, Lejendary Adventures, and more. He lived and worked as a game designer, novelist, editor, businessman, gamer, and husband and father.

  Over the years Gary has received numerous awards for his contribution to the gaming industry including entry into the Origin's 'Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame,' tying with J. R. R. Tolkien on GameSpy's '30 Most Influential People in Gaming' list in 2002, as well as serving as the Premiere Guest of Honor at Gen Con in 2007.

  From the beginning of the RPG industry to his very last days, Gary has continued to contribute to a wealth of games and supplements that can be found in game shops everywhere.

  Our condolences go out to the Gygax family, and to all our fellow gamers with the passing of this gaming legend. Thank you Gary, for your work and influence over the years.

  

  Gary Gygax at Gen Con Indy 2007
  Source: Wikipedia

• Beginning at 9am PST/5pm GMT on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 all SOE Account and Commerce flow, the Station Store and the CSG Store with be unavailable for the purpose of adding Payer Authentication (Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode Programs).

  We expect this maintenance to take approximately 4 hours. During this maintenance period game servers will still be accessible. Please watch the forums for further updates regarding this maintenance.

  We apologize for this interruption and will resume the affected services as soon as the maintenance is completed.

• 

  Discuss this card in the forums.

• Every Friday the Community Team gets together in an SOE game for some (fun) competition and to experience the games from a player point of view. Now's your chance, you sea dogs! Vote for Pirates CSG and get us all in here running our ships up on the shoals and stealing each other's treasure! Arrr!

• Check out this duo of TCGPlayer.com card previews for the upcoming Pirates of the Revolution expansion set.

• To provide our customers with increased credit card security, Sony Online Entertainment will be partnering with Visa and MasterCard. In a few weeks SOE will add Verified by Visa and MasterCard Secure to our Station store purchase flow.

  Q. How will this affect an SOE customer?

  A. When adding new subscriptions, changing a subscription or purchasing software from the station store you, the customer, will be prompted to join Verified by Visa or MasterCard Secure. An application will pop up and prompt you to join the security program.

  Q. How much does it cost to join Verified by Visa or MasterCard secure?

  A. It is completely free to join Visa and MasterCard's security for online purchases.

  Q. Why should I give Sony Online entertainment my personal information?

  A. The information requested for these programs is not stored on any SOE servers. These programs are provided by Visa and MasterCard. Only Visa and MasterCard will retain the information you provide for your security.

  When accessing the Verified by Visa and MasterCard sign up page, please enter all requested information. This is a secure site and only Visa or MasterCard will have your information. After you have signed up for the security program, you will need to login again to verify that the card has been secured.

• Avast mateys! Tis said "Spare the rod and spoil the child", and ne'er was that truer than with pirates. Ol' Edward England learned his lesson a little too late....

  Pirate of the Week: Edward England ?-1720

  Edward England was born Edward Seegar in Ireland, and although there are scant records of his early years, one can assume he either chose the sea as a career or was press-ganged to serve aboard a ship. He was an officer on a Jamaican sloop when the entire direction of his life changed, some might say not for the better.

  The pirate captain Christopher Winter captured the sloop England was serving on, and apparently impressed by his demeanor and skills, soon gave him his own ship to command. England did not seem reluctant to accept this gift or change his career from ship's officer to pirate.

  In 1717, England, like many of his contemporaries, was based out of New Providence Island. This well-known pirate haven was soon brought into line by its new governor, Woodes Rogers, who himself had been a privateer for the English crown. Faced with accepting a pardon and going legitimate, or fleeing and remaining a pirate, England chose the latter and sailed for Africa.

  There, along the African coast, he took several prizes, including a snow named Cadogan, which proved to be captained by a man his crew knew well. England, in an unusual move for a pirate captain, tried to prevent his crew from torturing the man, but in the end had to allow them to do as they saw fit or risk their ire himself. England's personal dislike of torture was to prove a distinguishing and fatal trait.

  After this England took a ship called the Pearl and renamed her the Royal James, exchanging her for the sloop he had been using.

  In the spring of 1719 the Irish pirate and his crew returned to Africa where they succeeded in capturing some two dozen prizes, keeping one and naming her the Victory. The pirates sailed to Madagascar, where they careened their ships and set out once more, for the Malabar coast of India. There, in early 1720, they succeeded in taking several Indian vessels and a Dutch ship which was renamed the Fancy. Life was looking well for Edward England, but his luck would not last.

  In Juanna they surprised three ships, two English and an Ostend Indiaman. Two of these ships fled, but the third, called the Cassandra, chose to fight her attackers. She was defeated, but not before badly damaging the Fancy. England surprised and enraged his crew by giving the damaged Fancy to the captain of the Cassandra, James MacRae, and letting the man go free; the angry pirates marooned England and all others who sided with him on the island of Mauritius.

  The Cassandra sailed away under the command of one John Taylor, leaving the Irish pirate Edward England, the only pirate who loathed torture, to eventually find his way to Madagascar and die a beggar in the streets of St. Augustine in 1720.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.geocities.com/captcutlass/bio/england.html

  http://www.kipar.org/piratical-resources/pirate-fame.html#E

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_England

  Discuss this pirate in the forums.

• Check out this trio of TCGPlayer.com card previews for the upcoming Pirates of the Revolution expansion set.

• 
  
  

  Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announced a progressive new scholarship program with The Art Institutes designed to educate and recruit more women into the video game industry. The official SOE G.I.R.L. -- Gamers In Real Life -- scholarship is the first of its kind with The Art Institutes to encourage students toward career paths in the creative and applied arts, ultimately resulting in the development of games that are more interesting for women to play. Read the full article at Earthtime.org and learn more about this scholarship program.

• 

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• SOE is currently looking to fill several intern positions on various teams. An internship at SOE is a prearranged learning experience designed to place students on a project that is relevant to their academic and professional goals. Interns will work as part of a team with people from many professional backgrounds while testing their skills working on a project. A mentor will be assigned to each intern, who will provide continual guidance and feedback until completion of the internship.

  These are paid part-time positions (approximately 9 weeks in length) that provide invaluable real-work experience and offer students an opportunity to grow both professionally and personally as well as make tremendous networks for future career opportunities.

  See all the intern positions SOE has available by going to SOE Career Opportunities.

• Monday February 18, 2008 Technical and Account/Billing staffing will be limited to Chat and email support. Please visit the support site at http://www.station.sony.com/en/support/ to submit your inquiries.

  Phone Support will resume on Tuesday, February 19th from 10am to 7pm.

  Thank you!

  SOE Customer Support Team

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• Check out this trio of TCGPlayer.com card previews for the upcoming Pirates of the Revolution expansion set.

• 

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• Ye may have heard it said, me hearties, that the clothes make the man. No pirate knew this better than…

  Pirate of the Week: Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts 1682-1722

  Tall, dark, and handsome….it sounds like the opening of one of those trashy supermarket romance novels. But apparently Bartholomew Roberts was just that, as well as courageous and wealthy. With his death in 1722, it was said the Golden Age of Piracy ended, or perhaps there were no other pirates after him who could live up to his considerable accomplishments.

  Bartholomew Roberts was born in Wales in 1682, taking to the sea at the tender age of 13. Historical records lost track of Bart for a long time, but when next he appeared he was third mate of a slaver ship, the Princess. Presumably he had worked his way up to this position and was no slacker when it came to hard work.

  While anchored off the coast of Africa the Princess was discovered by the pirate Howell Davis and captured. Many of the Princess' crew were forced to join Davis' pirates, including Bartholomew Roberts. Davis soon discovered that Roberts was an asset; he had abilities as a navigator and brains and courage as well. He frequently consulted with Roberts, and although Roberts was initially reluctant to become a pirate, he was soon swayed by the promise of loot and command of his own ship.

  Within three weeks Roberts would see that promise come true; Howell Davis was ambushed and killed on Principe Island, and his crew elected Roberts their new captain. Black Bart wasted no time in gaining control of his new crew. Pirates were a notoriously unruly bunch and to let any discipline problems slide was to invite one's own demise. Bart drew up a list of Articles and each man had to swear on the Bible that he would adhere to them. Unique among pirates, Roberts was no drinker, preferring tea over rum, although his crew members were allowed the standard rations of drink. A clear head seems to have contributed to his success at capturing ships and keeping his crew in line.

  Captain Bartholomew Roberts avenged the death of his former captain by sneaking onto Principe at night, murdering many of the inhabitants, and stealing all the loot his crew could carry. With this act, Roberts lost any remaining reservations he might have had about being a pirate; he knew his life would be short, but perhaps it would be the sweeter.

  Roberts captured two ships near Principe, incorporating them into his fleet. Then the crew voted they sail for Brazil. There he captured a Portuguese ship carrying a rich treasure including a diamond-encrusted gold cross said to have been made for the king of Portugal himself. Roberts' style was to be bold, in dress as well as in piracy, and the diamond cross soon became a signature piece.

  When Bart sailed into the Caribbean in February 1720, the islands of Martinique and Barbados earned his ire by sending out pirate hunters and severely damaging his ships and killing his crew; thereafter Roberts' flag bore the image of him standing upon two skulls, one labeled "ABH" for "a Barbadian's head", and the other labeled "AMH" for "a Martiniquan's head". Later on when he happened to capture a French man of war carrying the governor of Martinique, he hung the man from the yardarm.

  One of Bart's boldest moves was to sail into the harbor at Trepassey near Newfoundland in June of 1720, black flags flying. The twenty-two ships in the harbor were abandoned in a panic by their captains, and Bart, enraged by this cowardice, took them all. When the pirates left Trepassey, Bart burned all save one of the ships in the harbor, perhaps as punishment.

  As his reputation grew Bart used this tactic again, with great success. Often trumpeters and drummers would play as they sailed into battle, further terrifying the victims. Bart was nothing if not a showman, and his scarlet clothes, the jaunty red feather in his hat, and his diamond cross all added to his larger than life persona.

  Roberts' reputation didn't prevent some of his crew from stealing from him however, and over his nearly three years of piracy he lost several ships to thieves from his own crew. Roberts more than made up for these losses by taking over 470 ships and amassing a large fortune, which he seems to have spent almost as quickly as he plundered it.

  Alas, his success came with a hefty price; while careening his ships at Cape Lopez on February 10, 1722, a Royal Navy ship, the Swallow, captained by Challoner Ogle, discovered Roberts and his crew. The Swallow lured one of Roberts' ships away and made quick work of her, then returned for more. Roberts, informed of her approach, dressed himself in his finest crimsons, with the diamond cross about his neck, and went out to meet her.

  With a single broadside of grapeshot, the Swallow ended the life of the most successful pirate in Africa and the Caribbean, as well as the Golden Age of Piracy. Roberts' crew, loyal to his last wishes, weighted his body and threw it over the side of his ship, diamond cross and all.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_Roberts

  http://www.thepiratesrealm.com/Bartholomew%20Roberts.html

  http://www.geocities.com/captcutlass/bio/roberts.html

  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=457724&in_page_id=1879

  Discuss this pirate in the forums.

• On Monday, February 11, 2008 from approximately 3:45pm PST until 4:45 pm PST, all SOE forums will be down for maintenance. The downtime is planned for only one hour.

• 

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• John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment, is back for another installment in his regular blog. In this edition, he shares details about SOE's fight with combating fraud and the solutions being implemented in the near future.

  Click here to read the Station Blog!

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• Captain William Kidd seems to have buried the most treasure of any pirate that existed. Hundreds of tales abound of him burying vast hoards all over the Caribbean and all along the northeast coast of America. For decades, if not hundreds of years, treasure hunters have scoured his known or suspected haunts in hopes of finding these caches, with little success. Recently some historians have claimed that Kidd was a victim of political struggles among his financial backers, and not more than a privateer with letters of marque.

  Bloodthirsty pirate, or political scapegoat? And where did he really bury his treasure?

  William Kidd was born in Scotland around 1645, but was taken to New York as a child after the death of his father. History has scant record of the intervening years, but he apparently made contacts within the city and made some influential friends who would both help him and hinder him in later years. By 1689 he was captain of a ship commissioned to protect the Caribbean colonies from the French. He was moderately successful at this, until Captain Culliford, a notorious pirate, captured his ship while he was ashore on Antigua. Kidd returned to New York, and the governor there, Richard Coote, convinced him to go to England to obtain a formal letter of marque and become a privateer. Coote, Kidd, and the English crown would split any spoils Kidd gathered hunting pirates and enemy ships.

  In 1695 Kidd set out on his mission with a new ship, the Adventure Galley, and a hand-picked crew. On his way down the Thames to the sea, Kidd and his crew failed to acknowledge or salute a Royal Navy warship, as was customary. Some even said that when the Navy ship fired its cannon in warning, Kidd's crew "showed their backsides" to the ship in contempt. One has to wonder at Kidd's reasoning, or perhaps at how much control he had over his crew. The Navy ship forced Adventure Galley to stop and then took half of Kidd's crew, in retaliation for their insolence and to refill their own berths made empty by scurvy and other disease.

  Thus with an ill-omened beginning to his venture, Kidd sailed to New York to refill the empty berths on his ship. Much of New York at the time was a pirate haven, and many of this replacement crew were pirates and criminals, unfortunately for Kidd.

  Kidd then set out for the Indian Ocean, adhering to his letter of marque and hunting pirates, but for one reason or another, failed to find them. As months went by his ship became leaky and rotten, and his crew became restless and unhappy and pressured him to attack any ship. Kidd is said to have killed one man in an argument over a proposed attack on a Dutch ship. Thereafter no man openly threatened him, but they were still angry with him.

  In 1698 Kidd captured the Quedagh Merchant, which was loaded with silks, muslins, gold and silver. It was a rich prize and satisfied his crew, but Kidd was horrified to learn the captain was English. The ship had been flying French colors, however, and his crew convinced him that he had been in the right to attack her. That and their threat of mutiny made Kidd keep the ship and treasure. Further complicating matters was the fact that an important Indian nobleman owned the Quedagh Merchant and demanded restitution from the East India Company.

  England had been hearing accounts of Kidd's "piracies", and this incident was the last straw. The crown declared him a pirate. Kidd realized the Quedagh Merchant would be recognizable and abandoned her, emptying her hold and scuttling her in shallow waters. Then he made his way to New York, where he hoped to call in favors from his friends there and be able to argue that he had only been doing the job for which the English crown had hired him.

  He buried a cache of treasure on Gardiner's Island nearby, some say in hopes of using it as a bargaining chip with the authorities. He then spent several days negotiating with his friends, during which time some historians and treasure hunters believe he may have buried other treasure caches up and down the nearby coast. His friends, who included governors and noblemen, had no intention of going down with Kidd's ship, however. The men who had funded his venture tricked him into coming in to Boston, where they arrested him and shipped him off to England to stand trial. The treasure cache on Gardiner's Island was removed and sent to England as evidence against Kidd.

  At his trial Kidd was accused of piracy and murder; the documents showing the Quedagh Merchant to be traveling under French authority were mysteriously missing, and none of his former friends and backers would testify in his behalf. He was convicted and sentenced to hang.

  Captain William Kidd was hanged at Executioner's Dock in Wapping, London, on May 23, 1701. The hangman's rope broke initially, and he was hanged a second time, after which his body was tarred and hung in a cage over the river Thames. For two years Kidd's body served as a warning to any other would-be pirates, and as a testament to greed and betrayal.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/kidd.html

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Kidd

  http://www.unmuseum.org/pirateg.htm

  And for recent news on the wreck of the Quedagh Merchant...

  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213162036.htm

  Discuss this pirate in the forums.

• Hold on to yer hats and yer hearts, while I relate a tale of an unusual pirate indeed…

  Pirate of the Week: Anne Bonny 1697-1720(?)

  Anne Bonny is probably one of the most notorious pirates ever to have sailed the seas, not only because she was one of very few documented female pirates, but also because of her fierce temper and willingness to fight for what she wanted. Such character in a woman of that time was considered "odd" "unusual" and "wrong", and this no doubt led to the exaggeration of her "murdering" ways. What was considered no more than a job description for a male pirate was shocking and unsettling in a female. As its been said, well-behaved women rarely make history.

  Anne was born around 1697 in County Cork, Ireland, the illegitimate daughter of a married accountant and his unwed housemaid. The couple fled to the new world with their daughter after the scandal, reestablishing their lives and becoming successful enough to build a plantation and become wealthy. Anne was an heiress!

  Anne, however, was like a certain couple of modern heiresses in that she was bored with her life and wanted excitement and adventure. Her headstrong nature and fiery temper were legendary; she was said to have stabbed a servant with a knife, and at 16, so thoroughly beat a teenage boy for attempting to force himself upon her that she put him in the hospital for weeks. It was this rebellious character that led her to hang about the docks of Charleston, South Carolina, and make friends with the less savory element there. It was not long before Anne brought home James Bonny, a small-time pirate, and married him. Her outraged father disowned her, and James, who had only been after her fortune, took her to New Providence Island(Nassau), a notorious pirate haven.

  Anne was only happy a short time before boredom set in, with disgust at her husband-turned-informant spurring her to seek excitement elsewhere. Down on the docks, she met "Calico" Jack Rackham, and soon took up an affair with him. The enraged James Bonny sought to have her returned to him, dragging her in front of the Governor and having her flogged, but this only added spark to Anne's temper and she eloped with Rackham.

  The two raided the Caribbean together, with Anne at first disguising herself as a man to blend in with the crew, but later revealing her secret. She was as skilled at fighting as any of the men, and some said more vicious; the first man to challenge her on the basis of her gender was handily gutted by her cutlass. On board Jack's ship, Anne met another unusual woman, Mary Read, who had also disguised herself as a man to sail with the pirates, and the two became friends.

  Anne's adventures came to an end in October of 1720, when Rackham's sloop was attacked by ships sent by the Governor of Jamaica. Jack and all of the male crew were too drunk to fight; they had captured a merchant vessel the day before and celebrated all night. They hid in the hold, leaving the two women to defend their ship. Anne and Mary fought ferociously, and it was Anne who periodically fired into the hold of her own ship, injuring and killing some of the crew, in a rage because they refused to fight.

  In the end, the entire crew was arrested and sentenced to hang. Anne and Mary revealed their gender, and the fact that they were pregnant, earning themselves a stay of execution until the birth of the babies. Calico Jack, perhaps wishing for some comforting words from Anne, requested to see her while he was in jail. Anne's scathing words are remembered to this day, "I'm sorry, Jack, but if you had fought like a man you would not be about to die like a dog."

  Mary Read died of a fever in jail, but Anne's end is not so clear. There are no records of her execution. Some histories say she was pardoned and returned to her husband, James Bonny. Some indicate she escaped from jail and returned to her life of piracy. And some believe she returned to Charleston South Carolina, where she was reconciled with her family, married, and lived to a ripe old age, telling tales of her adventures on the sea.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Bonny

  http://www.piratesinfo.com/biography/biography.php?article_id=26

  http://www.geographia.com/bahamas/annebonny.htm

  Discuss this pirate in the forums.

• 
  
  

  Due to some changes in hotel choices for Fan Faire the poll has been changed. Alas when changes are made to the polls the current votes are reset. Instead of resetting the current poll we will have a brand new poll for you to vote on.

  We love seeing the enthusiasm of our communities when it comes to Fan Faire! We apologize for the inconvenience running a new poll may cause, however it is only fair to give you the chance to select your favorite date and location from the new choices.

  What could possibly beat last year's Fan Faire in Las Vegas, NV? You tell us! The time has come to pick a new location and as always, we want your opinion. Go here to vote on potential cities, dates and costs for Fan Faire 2008. You have 14 days to give us your two cents and help determine where the next great event will be held – so vote now!

  What is a Fan Faire?

  The SOE Fan Faire is a Sony Online Entertainment-sponsored event designed to allow players the chance not only to meet one another, but also many of the more prominent SOE personalities. It's a great opportunity to meet the real people behind the online avatars and the game itself. Though attendees will have plenty of opportunity to mingle freely with one another and make new friends, they'll also have the chance to participate in a number of panel discussions and game-themed live events.

  When and where are the Fan Faire events held?

  Fan Faire events are held in various regions throughout the U.S. and occur annually. We try to choose locations that will accommodate as many players as possible.

• If ye be faint of heart, read no further, for here follows the tale of the notoriously brutal…

  Pirate of the Week: Edward Low

  Edward Low was born around 1690 in Westminster London, and showed a propensity for thievery and general mayhem from a young age. He went from petty theft, pickpocketing and gambling to burglary before perhaps deciding that things were too hot for him to stay in Westminster. He went to the New World, settling in Boston, Massachusetts as a young man. Historical records are quiet on Ned Low until about 1721, two years after the death of his wife in childbirth, and the year when he emerged as one of the most brutal pirates in history.

  Low started his pirating career after a failed mutiny, stealing a sloop off the coast of Rhode Island and running up a black flag. He hunted the shipping lanes for prize ships and loot, becoming quite successful in a short period of time. He preferred to keep a fleet of three or four ships, and worked with other notorious pirates at different points in his career to captain them all. His primary tactic consisted of running up false colors to get close enough to unsuspecting ships to attack them. Later on flying his own flag, a red skeleton on a field of black, would be enough to convince ships to surrender.

  Edward Low gained a reputation for extreme cruelty as stories emerged of him burning captives alive as well as cutting off noses and lips, and lighting a match, or twist of rope used as a fuse for cannon, between a captive's fingers and burning them to the bones. He was accused of decapitations, disembowelings, and torture. He was said to be savage and unrelenting in battle, and equally unsparing of his crew, so much so that their fear of him may have eventually led them to maroon him on an island.

  Oddly enough, he was said to be courteous and gentle to women, allowing them to return unharmed to port if he captured a vessel they were passenger on. The death of his wife, and his abandonment of his daughter, may have affected him quite deeply.

  Low terrorized the Azores and the Caribbean until his success and his savagery grew too much for the authorities to ignore. A war-ship was dispatched to hunt Low and his crew down. Half his crew was defeated and hanged near Newport,Rhode Island, but Low apparently escaped. After that, history is unsure exactly what happened to Edward Low. Some say his ship sank in a storm with all hands. Others imply that he was caught by the French and hanged near Marseille. Still others say his own crew, pushed to their limits after he killed a subordinate while the man was sleeping, marooned him on an island and sailed away. A very, very few claim he was never caught, but escaped to Brazil and a new life.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.thepirateking.com/bios/low_edward.htm

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Low

  http://www.piratesoul.com/notable_detail.aspx?id=5

  Discuss this pirate in the forums.

• Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, there will be limited Customer Service staffing on Monday, January 21. We appreciate your patience and understanding for any delays you may experience.

• 
  
  The year is 1720 and the New World is on fire.

  England, France, and Spain have unleashed their forces on the Caribbean. Naval officers captain massive warships through bloody engagements at sea. Freetraders charge through blockades and smuggle the war material needed to conquer the enemy's ports. Privateers raid enemy shipping, looting ships of their treasure and rival nations of their glory.

  Through it all sail the Pirates. Bloody, bold, and resolute, they serve no flag and heed no king. They live free, fight hard, and obey only fate.

   In Pirates of the Burning Sea you choose your destiny! 
  
  

  Blistering Naval Combat - Maneuver your ship in real time, turning one way to unleash a broadside and then cutting back to guard your damaged armor.

  Savage Swashbuckling - Our swashbuckling system is something you've never seen in an MMO before.

  PvP-Conquerable World - The Caribbean of 1720 is home to many dozens of ports belonging to the three great powers: Britain, France, and Spain. Each port is a valuable source of goods, equipment, and mission patrons.

  Sophisticated Missions - Our mission system gives you a starring role in your own epic. Each player accumulates a personal supporting cast of NPCs, including old enemies, new friends, lost loves, and treacherous allies.

  Dramatic Avatars - You don't have to look like everyone else. Our avatars are built with sixteen customizable slots. Choose hair, faces, footwear, hands, coats, hats, belts, jewelry, and much more.

  Action For Every Play Style - Whether your interest is in ship combat, piracy, commercial trading, or adventure, you have a role to play, and all your adventures take place in a dramatic world of conflict and change.

  Subscription Fees

  The Pirates of the Burning Sea does have a monthly subscription. The fees are as follows:

  • 1 month subscription: $14.99
  • 3 month subscription: $41.99
  • 6 month subscription: $77.99
  • 12 month subscription: $143

  Pirates of the Burning Sea is also included in the SOE Station Access subscription. A Station Access subscription will give you access to Pirates of the Burning Sea as well as: EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, PlanetSide®, Star Wars Galaxies™, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes™, The Matrix Online and EverQuest® Online Adventures™. Full access Station Access is available for a recurring monthly subscription price of $29.99/month (plus applicable sales taxes, if any).

  To learn more about Pirates of the Burning Sea, visit http://www.burningsea.com/.
  To learn more about Station Access read this article.

• Ahoy me hearties, this week we've had a request! And so here follows the tale of...

  Pirate of the Week: Rachel Wall

  Rachel Schmidt was born in 1760 on a farm in Pennsylvania. At 16 she decided the life of a farmer's wife was not for her and eloped with George Wall. They moved to Boston where Rachel became a maid and George worked as a sailor on fishing vessels. The couple was not very financially astute, liking the good life far too much to hold on to whatever wages they received. They were soon penniless, and George got the idea to become pirates, soon convincing Rachel to join him. They stole (some say borrowed, and that the lender was receiving a cut of their profits) a fishing schooner and proceeded to raid the sea off the Isle of Shoals, just off Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

  Their methods were unorthodox; George and his crew would set the ship adrift just after a storm, pretending it had been damaged. Rachel would stand on the deck and wave frantically at any ship that passed near, luring its crew on deck and into death at the hands of her husband's men. The pirates would then loot and scuttle the captured ship. In this way they made off with nearly $6,000.00 in cargo and were able to keep themselves in a manner they thought they deserved.

  Rachel's pirating days came to an end in 1782, when a storm swept George and all his crew overboard. Rachel was rescued and returned to Boston, but she had not lost her taste for taking what she wanted. She is reported to have crept aboard ships in the harbor and stolen small valuable items from cabins, and to have been fairly successful at it. What she wanted was hers, but it seemed it was never enough.

  In 1789, Rachel Wall wanted a bonnet, but the bonnet already had an owner. Undeterred (Why would she be? She had taken ships at sea with impunity!), Rachel knocked the girl down and wrestled the bonnet off her head, and nearly tore out the girl's tongue as well. It was this act that finally brought Rachel to her end. Tried for the theft of the bonnet and assault on its owner,and already suspected of murdering sailors along the waterfront, Rachel confessed all of her pirate activities as well. She claimed she had never murdered anyone, and insisted she be tried as a pirate. She was hanged on October 8 of 1789, the first true American woman to become a pirate, and one of the last women to be hanged in Massachusetts.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://www.thepirateking.com/bios/wall_rachel.htm

  http://www.katyberry.com/Dorianne/pirates.html

  http://www.privateerdragons.com/pirates_famous9.html#W

  Discuss this pirate in the forums.

• What is Station Access?
  
        
  
  

  Station Access is an account subscription option offered to customers who want to subscribe to more than one of the SOE premium games and grants players access to EverQuest®, PlanetSide®, EverQuest® Online Adventures™ for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, EverQuest® Macintosh Edition, EverQuest® II, Star Wars Galaxies™, The Matrix Online, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes™ and Pirates of the Burning Sea.

  Full access Station Access is available for the low monthly subscription price of $29.99/month (plus applicable sales taxes, if any). The Station Access subscription fee is a recurring charge (just as current individual game subscription account charges), which means that SOE may charge your credit card each subscription period unless and until you cancel. Station Access subscriptions can be paid for with a valid credit card or debit card with the Visa or MasterCard logo. In addition to the fees described above, if you are a resident of a country or territory within the European Union, you will also be charged a value-added tax (VAT) equal to 17.5% of the applicable fee.

  Each Station Access subscription may only apply to a single account. You must sign up for a Station Access subscription for each account separately. Also, while you have access to all games as listed above, you can only play one game at a time per Station Access account (e.g. You can not run PlanetSide on one machine or in one window, EverQuest on another machine or in another window, both on the same Station Access account).

  With a Station Access subscription you will receive:
  

  Access to your favorite SOE Premium games - A Station Access subscription will give you access to your favorite live online games including: EverQuest® II, EverQuest®, PlanetSide®, Star Wars Galaxies™, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes™, The Matrix Online and EverQuest® Online Adventures™.

  Additional Character Slots - Receive additional character slots for Vanguard: Saga of Heroes (4 slots), EverQuest II (5 slots) and EverQuest (2 slots).

  Bonus Adventure Packs - Expand your adventures in EverQuest II with three Adventure Packs: The Bloodline Chronicles; The Splitpaw Saga; and The Fallen Dynasty, all included at no additional cost with a Station Access™ subscription once you have been subscribed to Station Access™ for at least two months.

  Casual Strategy game Packs & Starter Decks - Launch your pirate fleet with two game packs for the Pirates Constructible Strategy Game™ Online, as well as one of the four starter decks (randomly selected) from both the Stargate™ Online Trading Card Game and the Star Chamber game and a starter deck for Legends of Norrath: Oathbound.

  Newsletter - Sign-up for the Station Access newsletter for exclusive offers, featured content, SOE news and more!

  Standard features of Station Players™ - The Station Access subscription includes access to some of the standard features of Station Players™ for EverQuest, EverQuest II and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes but does not include access to the premium features of the Station Players service.

  A Station Access subscription does not include the software for the games themselves. You must purchase the software at retail or via a digital download and register a valid account key for each game/expansion you wish to play. For example, if you sign an account up for Station Access service but you have only bought EverQuest and PlanetSide, that account will not be able to play EverQuest Online Adventures unless and until you purchase a copy of EverQuest Online Adventures. A Station Access subscription also does not include subscription services for non-SOE published titles, such as certain versions of EverQuest, EverQuest Online Adventures or PlanetSide published by SOE partners outside of North America, or SOE's wireless or handheld games. Nor will a Station Access subscription include services for which SOE may from time to time charge (for instance, a name change and/or server transfer service). Additionally, you must provide your own Internet access and all required hardware.

  If you cancel your Station Access subscription or it is cancelled or terminated, but you continue with your individual game subscription, you will only retain access to the standard number of characters for that game. You will only have access to your additional character slots while you are an active Station Access subscriber. You will also lose access to any Adventure Pack content you received as part of your Station Access subscription unless and until you either purchase the Adventure Pack(s) or re-subscribe to a Station Access subscription.

  If you would like more information about Station access, please visit Station Players for additional details.

• Yo ho! Welcome to Pirate of the Week! We'll be looking at some famous pirates, and some not-so-famous, real and fictional. If you have a favorite sea-dog you'd like to see featured, hail Minerva and she'll consider your idea. Savvy?

  Pirate of the Week: Sir Henry Morgan

  Henry Morgan was actually a privateer rather than a pirate, with letters of marque from the English crown. Spain, of course, would have branded him a pirate.

  He started as a privateer in the Caribbean in 1658 and worked his way up to "fame and fortune by his valor". If valor is another term for ruthlessness and unflinching brutality, then Morgan had it in spades. He burned and sacked several Spanish cities during his career by order of the English authorities, taking away large amounts of booty and committing numerous atrocities on the inhabitants.

  He was amazingly successful in his exploits, becoming a very wealthy man in later life. He was also apparently a successful military strategist and strong leader, commanding the unquestioning loyalty of his men, until he went too far with his sack of Panama in 1671 and was arrested and returned to England.

  Morgan managed to defend himself successfully in court and even ended up being knighted, as well as taking up the post of Lieutenant-Governor in Jamaica in 1675. Morgan died in 1688, one of the most brutal and successful pirates(privateers?) in history.

  Interested in reading more? Check out the links below.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Henry_Morgan

  http://www.cavazzi.com/morgan/

  http://www.data-wales.co.uk/morgan.htm

  Discuss this pirate in the forums.

• We are aware that there are some issues with various forums loading properly. The problem is being investigated and we expect to have it resolved in approximately 2 hours. We apologize for the inconvenience!

• If you are going to be in Las Vegas on January 8th and find yourself craving a Warp Core Breach and great conversation, come on down to QUARK'S BAR AND RESTAURANT at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas and hang out with the SOE Community Relations Team! The gang will be in town for CES, so head on over and meet the community folks from your favorite SOE games and perhaps share a dry iced filled drink!

  What: Community Get Together

  Where: Quark's Bar and Restaurant in the Hilton Hotel, 3000 Paradise Rd. Las Vegas, Nevada 89109

  When: 7:00 p.m. PST, January 8th

• The CSG Store is now open. Thank you for your patience.

• Seize control of the greatest vessel on the sea!

  This holiday season Pirates CSG Online players will be able to deck their opponent's halls with the mighty Zeus! SOE Denver will be gifting a special digital promotional ship, the Zeus, and its captain, King Blackheart, with each purchase of ten (10) Pirates digital game packs from the Pirates CSG Online Store between December 21,2007 and until January 7, 2008. The Zeus is a 10-masted Chinese junk ship that has been captured by King Blackheart to use in his nefarious schemes.

  Click here for all the details!

• Keep Your Characters Safe!
  

  Account theft isn't isolated only to those who choose to trade or share their station accounts. (which is ignoring the EULA!) As the internet and online gaming population grows, so does the cesspool of scammers. There are a variety of ways in which people will attempt to gain access to your account, and the list grows everyday. Fear not, there are simple tips to ensure that your account is protected. Keep in mind these worn-out (but useful!) words of wisdom:

  Sharing your account information is never a good idea.
  

  Gamers have heard the advice before, yet a lot of people still opt to share their account information with close friends. Having a guildmate complete a quest for you while you're sleeping may seem mostly harmless, but bad things can happen. While it doesn't always end in catastrophe, you could log back in with a new last name like "Lovetrollslongtime" or something slightly worse which might result in a banning. It's not always obvious, malicious attacks that cause good accounts to go bad!

  I'm sure we've all heard the fateful stories of guildbanks emptied and outfit members booted. Sadly, this is often a direct result of sharing account information. Not only do you run the risk of virtual strangers reeking havoc on all you've worked hard for, but you make it difficult for SOE's customer service staff to investigate and resolve issues.

  
  
  Be aware of phishing sites!
  

  What is a phishing site? Simply, it's usually a website created to mimic a well-known or frequently used site in an attempt to fraudulently gain sensitive account information. Gaming communities have been targeted in the past via email, spamming a link that takes the reader to a site that, upon first glance, appears to be legit. The imposter site may offer in-game items for completing surveys, or pose as a game representative, warning that your account is in limbo.

  Here at SOE we do not offer enticing ways to earn in-game money through email. We prefer the old fashioned way of logging in, killing mobs, completing quests, etc. Be extremely cautious when exposed to external sites through email, claiming to be affiliated with Sony Online. You will only be prompted to enter your password when logging into an SOE game, or when visiting an official Station site.

  
  
  SOE employees will NEVER ask for your password.
  

   Not in email. Not in-game. Not on the phone. Never! We have ample ways to access your account; the only thing we require from you is patience and a Station name. If you suspect that someone is impersonating a CSR in-game, use the /report feature and again, do not divulge your account password.

  Things you should know:
  

   Account security is the responsibility of the account owner. This includes password protection, running virus checks, disabling file sharing, or any other means of checking that the owner's account has not been stolen or compromised.

  If you find yourself a victim, not all is lost! CSR's may be able to offer a one-time only "character restoration." But first you must recover your account (details on doing this can be found here.) SOE strives to maintain an exciting and safe gaming environment. To make things more enjoyable for everyone, we offer basic advice on how to keep your account secure.

  Time Honored Tips:
  

  • Use a unique Station name.
  • Use an alpha-numeric password consisting of at least 8 characters; a mix of letters, numbers and special characters is best. Never write down your password!
  • Never use the same word for your Station name and password; change it periodically.
  • Never trust a troll in a dress.
  • Always create a secret question when prompted (this allows for quicker password recovery and confirmation when needed.)
  • Keep your registration information, including current email address, up to date in so that we can contact you regarding your account and for retrieving lost passwords. (SOE will not use your email for marketing purposes, unless you specifically opt in for newsletters and announcements.)

  Keep your credit card information safe too. Here is a handy place to get some good tips.

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• Giant Crabs! Monstrous Sharks! Voracious Whirlpools! These and more await you in Pirates at Ocean's Edge, the newest expansion for the Pirates Constructible Strategy Game Online.

  Risk it all for gold and glory!

  Click here for details.

• A guide to the extra cards that can be found in Pirates at Ocean's Edge for Pirates CSG Online.

  The release of Pirates at Ocean's Edge introduces many new strategies and types of ships, monsters and crew. Players will be able to explore the dangers at the edge of known waters with the regular cards of the set, but there is so much more to explore! Pirates at Ocean's Edge introduces several new products with exclusive ships and crew that you cannot find in the normal game packs, so here is your guide to help you find the right ships and crew for your fleets. Happy hunting!

  Pirates at Ocean's Edge Digital Game Pack:
  There are a total of 142 cards you can find in these packs that comprise the base set for Pirates at Ocean's Edge.

  Pirates at Ocean's Edge Digital Mega Pack:
  Each of these packs contains two Pirates at Ocean's Edge Digital Game Packs and one of the following special mega cards:

  • Skipping Stone
  • HMS Hermes
  • Shal-Bala
  • Angelica
  • Ghost Walker
  • Mystic

  Last Hope Digital Starter Pack:
  Each of these packs contains two Pirates at Ocean's Edge Digital Game Packs and one of the following promotional ships:

  • Last Hope

  Jape Digital Starter Pack:
  Each of these packs contains two Pirates at Ocean's Edge Digital Game Packs and one of the following promotional ships:

  • Jape

  HMS Burma Digital Starter Pack:
  Each of these packs contains two Pirates at Ocean's Edge Digital Game Packs and one of the following promotional ships:

  • HMS Burma

  USS Seattle Digital Starter Pack:
  Each of these packs contains two Pirates at Ocean's Edge Digital Game Packs and one of the following promotional ships:

  • USS Seattle

  Pirates at Oceans Edge Digital Deluxe Pack:
  Each Pirates at Ocean's Edge Digital Deluxe Pack contains four Pirates at Ocean's Edge Digital Game Packs and five random Limited Edition game pieces, including the Silver Explorers. There are 30 total game cards that can be found in these packs that include:

  Pirates:

  • Typhoon
  • Sea Crane
  • Smokepot Specialist
  • Chainshot Specialist
  • Silver Explorer

  English:

  • Devine Wind
  • Sea Tiger
  • Smokepot Specialist
  • Chainshot Specialist
  • Silver Explorer

  American:

  • Sea Wind
  • Sea Serpent
  • Smokepot Specialist
  • Chainshot Specialist
  • Silver Explorer

  Spanish:

  • Virtuous Wind
  • Sea Lion
  • Smokepot Specialist
  • Chainshot Specialist
  • Silver Explorer

  French:

  • East Wind
  • Sea Phoenix
  • Smokepot Specialist
  • Chainshot Specialist
  • Silver Explorer

  Cursed:

  • Clear Wind
  • Sea Duck
  • Smokepot Specialist
  • Chainshot Specialist
  • Silver Explorer

  Pirates at Ocean's Edge Digital Game Pack Box:
  Each digital Pirates at Ocean's Edge box contains 18 Pirates at Ocean's Edge Digital Game Packs and one of the following Limited Edition ships:

  • Dart
  • Delli Reis
  • HMS Master
  • ElCuervo
  • Le ciel Bleu
  • USS Cardinal
  • Cutlass
  • Tomb
  • Bilge
  • El Minnow
  • La Chandois
  • Gator

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• Tech and Accounts/Billing Support limited during Thanksgiving Holidays (Thursday, November 22nd and Friday, November 23rd)

  This Thursday and Friday, November 22nd and 23rd, Technical and Account/Billing staffing will be limited to email support. Please visit the support site at http://www.station.sony.com/en/support/ to submit your inquiries.

  Phone and Live Chat Support will resume on Monday, November 26th from 10am to 7pm.

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• Simplify logging into your favorite SOE games and clean those extra icons off your desktop using Station Launcher!

  Station Launcher is a simple one-click application that securely delivers all of your Station games, friends and community news right to your desktop. Manage your Station gaming library like never before; it's fast, easy and secure.

  Access all of your Station games in one convenient location using a unified interface that eliminates the need to have multiple game shortcuts and seperate logins between all your Station games. Increase your gaming library, auto update your games even while you are playing, use Station Friends to find your gaming friends fast and stay connected while they are playing any SOE game and much more!

  For more detailed information and to download the beta client, click on the Station Launcher image below.

  

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• The Pirates CSG Online team is pleased to announce that the next expansion, Pirates at Ocean's Edge™, is set to launch on November 28th, 2007. Bone-crushing crabs and prehistoric sharks plague the unknown waters of Pirates at Ocean's Edge™. Tempt fathomless whirlpools promising uncharted territory rich with gold -- or destruction to any foolish enough to enter.

  Pirates at Ocean's Edge™ will feature many new surprises for players including beautiful new island models; the introduction of hideous monsters like the titans, sea dragons, and giant sharks; new hazards for your fleets in dangerous whirlpools; and the sturdy catamaran and swift windcatcher ships! With over 100 new ships, and over 90 new crew and treasure, this is one set you can't afford to miss.

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• Ahoy mateys! The U.S.S Denver has set sail for the open sea! In celebration of her maiden voyage into the treacherous and exciting waters of Pirates Constructible Strategy GameTM Online, we are proud to offer players the U.S.S. Denver digital and physical promotional ship as a gift with purchase. Click on the sleek lines of the beauties below for more information!

   

• In-Game support is in limited operation due to wildfires in the San Diego area, but response time may be delayed. Account and Technical Support is unavailable. We will keep you updated with any changes in the situation and appreciate your understanding.
  
  For your convenience our Self-help knowledgebase is also available at www.station.sony.com/kb with answers to your questions. E-mail support is also available any time at www.station.sony.com/kb.

• Fortify Your Game
  by Chuck "Shocho" Kallenbach

  Since Pirates CSG Online released, players have asked about forts. Well, they're finally here! You'll find them a fun addition to your Standard and Guns & Gold format games.

  Forts are added to your fleet when you build it. The nationality of a fort doesn't have to match the nationality of any ships in your fleet. (This is a "House Rule" for the online game and differs slightly from the tabletop version.)

  Each fort has no build point cost but it does have a gold cost, which is 3 for each of the five forts in Crimson Coast. Even though that fort is now a part of your fleet, you can't use it until you've built it. Forts aren't placed during setup.

  Building a Fort
  To build a fort, you must have 3 or more gold (the fort's gold cost) on your home island. You must also have a ship docked at a wild island that you have explored where you want to build your fort. Each wild island may have only one fort.

  If you meet all these requirements, you can build a fort at the end of your turn as a free action. The 3 gold is taken from your home island and placed inside of the fort. Those doubloons still count toward winning the game. (Although gold in a fort doesn't count toward ending the game.)

  Treasure
  If there is any face-down treasure on the wild island where you built your fort, that treasure is moved inside the fort, and it's now yours. You can move treasure from a fort to your home island, but you always have to leave gold equal to the fort's point value behind.

  When you build the fort, you get to choose where the cannon are placed. Each fort has eight slots for cannon, two on each of its four sides. The forts in Crimson Coast come with 3 to 5 cannon. Point those guns toward the enemy, sailor!

  Gold in forts does not count toward ending the game. (One of the ways the game can end is when one player has more than half the gold on his home island.)

  Gold in forts does count toward winning the game. (For example, if all his ships are derelict and the game ends that way, you can win by having more gold on your home island and your fort.)

  Shooting
  Forts can only be given shoot actions, of course. Each cannon has a range and rank, just like a cannon aboard a ship. Lines of fire from forts aren't blocked by other ships or islands (although they are blocked by fog banks).

  Your opponent's can't explore the wild island that has your fort, so they can't get the gold you have there without destroying your fort.

  Abandoned Forts
  Each time a fort takes a hit, its owner eliminates one of its cannon. When all its cannon are eliminated, a fort is abandoned and can't be given any more shoot actions. An abandoned fort which is hit is destroyed and removed from the game. All the gold inside is placed back on the island, which becomes unexplored once again.

  Discuss this article and forts in the forums.

• Beginning at 9:00 AM PDT on Tuesday, October 16th, several SOE services will be unavailable for maintenance. Account maintenance, the Station store, Station Exchange (instant buy only) and CCG purchases will be the affected services. Game play will still be available during this maintenance period.

  We apologize for this interruption and will resume the affected services as soon as the maintenance is completed.

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  Avast Mateys! You'd best beware of the French Nation as they escalate the hunt for gold and glory in this all new Pirates expansion! The swash buckling seas of the Pirates Constructible Strategy Game™ Online (Pirates CSGO) are no longer safe from the powerful forts at the command of each nation. The Crimson Coast is rife with fear... prepare to battle as the French Nation sets its sights on domination! Pirates of the Crimson Coast features include:

  • Rise of the French Nation - Battle a whole new set of blimey, gold-loving bandits! The French Nation gets a powerful boost with many new ships and crew to enhance your existing French strategies.
  • Forts - Find another way to blow your enemies out of the water. Build a fort to protect the gold you've amassed and blast your cannons at anyone trying to steal your treasure. Arrrr!
  • Find 63 new ships and 84 new crewmen and treasures including more Schooner ships.
  • Sealed Play Tournaments! For the first time ever in Pirates CSGO, we will be allowing the very popular sealed play style of tournaments. Open your sealed packs for the first time in a tournament and use your quick wits to sink your opponent.

  So cast off and sail the treacherous Crimson Coast with us – if you dare!

  Visit the Pirates Online website for more information.

• October Event Calendar Updated!

  We have updated the October tournament schedule. Please visit the Event Calendar for up to date tournament listings.