In case you’re something like me, you in all probability spent lengthy hours of your childhood afternoons taking part in BattleTech on the kitchen desk and listening to the MechWarrior 2 soundtrack in your Discman. No? Simply me? Nicely, if you happen to do occur to be a sicko like me, you in all probability maintain tabs on Jordan Weisman, the designer who introduced us not solely BattleTech however Shadowrun, Earthdawn, and Crimson Skies. He is acquired a Kickstarter marketing campaign going till November 14th to fund a brand new PC sport known as Sea of Legends, primarily based on an also-crowdfunded tabletop sport by Zach Weisman.
Sea of Legends appears to be like to be fairly the style mashup—it is described on the Kickstarter as an “open world deck-building RPG,” but additionally boasts a romance system the place you may woo the sons or daughters of native governors to construct alliances and curry favor. Maybe we are able to win their hearts in attractive swordfights?
Gameplay is centered round tactical deck to deck battles on an isometric grid, the place you employ a deck of playing cards to take actions along with your rascally crew (y’know, deck to deck deck to deck battles). Your deck will probably be constructed from playing cards for every of your characters, every of whom have quests you may full to assemble extra playing cards and enhance your deck.
The essence of excellent pirating begins with different ships to plunder, and there are many these: commerce ships, troop ships, different pirates, and the notorious Spanish black ships stuffed with ill-gotten gold. You will spend your loot upgrading your ship, hiring new crew, or shopping for new magical objects that will help you in your quest to turn into the Pirate King or Queen.
You is likely to be questioning the place magical objects match right into a sport about pirates, however there is a little bit of a fantasy component occurring right here. Undead conquistadors who’ve drunk from the fountain of youth and a secret cult that worships the Kraken add a little bit of spice to your rum, and actually if I am taking part in a pirate sport and do not get attacked by the Kraken not less than as soon as I have a tendency to depart a little bit upset.
I am all the time a little bit leery of Kickstarters, however Weisman has a great file. He funded Shadowrun Returns on Kickstarter, a sport we thought was strong if not spectacular. He is additionally had profitable campaigns for a board sport, Golem Arcana, and their comply with up Shadowrun sport, Shadowrun: Hong Kong, about which Alexis Ong wrote a unbelievable piece in 2022 which it’s best to completely try if you have not already.
The tides of time will inform if Sea of Legends will be capable to break into the holy trinity of pirate video games (AC4, Secret of Monkey Island, and Sid Meier’s Pirates!, for these questioning. No, I can’t be taking questions). Both means I will be checking it out for certain, assuming after all that it will get funded.
