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Community Spotlight: Sadet
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| Here's Sadet fishing. |
Nominate the next Community Spotlight member!
This month's Community Spotlight member has deserved recognition for quite awhile. Sadet is most known for his presence on the forums. Of course on a rare occasion you'll find Sadet posting in the Suggestion Box or in Off-Topic; he is however best known for his contributions to the Flags and Sails Forum.
Sadet helps in every aspect of creating a custom flag or sail. He offers his critiques and advice to both aspiring and well-known flag and sail artists. If a player is having enough trouble grasping one of the many User Content Guidelines, Sadet may step in and fix their issue himself.
Aside from the unofficial advice and help he provides on the forums, Sadet is also a member of the 2D Steering Committee—the committee is responsible for enforcing the User Content Guidelines. Recently, Sadet consented to an interview, and he gave us some insight into his experiences with User Content.
What drew you to Pirates of the Burning Sea originally?
I think it was a combination of several factors. I had become tired of playing games with a fantasy setting. Pirates of the Burning Sea offered a fresh setting and game-play that didn’t exist in the MMO gaming world.
I am also really drawn to games with a realm vs. realm aspect. It’s a blast to strive for a cause that is “bigger than yourself” and to be able to feel that you can make a difference.
I also loved the whole idea of a player-based economy, giving players the opportunity to carve out their own niche in the massive economic engine of your chosen nation.
And finally, my son was really hooked on everything to do with pirates and I thought he might get a kick out of it too!
What is your favorite aspect of Pirates of the Burning Sea now?
Obviously, I’m completely hooked on the User Content aspect of the game, but as far as game-play, Ship-to-Ship combat continues to be the sparkling gem in the Pirates of the Burning Sea crown. It’s so well done. It’s easy to get in to yet subtly complex and difficult to master; and in the open sea, you’d better know what you’re doing or you can sail into trouble fast! Plus, the gorgeous ships and ocean effects are visually stunning!
What do you think is the biggest challenge that players face in Pirates of the Burning Sea?
For the most part, Pirates of the Burning Sea does not force players into PvP, but it is definitely the most challenging aspect of the game. It will really push your skills to their limit and beyond!
For me personally, however, the biggest challenge in any MMO is always to make it to the level max. I tend to take my time and dabble in every aspect of a game. I guess I just like to take the scenic route, so I’m typically the last to ever get to the level max (if at all), but the scenic route works for me.
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| Here's Sadet hiking. |
What is your favorite nation-career combination?
I typically enjoy playing the role of the good guys if given a choice, and I quickly settled on playing a Naval Officer. Also, being of an American of Scottish decent, I relate most to the British nation. So, I chose a British Naval Officer, go figure...
In your opinion, what makes a good Pirates of the Burning Sea community member?
I find that helping others in the community is very rewarding. Remember to respect others, and be as courteous as possible at all times.
What drew you to User Content and how did you become involved in the 2D Steering Committee?
Creating my own personal flags and sails scratched an itch that I never knew I had. The creativity really stimulated a part of my brain that had gone unused for far too long. Plus, I felt I was learning a valuable skill.
I also found researching the history and heraldry behind the flags and the era quite interesting. What a novel concept : play a computer game and actually learn something from it!
As I became more interested and involved in User Content, I found that helping others scratched another itch that I didn’t know I had. It turned out to be the most rewarding part of it all. So after I had proven my flag and sail making ‘chops’ and had been around the forum helping others for several months, I was asked to join the 2D Steering Committee. Now I’m still pretty much doing the same thing that I was before but with a few additional privileges.
What are the most common difficulties players have when submitting user content for the first time?
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| Here's Sadet lounging. |
It would be nice if you could have any design you wished for your own flag or sail, but obviously, that isn't possible for a number of reasons. I think this fact frustrates more people than anything else.
Flags and sails for Pirates of the Burning Sea need to meet certain criteria in order to be accepted. These criteria are referred to as the User Content Guidelines. Trust me, for anyone that wants to avoid that frustration, do a little bit of homework and read the Guidelines before jumping in.
Also, I can’t encourage people enough to post your designs in the forums before you submit them so that you can get helpful guidance on what might need to be changed in order to get that flag or sail on your ship that you’ve always dreamed of!
Any other advice you can give someone who wants to become more involved in user content?
Again, get on the Flags & Sails forums. The 2D Steering Committee is there to help! Even if you can’t make your own design, you can often find others willing to make it for you. But there are a lot of resources and tutorials available to help you make your own, including links to excellent FREE graphic editing programs. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and soon enough you’ll be the one answering the questions.
Allowing players to create their own user content sets Pirates of the Burning Sea apart from the vast majority of other MMO’s, not to mention, it can be very rewarding! And, it’s a lot easier than you might think, so what are you waiting for?!!
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