Community Spotlight: Adythiel 
Welcome to October’s Community Spotlight! This month we’ve chosen one of our community superstars, Adythiel. David sat down and asked Adythiel some questions, and here’s what he had to say. Take a read, and then join me in congratulating Adythiel for all he’s done for the Pirates of the Burning Sea community!
Alright, so let’s start from the beginning. When did you first join the community?
April 2007
How’d you find out about it in the first place?
I’d been splitting time between WoW, DAoC, CoX over the past year and a half with various guild members and just wanted something different. I saw a news article on mmorpg.com about the new playability lab being set up at the offices in Seattle. As I only live 20 minutes south of Seattle, I decided to sign up and offer up my time to help out. After reading up on various aspects of the game, it piqued my interest enough to sign up for beta at the same time.
So were you doing playtests before you were in the beta?
Two of them in fact. My first one was in August of 2007, first time I’d ever gotten to play the game. I got to see the tutorial for the first time at PAX with my second playtest being in October when I got my Beta key. I was then invited to closed beta at the end of October.
Ah, so you got to meet the crew at PAX?
Some yes. I had met a couple people during my playtest in August but I met a few more at PAX. It wasn’t until my second playtest though that I really started learning who was who.
So, what’s kept you playing for so long?
I genuinely still enjoy the game. The theme is unique in the genre and the game at its core is fun. Plus… it never gets old when you can sail tall ships.
What’s your favorite part?
The stories. I really enjoy getting to go through various mission chains and see things progressing. I very much enjoyed Somerset and the Mayan Chain, though I wish the Mayan chain wasn’t broken. I’m excited to see how the Somerset chain continues.
I saw the other day Snap wanted some tips on AvCom from you.
Haha, yeah. I guess being able to take on a level 60 ship at level 35 in boarding combat doesn’t happen very often. There is actually a pretty interesting story behind the AvCom system and myself.
Do tell!
Well… the first two playtest sessions I went in for were both AvCom as it was brand new to the game and you guys were looking for directed feedback on how the system was working. On my first trip in, I had never played the game before. Ever. I was able to complete all 3 missions without dying once. fraxl became quite interested in how quickly I was able to pick up and succeed at AvCom having never played it before. That’s why I was invited back the second time in October. Since that first test, I’ve been invited back quite a few times to test new content. I also heard rumors about the difficulty slider being implemented because of me but I don’t think that was ever confirmed.
You were here for all six Fortaleza playtests?
And Bey’s Retreat, yes.
What drives you to help out so much?
The same reason I am still playing. I genuinely like the game. I doubt I’ll ever work for a game development company, I think doing it would ruin my enjoyment of games. But as an external tester, I still get to provide what I hope is helpful, pointed feedback that helps improve a game I very much enjoy playing.
So. What sorts of advice can you give to a new player?
Two things come to mind. The first is don’t rush through the game. Enjoy it. Second is seek out a helpful, friendly society and ask questions. There is a lot to know about this game and a helpful society can answer a great deal of early questions. After you have a grasp on the basics, that society can then help teach you how to PvP, both ship and avatar as well as guide you in making good choices on ships, skills, outfittings, and economic setups as well as numerous other topics. Not to mention the whole social interaction aspect that makes this game even more enjoyable. Playing by yourself all the time gets lonely. Having a society gives you easier access to other players that can help you on tough missions and answer those burning questions you just can’t quite seem to find an answer to.
What’s the best way for a player to find a society?
Unfortunately, it can be tough. Probably the best and easiest way is for a new player to talk to people of their nation they see running around. Be polite about it and ask if their society is looking for any new players. Most societies I’ve seen are usually pretty friendly to newer players and will accept them. However, the most important thing is not to expect a society to hand you everything for free. A number of them are willing to help you out with ships and outfittings as long as you are respectful. When you do get something from another player, a Thank you goes a very long way.
Can we expect to see an “Adythiel:’s Guide to Avatar Combat” anytime soon?
Haha, I’ve actually started outlining one. When I write up any kind of guide, it usually takes me longer than most people. I go through multiple revisions and have multiple friends, both directly related and not to my project, proof read. This gives me the very distinct advantage of making sure the content, while not specifically relatable, is understandable to persons not directly linked to that project. That allows my writing to be open to a much wider audience.
