What is “Community Content?”
Community Content is our collective name for Flags & Sails that you, artist and sea captain alike, provide for the Burning Sea!
What kinds of content can I create?
Currently, only textures for sails and flags are supported.
How much content can I create?
You may submit 60 items per month, and 4 items per day.
What tools should I use to create items?
For textures, Adobe’s Photoshop is the standard tool, but Paint Shop Pro is an excellent low-cost alternative. Many Flag & Sail artists also use The Gimp, available for free.
What happens to content I create?
It’s presented in the User Content section of the site, and all registered users have the opportunity to vote on it.
How does voting work?
Each item is rated on a scale from one to five. This rating is adjusted as it receives more votes. Items with higher rating receive priority in being reviewed by FLS staff. Only content that’s been reviewed and approved by staff will be allowed into the game.
What kind of content is off-limits?
We aren’t permitting anything obscene, offensive, or copyrighted in the game. Any items that violate this rule will be deleted, and repeat offenses may lead to a banning. We’re also providing specifications that items must meet; items that don’t adhere to these specifications will also be deleted.
How do I report offensive or copyrighted content?
Use the ‘report’ link. This will mark the item as having been reported; if enough reports are submitted, the item will be removed from the site temporarily while the administrators review it.
I don’t know a thing about graphics. What should I do?
Never fear—Pirates of the Burning Sea has an active, helpful community who will make you feel welcome and help guide you through the process of making Community Content. Visit the Flags and Sails Forum and post a first draft of your work. Help will soon arrive!
What size and format do I use for flag textures?
128w x 85h, 24-bit or 32-bit PNG format (non-interlaced). 32-bit PNG includes an alpha channel, which may be used for flag transparency.
What is the file size limitation on flag textures?
49k.
What are the dimensions of sail textures?
256w x 256h pixels, 32-bit PNG format (non-interlaced), alpha channels supported.
What is the file size limitation on sail textures?
257k.
What file format should I use for sail textures?
All our textures use the PNG format. When saving as PNG, select ‘non-interlaced’.
How will my sail decal be displayed?
Sail decals are overlaid atop the default, high-resolution sail texture. You’ll have options to scale your decal (make it take up less of your sail) or tile it so it repeats across the height and width of your sails. Correctly made sails, with an alpha transparency, will have the default sail texture show through the design.
What about fore-and-aft sails?
You can tile a texture across your fore-and-aft sails, shrink them to fit in only the bottom corner, or let them stretch across the whole sail. Stretched decals on most fore-and-aft sails will appear to be cut diagonally, from lower left to upper right, so that only the bottom right portion of your decal will display. You’ll be able to choose what method looks best when applying decals to your sails in-game. See the Help section for illustrations.
Can I color my sails or decals?
Yes! You may color your sail and decal independently. The color you choose is multiplied over the existing texture. See the Help section for more detail.
How do I get my items?
There are Flag & Sail Customization vendors at each faction’s starter towns—Charlesfort (France), Vera Cruz (Spain), Jenny Bay (Britain), and Marsh Harbour (Pirate). You may visit the vendor at any time to purchase your approved content for a nominal in-game fee.
Can anyone else buy my items?
Flags & Sails may be sold or traded just like any other game commodity, but only you can purchase your approved content from the Flag & Sail Customization vendor.
Hey, my submission looks black on the web page!
Your file probably includes an alpha channel, making it a 32-bit PNG. 32-bit PNG graphics do not display properly in Internet Explorer. Preview your texture with the Flag & Sail Preview Tool to ensure your alpha channel is working correctly.
What do the different statuses mean?
The normal status is ‘In Voting’, meaning the item needs more votes before it will be shown to an administrator for review. ‘Approved’ items are either part of the game content, or on their way to becoming so. If an item is ‘Rejected,’ ‘Withdrawn,’ or ‘Removed for Content Violation’, it will no longer appear in the list of available items to browse. Note that the administrators may reject or approve content at any time.
Can I make ships for the game, too?
Yes! Players are constantly making more ships to be added to Pirates of the Burning Sea. It can be a long, complicated, but very rewarding process. Look in the Ships Forum for more information.
What kinds of ships can I make?
Most historic sailing ship types built and used between 1660-1740 are eligible for inclusion in Pirates of the Burning Sea. Ships primarily powered by oar (such as galleys and galleasses), bomb ships, and fire ships are not eligible at this time. Currently, User Content Ships are limited to fewer than 50 guns.
What do I need to make a ship?
You need a 3D modeling package, such as Autotesk Maya or 3ds Max. Other tool suggestions may be found in the Shipwright Discussion Forum.
What about game balance? Who decides how fast and powerful my ship will be?
Flying Lab Software chooses the stats for your ship, and tests your ship in-game to ensure it’s appropriately balanced against other ships in its class.
Can I make a ship just for myself?
Ships submitted as User Content may be built by anyone with the required in-game resources. Your ship is a gift to all of the Burning Sea.
How can I sail my ship once it’s accepted into the game?
If your character has the appropriate level and career requirements, you’ll be able to build or buy your ship just as you would any other ship in-game. Submitting a ship does not guarantee that your characters will be able to sail it.
Where can find out more?
Visit the Shipwright Discussion Forum and have a look around!
What’s the process for getting a ship into the game?
After you’ve made a model, your ship can be sent to the Shipwright Agreement for your ship to be further processed. Flying Lab will take it from there!
Can I make the Black Pearl from “Pirates of the Caribbean”? How about the Flying Dutchman?
All User Content Ships must be free of copyright or trademark restrictions. The Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman as seen in the movies are Disney creations, and thus ineligible as User Content Ships. However, you’re welcome to research period-appropriate plans to create ships similar to these famous, fictional ships.