PC Gamer article about New Horizons

[The Nameless Pirate]

An article about New Horizons, written by Robert Zak, can now be read on PC Gamer.
It includes his adventure within the game, as well as the views of a few of the mod's developers.

This 17-year mod project makes the Pirates of the Caribbean tie-in game one of the best pirate sims around | PC Gamer

I must thank Robert Zak for the opportunity he gave us, it was a pleasure to help a bit in this article.
PotC may not be a well known game, but there is still is interest in it and New Horizons.
Something that warms my heart as someone who grew up with the game.

I wish Robert Zak luck with his future articles, and thanks once more for covering this mod!

 

[Dat Scharger]

And yet people still celebrate Black Fail and Sea of Thieves like they are the best pirate-games evaaaaar. :/

 

[JollyRogue]

Cool. I'm going to try out the mod some time.

 

[BathtubPirate]

Great article. Obviously he couldn't play the whole game but I still miss a bit of recognition as far as the different storylines go (and I still think Woodes Rogers is mindblowing and the most unique aspect of the entire mod). But perhaps that's just me, I'm more interested in quests and campaigns than sea battles and realism, whereas the author quickly says that for him the game/mod is mostly on sea.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

And yet people still celebrate Black Fail and Sea of Thieves like they are the best pirate-games evaaaaar. :/

Referring to AC IV: Black Flag?
I finally played that and enjoyed it quite a bit.
It does a lot of things right.
But at the same time... it does a lot of things wrong too.

Would be a dream to mix PotC:NH with what Black Flag brings to the table.
There's so much untapped potential there!

Really, all they had to do is drop the AC story link completely (that really didn't add anything sensible).
And add some Sid Meier's Pirates! style living world systems instead.
Now THAT would've been a game for the ages!

Great article. Obviously he couldn't play the whole game but I still miss a bit of recognition as far as the different storylines go (and I still think Woodes Rogers is mindblowing and the most unique aspect of the entire mod). But perhaps that's just me, I'm more interested in quests and campaigns than sea battles and realism, whereas the author quickly says that for him the game/mod is mostly on sea.

True; it's still a fairly limited view.
And the huge variety in storylines is definitely one of the things I'm most proud of having in the mod!

I'm sure @Jack Rackham will appreciate your kind words about Woodes Rogers.
Well-deserved too! Unique is most certainly is. And really well-done!!

 

[BathtubPirate]

Referring to AC IV: Black Flag?
True; it's still a fairly limited view.
And the huge variety in storylines is definitely one of the things I'm most proud of having in the mod!

I'm sure @Jack Rackham will appreciate your kind words about Woodes Rogers.
Well-deserved too! Unique is most certainly is. And really well-done!!

And if you go to YouTube, Let's Plays or Playthroughs or whatever are mostly limited to Nathanial Hawk and Jack Sparrow.

But perhaps it's just me, I don't really care for a zillion islands, historical or geographical accuracy, ships, realism, complicated details etc. I care for creative content, stories, characters, quests...

I'm sure JRH knows that. I'm currently playing Woodes Rogers for a second time (next to Ardent, which demands so much free play and leveling up to get be able to crack the next chapter, it's good to have WR as an alternative). Luckily it's still very good, but I'm afraid the replay value will shrink - by the third or fourth time at the latest it just won't be the same because I'll remember too much of the puzzles! But for the second time, it's still tricky enough (and I'm afraid the more streamlined Gold-Bug will lose replay value sooner). It's definitely hilarious. Best moment: drunk Charles Windem lying in bed, singing "I was a pirate once!"

 

[Pieter Boelen]

And if you go to YouTube, Let's Plays or Playthroughs or whatever are mostly limited to Nathanial Hawk and Jack Sparrow.

True.
And Nathaniel Hawk's one really isn't the most engaging, I reckon...

But perhaps it's just me, I don't really care for a zillion islands, historical or geographical accuracy, ships, realism, complicated details etc. I care for creative content, stories, characters, quests...

Nice to have both, I reckon.

But forced to choose, indeed I'd rather have interesting characters and stories too.
That's really the core of truly connecting with a world.

Played Assassin's Creed: Origins earlier this year and liked it quite a bit.
The sidequests were pretty decent and the characters there did have some personality and life to them.
But I was sorry to then never see them again; after their one appearance.

The Witcher 3 is doing much better there.
Makes the game world feel much more lived in.

I'm afraid the replay value will shrink - by the third or fourth time at the latest it just won't be the same because I'll remember too much of the puzzles! But for the second time, it's still tricky enough (and I'm afraid the more streamlined Gold-Bug will lose replay value sooner).

Hopefully @Jack Rackham's Woodes Rogers extension will be finished by the time you get to your fourth replay!

It's definitely hilarious. Best moment: drunk Charles Windem lying in bed, singing "I was a pirate once!"

 

[Jack Rackham]

Hopefully @Jack Rackham's Woodes Rogers extension will be finished by the time you get to your fourth replay!

I'm on the very last puzzle/scene now.

 

[BathtubPirate]

True.
And Nathaniel Hawk's one really isn't the most engaging, I reckon...

I can't compare it to the others, it's just almost a different game for me. And I haven't played it with the mod but I assume not very much has been changed.

Actually in its original form it might even be the most engaging for me, due to the connection with the original game. And there are lots of interesting stuff even if a lot is, let's say left to the players imagination (Rheims, Danielle, Silehard, Hawk, the "treasure", the whole backstory of all them, that's a pretty interesting storyline scratched right there, but it's not as much delved into as it could be).

Is Woodes Rogers going to bea separate sequel or an extention of the existing campaign?

Spoiler

Also Woodes Rogers is dead, is it really the title?

 

[Jack Rackham]

WoodesRogers part2 is a direct extension.

 

[Bartolomeu o Portugues]

Would be a dream to mix PotC:NH with what Black Flag brings to the table.
There's so much untapped potential there!

Indeed
I played recently Black Flag. Sailing a ship is the worst part for me in this game. So, unrealistic
And yes, it would be a dream to have the world/map and graphics of Black Flag in PotC:NH
Climbing the Havana Fort was so fun for instance

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I can't compare it to the others, it's just almost a different game for me. And I haven't played it with the mod but I assume not very much has been changed.

Indeed New Horizons doesn't change a lot to the original storyline.
Just a bit of polishing here and there.

Actually in its original form it might even be the most engaging for me, due to the connection with the original game. And there are lots of interesting stuff even if a lot is, let's say left to the players imagination (Rheims, Danielle, Silehard, Hawk, the "treasure", the whole backstory of all them, that's a pretty interesting storyline scratched right there, but it's not as much delved into as it could be).

Storywise, it's not so bad actually.
But it barely ties into any interesting gameplay.
It's mainly "talk to person", "land fight", "sea fight" and that's it.
Fairly basic stuff.

I like how @Bartolomeu o Portugues and @Jack Rackham have been far more creative with their storyline designs.
And certainly Hornblower also does some alternate things with the same game engine.

Actually, it's mainly the Jack Sparrow storyline that is closest in style to the Nathaniel Hawk one.
And even that one I find more interesting because it's got various vastly different paths.

I played recently Black Flag. Sailing a ship is the worst part for me in this game. So, unrealistic

I had to disable my "realism-o-meter" to be able to just enjoy it for what it is.
I can recognize that it IS fun. But it's really turned up to TWELVE.
I would've settled for just "turned up to 10".

One of the things I like about sailing is that it is somewhat calm and slow.
Black Flag made it more action-packed than your average racing game!

(Actually... Why doesn't Black Flag have any ship racing in it?
Also... Why doesn't PotC have any racing in it? )

 

[BathtubPirate]

Indeed New Horizons doesn't change a lot to the original storyline.
I like how @Bartolomeu o Portugues and @Jack Rackham have been far more creative with their storyline designs.
And certainly Hornblower also does some alternate things with the same game engine.

Actually, it's mainly the Jack Sparrow storyline that is closest in style to the Nathaniel Hawk one.

When I'm done with all 7 I'm probably gonna do a ranking, reviewing and comparing thread somewhere here. It seems like nobody really talks about the story campaigns other than technical issues etc.

I still have to finish Ardent (I think I'm getting near the end), Hoist the Colours (played a lot of it last year but because I never finished it I'm gonna start over to do it in one bit) and Assassin.

Every story brings something to the table but until now, Woodes Rogers and Gold-Bug did the most for me when it comes to gameplay, gameworld and overall ideas, Bartolomeu and Ardent deliver lots of narrative storyline not based on a book or film.

Is there anyone who has properly played all seven? (not counting the original because it's hard to compare and Devlin Opera, because there is absolutely nothing despite the probably most promising premise).

 

[Pieter Boelen]

When I'm done with all 7 I'm probably gonna do a ranking, reviewing and comparing thread somewhere here. It seems like nobody really talks about the story campaigns other than technical issues etc.

I would absolutely LOVE to read that!

Is there anyone who has properly played all seven?

I haven't...

@Grey Roger played quite a few, I believe.

 

[BathtubPirate]

I haven't...

@Grey Roger played quite a few, I believe.

Horrible. You bad person...

Which ones have you played and which ones haven't you?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Horrible. You bad person...

Sorry.
Used to be too busy with developing and promoting and stuff.
And then real life caught up...

Which ones have you played and which ones haven't you?

Nathaniel Hawk in full.
Assassin, Bartolomeu, Jack Sparrow, Hornblower maybe... 50-75% or so?
Woodes Rogers the first couple of chapters.
The Gold-Bug up to somewhere in Charleston, if I recall.
Ardent mainly the opening.

When I tried them, they weren't as completed as they are now.
And I mostly skipped to the parts where people reported bugs so I could fix 'em; or smooth things out here and there.