Got addicted to Pirates: Rule the Carribean!

The game Pirates was introduced to me by my cousin's fiance, Ian. I really did not have an account in facebook before that. It was only when I got interested with how Pirates is played that I also signed-up in facebook. At first, I was just listening to Ian while he was explaining to my sister how the game is played. The mechanics of the game is confusing when it was explained to me first time. But when it was my turn, I enjoyed it and I got hooked to it just like now.

For beginners of this game, the first few steps are shown at the first page that you would see when the application is loaded. You just have to follow them first. I think there are four steps.

Once you've accomplished all the steps, you just have to repeat them all. Since the directions are not that specific or each step doesn't explain what's the purpose of doing so, the link for help will do. Plus, there's also a link to a forum for it in the help page.

These are the basic aspects of the game posted in the help page. I've added some points to somehow help. Well, these points are just based on my experiences.

The words in blue are the selections in the game. Under each of them are the explanation in italics plus my add-ins.

Plunder
Ahoy! This is the first place to go when ye start the game. Come here to earn gold and gain infamy points by completing plundering jobs. Gold helps ye get properties that bring recurring income on Pirate island and allows ye to purchase items in the Armory. Infamy points allow ye to move up to higher levels.
Some jobs have certain requirements before ye can do them: weapons or transport for ye fleet, a certain number of mateys, certain amount of infamy points, etc. New jobs become available as ye progress through the game.

Well, it's pirate language. How cool is that! It's the one used in the game so get used to it. Infamy points is called Experience points in the game. In choosing among the plunder items, the following must meet the requirement of the item..

1. the energy stats
2. the amount and kind of armory requirement
3. the needed number of crew members (see "Yer Crew" below)

These are the reasons why choose the certain item

1. your need for an amount of Gold is in that range
2. the experience points / Exp (Earning the required experience points will move you up to the next higher levels)

Here's a tip: Some have captions in green stating "Rumored to Drop Loot." If you have all the requirements, you should choose this above others because you can get special weapons here which are not found in the Armory.

Bounties
Arrrr! Those sons of biscuit eaters! This is where ye can put another player on the "Bounty List" and pay a bounty (a certain amount of gold) to whoever attacks the target first. For example, ye might put someone on the Bounty List after they've attacked ye.
If ye want to make some easy gold, attack the pirates on this list. But move quickly -- first come, first serve!

I haven't done this yet but planning to do it as I progress with the game. If your planning to put someone in the "Bounty List," just be sure you had a reason for doing so. If you did it for no reason at all, you might get attacked by the crews of the person you added to the list. Also, I haven't tried attacking somebody in the list because most of them are already strong players of the game.

Pirate Island
Make yer gold work for ye, even when yer away from the Pirates app. Earn daily recurring income - build territories and operations to maximize yer money-making power.

This area is pretty exciting because you get to decide how much you'll gonna earn for an hour. You can choose from the variety of lots and operations which offer different amount of income per hour. The operations are of course available only when you have purchased its corresponding lot.

Just a tip: If you earned golds in fighting and you still are going to stay longer on line then purchase items first in the armory because you'll be needing them when you fight your opponents. Purchase an island when you are leaving. That is, if you still have remaining golds yet.

Sometimes there are lots available for purchase which offer bigger income. You can gun for them. However, it has a number of crew minimum requirement so you must get as many crew members as you can!

Treasure Chest
Bury yer gold here so it won't get stolen in fights. But it'll cost ye - a certain percentage always gets lost in the sand.

The treasure chest serves as the bank where you keep everything you've earned. However, the difference is that when you deposit your gold or the term in the game "bury," you get to pay a certain amount. The amount deducted from your the gold you're going to bury is 10%. On the other hand when you want to use the gold again, you can unbury it without paying any fee.

Tip: When you log in to the game application and saw the golds you've gained from your last visit, purchase everything you need then immediately bury it because when somebody attacks you, you might get lost along with a bigger amount of gold.

Also, don't leave any gold unburied when you leave the game!

DAVEY JONES
If ye want some bonus extras, ye can help Davey Jones by completing offers in the Davey Jones section. He will reward ye with bonus points that will help ye move up the pirate ranks.

Well, it's nothing but a character created by the developer of the game. Here, you can do stuff indicated in the page. This is where the creators of the game earn real money through players who are so hooked to the game that they also purchase something through their credit cards. As for me, I'm gonna earn them the hard way. And in the first place, I still haven't got myself a card plus if I do have it, I won't pay that much for a past time.

FIGHT!
Show those scurvy dogs ye can throw down! Battle other pirates on Pirate island for gold and infamy points. Make sure ye have enough health and strength points. Ye want more infamy points to move up in level.

In this selection, you'll find the names of other pirates gamers who are of the same level as you are. Your main goal in fighting is to win more gold and experience points. To fight someone, just click on the attack button or better yet click on the opponent's name first to check his/her stats before attacking.

According to the forums, the highest gold that one can earn from a single attack is 70000 and the highest amount that can be lost is up to 100000 per attack. Also, the number of crews you have determines your success rate. The more crew you have, the stronger your fleet becomes and the higher the success rate you can achieve.

Tip: In choosing someone to attack, choose someone whose crew is the same number as you have or less than that. Before attacking him/her, check his/her stats and weigh in the strength of your opponent by looking at the items that he/she has in her stats. Because sometimes those with more crews have weaker stats and attacking them can make you win!

If you win in the first attack and you still have strength, keep on attacking the same opponent because in doing so, you might loot more items or even keelhaul your opponent.

Armory
Buy and sell weapons and transport to equip yer mateys and make sure yer fleet is strong in fights. This is also where ye buy different items required for certain plundering jobs.

The description says it all. This is where weapons and movement items are bought. Make sure you have each one of them and decide on which items to have more because each item corresponds to a certain number of Defense points and/or Attack points. Also, some items requires an upkeep which means there's a corresponding deduction in your income every 54 minutes once that particular item is bought.

Yer Crew
Yo ho ho! The more mateys ye have, the stronger yer fleet. Having more mateys helps in fights and is required for certain plundering jobs. Ye can recruit them here.

The key of winning the game is to have more crew. Invite someone to add you as crew. In some selections like Plunder and Pirate Island, a there's a minimum requirement of crew to purchase a certain item. Also, your crew plays a big part in your game because there are fights that affect your crew. For instance, winning in your fight also gives a certain amount of gold or experience points to your crew. You can also cause damage to them when you lost the fight.

Me Skills
When ye gain enough infamy points to increase in level, ye are awarded skill points that ye can use to improve yer pirate's skills, maximum bravery points, maximum health points, and maximum strength points.

When you move up to the next level you earn 5 skills which you can choose where to invest them to. Be it in your defense skill, attack skill, maximum energy, maximum, health, or in maximum strength. You just have to strategize on where to allocate them.

Here is the time it takes for each item to increase by a point.

Health 3:00mins, Energy 5:00mins, Strength 5:00mins

*****
I hope this helps. Just let me know if there's anything you might wanna ask. I may not answer them all as I'm just a newbie too here especially if the question is something deep about the game but I could try it. Anyway, there's no harm in trying. Just keep your questions coming.

I must say this game has done something good to me while I'm in a long vacation. I have something new to do while surfing the net. Plus, it has something that keeps me coming back. I don't know how long I'm gonna be hooked in to this game but right now I'm just so into it!

I'm also gonna try other applications in the facebook. Well, mostly by Zynga, I guess..

Finally, away from home..

Finally, after a very long time I'm beginning to make blogging a habit again. It's not that I have more things to say now but definitely it's for the reason that I have less things to do now. And when I'm bored, I'm feeling the urge to write just anything. It's better than be caught idle anyway.

This day, I've planned to go somewhere else other than staying here at home. I've been stuck here in the house for quite a long time now. Also, I was tasked by my sister to buy gift for my little cousin. Since I've been missing the Manila area, I was thinking of Divisoria!

LRT - Katipunan Station
This is my first stop from our house after a jeepney ride. Since second year college until during the review days I was patronizing the LRT services when I go to the part of Manila. Now, I still prefer this route of course because it's the fastest way to go there plus the comfort of riding in an air-conditioned vehicle at a considerable price.

I noticed one thing inside the train, there were no Christmas songs playing in the background! Too bad, it was boring!

LRT - Recto Station
It's the terminal station. I only alight in this station when I go to places farther than school. Nothing's changed. It's still the same.

Hidalgo
Pirated CD, DVD, HD DVD, Blu Ray galore! This is where I usually double-up my own security. Here are my reasons why I think a precautionary measure is a must in this place.

First. You must protect yourself from snatchers who might take the chance of doing their craft while searching for your stuff. It's better to be proactive than be sorry later. You might feel a little nervous. Well, it's a good thing! At least you're aware of the worst scenario and will try to avoid that to happen. Just don't over react. Instead of keeping away from them you might easily call their attention.

Secondly, I have never been good in avoiding these annoying people whom I call "X Pushers." As long as you're in their zone, you'll never escape their marketing strategy of promoting their products right infront of your face. So weak people, beware! You might just give in to temptation.

And finally, the VRB "Hakot Group." Wag ka na magmalinis.. you know where you put yourself into when you dropped by that place. Anyway, they seldom do their job. Just check up your luck before you go there. And don't stay too long in searching for your stuff especially in confined areas. You don't wanna own a moment of ill fame or be locked-up in there 'til the "Hakot Group" has gone. Take it from me. I did not have that chance of fame though, well.. luckily, but I was one of the people who got locked up. Traumatizing? Yes, but I've learned my lesson anyway.

Why I keep coming back to this place?.. Pretty simple.. just because.

Quiapo Church
Before I left Quiapo, I passed by the church. I rarely visit that place when I go to Hidalgo. That time, I don't know why but I just did. I was just standing at the back and said my prayers.

Divisoria
I've been to this place way back before. From the LRT Recto station, it's just a jeepney ride to the Tutuban mall. I had a thought that I could just walk my way there because it's only like several blocks away from the Avenida Ave. I was just too tired that time plus it was beginning to get dark and I don't mind spending eight pesos to get there comfortably. After all, when I reach the place I knew that it's gonna be like endless walking.

While I was in the jeep, I noticed this one situation between the driver and several vendors. When the vehicles were on a complete halt because of the traffic, these vendors took the chance to sell cigarettes or candies. The driver on the other hand had to buy at least one or to give at least a peso. It had to be that way to all who would approach because a threat comes along with the trade. I did not witness how the threat was delivered but based from I what I heard from the story of the driver as he was ranting when several vendors had already approached, these vendors threatened him before and it went.."Magbibigay ka ba o papatayin kita!" Poor jeepney drivers.. but it is the sad reality of the situation. At some point, life is just so unfair!

A few minutes after boarding from the jeepney, I finally arrived at Divisoria. It was actually a block more away from the Tutuban mall but I decided to just alight from the jeep because the traffic was very heavy and I was more eager to walk than to wait and watch how those hungry leeches suck out blood from their poor host.

There were so many people scrambling everywhere as it is the Christmas season. All coming from different walks of life. I even witnessed the demolition of the stalls and push carts of the illegal vendors around the place. My attention was caught by this running woman who cried, "Ba't niyo ba kami pinahihirapan nang ganito? Bakit di niyo kami hayaang lumamon katulad ng nilalamon niyo!" Then I saw the cart loaded with sinangag na mani that she was pushing hurriedly away from the authorities to save her only way to earn for a living.

A thought came to me.. "Why not let these people have the chance to sell their products and earn something more on Christmas season. After all, Christmas is about merrymaking. And having something more than what one can have on an ordinary day makes the occasion festive!"

That was just a thought anyway. There's nothing I can do about it.

It was a long and tiring search for what I need. I went to the Tutuban mall first to look for a gift but all that I immediately saw there were a sea of apparels and fashion accessories. I walked past those stalls whose items are clothes only. Well, those were not my need anyway. I had crossed the other side of the mall but still had not found what I was looking for.

I went to the main mall then I saw boutiques and shops that are also found in regular malls unlike in the other part where the stalls are like tiangges only. This is where I found the gift. I did not easily settle for the first possible gift that I saw. Instead, I still roamed outside to look for something better.

Just across the Tutuban mall, I saw a shop where the products sold are all toys for the kids. I didn't think twice as I was too tired and wanting to go home that time. I searched in every corner of the shop then finally, I found something perfect for my cousin!

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In Hidalgo, I bought the 8in1 Blu Ray Disc. It contains the Batman movie series and Iron Man. I failed to watch in cinema both the two biggest comic book adaptation of the year -- The Dark Night and Iron Man.

Also, I bought the Dream Match in DVD. I saw several of these in the stalls so I was tempted to buy it also. Collectible? Yeah, maybe. It's worth increases as years progress because it is part of history now. Well.. I think.

I bought a transformable robot and car. It's not that pricey. It costs 170.50 pesos but I got it for only 160 pesos.

The Dream Match finally realized..

Once again, people's champ Manny Pacquiao has proven his superiority inside the ring!

After several months since it was in the news that there will be match between The Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and Pound for pound King of the Ring Manny Pacquiao, finally it concluded yesterday, December 7, 2008 (Philippine setting). This match between two of the most talked about and globally-known sports icons in the recent generation of world boxing is the most anticipated match of the year. According to the news before and what I've researched now, the match is a non-title fight at 147 pound welterweight limit.

Having owned World Titles in 6 different weight divisions and a professional record of 39 wins and 5 losses, De La Hoya had been favored by analysts to win the match. On the other hand, Pacquiao who had just recently won the title in the lightweight division last June of this year against David Diaz and with a professional record of 47 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws was the underdog of the game.

I have never been a fan of boxing since before Manny Pacquiao came into the scene of world boxing. Maybe due to the same happiness that I feel as the other Filipinos everytime a Filipino boxer most especially Pacquiao wins in a match I started to watch a complete match of boxing. If not for Manny winning every match and now branded as the "Mexicutioner," I would have not watched a boxing match from start to end. I also have somehow known the boxing icons who are mostly Pacquiao's contender -- Barrera, Morales and Marquez to name a few and facts about the game like the governing bodies and the weight classifications when I started to be curious about boxing.

Yesterday, I've watched the dream match in the television at TV channel 7 and the night before I had also accidentally tuned the TV to the documentary regarding the dream match shown in GMA-7 so I was able to know facts about the match and how important it is in the boxing history. I was really expecting much about the match because like I've said what are about to bout in the ring are two well-known boxers. Since I'm not that of an avid fan of boxing, I was just waiting for the main event. I wasn't expecting though that when the TV was tuned to Channel 2 I would see in the news flash about the result of the match and I was at first eye-stuck to the teletext waiting for the result of the match. Then, my heart leaped with joy when I found out that Pacquiao won! But I was curious about the match because Pacquiao managed to win on the 8th round and all the while I was expecting that the match would reach the 12th round.

When the main event started to be televised in GMA, I noticed that it wasn't that exciting match after all because it was like a one sided game. It was like even if one doesn't know the point system of boxing, one would know who's winning. It's not that I am ranting about the victory of Pacquiao but I guess the match just did not go with my expectation.

In every round, Pacquiao was doing what he was trained to, like the strategy that he used which I guess they call the "1,2, Punch" and it was even showed in the replay of the highlight of the round how he had successfully done it. He had also thrown his jabs at top speed like what he's been doing before or even did better this time.

While on the other side of the ring, De La Hoya I guess had a hard time doing what he did best in his previous bouts maybe because of not expecting how good Manny is or maybe lack of preparation because what I noticed was he seldom throw jabs to counteract his opponent's attacks. Maybe Pacquiao was just too quick and has great reflexes that was why De La Hoya's offense did not go successfully but I must say it's clear in the last remaining rounds that he had a hard time because he wasn't throwing jabs anymore.

The sports analysts were proven wrong when they said that De La Hoya's advantage of having longer reach of up to 6 inches would be very dangerous for Pacquiao because Pacquiao showed that his speed and enough preparation including the well-analyzed strategies could defeat even the most famous boxer of this generation, Oscar De La Hoya. On the start of the 9th round, De La Hoya gave up the fight and did congratulate Pacquiao for a job well done. It was a win for Pacquiao on the 8th round by TKO! Though the dream match was a little less short of my expectation I'm still glad that Pacquiao won because I would be very much disappointed and would rather not write this blog if he happened to get lost.

And now, many are saying Oscar De La Hoya is the past. It’s Pacquiao’s time now. Mabuhay ang Pilipino!