Kartuga First Look – PvP for People Who Hate PvP
By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist
Since I got my first look at Kartuga during a press event at Gamescom 2012 I have been excitedly watching the news for every detail InnoGames has released. When I saw Kartuga on the assignment sheet I jumped at it. Now I’m so glad I did. It has changed so much since the last time I looked at it. It has more complexity, more maps, and more fun.
It starts out rather simply, pick a ship and set sail. Your guide through the tutorial is a cheerful man with a bit of eyesight trouble. But that doesn’t mean he can’t teach you well. There you learn what every pirate needs to know, how to move and how to shoot. Once you escape arrest you set sail for the live world. There you come face to face with three options, do quests, pvp, or sail the open world.
The pve quests are by no means the focus of the game. There are just a few quests which serve as a nice distraction between pvp matches. Many of the ones I did included “find this” or “kill 10 ships.” These are of course the staple of the MMO genre. The only thing missing was an escort quest.
PvP is the real meat of the game. It’s where you earn most of your XP, where you interact with fellow players, and where the chaos lives. There are two modes, Domination and Destruction.
In Destruction mode the focus is all on the bomb. Get that bomb to your enemy’s target and set it off. Of course if you wander away while your bomb is still getting ready to blow the other team can stop it. But of course for that to happen you have to get there first, if they let you.
Domination mode is all about exactly that, domination. Your team needs to take control of as many control points as possible. For each one your team gets points, the first team to 2,500 points is the winner.
Customization of ships comes from a skill tree, a crew, weapons, ammo and consumables. Everything you can imagine can be changed, from speed to how wide you can shoot. Your crew gives bonuses depending on who you decide to have on board. And the ammunition for your cannons can vary depending on how much you’re willing to spend.
Consumables can be picked up after you sink a ship or you will be able to purchase them in the in-game store if you choose. To that, yes, there is an in game store. No, it isn’t pay to win.
You’ll also be able to team up with friends by forming guilds. Already on the forums there has been discussion of a war between guilds. But if you want to get even more focused then maybe you’d be interested in the ability to form premade teams. This way you can always play with your friends, learn each other’s talents and become the most fearsome team that sails the seas.
Looking back Kartuga is an amazing game for the casual and hardcore. There isn’t any pressure to do anything but have fun. And best of all you can play it just about anywhere as its browser based. Customization, community, and cannons are what its all about. So grab your pirate hat, get a parrot and set sail for awesome.
