10 Reasons Why I Love Pirate101

G'Mornin' Mateys!

As you can maybe tell from the direction that the blog has taken, Pirate101 is now my favorite game.  And while I still play Wizard101 from time to time.....well, yeah. Pirate101 has taken the top spot on my list.  There are several reasons for this, but here are a few of them.

1. I love that we have a set group of powers that we start every battle with.  I know some people don't like this, because they have certain powers that they never use, and I understand that.  But in my opinion, it opens the door for you to try new strategies while you're playing.  For example, I almost never summoned minions on my Witchdoctor.  I have also never used minions in Wizard101.  I really don't know why, but I haven't.  However, when I was questing through Marleybone with my Witchdoctor, I was having a little bit of a hard time, so I decided to try summoning some of them.  And it really helped. If I was able to choose which powers I had available, like in Wizard101, I never would have put the minions in, and never would have tried them.  And I would have missed out on a great strategy of play that I now love.  Plus, you don't have to worry about going into a battle with the wrong deck equipped!
2. Pirate101 is a great game for soloing. Actually, I never thought I would say this, but I prefer questing solo on Pirate101.  On Wizard101, if I am questing solo, it doesn't really hold my attention. I get bored.  The opposite seems to be true on Pirate101.  This is a good thing, because I usually have a hard time finding people to help me with quests.  I don't know why solo questing is so enjoyable for me on Pirate101. I still like chatting with people and meeting new friends, and I love helping my friends with their quests. But I really do like being able to solo most of the game myself.
3. I love that we have our own crew of companions.  This is probably a huge reason why I like soloing.  Companions add a whole new dimension to Pirate101.  Since companions of different classes join each battle, it makes you have to use strategies you may not have thought of before.  I also like that we can customize their talents to a point, unlike the randomness of the Wizard101 pets.  And the companions don't just join battles. They actually have voices and add to the story.....And you gotta love their humor!
4. Pets level up at the same rate as your pirate!  This means no pet training! To me, this is a huge
   
   plus.  I am not a fan of training pets.  It's nice to get a pet, know what its stats and powers are and see them increase as your pirate levels.  No more spending lots of time training, just to find out your pet doesn't have the talent you want.  Having said this, I do hope they do add some type of pet hatching in the future though!
5. Blowing up other ships is a blast! Okay, I know it can also be hard to do sometimes, but I love this aspect of the game!  I find it breaks up the monotony of "defeat 6 enemies, now collect this, now fight this boss" that you get in Wizard101 a lot of the time.  Sure, you're still defeating and collecting during ship battles, but it's a different type of battle.  And there is a whole strategy to go with ship battles, from having the right equipment to knowing when to use certain powers and timing everything right.  It's a lot of fun, especially when you get huge groups together to sink a bunch of ships!
6. Pirate101 has a lot of opportunity to strategize.  I actually mentioned this a lot above, so I figured it deserves a spot by itself.  Pirate101 seems to have more strategy to it than Wizard101.  From which weapons benefit from which stats, to how to choose your companions' talents, to where to place your crew on the battle board......so many choices to make.  And I really love that aspect.  I find that Wizard101 leaves a lot to chance and luck. Pirate101 gives you more options that effect the outcome.
7. Pirate101 has so much detail!  You can tell that the design team and writers really worked hard on this game.  When you walk around there are so many small details that make the game enjoyable to play. And the amount of pop culture and puns is incredible!
8. Everyone in a battle gets the same drops.  At least, that is what I have noticed so far.  And in my opinion, this is a huge plus! Especially if you are farming with a group for something you really want.  In Wizard101, everyone gets different items after a battle, which can be annoying when you're only helping someone try to get the item they want and you end up with it.  In Pirate101, everyone in the battle gets the same loot from the chests, whether it's gold, gear or pets! This makes farming more enjoyable, at least it does for me! :)
9. The Pirate101 community is awesome!  Now I know that many people who play Pirate101 also play Wizard101, but I have noticed that there seems to be less of the trolling and not-so-family friendly things in Pirate101 that you get in the Wizard101 commons.  It allows me to feel comfortable letting my kids play with chat turned on, which is part of what makes playing the game fun!  Having said that, I have made amazing friends in both communities, and it is one of the biggest reasons I continue to have this blog and play the games. :)
10. Planning events for the community is a lot of fun!!  There are so many different types of events you can have in Pirate101. And most of them include everyone in the activity instead of most of the
    
    people standing around watching a small group PvP.  I especially love the NXP events. They are so much fun! Be sure to keep an eye on the blog because there is sure to be LOTS and LOTS of events in the future!

Okay, so this list was originally supposed to be my top 5 favorite things about Pirate101.  Well, as you can see, I didn't just stop at 5.  And I have a lot more I could write, but since this post is already quite long, I will stop here.  I really do enjoy playing Pirate101 a lot and I can't wait to see what happens in future expansions! Feel free to comment and let me know why you do (or don't) love Pirate101! Thanks for reading and see you around the spiral!