“As a writer one of your jobs is to bring news of the world to the world.”
Grace Paley

author: Nicole J. LeBoeuf

actually writing blog

YPP Weekend Blockades, January 7-8: We return you to your regularly scheduled interflag hostilities, already in progress
Sat 2017-01-07 13:01:15 (single post)

With the holiday weekends behind us, it's open season on all blockadable islands, and the flags of the Emerald and Cerulean Oceans, at least, are ready to jump back into the fray. And, well, one flag on the Meridian Ocean. If they in fact choose to defend. We'll see.

This just in: There's now a second blockade on the Meridian Ocean schedule! Infamous dropped a war chest on Coming Soon at Labyrinth Moors at the last minute, so you know they mean it.

The blockade on Cerulean's Conglin Island is a deliberate giveaway. Flag Babylon do not wish to hold onto it, so they hit the big red SCUTTLE button to summon Brigand King hostilities to its shores:

However, since event participation is lackluster, and rather expensive in terms of cost to participants, we will be scuttling the island to Admiral Finius. The reason we have chosen Finius is because he is the easiest Brigand King in terms of difficulty.

We want to encourage anyone* to blockade the island. If you want to inquire about securing Babylon's support in a blockade at Conglin please contact Fourteen.

*Excluding Fedorov, you're not a part of the organisation

As of ten minutes to go time, I see no one jobbing in defense of Conglin. Maybe it's too early? Probably not; The Coalition are already on the Notice Board as offering 3K per segment for the defense of Kirin Island. They're loading a War Frigate right now, so get on out there!

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, January 7 ***

12:00 p.m. - Raven's Roost, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Consensual Restraint
Attacker: Ice Wyrm's Brood (3)

12:00 p.m. - Scrimshaw Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Cluster Service
Attacker: Black Veil (4)
Undeclared: Spoon Republic

4:27 p.m. - Paihia Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: The Corsairs Alliance
Attacker: Dead In The Water

10:10 p.m. - Marlowe Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Pirate King
Attacker: Sons Of Anarchy

*** Sunday, January 8 ***

10:00 a.m. - Tumult Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Ad Infinitum Libertas

11:30 a.m. - Labyrinth Moors, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Coming Soon
Attacker: Infamous

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, January 7 ***

12:00 p.m. - Kirin Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: The Enlightened (5)
Attacker: The Coalition

12:00 p.m. - Conglin Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Babylon
Attacker: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (5)

12:03 p.m. - Harmattan Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Adept Warriors
Attacker: Eggocentric Eggcentrics

*** Sunday, January 8 ***

10:00 a.m. - Iris Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Bathrobe Army
Attacker: Undertow

10:00 a.m. - Remora Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: The Phoenix Rises
Attacker: Ice Wyrm's Brood (5)

YPP Weekend Blockades, December 24-25: No blockades for the holiday weekend; might I suggest pillaging instead?
Sat 2016-12-24 12:28:18 (single post)

As you may remember, there are no PVP blockades this weekend or the next. Unless some naughty flag officer decides to scuttle up some Brigand King action, we're all on holiday!

Meantime, we've got two great reasons to focus on old-school pillaging.

Firstly, as has already been mentioned, that's how you earn this month's limited edition Seal o' Piracy trophy: by completing 30 sea battles by December 31. Sword fighting, rumble, brigand king or plain ol' spawn, it doesn't matter. Just make sure you get to the melee portion of the contest so that it counts.

Secondly, we're in the middle of "A Pirate Carol!" That's this winter's holiday competition. You may have noticed, last time you logged in, that you've been transformed into a ghost. A ghost, to be precise, of holidays past, present, or yet to come! Those are the three teams competing for trophies and bragging rights through January 2. You earn points for your team for every sea battle you complete victorious. Therefore, the more you pillage, the more you help your team's standings. For more information, check out the "Competition" tab on your Notice Board, and/or click here.

Standard reminders: ...are entirely unnecessary this weekend, because of the aforementioned "no blockades" thing.

YPP Weekend Blockades, December 17-18: Mr. Owl, What Did This Recent Update Do?
Sat 2016-12-17 13:23:15 (single post)

It's Saturday and the Puzzle Pirates blockade schedule is underway. I'm jobbing on the Emerald Ocean, where Illusion just moved one ship's worth of volunteers from the Aimuari to the Armstrong competition--which isn't to say they aren't pushing their suit at Aimuari, mind.

If you're not into the blockade scene and prefer old-school pillaging, you'll be happy to hear that the latter bears an extra reward this month. Complete 30 sea battles and you'll earn your December 2016 Seal o' Piracy.

Only other news I've got is, my YPP client updated itself this morning, and I'm not quite sure why. Since the official Releases page on Yppedia hasn't been updated in months, the world may simply never know.

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, December 17 ***

12:00 p.m. - Armstrong Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: A Boosted Monkey
Attacker: Illusion

12:00 p.m. - Nightshade Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Chthonic Horde (2)
Attacker: Smoke and Mirrors

12:00 p.m. - Aimuari Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: A Boosted Monkey
Attacker: Illusion

1:29 p.m. - Fintan Island, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Radioactive
Attacker: Infamous

2:06 p.m. - Doyle Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Black Flag

2:07 p.m. - Marlowe Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Black Flag
Attacker: Pirate King

3:00 p.m. - Ansel Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Meridian's Most Wanted
Attacker: Ice Wyrm's Brood (3)

5:15 p.m. - Raven's Roost, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Consensual Restraint
Attacker: Legion

6:00 p.m. - Scrimshaw Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Delirium
Attacker: Cluster Service

11:01 p.m. - Penobscot Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Fleet of Dreams
Attacker: Candle

11:58 p.m. - Cochineal Island, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Infamous
Attacker: Indifference

*** Sunday, December 18 ***

12:00 a.m. - Terra Island, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Meridian's Most Wanted
Attacker: Indifference

10:00 a.m. - Basset Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (2)

10:00 a.m. - Gallows Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Illusion
Attacker: The Enlightened (2)

10:44 a.m. - Bowditch Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: A Boosted Monkey
Attacker: Going Down

11:45 a.m. - Garden Cradle, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Jinx (2)
Attacker: Infamous

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, December 17 ***

12:13 p.m. - Kirin Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: The Enlightened (7)
Attacker: The Wanton

*** Sunday, December 18 ***

11:31 a.m. - Jubilee Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: The All-Consuming Flame (5)
Attacker: The Coalition

YPP Weekend Blockades, December 3-4: Blockade now, supplies are limited
Sat 2016-12-03 13:18:02 (single post)

Bookends! My last meal before leaving Avon, just like my first in arriving, is at China Garden. (Today I'm having the snow peas and mushrooms with beef. It is OK but I think I liked the crispy duck better.) But unlike last Saturday, I have no overdue homework to angst over, and I'm not exhausted (despite being at Loaded Joe's until 2 AM last night) nor even out with food coma quite yet, and the series of buses is still in my future. Thus, blockade post!

I am as we speak jobbed with Barely Dressed in defense of Duat Island on the Meridian Ocean. 'Cause they're my flaggies, that's why. Also I'm all about earning more PoE to trade for doubloons. But there's also a 'kade running on the Cerulean Ocean, and all the 'kades on Emerald, so you have your pick.

Actually, there may not, for all intents and purposes, be a blockade on Cerulean; the BK attack on Kirin will be undefended.

Correction: Though the player posting may not personally be defending, I can attest that some defense has been mustered at Kirin. They will need all the help they can get, though. They're about to lose round 1, 319 to 59. Get in there and help 'em out!

Ocean Master Demeter can tell you exactly when there definitely won't be blockades:

Confirming the blockade closing dates here : islands will be closed to blockades on the weekends of December 24th and 31st. You will still be able to scuttle brigand kings.

So get your 'kading fun in before End Of Year Holiday Week is upon us!

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, December 3 ***

12:00 p.m. - Duat Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Barely Dressed
Attacker: The Enlightened (4)

1:14 p.m. - Basset Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Unwanted
Attacker: Cluster Service

1:46 p.m. - Manu Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Cluster Service

1:47 p.m. - Tumult Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Cluster Service

3:26 p.m. - Ashkelon Arch, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Midknight Sun
Attacker: The Corsairs Alliance

5:57 p.m. - Scrimshaw Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Illuminatti
Attacker: Delirium

9:42 p.m. - Marlowe Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Jinx (2)
Attacker: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Black Flag

*** Sunday, December 4 ***

10:09 a.m. - Doyle Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (2)
Attacker: Spoon Republic

10:50 a.m. - Aimuari Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (5)
Attacker: Illusion

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, December 3 ***

12:00 p.m. - Kirin Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: The Coalition
Attacker: The Enlightened (6)

the postponement that surprised no one
Sat 2016-11-26 23:17:41 (single post)

Turns out food coma is a thing, even on vacation. Especially on vacation. Thus the Friday Fictionette which I said to expect on Saturday will come out on Sunday instead (which you probably saw coming), but not for lack of trying. I'm working on it right now. But it's 10:30 at night and I am a realist.

My day was pleasantly full of travel. I like public transportation, for the most part, and I got to sample several flavors of it today. I'd especially been looking forward to the Greyhound portion because all their buses are now equipped with wi-fi and electrical outlets. But of course that wi-fi is only as good as the signal strength where the bus is traveling, and signal strength is poor on mountain roads. But even knowing that, I was surprised by the stretch of I-70 where I could download and install a Java upgrade, play Puzzle Pirates, and yet be unable to load web pages. (This is why no blockade post today.) So I played Puzzle Pirates and read ebooks until the Greyhound arrived in Vail.

Twenty minutes later I arrived in Avon on the westbound Highway 6 bus, and my annual week of "run away and hide from the world and get lots of writing done!" commenced. It was sunny and bright and warmer than I'd expected, the forecast snow not having arrived yet. I figured I'd better enjoy the weather while it lasted. Besides, I'd arrived too early to check into my room. So I wandered down the street in search of dinner.

Used to be, my first meal in Avon would be at Finnegan's Wake, the Irish pub next door to Loaded Joe's. Used to be. Some years ago, I arrived to discover Finnegan's Wake was gone and had been replaced by some barbecue and sports bar thing called Montana's Smokehouse. I've eaten there once. It didn't really speak to me.

I think my new Welcome to Avon ritual is going to be China Garden. I already make sure to get there at least once per stay; why not on Day 1? Today I had the crispy duck and a pot of tea, and I consumed it all. (OK, maybe not all the fried rice. But close.) And of course this gluttony occurred after a day full of travel, which itself included the altitude spike of Vail Pass and also the ant-under-a-magnifying-glass factor of several hours in buses on a sunny day. Thus the food coma to which I succumbed the moment I got to my room.

So the "get lots of writing done!" aspect of the week is starting a little later than usual. But it is starting.

YPP Weekend Blockades, November 19-20: The BEST bedtime story
Sat 2016-11-19 13:27:49 (single post)

Ahoy! An unscheduled Saturday at last. I mean to play in the YPP blockades until doubloons fall out my eyes.

I didn't post last week because I was busy all day and into the night with a super-fun roller derby tournament in Castle Rock, what you call the Fall Down Mix-Up. The computer barely got turned on beyond playing podcasts in the car for the hour-long drive. And that's a shame, because I missed two of the best blockade intent declarations on the forum:

  • Crimson Tide's defense of Xi against Madam Yu Jian, as illustrated legend
  • Sushicide's attack on Gretchen Goldfang at Zeta, as excellently illustrated bedtime story (actually from week before last)

Seriously, that second link? Go go go. Read it and gawk at the illustrations. OMG the snorkel. OMG the "Radio Sailor" red wagon. OMGWTFBBQ the reasoning for attacking the Brigand King ("because she needs to take some time to work on her brushing/flossing"). I am a fan of Erfan now and always.

OK so but anyway, this week we got a bunch of blockades, and only one intent declaration on the forum that I could find: very simply, it's blackstar attacking Admiral Finius on Olive Island at noon GT tomorrow.

And there you go.

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, November 19 ***

12:00 p.m. - Terra Island, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Meridian's Most Wanted
Attacker: Indifference

12:00 p.m. - Swampfen Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (6)
Attacker: Imperial Coalition

12:17 p.m. - Aimuari Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Illusion
Attacker: A Boosted Monkey
Undeclared: Illuminatti
Undeclared: Pirate King

2:00 p.m. - Garden Cradle, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Infamous
Attacker: Jinx (4)

3:00 p.m. - Ix Chel, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Sub-Zero
Attacker: Caught In Crossfire

4:25 p.m. - Albatross Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Chthonic Horde (2)
Attacker: Caught In Crossfire

8:00 p.m. - Arakoua Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Going Down
Attacker: A Boosted Monkey

*** Sunday, November 20 ***

10:00 a.m. - Gauntlet Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Chthonic Horde (2)
Attacker: Caught In Crossfire

10:00 a.m. - Armstrong Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Illusion
Attacker: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (3)

11:53 a.m. - Moab Island, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Moonshine
Attacker: Triage

12:00 p.m. - Ventress Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Major Key Alert
Attacker: Jinx (4)

12:00 p.m. - Bowditch Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: A Boosted Monkey
Attacker: Going Down

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Sunday, November 20 ***

11:57 a.m. - Olive Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (2)
Attacker: Blackstar

YPP Weekend Blockades, November 5-6: The Triumphant and Giddy Return
Sat 2016-11-05 13:22:07 (single post)

Hey, y'all! It's Saturday, it's noon Pacific time, and my blog is working again--let's talk YPP! First, we got blockades. We got quite a few blockades. Most of them are on the Emerald Ocean, and they involve a whole bunch of flags that are totally new to me. (I've been away a bit.)

Filling out the blockade schedule has brought to my attention that U.S. Daylight Savings Time ends tomorrow. That means most of you will have to set your clocks back one hour at 2:00 AM or thereabouts. It also means that this schedule here might be off by an hour now but will be just fine tomorrow. Or else it's fine now but will be off by an hour tomorrow. I still haven't figured this out.

It's a brand new month as well, and we've got a brand-new Seal o' Piracy to hunt down. This month's is easy cheesy; you'll earn it by...

Completing sessions of 4 different crafting puzzles

Like I say every time this particular task comes up: You don't even need a Labor Badge or Subscription on your Ocean of choice to do this. Just log in throughout the week as different crafting puzzles take their turn being free to play and eventually you'll get all four. (Follow that link to see the Freeplay Days schedule.)

And you do know that the Greedy Brigands feature is live now, right? It's live.

That's all for this update. (Whee! I made an update happen.) Have fun!

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, November 5 ***

12:00 p.m. - Arakoua Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Going Down
Attacker: A Boosted Monkey
Undeclared: Knockout

12:00 p.m. - Wissahickon Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Major Key Alert
Attacker: Cluster Service

12:00 p.m. - Swampfen Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Squad Yohohologo
Attacker: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (8)

3:00 p.m. - Hubble's Eye, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Illuminatti
Attacker: The Enlightened (3)

3:00 p.m. - Penobscot Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Fleet of Dreams
Attacker: Sub-Zero

4:09 p.m. - Anegada Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: The All-Consuming Flame (4)
Attacker: Chemical Romance

4:30 p.m. - Albatross Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Caught In Crossfire
Attacker: Nostalgia

5:00 p.m. - Spaniel Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Black Flag
Attacker: Jinx (3)

10:56 p.m. - Polaris Point, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Velt's Boiyz
Attacker: Mobsters

*** Sunday, November 6 ***

10:00 a.m. - Gauntlet Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Letters of Marque
Attacker: Caught In Crossfire

10:37 a.m. - Fugu Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Black Veil (4)
Attacker: Imperial Coalition

11:13 a.m. - Armstrong Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Illusion
Attacker: A Boosted Monkey

12:00 p.m. - Ilha da Aguia, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Illuminatti
Attacker: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (3)

12:00 p.m. - Aimuari Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Illusion
Attacker: A Boosted Monkey

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Sunday, November 6 ***

11:58 a.m. - Zeta Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Jinx (5)
Attacker: Sushicide

Cover art incorporates “Portland Crossing” by Scheinwerfermann (CC BY-SA 3.0)
YPP Weekend Blockades, October 8-9; also the latest in Friday Fictionettes (Oct 7, Sept Freebie)
Sat 2016-10-08 11:43:25 (single post)
  • 1,209 words (if poetry, lines) long
  • 1,073 words (if poetry, lines) long

This'll be a dual-purpose blog post. If you're here for the weekend Puzzle Pirates blockade schedule, click this to go straight there. If you're here for Friday's Fictionette announcement, read on.

The Friday Fictionette for October 7 went up late last night, and it's called "DON'T WALK"--all in caps, just like that. It's about a pedestrian signal that goes off-script. At least, that's what it's about at first. It's also about loopholes, and, briefly, the Hokey-Pokey. (Subscribers click here for full text in ebook and audiobook formats.)

I always make the mistake of thinking that I'll be functional on the day I return from a New Orleans trip. It's a reasonable mistake. The train gets in at 7:15 AM and, if I'm riding in the sleeper car, I'll have slept well the night before on an actual bed-like object; why shouldn't it be like waking up any normal day and getting on with my life? Because, apparently, it isn't. I got some work done in the morning, met John for lunch, went home... and then collapsed. "Just for an hour or two," I told myself. No. I was pretty much out until 7:00 PM.

So that would be why the blog post announcing the fictionette release didn't come until this morning.

I also need to announce the release of the Fictionette Freebie for September 2016. That would be "Living It Up." Click for full text in HTML, ebook, and audiobook formats. Available to all, regardless of subscriber status. That's how that goes. And for y'all what gets them, I'll be mailing out the Fictionette Artifacts any day now.

OK, so. All things Puzzle Pirates. Um. I haven't gotten a chance to play much yet this month, but I know this much: Current Seal o' Piracy calls for defeating one (1) group of skellies and one (1) group of zombies. Greedy Brigands/Barbarians have been released to all servers. Also we have the following blockades, featuring almost every single Ocean. Have fun!

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, October 8 ***

12:00 p.m. - Basset Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Midknight Sun
Attacker: Pirate King
Attacker: rosa ferklz

12:06 p.m. - Iocane Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Rubber Duckies of Doom

12:14 p.m. - Edgars Wahl, Opal Ocean
Defender: Ursa Major
Attacker: Die Neue Welt

12:16 p.m. - Manu Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Chemical Romance

2:00 p.m. - Acanthaster Spits, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Danger Zone
Attacker: The All-Consuming Flame (5)

7:17 p.m. - Aimuari Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Illusion
Attacker: Spankilicious

7:17 p.m. - The Lowland Hundred, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Illusion
Attacker: Spankilicious

7:18 p.m. - Gallows Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Illusion
Attacker: Spankilicious

7:19 p.m. - Saiph Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Illusion
Attacker: Spankilicious

*** Sunday, October 9 ***

10:01 a.m. - Admiral Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Major Key Alert
Attacker: Bite the Pillow

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Sunday, October 9 ***

11:29 a.m. - Zeta Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Black Flag Inc
Attacker: Jinx (5)

YPP Weekend Blockades, September 10-11: Emerald's not dead, but Ice is free. Decisions, decisions...
Sat 2016-09-10 12:59:33 (single post)

News! News! News! Ever wanted to test out brand new Puzzle Pirates features, but don't have a subscription to the Ice Ocean? This weekend you can log onto Ice for free because the OMs really want to give the imminent "Greedy Brigands" feature a lot of testing before it goes live. Sez Forculus,

  • There is a general explanation of the Greedy Brigand mechanics in YPPedia.
  • You can read about the planning and design of this update in the Game Design forum.
  • There was also some discussion about the most effective ways to win treasure in the Ice forum.

OK, so. Blockades.

Flags Going Down, Origin, and Wait For It (among others) would like you to know THE EMERALD OCEAN IS NOT DEAD ok thx bye. They've instantiated a flurry of blockades for the noon hour today and the eleven a.m. hour tomorrow, not to mention Suicide Squad's random attack on Origin at Tumult Island tonight at 10 p.m. You want you some blockading, you get you logged onto Emerald. It'll be a dance party. The DJ's spinning pew-pew.

Only other thing currently on the schedule is a Brigand King attack on Zuyua Mist on the Meridian Ocean; that's at noon today. However! Majorjr has announced that Babylon will be attempting to oust the Brigand King currently governing (if such tyranny can be called "governing") Hephaestus's Forge. He says that blockade will start at noon on Sunday, so watch your schedules for it!

Update: Whoop, there it is.

Majorjr has also announced that, in an attempt to liven up the Cerulean Ocean, Babylon will host a "September of fun" with a kabillion events for you to partake in. Should you be interested, the list of events is here; also, further details on their "just pillage" competition and their writing contest. Doubtless Majorjr will post more threads to the Cerulean Events forum as the month progresses.

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, September 10 ***

12:00 p.m. - Zuyua Mist, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Coming Soon
Attacker: Black Veil (3)

12:01 p.m. - Admiral Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Major Key Alert
Attacker: Bite the Pillow
Undeclared: S T F U

12:07 p.m. - Blackthorpe Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Origin
Attacker: Going Down

12:09 p.m. - Paihia Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Origin
Attacker: Going Down

12:10 p.m. - Kasidim Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Going Down
Attacker: Origin

12:12 p.m. - Ambush Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Going Down
Attacker: Origin
Attacker: Free Islands

12:12 p.m. - Ilha da Aguia, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Skull Candy
Attacker: Origin
Attacker: Going Down
Attacker: Illuminatti

10:05 p.m. - Tumult Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Origin
Attacker: Suicide Squad

*** Sunday, September 11 ***

11:13 a.m. - Scrimshaw Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Major Key Alert
Attacker: Bite the Pillow

11:24 a.m. - Bowditch Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Major Key Alert
Attacker: Wait For It

11:24 a.m. - Sayers Rock, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Major Key Alert
Attacker: Wait For It

11:24 a.m. - Barbary Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Major Key Alert
Attacker: Wait For It

11:27 a.m. - Caravanserai Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Major Key Alert
Attacker: Wait For It

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Sunday, September 11 ***

11:58 a.m. - Hephaestus' Forge, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: The Enlightened (5)

YPP Weekend Blockades, September 3-4: Blockade supply low. Why not try pillaging?
Sat 2016-09-03 13:18:26 (single post)

This is one of those weekends that inspires veteran players to bemoan the imminent death of the game, just as they have done since Socrates's day. It's certainly fodder for those who prioritize the political, flag vs. flag aspect of the game to lament the ebbing of that tide. There's only three blockades currently scheduled, one on Meridian and two on the Emerald Ocean, so they may have a point.

And while I'd be sad not to see a blockading renaissance--hey, jobbing in blockades is where I get my doubloon money!--I'm glad that as a matter of fact there is more to the game than that. For instance, we've got this month's Seal o' Piracy. For September, your goal is to...

Perform 2 different actions that earn your pirate Conqueror Reputation (For example, fighting Brigand Kings, defeating skellies and zombies, or completing Imperial outpost and Viking raid expeditions)

As luck would have it, blockading is one of those actions listed on the linked page:

Conqueror - Earned by fighting brigand kings, defeating skellies, werewolves and zombies, fighting (and sinking) other players' ships, blockading, attacking flotillas, and Imperial outpost and Viking raid expeditions.

But so are so very many other aspects of the game - monster frays! PvP pillage! Certain expeditions! Basically, get out there and play the game the way you do, whatever way that is.

And don't forget that greedy brigands and barbarians are still being tested on the Ice Ocean! New trophies and treasures have been introduced, including trinkets you can redeem at the Trading Post or use to lever open a "Greedy Purse." We're getting closer and closer to general release of this new feature--and nothing says "This game's not dead!" like active development on new features, right?

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, September 3 ***

12:00 p.m. - Raven's Roost, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Organized Criminals
Attacker: Chthonic Horde (3)

*** Sunday, September 4 ***

10:00 a.m. - Scrimshaw Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Major Key Alert
Attacker: The Jade Empire (5)

11:25 a.m. - The Lowland Hundred, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Jinx (2)
Attacker: Spankilicious

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