Pirates Ahoy!: Pirates Ahoy! News

"As of August 3rd all players who have registered at www.playdarktide.com will be granted instant access to the CoDT open beta. Each player will start with a fantasy ship, outfitted with cannons, archers and even a ballista. Captains will be able to explore the world, try all six races and factions, and recruit powerful humanoids and magical creatures for their crews. Each zone offers increasingly challenging encounters and gives access to new ship designs and more powerful weaponry."

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for games that involve seafaring, pitched battles upon the ocean, and looting the destroyed hulks of sinking ships. In practice, however, few games get the genre right. When I got an invitation to try out Captains of Darktide, I was a bit surprised. The game bills itself as a fantasy-oriented naval MMO, and I must confess I had some reservations about the possibilities offered by such a concept. It turns out, however, that Silverlode Interactive has managed to conjure up an interesting premise for a game, and the mechanics to make it work.

Is this for real?

Yes, absolutely. This is not a joke or a stunt.

Prove it.

Well, there's the rub. We can't show footage of the chest going into the ground; it might give something away. However…if you stick around, and look hard, we promise that you will see each and every one of the ten thousand dollar coins in our videos. That's the best we can do.

Is the treasure real gold?

Well…no. The treasure is 10,000 US mint one-dollar coins. Most of them are Sacagawea dollars, or the new Presidential one-dollar coins…the “John Quincy Adams” one is hands down our favorite. So they are gold-colored!!! But “actual gold,” no. Actual currency? Absolutely.

Why would you do this?

We wanted to create a real treasure hunt. If you're reading this, you've found the map, and there's a chest of “gold” waiting to be found. We've always wanted to experience the excitement of searching for pirate treasure, so we decided to give that feeling to everyone else.

Who are you?

We're not telling you.

Homeland Security Works For Disney Now? Announces Shut Down Of Movie Sites At Disney
from the civil-vs.-criminal? dept

Well, here we go. Remember how, a few months back, we noted how odd it was that the Justice Department (which, of course, employs many former RIAA/MPAA/BSA lawyers) was designating a special task force to fight copyright infringement? After all, copyright infringement is mostly a civil issue, between two private parties. For years, however, the entertainment industry has been working hard to convince the government to act as its own private police force, and following a totally one-sided "summit" with Joe Biden (who recently claimed that infringement is no different than doing a smash and grab at Tiffany's), suddenly the feds had a special IP task force... at the same time that it was downgrading the priority of crimes that cause actual harm, such as identity fraud.

Now, it looks like law enforcement isn't even trying to hide the fact that they're taking orders from Hollywood. Dark Helmet points us to the news that Homeland Security proudly announced raids on nine different movie sites, which they accuse of infringing on copyrights. But what's most interesting is where the announcements about these raids happened: at Disney. And who else was there on stage? Execs from other studios. Yup, Homeland Security isn't even trying to make the slightest effort to hide the fact that it now works for corporate interests. It will announce legal activity from the companies, which stand to benefit the most from such activity.

Imagine if the FTC announced plans to charge Google with antitrust from Microsoft's offices? With execs from Yahoo and Apple on stage. Wouldn't people cry foul?

Not only that, but the guy in charge of the raids blatantly admits that it's now a homeland security priority to protect movie studio interests:

Quote

What does customs have to do with a domestic dispute over civil copyright infringement? And why are Homeland Security officials so closely involved with a few Hollywood Studios that they're not just protecting their business models, but also announcing these efforts from the studios' own offices?

Treasure hunter Mel Fisher’s heirs have sold the salvage rights to the 1715 Treasure Fleet to Queen Jewels LLC, a Sebastian-based company led by former Cincinnati developer William Brisben.

The fleet of Spanish galleons was loaded in Cuba with gold bars, coins, diamonds, emeralds and pearls before all of the ships sank in a hurricane on July 31, 1715, about 40 miles north of West Palm Beach.

Six out of 11 sunken ships have been located, but 300 chests containing nearly $1 million in silver coins and the queen's jewels have yet to be recovered, according to a news release. The estimated value is $900 million.

The fleet included a dowry for Queen Elisabeth, the bride of King Philip V.

Fisher prevailed in U.S. Supreme Court in his battle for the rights to numerous wrecks, resulting in U.S. admiralty custodianship of the 1715 Treasure Fleet.

"What typically happens is the state retains a 20 percent right and the remainder goes to Queen Jewels, which they split with the subcontractor," said Anne Kazel-Wilcox of Gold Coast Communications, which issued the press release.

Many of the state's treasures were shared with museums.

The state assigns a point value, not just the value of the metal, but historical importance and uniqueness and condition, Kazel-Wilcox said.

A gold-rimmed portrait necklace was recovered last week, along with gold and silver coins and other artifacts, according to Queen Jewels.

“We are entering a new age of historical shipwreck salvaging,” said Brisben, Queen Jewels' operations manager, in the press release. “As if to confirm our confidence, our subcontractors immediately recovered valuable pieces of history, hidden for nearly 300 years. With new technology, we hope larger discoveries are not far behind.”

Banov's RPG about pirates, treasure and the high seas is finally complete. In Dubloon, you play as a pirate who stumbles upon an incredible treasure, and puts together a crew to make the treasure his own.

The game plays out in classic RPG style - there's a world to explore with items to collect. Happen upon an enemy wandering about, and you'll be transported to a turn-based attack-a-thon, with stats et al. While I've only played an hour or so, it's obvious that this is quite a lengthy journey, so it's worth noting that the story seems pretty solid.

3,000 get ready to re-enact the famous Waterloo battle


By Jasper Gerard, LDT June 14, 2010



The British can't find the Duke of Wellington. The French are in disarray as they have too many Napoleons. Marshal Ney is secretly a librarian while a British commander spends much of his time dressed as a pirate. As for the Prussians, bets are already being taken whether Field Marshal Gebhard von Blucher is going to be late again.

Load your muskets for the biggest re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo, to be fought in Belgium next weekend at the foot of the giant mound built on the battlefield that commemorates one of the most decisive clashes in European history.

But if the original battle was won on the playing fields of Eton (Wellington went to Eton and sent his sons there), this summer's re-enactment near the town of Waterloo might owe more to the comedy studios of Ealing. The 3,000 "combatants" invading Belgium less resemble Wellington's terrifying troops than a theatrical troupe. Indeed, one of the "commanders" of British forces can more typically be found dressing up for children at Alton Towers. "Wellington" is proving tricky to cast as none of the candidates own a horse - something of a job requirement - prompting frantic calls to the local pony club. Oh, and in a development that speaks volumes for French strategic planning, one year a re-enactment was attempted 11 "Napoleons" turned up.

This time, the armies will fire only blanks (smoking and highly convincing) and the first aid tents will be well manned for warriors suffering a spot of dehydration. Visitors will be able to stroll around recreations of the Allied and French camps with soldiers taking shooting practice, eating and generally being shouted at. Children will be put to work in a cadet force to keep the camp fires burning. "Napoleon(s)" will even be seen dictating letters and scoffing. Spectators can wander through the army camps, watch from the mound or from the slightly incongruous grandstand.

It might seem a mystery why anyone would wish to refight a battle across fields that were as bloodied as they were muddied. As a Captain Kincaid recalled at the time: "I had never thought there would be a battle where everyone was killed. This seemed to be it."

Which was in stark contrast to the confident prediction of Napoleon, the self-styled emperor whose wars had so scarred Europe; over his petit dejeuner on silver service he predicted that defeating the British would be "nothing more than eating breakfast".

In the event, all sides found the casualties on Sunday, June 18 1815 harder to stomach. The count for dead and wounded fell just shy of 50,000. With carnage all around, Wellington and Lord Uxbridge observed how the latter's leg had just been blown off: "By God, Sir. I've lost my leg." "By God, Sir. So you have."

This was a battle so brutal that von Blucher declared: "Raise high the black flags, my children. No prisoners. No pity. I will shoot any man I see with pity in him." Just as Flanders has never shaken off the memory of a later exercise in systemised slaughter, so these lowland fields still seem flattened by the weight of their dead.

Rather than treating the battle as a game, would it not be better remembered as the day Europe was finally rid of Napoleon, ushering in one of the most peaceful and prosperous centuries in history? And, from a British point of view, the day a small European island became the world's undisputed power. Who would want to witness the actualite of soldiers moaning their last at the mercy of rats and robbers?

Quite a few, it would seem, and they enjoy every minute of it. On Friday large groups will be deployed from the principal combatants of Britain, France, Germany and Holland, as well as from Russia, Ukraine, Austria, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, even Malta. Some are coming from as far as Australia, New Zealand and America.

Meanwhile the grandstands will be packed. Belgium, never the world's hottest tourist destination, is preparing for one of its largest invasions since the last European army on its travels decided to pop in.

Abby Sunderland Feared Lost at Sea
Crew Receives Repeated Distress Signals, Loses Contact With 16-Year-Old Attempting Circumnavigation

Abby Sunderland, 16, is feared lost at sea today in her attempt to become the youngest sailor ever to circumnavigate the globe.

A support crew lost contact with Abby, who was in heavy seas in the Southern Indian Ocean, early this morning.

Sunderland's brother, Zac Sunderland, said his sister's boat was clearly in trouble.

"The boat is most likely not completely submerged because there's another alarm that sends off a signal if it goes 15 feet underwater," Zac Sunderland said in an interview with Ron Kilgore of KNX radio in Los Angeles. "So yeah, she's pretty banged up out there right now, and [we're] just trying to get the rescue teams out."

Abby's mother, MaryAnne Sunderland, told ABC News that Abby manually activated two emergency beacons sometime before 6 a.m. Pacific Time today.

A plane from Qantas air, based in Australia, planned to fly over Sunderland's location at first light Friday -- or late Thursday evening Eastern Time.

Watch the full story Friday on "20/20" at 10 p.m. ET

Abby was in 20-25 foot waves at the time of last contact, with 35-knot winds, said MaryAnne Sunderland, who is due to give birth at the end of the month. She was shaken but focused on trying to get a rescue effort together.

The closest land to Abby's boat was Reunion Island, which is east of Madagascar. The nearest ship was 400 miles away. Rescuers were trying to contact the ship.

Zac Sunderland told KNX that the support crew was "still trying to figure out the rescue situation."

"There's two boats headed out to her position. One of them's an estimated 40 hours, the other is 48. So right now we're just trying to figure out if there's any way faster. She's in the middle of nowhere pretty much, in the Southern Indian Ocean, there's nothing closer.

"We're just hoping everything's all right out there. There's nothing we can really know for sure out there right now."

A note posted to a blog tracking Abby's progress by her support team Thursday detailed her survival gear.

"Abby has all of the equipment on board to survive a crisis situation like this," the posting said. "She has a dry suit, survival suit, life raft, and ditch bag with emergency supplies. If she can keep warm and hang on, help will be there as soon as possible."

Round-the-world teen sailor alive, well

A 16-year-old Californian girl attempting to sail solo around the world is safe and well, her parents said, after a massive search and rescue operation was launched in the Indian Ocean when she triggered distress signals.

Abby Sunderland was last heard from about 6 a.m. Pacific time Thursday, when she broke off a satellite phone call as her yacht Wild Eyes was pounded by huge waves in the remote southern Indian Ocean. She had reported 30-foot swells but was not in distress at that time.

The search for Sunderland involved Australia, U.S. and French rescue authorities sending ships and a commercial airliner to an area about 2,000 miles southeast of Madagascar and 2,000 miles southwest of Australia.
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"We have just heard from the Australian Search and Rescue. The plane arrived on the scene moments ago. Wild Eyes is upright but her rigging is down. The weather conditions are abating. Radio communication was made and Abby reports that she is fine!" her parents Laurence and Mariane posted on her blog.

"We don't know much else right now. The French fishing vessel that was diverted to her location will be there in a little over 24 hours. Where they will take her or how long it will take we don't know," they said.

William Bennett with "Team Abby," speaking outside the family's Thousand Oaks home, said the mast had broken off the boat.

Laurence Sunderland earlier lost contact with his daughter during a satellite phone call and believed her boat may have rolled in treacherous conditions.

U.S. Navy: Pirate Hunters' Premieres Tuesday

The latest government entity to mix security with entertainment is the U.S. Navy, which has teamed up Viacom to produce a reality program about pirate in the waters of the coast of East Africa.

"U.S. Navy: Pirate Hunters" Premieres Tuesday, June 8 At 11 p.m. (Eastern and Pacific) on Spike.

"Viewers will see the dramatic, tension-filled and high-stakes military mission first-hand as they patrol the ocean, board questionable vessels, get caught in gun battles and seize stolen goods and weapons," Viacom said in a press release.

Reality-production house 44 Blue Productions and producer Adam Friedman lead the production along with executive producer Rasha Drachkovitch.