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Pirates of the Caribbean Online is an MMORPG created by The Walt Disney Company, based on their film series and theme park attraction of the same name.

History
The game was developed by the VR Studio, a group of technologists and artists that are part of the Walt Disney Internet Group. It is the second MMORPG developed by the VR Studio, the first being Toontown Online which launched in 2003. Both games were developed around the Panda3D game engine.

The game was first announced by The Walt Disney Company on April 26, 2005. It was originally scheduled to be released in summer 2006 to coincide with the release of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, but its release was pushed back multiple times. The game went through two beta testing phases during 2007 and was officially launched on October 31, 2007.

Access
The game software is free to download, and players can choose either "Unlimited Access," or a free-to-play "Basic Access" version which restricts most of the game content and displays advertisements in part of the game window. Players can gain Unlimited Access service by either activating the code on pre-paid game cards found in select stores or paying a monthly subscription fee that can be billed month-to-month, semi-annually or annually at the player's discretion. The game is officially available to players in the United States, United Kingdom (basic access only), parts of Mexico and Canada only.

Special access to beta test servers are granted to unlimited access members based upon length of membership. Membership is designated in-game by the color of a pirate's name. Names in blue indicate an unlimited access member, while basic players have their name displayed in gray. Members with unlimited access prior to December 2, 2008 gain a special status known as "Founder", designated by a golden coin marked with an F next to their gold-colored pirate's name. There are no additional skills or gameplay advantages granted to beta testers or Founders.

Gameplay
Key features of the game include the ability to create your own pirate and customize their physical appearance, own and sail ships, use ships in combat with both enemy NPCs and other players, play as part of a crew, join guilds and complete quests for gold (the game's currency), notoriety (the game's experience system), unique weapons and treasure items. The game also features revolving day, night and twilight skies which complete a cycle about once an hour.

New players are immediately greeted by Jack Sparrow in a prison cell with audible cannon fire occurring in the background, where he introduces the player to the pirate customization GUI and provides comedic feedback based on the physical attributes a player selects for their pirate. Players can then choose the height, build, gender, hair/skin/eye color and facial characteristics of their pirate character, as well as select from a starting set of clothing. After customizing their appearance characters can select from a prefabricated list of names, or submit a custom name for moderator approval. Physical appearance serves only for aesthetic purposes, and has no bearing on a pirate's abilities or their interaction with NPCs.

Storyline
While staying faithful to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in a general sense, the game does not continue from the end of the movies' storyline or serve as a prequel. It instead blends aspects of the story together to create a new atmosphere for the purposes of involving the player in a critical situation where the major threats of the PotC universe still require action.

Once the pirate character creation process is complete, Jack Sparrow kicks down the door of the jail cell and escapes, encouraging the player to follow suite. The player is charged with visiting another NPC on behalf of Sparrow, in a pub just outside the prison to collect a chest. This is the first quest in a series that forms both a tutorial for the game, as well as the central plot.

After meeting with the evacuating pub owners and being introduced to the inventory menu known as the Sea Chest, the player is instructed to hitch a ride from an awaiting ship. As the escape from the prison island is initiated, the ship is attacked and the player is confronted by Jolly Roger, an undead skeleton with a peg leg and a mechanical apparatus, consisting of a pistol and a series of knives, for an arm. Jolly Roger commands the player to bring word to Jack Sparrow that he's being sought after over an unspoken disagreement before forcing the player to swim to safety and sinking their escaping ship.

The game itself begins with new pirates arriving at Port Royal, where they must track down a series of NPCs in order to learn that Jolly Roger's army of undead minions is growing exponentially and shifting the balance of power into the wrong hands. The Royal Navy and, " Lord Beckett's deadly assassins, the Black Guard,"(East India Trading Company) are also introduced as enemies, as both are involved in the possession of the Black Pearl and the aggressive persecution of pirates all over the Caribbean. After meeting with popular characters such as Tia Dalma and Joshamee Gibbs, the player becomes responsible for recruiting crew members and leading them into an ambush on the military forces holding the Pearl in the hopes of an escape from the port it's being held in.

The main storyline does not currently continue past the recovery of the Black Pearl. However, the game is undergoing constant work and developers have repeatedly indicated that Davy Jones, the  Kraken and other characters made famous by the franchise may also make an appearance in the game as development progresses.

Community
(Disney DXD) - Leaderboards - Guilds (Seasonal Events)

Reception
The game has had mixed reviews overall. The game was criticized for the restrictions on "Basic Access" player content, as players who wish to experience the full game must pay a monthly fee. People who played free experienced extremely limited gameplay. The character could not be leveled up fully, only three weapon types are available, two types of ships are available, and many more restrictions.