FAQ

About the Game[]

What is 'Line Pirates? 'Line Pirates is the most Simulating Strategy Game on Facebook, with a high-adventure, sci-fantastical military theme. Timeline Pirates are trying to change the course of history, with only the MultiVersal Corps standing in their way! Battles happen at critical junctures in history called Butterfly Events and there are many known alternative universes (called 'Verses for short).

What is the gameplay like? 'Line Pirates is a blend of the best of several genres: Collectible Card Games, Role-Playing Games, Massive Multiplayer Online, and Real-Time Strategy. There's many ways to play, depending on your preferences. You can play cooperatively or competitively, solo or in teams.

How does the cooperative gameplay work? It's similar to Wing Commander II. You alternate between story and missions, culminating in Finale Events. Missions are grouped into Campaigns with a complete story arc. Each mission you complete you get a Component used to craft a new card; for more powerful cards, you have to group with other players to tackle a hard boss fights.

How does the competitive gameplay work? You can compete against other players for prizes and prestige. There are several formats and different cards are more and less useful depending on the Format. You can compete singly or in teams, arena-style or tournaments. The team competition is very similar to sports, with teams in leagues building up to the season finals. As long as you keep competing, you'll gain Components to craft more powerful cards.

What are Real-Time Turns? In 'Line Pirates, every player takes their turn at the same time! Each Player gets to select one Action, and they are all Resolved simultaneously. This allows us to have much faster games with many more players than other comparable games.

Can I play a villain? You begin the game as a recruit in the MultiVersal Corps, who are constantly battling against the 'Line Pirates. Clearly the MVC are the good guys (trying to preserve history) and the 'Line Pirates are the bad guys (trying to change it). But as the plot unfolds things become less clear... you may get to play a hero or villain, if you can figure out which side is which. :-)

Where could I learn more specifics about the card game? Check out Start Here and then Innovations in 'Line Pirates.

About the Application[]

When will 'Line Pirates be finished? Alpha begins no later than February 2013, Beta begins no later than May 2013, and Release is no later than the end of August 2013. But since we plan on releasing content continuously, we hope that it really is never finished... it should just keep getting better. ;-)

What languages will 'Line Pirates be localized in? Initially just English. We'd happily include other languages if there's sufficient demand and backing.

How will I get the game? Fire up Facebook and select our game application. You will have to provide your Facebook account name on the Kickstarter backer survey in order to receive certain in-game Rewards.

What Operating Systems will 'Line Pirates be playable on? Any OS that has a browser that supports Adobe Flash will be able to play 'Line Pirates. If you can already view Facebook through your browser, you probably can already play.

Will 'Line Pirates only be on Facebook? For our initial project goal, yes. As we exceed our goal, then we plan on deploying on flash gaming sites like Kongregate and digital download platforms like Steam.

Will 'Line Pirates have a mobile version? Unlikely. We investigated mobile phones and found we couldn't give as good a play experience as we wanted. We might have a mobile version that would allow you to track stats realtime on league games and schedule events with friends.

Do you have a demo I can play? We have a print Playtest Kit you can download and try out. We decided against a computer demo for the same reason as mobile phones; without all the assets, the play experience wouldn't be very good. Instead we focused our initial efforts on ironing out the game mechanics and polishing the storyline.

About the Kickstarter[]

What are Tier Bonuses? Tier Bonuses are an extra thank you given to any pledge that value and above. They aren't meant to be selected directly as rewards; they are in addition to other pledge rewards.

Are Tier Bonuses cumulative? Yes! So if you were a U.S. backer selecting the Souvenir Bundle ($70 + $20 shipping), you'd automatically receive the $25 Player and $50 Gamer Tier Bonuses. If you tacked on another $10 to your pledge then you'd also receive the $100 Recruit Tier Bonus. You could also add on another Sticker, Poster, or T-Shirt for their respective values to reach the next tier, which would ship together.

When will you ship the rewards? Most rewards are keyed to our production cycle: Alpha is February 2013, Beta is May 2013, and Release is August 2013. Participation rewards begin as soon as we can, depending on factors like how many are selected and the total backing.

Do I need to pledge more for shipping? Yes, on those rewards that include physical products. We are located in the US, so please add a different amount for domestic vs. international addresses. We can ship most of the same products together (except for the Artwork), so if you order multiple of the same reward, you only need to include shipping once.

What should I put on my survey if I'm planning to move soon? It's always safest to put a stable address on the backer survey to ship things to. So if you plan on moving, ask a friend or relative to receive your rewards. You can always e-mail us to change your address any time before we ship, in case you unexpectedly move.

What about Sales Tax, VAT, Customs Fees, etc.? We value items sent at cost, not how much money you donated to our Kickstarter campaign. In most cases, this means you won't have to pay any taxes or fees.

What will the Bumper Sticker look like? Like our Wiki wordmark:

What will the other stuff look like (Poster, T-Shirt, etc.)? We want these to be amazingly cool, so we're designing them after the Kickstarter ends. That way, we'll be able to hire professional illustrators and have definitive appearances for characters (some of whom might be backers!)

Why are you asking for so much money? Actually, our project goal is a shoestring budget! Most kick butt games today have dozens of people working for years and cost millions on average. Video Games on Wikipedia.

What will you do if you exceed your goal? Wisely spend it to increase the production value of the game. Specifically, we want to have in-game voice chat, gorgeous hand-drawn illustrations, context-sensitive audio effects, animated cut-scenes, and a feature that allows players to create content other players can play! Check out our Finances spreadsheet to see the precise details.

Why isn't Cathy in the Kickstarter video? Ur, how shall we put this delicately... because she's a disaster in front of the camera. Cathy's Tyke Safari Outtakes.

About Spudnugget Studios[]

Who is in Spugnugget Studios? Currently we have:

Kim E Lumbard - Leader and Gamer extraordinaire
Cathy Burkholder - Project manager and Creative force
a whole passle of playtesters

We're also looking for more people. See Please Help#Employee Networking

What does "Playstyle for your Lifestyle" mean? We've tailored our games for the busy player. Specifically, we're targetting a 15 minute maximum for any chunk of gameplay. So that way you can play in shorter snippets as you have the time. We've also ensured that you have a high quality play experience; just because you don't have a long stretch of free time doesn't mean you have to sacrifice playing a great game.

What's your stance on women in games? We have a very pro-active stance on gender equality, and are avoiding the classic female stereotypes. The main character in the training missions is Ezzy, and she'll be featured throughout the subsequent campaigns. Ezzy begins as a normal everyday person like you and me, and then undergoes a series of (sometimes painful) transformations into a genuine heroine.

How does partnering work? We'd like to partner with authors and other content creators to make their characters in 'Line Pirates. Basically, we'd create a 'Verse in our game populated with people and places from their stories. It's a win-win for everyone: they increase their audience, we get stuff people already love, and fans get to see their favorite characters in a new venue kicking butt!

How do I become a partner? Check out the Partner Home and then contact us.

How can I help? See Please Help for ways to get involved. Thanks!