Pirates of the Caribbean Online
Why fight when you can parley?
Jack in a familiar place – the tavern.
Progressing through the main story is straightforward, and there are plenty of cutscenes to drive the action. The dialog shares the films' dry wit, and it's nice to see Disney link in elements from the movie scripts. Although I'm disappointed to have not yet acquired a monkey friend like the big-screen Jack Sparrow, I'm confident that the main quest is fulfilling if not that deep. Like a lot of single-player RPGs, I spent time tracking down Person A to get Item B to give to Person C who would then reward me with Special Item D, which ultimately goes back in the hands of Person A. Am I oversimplifying? Of course. But the gameplay in between these tasks is fun and at times a bit addictive, which is just what those wily behavioural psychologists – I mean, "Imagineers" - at Disney want to hear. An MMORPG without the MM is just an ORPG, and as acronyms go that's a horrible one. So what about the multiplayer aspect? Given that the game is still in limited beta, I was impressed. There are the usual guilds to be had and formed, with their own unique hierarchy reminiscent of a high-school pecking order. I didn't see any guild action, but I did find it necessary to break out of my shell a bit and introduce myself to other players.
My ship, the Red Fox, was out of commission, and I needed a lift to the Island of Tortuga to meet Jack Sparrow, on Elizabeth Swann's orders. Like all waylaid pirates, I was hanging out on the beach in search of some rum, when a friendly fellow named Jim Swift offered his assistance. I explained my conundrum and he offered me a ride, if I would join his crew. Unable to purchase a new ship, I readily accepted. Crews are separate from Guilds (although the two may overlap), and are less organized. For instance, I had some hapless sailors on my crew, while I was a member of others (pirates are a notoriously unloyal bunch, it seems). Jim captained his ship and I manned the cannons, although I was under strict orders to not fire on other vessels, "cuz we need to get their fast, lol". I'm not entirely sure how much "lol"-ing real pirates did, but at least Jim was keeping in character: genuine criminals of the sea aren't good with grammar either. 
Buttering up my new friend Jim Swift as I look for a free boat ride.
I did get a little frisky and fired some warning shots off the bow of a Navy vessel, but Jim was kind enough to bring me to my destination before trying to murder me with his sword. Apparently he didn't get the note about the Aztec coins and the Pirate Code. The beta is too sparsely populated to get a feel for how player interaction will work on a larger scale, but clearly Disney sees this as an important aspect of the game. Larger ships require a crew of multiple pirates to be effective in dangerous waters, with some players on the cannons while one player navigates. It remains to be seen whether or not there are any Quests which require a Guild to complete, but I imagine that this is the case. And even though my fair-weather friend Jim wasn't very reliable, I enjoyed chatting with other players and teaming up on tougher enemies.
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