Ahoy land lovers and filthy bilge rats! Flying Lab recently announced that PotBS patch 1.3 will be hitting the test server on April 8th. The patch contains many changes to numerous aspects of the game, from the UI to the long awaited completion of Pointe-a-Pitre, the French colonial capital:

• Marks of victory will reap more rewards through an exchange shop
• Dueling allows players in port to immediately enter a private combat zone to defend their honor
• Contention of ports and the ensuing battles now require more group effort
• The UI has been improved
• Pointe-a-Pitre will be introduced

The changes focusing on port contention are part of a larger effort extending through patch 1.4. Players on the conquerable Caribbean map now have the option to partake in group oriented missions in contestable ports. The design team also states that NPC vessel spawns on the open seas have been revamped. The most prominent feature of the PvP portion of the patch is the new exchange shop. PvP players should now be able to focus on combat and be able to replace their losses within the shop using Marks of Victory (like a badge of honor for you WoW folks). With the new character copy system for the test server, we should hear plenty of feedback once the patch is applied there.

The updates don't end there. More broadsides are delivered with news of the upcoming 1.4 patch which producer Joe Ludwig seems quite happy about. "1.4 will include some big updates for pirates, a revamp of the contention system which I think will make a LOT of you very happy, and as always, more UI love from the UI Strike Team." Hoist the anchor, raise the sails, and be prepared for more exciting updates as 1.3 goes live and 1.4 continues to develop.