MMO Suggestion Realized?

So, if you have read this blog in the past, which I don't think many people have, you may have seen one of the posts I wrote about MMO ideas which suggested an MMO based on turn-based strategy.  It seemed like a good idea at the time and still seems like a good idea.  Well, I had played an MMO called Wizard 101 maybe 6 months ago and had a good time, but the lengthy card-based battles started to wear on me so I stopped playing.  It seems I was still on their mailing list, though, and I received an invitation to try their newest game, just released this week, Pirate 101.  I decided I would give it a try, since I had enjoyed Wizard 101, and see if they had fixed any of the issues I had with Wizard in this new incarnation.

After I had created my pirate character, I headed towards the deck of the ship in the tutorial, wondering what was in store, combat-wise, as I had not done my homework.  To my surprise, it was turn-based strategy!  Essentially, the same as the idea I'd had (which, to be fair, just combined other people's good ideas into one game).

The battle system works by walking up to your foes, at which point, you enter a battle map (though you are still visible to other players who can join the fight by walking into the battle area).  You have a certain amount of time to select moves for both your main character and your companion character(s), then when the time runs out, your moves are executed as are the moves of your enemies.  Then, back to the move selection screen and so on until the objective is complete.

The rest of the game seems to be similar to Wizard 101 as far as what you can get for free and what you have to pay for as well as player housing, pets, mounts, furniture, etc.  I will post here as I get further in the game with more impressions.  My character is named Cynical Lucy Andrews (there is a drop down menu for character names, so you get what you get) and she is a buccaneer (tank/warrior) which seemed like the most fun for me of the 5 classes available.  If this is similar to Wizard 101 (and I think it is in this respect as well) I should be able to hybridize some healing abilities in there from the Privateer tree and end up with a sort-of paladin.

So, for all of you who think dreams don't come true, they usually don't.  But every so often, something that was in your head appears in the real world and you get to take it for a test run.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes.  See you in game!