So, did you visit the Announcement Forums after yesterday's big hint about big, big news? Yes? No? Well, just in case you didn't, here it is:
Early next year, Three Rings will be uniting the Oceans. Each pair of English-language Oceans will merge to create a single ocean with both of its predecessors' archipelagos and resources available.
From Hermes's FAQ:
Q: Which oceans are merging?
A: Midnight will merge with Cobalt, Viridian with Malachite, and Sage with Hunter. Opal and Jade will not be affected by this in any way.Q: When will this happen?
A: If all goes smoothly in testing, we plan to merge the oceans early in January 2012. This may get delayed if we discover any issues that need addressing, but we will keep you apprised of the exact date once we have one.
The Ocean Masters began letting the news slip quite artfully about a week ago. A forum persona called VThorsson, Intrepid Explorer began leaving journal entries (gorgeously rendered ones, too -- go look!) chronicling his quest to find "a fast and direct passage between the two oceans." Players began to guess at the significance of this. Then Hermes made the announcement on December 8th, and players began cheerfully to smack-talk each other about it and get nostalgic about days that will soon be past.
Imagine the possibilities! Your Viridian pirate will be able to memorize the Lacerta archipelago! Your Sage/Hunter inter-Ocean alliances can be formalized! You'll theoretically have a larger jobbing pool from which to be able to fill that Grand Frigate much quicker! Theoretically.
Worried? Hermes's FAQ answers all sorts of important concerns about duplicate names, max number of pirates, treatment of existing SMH maps, pre-release testing, and more. If you have any questions, you should read it. If it doesn't answer your questions, check out the slightly expanded version of the FAQ in the forum discussion thread. If you're still uncertain, ask your questions in that discussion thread.
While you're waiting in breathless anticipation, visit this survey and have your say as to what the newly formed Oceans should be named. Do it now or regret your inaction forever!
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