Pirate101 Launches to the Public today!

Ahoy Pirates!

Today, October 15th 2012, Pirate101 will be available for everyone to play! Surprising, time has gone by so fast, but I'm glad it has because everyone that's played Pirate101 gets to see everyone's reaction to this great game! I would like to give you a few tips to help prepare you for this game, so if you don't mind.. :)

• Side Quests: I've noticed that a few side quests give nautical experience! I don't really known if the other worlds do that, but I do know that Skull Island does. I completed side quests to get at least 70 nautical experience with each quest (4 quests all together) Nautical experience is how far you level with your Pirate Ship.. Defeating other ships.
• Battle Technique: Don't worry! You'll understand this soon! If you've played Wizard101 awhile, it may take some getting used to. You will understand it after awhile though. This new Battle Technique is great, lots of great attacks and let me mention that when you're battling on your ship you will see spells that are similar to Wizard101 that you can use on other enemy ships!
• Purchase a Membership: I'm sorry but like Wizard101 after awhile you will need to purchase a membership. You will reach a place called the Private Dock in Jonah Town, this is the place where the free places ends. Its where you get your second Pirate Ship, so if you want to purchase a membership make sure to go to the Pirate101 website and scroll to the Shop Icon to see what memberships you can buy. Or crowns. 
• Companions are Important: Your companions help you a lot more than you think they will, these companions needs to be trained, every time you see you get Practice Points (Training Points) you should train your companions. You can also save points for later on and level your lower level companions that you haven't had a chance to level. This will level it farther than normally if you wait!
• Have Fun! This is the last piece of advice I could give you! Don't level too fast on the game, make sure to look at the game and enjoy it :) If you level fast you may miss something you really needed to see! This game is not like Wizard101 when you level, you need to pay extra attention or you won't understand what's going on (the story-line). I love this game and I would like to Thank Kingsisle for the best game ever! Thank you so much!

Click Me! 

Interview Week (Blaze Shadownhorn)

Its not the same week! More like one week later, I'm sorry everyone! Here's the next interview :) This interview is with Blaze Shadowhorn! I've been wanting to interview him for awhile and I'm sure you will love this interview as much as I do! I interviewed him over a week ago, and I'm glad to finally post the interview! Here it is!

Me: Hello Blaze! Before we start this interview could you tell everyone a little about yourself and how you got started on Wizard101?

Blaze: Sure! My main W101 character, Blaze Shadowhorn, is a level 62 thaumaturge and I sometimes play on my alts. Alex Hawk (Level 60 Pyromancer), Alex Earthgem (59 Theurgist) and Brahm Deathwraith (75 Necromancer). I have been playing Wizard101 and Pirate101 since Beta and I remember the first day I got caught into it. It was fifth grade and I was going over to my friends Evan's house. A few people played Wizard101 in my grade and Evan started playing it at his house. He told me what it was and what you do and honestly, I originally thought it wasn't for me. Then when I got home that day, I downloaded Wizard101 to try it out and found out it wasn't half bad. Ever since then, I have been obsessed with it.

Me: (That's awesome! Glad you decided to test it out!) Now.. You have a blog called Tales of the Spiral, recently MyWizard101Site, what or who inspired you to start blogging?

Blaze: For me, I really never knew about the community till a year after I started playing W101. I remember coming across the blog The Friendly Necromancer where I found this neat information on W101. I then saw how many other people had blogs and fansites and I wanted to start my own site so I created mywizard101site. Yes, not the most amazing name but it was fun. After awhile, I switched over to blogger where I have been blogging the past two years. I now run Tales of the Spiral where I blog constantly about all things Wizard101 and Pirate101 related.

Me: (You won't believe this Blaze, but my site was called... Wizard101.. Nope, nothing else to it, I think Malorn remembers that! LOL) Okay next question! Do you have any plans on submitting your blog to Wizard101 or Pirate101 for Fansite? I know you're submitting to Wizard101 UK, Good luck!

Blaze: Yes I do actually. October 5th, I am going to resubmit my blog to be official for Pirate101 which I am so excited for and I have also also submitted to become an official Wizard101 UK blogger.

Me: (Same here for Pirate101! Good luck Blaze :) ) Now to Pirate101, When Pirate101 started Beta and you were chosen, what did you think of the game once you started playing??

Blaze: I wasn't even physically in the game before I was mind-blown! The log in screen blew my mind away with all of the amazing graphics and visuals it included. Once I got into Pirate101, I was in awe of how every time you log in, it plays the short little clip of Pirate101. Then the graphics and the detail KI put into Pirate101 was unbelievable. It was overwhelming. Going into P101, I knew the combat style would be different and that it was more hand-to-hand combat which I really liked. Nevertheless, I was absorbed into Pirate101 once I started playing it.

Me: What's your favorite Wizard101 and Pirate101 attack?

Blaze: Favorite attack huh? In Pirate101, really like the special attack of Bonnie Annie. How she shoots the ball of electricity at the enemy. In Wizard101, that is a very hard choice. I would probably have to go classic by saying Frost Giant. I have always loved that spell and it's one I always used in Combat.

Me: (Back to your blog!) Do you have secret plans for Tales of the Spiral that you don't mind sharing with us? 

Blaze: As for the future of Tales of the Spiral, I can say that there will be many contests within the next year, more guides being added, tons of new content and much more!

Me: You're a great Ice Wizard, and I would like to ask if there's any tips you can give to any Ice Wizards reading this interview.

Blaze: Tips for a Thaumaturge. I would love to! First of all, in my personal opinion, I prefer to have a higher attack and use my gear to increase my attack rather than going for high health. Since ice has the highest natural health, I tend to work on other skills. A few helpful cards to keep in your  spell deck at all times are Ice Blaze, Tower, Ice Prism (you never know when it will come in handy) and Freeze. As for PvP, I have found that it is best to do 2-4 person PvP because Ice is also based off of multiple enemy attacks (frost giant, snow angel, etc.) Always have 2-3 legion shields and 4-6 tower shields in your deck (add more treasure cards if necessary.) Bosses, there aren't many ice ones but when you come across them, don't forget to use your Ice Prisms and your secondary schools. You can also check out a guide I wrote awhile on Ice Tips by clicking here.

Me: This has been great interview! To conclude the interview, is there any advice you can give to anyone planning on starting a blog or those that have?

Blaze: Everyone starts off at the same spot. 0 followers and 0 views. Just keep working hard and never give up and I can guarantee those numbers will increase. Also, the best way to spread the word about your blog and new posts is by creating a Twitter, Facebook Page, and become friendly with the other community members. Always remember that because you cannot spell Fansite without FAN and it symbolizes how you should be blogging because you enjoy doing so. Not because you want publicity and fame etc. If you're natural and unique and try your hardest, the views and followers will come. "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything." - Back to the Future

Thanks Again Ed for this interview opportunity. I really enjoyed it and hope the readers gain a lot out of it. See you in the Spiral! 

~Blaze

Me: Thank you so much Blaze, and you're welcome! Love your advice to new bloggers :) Don't do like I did and be rude to some of the community leaders (last year, part of this year), that does not help and its not nice to be mean! I found out the hard way! Make sure you're always friendly to everyone you know, not just the community leaders but everyone! My advice for blogging would be keep doing what you enjoy! If someone says you can't do it that doesn't mean you can't, if you know you can you can, if you don't you don't. Its only up to you, you choose what you want to do! I love blogging for fun and getting the news out in the Spiral in a family friendly weird sort of way ;) You should enjoy blogging just as much as all of us, not just because of fame but because you love blogging and you love it when you gain new readers to read your posts :) Good luck Wizards and Pirates!

Halloween + New Design next Month!

Hi there!

I wanted to tell everyone that the background on this blog is temporary and it will be removed after Halloween. I wanted to have a Halloween background to get everyone in the mood for it! :) In November I have a great new design for this blog, better than any since I started blogging. Great updates to the site will be made and I really do hope you like them. I am going to have a new header, background, more information to all of the pages/drop down menus. All together I'm going to try to make it great for everyone to read and enjoy. This site will always remain a random/family site though, always remember that :) This site will always remain like that no matter what! For the next 26 days I'm going to be asking all of you on Polls what I should add or remove. I would like to ask you first before I start on the site. 

This has been a short post by...

~Edward Lifegem

Interview Week (Autumn Dreamwalker)

Welcome to the third day of interviews will well known Wizards/ Pirates around the Spiral! Today I'm posting an interview from the one and only FAMOUS (or well known) Autumn Dreamwalker! I really hope you enjoy this great interview! 

Me: Hello Autumn! Before we start the interview could you tell everyone a little about yourself?

Autumn: My name is Jennifer. I am a Gemini and I love reading, spending time with my family and watching movies. Hahaha :P Seriously though, I started playing W101 in September 2010. I saw an ad for it on Facebook and clicked it. I was addicted pretty much right away! Since then I have made numerous wizards and started a blog. I was also lucky enough to win a P101 beta code back in August, so I have been playing on there as well.

Me: You're FAMOUS, and you own a blog called Secrets of the Spiral, How did you start blogging?

Autumn: Lol I'm not famous (Lol yes you are!) but yes, I do have a blog. I started blogging because it looked fun. I also wanted to help new wizards by providing guides and information. I have a great friend who has a blog and talking with him about blogging gave me so many ideas to write about. The hardest part about  starting up was thinking of a name. It took me two weeks to think of "Secrets of the Spiral."

Me: Who Inspired you to start blogging?

Autumn: Actually, you did! Before you told me you had a blog, I had no idea about the Wizard101 blogging/fansite community, and you seemed like you enjoyed it so much, I really wanted to try it out myself. Btw, Thanks for that! It has been a lot of fun, and I have met some pretty amazing people since starting my blog! :) (Oh wow, I'm glad you started blogging! I can't believe I inspired you to start blogging, that is great! That made my day :)) 

Me: Are you planning on submitting your site to Pirate101 or Wizard101 for Official Status??

Autumn: I have considered submitting my site, but I don't think I'm going to. I think that for me, becoming official would make me enjoy blogging less. I feel like there would be more pressure to blog more often and maybe blog about different things. And that would make it seem more like a job, instead of a fun hobby. I might be wrong about that, but I really don't think becoming official is for me :)

Me: Okay, lets talk a little bit about the new game Pirate101, when you first got your Beta Key what did you think about the game and do you love this game? :)

Autumn: First, let me say YES YES YES!!! I really do love Pirate101. If I had to choose one game to play, Pirate101 would definitely win. When I first started, I was kinda in shock from winning my Beta code still, so I don't think I even noticed that much of the opening sequence :P But once I started playing, I was in awe. The battling style did take a little getting used to, but it is amazing! I think almost everything about this game is pretty perfect! 

Me: Wow, same here! Now.. Lets talk more about Twitter, How did you create #twirates ???

Autumn: Well, Wizards on Twitter (#twizards) were trying to think of a name for the new Pirates. I thought Twizards came from TW-itter w-IZARDS. (If that makes sense) Idk if that is actually where it came from, but I kind of just combined Twitter and Pirates the same way, getting Twizards. I was kind of joking when I said it, but it stuck.

Me: Here that? Autumn created that :) I was a witness! Now.. back to blogging, do you have any secrets for Secrets of the Spiral's future?

Autumn: I do have a few things coming up, hopefully starting in November. I would like to have a couple of contests and maybe do my own series of interviews with people in the community. I am also planning on adding lots more information, especially about Pirate101, once it goes live! :)

Me: To conclude this interview, could you give out any advice you have to Wizards/ Pirates that are planning on starting a site or blog? :)

Autumn: My biggest advice is to start a blog because you enjoy it! Not for fame or anything else. Also, never give up. As long as you like your blog and are having fun, nothing else matters. Also post links on Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else you can. Let people know about your site! The W101 blogger community is awesome, and is very helpful, so don't be afraid to ask for help! And last, but not least, almost any design idea is possible! Just remember, Google is your friend! Good luck!

Me: Wow Autumn, I really enjoyed interviewing you! Let me say the advice you said above is great! I'm glad more people know about you (I'm sure everyone does since you're famous!) Let me say this though, Autumn is 100% right, Enjoy blogging NOT FOR FAME, but for the enjoyment of helping, or having fun because its a hobby :) If you turn into a Fansite one day remember your FANSite. Okay? :) Good luck everyone, and don't forget to watch my blog for another interview tomorrow and one last interview Friday!! Have fun in the Spiral and Thanks again FAMOUS Autumn Dreamwalker ( She adds: I still can't believe THE famous Edward Lifegem wanted to interview me! Thanks, it was a lot of fun! :)) NP, and I'm not famous!! :D

Interview Week (Mason Swiftblade)

Welcome the the second day of Interview Week! Today we'll be interviewing Mason Swiftblade! I hope you enjoy the second interview of the week. Its also going to be a great interview! Lets get started.

Me: Hello Mason! Before we start the interview could you tell everyone a little about yourself?

Mason: Hello my name is Tyler. I play Wizard101 UK. I have been playing Wizard101 since 2008 and played in the Beta! I have been a fansiter since October 2011. I decided to create a fansite to express my views about the game and my feelings!

Me: I hear you're an Official Wizard101 UK fansite, could you tell us how that happened and how excited you were when you found out you made it?

Mason: Well at the time, Wizard101 UK was only 9 months released, meaning it had a very small community. I decided to take advantage of that and create my own Wizard101 UK fansite! It was quite a long process, took over 3 months for my fansite to be approved but here I am!

Me: You had a blog called The Life of a Wizard and deleted it and made another blog called Mason's Journal, Why did you do that?

Mason: Well, I just didn't have the same feel I had when I blogged on The Life of a Wizard, since I was going to blog about Pirate101 too, I decided it would be better to create a blog more rounded to my gaming. The Life of a Wizard just lost its touch and with Pirate101, I decide.

Me: What are your plans for Mason's Journal?

Mason: Well I have released the blog! (Mason's Journal) I plan to add lots more content about both Wizard101 and Pirate101. I also plan to broaden my horizons as an individual and start to pave my way to a career in gaming hopefully!

Me: Are you planning on submitting your site to Pirate101 and Wizard101 for official status?

Mason: I do have plans to submit my fansite to Pirate101 to be official, however I have no plans for Wizard101 US. To be honest, I just don't think I'll be playing Wizard101 US, I rarely do, so I guess I'll just stick to Wizard101 UK, where my gaming personality has grown up and with Pirate101!

Me: What's your favorite spell on Wizard101, and your favorite attack on Pirate101?

Mason: Ooh, that's a tough one! For Wizard101, I've always had a few favorites. It had to be Sirens spell, it reminds me of something I've seen on t.v. once, so I guess I've just connected with it! For Pirate101, I honestly can't say as I didn't play much during Beta (for most of it, I was on Holiday) so, I really can't comment on that one.

Me: Is Mason Swiftblade (your ice Wizard) your first Wizard or is there another and when did you make your first Wizard?

Mason: On Wizard101 UK, no actually its NOT. I'll start off with Wizard101 US. When I was 9, I overcame and ADvert for Toontown, a game I used to play, and it said "Want to be a Wizard?" This interested me so I did click on it and I got intrigued with the world of Wizard101! My first wizard was a life wizard and his name was Stephen Battlecaller, I think. He only became level 10. Then, I made a wizard later on in the future called Tyler, he was death and I got him to level 60. In 2010, Once I heard the news of Wizard101 UK, I made a wizard there named Tyler, and he was balance. Level 10. I still have him today, he is level 25 now (I got bored with him xD) Mason Swiftblade was probably the wizard I focused on most all my gaming life, I designed specifically to myself :)

Me: Let's talk more about Pirate101, what did you think when you first had a chance to finally start playing Pirate101?

Mason: Gosh! It was amazing! I first had to orient myself as it was a bit confusing, but I got the hang of it! What really intrigued me was the storyline and the puppet shows! They were so cool, I love how Kingsisle implemented these sort of things into the storyline, it makes the games LOADS more better and much more fun! Plus, my love for Pirates made me feel so involved with the game! I love it!

Me: To conclude this interview, do you have any secrets you would like to share with us about the future of your Fansite, Mason's Journal?

Mason: I do plan on hosting more contests, more events and really starting to share my opinion, my personal experiences AND my tips for Wizard101 and Pirate101! This will all come with time though. I do have a super big 2nd Wizard101 UK Birthday Party AND Community Choice Awards planned with some other UK fansiters.. That's all I'll say for now!

Me: What a wonderful interview! Thank you Mason, you're a great Wizard/ Pirate and I'm glad to share this post so everyone else knows more about you. I can't wait to see more about the Community Choice Awards and Wizard101 UK's 2nd Birthday! Woooooooooot! :)