<s>
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
a	O
multiplayer	O
team-based	O
first-person	O
action	O
video	O
game	O
,	O
developed	O
as	O
a	O
total	O
conversion	O
modification	O
on	O
Valve	O
proprietary	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
created	O
by	O
three	O
UC	O
Berkeley	O
students	O
(	O
Garrett	O
Moore	O
,	O
Matt	O
Bishop	O
,	O
and	O
Kris	O
Hauser	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
was	O
a	O
modification	O
for	O
Valve	O
's	O
earlier	O
GoldSrc	B-Application
engine	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
set	O
around	O
three	O
teams	O
,	O
the	O
pirates	O
,	O
the	O
Vikings	B-Application
and	O
the	O
knightseach	O
with	O
distinct	O
classes	O
and	O
abilitiesbattling	O
in	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
game	O
modes	O
across	O
various	O
Medieval	O
,	O
Norse	O
and	O
Caribbean	O
environments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
February	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
has	O
acquired	O
over	O
six	O
and	O
a	O
half	O
million	O
player	O
minutes	O
per	O
month	O
on	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
content	I-Application
delivery	I-Application
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
based	O
around	O
three	O
teams	O
competing	O
for	O
an	O
objective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
three	O
teams	O
,	O
themed	O
around	O
pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
knights	I-Application
,	O
are	O
distinct	O
in	O
classes	O
and	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
beta	O
2.3	O
,	O
players	O
can	O
choose	O
one	O
of	O
two	O
classes	O
on	O
each	O
team	O
(	O
the	O
Vikings	B-Application
have	O
a	O
new	O
third	O
class	O
)	O
,	O
giving	O
them	O
access	O
to	O
different	O
weapons	O
and	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
objectives	O
in	O
a	O
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
II	I-Application
game	O
is	O
defined	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
mode	O
that	O
is	O
being	O
used	O
;	O
at	O
the	O
moment	O
there	O
are	O
four	O
game	O
modes	O
implemented	O
out	O
of	O
a	O
planned	O
nine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combat	O
in	O
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
achieved	O
through	O
melee	O
strikes	O
,	O
blocking	O
and	O
ranged	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
eighteen	O
classes	O
planned	O
for	O
the	O
final	O
version	O
of	O
PVKII	B-Application
are	O
to	O
include	O
for	O
the	O
Pirates	O
:	O
Skirmisher	O
,	O
Captain	O
,	O
Sharpshooter	O
,	O
Freebooter	O
,	O
'	O
Ealer	O
,	O
and	O
Buccaneer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
Vikings	B-Application
:	O
Berserker	O
,	O
Huscarl	O
,	O
Gestir	O
,	O
Bondi	O
,	O
Seio-Kona	O
,	O
and	O
Jarl	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
release	O
of	O
beta	O
2.0	O
saw	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
a	O
further	O
three	O
classes	O
,	O
the	O
Viking	B-Application
Gestir	O
was	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
2.3	O
update	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Pirate	O
Sharpshooter	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
2.5	O
update	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
class	O
 '	O
weapons	O
follow	O
the	O
theme	O
of	O
their	O
team	O
:	O
pirate	O
classes	O
use	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
sabres	B-Application
,	O
cutlasses	O
and	O
flintlock	O
firearms	O
,	O
the	O
Vikings	B-Application
use	O
battle	O
axes	O
and	O
spears	O
and	O
knight	O
players	O
have	O
access	O
to	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
swords	O
and	O
bows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Captains	O
are	O
armed	O
with	O
a	O
cutlass	O
,	O
a	O
blunderbuss	O
and	O
a	O
parrot	B-Language
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
harassing	O
enemies	O
or	O
as	O
a	O
distraction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Vikings	B-Application
can	O
play	O
as	O
a	O
berserker	O
,	O
huscarl	O
or	O
gestir	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
contrast	O
,	O
the	O
archer	O
is	O
a	O
fast	O
moving	O
class	O
armed	O
with	O
both	O
a	O
crossbow	B-Application
and	O
a	O
longbow	B-Application
,	O
and	O
can	O
use	O
their	O
special	O
ability	O
to	O
fire	O
three	O
flaming	O
arrows	O
at	O
once	O
from	O
the	O
longbow	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
man	O
at	O
arms	O
is	O
equipped	O
with	O
a	O
halberd	O
,	O
a	O
mace	O
with	O
a	O
small	O
shield	O
and	O
a	O
smaller	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Archer	O
crossbow	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soon	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Valve	O
released	O
a	O
software	B-Application
development	I-Application
kit	I-Application
(	O
SDK	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
SDK	O
allows	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
modified	O
in	O
various	O
ways	O
,	O
from	O
model	O
and	O
texture	O
changes	O
,	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
new	O
maps	O
to	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
an	O
entirely	O
different	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
coding	O
framework	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
known	O
as	O
total	O
conversion	O
modifications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
as	O
a	O
total	O
conversion	O
modification	O
for	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
,	O
and	O
is	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
,	O
a	O
total	O
conversion	O
modification	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
of	O
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
conducted	O
by	O
a	O
small	O
team	O
of	O
developers	O
,	O
who	O
produced	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
range	O
of	O
programming	O
,	O
art	O
,	O
modelling	O
,	O
texturing	O
and	O
sound	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
14	O
October	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
announced	O
that	O
version	O
2.3	O
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
II	I-Application
would	O
be	O
built	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
used	O
by	O
The	B-Application
Orange	I-Application
Box	I-Application
,	O
allowing	O
for	O
more	O
advanced	O
graphical	O
effects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
version	O
2.3	O
is	O
integrated	O
in	O
Valve	O
's	O
Steamworks	O
program	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
directly	O
distributed	O
through	O
Steam	B-Application
,	O
free	O
to	O
customers	O
who	O
own	O
a	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
based	O
game	O
by	O
Valve	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
II	I-Application
has	O
received	O
a	O
positive	O
reception	O
from	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
reviewer	O
also	O
gave	O
credit	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
colorful	O
,	O
vivid	O
graphical	O
style	O
"	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
the	O
team	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
created	O
some	O
"	O
truly	O
breathtaking	O
views	O
"	O
on	O
maps	O
that	O
were	O
also	O
well	O
designed	O
from	O
a	O
gameplay	O
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
their	O
article	O
on	O
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
writer	O
described	O
the	O
new	O
classes	O
added	O
for	O
this	O
later	O
version	O
as	O
exciting	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
putting	O
forward	O
the	O
view	O
that	O
the	O
redesigned	O
melee	O
system	O
introduced	O
in	O
beta	O
2.0	O
had	O
"	O
potential	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stating	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
rampant	O
silliness	O
and	O
absurd	O
title	O
hide	O
a	O
remarkably	O
robust	O
and	O
satisfying	O
melee	O
game	O
"	O
,	O
the	O
writer	O
even	O
put	O
forward	O
that	O
the	O
pirate	O
captain	O
's	O
parrot	B-Language
was	O
"	O
in	O
hot	O
competition	O
with	O
[	O
Half-Life	O
2's ]	O
gravity	O
gun	O
for	O
best	O
video	O
game	O
weapon	O
ever	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
article	O
published	O
on	O
their	O
Planet	O
Half-Life	B-Application
website	O
on	O
the	O
GameSpy	O
network	O
,	O
IGN	O
echoed	O
much	O
of	O
this	O
positiveness	O
for	O
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
describing	O
the	O
public	O
beta	O
2.0	O
version	O
as	O
"	O
well	O
polished	O
and	O
balanced	O
"	O
,	O
noting	O
the	O
optimization	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
design	O
and	O
the	O
reworked	O
melee	O
system	O
as	O
effective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
reviewer	O
also	O
praised	O
the	O
graphics	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
had	O
been	O
used	O
to	O
create	O
"	O
awe	O
inspiring	O
visuals	O
"	O
and	O
describing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
models	O
as	O
fantastic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Without	O
any	O
criticism	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
review	O
closed	O
stating	O
"	O
Pirates	B-Application
,	I-Application
Vikings	I-Application
and	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
here	O
to	O
stay	O
and	O
is	O
setting	O
up	O
a	O
very	O
attractive	O
shop	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
