Starting in October, Frogster will be hosting in-game events in Bounty Bay Online at least once per month that will run in addition to the popular hunting events that are already available every Wednesday and Sunday. These new in-game events will cover a wide range of activities, including scavenger hunts, pirates attacks, plague epidemics and wild animals.

Details of the events will be announced in-game right before they start on the servers. According to the game's Web site, the events will mostly run in the late afternoon and conclude in the evening. More information can be found after the jump.

The Bounty Bay Online team has revealed information on the five character classes that will be introduced in the Beyond the Horizon expansion, which is scheduled to be released in the fourth quarter of this year. According to the announcement, each of the new classes will receive its own individual skill tree that players can use to expand on their abilities in land combat, sea combat and crafting. Here's some information on each new class:

• The Royal Military Officer is a master of firearms and the sword. He specializes in the use of cannons in sea combat.
• The Imperial Guardian is adept in the use of the sabre, axe and sword. The class has special grappling hook abilities in sea combat.
• The Caribbean Pirate enjoys close combat and uses the sabre or axe. In sea combat he is skilled in close combat with cannons and has ramming and grappling hook abilities.
• The Treasure Hunter's strengths lie in the use of cannons at a long distance. The explorer has abilities with sea mines and ramming tactics. He is a sharpshooter with pistols and is valuable in group combat.
• The Armed-Businessman is a strong defensive class. He can repair and improve ships and heal seafarers. He provides supporting roles in group combat.

Bounty Bay Online players can look forward to a new major expansion 'Beyond the Horizon" that's set to be released in Q4 of 2009. Within their newest planned expansion, adventurers can now venture into the Pacific Ocean! Frogster will also add six new cities on the shore of North and South America, as well as more new content and new features. In addition to this, they are planning on adding a new instanced quest line in the legendary lands of the Maya, the Labyrinth on Crete and the Caves of Gibraltar. The team has also announced five new character classes (called professions) in Beyond the Horizon; players can now become a Treasure Hunter, Armed Businessman, Royal Military Officer, Imperial Guardian or Caribbean Pirate. Each of these professions will have their own skill-tree of specialties. Finally, the team plans to implement two merchant alliances, the Iberian and the Arabian merchant alliance, where players can declare their loyalties for one or the other, and then gain access to special quest lines that give great rewards. Frogster has also mentioned that Beyond the Horizon will bring a new wedding system, new wardrobe / clothes sets, several new mini-games, several new pets, a ranking system and over 40 new main quests.

Ahoy mateys! Bounty Bay Online is currently celebrating its two-year anniversary, and there's all sorts of gifts and festivities to enjoy in honor of the occasion. Starting today you'll receive double experience point for all the monsters you kill for a full week.

As an added bonus, players on the free-to-play "Mary Read" server will receive a credit of 22 item shop points. Also, according to a press release, "all players are called upon to recount their most original anecdotes from the time since release. The best story will be rewarded with 500 credit points for the item shop."

The large colony expansion was just released in January, so there are plenty of reasons to check out Bounty Bay Online in the midst of this anniversary celebration.

As we have previously reported, Bounty Bay gets a whole lot bigger starting today. Guilds are now going to get the ability to set up their own colonies that the natives will simply destroy. Obviously I am joking, but we hope they keep it in mind for their next expansion. With any guilds' progress, the colony progresses as well, by changing in-look and in-feel. The commerce will change based upon the guilds' progress, and when a pirate is in need of a little tail-tucking, they can just run back to their home colony! The addon will be 500 megabytes, and will be available as soon as one logs on today.

“The add-on is basically interesting for casual gamers as well as for hard core gamers with guilds, cause there will be a lot of new content added. Small guilds, which had disadvantages in city sieges will get a possibility to create new markets, because there will be a lot more colonies to populate than there were cities to conquer.”

Those of you interested should check out the trailer located here. Sounds like it is an exciting time to be a pirate!

Source: Bounty Bay Online Forums

The second large expansion for Bounty Bay Online will be released on Jan. 15, and it will allow guilds to establish their own colonies. Frogster has released a trailer for the expansion, which can be viewed here. Here's some information on the expansion from a press release:

With the upcoming content package, player guilds will be able to establish entire colonies complete with towns and harbours in the historical explorer setting. The update allows guilds to create their individual home territory and retreat, as well as a profitable trading base. Once created, guilds choose the appearance of their own colonies and control their development and commercial policies.

More information on the content package can be found in this thread on the official forum.

Frogster has announced that its free colony expansion for Bounty Bay Online will be released on Jan. 15, 2009. It will be installed automatically with the patcher tool, so all you need to do is play the game to enjoy the add-on.

With this comprehensive expansion, player guilds will be able to establish their own colonies with towns and harbours in the historical sailor world. Once created, guilds decide not only upon their appearance but also upon their in-game progress and their commercial policy. Mighty guilds hereby create their individual home territory and retreat as well as a profitable trading base.

The addition of colonies will give players an intricate way to both enhance their attributes and interact with their guild members. It sounds like a great addition for Bounty Bay Online. Keep reading below for a full press release regarding the colony expansion.

Ready to take on the challenge of a new game, but a little apprehensive about starting out as a newbie all over again? Bounty Bay Online understands your fears, and has made it easier for new players to get started in their high seas adventure game with helpful starter packs.

Berlin, 2008-07-11: For newcomers on the virtual Seven Seas, there is a brandnew starter-kit available in the Bounty Bay Online webshop. For an unbeatable price of 25 points ingame-currency, inexperienced sailors can get a massive tailwind on their journeys and their first few days in the free-2-play version of the game. With a virtual jewel set, compressed provisions, clothing, a double experience-point scroll and a powerful figurehead, players receive a significant power-boost for their first ingame challenges. Thus the starter- kit makes entering the world of Bounty Bay Online a lot easier and supports players on land as well as on the high seas. New Sailors will be well equipped for the first levels and all the tasks they are facing will almost be a piece of cake. Especially their progress in the game will be accelerated substantially. Equipped with the starter-kit, no one can stop you now! To the shop, this way: www.bountybayonline.co.uk .

About Bounty Bay Online With Bounty Bay Online players enter the Age of Discovery, beginning in the early part of the 15th century. PC players are able to choose a career as a merchant, sailor, fisherman or pirate and make their online fortune on the seven seas. Thousands of discoveries on all continents of the world are waiting to be explored. Bounty Bay Online features a unique trade system based on supply and demand. With the exciting PvP system, strong guilds can take control of cities and choose for themselves how they are governed. More info: www.bountybayonline.co.uk

"Storm Island" is waiting, full of adventure and danger - however, BBO's virtual heroes are ready for the challenge. In the upcoming free add-on for Bounty Bay Online there are 22 new sub-skills, enabling the gamer to customise the character to one's individual gaming style. For example, "regeneration" raises the healing rate 25 % per level. Online merchants can increase the capacity of their ship with "Fishing Training", and "Alchemist spirit" raises the amount of energy available.

Bounty Bay Online now has its own Facebook group.
There you can exchange thoughts with Bounty Bay players from all over the world and actively take part in the creation and shaping of the group.