Ahoy!
I am posting today with a small suggestion that I believe will enhance the pirate experience and bring a new level of authenticity to the game.
As a Naturalist for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), North America's largest and most trusted conservation non-profit, I have a passion for ensuring that wildlife, ecology, and conservation is accurately represented in media. I noticed long ago that a recorded clip of a marsh wren song is commonly used for many of the game's islands. As an evolutionary biologist who has studied bird song for many years-- including those of marsh wrens-- I wanted to point out that this particular species does not live in the Caribbean, where the game is set!
I believe that accurate representation of wildlife in media is important for a couple of reasons. Not only does it provide a more authentic, immersive, and enjoyable experience for players, but it also has the potential to educate and raise awareness about different species and their habitats. The birds of the Caribbean are beautiful and vociferous, and I think they deserve to be represented in such an amazing and influential game.
With that in mind, I'd like to suggest an alternative bird song that would be more fitting for the game's setting: The Puerto Rican Bullfinch (Loxigilla portoricensis). This is a very common bird in Puerto Rico, and its song is strange and ethereal, capturing the enchanting feel of an exotic Caribbean island. You can listen to a sample of this species' song here, which is even freely available for commercial use: https://xeno-canto.org/737279
If you want to see what this colorful little bird looks like, check this out: https://ebird.org/species/purbul1
I understand that making a change like this might take time and effort, which is why I was originally hesitant to make this suggestion. However, I was recently encouraged to post on this forum by a wonderful member of the CS team, who seemed to enjoy this bird as much as I do. I wanted to share their lovely response to my request:
"I admit, I think I take birdsong for granted. I've often thought of them as more of a nuisance than anything else, but then I listened to that clip you provided and then I ended up in a bit of a Youtube rabbit hole looking up videos of these lil' fellas. They have really nicely coloured eggs, which surprised me.
It is clear that you're incredibly passionate about what you do and that passion is absolutely infectious, as I said I ended up watching a fair few Youtube videos and now people are looking at me funny. Still, I am now convinced that birds are OK. At least this one, anyway."
This person admitted that such a change is not guaranteed, but has already done my a favor by passing on my feedback. But we figured it couldn't hurt to share the idea even further!
EDIT: For those curious, you can hear the in-game marsh wren song I am talking about here:
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Marsh Wren Sounds, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Marsh Wren Sounds, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The pugnacious Marsh Wren clings to wetland vegetation, tail cocked and legs splayed, often with each foot wrapped around a different stalk. This rusty-brown wren has black-and-white streaks down its back and a white eyebrow. It sings a rapid-fire gurgling, trilling, and buzzy song from the depths...
