In an agreement reached today, Sony Online Entertainment’s Platform Publishing label will publish Pirates of the Burning Sea, an online game in development at Flying Lab Software. Burning Sea takes place in the New World circa 1720. Choosing one of four nations, players set sail as a naval officer, privateer, merchant adventurer or pirate. The world is huge, with 1,000 missions to undertake and dozens of Caribbean ports to explore.

The combat possibilities, which include real-time ship-to-ship combat and three sword fighting techniques complete with finishing moves, are also extensive. Pirates of the Burning Sea also features a player-run economy in which you can build your own forges, quarries and rum distilleries and manage large-scale production and distribution.

The game’s Conquest system turns ports into battlegrounds, as rivals rack up points through Player vs. Environment missions and then head into a period of Player vs. Player action to determine who takes the port and the resources it provides. If you want cannons, you have to capture the iron, making the Conquest system something that impacts the career of every player. More to come.