> what's all this British-accented pirate-voice stuff all about?

Gibb, it would bug me too, if I still gave a damn. But those days are over. Like so many other opportunists, talented and otherwise, the game creators are capitalizing on the time-tested "Pirates of the Caribbean," possibly because, in their own minds, British pirates of the amusing Robert Newton/ Johnny Depp variety were rife in the nineteenth century. They made ocean travel fun! ("Which colorful sea-dog do you suppose we'll meet?!")

Long ago I gave up on the idea that anybody can correct the krazy historical notions of pop culture. The best you can hope for is that the few people with more than a passing interest will eventually read the right books and articles.

For the rest, it's all rock 'n' roll to them.

Actually I was pleased that, for performances by uncredited, British-accented, pretend pyrates (the preferred RenFaire spelling, thought to impart as much Xtra authenticity as the ees in "Ye Olde Gifte Shoppe" and "RenFaire"), the couple of renditions I heard sounded relatively natural. (Despite the fake "Timmes!" invented, so far as I can know, by the Clancy Bros. ca1961.)

Just imagine how much worse the pyrate shantying would be in art-song style - the way computer games in the 1920s would have done 'em.

The ripples of your YouTube singing keep spreading. Too bad you can't get any royalty doubloons from the computer guys.