Same boat here - hell, my Combat rogue ground out the Bloodsail Admiral rep. He’s that much of a pirate. Buuuuuut…
Turning the whole spec. into hard themed, everyone-who-plays-this-is-now-explicitly-a-pirate really ruined that notion. When everyone is a pirate, the pirates don’t matter. Turning it from a thematic choice to the bland default of everyone destroyed the meaning and impact of the whole idea.
Combat was better because being more generic means you’re free to make your rogue into whatever he or she wants. Sure, you could be a pirate, or you could be a ninja, or a fancy dualist, a spy with a thing for swords… “Combat” was whatever you wanted it to be. “Outlaw” is just 'Hey, Pirates of the Caribean is still cool, right guys?"
Also, Roll the Bones can die in a fire.