I'm going to post this here instead of reviving the thread I originally made. It's honestly been disheartening that I haven't been able to enjoy any PvE events - holiday or world - because nearly every time I try, someone kills me on sight. I haven't even logged in recently, and with IRL stress, I haven't felt up to arguing in the thread I'd made. So. Here goes.
I don't see the issue in PvE servers. Or PvP servers. It'd match players with like-minded players and encourage them to interact with the aspect of the community they prefer. Toxic players can find toxic players. Social players can fine social players. Hell, roleplayers could find roleplayers all the easier. New players would find a more welcoming atmosphere to learn the game in, and they'd be able to make the choice to play on servers where they're more likely to engage in PvP.
People are saying that PvE servers would let everyone go play on those and ruin PvP, but, from what I've seen, there's enough people interested in PvP to keep those servers active. Unless PvPers don't want to engage with each other and instead simply take delight in ruining a PvE-er's day?
I apologize if this gets rambling. I'm not looking to whine, I'm looking to explain the mindset of PvE-focused players and offer suggestions for gameplay adjustments and propositions for consideration.
"Oh, here we go again-"
Yes. I know. You're tired of hearing from new players that PvP makes the game less enjoyable. I agree that there's a risk it adds to the game that can make it enjoyable, however, there comes a point where it's downright frustrating. Where the joy of completing something difficult on one's own is snuffed out and the game is simply closed out of.
"It's called the Sea of THIEVES-"
Yes. I know. Thieves steal stuff, hardy-harr. By the definition of the word ‘thief’, you're implying the stealing is supposed to be done covertly. You know what isn't covert? Mugging. With firebombs. Though I suppose it's covert when they can't see you because you shoot them in the back just after they loaded in?
"It's a game about pirates-"
Which, if you really want to go that route, pirates tended to target naval and merchant ships, not each other. But I know the game isn't trying to be historically accurate, so let's not go that route, okay?
"It's a PvPvE game-"
Yes. I know.
"You just need to git gud-"
Yes. I could. I could treat this like a FromSoft game and be a general jerk. But, you know what? PvP isn't really for me. It's not why I play games like this - I want the story, the adventure. I accept that PvP is part of the game, so I tend to not bother when someone comes up and starts attacking me. I never even draw my weapon. I'll pull out the hurdy gurdy and play a shanty while they do. I also accept that if they're attacking someone that isn't fighting back, they're just an jerk.
"But they don't know, you might be trying to stab them in the back-"
I mean, I guess. But what does it say about the community that folks are paranoid that other players are going to kill them for the funsies?
"Pay more attention then to what's around you-"
Right. I do make an attempt, but, I'm usually playing alone. I also try to believe in the best in people. Playing solo most of the time, I want to believe that not everyone is going to attack me right off - and sometimes, they don't! We play some shanties, gift some treasure or food, and go on our merry ways. I did have some folks chase me down and ask me to kill them so they could get the pink Flame of Fate - and I still felt bad for killing them, but they asked me to, so..?
"Get thicker skin-"
When I sail solo, fine. I accept that I could very easily be killed and sunk. So I make it a personal rule to not pick up anything I'd be upset about losing. I run around the world. Explore. Do Tall Tales. Run Voyages to get my rank up. Fight megalodons. Battle skeleton crews. And if another player kills me? I get back on my ship and head to a different area of the map.
"You’re just salty-"
No, I'm tired and I work retail, I'm sick of fighting with people by noon.
"You're getting PvE servers anyways-"
Yes. I know. I'm going to be jumping at the chance to use one, even if there is no progression. Because I like to explore. It's what I do. I like to jump on my sloop, go across the seas, and see what happens. I know we won’t get rewards for it, but it's something I'm willing to sacrifice because, honestly, what will the rank get me? More cosmetics? Pirate Lord? Maybe I’ll jump on the regular servers to test my luck once in a while, because sometimes I'm a gambler like that - and I do want to rank up to see what other stories there are. But, I also see a few posts about there not being a gold-sink beyond cosmetics, so do I really need to worry about rushing through content and stockpiling a ton of gold..?
Along that vein, however, I don’t understand why PvE servers can’t have some form of progression in terms of rank/loot? It would need to be balanced by appropriate consequences brought on by enemies/player mistakes, of course - losing gold or reputation if dying on a voyage, maybe restarting a Tall Tale if the player dies too many times attempting it, etc. And it could be reduced somewhat, but, the player is still playing the game. Just not in a way that makes PvPers happy.
"Join an alliance-"
Being the socially awkward (and clinically anxious) potato I am, I prefer to play solo rather than join random teams of strangers I've never talked to.
"Then this game isn't for you-"
Except, in theory, it is? "From the very beginning, we've been determined to make Sea of Thieves a truly welcoming world in which players of any creed, culture, age, skill level and circumstance can voyage without fear of friction or frustration." How I decide to play the game could be considered a creed, same as you. We all have valid ways of playing the game (unless your way of playing the game is via cheating or purposefully harassing others beyond what is necessary to obtain loot). The world is welcoming, the players, less so.
"The devs have already said they don't want to change-"
Yea, I know. Folks are fond of pointing out the design philosophy behind Sea of Thieves and how Rare doesn't want to stray from that. I understand that, and I'm not saying anything needs to be outright changed, per se.
"So what's the point of this post?"
To share thoughts and feedback from a fresh player. Because mindsets like mine are why a fair amount of players are likely going to be either trying to play on PvE servers all the time, or outright quit the game. I can't even get some friends to try it, and my husband only bothers to play sometimes when I do.
Whoever is carrying loot is at risk, in theory - and sometimes even when they're not (I've been sunk without so much as a gem on my ship). But, sometimes, you can be attacked, and the PvPers won't even bother with the loot, they're going for the fight. In that scenario, there's no risk for them whether they live or die.
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I would propose a bounty system. Perhaps for every individual killed/ship sunk (perhaps only once per, so one player respawning and dying multiple times won't count to avoid cheesing it overly much), the attacking crew's bounty increases. Maybe just by 3% or so, or maybe more, depending. % of what? Their individual stores of gold. When another crew kills them/sinks their ship, that crew collects and divides the bounty without accumulating a bounty themselves. Perhaps anyone with a bounty on their head spends longer on the Ferry of the Damned before they're able to respawn - or must wait for their entire crew to be killed before respawning (harsh? maybe, but this is supposed to be a risky thing - harsher still would to have it persist between game sessions if it's not cleared). And perhaps the bounty, like the Reaper's chests, show on the map for bounty hunters to find. Perhaps it could even be related to a new faction?
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I would propose, perhaps, a punishment of sorts for those that target Emissaries of the factions. Nothing major - perhaps the faction would refuse to provide payment or voyages to a crew with bounties on their heads until properly 'compensated' - either with no reward being given for turned-in loot, or paying a sort of fine. Perhaps even a reputation increase for the crew that collects the bounty?
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I would propose a... an ability, I suppose I could call it? Perhaps tied to a particular shanty, that when played, reduces/negates damage taken by the player - but only if they themselves have not drawn a weapon within a set timeframe beforehand - and not something short, to avoid overly abusing it, but perhaps two or three minutes? Or have not dealt damage to anyone or anything within, say, five to seven minutes. Perhaps it also protects the ship if literally every crew member is also able to play it (though this may be weighted in favor of solo players, I suppose, so perhaps they're unable to use it to protect their ship) - but while everyone is playing an instrument, they're unable to do anything else.
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I would propose a 'resupply' option at the outposts or trading posts, where, if your ship is below the beginning amount of supplies it would spawn with, you could pay gold to bring your stores up to at least the minimum amount. This could be limited to once per a timeframe (couple hours?)/session to avoid abusing the resupply option to fill supply chests and the like.
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I would propose a sort of... pre-game alliance option, even for PvPvE servers. Considering how certain bosses scale (particularly with Tall Tales), when I’m doing content with friends, it’d be easier for us to do so on a pair of sloops instead of a galleon. But, there’s no guarantee we’d end up on the same server unless there were some way, after setting up crews and before loading in, to form an alliance to tell the game "we want to play on the same world".
(I would also like to propose the ability to keelhaul my husband when he makes terrible puns, but, that's just for my amusement xD)
