Raising the Ladder

Adding this type of option is annoying to deal with. Having raised ladders as an option simple removes a lot of avenues of playing. Why lower them at all if its safer to just keep them up always? This completely takes away all stealth aspect in a game already not designed around stealth.

The problem I have with this boarding axe suggestion, is that however you design it, its going to be loud. You would have to be deaf and/or incompetent to let a player get away with it.

@warpig8811

@nabberwar well they cant always be up if you are doing island stuff. The ladder will have to be down to get back on. I always feel bad for the crew member that has to pull security on the ship while others get to explore and battle.

Mermaids and Harpoons bypass this, if the goal is security, I will never lower them at all if I can.

@nabberwar I think a better solution would be to add mini cannons to the front and back of ships so when you are chasing or being chased it's not just people trying to board or hoping they make a mistake turning etc.....

@d3adst1ck I know that but I am talking about when your in a chase and it's exactly that...... a chase for 30 minutes or more. There should be a way to attack from the front and back of the ship like in real life they had mini cannons for this exact thing. The problem is when someone runs from you you just follow or go the same direction but not directly behind them, but it's boring after 10 minutes. There really needs to be a way to slow running ships down and to stymie the attack if you are getting chased, make it balanced but at least some sort of option to break up the monotony of chasing someone down or being chased.

@d3adst1ck Wow you are just not getting it. Duh you just turn around and pursue someone else which is exactly what I do all the time because there is no alternative fun way to catch a boat or fight off a boat unless you are side to side. We are suggesting stuff to add to the game and you are saying everything as it stands is perfect, so we know how you feel and I wont be responding to you anymore.

@suffer951 if you sail better and they do not sail perfectly you can catch up, with harpoons you can even lash on. Eventually the wind will turn or the map runs out and they will have to turn.

The whole point of being aware in defense, is so that your target can take off with enough of a head start that you cannot catch up. What was your line of approach, etc. They are playing well, they don't want to fight. It is an open world, they can decide what they want to do and you can decide what you want to do... if you don't like their actions, adapt. You can try a different approach next time, try to trick them, go do something else or stay on course.

@warpig8811 said in Raising the Ladder:

I do really love this game but what is absolutely frustrating is chasing another ship and having to deal with other player mermaiding their way of to my ship.

I am not asking to strip out boarding because that is a thrilling aspect of the game. However, just having the ability to jump out of your ship and attempt to board and having the mermaid as a safety net seriously dampens the fun of ship to ship combat.

If you are willing to ram my ship and board I am all for that. If you want to sneak on while I am docked, again I like it. But what is the point of even having cannons and trying to sink other players if it's super easy to board?

I dont know what the answer is but I also do not want a significant part of the game for others to be taken out but this feels totally out of balance.

Maybe some sort of "boarding axe" that allows you to climb up but takes a weapon slot? Or nerf the mermaid distance to you have to think twice about bailing out? Or what about ropes to swing over? I honestly do not know but I really love this game and my crew really enjoys the combat but a night gets ruined quickly when on the third or fourth battle one guy is on the look out for a mermaid and not engaged with the upcoming battle.

you said nothing about the title of the post

@warpig8811

@nabberwar again I dont have the answers. But, I do know that some nights all the engagements are just boarding by mermaiding over. So what's the point of even having cannons?

Regardless of boarding, cannons still remain the number one tool in sinking ships. If all you do is board, you severely limit your boat sinking capabilities with what limited options you have. Those being fire, kegs, or driving their ship into obstacles. Fire and Kegs are a hit or miss depending if you brought them or the ship has them. Fire takes ages to sink a ship, so that is unreliable. Kegs aren't a guarantee, not everyone carries them. Ramming ashore barely puts holes in.

With the current state of the game, right now, boarding and interfering with ship repairs remains necessary when sinking ships. Competent crews will not sink through cannon-fire alone. Even with my day 1 experience, the only people that sink through cannon-fire alone are almost always bad crews. I've never ran into a good crew that won't sink without boarding and interfering with repairs.

The solution is to learn how to guard ladders, not have Rare make a system to make up for players own handicaps.

@warpig8811 no, what I am stating is that if someone flees from you they are playing well based on their own style. It isn't on them to let the chaser catch up so they can be robbed. It is on the aggressor to catch them. Also avoiding boarding parties is not extremely difficult if you pay attention or just simply do not be in a straight line behind them?

The ladders do not need to be pulled up, as unrealistic as it may be to mermaid back to your ship after attempting a board... the same mechanism would be used to deny the ability to board. Permanently having the ladders up, use a harpoon or mermaid to get on board. It limits combat options, both offensively and defensively.

If you would provide a boarding axe, grappling hook to players so they can get onto a ship without the need of ladders, sure raise them, but till that point leave it as is.

@cotu42 said in Raising the Ladder:

@warpig8811 no, what I am stating is that if someone flees from you they are playing well based on their own style. It isn't on them to let the chaser catch up so they can be robbed. It is on the aggressor to catch them. Also avoiding boarding parties is not extremely difficult if you pay attention or just simply do not be in a straight line behind them?

The ladders do not need to be pulled up, as unrealistic as it may be to mermaid back to your ship after attempting a board... the same mechanism would be used to deny the ability to board. Permanently having the ladders up, use a harpoon or mermaid to get on board. It limits combat options, both offensively and defensively.

If you would provide a boarding axe, grappling hook to players so they can get onto a ship without the need of ladders, sure raise them, but till that point leave it as is.

aye

What I find annoying is they firebomb you. not a big deal but it's just annoying... That and the fact that they spawn camp you and know exactly where you spawn. I can't tell you how many times this has been ticcking me off, they need to fix this issue I will be coming back form the ship of the damned, black screened I hear fighting still black screened and I spawn back on the ship of the damned not my ship! but on the ship of the damned as if my character is already spawned on the boat before my load screen ends. Anyone else having this issue?

I've been having this issue since their "Festival of giving"

@d3adst1ck said in Raising the Ladder:

@suffer951 Or just don't follow directly behind a ship?

If you're following someone, expect them to try to stop you with boarders and guard the ladders. Problem solved.

This sir u beat me to it.
Change your tactics not game mechanics!
My 2 doubloons on the matter.

@warpig8811

Maybe i need to clarify something or u need to do it.
Their is no way to mermaid to an enemy ship. If u take a mermaid (be it yours or enemy mermaid) U will spawn on your own ship.

Skull N Bones might take (ton of) players.
Thing is SNB and SoT are both pirate games but the core of the game is diffrent.

It depends on the flavor u want. I want SoT but thats me :D

@warpig8811

@weakdexx again it is immersion breaking to use a mermaid to get onto a rival crews ship.
If the upcoming skull and bones is more ship to ship focused we will lose a ton of players to it.

I don't think its fair to compare these games, they only share one thing, a pirate theme. Categorically they are two completely different games with gameplay and style. Sea of Thieves has you operating a ship were you have to physically control every individual aspect from adjusting sails for speed to having to physically lift and lower the anchor. Skull and Bones, you are the ship. Every action is streamlined by a button, something more akin to Assassin's Creed Black Flag. You argue immersion breaking, well becoming the ship breaks that immersion for me. This is usually the case when it comes to Immersion, one man's immersion is not another's. It is a subjective thing. These games really don't compare.

Like any new game that comes out, people will leave to play that if it interest them. However, that isn't really something unique and avoidable. That happens to all games.

@warpig8811

Aye than we at least have a common understanding of what is being said :)

No one is against a good or even better balance. Always a good thing to aim for. We just look diffrently on the balance of ladder usage :)

@warpig8811 You're not the first person to suggest this and won't be the last. The answer is always the same. WATCH LADDERS!!! Chasing after another ship is always risky business because the best strategy the pursued ship has is boarding with a keg or dropping the enemy's anchor. If someone boards your ship and drops anchor, guess what? that's on you. The game's mechanics do not need an overhaul to make up for you or anyone else's shortcomings. WATCH LADDERS!!!