I’m re-reading The Hobbit right now, and I’m realizing how well the design principles of Sea of Thieves would work in a fantasy setting.
Most fantasy games (D&D, WoW, Elder Scrolls) are focused on progression. By the time you’re maxed out, you’re wielding stat-ed out weapons, casting meteor storms, fighting gods.
But man, in The Hobbit, the rock Bilbo picks up is as good as an enchanted sword. An adventure is as subtle as trying to retrieve a boat from the other side of a river.
I would love to see a traditional fantasy adventure game with a horizontal progression system that focuses on these smaller moments. Where you DON’T level up. Where awesome magic is simply a glowing sword that works a little better. And the most crazy magic in the game is a ring that makes you invisible. A fantasy game that gives you simple tools and small scenarios and weaves in interpersonal interaction to somehow make it feel like a huge adventure.
The genius of SoT is its simplicity. I really hope it becomes a game design trend elsewhere.
