Limited PvE Level - Like the Maiden Voyage

The game is rated T... It sucks to have what you did happen, but... No, for all the reasons there shouldn't be PvE servers.

I also feel bad when my crew attacks a ship and we find out little kids are playing. But there is zero way of knowing that as we approach. And as @Chenzo01 stated, this game is rated “T” so this game is not really meant for that age group anyway.

Recently, in the same session with 3 different player ships my crew attacked, we either received Xbox messages from parents saying “their kids were playing, could we please let them be” or in-game chat scolding from a parent who got on their kids mics to tell us their kids just wanted to play before bed and could we please stop attacking.

To be clear, my crew is NOT toxic in any way during our PvP attacks. No radial wheel, game text, or in-game chat taunts. We simply investigate, determine it’s not a Tall Tale boat, and if loot is aboard we attack.

So having parents send messages or scold us in game chat is a bit unwarranted. The game is a PvEvP after all. The parents need to either find an alternative game for their kids or set their kids expectations correctly

I'm all for expanding on Maiden Voyage. It doesn't fully accomplish what it should for new players anyhow. It gives the bare minimum to understanding basic mechanics, but it doesn't allow for little kids to have something they can enjoy.

Yes the game is rated "T" for teen, but that, like many other titles, doesn't stop kids from playing it even with supervision. I needn't remind my fellow friends just how young we were playing Halo: Combat Evolved all those years ago.

It should give the player those mechanics in a fashion that will be encountered. New, young, old.

• Skeletons are on the deck and below deck of the sloop, standing up to attack the player before they can get the repairs finished. (Getting boarded.)
• The Shroud parting should have another island where the player can dock. Explore a bit, and find a treasure. Something small to encourage the seeking of treasure. Maybe even to keep inside your broken chest. (Getting loot and keeping it on the ship.)
• And instead of the Title and black-screen at the end, you get to explore Thieves' Haven, Mutineer Rock, and Booty Isle. The galleon you saw, sails away into the shroud and sinks, telling the player not to do that themselves.

This aspect of the game is all local, not server-based unless they have family/friend sailing with them in this space. There are no players, it is clearly introductory, and the pirate lord tells the player about the world beyond.

• New commendations specific to the Maiden Voyage.
• No commendation progress for Adventure for anything achieved there.
• Light, easy, and motivating.

When the player finishes, they can go into adventure mode with but a word from The Pirate Lord. - GOOD. FLOW.

"Won't you think of the children?" I am kind of tired of this argument. However, I feel like whatever argument I state will probably give the impression that I'm an 'expletive.' Why I dislike this argument, is that it implies someone else's fun is more important than your own. Regardless, if your fun is perfectly compliant with the rules and theme of the game. Its like don't play the game if you dislike the nature of the game. Stealing, fighting, and stealth are perfectly valid ways too approach this game. Someone's age doesn't magically make them immune to those. Its like don't play Uno if you can't handle getting Draw 2 chained into the Shadow Realm. If anything, take this as a opportunity for learning lesson. The world doesn't owe you anything, and its only a game.

Toss in the T/Pegi 12 rating, and you will find that they aren't even the target demographic. Whenever you enter the world of online gaming, you will face a pretty much un-restrained location. You can't physically expect people to stop acting like they normally do when a child somewhat intrudes on a space they aren't supposed to be in. Its like a child at a Bar, people go there with the expectation of a certain experience. Within that experience is usually an environment not suited for said child. Said child experiences said environment, now whose fault is it that child got exposed? The people that belong to the environment, or the parents that brought them into it? This would be different if Sea of Thieves actually advertised and built their world for children, but they didn't. Look at Club Penguin for the example, an environment built for the sole purpose for the well being of its young user base. Online gaming in general just isn't a good environment for children.

I just don't think a game/developer needs to jump through hoops in order to cater too which isn't even its target demographic.

@nabberwar
My suggestion concerning the limited PvE only experience in consideration to OP here isn't saying that I think that we cater to really young kids. I considered an expansion on the overall system of Maiden Voyage to increase the expectations and/or a small experience for everyone to have concerning the game overall.

Just note, this wasn't an argument, it was a suggestion leading toward open discussion about what the poster felt could be done to give this unintended demographic a better place to be, within the confines of realistically applied parental guidance, rather than "the bar" as you said.

So, OP and his crew slaughter some innocents at an outpost then feel remorse because they spoiled a families quality time?
He feels so bad he suggest Maiden Voyage be expanded into a kiddie pool to avoid further angst for those kids?
That sounds like a crutch.

Before they attacked, OP could've sent a scout to assess the threat level, instead of just lighting them up.
After slaughtering kids, OP could've apologized and offered loot to appease the offended.

This reminds me of when Gandalf gave Frodo the elven sword Sting and told him: "Sometimes it is wiser to know when not to take a life."

Maybe check for kids next time. Use a little verbal finesse. Communicate.

Or not.

@amendelwyr this game doesn't need hand holding. the people playing need to know they can win or they can lose.

The maiden voyage is a complete waste of time and resources.

@wavestalker What mentality do you refer? I stated we’re not toxic in any way. My crew sends people off to investigate before we make any aggressive moves. If the players are empty, doing a Tall Tale, or are clearly very new at the game, we give them an “Ahoy!” and move on. If the ship chooses to hold a bunch of loot on board, then it’s fair game.

You are seemingly making the assumption that I have this elitist or exclusive mentality about Sea of Thieves. The more players playing, the better. I’m all for it. But if parents want to allow their pre-teen kids to play this game, they need to do a better job of managing their kids expectations on what could happen if they choose to play this game. It can be quite rough on the seas, which given all of the PvE server talk I see on the forums, many players struggle with that reality.

@wavestalker sorry I sink nearly every ship I come across. every once in a blue moon, like 1 in 30 I will be nice. my mind set is that:

some people are pirates and some people are content. which do you wanna be?

@comrade-molly said in Limited PvE Level - Like the Maiden Voyage:

I actually support something like this, I'd go so far as to even say that it should be a whole region (Ancient Isles makes the most sense) and function as an "extended tutorial", single player mode; let them have access to very basic voyages that take them to 1 island and have 3 of the lowest tier loot only (Foul skulls, castaways chests, or in the case of merchant alliance, special tutorial versions of each thing that are worth very little and help explain how to treat the deliveries; 1 bottles, 1 cloth, 1 plant)

I don't want a robust PVE mode, ... an optional, advanced tutorial for people who aren't good self-directed learners, but it would also double as a way to keep people who just want access to an outpost from taking up a spot on an active server...

Exactly what I think the game could use. ;) - It would also help with player retention. Imagine if more players who were new got experiences like what Mason provides here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT2U0Vlzioc - Is it crazy? Yes. Yes it is. But, you know that that guy will now play for forever because of that experience.

@amendelwyr said in Limited PvE Level - Like the Maiden Voyage:

I'm all for expanding on Maiden Voyage. It doesn't fully accomplish what it should for new players anyhow. It gives the bare minimum to understanding basic mechanics, but it doesn't allow for little kids to have something they can enjoy.

Yes the game is rated "T" for teen, but that, like many other titles, doesn't stop kids from playing it even with supervision. I needn't remind my fellow friends just how young we were playing Halo: Combat Evolved all those years ago.

It should give the player those mechanics in a fashion that will be encountered. New, young, old.

• Skeletons are on the deck and below deck of the sloop, standing up to attack the player before they can get the repairs finished. (Getting boarded.)
• The Shroud parting should have another island where the player can dock. Explore a bit, and find a treasure. Something small to encourage the seeking of treasure. Maybe even to keep inside your broken chest. (Getting loot and keeping it on the ship.)
• And instead of the Title and black-screen at the end, you get to explore Thieves' Haven, Mutineer Rock, and Booty Isle. The galleon you saw, sails away into the shroud and sinks, telling the player not to do that themselves.

This aspect of the game is all local, not server-based unless they have family/friend sailing with them in this space. There are no players, it is clearly introductory, and the pirate lord tells the player about the world beyond.

• New commendations specific to the Maiden Voyage.
• No commendation progress for Adventure for anything achieved there.
• Light, easy, and motivating.

When the player finishes, they can go into adventure mode with but a word from The Pirate Lord. - GOOD. FLOW.

@wavestalker we have pirate hunters they are called reapers

@wavestalker said in Limited PvE Level - Like the Maiden Voyage:

This game has no real time social element.

??????

What do you define as a real-time social element? The fact that you can talk to others allows you to pretty much do anything as long as you to negotiate the terms of your truce, and what you want to do. That's pretty good in a sandbox. I get plenty of social interactions. Like the time I had 3 sloop crews join on one sloop to take down Flameheart. Or the time a fellow gold hoarder emissary helped me loot a vault. Or when I introduced myself to a brig doing a Tall Tale and handed them loot. Or when I teamed up with a sloop to take on a reaper brig that had been bothering both of us. I'm not sure what you mean. It's up to you to go out and try to make social interactions. The game won't just hand it to you.