In the past Falcore has brought up the "Ice Zone" as comedic sarcasm, but in this video points out that with the portals it would be possible to expand to Sea of Thieves world since the current map size is restricted. He also has expressed the of the overuse of "bullet sponges" or "piñatas" to obtain loot and items, which can make any new threat boring after the first few times. In some of the videos I've watched he suggests crafting or obtaining a special tool or weapon to defeat a threat, much in the line of the Fort of the Damned, and this video is along the same lines, instead of going from point A to B to find and kill the bullet sponge, why not introduce different mechanics and expand the variety of challenges to appeal to a wider player base? It's about "new and interesting ways" after all.
My idea for the portals is to expand the map into "chapters." I started playing last Feb. and have missed out on the many storylines for Merrick, Duke, the Warsmith, etc. I know I'm not the only one feeling left behind and lost to the history and lore of the game. All the hard work Rare has put into these past updates to introduce new features are now gone for good? It would be nice to allow the newer players to revisit these past events (minus the original cosmetic rewards which should remain exclusively for those that participated in the event when it was first introduced).
Similarly, there's a lot of veteran players that have defeated Flameheart many times and are tired of seeing and hearing him, lol. Using the portal system or expanding the start menu to create a chapter system would be a great addition to progress the story while retaining the earlier chapters for the new players. It would help the ease boredom of the seasoned players with a new map to explore, new threats and new lore to learn, and give everyone the incentive to complete those accommodations to earn access to the new chapters, much like we earn the shanty to unlock the Legend's Hangout (which is too easy now).... Might I also add that the Legends needs some serious love and attention. I felt like the kid in Christmas Story... I mean, the excitement of finally receiving my decoder ring, only to learn it was all just hype to buy more stuff. Hey, why not put a portal in there? Or rather, at the start menu you can choose to go to chapter 2 (like you can now chose the Pirate's Life or Maiden Voyage from there), and you wake up inside the Legend's Hangout where your ship will be waiting for you at the dock, and you sail out through the waterfall into the new world like One-Eyed Willy in the Goonies?
