Progression, potential, new toys, crafting and the future.

  • MasterCheef3951
    Sailor

    I believe sea of thieves needs more things like Captaincy. Some kind of long term "investment" and ALMOST rpg like features. Of course stats wont work and other things of that nature, but maybe crafting? I think that could be very very cool if done right. Craft your own rowboats. Craft certain customization options locked specifically behind that system. Craft balls and planks and fireworks. Craft cool new toys?! Think like, a map table you can place anywhere. A tent you can pitch with a spot to cook and maybe even respawn at? Craft a CANNON that can be placed(only) on land? Even an easel that you could set down and paint whatever you have in front of you and then place inside your ship as a trinket? It sounds sooo cool to me, and doesn't break what sea of thieves is in my opinion. Would be awesome. Much more trinket style customization would also be good, many more spots to place them and maybe some interactive stuff. Some sort of deepening of the pet system as well. Perhaps they can swing on ropes, fly around the ship, pick up items on the beach, etc. These things make people invest. Give people tiers to grind, tracks to progress and cool new toys to unlock. Make raid content and things of that nature. More reputations, expand pvp systems, expand the map. How cool would a snowy, iceberg ridden region be? I really like the idea of capturing a fort as well and possibly having to defend it. Minor, session based territory control could be really unique and cool.

    Think on all this stuff. I see huge potential for more toys to play with in the sandbox that is sea of thieves and people could create awesome stories with these new items. The future could hold some incredible things for Sea of Thieves.

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  • GoldsMen
    Captain
    Insider

    Im fairly reserved for crafting in this game, it would be bad to make it a crafting heavy game. The only idea i think would work for crafting would be if it was very expensive, and more like a sort of shop, like if say you took a crate of cannon balls and some hard to get magic item to someone, and it could create maby 5 curse balls. But i dont want a easily used crafting system to just load up on supplies.

    A lot of these ideas feel too much like a survival game and i feel that would be too different from what the game actually is. As for an ice zone, that has been requested before, and i always respond all the same, we are in the tropics and a whole region of ice would feel odd.

  • ZiG ZaG LTU
    Commander
    Insider

    Yeah I dont appreciate the crafting idea unless we could use existing cosmetics to combine them with another one, for example Ashen curse + gold curse, or Ashen Variant of Soulflame costume as an example, although the first one would be an interesting addition, the second one would work better as a standalone cosmetic, especially if we had Devils Roar Fotd as an example.

    So yeah if we could 'craft' two curses together, or turn some weapon cosmetics into phantom variants would be great. I just dont see taking a cannonball and mixing it with a skull and snake meat to be a valuable addition to the game, not even talking about asking devs to create a bunch of new items for crafting

  • MasterCheef3951
    Sailor

    I think you are misunderstanding entirely what I meant about crafting. I am talking about crafting "toys." Things like rowboats, map tables, tents, cooking stations, maybe even a grog keg. The customizations was just one of the things I was suggesting, if it wasn't a balanced experience I wouldn't want it. In my opinion there is too much "purism" among gamers in general. The idea sea of thieves should stay the same forever and just keep piling on cosmetics in the shop without any fun new gameplay systems makes a game go stale and eventually people no longer spend money in that shop and the game dies. personally I feel a light crafting system fits see of thieves perfectly. I am not trying to make a survival game or anything else of that nature. Though it made me think that possibly the ability to craft specialty foods or potions could also be cool. Things that give little boosts like move speed, jump height, etc. I am talking about adding fun new systems to engage with. I don't want it to be "crafting heavy." My entire intention is a "side-system."

  • Tybald
    Marauder
    Insider

    The key SoT game loot is:

    Sail your ship into the SoT from an outpost to "do stuff" while overcoming obstacles. (Storms, monsters, other players). Return to the outpost to turn in the stuff for rewards. Rinse and Repeat.

    The key for new content is finding a way to fit it into the "do stuff" area, and it's an area where I think some improvement can happen. I think old content (voyages, original trading companies) have gone stale, and need to be revamped, or at least, given an injection of new content that doesn't fade in relevance once achievements are gone.

    The game is at it's best when it's full of ships out doing their own variety of things and interacting naturally within the world. When the gameplay settles into too many people doing the same small sub-set of things, is where it falls off.

    A light crafting system that allows for "tools" to be built for the game, helps overcome obstacles while doing "other stuff." See: https://www.seaofthieves.com/community/forums/topic/157494/controversial-idea-crafting

    I'm not a supporter of ladders to climb, because once climbed, they are no longer relevant. I'm a larger fan of loops creating community choices that then have to be re-made (through gameplay) every couple of weeks. Things like which company had the most stuff done for it? Make the community rewards for such choices competing and compelling, and it gives you more things to do in the world, more reasons for people to get out and do their own things, and encourage more natural interactions.

  • MasterCheef3951
    Sailor

    @tybald You totally get it. This is exactly what I mean. Little tools to forward gameplay within the loop. These tools could create interactions. Provide means for creative community content and incentivize adventure. The search for crafting materials fits the gameplay loop perfectly and then using those tools to achieve your goals of finding treasure and returning home safely sounds so fun. We could possibly set up a beach cannon to defend our ship in an emergency while digging up treasure. Set down a tent to respawn after a hard fight vs skellies on land. Craft a rowboat to bring back sensitive trade goods to the ship or to simply move our loot faster. All of these things fall perfectly within what sea of thieves is about. I do think interesting cooking and maybe brewing options sounds very cool as well. Finding ingredients to mix together to create fun potions or helpful foods etc, of course ensuring it is all balanced and available to all. I do not think it is a good idea for these things to ever turn in to, "whoever has the most of this potion, wins."

  • MasterCheef3951
    Sailor

    @tybald I like what you had to say about the ladders to climb as well. Which company had the most stuff done sounds better. Maybe that could open up content to that company not otherwise doable.

  • Tybald
    Marauder
    Insider

    @mastercheef3951
    My opinions on crafting are that a crafted item should be:
    Unique.
    Time intensive to gather for (i.e. multiple locations, spread across the seas to obtain).
    Powerful.
    Consumable.
    Steal-able

    Unique means that they offer a unique option in the gameplay. They offer a powerful, but interesting choice, one that makes it worthwhile to gather the components to make them. Gathering a bunch of simple plant materials to make a 'strength potion' isn't interesting. It's just a buff. Every item should be a discussion

    "Do you guys want to make gliders? "
    "Those are cool, but you realize that means we have to get bamboo from the shores of plenty and ultralight cloth from the devil's roar, right? It's a pain."
    "Yes, but last time Pedro dropped a keg on them from the air"
    "And the last 5 times he was shot out of the air, losing one of the gliders"

  • Tybald
    Marauder
    Insider

    @mastercheef3951
    Here is a better explanation of Loops vs Ladder climbs. :)

    https://www.seaofthieves.com/community/forums/topic/157752/loops-instead-of-ladders

  • Foambreaker
    Sailor

    The base problems with crafting and SoT are persistence between sessions and the lack of an economy or even trading.

    Cooking food that will be eaten in the session or sold to NPCs works.

    Crafting a rowboat, to be lost on logout? No.

  • D3ADST1CK
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder

    @foambreaker said in Progression, potential, new toys, crafting and the future.:

    Crafting a rowboat, to be lost on logout? No.

    The only way this is viable is if Rare decided to reduce the spawn rates of rowboats across the board to make it worth bothering to craft one.

    However, given changes they have made in the last few months I doubt they are going to add tediously collecting crafting materials to get the same convenience players currently enjoy just by finding a rowboat when they seem more focused on just making things quicker to get into for everyone.

    Crafting works in games where the game is designed around it. I think what players are willing to tolerate with crafting is limited in a game like this one.

  • MasterCheef3951
    Sailor

    @foambreaker But the whole point is that it is lost. That is exactly why crafting would be okay to add without balance issues.

  • MasterCheef3951
    Sailor

    @d3adst1ck I mean the way I am imagining this system it would be fine if they are still common. It's just an option available to all, to make some of the already existing tools and to be able to make some new ones as well. It'd be nice to be able to make a stool for example.

  • ZiG ZaG LTU
    Commander
    Insider

    @mastercheef3951 I'm certainly not a 'purist' or 'gatekeeper' as some wish to call pirates here. Just trying to be realistic in what Rare have done/would do. If we could 'craft' rowboats or our own kegs of grog, those would have to become permanent additions and not just for a single session. Creating brand new items for that to be available seems like a massive task for little reward to developers and would change the current idea of the game. I personally really want to have personal permanent rowboats and more custimization to the ship like harpoons, the lower decks etc. But I don't think that 'crafting' is the right approach although an interesting one. Having some game activity related commendations or achievements to have different colored harpoons,lower deck ship walls, grog barrels etc would be great!

  • MasterCheef3951
    Sailor

    I mean it just seems like what you are envisioning is not an accurate picture of what I am trying to say. Why would the crafted items HAVE to be permanent? These things could just be little tools you could make to aid you in your session. I do not think it would be "little reward" for the devs, I think in fact it would help drive players to continue engaging with the game, which is good for them. It's also not that massive of a task.. I mean all game development is tedious, but adding this system is not a massive amount more work than any of the other systems they have added. It's at least similar in difficulty to captaincy for example, which is clearly doable. Though yes, it's a big update? I think it is being written off because you specifically don't like crafting, as opposed to it being something that actually doesn't fit in the game. Which is fine, but I'd state that instead of claiming that for an obscure reason it doesn't fit sea of thieves or that it is too much work. Not trying to pick a fight or anything I am just stating that I cannot see how this is not a workable system or is somehow a negative addition to the game. Many of us would love this.

  • MasterCheef3951
    Sailor

    I have noticed in nearly every thread there are people trying to keep the game exactly how it is right now with little to no exciting features, despite how stale the gameplay loop can become quickly. Sea of Thieves suffers from not being a main game for many, it is something people come jump into, love admittedly, and then move on. Things like this could keep interest for longer periods of time for people.

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