The Tavern’s Treasure Reel, A Slot Machine!

No.

1. This would get the game's age rating changed in some countries, if not get the game outright banned.
2. I don't think Rare wants the bad press that comes with hooking players on gambling.

Gamers are trying to move away from gatchas, lootboxes, and other forms of predatory mechanics. So we should not be adding slot machines, literal gambling machines, to a game that does not need them.

@seathiever said in The Tavern’s Treasure Reel, A Slot Machine!:

Sea of Thieves is rated PEGI 12+, which means it is suitable for players aged 12 and older due to its content. Similarly, the slot game app [mod removed] from the Google Play Store also carries a PEGI 12+ rating. Since this app uses fake money and is designed purely for entertainment, it does not require an age restriction of 18+.

The PEGI rating system is intended to inform parents about the suitability of games for children, and both Sea of Thieves and this slot game align with a 12+ audience due to their non-real-money nature.

Since 2020, any game with Gambling gets hit with PEGI 18.
I'm guessing that slots app is either older, or got around the rating somehow.

It's still ratings, and public image, nightmare for 0 gain.

@seathiever said in The Tavern’s Treasure Reel, A Slot Machine!:

They can add a dedicated area accessible through a door located behind the tavern. This area would be designated for players aged 21 and older, in line with gambling regulations in many countries.

Implementation Steps:

Age Verification:
Players will need to confirm their age by accepting a role or agreement on the game's website. This process will ensure that only players who are 21 and older can access the slot machine feature.

Account Linking:
Microsoft (Xbox) and Rare can easily implement age verification by linking to players' existing Xbox accounts, which contain age information. This will streamline the verification process and prevent underage players from accessing the gambling area.

In-Game Currency:
The slot machine will use doubloons as currency, allowing players to gamble in a fun, risk-free environment. This aligns with the game's existing economy and encourages engagement without involving real money.

Community Engagement:
Similar to how players participate in community challenges or the Insider Program, the age verification could be integrated into slot machine systems. This would make it easier for players 21+ to engage with the new feature while maintaining a fun and inclusive environment.

By implementing these measures, Sea of Thieves can introduce a slot machine feature that enhances gameplay while ensuring compliance with age restrictions.

That will still increase the rating of the game as a whole.
It does not matter if it's age-gated; If it's in the game then the game's rating increases.

Keep gambling out of SoT. The game does not need gambling in any way, shape, or form. You notice how they avoided adding lootboxes in any way, shape, or form?

Hell, keep it out of games that don't have any reason to have gambling in general. All it does is reinforce gambling addictions.

@seathiever said in The Tavern’s Treasure Reel, A Slot Machine!:

@guildar9194 said in The Tavern’s Treasure Reel, A Slot Machine!:

@seathiever said in The Tavern’s Treasure Reel, A Slot Machine!:

They can add a dedicated area accessible through a door located behind the tavern. This area would be designated for players aged 21 and older, in line with gambling regulations in many countries.

Implementation Steps:

Age Verification:
Players will need to confirm their age by accepting a role or agreement on the game's website. This process will ensure that only players who are 21 and older can access the slot machine feature.

Account Linking:
Microsoft (Xbox) and Rare can easily implement age verification by linking to players' existing Xbox accounts, which contain age information. This will streamline the verification process and prevent underage players from accessing the gambling area.

In-Game Currency:
The slot machine will use doubloons as currency, allowing players to gamble in a fun, risk-free environment. This aligns with the game's existing economy and encourages engagement without involving real money.

Community Engagement:
Similar to how players participate in community challenges or the Insider Program, the age verification could be integrated into slot machine systems. This would make it easier for players 21+ to engage with the new feature while maintaining a fun and inclusive environment.

By implementing these measures, Sea of Thieves can introduce a slot machine feature that enhances gameplay while ensuring compliance with age restrictions.

That will still increase the rating of the game as a whole.
It does not matter if it's age-gated; If it's in the game then the game's rating increases.

Keep gambling out of SoT. The game does not need gambling in any way, shape, or form. You notice how they avoided adding lootboxes in any way, shape, or form?

Hell, keep it out of games that don't have any reason to have gambling in general. All it does is reinforce gambling addictions.

I understand your concerns about gambling mechanics, especially when it comes to maintaining an age-appropriate rating for Sea of Thieves. However, I believe Sea of Thieves has the potential to grow and incorporate a wide range of engaging features, making the game feel more immersive and diverse. Adding interactive elements like a slot machine, riding horses or donkeys, and even attaching a carriage to gather wood from trees would introduce new layers of gameplay that could appeal to a broader audience, giving us all more ways to engage with the world.

These additions could be implemented with player control and optional participation, ensuring that those who want to experience more variety can, while others can stick to the core pirate adventures we all enjoy. Ultimately, Sea of Thieves has the potential to expand with unique and creative ideas that keep the game evolving, adding tons of duties and making it a truly massive world.

Oh gods. Another 'Let's add NPCs and mounts'. Please no.

Adding interactive elements like a slot machine

Again; It changes the game's rating. it's one of the worst headaches for a gaming company for literally 0 value added.

riding horses or donkeys

Why? Islands are not that big. It's time (which is money), work (which is money), and money, spent adding mounts to the game 'Just because'. Nah. They are not needed.

and even attaching a carriage to gather wood from trees

Again; It's Rare spending money to change the core gameplay loop for no good reason other than 'Add busywork'.
This is not a Survival/Crafting game. Why do we suddenly need to gather wood?
Do we need to gather potable water next? I mean, we spend allot of time sailing!
But that means we need a thirst meter! And may as well add a hunger meter!
Oh, and what do we do with the wood? Time to add crafting! SoT is now a crafting game! If your ship sinks, you now need to build a new one!

Ultimately, Sea of Thieves has the potential to expand with unique and creative ideas that keep the game evolving, adding tons of duties and making it a truly massive world.

To keep a game engaging and enjoyable, You absolutely do not add a bunch of random mechanics that have no solid reason to exist in game.

The people who bought SoT did not buy a crafting survival game.
They did not buy a High Fantasy with wizards and dragons and elves and airships and dwarves.

They bought a pirate adventure game.
The absolute WORST thing a developer can do is massively shift the core design of a successful game after launch.

• At best, you get a mid-level game that is 'Ok, I guess'. Or you become that 1% success story.
• At worse, you alienate your existing player base, while all the new players see that garbage you cobbled together and compare you to more successful games of those genres who stayed focused on what worked.

---

Ideas are fine, but throwing random ideas into an already successful game 'just because' is one of the best ways to absolutely kill your game dead.
Old players leave, feeling betrayed.
And new players ignore the game for other games that take a few mechanics and focus on those instead of doing a little bit of everything.

@seathiever said in The Tavern’s Treasure Reel, A Slot Machine!:

@guildar9194
While I appreciate your perspective, Sea of Thieves has always blended various gameplay elements, including fantasy. Adding features like a slot machine or mounts can enhance immersion and fun without shifting the core gameplay. These ideas don't change the game's identity; they expand it, offering players more ways to engage with the pirate world. The goal is to evolve and keep things fresh, not to transform the game into a different genre.

Adding features like a slot machine or mounts can enhance immersion and fun without shifting the core gameplay.

You seem to have this massive lack of understanding as to how game design works.
You don't add things just to add things.
To Wit:

• Mounts are literally not needed & don't make sense to have, because the available land is too small to require them.
• Gambling will never happen because it changes the game's rating

But you are hellbent on adding them because 'adding things is good!'
You also seem quite unwilling to accept when people give you points as to why the ideas won't work, and just repeat 'But adding things is good!'

With the suggestions this guy is giving makes me feel like he's a AAA game producer.

Let's just add all features people love in other games if it's good for GTA it's good for "My little Pony".

Half if not all the suggestions he put makes it seem he's too disconnected to Sea of Thieves to understand why it is a bad idea, like he doesn't even play the game to know what the core gameplay of the game is.

Which is hilarious when his name is SeaThiever on context makes it seem he's trying to blend in while he tries to thief away Sea of Thieves.

My second bet would be a developer trying to secretly gauge player interest in common game features.

Though the gambling suggestion throws the game off their original rating but what is rating even for when you see 13 year olds playing GTA V multiplayer with a fully working strip club and other M rated content.