‼️ Be warned! This is going to be a bit long winded, but I would really appreciate any time spent reading my idea, as well as any feedback you may have! (Just don’t make it personal, okay? Constructive criticism is better than complaining about something you don’t have to read if you don’t want to!)
Over the last week or so the Raid on a Dark Fortress Voyages have been in circulation on the Quest Table. To be honest, I personally have only completed two of my three, though I also did one of my crew mates’ voyages as well, so I think I’ve done enough to earn the right to sing their praises!
First, let me say that the lore behind this is amazing. The Dark Brethren has made a return, and the Sea Forts have been included in yet another special, story-driven event since their first appearance in Season Six.
Not only have they been a great piece of repeatable content, they also have gone through several evolutions in their combat - as well as exploratory - experiences based on the Sea of Thieves and its conflicts. From their unique yet temporary Flame of Fate banners and braziers, their locked Jail Cells holding the people of Golden Sands Outpost captive, and their flag posts which determined not only their alignment, but their defenders’ very identity, these forts have stood the test of time and been amazing and well-handled by Rare the entire way through.
So here’s what I think: the evolution of the Sea Forts’ loyalties should remain! A few pirates raiding the forts never drove them off before, so why not reenforce the Forts and keep a couple small changes - which have already been made for these quests, by the way - for a while, plus a few more to make it a real challenge! Specifically, the changes listed next!
First of all is the Ghost Ships, specifically with their Spanish Imperial Sovereign sails, though taking 5 hits to defeat, and a slightly different line of combat. Here’s how I think the encounter should go:
Phase 1: Defeating the Fleet
Upon approaching the Fortress, a ghostly green flare will be fired into the air emitting a wide-cast ghostly light on the sea around the Fortress, at which point five Spanish Ghost Ship galleons will emerge from beyond the veil, cannons ready for attack! At this point, voice lines from the Legend of the Veil quest (more info at the end!) will be heard emanating from the fort, which will begin firing ghostly cannonballs - not regular ones, or the Phantom Cannonballs, just the greenish cannonballs as seen from the Forts of the Forgotten event - which the Phantom Ships will also begin to fire at the players’ ship.
Their accuracy should, in my opinion, be increased at least slightly, so that it is a relatively challenging bit of combat. Upon defeating all five ships (which will not keep respawning as you go, but instead be defeated one-by-one), the next phase will begin! Note that these ships take 5 cannonballs to destroy, rather than the standard 3. Each have about a 1/4 chance to leave behind a Storage Crate of the Damned with ~30 or 40 cannonballs, ~25 or 35 wooden planks, and a good average of 10 - 15 assorted fruits.
Phase 2: Destroying Ghostly Watchtowers
With the Ghost Ships vanquished, the corner watchtowers of the ramparts will begin to glow, similar to that of the Legend of the Veil end-battle Fortress. More voice lines (detailed in the second, labeled portion of the Voice Line Index at the end) will be spoken randomly in the battle, as they are in the Legend of the Veil Voyage. By firing and hitting these towers with 1-2 cannonballs each (each one has a 50/50 chance of either value), they will begin destroyed and reduced to rubble. Upon destroying 5-7 towers (based on the fort) the cannons will fall silent, allowing the raiding crew to claim any ghostly Storage Crates of the Damned still bobbing in the water. Finally, by docking one’s vessel at the fort and going ashore (is it really ‘ashore’ if there is no natural shore? 🤔) the third and final phase will begin.
Phase 3: Defeating the Captain of the Fortress and His Jailer
What follows is mostly the same for each crew, with small differences based on the crew size. Smaller crews will only have to fight around 5 Phantoms per wave, while larger crews will have to fight 7 or 8. After 6 waves of only the standard Phantoms, a Phantom Jailer will spawn on the 7th, whom will take a bit longer to defeat, but will drop a Jail Cell Key for the cell downstairs. The final and 8th wave will be led by the Captain of the Fortress, as well as having 3 additional Phantoms compared to the regular number based on the crew size.
Defeating the Captain will end the battle, and he will drop a Treasury Key as usual, giving crews access to the main haul of the loot! Note: During the final battle against the Captain of the Fort, the Captain will say multiple voice lines mid-battle, the same lines said during Phase 1 and Phase 2.
Treasure Rewards:
With this greater and lengthier challenge ahead, more Treasure will be awarded to the players that manage to take down this well-defended Sea Fort. The three main treasure locations (the Treasury, the Jail Cell, and the Storeroom) will hold the following Treasures.
Treasury:
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3 Chests of the Damned
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2 Captain’s Chests
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3 Skulls of the Damned
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2 Villainous Bounty Skulls
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2 Ashes of the Damned Crates
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2 Trade Good Crates
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1-2 assorted small Artefacts and Skulls
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1 Ancient Chest containing 2 small treasure items and ~1,200 Gold
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1-2 Mermaid Gems (Emerald or Ruby)
Storeroom: -
2 Wood Crates (full of wooden planks)
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1 Cannonball Crate (full of cannonballs)
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1 Fruit Crate (full of fruit)
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1 Captain’s Chest
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2 Trade Good Crates
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2 Mermaid Gems (Sapphire or Emerald)
Jail Cell: -
1 Chest of Ancient Tributes
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1 Ancient Chest containing 3 Artefacts and ~1,000 Gold
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1 Artefact on the bed of the Cell
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1 Mermaid Gem on the bed of the Cell (Sapphire or Emerald)
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1 Message in a Bottle on the bed of the Cell, giving 1 X Marks the Spot map of a nearby small island
Given the encounter would take considerably longer than the current version of the battle (though that’s a good thing; current-day Sea Forts take less than 10 minutes for a decent crew) there would be a greater reward. Stuff like gems and skulls and artefacts hidden around the fort in containers and nooks and crannies would still be present, including the Storeroom Key.
Voice Line Index:
Phase 1 Voice Lines:
Upon launching the flare: -
“Man the cannons! Don’t let them get in to range!” (Combined voice lines)
Throughout Phase 1 (Randomly): -
“Hold them back!”
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“Make ready the guns!”
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“Prepare to fire!”
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“Man the cannons!”
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“Protect the Fort!”
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“Cannons! Fire!”
When a Ghost Ship is Defeated: -
“Our defences are weakening!”
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“They’re destroying our defences!”
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“We’re under fire!” (Special - comes from the defeated ship, not the Fort)
Phase 2 Voice Lines:
Upon reaching the second Phase: -
“Our defences are weakening! They must not breach the walls!” (Combines voice lines)
Throughout Phase 2 (Randomly): -
“Gunners! To the walls!”
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“Ready the cannons!”
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“Cannons! Fire!”
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“Ready the Fort’s defences!”
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“Protect the Fort!”
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“The Fort! Protect the Fort!”
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“Protect the walls!”
When a Tower is Destroyed: -
“A direct hit! The walls!”
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“They’re breaking down the defences!”
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“A hit! The walls are crumbling!”
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“The walls are under attack!”
Phase 2 Voice Lines:
During the Captain’s Final Battle: -
“Defend the Fort!”
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“Protect the Fort!”
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“Our defences are weakening!”
When the Captain of the Fort is Defeated: -
“No! The Fort! The Fort’s last defences, destroyed!” (New line, but probably not too hard to produce for this dramatic effect!)
Final Note: To those who spent their time to read even just the main phases or ideas of this article, thank you for reading! I really appreciate it, as I can’t leave an idea unfinished, though I understand it’s a lot for most people to read. I just want to finish out by clarifying, I don’t think this is the perfect way to up the Sea Forts’ exciting potential, but I do think it’s a step in that direction. To be honest, I’m pretty easy to satisfy as far as updates go, so as far as I’m concerned, Rare could make this Season 16 and call it a day, and I’d spend 2 1/2 or 3 months doing this alone! But I don’t claim to speak for the community as a whole, so give me feedback in the replies section so I can better understand how other pirates think and feel about an update like this! Again, thank you for reading, and congrats on making it to the end! 🙂
