I fully understand the ‘risk versus reward’ philosophy that Rare advocates. Treasures have value because there is a chance of losing them. I agree with that; what I question is the idea that this risk must necessarily come from other players.
Today, in High Seas, the main risk is PvP. And that makes sense, because this is the mode focused on interaction between crews. Because of this, PvE enemies end up being relatively simple. The forts are relatively easy, the skeletons are predictable, and sea creatures rarely pose as great a threat as an enemy ship appearing on the horizon.
But risk is not synonymous with PvP.
Risk can stem from the difficulty of the world itself, with more dangerous enemies; it can come from more complex events and mechanics that truly put the player under pressure.
Imagine more challenging forts, more aggressive skeletons, sea creatures capable of boarding ships, or events that require far more preparation to complete. All of this creates tension. All of this creates challenge. And all of this makes the reward worthwhile.
That’s why, when I see someone say that Safer Seas could never offer a complete experience because there’s no PvP, I disagree. Not because PvP has no value, but because there are other ways to create risk within an open-world game. Another thing that makes me think is when people say that Sea of Thieves was always intended to be a certain way and therefore should never change, the history of the games industry shows that successful studios often evolve their games and expand their universes beyond the original vision. Not by abandoning their identity, but by finding new ways to explore it.
And that’s exactly how I see Sea of Thieves.
For me, Sea of Thieves is much bigger than just PvPvE; it’s a universe of pirate adventure, exploration, sailing, discovering islands, fishing, facing legendary creatures, creating stories and admiring a sunset after hours of sailing. High Seas already captures the pirate fantasy of living with the constant thrill of encountering other crews very well, but I believe there is room for a more complete PvE experience without this destroying the game’s identity.
In my view, expanding the possibilities of Sea of Thieves does not mean abandoning its essence; it means recognising the immense value that this universe already possesses and allowing more players to find their own way of experiencing adventures within it.
