The "lack" of content is a good thing.

  • Dyc3r
    Marauder
    Founder

    So, I've seen and read a lot of posts since the beta went live from players who take issue with the amount of content available in this version of the game. There is definitely merit to this collective concern, but I think it needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

    The most obvious counter to this is the fact that we are in a beta test. A beta test is fundamentally different than a demo (though that line is certainly more blurred today than it was 10 years ago). Rare was up-front about the feature limitation well before the test went live, and this limitation is likely driven by a list of specific features that warranted more focused testing. It is a bit of a let down to have such a limited preview, but in the long-term, it's probably a good thing.

    The less obvious counter to this is admittedly a little subjective, but probably worth mentioning anyway -- the game doesn't actually need buckets upon buckets of content.

    The beauty of this game is the simplicity of its core design. Grab a crew, set sail, find adventure/treasure. There is some element of uncertainty here since we're still dealing with a (relatively) small player base, but the variety in this game is driven not by the content Rare provides, but rather by the players we interact with.

    Every crew is going to approach the game differently. Every encounter with a rival ship is going to be different, because the ship is manned by different players with different strategies/motivations. The weather on the seas is constantly in flux, and every time we get into trouble, we have to decide whether it's worth engaging that approaching ship or running for port to cash out before we lose everything.

    While it's true that the core patterns remain unchanged from one encounter to the next, the details have a huge (though not immediately obvious) range of possibilities. When we hit the full release, the boost in player population is likely going to balance rather nicely with the content available to us, even if it seems limited on the surface.

    I may be proven wrong down the road, but right now, I think Sea of Thieves is exactly where it needs to be.

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  • KaptenBloood

    @dyc3r
    Do you get paid by Rare?
    It should be taken with a LOT of salt and sugar. The real game most def need LOT more content in every way. Right now it is more of a goast game then a pirate game.
    But i agree on the beta part. It still have potential.

  • LaughsManiacaly
    Master
    Founder

    I disagree with some of these aspects. I agree that the scenary is AMAZING and i have spent a great time taking in the sights, however this isn't a sightseeing trip its an interactive experience in a shared world. The feature of engagements comes from people out on the sea, with the current era people see beta testing and live streaming as a way of free publicity. An advertising of the big and bold features. Here is the problem. If this advertised content is not what people are expecting then preorders will be returned or just ignored, sales will drop and all because people will feel that there isn't enough to keep them engaged.

    My point is if beta starts putting people off now then the seas will be vacant on live day, this will turn the game stale quickly.

    I suppose my concern lays with the thought that rare already stated their disappointment in lack of engagements from alpha feedback but this reduction of content is pushing people away, it seems counter productive.

    Biggest worry is rare adding back in the content removed for launch as away of saying hey look what we've added. If the only visible content at launch is what has already been seen in alpha test then there is no ace up the sleeve. It would be the final nail so to speak.

    I'll end with my true thoughts here, i don't dislike the game, it's beautiful and can be fun however i am very concerned with the features. I hope my concerns are null placed.
    At current if i had no background on the game and viewed the content being streamed I'd likely be thinking " I'll wait for it to come down to £10 or less sale" and THAT is my worry, such potential in this game with such a reputational risk from this beta has me concerned.

    Sorry for the rant.

  • Dyc3r
    Marauder
    Founder

    @kaptenbloood

    No, I don't get paid by Rare, and I did say my opinion was subjective.

    I stand by it, though. Adding more players to the game world is going to increase gameplay variety rather significantly--I'd argue that is objectively true.

    Whether or not that variety is enough to sustain the game long term is much more subjective, but I think it's going to play in Rare's favor.

    I've been playing the game for some time now and (prior to the beta), every time I logged into the game, my voyages took me back to the same 3 or 4 islands. In spite of that, every play session brought something new to my experience that had nothing to do with the content variety available to me.

    In one play session, I worked with a solid crew of players who avoided other ships and focused on hauling as much loot as we could get our hands on. In another session, we abandoned our maps and just hunted for other crews to sink and plunder.

    The simplicity of the core game and repetition of the baseline mechanics make it a lot easier for new players to get up to speed, and I believe it will play much better than a lot of players think once the player population hits full-release levels.

  • drevilbeard
    Ship Mate

    Its fine to have a sandbox. But you have to have tools or something to do in that sandbox, there still have to be goals in the game.
    Intresting things to see would be:
    Ship customization
    More ship types
    Player Outposts, defenses, and social structures (politics etc)
    Crafting ships, weapons, etc.
    Larger variety of NPC baddies. I've only seen skeletons so far.. but Im sure I heard something under the water.

    These are all things I would hope for from a pirate game and more

    3 ships, a bit a of water and a few skeletons is going to get old fast and you'll see populations drop like crazy.

    So far I Like what I see I'm hoping there is going to be more to it or I don't see me playing this more than a week or 2.

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