Private Servers

  • RentedDragoon46
    Founder

    I don't know how feasible this is from a development point of view, but I think having the ability to host a private server would solve many problems. A private server would mean that if, for example, I have like 8 friends I want to play with, we can host a private server where we both join the same world and we can battle it out ship vs ship, race to treasure, mini games, or simply just explore together (with 2 ships of 4, 4 ships of 2, or 8 ships of 1, whatever we want).

    A private server would also allow players that do not like pvp to play with only pve aspects of the game and not have to deal with other players. It would also remove the need to find a way to deal with matching players that only want to destroy other players' ships with the players that only want to find treasure and explore the content rich world of Sea of Thieves.

    Private servers (with something like a world code that others can enter to join in, similar to the Jack Box Party Pack games) would allow streamers on YouTube to let some of their viewers join and play with them.

    I think this game would greatly benefit from private servers because they can be used for private games, parties with a lot of people wishing to play together, etc.

    Let me know what you guys think of this idea.

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  • Felid0r
    Marauder
    Insider

    I don't think they should make private servers. It will separate the community. Instead, I think they just need to allow for more crew members to party together. Possibly having a part that has two ships? Regardless of how they do it, splitting people up could potentially hurt the game.

  • MisterDoomed

    Yes lets do everything we can to water down the game population to as many separate servers as possible!
    Sarcasm.

  • RentedDragoon46
    Founder

    @misterdoomed
    The current servers still max out at 16 players so reducing the overall number of players on the online servers by adding private servers will make no difference to each individual online server. It will just mean there are fewer online servers required, but each online server will still have about 16 players. Plus it can be similar to how other games handle online vs private matchmaking where the rewards in private games don't count towards online games and vise versa.

  • RentedDragoon46
    Founder

    @felid0r
    I agree that splitting people up could hurt the game. But as it currently stands there are a lot of people that do not want to have to constantly worry about being attacked by other ships on their way back from a 30-40 minute voyage with lots of loot. That's just added anxiety that doesn't resonate with a lot of people. The way they currently have it setup, a lot of lower skilled people will be turned away knowing that there is always a chance that all their work will be for nothing. And as players progress and voyages get longer and more rewarding, there is a lot more at stake. Plus the current pvp aspect favors 4 person crews, so if I just want to play with one other person, I will constantly have to run away from the other 4 person crews. If the other person I am playing with isn't very good at the game, I will also have to run away from 2 person crews. Since 2 person ships and 1 person ships look alike, I will basically have to avoid all pirates, unless I am willing to play with strangers (and we all know how well that's going with the constant miscommunication and outright cyber bullying). I just think adding private servers (with separate loot/stats that do no affect the players stats/loot when playing online) will cater to different play styles and will allow for more variety within the game. It may divide up many of the players, but each individual server will not suffer as much, there will just be fewer servers.

  • mr guffman

    I think you mean Pirate Servers.

  • PhillandAmy14

    Part of the fun is the fact you run in to other players

  • hammy hamstar
    Commander
    Insider
    Founder

    Don't like the idea of private servers it would fragment the community. Best thing is meeting and playing with new people.

  • clarkalii

    One problem is the level of satisfaction on a private server and permanence. For most people, a large part of the satisfaction in this game will come from achievements and cosmetics earned in a competitive environment and then showing them off in public. All of your Sea of Thieves accomplishments are also saved to a global database and follow your character permanently from instance to instance. If you play on a private server, then Rare will not in all probability save your accomplishments outside of that particular server. If your achievements are isolated to a private server that might vanish along with your character progression at any moment, then you need to be okay with that potential loss of hours and hours of game play if you want private servers.

  • ShadowStrider 7

    I'm not really for this idea, but a good alternative would be to add a server browser. It would give you the same results.

  • RentedDragoon46
    Founder

    @clarkalii
    That's usually the case with private matchmaking (like CoD or Halo), you can work towards unlocking things but they won't count towards what you do online. A simple message before entering private matchmaking for the first time saying that this is the case with unlockables should be enough.

  • RentedDragoon46
    Founder

    @phillandamy14
    That's fun for like half the community. For the lower skilled players it completely turns them off of the game. Just having the option to play in a private world should be enough, the online part will still be there and will be the main attraction of the game. Pretty much every multiplayer game has an option to allow for a private game, so I would expect SoT to have that as well.

  • Kratzer
    Marauder
    Insider
    Founder

    @renteddragoon46 If they ever did this, they would make you assume the costs of doing such, and really, unless they let you modify a lot of the game's rules and add things like mods or "no-fire zones" or whatever, I'd hardly see the point.

    In terms of letting other people play with you, that's not really been a problem in the beta, and I wouldn't have any reason to think it should be an issue at release.

  • clarkalii

    @renteddragoon46 said in Private Servers:

    @clarkalii
    That's usually the case with private matchmaking (like CoD or Halo), you can work towards unlocking things but they won't count towards what you do online. A simple message before entering private matchmaking for the first time saying that this is the case with unlockables should be enough.

    My point wasn't whether they could warn people. Obviously they could have a pop-up notification or something. My point was whether it would be worth implementing in the first place because the majority of players wouldn't want to brother wasting their character progression time on private servers that could easily vanish or from which they could easily be kicked/banned. Imagine having 50-100 hours played and your server owner decides to discontinue his provider payments or that he doesn't like you. Everything you unlocked is now gone. Will it be worth the risk? How difficult will character progression be? How important will it be? How many hours will we have to sink into the game to complete the reputations? I can see private servers being popular if/when character progression isn't a big deal but not intially upon release. We'll see, though, in March.

  • Noble 29
    Marauder
    Insider
    Founder

    Still baffled that people keep suggesting these ideas to make the game into something completely opposite of what it is. The entire basis of this game is supposed to be a large scale social experience. This large scale social experience REQUIRES the PvP aspect in order to achieve its goal. It is not supposed to be a competitive game like Halo, COD, WoW, or anything else. Private servers completely go against what the game is supposed to be, so no, I don't think private servers should be offered. Server browser? Sure.

  • Joe Krakatoa
    Commander
    Insider

    Your idea goes against the core game design stated by Rare.
    No boundaries that separate players. That means no private servers. Everyone will be playing the same game. Carebears will have to suck it up and get smart, or get griefed.

  • clarkalii

    @renteddragoon46 said in Private Servers:

    @felid0r
    I agree that splitting people up could hurt the game. But as it currently stands there are a lot of people that do not want to have to constantly worry about being attacked by other ships on their way back from a 30-40 minute voyage with lots of loot. That's just added anxiety that doesn't resonate with a lot of people. The way they currently have it setup, a lot of lower skilled people will be turned away knowing that there is always a chance that all their work will be for nothing. And as players progress and voyages get longer and more rewarding, there is a lot more at stake. Plus the current pvp aspect favors 4 person crews, so if I just want to play with one other person, I will constantly have to run away from the other 4 person crews. If the other person I am playing with isn't very good at the game, I will also have to run away from 2 person crews. Since 2 person ships and 1 person ships look alike, I will basically have to avoid all pirates, unless I am willing to play with strangers (and we all know how well that's going with the constant miscommunication and outright cyber bullying). I just think adding private servers (with separate loot/stats that do no affect the players stats/loot when playing online) will cater to different play styles and will allow for more variety within the game. It may divide up many of the players, but each individual server will not suffer as much, there will just be fewer servers.

    Oh. You want private servers so that you can PVE in peace. That's what it sounds like. Let me do my PVE quests and don't bother me. I just spent 40 minutes doing this quest, and I would like to turn in my treasure without any conflict. Otherwise, I would be really anxious the entire time.

    Brother, that is the entire premise of the game. You should be nervous. In this post you talk about high stakes and long quests and how you would be scared about losing items to PVP. Like I said in my other post, you should more nervous about private servers discontinuing and losing ALL of your hard-earned character progression. Much higher stakes therein than having your treasure stolen on some random quest. The solution is to get better at the game. Play with friends. Learn and get better. Maybe a possible solution is that Rare will implement servers that track character progression and they could instance you with similarly progressed players. I don't know. It's not private servers, though.

  • clarkalii

    @barnabas-seadog said in Private Servers:

    Your idea goes against the core game design stated by Rare.
    No boundaries that separate players. That means no private servers. Everyone will be playing the same game. Carebears will have to suck it up and get smart, or get griefed.

    It really is incredibly carebear. They just want to f**t around on their ships on private servers (safe spaces) PVE-ing without any threat. My god. I had another person suggest to me that Rare shouldn't implement crouching because players might t*****g each other. This community is crazy sometimes.

  • Lucid Stew
    Founder

    The way matchmaking works, I don't think they'd be able to do this without changing things significantly, so it's probably not happening. What happens currently is that crews get added to an instance that has room for them. When a particular instance empties out sufficiently, instances merge. This keeps instances fullish. You couldn't do that with private servers. Nor should you because it would be totally unfair from a PvE standpoint as you'd technically be able to set it up so that no one was on to present you with any competition.
    What would be NICE to see is the ability to form groups of crews for entry. So, rather than just your crew, you might have 3 crews, and then the group has to wait until an instance opens up that needs 3 crews. It would also be nice to be able to invite crews into your instance. Of course, the way things work, you might be waiting a while to get in, but they could also build it so that invited crews get priority when instance merges occur.

  • PhillandAmy14

    @renteddragoon46
    I don’t think it matters how skilled you are running in to other people is part of the game not just to fight but form new crews

  • Shragh
    Master
    Insider

    I played the plenty of hours Beta , most of the time I picked the solo sloop and it felt like a private server. Because often there where no other crews, or there where easy to avoid. So no private servers please, RARE can save this resources, more normal ones so everybody could find a server when he have time to play.

  • Noble 29
    Marauder
    Insider
    Founder

    @lucid-stew said in Private Servers:

    The way matchmaking works, I don't think they'd be able to do this without changing things significantly, so it's probably not happening. What happens currently is that crews get added to an instance that has room for them. When a particular instance empties out sufficiently, instances merge. This keeps instances fullish. You couldn't do that with private servers. Nor should you because it would be totally unfair from a PvE standpoint as you'd technically be able to set it up so that no one was on to present you with any competition.
    What would be NICE to see is the ability to form groups of crews for entry. So, rather than just your crew, you might have 3 crews, and then the group has to wait until an instance opens up that needs 3 crews. It would also be nice to be able to invite crews into your instance. Of course, the way things work, you might be waiting a while to get in, but they could also build it so that invited crews get priority when instance merges occur.

    That idea would be okay but ONLY if the groups of crews were not part of a fleet. It simply wouldn't be fair to have 3 galleons of friendlys rolling around and dominating a map because nobody can beat 3 ships at once. I'd be all for allowing larger groups of players to join with each other as long as each crew is separate from the others.

  • Drachmul
    Master
    Founder

    ummm no. that's what blackwake did and it became a shitshow trust me. All i want is official servers. not private servers where every drunk pirate can make his own rules . i want to play the game as it was intended not every scurvy dog's fantasy.

  • Techno WarWitch
    Founder

    @renteddragoon46 We have been preaching to Rare about giving options to go open world for our PvP'ing, and for those that dislike PvP, or just want to relax, or have more of a fun season with just family and friends to be able to have invite only private servers.

    It would be nice to have that option to play SoT with trusted friends, set the rules of engagement,.... And set up a more friendly and fun atmosphere... Or not... Private battle Royal if we like... What suits your fancy.

    We have tested private and even rented Servers on other games and it works out well.
    The User who starts the server is the GM and has administration commands to set up what kind of Server styles it will be for the session.. PVE, PvP, mixed, etc... Then can set up the rules of engagement.... The User invites their friends... And if there is a problem the User is the GM so it's their responsibility to handle the situation, resolve the disputes, and set up who gets booted, who stays, and how game play should be ran.
    After all it's your families and friends, you should be able to have a much more friendly game session... If not you know how to tell your friend to get in line.
    Unless you are all PvP'ers and into that sort of thing...

    Point is no matter what your play styles are... it's options to Play the way you like
    And it's the only way to make everyone happy...
    Invite only private servers are the only way to keep SoT boat afloat after launch.

    Thanks for reading.

  • ShadowStrider 7

    @techno-warwitch The problem with private servers (or even a PvE mode) is that they can be abused. It wouldn't be fair that you could just go to a private PvE server and just farm everything. The only way it would be acceptable is if they made it so that only the official servers could be used to do quests and unlock ranks.

  • Porkns
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    Rather than have to rent a private server I'd rather they just let players join games with parties larger than 4 players.

    That's not to say the other suggestions arent a good idea. I think it's a good suggestion overall.

  • Techno WarWitch
    Founder

    @shadowstrider-7 We can't talk about the reason why the option for a private server is needed, just that Rare needs this options before launch.

    It will not effect the game play for anyone else... It's just an option to keep Rare honest and make good on their advertisement of being a fun friendly game to play the way you like.

    Only way to cater to everyone's play styles is give an option to have invited only players.

    I would not let my kids play SoT.... And I can't go onto why.. if you tested SoT you know why... The problems are all over the forums of why SoT is not going to be a family friendly game.

    So the only way we will play SoT is on an invite only private servers.
    Open world PvP mixed with PVE has never worked out in past games, and will never work for SoT.

    Separation, and options are the only way to please everyone.

    Invite only private servers will go a long way to letting people choose how they like to play, and cater to everyone's play styles and personalities.

  • Drachmul
    Master
    Founder

    @techno-warwitch no they wont go a long way. Blackwake did the same thing and made private servers a thing and it didn't end well for anyone. I just found myself not wanting to play the game anymore because of all the "rules" that everyone made up for their private servers, getting kicked for no reason or getting kicked because the players who knew the server owner had me kicked for not doing what they want while on the ship or me becoming captain instead of them. I want to play the game like it was INTENDED to be played. not how each individual sees fit. This game will have it's success without the private servers

  • ShadowStrider 7

    @techno-warwitch If you're worried about what your children are exposed to, why would you consider an online-only title? Even games like ROBLOX have proven that you can't escape from "adult" situations. That aside; The game doesn't need to be split to be enjoyed. I very rarely had issues with anyone during my time with the closed beta, but when I did, it was easily fixed.
    Splitting the playerbase of this game will kill it. Especially if you can grind rank and cosmetics in a private server, alone, with no real threat of failure.

  • ShadowStrider 7

    @apocacide said in Private Servers:

    splitting the community in any way is a bad idea, no gamemodes, no special servers, just play the game, as far as kids go, just privatize yer comms

    This. There are a multitude of options for restricting online interactions (i.e. comms, text, reporting behaviors, blocking) available on both Xbox One and PC. As long as you're aware of these tools and how to use them, you can trust that your children will have a much safer experience.

  • Jimb0 Hawkins
    Marauder
    Founder

    Hunting down ships and sea dogs it’s the best part of the game, private servers ruin every good aspect of the game, each day is an adventure, today you sink because you have no idea what to do, tomorrow you sink them because you learned.
    You want your friends? Join at the same time and with a bunch of luck you should be able to find them around. The spirit of the game is: you get treasures, i get your treasures if i please to, you don’ t want that to happen? Good, fight my ship, sink us or sink. Pirate life.

  • Techno WarWitch
    Founder

    @shadowstrider-7 True Rare will have to add in a lot more PVE content, even the PvP is lacking in content.

    But at least with an option in an invite only private servers the User is in control of who they play with.
    The people who PvP right now do it for pur grieffing. No reason, not for a mission, no leaderboard, just doing it because they are board, and because they can as there is no justice system, no penalties and no reasons why not to play coopertive and nice with others.

    Rare has way to much faith in humanity, guess they never studded would history, it's human nature to hunt, kill, and destroy things...

    Just going to leave it at that...
    Invite only private servers must be in game before launch...
    If not this option...
    After all the good co-op friendly Players leave, who will be left but the PvP'ers...??

    How long after that until the game becomes void of life?

  • Jimb0 Hawkins
    Marauder
    Founder

    As many said, enemy ships are rare to find, but if you are scared of people you can still play the game on a sloop and try to avoid every fight by running and hiding around while completing the voyages.

  • ShadowStrider 7

    @techno-warwitch During the end of my time in the closed beta, my crew and I sought out PvP for the simple fact that there was nothing left to do. Lack of Beta content was directly related to the increase of PvP activity. I think they've discussed adding private (invite-only) group options for the game, but as I said, private servers will kill the game. The only way I would want private servers is if Rare decided to rent them out to players. This would help balance the fact that private servers could be abused.

  • ShadowStrider 7

    @apocacide said in Private Servers:

    @shadowstrider-7 i'm a BF guy (cept this new one) and i go way back to when there was just 1 game, then they added rush, then they added hc (which i do love, ff changes everything) then they added tdm, then private servers, then something else, then something else, there are dozens if not hundreds of empty servers, and the core community just plays regular conquest on official servers, so i've seen these terrible ideas firsthand

    I am as well. I too have seen the long list of empty servers within the server browser. The only private server option that should exist, is one that charges the player money.

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