Fixing Sea of Thieves
Goals
Make the world seem more fluid (pirates can do many things at once, not JUST gather cargo, JUST dig for treasure, or JUST hunt challenging foes).
Make the different factions FEEL different. Right now they are all fetch quests.
Create periodic world events that incentivise player interaction (every 2-3 hours).
Lastly, shamelessly pander to the communities desires (namely fishing).
Gold Hoarders
Proposed gameplay loop and philosophy:
Buy parchment (map/riddle) -> Locate/Retrieve -> Return to representative
Encourage exploration
Notable changes:
Parchments are lootable items. Parchment is identified as a map or riddle in the vendor UI.
Parchments can now have varied attributes (not all are mutually exclusive):
Standard parchment (parchment we see in current SoT)
Flipped parchment (standard parchment that is flipped on any axis)
Shredded puzzle parchment (pieces must be put back together)
Scattered parchment (pieces of another parchment are identified on this parchment)
Dark parchment (parchment that needs lantern light to be read)
Aquatic parchment (parchment that must be read under water OR for a short term after being splashed with water)
Dissolving parchment (parchment that expires in a set time)
Cooperative parchment (parchment that can only be read when being shown to others)
Terraphobic parchment (parchment that cannot be read on land)
Solar parchment (parchment that can only be read in the day time)
Lunar parchment (parchment that can only be read in the night time)
Atlantean parchment (parchment that uses islands as landmarks to point to treasure under the waves)
Introduction of mother lodes
Description:
These quests will boil down to pirates buying maps and using those maps as a resource to generate gold. As it stands right now, voyages are too linear. This make the world feel more open as opposed to just sailing island to island. Since maps can be lost, players must make the decision on whether or not they wish to fill their map inventory. This will also add a punishment for death as players will have to retrieve their maps upon death. Maps/riddles are already too easy for players who have played since launch. In order to make them more difficult, I have thought up some map attributes (see above under notable changes).
Introduction of mother lodes:
Gold hoarder reps will be raving mad about a rumored mother lode. Players will be tasked with finding the motherlode in the general area given by the rep. The mother lode must be mined (with a pickaxe, see PVP weapons below) into barrel sized chunks so that they can be carried to a ship. Server wide event occurs every 2-3 hours. It is designed to ignite player conflict and competition for resources.
Order of Souls
Proposed gameplay loop:
See bounties -> Kill bounties -> Turn in bounties
Encourage challenging enemies.
Encourage player competition.
Encourage more skeleton-fort-like scenarios.
Notable changes:
Missions are now shown on a board outside the OoS rep.
Selected players can have a bounty.
Selected crew’s ships can have a bounty.
Crews/players can pay a percentage of the bounty to remove it.
Introduction of skeleton bones.
Introduction of monster hunting.
Description:
Large groups of players will share one bounty board. This means that OoS missions are no longer voyages. Players can create a piece of parchment giving the location of the bounty in the bounty board UI. The longer a bounty has been available, the higher the reward. Players with PVP tendencies can have bounties. Player bounties are fixed and only increase in relation to the amount of players they have slain (only one increase in bounty per individual player slain). Heads and skulls can be redeemed by one player, stolen by another, and still be turned in. The only stipulation being that a player/crew (or fellow crew members) with a bounty can not turn in their own bounty. Instead, players/crews can pay to remove their bounty. Skeleton bones are now a lootable resource to be redeem coin/rep at the OoS representative.
Introduction of monster hunting:
Challenges scaling from skeleton captains to the forts, kraken (increase in difficulty), and even greater threats are added to the seas. These threats are rare outside the locations specified on the bounty board. These global events should be available every 2-3 hours. Once again, the piece of the monster that is taken to turn in can be stolen and sold. It is designed to ignite player conflict and competition for resources.
Merchant Alliance
Proposed gameplay loop:
Load cargo -> Sail to designated outpost -> unload cargo
Notable changes:
Start with cargo given by MA rep.
Given cargo can only be sold to MA rep with demand for the item.
Cargo must be transported meeting certain requirements (not mutually exclusive):
Glass (cargo will lose value if the ship moves too violently)
Sugar (cargo will lose value the more it is exposed to water)
Fish (cargo will lose value if it is not exposed to water periodically)
Pigs (cargo must be fed)
Chickens (standard cargo)
Snakes (cargo that cannot be stored next to other livestock)
Enemies* (cargo that cannot be stored next to other cargo)
Buddies* (cargo that must be stored next to other cargo)
Bulk* (cargo that is bulky and obstructs view)
Flare* (cargo that gives away your position via visuals)
Screamer* (cargo that gives away your position via audio)
Anchors (cargo that slows your ship down)
Cursed* (cargo that damages your ship)
Description:
The goal of these quests is to encourage players to manage their ships inventory and use time as a resource. While these quests can be done along bounties and finding treasure, too many diversions will make your cargo worthless. In order to take on a MA quest, players must pay a security deposit. When all cargo has been turned into the designated MA rep, players will be paid back their deposit as well as the reward for transporting the cargo on time. Should players run out of time, all cargo can be returned for a percentage of the security deposit. If the cargo is plundered by another crew, it can be delivered to the designated MA rep for the same security deposit and reward.
Old standard items pig crates and tea can still be sold to MA. Now, barrels (or old standard crates) of bananas and planks (capacity of 50) and cannon balls (capacity of 100) can be sold to representatives. Barrels can be bought from MA reps and found on islands.
Empty animal crates are now foldable and storable in player ships. Players can carry one of each in their inventory. They can be collected and stored similarly to cannonballs, planks, and bananas.
Introduction of fishing:
Part of MA. Fishing can be done with a few items: rods, nets, and harpoons. Only one fishing item can be equipped at a time. All can be done at any time but specialize in certain conditions: nets are designed to be used on a moving ship, rods are designed to be used on a static non-moving surface, harpoons are designed to be skill based (easier on a non-moving surface and harder on a moving ship). Players can also dive below the surface to catch aquatic life like crabs and lobster. Large nets and pots can be attached to a ship; turning it into a psuedo fishing trawler. While this will yield cargo that can be turned into gold or MA rep, it will also slow the ship down. Every 2-3 hours, MA reps will provide details as to where a large whale was last spotted. This whale takes time to down and harvest resources from. It is designed to ignite player conflict and competition for resources.
PVP
Proposed gameplay loop and philosophy:
See ship with resources -> Battle -> Last ship standing takes spoils
Victories should feel like victories
Ships are the crew’s lifeline
Notable changes:
Added world chat alongside crew chat
Update to ship respawns showcased in /u/JacksonWallop's post on reddit
Sneak attack (interact for 1 second for instant kill)
Added rope to main mast to swing to/from ships
New weapons
Boarding axe (interact with the hull for 15 seconds to create a hole, interact with a boarded hole for 5 seconds to create a hole, slow attack animation)
Grape shot/chain shot (used to tatter sails and slow ships down; damage is repairable)
Derringer and dagger (dagger in one hand and pistol in the other, flexible with low damage)
Description:
For a set time after ships are destroyed, an enemy crew can choose to salvage a ship for a set number of plank bundles (or barrels mentioned above). Ships also drop a small percentage of their remaining cannon balls, bananas, and planks in barrels for a short time.
When a ship is capsized (becomes non-interactable) its crew is given one last life for each living member. When the first crew member respawns after their ship cas capsized, they will respawn a short distance away on a new ship with a small percentage of their resources missing (equivalent to the amount dropped on the ships destruction). Should the crew’s ship capsize in the same area that capsized before, they will respawn a further distance away on a new ship. This process repeats until they are maxed out respawning on another side of the sea. Idea was taken from /u/JacksonWallop
Additional Features
Crews should have a private party setting
Crews of any size should have the option of a galleon or sloop upon scuttling their ship
Not SoT, more Microsoft, but make this game easier to use when it comes to setting up games and inviting others on PC.
