Hey!
I'll start off with saying that this isn't a hate thread or even a critique on the game. I love the game so far, even with the shaky start.
This post is meant to vent on a few ideas I had regarding possible new enemies that would be fun to fight with in-game. I've sat down and composed my thoughts, and now I want to put them down for others to read. Also, I hope to see what other fellow pirates would like to see in-game, running around trying to kill us.
I'll start off with an idea that might have a better chance to work out.
My first idea was a new boss monster, like the Kraken but handled more like the Skull Forts.
The Giant Skeleton:
Lore: Once there was a pirate captain that desired power and riches like none before him. In his quest for both, he sacrificed his crew to further progress his own ambition. In time, many individuals of his crew saw where their fate would lie if they continue to follow him blindly. They gathered together for a mutiny, purchased their own ship, and waited for night to fall before they launched their strike on their former captain. The battle was long and bloody but the mutineers surprise attack gave them the advantage to cut through the numbers of their former crew. The captain, with his back to the wall and a cutlass to his chest, pulled out a severed monkey's palm from his coat. It only had one finger extended as he held it high, crying out "I wish to continue on in death as I did in life!" The last finger of the monkey's palm slowly curled closed, as the mutineers leader drove a cutlass through the captain's heart.
The captain sat on the floor, a hole in his chest and his life bleeding through the deck of his own ship. The mutineers cheered and celebrated their victory, only to notice that the moon's light slowly began growing dim. In time, the moon was blotted out by a dark collection of clouds that took the shape of a skull facing sideways, jaw open, and it's eye sockets flashing a ghostly green. The mutineers cheer turned to worried murmurs as a feeling of dread washed over them. Out of the corner of the mutiny leader's eye he saw his former captain begin to stand in a most inhuman way. He twitched in writhed as he was lifted to his feet, his teeth gnashed and clattered before the air was filled with a horrid screech that made the mutineers cover their ears in pain. Soon the loyalists of the captain's crew stood up in the same way, but as they did, their skin and muscle turned to sand and fell to the deck, and all that remained was their bones. The sight of the skeletons brought the mutineers back to arms but got no further as the skeletons fell into pieces.
The captain lets out another unearthly howl to fill the night as his own body is reduced to sand as well, but he remained standing. The bones that littered the deck shook and rattled as they slowly lifted into the air and spin in a circle around the captain. The mutineers took to their feet and ran, diving overboard and swimming for their lives back to their ship. Once on board of their own ship, they look back in horror at the sight they were met with. From the far reaches, more and more bones flew to the ship to join in the maelstrom. They ripped, tore, and smashed their way through the galleon, crushing it in on itself as the storm took the ship. A human like shape slowly formed in the mass of bone, only to grow bigger and bigger as the storm raged on. The mutineers could only watch as the shape lumbered across the deck of what remained of the ship. It ripped a cannon free of it's hinges before turning to face the mutineers ship. Its silhouette was only contrasted by it's ghostly green eyes as it staredin hatred at the pirates. It heaved the cannon up onto it's shoulder and aimed it, letting out a monstrous roar. The ruined ship couldn't take the weight any more, collapsing into the sea, taking the raging monster with it. As the green glow of it's eyes faded away under the water so too did the clouds. The moon's light showed what was left of the supernatural event, the remains of the galleon floating on the water surface. The Mutineers sailed off, still haunted with the knowledge of what they saw and the foreboding feeling that they had failed.
TLDR:
The Giant Skeleton is a boss monster that is an amalgamation of bones belonging to a crew that once served a murderous captain who threw their lives away to further his own ambitions. Upon making a wish on a monkey's palm to live on after death, the wording of his wish gave him the immortality he had wish for but in exchange it turned him and his dead crew into a monster that now haunts the Sea of Thieves
In Game:
At random times, like the Skull Forts, a new skull shaped cloud (description in the lore) will form over a large island. This is the sign of the Giant Skeleton spawning. It will look like a large skeleton made up of a number of different bones with a broken mast impaled through it's rib cage. It'll be carrying a cannon on it's right shoulder and a cannon ball barrel trapped in it's rib cage. Upon spawning it will wander the shore of the island, watching for ships that grow near. It'll fire on any ship that comes within range.
Starting Combat:
When the crew is able to get close enough to fight the Giant Skeleton, they'll find that it shares similar properties with the normal Skeleton. In the way of that it can be harmed with cutlass, guns, cannons, and explosives. Beyond that however it is far more hardy than a normal Skeleton. It will take a lot of damage before any viable sign of progress is shown. Cannons and explosives will be biggest help in putting large amounts of damage into this boss monster.
Phases:
When fighting this boss, it will have 3 phases to fight through.
Phase 1: The first phase will be it's ranged phase. It is largest in this form and is able to hold the cannon with ease. It will take a cannonball from the barrel in it's rib cage and load it's cannon. It'll aim a shot for a ship or player and fire. At rare times it will attempt to load a number of cannonballs into the the cannon to scatter shot in one direction.
Phase 2: When enough damage as been put into the Giant, it will shed a layer of bones from it's body and shrink. At this size it loses the cannonball barrel and is forced to hold the cannon with two hands. It will then use this cannon as a large club to smack around players, it will also not be able to attack ships anymore. Another thing to note is that after shedding it will also drop a number of treasures in the form of chests, skulls, and shipment crates. This will test your uneasy alliance (if any is made) with another crew. Will both of you leave the loot alone for now or will someone get greedy and try to run off with some of it while the fight rages on? Meanwhile the Giant is starting to use his cannon as a weapon, making large knock back swings, charging shoves, and bringing the cannon down to squash anyone in front of him.
Phase 3: With the finial phase comes a smaller Giant and more random loot. In this form the Giant still towers over any player but the mast has fallen from it's back and the cannon is just too heavy for him now. In this form the Giant now resorts to his fists, he'll be faster and more aggressive to individual players as he focuses down each player one at a time. Swing with his fists wildly, slamming both fists into the ground, and winding up for a single powerful punch. There will be a rare chance for the Giant to reach into the ground and pull out a lifeless skeleton and try adding it to its mass in order to heal himself. This can be interrupted by reaching a damage threshold in order to stagger him and make him drop the skeleton.
Victory:
With the last phase down, the Giant Skeleton will explode into a pile of bones and loot, with a new skull and chest guarantee to drop to sell for a similar amount to the stronghold chest and skull. Of course there will still be the issue of splitting the loot or dealing with your new "friends" so that you can make off with the whole hoard.
In Conclusion:
I made up this Boss to add on a little more without changing up the game too much. It still keeps to the theme of the game, stays within the lore while possibly adding on to it if only a little bit. I hope I've at least intrigued some of you or started up some conversations on what could be added to the game for the enjoyment of everyone. And maybe, just maybe have the devs scan over this thread and get them inspired and more driven to keep putting their all into this fun game.
I hope you all enjoyed what I had to say and I'll try thinking up another idea for another post some other time.
Sail on my fellow pirates!
~Gently
