Sea of Thieves is by far one of the most immersive and enjoyable games I've played in years and although I understand that resources and budgets are limiting factors, I see absolutely huge potential for this game. So it's here that I'd like to express an idea and get peoples thoughts.
Last night I was exploring SoT's beautiful and rich world and as I anchored my ship off the beach of one of the many islands, I was overwhelmed with a sense of wonder and couldn't wait to explore. On the beach itself I randomly stumbled across two pieces of loot - a half-dug-up chest and a glistening curio at the bottom of a waterfall. It was great because although I was on a voyage at the time, I felt rewarded for simply taking the time to explore my surroundings (beautifully crafted surroundings that deserve to be explored). It was then that my imagination started racing and coming up with all sorts of ideas!
Loot, treasure and booty is at the very heart of this game, as is exploration and adventure. I'd love to see more ways of the game rewarding the curious adventures and keen eyed pirates alike. More ways of finding treasure! :-D
One way of doing this could be to add coral reefs teeming with life and hidden secrets/treasures. These treasures could come in the form of particularly rare fish/shells/clams/species/sunken chests that can be sold to merchants for gold. Such coral reefs could be varied or themed, depending which sea they are in, and could randomly refresh (a little like the current shipwreck mechanic?), spawning new loot and treasures.
It's not exactly a ground-breaking idea and I wouldn't expect it to be top of the priority list for the devs. I just like the idea of more exploration/reward mechanics in the game that add to immersion and sense of wonder (and awesome visuals!). Any thoughts on this would be welcomed! :-D
