I feel that SoT is actually finally, FINALLY, starting to show it's value to me. It took about 6 months, but I can finally say I am pleased with SoT and am glad I have held on so far. I am worried about changes to their direction from here, now that the promised updates have passed, but I am actually quite satisfied right now. For the first time.
Yes, there are bugs galore. There are things that need to be re-evaluated and updated from before. Things we're still missing that are in the works, such as the merchants and cargo runs in the FS areas, and so on. We still need a metric ton of small updates and polish to existing game elements such as Meg having a reward and cursed ships that aren't event bound, etc. But legitimate content isn't an issue right now, IMO. And there's alot to do on the Sea of Thieves still.
If the Meg and Karen were re-evaluated and re-purposed to allow for both reward in battling them, added lethality, and variety in their method of assault as well as REMOVAL OF THE ABILITY TO RUN AND HIDE FROM THEM ala shooting forward tentacles, or simply sailing away, they'd change the game vibrantly.
If the eruptions were better spaced so that an island that just blew it's top had a bit longer cool-down and we added an eruption type that didn't launch rockets into the air but simply made the land itself violent it'd be better. Imagine being on an island that has all the hallmarks of it's eruption but no need to sail a mile away to avoid sinking or leaving a crew mate on the ship "just in case"... you could explore the island WHILE it was blowing it's top, enjoy the lava flows, geysers, earthquakes, and hot water, yet have no need to run to the ship and miss out on this small but entertaining thing.
New voyage types will be exceptionally well received as well, and we shouldn't be struggling with money if we play daily. In fact, it should be almost easy to buy things since we literally do nothing but collect coin daily, we should feel rich. Instead, if you buy stuff... you feel like a pauper! It's nice right now because we're very limited on things to buy at legend status. So dropping 3-500k or more on an item keeps us motivated and can still take time. But honestly, it shouldn't be about the money, it should be about how we get that money that drives us.
We should WANT to voyage and loot, yet, the mysterious chest is a great example of something that should have been in the game since launch. Increase the cursed chest types and elevate their value as well, I never understood why the 2 least common chests are worth less than a captains chest... simply stupid imo.
But that's a list of things we need still, not the focus of my remark in whole. People have said the game is like a chore... then I have to ask... why?
There's so much still to do that can be entertaining, yes it relies on our making the fun... but that's always been a hallmark of this game. To really have fun on the SoT you need to be a bit silly. You need to fight the kraken drunk simply because you can, or kill Meg with only a blunderbuss or gun powder kegs. You need to spot a ship on the horizon and initiate PvP while carrying an Athena's chest on board, or simply chase ships around acting hostile but really just give them loot by boarding their ships with the loot on your back! You need to be willing to sneak on a ship and steal that random captains chest when their not looking. You need to sail around preaching the gospel of the Golden Chicken and sink whomever won't comply with the demands of your foul feathered savior! You need to make alliances to PvP galleons. You need to talk like a pirate in voice chat and act like a maroon. You need to wear dresses simply because you can. You need to buy every outfit and change them daily, especially if your hair makes you look stupid in your clothes. You need capture snakes and load them on the deck of your ship and then get into PvP with boarders and fight them amid the spitting venom. You need to chase a lonely sloop, firing cannons that purposefully miss the vessel, just for the sake of a chase. You need also to make alliances and tackle simpler objectives like skull forts or voyages while standing right next to the other players and not simply waiting for them to cash in rather BECOME part of their crew.
The list goes on.
But usually when I see others play, I have to admit that they spend alot of time remarking on the futility or ignorance of a choice. "Why sail next to an erupting volcano!?" My answer? Why not!? Better still let's pvp a ship of equal caliber while under the fireballs as well! That's a thrill! Same with supplies, sure no one is wrong in stating you need to collect them. But I've had a great time one day bailing water while in PvP on a solo sloop without any planks on board while fighting a 3 man brig... I broke free in a storm and parked by an island, bailed water, went ashore, grabbed planks, repaired a hole or two, and went back to the island for more. Eventually, the brig found me again and sank me before repairs were complete... but I managed to sink them as well with a gun powder! It was a blast!
Sometimes we think too logically for a game world built on silliness and risk.
Is it better to make an alliance with someone and go voyage an Athenas and basically get 2 cash ins or more? Yes, of course it is! But is it not more fun to have a chance that a situation will turn in another direction? Such as when a ship with over 10 good loot items fought my crew and sank... only to return with an alliance and sink us after... recovering most of the loot they lost... then starting an all out war for the rest of the night?! Of course it was more fun! We have a story to tell with that event..
No one wants to hear stories that go something like: "So yesterday I did an Athena's. it took a couple of hours and there were no fights. We allied with the only other ship in the area and cashed in calling it a night afterwards."
But people do have a blast hearing about how we met an alliance, sank some ships, then blew up 5 or so kegs on the ship that were placed bow to stern, only for everyone to quickly react and board the ship as it sank and managed to repair the darn thing! The whole game chat roared with giggles and laughter after that surprise event!
Or how my crew ended up in a 3 ship battle for our lives that lasted all night with a metric ton of loot at risk.. people love hearing those stories...
So is SoT a chore?
Yes of course it is. If you always play nice, never start a fight just because, don't find alliances to do weird things with, get mad when a crew mate steals a chest from a brig player that won't communicate in the hope that the action will start a fight. Or if you refuse to fight the monsters of the sea, perhaps in new or interesting ways that stack the odds against you, or are always simply trying to escape, conserve supplies and 'get it over with'.
With that mentality...
It's a wonder anyone would want to play SoT!
But... get a little stupid? Get a bit silly? Make a bunch of friends and help escalate them to PL legend if they're not, and so on? Not forgetting the importance of doing things that are actually hostile for the purpose of picking a fight these are the things that add the exquisite spice to the SoT formula. Even if your not a PvP enthusiast... fighting over loot, and winning?! Especially when the odds are against you? Man, that's fun!
So yea, there'a metric ton of things that still need to be added to the game or fixed. FS has finally shown me that it's possible we'll see these things.
But there isn't a single reason a crew couldn't go find a mysterious chest worth 25000... then advertise it on the server and get into pvp battles losing the crate... getting the crate... misplacing the crate... sailing around on a rowboat with the crate... or god knows whatever silliness. There isn't a reason not to sneak on a ship and steal their loot and the LET THEM KNOW so they can fight for the loot or something... There's no reason not to make an alliance and kill cursed ships them sell things, and have a moment as people repair a sinking vessel for no reason what-so-ever. There's no reason not to role-play as monks all night long handing out golden chickens to every ship you see and sinking the ones that won't receive the gift.
Fun is what you make of it.
Not one single video game in the world GIVES you fun.
It gives you a chance to create fun, like we used too when we were kids and all we had to play with was a f'n stick and a can on the street.
SoT is no different. Because bare bones... SoT sucks as much as any game in the world.. But if you pay attention, there really is fun to have, even if it requires you do things a bit... oddly?!
