Fog & Ship Cloaking/Invisibility

  • Bosun Rotrr
    Master

    I feel the game needs more stealth options. Two ideas:

    Large foggy areas appearing at different times of a day or weekly (in game days & weeks), covering large portions of the map (say, 1/4 or 1/3 of map).

    Fog would nicely provide much needed cover for stealth travel. You could offset this with lower wind conditions. If waters are calm, which they should be during such conditions, ship movement could also be provided by strong water currents that propel ships in a given direction without the need for wind in ones sails. We could "see" the currents in the same way we "see" wind direction. The helm could be used to navigate using water currents like a "jet stream".

    Another way to incorporate more ship stealth might be some sort of magic talisman or spell/curse, that can render your ship invisible for a brief period of time.

    Like a cloaking device of sorts, a player finds the magic item and activates it in an emergency, or at an opportune time, giving his ship complete invisibility for a number of minutes, providing the potential for escape or stealth attack, or just cover to get something done. Of course, the ship should only be invisible, but still be capable of taking damage from any cannonball, and can still be boarded. So the ship still has structure and form - it just cannot be seen. Spyglass also cannot see the ship.

    If the invisible ship is flying the Reaper's flag, it should only be seen on the map. In all other ways, a cloaked/invisible ship should be able to manouever and attack/defend as usual. It can even dock invisibly at an outpost so as to unload cargo without being spotted. Once pirates disembark a cloaked ship, or jump off a ship, they should become visible. Alliances would work as usual.

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  • Luci6396
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    @starship42 fog could be cool. idk about the jetstreams or invisibility. i could see some fog in the game or at least some kinda way to set off a fog bomb that makes it easier to escape battle scenarios or hide yourself while stealing from a ship.

  • D3ADST1CK
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder

    They could have done this with volcano ash instead of just making them another type of cannon that blasts your ship.

  • Bosun Rotrr
    Master

    @revanjstone well, it would be cool to have control over the fog. So, for instance, some kind of "device" or magic item, once activated, produces a fog spreading out from your ship to cover an area equivalent to 1/3 of the map, let's say. The fog lasts a set length of time and moves with the ship... or not. Perhaps it simply stays in the area where it was activated, which leaves all players having to navigate their way through the fog and out of it also. Kind of like a miles wide smoke bomb. Great device for distraction and evasion.

    I actually like that idea better than an invisibility cloak.

  • Bountyhunter 2g
    Marauder
    Insider

    That is a great idea. Would love to Sea something like this added. But instead ruining the beautiful graphics of the water maybe just adding another dial on the compass that could tell you current directions and what not.

  • Bosun Rotrr
    Master

    @bountyhunter-2g perhaps... it may be too difficult to code visible currents in water as well. Good point. The currents could simply be random too, so the player has no idea which way the current will take him.

    If the fog is controlled, like with a smoke bomb rather than a natural weather occurance, then there is no reason imv why there couldn't be some breeze for slow sailing as well.

  • A Cranky Eskimo
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    The fog and ocean currents would be really cool, the invisibility not so much.

  • Luci6396
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    @starship42 i think one third the map is a bit much thats an entire region haha even more now with the devils roar in. I think it should be about 5 times bigger than a galleon. should occur naturally and by item. that way its not like if you see a fog you KNOW its from a player just a 50/50 shot if you notice it.

    I wrote a fanfic about sea of thieves and I had a sloop with a machine on the back that creates fog haha. So I do like this stealth idea.

  • QuietRobot
    Champion
    Insider
    Founder

    Yeah, fog could be cool.. as long as they improve the performance of the game, just by entering the islands or the volcano area the fps collapse 😟

  • ODS7 117
    Insider
    Founder

    I like the idea of fog but a huge chunk of the map being fog I don't like, but the fog gave me an idea what about fog lanes. Almost like lanes a fog that flow through the map and can change direction and stuff. Kind of like trade lanes how some merchant used trade lanes when wanting to travel places which gives me another idea why not have both basically trade lanes that make the water look alittle different but it gives increased speed to ships who travel within the lanes that go throughout the map which also gives pvpers/ pirates a chance to stock the trade lanes give more choice take the risk of getting somewhere faster or avoid trade lanes to avoid pirates same with fog lanes lanes of fogs that u can travel through or hide in to ambush somebody once in u can't be seen from the outside

  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    You guys are talking about something that I already see in the game. There's a "fog" along the horizon line every once in a while that makes it much harder to see other ships.

  • Zherron Vorse
    Captain
    Insider

    The Fog is not a bad idea and would help with immersion. The actual stealth/invisibility has no part in this game though. The devs don't want ships appearing out of thin air for players, they like the idea of you having to keep an eye out for incoming ships and not letting your guard down.

  • WestStormborn
    Captain
    Insider

    @zherron-vorse the only stealthy part I need is a bit of crouching. I need to hide behind rocks man!

  • Goedecke Michel
    Marauder

    Love the fog idea very much, but the magic to be invisible scares me.

  • ClosingHare208
    Marauder
    Insider

    @starship42 invisibility in a great idea because of people who want to avoid pvp as much as possible

  • Captain Arcanic
    Master
    Insider

    Just occasional, rolling banks of fog, 1-4 map squares wide.
    Block visibility further than two ship lengths away.
    Ship sounds grow louder though.

    Could be a cursed cannonball that causes a fog bank to appear in the water where the ball hits.

  • Captain Arcanic
    Master
    Insider

    A good, semi-circular current to the map would be awesome too. Just make it visible on the map table.

    Currents

  • A Cranky Eskimo
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    @closinghare208 said in Fog & Ship Cloaking/Invisibility:

    @starship42 invisibility in a great idea because of people who want to avoid pvp as much as possible

    What about when a pvp ship appears out of nowhere and kills you? Invisibility does not belong in this game.

  • Bosun Rotrr
    Master

    @closinghare208 yes, but it would also be a great advantage for PvP'rs as well. Imagine being able to sneak up on your target to surprise attack...

    I see it as being advantageous for both PvP'ers and Non-PvP'ers.

    A surprise attack will only be a surprise up until the first shot is fired. Then the defending ship could potentially see where the cannon fire is coming from and return fire, if they are quick and prepared.

    Invisibility for Non-PvP'ers is an obvious advantage for distraction and escape. The potential for it anyway.

    Limits could be set on invisibility. Time limits and conditions. For instance, cannon fire, keg explosion, etc, could diminish the invisibility effect so all players can see the ship for a few seconds... Sound would also not be affected; so any noisy players, or accidental blade/gunshot, talking, dropping of cargo, etc, would be heard... Water noises. Raising and lowering of sails, etc. Creaking wood of the hull as the ship slows down...

    All noise could still give away your location.

  • Bosun Rotrr
    Master

    @captain-arcanic fair enough. I imagined a fog which was large enough in area to cover an island or two as well, at least. All ship and player sounds, weapon fire, music, and talking should still potentially give away ones ship position.

    Two ship lengths doesn't seem like very much to me - not for a fog bank.

    Like the idea of a fog cursed cannon ball though. Creates a fog bank whereever it lands in water. Just a question of how large an area would be ideal. I imagine it needing to be large enough to allow non-PvP'ers to escape attackers.

    Fog effect should be time limited also.

  • Bosun Rotrr
    Master

    @ods7-117 like that idea. Fog lanes that kindof morph over time and weather conditions, like jetstreams... that slowly change position. Cool idea.

  • Captain Arcanic
    Master
    Insider

    @starship42 said in Fog & Ship Cloaking/Invisibility:

    Two ship lengths doesn't seem like very much to me - not for a fog bank.

    That's how CLOSE you have to be to someone in order to make out their ship. maybe another five lengths your ship is a ghostly silhouette. 2-5 map coordinates is a good chunk of water for the overall fog effect.

  • MaWei93
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    nice ideas :)

  • Bosun Rotrr
    Master

    @captain-arcanic to be honest, the idea that the fog is so thick we can't see clear to the other end of a brig or galleon, appeals to me. That there could potentially be ship collisions... or other pirates on your ship you can't see. Perhaps there could be different grades of fog bank; Mildly foggy, thick as you describe, and pea soup thick!

  • ClosingHare208
    Marauder
    Insider

    @starship42 aye sea mate

  • Bosun Rotrr
    Master

    FOG. IS. ROLLING. IN.

    PREPARE.

    Rare, you rock!

  • Qui3tCool
    Master
    Insider

    Fog is coming in the next update Shrouded Spoils after the festival. See new developer update. Along with asked for things, including Pirate Legend commendations.

    October 25th Dev Update

  • Bountyhunter 2g
    Marauder
    Insider

    @starship42 those are some other good ideas too

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