Skeleton Thrones need love too!

  • JE0RGIE P0RGIE
    Lord
    Insider
    Founder

    Hello, hello, hello!

    For those of us that have been around for quite some time we've had the pleasure of experiencing several different Bilge Rat Adventures over the course of 2018. Each one introduced a new set of "tools" to the game for us to interact with in unique ways. It's because of those new tools that I look forward to each and every Bilge Rat Adventure that gets released. When Shrouded Spoils dropped in November, Rare introduced new life into content that had already had its time in the spotlight.

    For instance:

    • The Megs and Kraken now drop loot
    • Forts now have more (merchant specific) loot making them even more lucrative
    • Mermaid Statues now drop gems

    However, Skeleton Thrones were seemingly left in the past, no life was brought back to the very first Bilge Rat Adventure we all shared together. I certainly don't speak for everyone but I thoroughly enjoyed launching myself and my crew mates up to each and every throne in an attempt land the perfect shot! While it's still fun to do from time to time I think we could entice people to interact with them more often. Here's what I suggest!

    Each throne has an opportunity to spawn a "royal themed" piece of treasure on top of the seat. These pieces would include things like:

    • Bronze Crown
    • Silver Crown
    • Golden Crown
    • Golden Scepter

    (I'm definitely open to more suggestions but you get the idea)

    These items would primarily be turned into the Gold Horder Trading Company. I think it would be great if we could come up with some other appropriately themed pieces of treasure for the other trading companies as well.

    Perhaps if and when crafting ever makes its way into the Sea of Thieves we could even have the ability to combine a mermaid gem with the golden scepter to make an even more valuable (gold and reputation wise) piece of treasure.

    Anyway, let me know if you have any comments, questions, or concerns regarding the idea behind this suggestion. I think it would be a great way to breathe some life into the first Bilge Rat Adventure that started it all!

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  • Captain Coel
    Commander
    Insider

    @je0rgie-p0rgie while I think that the skeleton thrones could use some love. The reason the Megs and Kraken were given loot is there was no incentive to fight them when you could spend less time and resources to just avoid them. Being a boss fight they needed loot.

  • BR0CRASTINAT0R
    Captain
    Insider

    All except Marauder's Arch. No one should have to go through that again. Every time I go there, or have to shoot my self on to something, I get flash backs of that place. I do like the “crown” as a possible reward.

  • JE0RGIE P0RGIE
    Lord
    Insider
    Founder

    @captain-coel

    Exactly! The Meg and Kraken were given loot tables because they were mostly ignored, just like the Skeleton Thrones. I think by introducing a loot table to the Skeleton Thrones will have the same impact on them as it did on the Meg and Kraken. This also gives players more of an incentive to help out new players looking to complete their Skeleton Throne commendations.

  • Reedski
    Marauder
    Insider

    I like it, pop a crowned skull on one, or a Kings Ransom chest, or a legendary (actually) gold chicken (either a statue or pre caged)

  • JE0RGIE P0RGIE
    Lord
    Insider
    Founder

    @reedski Hey there we go! Those are some solid suggestions for the other two Trading Companies. I think it's important that each Company has a chance to have loot spawned on the throne to encourage everyone no matter what Company they're focusing on to at consider shooting themselves over to a throne.

  • EVA1977
    Captain
    Insider

    How about a chance encounter of it spawning a monster, a skellie with barrel perhaps? just so it is not a guaranteed quick gold.

  • JE0RGIE P0RGIE
    Lord
    Insider
    Founder

    @eva1977 hmmm, are you suggesting that perhaps if a player decided to launch themselves onto a throne the throne could spawn a skeleton with a barrel?

  • Qui3tCool
    Master
    Insider

    @je0rgie-p0rgie

    Thanks for posting this topic mate! Would love for the thrones to have a purpose that keeps living on. The more pirates have things to do and more ways to have fun, the more people will keep playing and the game will just keep getting better and better.

  • JE0RGIE P0RGIE
    Lord
    Insider
    Founder

    @x-crowheart-x Absolutely! And who doesn't enjoy collecting more types of treasure?

  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    My concern with this idea is that, unlike the Meg and Kraken, the thrones don't move, and they're not random like the statues either - they're static placements. This means that I can always come back to the same spots for free loot. It also means that unruly pirates can set up ambush points. Furthermore, how would it work if I just sat in it over and over again? Would I get more loot? What about the larger thrones requiring 2 crews? How would that work?

    I like where your mind's at, but I think your idea needs some more fleshing out.

  • JE0RGIE P0RGIE
    Lord
    Insider
    Founder

    @galactic-geek These are indeed valid concerns but ones that I think can easily be resolved. The idea behind it is that the throne would randomly spawn the loot on the seat. A glow, like when loot is bobbing in the water, would indicate whether or not loot was on the throne.

    This would then prompt players to launch themselves up to the throne to collect it. Once collected nothing else would spawn. In essence it's no different that finding a piece of treasure on the beach, it's just more challenging and potentially more fun to retrieve.

  • UrihamRayne
    Legend
    Insider
    Founder

    Based off @EVA1977's comment I think we could make this skeleton throne business quite an unique thing.

    There are 10 skeleton thrones across the world, meeting the requirements to light them up would summon a creature that you would fight on land or at sea. The cooldown for the summon would be one ingame day.

    LARGE THRONES

    Land Challenges -

    Shipwreck Bay: Skeleton Captain of the Blackwyche spawns in the island along with his skelleton crew.
    Marauder's Arch: Several waves of skeletons will begin to spawn in the fortified area in the east of the island, until a skelleton captain emerges.
    Cannon Cove: A new colossal/ghoulish skeleton will spawn for players to defeat.

    Sea Challenges -

    Plunder Outpost: Skeleton Megalodon Spawns around the outpost.
    Smuggler's Bay: A wave of Skeleton Ships spawns around the throne's rock.

    SMALL THRONES

    Land Challenges -

    Thieves' Haven: A skeletal beast (tiger-like) would be spawned in the island
    Devil's Ridge: A skeletal boar would be spawned in the island
    Mermaid's Hideaway: A single lone Skelleton Captain would spawn in the island

    Sea Challenges -

    Hidden Spring Keep: A Skeleton Sloop would spawn around the island.
    Unmapped island at N10: Skeleton Vulture would spawn in the surface.

    these are just some really out there stuff, but maybe it could go somewhere.

  • JE0RGIE P0RGIE
    Lord
    Insider
    Founder

    @urihamrayne A very interesting read! I like the idea of summoning and fighting different creatures however, I was thinking something more simplistic. Currently each of the previous Bilge Rat Adventures fit into the world in such a way that they left a small but memorable footprint. Each "adventure remnant," the thrones, gun powder skeletons, mermaids, lanterns, etc, has a story that can be shared by someone who experienced that adventure. I think if we were to give any incentive to revisit the Skeleton Thrones it should be "simplisticly enticing."

    I do like where you're going with your suggestion though and think down the road it could be a Bilge Rat Adventure in and of itself!

  • D Jaguar
    Captain
    Insider

    Skipped the event when it released. I may have done 3 or 4. They definitely need a reason to do them at all as they were a waste of time.

    It would have to be a good incentive though.

  • Genuine Heather
    Captain
    Insider

    Since the Thrones are generally up high (with a couple exceptions)...it makes sense that any related threat might come from the sky. Imagine a giant eagle (not unlike those depicted in statues and paintings all over the seas) that could snatch a pirate into the air and drop them, quite possibly to their death.

  • Genuine Heather
    Captain
    Insider

    @je0rgie-p0rgie I love the idea of bringing life back to the Skeleton Thrones. Some of my crewmates have never done them and have expressed interest in them. But when I tell them that there isn't really any reward for them, aside from the satisfaction of completing the commendations...well, it's hard to convince a crew to spend a session sitting on thrones. I'm all in favor of giving them a bit more appeal.

  • PirateCraggy
    Legend
    Insider

    @je0rgie-p0rgie

    Yes liking this idea.
    It certainly would be a good reason to do them again ( for those of us that completed it previously ), & an incentive to do them again hopefully with new crews that didn't have a chance to do them first time around. A win-win!, everyone gets something out of it.

  • they sank
    Ship Mate

    ...delete skeleton thrones. Not a bad idea!!!

  • Qui3tCool
    Master
    Insider

    @urihamrayne said in Skeleton Thrones need love too!:

    Based off @EVA1977's comment I think we could make this skeleton throne business quite an unique thing.

    There are 10 skeleton thrones across the world, meeting the requirements to light them up would summon a creature that you would fight on land or at sea. The cooldown for the summon would be one ingame day.

    LARGE THRONES

    Land Challenges -

    Shipwreck Bay: Skeleton Captain of the Blackwyche spawns in the island along with his skelleton crew.
    Marauder's Arch: Several waves of skeletons will begin to spawn in the fortified area in the east of the island, until a skelleton captain emerges.
    Cannon Cove: A new colossal/ghoulish skeleton will spawn for players to defeat.

    Sea Challenges -

    Plunder Outpost: Skeleton Megalodon Spawns around the outpost.
    Smuggler's Bay: A wave of Skeleton Ships spawns around the throne's rock.

    SMALL THRONES

    Land Challenges -

    Thieves' Haven: A skeletal beast (tiger-like) would be spawned in the island
    Devil's Ridge: A skeletal boar would be spawned in the island
    Mermaid's Hideaway: A single lone Skelleton Captain would spawn in the island

    Sea Challenges -

    Hidden Spring Keep: A Skeleton Sloop would spawn around the island.
    Unmapped island at N10: Skeleton Vulture would spawn in the surface.

    these are just some really out there stuff, but maybe it could go somewhere.

    Great possibilities here mate! I think we all would like to have more continuing interactive story content. I think things like this are great ideas to make that happen. Hopefully with Rare working very hard to bring us more story and lore based questing we will see many great things like this.

  • TheRealEpicAndy
    Marauder
    Insider

    i'd love to see a human npc boss run out of the throne room when its opened and have to fight it!

  • JE0RGIE P0RGIE
    Lord
    Insider
    Founder

    @genuine-heather Right on the nose Heather! I have a couple of friends myself that have also never sat upon the thrones. I especially think this idea works well because unlike some of the other Bilge Rat Adventures, the doubloons for the Skeleton Thrones are no longer obtainable. Whereas some of the newer Bilge Rat Adventures still offer up the chance to earn doubloons, thus making them still relevant.

    It's sad to think about but half the time I forget the thrones still even exist! I think the possibility of obtaining treasure is the best method for motivating players to reengage with the thrones once more.

    @Reedski I really liked your suggestion about a crowned skull! The first thing that popped into my head was the skull of one of the golden skeleton captains we fight during Order of Souls missions. I think that would be a pretty neat piece of treasure to turn in. I thought about this earlier today and I'd like to add some of my favorite suggestions to the OP do you mind if I add yours?

  • Bubba Max7596
    Seafarer
    Insider

    I love this idea. The couple of nights I spent trying to get all the thrones were a lot of fun. To this day I still rock the master of thrones title from this event because of my good memories of it. To me this would be something sort of fun and light hearted to take a break from sailing around. I could already see my crew all competing with each other to see who could get up there first.

    Maybe the reward that the throne gives could be determined by how many crews work together to get on the throne. Sort of like when it launched that you needed someone from another ship. Say it always starts with a basic bronze reward, but if someone from another ship gets on it gets upgraded to silver, and then a 3rd ship possibly to gold. To me that would be a good reason to work togther and form an alliance rather then just blow each other up.

  • ElectableLouise
    Master
    Insider

    They definitely need to do something with the thrones. A lot of us spent a lot of time with those thrones ( most of it swearing :P ) and it would be nice for them to include them again. I like the ideas of enemies spawning as a little challenge to get some extra loot.

  • JE0RGIE P0RGIE
    Lord
    Insider
    Founder

    @electablelouise said in Skeleton Thrones need love too!:

    I like the ideas of enemies spawning as a little challenge to get some extra loot.

    Ahoy! Thanks for the feedback :) My biggest concern with spawning enemies to fight is that it takes away from what the event originally was all about. The entire idea of the event was to just launch ourselves onto a throne, sometimes alone and sometimes with a player from another crew. A majority of the thrones are in tightly compacted areas or high up on a cliff which would make fighting an enemy unnecessarily difficult.

    I think in the spirit of what the event was originally about players should only have to land on the throne to claim a reward IF one of the discussed rewards spawned up on the throne.

  • n0stradamus124
    Seafarer
    Insider

    This is a good idea what would be cool is to introduce some thrones in the devils roar as well and have like an ashen crown as well

  • JE0RGIE P0RGIE
    Lord
    Insider
    Founder

    @n0stradamus124 An interesting idea! I wouldn't be opposed to seeing more thrones in the game, especially if they were added to the Roar. So long as the spirit of the Skeleton Thrones Bilge Rat Adventure is preserved. Thanks for the feedback!

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