Offline Mode?

@goedecke-michel
*Constructive thoughts? lol

That topic has been visited and revisited a lot already at this point to be honest.

Personally, I think what makes the game great as is, is the multiplayer part, after all that's how the game has been marketed. Either PVP encounters or even with PVE, having other players around is what makes the game work. Splitting the community in yet another way wouldn't be great either, although I suppose that's not an issue for those who wants to play alone, but it is for those who want a player populated game.

It's a shame if you are having internet issues at the moment, play something else in the meantime and you will enjoy SoT even more when you come back! :)

@d3adst1ck
Sure it would take some extra programming, so would any other suggestion... Most games these days do have an offline mode, there's absolutely no reason NOT to have it. All it does is open up the game to people that don't always have internet access.

@BloodyBil
Yeah, I found a few more threads but didn't get to read through them yet. They seemed pretty old anyway.
Unless I'm mistaken (which isn't unlikely) they've already talked about implementing private servers. THAT would definitely split the community because they'll be able to level up without the risk. With that in mind, I don't think splitting the community is a good argument. I feel an offline mode INSTEAD of private servers would keep most players together, while still allowing players without internet access (or those that REALLY hate PvP) to play the game.

I'd even go as far as to argue that it would bring more players back than anything. Tons of people are sick of the PvP mentality, that's why you see a new thread almost daily begging for PvE servers.

I honestly can't think of a good reason not to add an offline mode, especially if they're considering private/PvE servers. I think it would be the best compromise to keep everyone happy AND it could bring more players back to the game.

@TruthfulList56

Personally I don't think this would fit for Sea of Thieves. I think Rare has certain things that they want to make sure we experience when we play their game. I think a single player offline mode not only makes the game completely different, but also allows us not to be exposed to the shared multiplayer world that they want us to see and think of when Sea of Thieves comes to mind.

@truthfullist56 I'm a big sinngle-player gamer myself. I really enjoy the multiplayer aspect of SoT, but I would enjoy the game almost as much playing just PVE. So in principle, I'm behind you.

However, @D3ADST1CK makes an excellent point when he says it would be really difficult. Given just how much is calculated server-side (not just stored -- a lot of the actual calculations are apparently done server-side), it wouldn't just be a bit of code to make that happen client-side. It would (probably) require re-writing large sections of the game's code from the ground up. It might make the game buggier (the official servers already struggle to keep up, and I bet that they're more powerful than our PCs or Xboxs), and it would introduce security hazards (anything that is client-side is more likely to be hacked).

So all in all, though I agree that it would benefit the game to have an offline mode, I think it would be really technically difficult.

@truthfullist56 said in Offline Mode?:

I feel an offline mode INSTEAD of private servers would keep most players together, while still allowing players without internet access (or those that REALLY hate PvP) to play the game.

Wait what? How playing by yourself in singleplayer would keep most players together?? Not that I think private servers are any better, both do split the community and that's a fact. Creating multiple pools of players does divide the main pool, no matter what people says.

I'd even go as far as to argue that it would bring more players back than anything. Tons of people are sick of the PvP mentality, that's why you see a new thread almost daily begging for PvE servers.

Tons of new people, that mostly decide to go solo, that haven't taken the time to learn the game, do ask for PVE servers, yes. Rare already decided to create the Arena to take some PVP pressure off the adventure mode. In the end, this is a multiplayer game and is meant to be played that way, that's how the game has been marketed and presented from the start. The people who bought the game knew that full well, and if they can't handle PVP, well they can practice and improve their skills to be able to handle it.

I honestly can't think of a good reason not to add an offline mode, especially if they're considering private/PvE servers. I think it would be the best compromise to keep everyone happy AND it could bring more players back to the game.

That's something that comes around often in these threads: "I can't think of a good reason to add so and so --- there are absolutely NO reason NOT to add so and so"

Yet people give plenty of reasons across multiple threads and posts, you just refuse to see them I guess. Gets tiresome to enumerate the same facts over and over when people don't even want to hear them.

@chronodusk
Everyday somebody makes a post requesting pve servers. Clearly a large portion of players have had enough with the pvp, and would enjoy not having to deal with it all the time. That's not even the point of the suggestion though. The point is to open up the game for people who have bad/no internet or don't want to pay for Xbox live.
I seriously doubt anyone would stop playing if an offline mode was added (like people have threatened about pve/private servers), so this only brings in more money for Rare. The only way it could "hurt" the game is if too many people jump to offline, in which case one could say there's clearly a problem with online.

@vorondil1 difficult doesn't mean impossible! I think a lot of those issues are based off speculation. How do we know exactly what it would take to make it offline?

@truthfullist56

Open up the game to those who don't have internet??? This is another one of those things where you buy the game knowing that it will require internet, because it is most definitely marketed as an online multiplayer game in a very clear way.... so maybe you should wait to get it until you have internet?

Same deal with PvE servers. The game shouldn't have them. You buy the game understanding that has always been mixed PvE/PvP experience. So why buy this product if you know that's not what you're in to?

I just don't understand the logic here. PvE servers are a separate and off-topic discussion that I can go on and on about, but the moral of the story for the player groups that you described is - don't buy an Apple and then get upset when it doesn't taste like an Orange.

@truthfullist56 said in Offline Mode?:

@chronodusk
Everyday somebody makes a post requesting pve servers. Clearly a large portion of players have had enough with the pvp, and would enjoy not having to deal with it all the time.

And everyday people flock to those posts with plenty of reasons why they disagree. Spamming the same threads won't make those issues any more real. Everyday people also posts about how the skelly ships are too hard, how x,y,z is too hard, and usually it all comes from inexperienced players.

That's not even the point of the suggestion though. The point is to open up the game for people who have bad/no internet or don't want to pay for Xbox live.

What about people who have bad machines and can't handle the graphics? Rare isn't responsible for hardware limitations. And as for not paying for xbox live, I'm sure Microsoft would be thrilled for Rare to implement a way to avoid paying for their product.

I seriously doubt anyone would stop playing if an offline mode was added (like people have threatened about pve/private servers), so this only brings in more money for Rare.

People can stomp their feet and threaten all they want, I doubt Rare are shaking in their boots.

The only way it could "hurt" the game is if too many people jump to offline, in which case one could say there's clearly a problem with online.

Or one could say people can't handle the challenge. That's not a problem with online, that's a problem with the player in question.

@vorondil1 difficult doesn't mean impossible! I think a lot of those issues are based off speculation. How do we know exactly what it would take to make it offline?

Nobody knows indeed but it sure will take more than a few lines of code. Personally, I'd rather the devs put time and effort on additional content for all the players rather than cave in and add a feature for a small minority of players that can't handle the game in its current form, or don't have the required hardware to play.

@chronodusk @BloodyBil
Like I stated before, my internet is out. It has nothing to do with the game being too difficult online. I just want a way to play the game when my internet is having issues. There's literally nothing I can do about it since it's in my landlord's name, which really sucks but that's the situation I'm in.

"The only way it could "hurt" the game is if too many people jump to offline, in which case one could say there's clearly a problem with online." - ME

"Or one could say people can't handle the challenge. That's not a problem with online, that's a problem with the player in question." @BloodyBil

If the majority of people jump to offline mode (even if it is because they feel it's too difficult) it would indicate that the average person play SoT is not happy with the online version. I highly doubt enough people would switch to offline to harm the multiplayer version. I think the only people that would use the offline mode are the people that (like you suggested) feel the game is too difficult against other players, or those that have internet problems (which aren't able to play the game at all). If you feel it would significantly split the community (more so than private servers) then you're admitting that most people would enjoy the game more without other players. If most people would enjoy the game more without other players, then it kind of makes sense to give them that option. Again, I do not believe that to be the case; I just want you to understand the logic you're using essentially works against your own argument there.

"Personally, I'd rather the devs put time and effort on additional content for all the players"
I can agree with that statement. I never said this should become priority number one, I just feel it should be implemented.
Sorry for the weird quotes, I haven't quite figured that out yet on this forum.

@d3adst1ck Alright.
So are you saying that because it might be difficult to "restructure" the game to make it work offline, they shouldn't even bother?
I'm sure Arena took a lot of work, does that mean they shouldn't have bothered?
I get that it might be a lot of work (even though we don't really know how much work/reprogramming it would actually take), but if it adds some variety to the game and makes it accessible for more players, then why shouldn't it be added somewhere down the line?

@d3adst1ck If you don't have access to the program, you didn't write any of the program, and you have no resources to back what you're saying, then it's not a viable argument against implementing an offline mode.
If I'm wrong then please stop me from looking like a fool and provide me with something to back up those claims. I'm assuming you have none, but I will admit when I'm wrong.

Regardless, the amount of work required to implement something shouldn't even be part of the argument. It's up to Rare to decide if it's worth the effort or not. It's up to the community to tell them whether or not it's something they should at least consider.

Is there any other reason that you would be against it?

@truthfullist56 I never built a house from my own hands, am not very handy either or know all the tools required, but I can still aknowledge that building a house is not a small task. I don't need to have 20 houses built to my name to be able to judge that. Anyways, technical complexity is not really the point.

As for people not enjoying online because of PVP, they knew what they signed for when they bought the game. Both PVE and PVP are core important aspects of the game and its balance make the game great the way it is. It's never too late to get better at PVP, I've seen plenty of anti-PVP posters getting better and enjoying it after all.

As for internet issues, that's unfortunate but Rare can't make a mode for every technical problem people have. The game is made for online play, it is what it is unfortunately. I know SoT is not an MMO but should games like WoW have an offline mode because some people don't have good internet?

In the end, who knows what's in store for the game in terms of features and mode but the devs mind seems pretty made up according to mods:

@Musicmee said in Offline mode and friends only?:

Unfortunately there will not be an offline component to this game, it requires a constant internet connection and you to be connected to the shared world. They are pretty adamant that this is the only way the game will work.

@d3adst1ck said in Offline Mode?:

@truthfullist56 Arena builds on the currently existing framework for how Sea of Thieves operates. Its still fully online. The servers still handle all ship movement and AI. You still load your character stats, gold, cosmetics, commendations, etc.. from a server farm.

You are suggesting something that would be akin to writing a completely new game, rather than an add-on mode.

How in the world do you think disabling online play would equate to "writing a completely new game"....? Essentially, all they would have to do is turn off online play. No changes needed other than adding an option in the menu. Unless you are gonna explain why it would be so complicated, don't use it as a point.

@bloodybil That post was BEFORE the game even released... Surely they could reconsider over a year later.
You keep going back to the "get good" mentality, when that's not at all what this is about. My point was that it would benefit those players as well, not that this is strictly meant for those that are bad at PvP.
As for "should WoW have an offline mode", I don't play Wow and never have, but I don't see why not as long as you can't boost offline and jump into multiplayer.

@d3adst1ck such as? If this game works different than virtually every other game then i'm open to learning something new.

@d3adst1ck said in Offline Mode?:

@betsill said in Offline Mode?:

@d3adst1ck said in Offline Mode?:

@truthfullist56 Arena builds on the currently existing framework for how Sea of Thieves operates. Its still fully online. The servers still handle all ship movement and AI. You still load your character stats, gold, cosmetics, commendations, etc.. from a server farm.

You are suggesting something that would be akin to writing a completely new game, rather than an add-on mode.

How in the world do you think disabling online play would equate to "writing a completely new game"....? All they would have to do is turn off online play. No changes needed other than adding an option in the menu. Unless you are gonna explain why it would be so complicated, don't use it as a point.

The problem is that you think that all they need to do is "turn off online play".

Here's a hint: large portions of how the game works do not exist in the installed application that runs on your PC or XBox.

What are you saying man, hosting a local server and render all 80+ islands, their animals, enemies and overall map's loot, resources and other data is gonna be a breeze for anyone's machine!

@d3adst1ck I understand that all the info in the session has to be relayed to all players so that everyone sees the same thing. That's how all online games work. If the game didn't have other players in it then it wouldn't need to reference the server to render the game since there would only be one perspective on the world. If you've ever DC(lost internet completely) you will know that the game continues to run for a time without a connection. The ship does become a submarine sometimes, but that doesn't mean that it can sail without a connection. It just means that it depends on the connection to remain in that online instance. Where are you getting info from?

Age of Pirates: Carraibean Tales, Sea Dogs II: City of Abadoned Ships, Sid Mayer's Pirates, Sea Dogs: To Each His Own, Risen II. Most are quite old but still good. All single. Possible to download most for free or buy on ebay cheaply. Check 'em out if Ya are tired of other players ^^.

@betsill There is a certain amount of servers and they are on Rare's side. When you connect to the game, you get randomly assigned to one of them. All the maps data are handled on their end. You can't host dedicated server on your own machine, for the reasons @D3ADST1CK mentioned above.

It's not just a matter of pressing "Create game" instead of "Join game". Our clients simply don't have any of the data required for that and would take too much resource to run on a regular computer or even an xbox. As he also mentioned above, it is quite close to how MMO servers function in a way. The only thing you keep on your end is the infos on your character, the rest is all taken in charge by the servers.

@d3adst1ck They are simulated on your console like everything else. The server only tells your client where to put all the assets. Again, where are you getting this info on how SoT runs?

@d3adst1ck BF4 has an offline server... Where are you getting your info!!!!???

@d3adst1ck like I said before, the technical stuff shouldn't be part of your opinion on an offline mode. It's up to Rare to decide/figure out if/how to implement it. The technical stuff is none of our business. If they say it's not possible, then it's not going to happen.
Your thoughts on the programming of an offline mode mean absolutely nothing to the argument against it, you're not the one programming it. I'm not sure why you're all so focused on that when it has nothing to do with us. We're here to tell Rare what we want in the game, let them decide if it's actually possible.

Ignore the technical issues you expect there might be, what other reasons would you be against it?