So I've been thinking about ways to make Shipwrecks a more in-depth and captivating experience. I think they've got a lot of potential and in a pirate based game, should spark some interest when adventuring around the world. So, I bestow upon any reader a list of ideas:
- A Variety Of Ship Types.
I'm sure this has been mentioned before but this alone would make coming across shipwrecks not feel so 'samey' each time. It would be nice to see Sloop and Brigantine wrecks scattered about the world rather than just the same galleon model each time.
In addition to this, Skeleton ships could be added as a type of shipwreck so that the model of the same ship types can differ from time to time. - Broken Hulls/Scattered Wrecks
Dotted around the map there are some permanent shipwrecks on islands and reefs that are made out of different pieces of broken ship scattered around an area. However, whenever we come across the floating shipwrecks they all seem vaguely intact (compared to the permanent ones, of course). It would be interesting to see hulls split in two with broken masts along with other floating sections of segmented ship parts randomly placed around the wreck site. it would make navigating these wrecks a lot more unique each time and make scavenging a bit less methodical. - Loot
Along with the variety in ship types mentioned above, differing 'tiers' of loot could be implemented relating to the type of shipwreck. For example: A galleon could have the potential to contain a fairly substantial quantity of treasure whereas a Sloop may only provide a little bit of loot (but it could still be worth while). This may create some room for decision making when adventuring around the world when spotting a wreck, debating whether or not it's worth checking it out.
It is also possible that if you were to find a skeleton crew shipwreck they could have higher chances of cursed cannon balls but lower chances of supplies to differentiate the two (this may encourage more PvP/naval combat based crews to scavenge these wrecks for cursed cannon balls). - Shipwreck Quests
I'm unsure of exact implementation for this feature, or at least, who should give you these voyages, but in the quest for quest variety it may be worth considering adding voyages that tell you to find a specific shipwreck in some section of the map (and they give you a last known location, 18B, 6F, W10, etc.). With a note of what that ship was supposed to be carrying/doing at the point it was lost. giving a bit of context to the wreck. When the player arrives they can expect to find relevant treasure and maybe other goodies. If you don't want to give a direct location maybe you could say: "The ship (Name) was travelling from (Island) to (Island) when it was lost", if you then go to one of the islands mentioned and travel along the path you will find a shipwreck which you can then match to the given name to confirm it's correct and proceed to pick clean of treasure. In addition to this there could be the chance of finding journals in the wrecks which could mention of other ships that particular ship has sunk/come in contact with. "We lost our sloop escort (name) at P20 ... ", "Last night we sunk a hostile galleon at E22 ..." +more - Sealife
I'm sure this one is a little ways off but the inclusion of some sea life inside and around the shipwrecks to make for more interesting exploration. Finding things such as an octopus and squid that may or may not try to attack you, Swordfish, Dolphins as a more friendly and passive encounter. Coral stuck to the sides of ships, blocking off entrances as nature takes over and of course, many many shoals of fish.
There are certainly more ideas floating around that could improve the shipwreck experience but these are a few of the main ones, and together I think these would be make for a more worth while shipwreck experience in the Sea of Thieves.
All feedback, discussion, and improvements on these ideas is welcome!
