Without the option for Private Servers; the game has become impossible to enjoy/progress in

@Jza16

To quote Joe Neate in an interview with Shacknews:

“Play the game, be the pirate you want, play the game in the way you want to play,”

Idk about you but to me this is Rare explicitly stating their “vision” for the game as you called it. The people asking for private servers are telling Rare what they want/need in order to enjoy the game.

Furthermore; it’s your right; just as it’s my right as consumers to want to see a product (or in this case a game) change or grow to better be used/enjoyed by us. Just as it’s fully Rare’s right and choice to listen or not. They are a company after all and their bottom line is to make a successful game. Now Im no business expert but I think bringing more players to the game by making it more accessible would be a great way to expand your playerbase If I was Rare.

@callmebackdraft said in Without the option for Private Servers; the game has become impossible to enjoy/progress in:

@itskingbertie you didnt read my post correctly so yeah, also arena isnt a pvp mode its a competitive mode that features heavy pvp.

Sot at its CORE is a pvevp game, games need loss conditions and this is one of them and actually the main one for sot

Okay so RARE should bring out sea of friends as a separate game! But surely that’s worse cus now majority of players will go off sea of theives?!, how do I know it’s the majority u say! Because most casuals, new and younger players would either try thieves and think yeah I want a decent community or not lose anything unless to OP meg or kraken! I’ll go to sea of friends where I am safe and know I can team up as there is only teaming up lol!

The game needs a lose mechanic well then make a HARDCORE PVE mode no beep players just super beeping hard AI!

From the way you’re wording it; it sounds like youd rather I play the game the way “you” want me to play it.

Hypothetically speaking; say SoT was released as a coop game with ONLY Private servers originally. The mechanics and game itself entirely identical save for that one point.

Now say later on Rare decided to release the adventure mode as we know it and add multiplayer. There’d be a huge boost of excitement for the mode from players wanting a more PvP centric experience. Rightly so.

Would the people who enjoyed the PvE focused game mode complain? Highly unlikely since the adventure mode wouldn’t affect them in the slightest. It would only serve to bring more people to the game, and give those people more ways to play.

This is exactly what the argument for Private Servers is proposing.

As stated earlier; Rare has said they wanted to create a game where people make their own stories and play how THEY want to. Some want that to be a strictly private experience. It’s not robbing the rest of the game to simply make it possible to enter a world where the only other players you’d see are ones youve invited. As said before with a max of 6 ships per server; adventure modes would be just as populated as they are now.

If theres THAT much fear of that, an easy fix would be to put a permanent boost (say 20%) onto all loot turned in on adventure mode to reward the increased risk. Rate could even include a title for people who got to PL entirely on open-world to reward those kinds of players.

@Lysergicaa

Unfortunately as I mentioned in my OP it looks that way for the time being; I felt and still feel SoT is ultimately in its current state an unhealthy experience.

It’s unfortunate that the game seems intent on pushing players, not just myself, away.

I’m still going to advocate for Private servers nonetheless. And if Rare ever finally does decide to listen to the community asking for a private mode; I’ll be happy to support it and the game again.

@chemorrhage said in Without the option for Private Servers; the game has become impossible to enjoy/progress in:

From the way you’re wording it; it sounds like youd rather I play the game the way “you” want me to play it.

Hypothetically speaking; say SoT was released as a coop game with ONLY Private servers originally. The mechanics and game itself entirely identical save for that one point.

Now say later on Rare decided to release the adventure mode as we know it and add multiplayer. There’d be a huge boost of excitement for the mode from players wanting a more PvP centric experience. Rightly so.

Would the people who enjoyed the PvE focused game mode complain? Highly unlikely since the adventure mode wouldn’t affect them in the slightest. It would only serve to bring more people to the game, and give those people more ways to play.

This is exactly what the argument for Private Servers is proposing.

As stated earlier; Rare has said they wanted to create a game where people make their own stories and play how THEY want to. Some want that to be a strictly private experience. It’s not robbing the rest of the game to simply make it possible to enter a world where the only other players you’d see are ones youve invited. As said before with a max of 6 ships per server; adventure modes would be just as populated as they are now.

If theres THAT much fear of that, an easy fix would be to put a permanent boost (say 20%) onto all loot turned in on adventure mode to reward the increased risk. Rate could even include a title for people who got to PL entirely on open-world to reward those kinds of players.

I am a PVE server supporter aswell, but I have some things that I agree with from the other side of the argument which one being that adventure mode should have normal XP rates and our PVE/private should be severely reduced to even out the difficulty as there is not any hassle from players now! Or my personal favourite have the whole world become hardcore mode! Increased health and damage with skele ships shoot on site and megs and krakens have hugely increased spawn rates which can spawn even with skull forts on the map! That way PVE isn’t a gold/rep farm it’s the game but harder as they isn’t any grief just content! No server cross overs! What u have earned on adventure mode stays and can continue to cater for players that need a “risk” to enjoy this game. No one can earn something on PVE mode then take it over to adventure mode and act if they “earned” it on that server,

Earning cosmetics ahould be the same aswell whatever you earn in either mode stays on that mode cannot but everything in PVE mode then go around the other mode using it! As much as the PVPVE players will hate his the truth is if they made PVE mode a hardcore mode it would actually be harder to get to PL and as you can’t steal hours of time over the course of getting to PL it would actually be a much harder feat!

I would love for PVE/private servers to become a thing but don’t want it to have a lose of content the idea of these servers is for the only change to be difficulty( harder or have massively reduced rates) and not having to deal with derk heads!

All the people saying PVE should have no rep or rewards isn’t like saying arena mode shouldn’t have rewards or rep as they didn’t do it in adventure mode ?!?! Lol

It would simply be another mode made to give players a chance to not deal with these community! I have had my fun on normal adventure doing bits and bobs with online players and other people on the server but in the whole time I’ve played I’ve literally had 3 interactions that I have classed as fun and worthy of this game requiring other players, everything else has been galleons chasing me around for as long as I can be bothered until I stop and say “ here have the 3 chicken coops as you killed the chickens tryna sink me” then get sunk anyway and then hop server to repeat until I say yeah I’ll try again tomorrow!

Games are meant to be what the creators want to make! Being successful isn’t a product of a great game just one that managed to take off or be the first to do something right! Now I’m not saying it’s a bad game I’m just saying with sea of thieves being the first of its kind couldnit be the PUBG of pirate games and the next one being fortnite ie the same game but with one added feature - building. Could they be a sea of adventure which comes with PVE servers which then kills this game ?! Would u want to see SOT become that game that everyone plays and therefore has soo many players that having 10 game modes didn’t hurt the community or could it just stick with what they do and hope someone else doesn’t make a game that caters for a wider audience potentially killing this one?! I personally have no problems with anything other then I have to deal with other people! Yeah sounds sad but i love everything about this game apart from its online lol. Had the original content and no players I would of been PL before the hungering deep was added not deleting to come back after the anniversary update hoping that PLs and griefers now have the arena to go to and that progression to do to stop the adventure mode being a hunt for the smallest boat or noobiest player lol

@chemorrhage Don't even try to talk about issues like this to the forum, it goes nowhere REAL fast.

Just accept the fact that the game is destined to be a little niche PVP game that could have been so much more and move on. I keep monitoring things to see if it will ever change cause the game could be SO good, but I seriously doubt that will ever happen.

Thank goodness I tried this with game pass and didn't have to fork out money directly and only for this game...

@cyrus-jusi

As much as I hate to admit; you are right. The hostility of trying to even have a discussion really speaks volumes in of itself.

It’s unfortunate really because there is a real game underneath all the poison. It has potential to attract way more people to share and enjoy it.

@chemorrhage Yeah, that hostility seems to be core to the SoT experience, both in and out of the game, real nice...

Hopefully a fun MMO (or PVE adventure at least) type pirate game (maybe even using this game engine) will come along someday, probably not though...

@cyrus-jusi

If it ever does than maybe I’ll see you on it o7

@lysergicaa said in Without the option for Private Servers; the game has become impossible to enjoy/progress in:

@chemorrhage Okay, see you never i guess... good luck with your next game; i hope it suits ALL your needs.

You say that sarcastically but the truth is most games do and the ones that start as beta/ unfinished free game tend to create game modes or mechanics that cater to everyone!

Not every game is liked by everyone and a lot of games meet they small audiences wants and that’s it and are happy to be niche games! Sea of thieves is a Microsoft tool used to aid the boost of MIXER and vice versa but with it actively trying to attract more players and become a huge game you would think that catering for the widest fan base possible would be their goal not keep a game to its original design for the sake of pride?

@bonko40 it would take some sitting down and figure it out, but they could structure it more like a real MMO with both PVP and PVE:

• PVP areas on the map, PVE can go into those areas, they are not mutually exclusive areas.

• Outside PVP areas have a PVP toggle flag or fight request or something like that.

• In "safe" zones just have it so the ships cannot be damaged by other players unless flagged for PVP or a fight is accepted.

• PVE quest progress is always saved

• PVE quest loot cannot be stolen by others

Basically, someone should be able to do a PVE quest and not have to worry about someone else destroying that experience. If a PVE quest goes into a PVP zone, so be it, them you can get sunk, but you still keep any quest progress or loot that you may have at the time. The ship sinkers can have the rest of the non-quest related loot. Then the PVE'er can just say "shoot" and head back to where ever they were sailing to complete the quest.

Those are some very simple ideas I came up with in a few minutes. I would think that a dev team would be able to come up with some better ideas as well...

Id suggest simply making the Private servers the same as adventure servers. The only exception is how a player gets into one. In order to join a private server you need to either start one or be invited by a player in one.

Each player inside of said server has 2 invite options. Invite to crew and invite to world.

Invite to crew works exactly as it says. Invite to world gives the player a choice of which ship to spawn into and they are placed at a random port much like the main game does now. After which that player can also; invite to crew or invite to world.

If the entire game is just cosmetics what does it matter how player x earned everything compared to player y. The point that should matter is that both players enjoyed their experiences.

@starquest

As I stated back in my OP, the xbox app refuses to function properly and I’ve been prevented from being able to join or add others through the game.

Also, Ive already given up on SoT for the time being. I’ll come back if they ever do implement Private Servers. As I mentioned a few posts up.

@starquest

Again; its all just cosmetics. People like to feel progression and set goals, so I feel taking away that from a potential private mode would be detrimental. Instead give a boost to rep/gold earned in the adventure mode, or even let there be exclusive titles/cosmetics to players who exclusively play that mode if they really want it.

If you put barriers between allowing people to hop back and forth; than you WILL segregate the player-base in a negative way.

@starquest

Not to bash your offer; but I’d already stated that until a period where private servers come; I’ve left the game. I’ve no desire to try and fix the app, jump into a game and roll the dice again just so I can say “I told you so.”

Im glad you find the game to your liking. I hope many do. Im of the group thatd prefer to just play on their own, their way.

The game feels too unhealthy to give any more actual time to AFAIC now. Maybe in the future...

I can see Private servers being introduced for a monthly fee. Otherwise there is no benefit to Rare than I can think of. Would any Private server advocates be OK if they had to pay for these servers?

@wildbloodoz said in Without the option for Private Servers; the game has become impossible to enjoy/progress in:

I can see Private servers being introduced for a monthly fee. Otherwise there is no benefit to Rare than I can think of. Would any Private server advocates be OK if they had to pay for these servers?

Monthly fees for private servers is understandable and reasonable and would gladly pay

@chemorrhage said in Without the option for Private Servers; the game has become impossible to enjoy/progress in:

Elite Dangerous on Death you have a rebuy cost based on what you were rolling. And in reality; with SoT when you are killed/sunk you DO lose everything you had in most scenarios. And in the majority of cases its neigh impossible to get back. Particularly in a 1v4 scenario. To assume otherwise is simply asinine.

Onto some of the other counterpoints; I'm not discounting PL as insignificant, you're putting words in my mouth with that. I'm saying that given the amount of time people have had to reach PL in the game's current state; it's not exactly robbing them of anything to make Progression in Private a doable thing. If theres those who REALLY would get that bothered by that then by all means give them a title or something that says they got PL on Adventure only.

To get back to my point. To want to play the way you want to is entirely okay; you bought the game just as well as I did. You can play whatever gamemode you like. Just like myself and those who want to enjoy the game at their own pace. Particularly I'd like to role-play some, take my time exploring the islands and enjoying the world that Rare has crafted. Unfortunately I can't because the entire time I feel the need to rush or else I'm a potentially exposed target. Some may enjoy this, and power to them. I don't. And I'm not alone in that fact.

If Rare was to implement Private Servers it would most likely encourage people who had given up on the game like I am to come back and try knowing that they can enjoy the game in the way they want to. Some of them might even choose to try the open play adventure mode; and I'd wager they'd be a lot more receptive to it knowing that they CHOSE to play that mode. That they are given the option to go back and play private if they want to. It's healthier for the community as a whole. By segregating such players by making progression not cross over, you're only going to discourage people from trying one mode or the other; which is MORE likely to lead to the outcome you're afraid of with Adventure mode seeming emptier.

It's not about discounting one persons method of play over another; it's letting people enjoy an otherwise well done and interesting game the way THEY want to. Not how the community around them dictates.

"And in the majority of cases its neigh impossible to get back. Particularly in a 1v4 scenario. To assume otherwise is simply asinine."

This game exists for those moments where... "Tall Tales" are created...

Here's a tall tale that happened to me once... I was delivering 5 hours worth of treasure at an outpost, and a galleon spotted us and sailed toward us at full wind in their sails... I had seconds to react.

SO what i did was, i took a gunpowder barrel from my crows nest, jumped into the water, swam a distance away from my sloop, released the gunpoweder barrel, and swam away from it.

The galleon sailed right into it as it was trying to ram my sloop, and the entire crew of the galleon lost about 50% of their HP getting hit by that explosion, and because of the knockback, they all fell into the water. So i whipped out my gun, and had myself a turkey shoot underwater, killed every one of them in 1 shot, because they were all at 50% or lower in health.

Turns out, the explosion knocked the galleon off course, so it didn't hit my sloop, but it did hit the outpost island behind my sloop and gained another 2 extra holes ontop of the 4 holes the gunpowder barrel produced.

Basically they sank, and i killed them all, in the span of 20 seconds... And didn't lose a single piece of my treasure.
I felt like i was the king of pirates... This game exists for these moments, it was designed for these moments.

Solo Slooping is hard, but it isn't impossible, you just have to get better at the game and stop whining... You have nobody but yourself to blame for your choices. : /

Man i have lost treasure too, like you wouldn't believe, and those moments have taught me to distance myself from the treasure, which makes the game a whole lot more enjoyable when you aren't so emotionally attached to your treasure.

Improvise, adapt, overcome... For the lulz. :D
That is how you enjoy this game... Just remember, the treasure isn't yours, until you cash it in... You just need a fundamental change in perspective.