The ultimate PvE bad guy

  • Now almost every PvE AI thing can be taken down as a solo slooper. I think the Skelton fleet battle is the last threat I've got to conquer.
    I'd like to see something truely horrific out there. Something no single crew could take down single handed.
    A battle with Posidon, Davy Jones, a gun ship of massive proportion, the skull in sky incarnate, anything and that no matter the experience of the crew it would require at least 2 galleons and 2 sloops to beat.
    The threat would have no discernable pattern, they'd be no shoot, shoot, plank, plank, plank, bail, bail, bail pattern to a sure win. This thing would take aprox 2 hours of dedicated cooperation to beat.... the reward? £20,000 and 1/2 an Athena level.
    It could only spawn once every real world day. A single PvE threat on a regular basis that brings pirates together to fight for a common cause could be invaluable. Remember the first few days of The hungering Deep DLC? That was awesome. Possibly the 1st and only time I've seen pirates on this sea come together like we did

  • 46
    Posts
    15.0k
    Views
  • That was kind of what megs began as. I like the sound of it, the only issue is that you cant just make an unbeatable boss if it finds players, players would have to find it.

    But it also shouldn't be unbeatable, just to the point that the community all watches a YouTube video when someone figures out how to beat it. Like you've got The Flying Dutchman, a ghost ship that cant be bit by cannonballs or boarded, unless you have like a green lantern and green lights on your ship, and a peculiar relic and mysterious object and a bunch of skulls

    Then everytime you see the ghost ship, if you attack it you'll get harpooned and skellies will appear on board as you slowly get ghost cannoned to death (much slower and more eerily than standard ai fire rate)

  • @guybrush3pwood2 said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:
    Possibly the 1st and only time I've seen pirates on this sea come together like we did

  • @guybrush3pwood2
    Oh ya bring it on mate!
    You been on a roll lately with good ideas

  • @captancola Yeah I agree, we couldn't just have an unbeatable foe appearing next to a solo-slooper… LOL, that would be proper rubbish for whoever that happened to.
    I like your idea that the group would need a certain configuration of loot and lanterns to summon the beast. Similar to having to wear the shark tattoos and carry Merricks song all the way from Sharkbait Cove.
    Perhaps when it's ready to spawn the Barmaids could say something like "I've heard a group of pirates are gathering at enter island name here there's a new threat on the water."
    At that island you'd meet a wounded pirate who'd give you the required recipe to summon the monster.
    Having an island to meet at would give a place for pirates to gather before starting the fight and when everyone's ready you'd set off. I love that feeling of sailing into battle in a mini player fleet.
    Yeah, some people would gather at that island just to sink the joining crews, but that won't happen on every server and is just part of being a pirate

  • @nwo-azcrack thanks :)
    I've had some duff ideas too, but hopefully they slid by unnoticed.

  • The Hungering Deep was awesome! I still wear my Hungering Deep Tattoo in honour of it's awesomeness. Great camaraderie on the Sea's back then.... sigh!

  • @guybrush3pwood2
    You know im a pvp guy but workin with other pirates during the Hungering Deep was some of the most fun i have ever had in a game. I spent 2 days parked at shipwreck bay helping everyone who showed up. Made alot of friends that day. Some of which i am still friends with today.

    We need more events like this. And this idea in this thread is exactly what im talkin about

  • @nwo-azcrack Same here. I still game with one of the 4 man team I completed that with and he still plays with another of the crew.
    I remember being on Sharkbait, there was another galleon and a father and son team on a sloop. As we were there another galleon turned up showing off a nicely decorated hull.
    The father turned to the son and said "Those are some of the most experienced pirates in the game" you could hear the awe on the kids voice... and a little bit of nerves.

    Moments like those really make this game, and the more moments we get like that, the better the game will become.

    I really believe having a common cause for pirates to periodically fight would bring the sea together for a bit. It would hopefully also nurture some good inter-crew friendships and break down that barrier we currently have where no one goes near anyone else through fear of being sunk.

    As long as no single crew can beat the beast on their own then no single-slooper or single crew can moan about being left out of content. As @captancola mentioned, as long as it isn't a random spawn, no one can complain about being sunk by it and loosing a shed load of loot in an impossible battle.

    The reputation and financial gain has to be balanced perfectly where it's enough to bring crews together to win the fight but not enough that they just farm the quest. Guess if it only spawns once every day it wouldn't be worth farming.

  • @guybrush3pwood2
    I really feel Rare struck a good balance with that update. It gave us all a reason to be nice for a little while before things went back to chaos on the seas.
    Your story reminded me of being parked at shipwreck bay in the second day, and there was 5 ships parked. We were waitin for a couple guys to join their crew so we were sittin around talkin and stuff.
    Anyway someone on a duo sloop fired at another ship parked there for no reason, out of nowhere. And everyone unloaded on that sloop instantly. It was hilarious

  • I remember the first days of The Hungering Deep very fondly as well. Though there was a bit of camping at Shark Bait Cove too. I loved the challenge. It felt so great to finally kill the meg!

  • @nwo-azcrack They really did get the balance right! I loved those first few days when that uneasy calm descended on the sea.
    I think the only bad feedback they got was people wanted a reason to fight The Hungering One more than once, as you only had to fight it once to obtain the figurehead (hence why we now have to complete stuff 5 times to unlock special cosmetics)
    I think the first time you beat this new beast as part of a fleet some cosmetics would be nice, but the reason to replay this quest would solely be financial and reputation gain unless there's another reason to replay it people could think of (other than fun :)

  • @guybrush3pwood2
    Ya i remember the forums had 2 major posts that week. One was askin for more of a reward, which is also why the megs drop loot now.
    And the other was about players campin the spot and attackin players tryin to complete it.
    So on my 3rd day i went and parked close to shipwreck bay, and everytime someone tried to attack the guys parked there my bro and i rolled up and sunk em.
    I figured Rare wanted us to figure this problem out, so i went and did somethin about it

  • @princes-lettuce If they could somehow randomise the island this quest starts from and randomise the spawn location, it may stop people from camping the quest so much.

    Although a bit of camping happens with all the new stuff they bring out. Like the Skeleton Throne on Marauders Arch. Jeez, I remember trying to do that when a galleon turned up... To be honest I think we all welcomed a break from aim, shoot, fly, miss, repeat :D

  • @guybrush3pwood2 Finding a server with 2 galleons and 2 sloops willing to invest 2 hours for 20,000 gold and maybe 1/2 Athena level … Nope sorry, this is the kind of stuff that wastes time on both ends. And this "only once every real world day" limitation makes it even worse in my eyes. I'm grateful that Rare stopped telling me what time of day I' have to play.

    For The Hungering Deep it got increasingly harder to even find crew that were willing to participate.

  • @crimsonraziel
    Its just an idea mate.
    Increase the reward and i dont see a problem.
    You are right tho about it being hard to find players after awhile.
    But if this idea is permenant and worth it financially it could work.
    As long as it doesnt constantly spawn so players cant farm it all day and make the location random as @Guybrush3pwood2 mentioned, this could really work.

  • @crimsonraziel Yeah, I think the reason it became harder to find a crew willing to participate was because there was no incentive to complete the quest more than once, so when you'd done it you wouldn't want to sink another hour of your time just to beat it again for no gain, that's where this would be different.
    I think the spawn time could be randomised. It wouldn't be fair on people who live in different time zones if the spawn happened at 2am every day.
    Perhaps the crew size would have to be 7 or more pirates (The hungering Deep you needed 5)
    I would say 2 hours for 20,000 and 1/2 an Athena level would garner some interest. A Legendary quest can take longer for less of a pay-out

  • @guybrush3pwood2 said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    I think the spawn time could be randomised. It wouldn't be fair on people who live in different time zones if the spawn happened at 2am every day.

    If it's randomized I have to hope that I'm online at the right time, that there are enough players on my map at this moment that are willing to participate and that I have enough time left to finish it. For The Hungering Deep you could at least summon it when you wanted.

    I would say 2 hours for 20,000 and 1/2 an Athena level would garner some interest. A Legendary quest can take longer for less of a pay-out

    How long it takes depends mainly on your crew but even a normal legendary voyage gives you more than 20,000 gold and in Devil's Roar almost twice the gold. Forts are wayyyyyyyyy more lucrative. I guess the Athena level would convince some, but not me. If your boss fight takes "aprox 2 hours of dedicated cooperation to beat" you won't be done in two hours. This can and will take longer too and from what I've read this boss fight should have a difficulty that justifies it's name. There is a real risk of failing unlike doing Athenas (of course you can mess up everything).

    When it's new it will be like The Hungering Deep the first few days, but after that it's just another thing people tend to avoid.

  • @crimsonraziel said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    @guybrush3pwood2 said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    I think the spawn time could be randomised. It wouldn't be fair on people who live in different time zones if the spawn happened at 2am every day.

    If it's randomized I have to hope that I'm online at the right time, that there are enough players on my map at this moment that are willing to participate and that I have enough time left to finish it. For The Hungering Deep you could at least summon it when you wanted.

    Yep, same as any other AI baddy on the sea. Some days I see the Kraken, others I don't. I'm yet to see the Shrouded Ghost, that's what makes these monster encounters more exciting in my eyes. It would be linked to the event timer, same as any other NPC conflict.

    I would say 2 hours for 20,000 and 1/2 an Athena level would garner some interest. A Legendary quest can take longer for less of a pay-out

    How long it takes depends mainly on your crew but even a normal legendary voyage gives you more than 20,000 gold and in Devil's Roar almost twice the gold. Forts are wayyyyyyyyy more lucrative. I guess the Athena level would convince some, but not me. If your boss fight takes "aprox 2 hours of dedicated cooperation to beat" you won't be done in two hours. This can and will take longer too and from what I've read this boss fight should have a difficulty that justifies it's name. There is a real risk of failing unlike doing Athenas (of course you can mess up everything).

    When it's new it will be like The Hungering Deep the first few days, but after that it's just another thing people tend to avoid.

    Yep, I know the Ashen Legend chest goes for about 8,000 and when you add all the other bits you sell you'd end up with waaay more than 20,000. You're right on the fort front, they take a lot less time than 2 hours. That's why I said the reward would have to be perfectly balanced to garner interest and would probably be tweaked week on week by Rare to make it right.

    Yep, there would be a real risk of failing, otherwise where's the excitement?

    In my eyes, it would have to be a rare spawn (less rare than the Shrouded Ghost though) that's what would give this boss fight some longevity. If it was available all the time then I agree, people would loose interest. But if it only popped up only every now and again, people would feel excited at the chance to beat the thing and that they were lucky to be online at that time

  • @guybrush3pwood2 said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    @crimsonraziel said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    @guybrush3pwood2 said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    I think the spawn time could be randomised. It wouldn't be fair on people who live in different time zones if the spawn happened at 2am every day.

    If it's randomized I have to hope that I'm online at the right time, that there are enough players on my map at this moment that are willing to participate and that I have enough time left to finish it. For The Hungering Deep you could at least summon it when you wanted.

    Yep, same as any other AI baddy on the sea. Some days I see the Kraken, others I don't. I'm yet to see the Shrouded Ghost, that's what makes these monster encounters more exciting in my eyes. It would be linked to the event timer, same as any other NPC conflict.

    I get Megan multiple times per session and Karen about every other session, plus I can more or less enforce the encounter with Karen. I can do both perfectly fine without any other crew or even a second player on my crew. I'm not dependent on any other player at all and it doesn't take take long to defeat them.

  • @crimsonraziel Yep... That was partially my point. Beating the Meg or the Kraken is very formulaic and personally, I'm finding them a little boring (I'm also mostly solo and beating them is EASY and nothing to brag about)

    It's literally just shoot, shoot, shoot, plank, plank, plank, bail, bail, bail and repeat for a sure win. When you hear the attack Meg music you just run inside your boat where you're safe from getting knocked off.

    Even the skelly ships have a formula and I can do them solo too.

    The world needs an AI NPC that's a challenge, not just a farming opportunity or an inconvenience. This world also needs a reason to bring crews together. The most memorable occasions I personally have had on these seas is when I've been sailing with another ship with a common cause.

  • @guybrush3pwood2 said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    @crimsonraziel Yep... That was partially my point. Beating the Meg or the Kraken is very formulaic and personally, I'm finding them a little boring (I'm also mostly solo and beating them is EASY and nothing to brag about)

    But that wasn't my point at all. If you going to make it take hours and dependent on multiple crews you shouldn't make it a random emergent threat. This is not comparable to Karen or Megan and therefore you can't treat it like that … that's the point. Some people have a certain time frame to play. If Karen pops up mid voyage it's a 10 minute intermezzo, maybe 15. Let's assume you can play between 20:00 and 23:00 because reasons (RL, job and stuff; I don't know, seems to be a thing) and your 2 hour main attraction shows up, how likely is it, that it is already to late to even consider to fight it?

    Btw: I don't care who feels like bragging about what.

  • @guybrush3pwood2 @Crimsonraziel
    I do think 2 hours to beat it is a bit much.
    But the thought of a giant world boss that randomly pops up and takes multiple crews to beat would be amazing. You could let Rare worry about the reward issue if it was ever implimented

  • @crimsonraziel Yep, that's just something you'd have to deal with, eventually though the "main event" would pop up at a reasonable time for each player. You may have to wait months for that time slot to occur, which is part of what would keep it special and from people losing interest.

    The same happened with skull forts way back. One would pop up towards the end of your gaming session, they'd already be a few galleons fighting it out and a couple of sloops wanting to pick off whatever remained and someone in your crew would say "sorry guys, I've only got 30 minutes, don't think I'll have time today"

    Rare could just tweak the spawn rate until people were happy, yet the interest didn't die

  • @nwo-azcrack Good point, I think all variables would need tweaking constantly for a few months before everyone was happy.

    • number of crew members required
    • spawning frequency
    • reward value
    • time taken to defeat
      would all need to be considered. I'd be amazed if they hit the nail on the head with a perfect set up from day 1.
  • @guybrush3pwood2 said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    @crimsonraziel Yep, that's just something you'd have to deal with, eventually though the "main event" would pop up at a reasonable time for each player. You may have to wait months for that time slot to occur, which is part of what would keep it special and from people losing interest.

    If your goal is demotivation, the you're strategy is fine.

    The same happened with skull forts way back. One would pop up towards the end of your gaming session, they'd already be a few galleons fighting it out and a couple of sloops wanting to pick off whatever remained and someone in your crew would say "sorry guys, I've only got 30 minutes, don't think I'll have time today"

    Yeah, not even remotely the same.
    First, if you wanted to do a fort it was easy to enforce.
    Second, while some fights went on for hours it usually took less than an hour and sometimes not even 30 minutes.
    Third, if you've only got 30 minutes starting Adventure mode doesn't make much sense at all.
    Fourth, did you really try to compare "I've got only 30 more minutes today" to "This event takes as much time as I have time to play at a stretch in general"? Are you kidding me?

  • @crimsonraziel said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    @guybrush3pwood2 said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    @crimsonraziel Yep, that's just something you'd have to deal with, eventually though the "main event" would pop up at a reasonable time for each player. You may have to wait months for that time slot to occur, which is part of what would keep it special and from people losing interest.

    If your goal is demotivation, the you're strategy is fine.

    Why would this demotivate people? I wouldn't say people were demotivated in catching the Shrouded Ghost and that's taken many people hours and hours and hours of gameplay and they still haven't seen him (I'm one of those people)

    You're making statements of opinion as if they are fact without an explanation. If you explained why this would demotivate people then we could possibly come up with a way to combat that. There is now sooooo much to do within this game, having a special rare event you had to wait for wouldn't be demotivating, it would make it all the more exciting when it does pop up.

    The same happened with skull forts way back. One would pop up towards the end of your gaming session, they'd already be a few galleons fighting it out and a couple of sloops wanting to pick off whatever remained and someone in your crew would say "sorry guys, I've only got 30 minutes, don't think I'll have time today"

    Yeah, not even remotely the same.

    why?

    First, if you wanted to do a fort it was easy to enforce.

    why?

    Second, while some fights went on for hours it usually took less than an hour and sometimes not even 30 minutes.

    Yep, but sometimes they would take hours

    Third, if you've only got 30 minutes starting Adventure mode doesn't make much sense at all.

    I said "One would pop up towards the end of your gaming session" which suggests you'd been playing longer than 30 minutes

    Fourth, did you really try to compare "I've got only 30 more minutes today" to "This event takes as much time as I have time to play at a stretch in general"? Are you kidding me?

    No I wasn't comparing that... What I was trying to do was compare the event scenario and missing out on them due to lack of time.

    Anyway, your points largely revolve around the event variables which would all need to be tweaked by Rare during a testing phase to make sure they are correct (or as close as can be before being released into the wide gaming community). please see comment above regarding spawn frequency, crew members required etc.

  • We do need more events like The Hungering Deep and Cursed Sails.

    Pirates joining forces to summon and defeat the mother of all megs was an unprecedented shift in gameplay.

    The combat schedule during Wanda's War was a PITA, and I remember Rare taking flack for it, but it was do-able. I still like the regional sails.

    When will we see another time limited event?

  • @barnabas-seadog I hated the time restrictions on the Wanda wars too. I had thought this idea would be a permanent fixture in the game so the rare spawning schedule of it wouldn't be an issue.

    The Hungering Deep has to be my favourite DLC before the anniversary update landed. Joining forces to make a pirate fleet was awesome

    I would like to see some more time restricted quests too. I'm sure they'll get on it once they've ironed out the crinkles in the anniversary update.

    Perhaps something like this could be introduced as a "The Hungering Deep" or "Cursed Sails" type update, but then stay in the game as a permanent thing

  • 15 days old...

    https://www.seaofthieves.com/forum/topic/93321/we-need-events-promoting-cooperation

    Contribute!

    Good winds to you all
    ~Bill

  • @guybrush3pwood2

    We need fresh experiences.
    New dangers, and not necessarily permanent or replayable.

    Not variations or a rehashing of last years events.

    Something that's memorable. Something that gives new players time limited items with stories of thier own.

  • @barnabas-seadog
    This is exactly why i feel we need a world boss. Somethin huge. Somethin memorable.
    Somethin that brings most of the server togeather. Even if its just for enough time to slay him and go our seperate ways.
    A gianormous random world boss would do this if the reward was worth it.

  • @nwo-azcrack said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    A gianormous random world boss would do this if the reward was worth it.

    Or if the experience was worth it.

    I remember engaging the Hungering One seven times, only defeating him thrice.
    The outcome was never guaranteed, and the preparation and battle were never the same.

    But the victories were glorious.

  • Whatever it is could explain how the galleon ended up on the top of galleons grave... the "whatever it is" could literally throw your ships through the air.

    Perhaps one of the islands could turn out to be more than an island and is actually just part of a slumbering underwater beast.

    (Preferably Old Faithful Isle - because I hate that place) and once it was defeated it would go away forever. lol

  • @guybrush3pwood2 said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    @crimsonraziel said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    @guybrush3pwood2 said in The ultimate PvE bad guy:

    @crimsonraziel Yep, that's just something you'd have to deal with, eventually though the "main event" would pop up at a reasonable time for each player. You may have to wait months for that time slot to occur, which is part of what would keep it special and from people losing interest.

    If your goal is demotivation, the you're strategy is fine.

    Why would this demotivate people? I wouldn't say people were demotivated in catching the Shrouded Ghost and that's taken many people hours and hours and hours of gameplay and they still haven't seen him (I'm one of those people)

    Basic rule, choosing the wrong stick length for the carrot reverses the effect.
    Oh, and Shrouded Ghost is the perfect example how to do it wrong.

    Yeah, not even remotely the same.

    why?

    I don't know, could have something to do with the things I've listed.

    First, if you wanted to do a fort it was easy to enforce.

    why?

    Server hopping.

    Second, while some fights went on for hours it usually took less than an hour and sometimes not even 30 minutes.

    Yep, but sometimes they would take hours

    But most didn't. I must have missed the part in your "aprox 2 hours of dedicated cooperation to beat".

    Third, if you've only got 30 minutes starting Adventure mode doesn't make much sense at all.

    I said "One would pop up towards the end of your gaming session" which suggests you'd been playing longer than 30 minutes

    Fourth, did you really try to compare "I've got only 30 more minutes today" to "This event takes as much time as I have time to play at a stretch in general"? Are you kidding me?

    No I wasn't comparing that... What I was trying to do was compare the event scenario and missing out on them due to lack of time.

    Yep, you are comparing missing out on a particular event because it's to close to the end of your session and missing out on it because it takes almost as long or even longer than your sessions are in general.

    Anyway, your points largely revolve around the event variables which would all need to be tweaked by Rare during a testing phase to make sure they are correct (or as close as can be before being released into the wide gaming community). please see comment above regarding spawn frequency, crew members required etc.

    Nope my issues are about conceptual things: Making it a random emergent threat/event, making it require dedicated cooperation of multiple crews, and making it take hours. It's not about tweaking some variables, it's about dropping one of these points.

46
Posts
15.0k
Views
24 out of 46