With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot

  • Owl Hisson
    Insider

    So, me and my crew have been playing several nights this weekend, trying to give the new update a fair chance.

    It feels like CoD with boats. Boring, tired, and painfully generic.

    We win more battles than we lose, but even winning isn't fun anymore. All you have to do is have a reasonably competent crew, fire the first shot, and the other ship/crew is too crippled to do anything except sink as you capitalize the advantage. Was on the receiving end of this a time or two as well, and it was just like ,"Oh, we sank. Whatever." I used to get enjoyment even out of losing, because it meant we had come across a crew that was more skilled or strategic. And it was hard to kill other ships. It was hard for them to sink you too, which led to some great close saves by our crew at times.

    I assume that when the rarity increases, this will get unbearable. Victory will go entirely to the ship full of bored legends who have stocked out several hours with anchorballs and peaceballs and are hopped up on magic pineapples and coconuts.

    Maybe there are some people who like these things, but I am seriously disappointed. It feels so pointless to even sink ships anymore, since it's no longer remotely a test of skill. All the wind has gone out of my sails.

    In all seriousness, I don't see myself playing this game regularly for a lot longer. Pre-update, there was no end in sight. I was (and still am) doing the non-speed running grind to Athena 10, but who knows if I'll finish it. I just don't really care about playing Sea of Warcraft like I loved playing Sea of Thieves.

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  • Admiral RRRSole

    @owl-hisson said

    With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot

    Yep. It's pretty much a hit or miss with cursed balls.

  • Capt Cocatox
    Captain
    Insider

    i think the cursed cannonballs should only work in pve
    and rare can build a progress for pve only and let pvp as it was

  • Mighty Ace123

    @admiral-rrrsole said in With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot:

    @owl-hisson said

    With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot

    Yep. It's pretty much a hit or miss with cursed balls.

    I sea what you did there ;)

  • Admiral RRRSole

    @mighty-ace123 lol Busted. :o)

  • Mith Bosevem
    Marauder

    @owl-hisson
    And being on the recieving end makes you feel like youve been completely robbed. You see a cursed ball sail through the air and you basically just leave the game because there is nothing you can do other than maybe give them a hard time.
    Anchorball = GG
    One ball to rule them all.
    Id like the cursed balls to just effect the players and not the ships.

  • daantjebNL

    Yeh cursed cannonballs killed the game, they ruined the inventory system to push them through and it's just NOT fun. The game now consists of looking for cursed cannonballs by sifting through every barrel multiple times, it's dreadful,before it was so simple and perfect. Excitement is gone as you perfectly describe.
    Just.....WHY?

    Eh, new superfoods are coming aswell? Wich you will also have to get by sifting through each barrel one at a time?o_O

    I think they are completely lost and don't get what made the game fun in the first place, barebone pirate experience. Not adding content but messing with existing mechanics is also just lazy. It will only get worse so i think we might have to accept that SoT is no longer SoT. R.I.P.

  • Nayfe P
    Master
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    Ccbs have fixed naval warfare as far as I see it... Before them you would spend a very very long time having a snowball fight, shooting back and forward till we all run out of supplies and just board like we should have always done, which eventually made cannons a distraction at best... the ccb have made naval combat more of a do or die decision... rather then sail in try it out. If it's not your favor then leave..

    You now have to have properly thought out your attack/defence before you engage. This fits what I feel, naval combat should be.

  • daantjebNL

    @nayfe-pacewell said in With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot:

    Ccbs have fixed naval warfare as far as I see it... Before them you would spend a very very long time having a snowball fight, shooting back and forward till we all run out of supplies and just board like we should have always done, which eventually made cannons a distraction at best... the ccb have made naval combat more of a do or die decision... rather then sail in try it out. If it's not your favor then leave..

    You now have to have properly thought out your attack/defence before you engage. This fits what I feel, naval combat should be.

    Yeh exactly, before it took effort, not just out-curse another crew.
    Your post just shows how terrible they truly are.

  • Nayfe P
    Master
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    @daantjebnl i dont have a problem against ccbs. Easily defended if you learn them thoroughly enough... just practice and eventually you wont even know what you were worried about...

    You'll get there padawan

  • Musicmee
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    Also, to add to @nayfe-pacewell's point... I haven't been hit with one yet since they were introduced so as long as you are a good sailor (or have one that is, hey @lizalaroo ) then you can always avoid any unnecessary incoming fire!

  • EratikStorm
    Lord
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    @personalc0ffee said in With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot:

    Emote ones are the only ones that are the true problem.

    They also confirmed on stream, they are going to be adjusting them so that you can't be affected by the same effect multiple times. So no more stacking emote balls.

    They also said that was going to be addressed before Cursed Crews, but apparently it was delayed. Hopefully it will be updated soon.

  • Owl Hisson
    Insider

    @nayfe-pacewell said in With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot:

    @daantjebnl i dont have a problem against ccbs. Easily defended if you learn them thoroughly enough... just practice and eventually you wont even know what you were worried about...

    You'll get there padawan

    First of all, condescending others doesn't really strengthen your point.

    Second: defend against them how, exactly? If I see a pirate swimming to my boat with a keg, I can shoot it. And even if my boat gets kegged, a giod crew can usually save the boat, unless it's followed by some really good boarding. I don't want to see a whatever-ball hit my ship and go "oh well, too late now, we're screwed."

    This game is getting dumbed down because people don't want to have real fights? Really? You'd rather get killed by sooper magical cannonballs than fight for 20, 30 minutes hunting for a c***k in the other crew's armor?

  • Owl Hisson
    Insider

    @musicmee said in With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot:

    Also, to add to @nayfe-pacewell's point... I haven't been hit with one yet since they were introduced so as long as you are a good sailor (or have one that is, hey @lizalaroo ) then you can always avoid any unnecessary incoming fire!

    Aka "Git gud." Yep, it's CoD with boats. If the only way to tolerate CCBs is just "be good enough that you never get hit with one," then my point is kind of made for me, isn't it?

  • Musicmee
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    @owl-hisson Ahoy matey!

    I never said that exact phrase as I don't like the negativity associated with it... But being good at a game will get you a little further than being new... however there is nothing stopping a day one Pirate firing a cursed cannonball at me and killing me, just the same as a day 365 player can do the exact same back.

    As I said in an earlier thread, Cursed Cannonballs are the Mario Kart blue shell alternative. No one would claim that Mario Kart is broken because this shell exists, you just know its in the game and try your best to not get hit with it and carry on.

  • Owl Hisson
    Insider

    @musicmee I think that's a pretty disingenuous comparison, but you're free to have your own opinion.

  • Foxdodge
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    Boatswain
    Founder

    @musicmee said in With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot:

    As I said in an earlier thread, Cursed Cannonballs are the Mario Kart blue shell alternative.

    I'd be careful with that analogy, as they're a power up designed to give losing players an advantage.

  • Musicmee
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    @foxdodge Hehehehe... That's why I like it ;) Flips the tables on PvP I think something this game does very well.

  • Dark Henrik 22
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    @owl-hisson Would you feel that the CCB would be better if there was a "price" to pay when using them? Like if a player uses cursed cannonballs too much they will suffer debuffs that will only get worse the more they use the CCB. I mean, Wanda and her friend apparently suffered when they were experimenting with the CCB, so there would be some lore based explenation for why players could suffer these effects if they use too many CCB.

  • Cpt Vunderbar
    Marauder

    For me, Cursed Cannonballs were a godsend. They're an excellent addition to the game, that levels the playing field of PVP.

    I've had my ship sunk, plundered, and anchor dropped by better players than myself, who knew how to PVP which is something I'm particularly bad at. Cursed Cannonballs are available to everyone, and their random nature is what makes them fair in my opinion. You're not guaranteed to find any in the first place, so the pirates who search high and low for them will be more likely to get some, while players who just want to roll out quickly will be hard pressed to either sail better than the other guy or find some of their own Cursed Cannonballs.

    These things have saved me from sinking to Davy Jones' locker quite a few times since their inclusion. I think once they're made a little less common, and have their effects nerfed a small bit, they'll become a balanced part of the world that players will just have to adapt to like every other change.

  • Celestron90
    Marauder

    CCBs need debuffs for possessing them on your ship and in your inventory. Debuffs that you pass on to other crews when you fire them. This way you can't just collect hundreds of them. Because if you have one of each then you have one of each debuff. ( Could be commendations for sinking crews/killing skellies with the debuffs ) Example:

    Anchor ball - Prevents the anchor from being stowed. Crew mate required to hold it while CCB is aboard.

    Rigging ball - Same thing as the anchor ball, but with the sails.

    Emote balls would be a lesser version of the curse that'd occur randomly.

    Essentially take all the effects of the CCBs and apply them to players for simply having them in your possession and in the ships barrels. ACTUAL cursed cannon balls as Skullmanbeard said above.

  • A Cranky Eskimo
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    The last two posts with the idea of debuffs is a good idea, cursed cannonballs in the first place with the excuse of giving bad players a handicap is just dumb. Almost everyone i have talked to about this would have preffered them actually expanding real cannon and ammo types and ship damage, rather than give us fortnite boogie bombs lol.... and The people who play for 6 hours sessions and beat these players in pvp will still do so it will just be unsatisfying for both ends because of CCB’s just like the op said. The dance ones need to go thats for sure. Some of the others i could see adding a twist to battle if there was better design around how players obtained and how often they could use them, rather than just adding them to barrels to find everywhere players should have to do an activity to create one or 2 that is a random even on most islands, you see a friendly skeleton and help them out or something and they give you a random ccb or something.

  • Ubersnail Prime
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    @musicmee said in With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot:

    @owl-hisson Ahoy matey!

    I never said that exact phrase as I don't like the negativity associated with it... But being good at a game will get you a little further than being new... however there is nothing stopping a day one Pirate firing a cursed cannonball at me and killing me, just the same as a day 365 player can do the exact same back.

    As I said in an earlier thread, Cursed Cannonballs are the Mario Kart blue shell alternative. No one would claim that Mario Kart is broken because this shell exists, you just know its in the game and try your best to not get hit with it and carry on.

    All of this. It's a chaotic catch up mechanic and not really much different than boom barrels. It adds uncertainty to an engagement. I have won and lost against and with CCB's now and I think they add an excellent element of variety.

    I am excited to see special planks and food and am hopeful that fishing and cooking are really coming and will dip deeply into this new element.

  • Ubersnail Prime
    Master
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    @daantjebnl said in With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot:

    Yeh cursed cannonballs killed the game, they ruined the inventory system to push them through and it's just NOT fun. The game now consists of looking for cursed cannonballs by sifting through every barrel multiple times, it's dreadful,before it was so simple and perfect. Excitement is gone as you perfectly describe.
    Just.....WHY?

    Eh, new superfoods are coming aswell? Wich you will also have to get by sifting through each barrel one at a time?o_O

    I think they are completely lost and don't get what made the game fun in the first place, barebone pirate experience. Not adding content but messing with existing mechanics is also just lazy. It will only get worse so i think we might have to accept that SoT is no longer SoT. R.I.P.

    I spend 0 time prepping in this game. I think at the beginning of the Cursed Sails event a lot of people started doing that and have really hurt their own experience since then. We did once at the beginning of that event. We got sank, hated everything because of the lost time and swore to never do anything not fun again. Now, we loot and stock as we go.

    Don't like searching barrels for stuff? Don't! You'll have more fun and can still easily win. I suggest taking the balls you want from other crews ships. It's super effective!

    My wife can attest to my aversion to collecting: she likes searching barrels and I leave her to catch the mermaid almost every island.

  • Dark Henrik 22
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    @a-cranky-eskimo Some ideas i have on how to possibly make the CCB work better for guys like you, is the following:

    • You can only find them on Skeleton Ships and active Skeleton forts.
    • You can only carry up to ten or five CCB in your inventory and on your ship. Doesn't matter what kind they are, you can only have ten or five of them.
    • If you use to many CCB, you will suffer debuffs that are related to the CB in question. the dancing ball and the grog ball will make you move around as if you were drunk and thus make it hard to do your work, the anchor and sail balls will cause the raising of each of the two to take much more time while the ship wheel ball causes the wheel to either be harder to turn or makes it spin around as if the ship was in a storm. These effects will only get worse the more you use each CCB, or the curse will be worse the more CCB you have on your ship.

    can you think of any other way to make them more balanced?

  • Owl Hisson
    Insider

    Chain shot and things of that nature would be fun.

    CCBs are just a deus ex machina that you get to carry around in your pocket. They aren't an "extra strategic option." The only way to win against a person with CCBs is to use CCBs on them first. I cant stand being locked into one boring strategy to sink other ships.

    I also can't stand fiddling with magic doodads in a pirate game. Like I said, I'm enjoying Sea of Warcraft much less than I enjoyed Sea of Thieves.

  • Dark Henrik 22
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    @owl-hisson So if you can't stand "magical doodads" in a pirate game, does that mean that you don't like the skeletons or the concept of the curses in the game either?

    Not trying to insult or anything, just curious if you don't like the more fantasy based elements in SoT.

  • HitokiriShaggy
    Ship Mate

    I agree with you 100%. The cursed cannonballs, wicked barrelballs and faster water fill have completely changed the way the game is played from when it was released. The good players keep adjusting to these changes to stay good but the epicness of these fights have really taken a nosedive. The first few months of the game I would often get into prolonged engagements of 30 minutes or more. Once or twice a two hour plus fight. And when you finally win or lose it felt like a really great fight. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I was able to sink a very good crew. No longer is my crew allowed to keep gunpowder barrel on board the ship. No longer can you spawn in and save the ship after a crew got aboard and grabbed an advantage on you. A single guy can sink you now if you have a gunpowder barrel and he gets the first kill.

    Yesterday with all these changes I sunk a crew of legends in less than 1 minute as we hit them immediately with a anchor ball. I got on board after they got hit with a measly 3 cannonballs and had to get to repairs right away leaving their deck defended weakly. And that was all she wrote.

    The game is still fun. But it is definitely not as fun as it was. Even the reaper flag takes some of the fun away. As nobody that comes to you when you have it on has any loot. And you give those who do have loot a shining beacon of your approach so they are harder to sneak up on. The game is certainly being dumbed down. Was a great hardcore game when it released. I myself probably will not play much longer because of these changes. It's fun but not epic anymore. And there's a ton of fun games out there.

  • Owl Hisson
    Insider

    @dark-henrik-22 The game has had skellies, skull forts, and certain "magical" elements from the start. But the combat has always been tangible and real feeling.

    Had I any indication before this that the game would devolve into a rune battle, I would have passed on buying the game. It's boring, and other games do it better. Whereas the previous game, (the Sea of Thieves that I used to have,) was one of the best I've ever played.

  • KattTruewalker
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    @dark-henrik-22 said in With CCBs, PvP battles are over with the first shot:

    @a-cranky-eskimo Some ideas i have on how to possibly make the CCB work better for guys like you, is the following:

    • You can only find them on Skeleton Ships and active Skeleton forts.
    • You can only carry up to ten or five CCB in your inventory and on your ship. Doesn't matter what kind they are, you can only have ten or five of them.

    I like both these ideas, the idea of being limited in the number or type of CCB you collect would make it a more strategic decision rather than filling all your pockets with every type you find.

    (I find I just want to collect a whole set just because they're so SHINY and why isn't there a commendation for holding one of every type in your inv?)

    Making them available on skellie ships or active skeleton forts, or perhaps intermittently on Wanderer's Refuge because that's where the Warsmith's laboratory is, would also fit with the lore and the history behind their introduction.

  • Sshteeve
    Captain
    Insider
    Boatswain

    Remember when gunpowder skellies was released and the forum blew up over how it killed the game and made OOS voyages impossible? OP I see from tour account it's only 10 days old so welcome and yes, the forum did blow up as it so often does...

    My point?

    Can everyone please chill out and wait for the event to end before writing off ship combat due to a new item? Of course there are more of them, Rare want you to learn how to use them and get the commendations - Duke even tells us this!

    How many times a session do we see GPS now? It's a LOT less, way less than the 2 every round at forts and on OOS. These are going to be RARE for sure.

    So.

    Patience my young Padawns! May the force of a strong wind be with you.

  • Owl Hisson
    Insider

    @sshteeve Account is 10 days old, but ingame I'm PL, Athena 5. I've been reading the forums ages. Enjoyed every update to some degree, until this one. I made an account because if I don't at least attempt to voice my opinion on this, I can expect my game to stay ruined.

  • m1sterpunch
    Master
    Insider

    They should be a lot more rare after the event. And there should be a nerf to how many you can carry. 3 of each on your person, maybe 5 of each on the boat, regardless of what barrels you have. And maybe have them be able to sell at the OoS tent if you're logging out. even 200g or 300g per would be sweet.

    I personally like what CCBs have brought to the game. You have a bit of warning from the glow of a loaded cannon. If you can maneuver well you can make them waste their shot. If you're on a sloop, Always have a peaceball. And ballast balls are a must for lazy galleon crews that don't repair their middle holes. They run to repair and you have time to put more holes in em so they can repair and the bottom of the sea.

  • Dark Henrik 22
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    @katttruewalker in addition to having the CCB be available on skeleton forts, it also means that skeleton forts could be more challenging by also allowing them to fire CCB on player's ships.

  • Vasduten
    Marauder
    Insider

    Sounds like you guys all need to suck less at fighting with CCB.

    Really.

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