Pursuit mechanic issues

@capt-kilkit

I disagree. If I see you coming and turn to run then that is on you if you want to waste 30 minutes chasing me.

The only times I’ve had trouble is when surprised by another ship coming around an island which is how it should be.

Don’t show your intentions until you are close enough to fire or board.

I disagree. If you want to chase someone it shouldn't be easy, otherwise everyone would complain. For the most part, the one running has the advantage. However, the map is limited. If you want to chase someone, you can eventually force them into a position where they have to choose between running off the map or turning past you. In this instance, you have an undeniable chance to ram/board/fight. The one chasing will always have this advantage. If you don't utilize this opportunity properly, or fail the ram/board here, why should you sink them? You shouldn't, in my opinion. This way both sides have their advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage of chasing is that you often waste a lot of time getting that opportunity. The disadvantage of running is that you have to wait for the chaser to get bored and leave, and that you eventually will have to give them an opportunity to ram/board (otherwise you go off the map).

Also, despite your claims, proper sail management can certainly be the difference between catching up to someone or not.

The chasing game is a true test of sailing skill. That’s how it should be. If you want to catch me, you’re going to have to be darned good. You’re going to have to be smart and patient. You’ll have to watch my reactions and think ahead about what my next move might be. It’s a chess match. Maybe that’s just not your thing, and that’s okay. But that doesn’t mean it should be made easier for you. Those who run presumably do so because they don’t wish to fight. That’s their choice.

By the way, when I run, it might be to lure you into an unfavorable position before I attack. So I wouldn’t get too complacent about going around chasing sloops. 😉

@capt-kilkit said in Pursuit mechanic issues:

@azchristopher I don't disagree with you at all. It IS on me. And I don't like doing it. I'm hoping changes will come around (and apparently they are) that won't make that kind of time commitment necessary.

You seem to be arguing from the standpoint that if you invest X amount of time chasing a ship, you should eventually be able to catch it. That’s not how it works. The amount of time you’re willing to invest chasing a ship is up to you, but it should never be a foregone conclusion that you’ll be able to catch it. It’s a game of skill and patience. If the crew you’re chasing is smart and skillful, you’ll never catch them by simply sailing after them. You’ll have to outthink them.

I don’t believe the “cursed cannonballs” will change the tide in favor of the pursuers much, if at all. Because remember...the ship you’re chasing might have them too!

The thrill is in the chase, whether you get that warm fuzzy feeling from outwitting your pursuer or from finally catching your prey this game of cat and mouse is about skill perseverance and determination, neither side should have an advantage or a disadvantage against the other by way of in game mechanics. You should never auto catch or auto flee a situation, if you don't want to be chased scuttle, fight, give up or get to the red sea, if you don't want to chase then ambush and if they escape then let them. Chases are fun because they require skill, thought, tactics and often plain old luck! As the runner be on the look out for sandbanks the enemy might get stuck on, circle outposts for drop offs and use storms to your advantage turning the lights off to lower your visibility. As the pursuer try to anticipate where they're heading and use the wind to cut them off, try to push them into the red sea so they're forced to turn back if they don't want to sink there, push them into AI cannon zones like the north of Snake Isles. For either side my top tip is use the other ships, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" confused parked galleons will often start a fight with a perceived threat, make sure they think it's your foe and you'll have an accidental ally!

@supriseautopsy said in Pursuit mechanic issues:

Rare mentioned a Battle Royale mode in the works, hopefully that can attract a few people like you out of the main waters.

For clarification: Rare never said a BR mode was in the works. If you saw that stated as a fact, it was taken out of context.

Mike Chapman said in a Game Informer interview: “I think there are so many examples of content in the game where we’re like, we always talk about the death mechanics and we turned it into the ghost ship. We put a Sea of Thieves spin on a familiar mechanic with new and interesting takes. We see the battle royale thing, but I think there will be opportunities to do that kind of thing differently. It’s interesting where you can take PvP in the game, but we’d want to put a unique Sea of Thieves spin on it and do something completely surprising.”

[EDIT: Retracted - see below]

It must be a day for chasers, ive been chased all over the place today, I had too kids chase me for ages just shouting "swashbuckling" over and over again through their speaking trumpets ( very strange) and honestly for some reason I ended up having 2 sloops and a galleon chasing me, In this last chase I lost eventually and and only lost a Marauders chest, but only after sinking the 2 sloops and fighting with the crew of the galleon! so no major loss, but later in the day I had 19 chests on board, and was chased by a duo sloop whilst I was solo, I managed to offload all of my loot by doing simple sail past's on the outposts and jumping off, it took ages and they kept chasing and chasing, eventually once I had sold everything i just slowed down to let them gain on me, jumped off and once they boarded my empty sloop and dropped my anchor, I boarded them and sank them with a barrel! good fun, but made my voyage a whole lot longer!

@gloog said in Pursuit mechanic issues:

@realstyli SDCC today said its in the works

Really? Interesting, I honestly didn't expect that

@capt-kilkit I disagree!.. I also think you should re-evaluate your tactics If you can't catch up to ships IMO.. Hope to see you on the seas and try and catch me.. "This is the day.. that you "almost" caught Captain Jack Sparrow".

Another post complaining that people aren’t playing the game they want them to play.

My crewmate and I chased a sloop clear across the map until they made a mistake and we caught up to them and sunk them. Why should the chasing sloop get a speed advantage? Everyone in this game is set within equal parameters. It’s experience and skill that elevate you. Some people just don’t want to engage, there are plenty who will.

When I’m solo, laden with treasure and spent 3 hours voyaging, I don’t engage. If you catch me while I’m anchored then good on you. If not, it’s my treasure, I earned it and I’ll use whatever game mechanics are there to keep it. No one is obligated to fight you for what’s theirs. Hell, even if I don’t have anything I just don’t want to be bothered so I’ll waste a crews time chasing me just like they are wasting mine trying to fight me. The developers should not give a chasing ship an advantage. Time=money and rep
in this game, I’ll waste yours as fast as you’re willing to waste mine.

@supriseautopsy said in Pursuit mechanic issues:

@realstyli lol hop on the trend while its hot. I'm curious to see how the BR plays out, I could see combat being way too defensive as a problem, so depending how many supplies ships start with ot could be dragged out into a boring stalematey mess. But we'll have to wait and see

I'm not seeing a hot thread and I don't see a source yet for the BR claim? Could you link to it, please?

Use gun powder barrels as boosts! The ship who runs out faster loses. It's a resources based game in terms of ship fighting. Skill is a plus.

@personalc0ffee said in Pursuit mechanic issues:

@gloog said in Pursuit mechanic issues:

@realstyli SDCC today said its in the works

Well they can just scrap that idea.

I'm still struggling to find a source for this. I've googled and searched Twitter for it but I can only find articles that take the original Mike Chapman quote out of context. Can't find anything about it being confirmed at SDCC.

I didn't see the live panel with Major Nelson and FPJr last night though, waiting for that to be reposted on the SOT YT channel, like they said it would be.

@personalc0ffee said in Pursuit mechanic issues:

@realstyli I seen that stream, they didn't talk about battle royale to my knowledge beyond like they hear the feedback and if they did it, it would be done in a "sea of thieves" way.

Yep, reading this thread now....
https://www.seaofthieves.com/forum/topic/68151/sdcc-face-paint-earthquakes-geysers-lava-ship-customisation-cooking-and-everything-that-will-come-in-sea-of-thieves/2

Look like nothing has changed. They are just considering adding some ideas from BR but not confirmed a BR mode is coming.

@personalc0ffee said in Pursuit mechanic issues:

@realstyli Good because I don't want it. It has no place in Sea of Thieves.

I'm not 100% against it but I'll likely stick to classic SOT mode if BR is introduced. Just can't see the appeal of it in this scenario and I think devs are chasing a trend when there's more space for it... If people want BR, there doesn't seem to be a reason to play anything other than Fortnite or PUBG.

We've already seen some huge failures (Radical Heights, The Culling 2, etc...) in the genre because there are only so many players and they already have two great choices to pick from. The bar of entry has already been set pretty high.

Best part for me is out sailing the pirate(s) trying to run up on me. It's not because I don't want to fight, although I kinda don't because I'm not the greatest of shots at all. Anyway, it's a matter of skill with your sailing and how patient you are. Keep them in your sights and you're golden. Plenty of times I've been leagues away and I turn around and they've made a great distance to me. Even when I keep my sails in the wind I might add.

Just the other night I had a solo sloop chasing me for almost an hour and half. Granted, his aim kinda was below par, but I only got a rather large distance from him when I did tricky maneuvers through the sea rocks or through storms. He caught up to me with no problems. What caused him to lose his pursuit was ultimately he was more worried about his cannons than his sailing. And from what I can tell from previous encounters like this, that seems to be the single most common downfall of everyone I've out sailed.

I guess my advice is just keep up the chase and only take your shots when you are at a good range. Even if they sail better than you, eventually they will do something either brash or accidental that will allow you to catch them. You must be patient number one though. I can't stress that one enough. And no, you won't catch everyone. But there are ways around that, you just have to have the patience to wait for that opportunity. Just be careful following them through tight places. Never know what may be lurking in the waters ;)

@personalc0ffee said in Pursuit mechanic issues:

@realstyli Them trying to introduce modes is going to do nothing but hurt their current game and they will have to balance around different modes.

It will also remove players from the Classic pool in favor of these other modes.

I get ya, but the way matchmaking works in SOTs, it shouldn't impact the game significantly. You will always find enough players unless 90%+ of players jump to the BR mode and I don't see enough support to raise that concern. It might also attract more players to the game in the long run, which can only help.