@xcalypt0x Yes it’s definitely something that needs to be done! And heck maybe we will be sailing in the pioneer sessions soon! ;)
Time to release the forums from the ferry of the damned!
@knifelife Hehe, thanks for the mention matey. I don't have a huge presence around these parts, though I do try to offer advice or my opinion when I can.
This is the only game I've ever followed during it's development, so being part of the TA was really cool for me. Made all the more cooler by hanging out on this forum (also the only official game forum I've been a member of).
Those early days were fantastic. Chatting about what we might be testing next, looking forward to the next article or play test - they were good times! I don't think they're gone completely, but I would really love to see more interaction from Rare employees. Something has been missing since the wonderful Kbot left our shores.
Still, at least we have each other, right? We shall sail together!
These are the first forums I've ever signed up for and I can now say that I have them up all day while I'm at work (shh... don't tell). I have tried to be much more involved lately and I have become familiar with many of your names recurring on post after post, helping to guide this amazing community through what rapidly became my favorite game.
I love having this place with so many people who believe in this game as much as I do, and who truly understand the vision of this game. Who are playing not because they are trying to "win", but because they are having fun.
I'm looking forward to the future of this game, watching and being an active member in the expansion of both the world and the gameplay, as well as continuing to be a presence here in the forums.
Thank you all for your amazing work.
My #TheForumsAndMe story is quite similar to @BadRobott -- these are the first forums I've ever watched or joined, and I expect them to be the last. I've been blown away by the positive posts from so many of you all, from both sides; old veterans like those named in the OP welcoming new players, and new-ish forumites like myself (don't really know what to call myself at this point) slowly integrating and finding a home here. The positive atmosphere is incredible, and I too keep the forums up at work (so when I'm online and don't answer, know the page is minimized and I'm actually being productive :P). As a way of finding new friends, as a way of sharing our joy for the game, and as simple entertainment, these forums have become a pretty regular/important part of my daily life. Cheers to you all for making it so.
Lovely, lovely idea for a thread especially with the anniversary coming up as well :)
So, #TheForumsAndMe.... I'll try not to write too much of an essay...
I remember the forums from almost the very start, even then there were pirates who came and went, ideas, suggestions and discussions as we tried to figure out what this game would be. There were debates too, ideas which we disagreed upon, much like we do today, but there was a definite sense of camaraderie, of community and of belonging.
We were united in our.. desire for a pirate game, to try out that sailing we'd seen in the trailers, taste that sea salt and experience that gorgeous world for ourselves.
We became friends and when the alpha started, we sailed together. When we encountered other crews, we'd see names we recognised and greet each other, or if not we'd fight without malice or ill intent for the most part.
Then the community grew exponentially, we gained pirates of all motivations who also wanted to experience this world. For some it wasn't the game, vision or experience they expected, for others they found a home and stayed with us. There are those who are still looking for their vision of a pirate game and those who understand clearly what Rare are trying to achieve and all shades in between which leads to some lively debates and exchanges of opinion.
Partly I think this is due to the very fact that Rare have said they listen to the community and want to shape this game alongside us but in the end, the vision is theirs still and we have to trust them... we've seen some of the great things they've given us so far and we know of more to come.I've made some amazing friends here, friends I've sailed with, friends I've met in real life and friends I've yet to meet and I'm looking forward to the future of Sea of Thieves and it's community.
@knifelife thx for the mention matey! For me, these Forums are an 2nd „digital“ Home! I’m here more often online than I’m playing the Game :D my gaming time is restricted due work and my family, but my smartphone is always in my pocket(hand) for an quick seaofthieves.com visit!
Im loving to read posts here, no matter which topic, and sometimes im a little bit jealous of you, because most of you are native English speakers and I can’t express myself as I wanted, so sometimes google translator is my best friend :D but I’m hope that people know what I want to say! My last English lessons in school are very Long ago, but these forums are helping me to not forget this language! I’m reading posts of you and adapt(don’t know if this is the right term :D )
Here are so many great Community Members, were all sitting in the same boat, sometimes there’s salt in an topic, sometimes pepper, but in the End were all loving this fantastic Game, and the most important thing, we’re one big Community!
Greets
Ahoy there @knifelife ! I hear your call and here I am, with a story to share on how I got into this game and on the forums as well.
It all started back in October 2017, when a friend of mine told me about the game and how he signed up for an early access, I had no idea what the game was about, besides being a pirate themed game. Now, I grew with Pirates of the Caribbean and also played one of the games so, Sea of Thieves sounded really promising. Used to play a lot of MOBAs and FPS games back then and I needed something new. After a while my friend got to play the game in a session of Technical Alpha and told me about his adventures on the seas, how fun it was, and I got really excited to try for myself. Soon after I received an email with my code to download the game. I felt better than a kid, waiting for his presents on Christmas Eve. My mate taught me everything that he found out in the game and how things work. We played for hours doing Gold Hoarder voyages and I never got bored. It was always a new challenge to pass, when receiving a riddle map or trying to figure it out if this is the correct spot for an X on a unexplored island. Soon the pupil surpassed the master, as I learned almost every spot on most islands or finding the X faster than my mate (I have a really good visual memory). I got hooked into this game faster than any other game before it.
I had found the forums shortly after some sessions when I sailed to Mermaid's Hideaway and saw a bug in the ground that made your character fall underneath the island, so I searched the forums in hope that I could report the bug but it was already posted by another player. I had few interactions on the forums throughout Alpha and Beta sessions and the same soon after the game was released because there were new trading companies to test and also the promising rewards for reaching Pirate Legend.
I came back to search the forums for more information when the The Hungering Deep update dropped in but that was about it and again no interaction for a long time. Also made numerous breaks from the game because of some real life problems that I had, so I was coming back whenever a new event dropped in to check out the new features. The only thing that made me interact with the forums more than before was, in November last year, when I received an email saying that I have been selected to be part of the Pioneer programme, I had no clue what that was about, but when I found out I could not be more happy.
Now I kinda regret that I was not that active from the beginning, because I could've helped a lot of new players with all my knowledge of the game, guide them, share stories and meet more dedicated people like our beloved Deckhands, Boatswains and Moderators, but hey... better late than never! I have managed to build up some reputation since November and I am really proud of everything and each and every one of you for the work you put in maintaining, welcoming and teaching new people on forums. I would love to meet you all, if possible, out there on the seas and forge new friendships, so we can have even more exciting tales to share in the tavern over a few tankards of grog!
I salute you all amazing people and hope we can get the forums back to were it was before!
#TheForumsAndMe
@skulliah said in Time to release the forums from the ferry of the damned!:
I think it's not just the devs, it's also the community managers! The forum has been completely abandoned since K-bot left, no one is in charge of managing the community here.
At the moment, it's only the community (community moderators, deckhands and all the other members) that is trying to keep the forum alive and spread positive vibes.
Moreover, the forum has not seen any updates to improve the experience, especially on mobile or notifications that are not working. It's really sad because there would be so many possibilities to expand the universe of the game here.
The forum is not read by the community managers anymore. You have a great story to share? Only the ones on Twitter/Reddit will be highlighted now. You want a sneak peek of how the features were developed? You gotta be on Twitter or Reddit for that. Forumites all agreed on naming the little crab Scuttles but the only one highlighted by Rare was the one chosen on Twitter. And so on...
I don't understand why they are not bringing the funny weekly challenges here such as the weekly themed pictures they framed adapting it into stories or something else. They are just excluding a part of their community at the moment.
We're still here, and very much still read the forums! We forward a great deal of information to the team and ensure that what concerns the community is always raised with them. :)
@lady-aijou This is something that is good to hear and I guess it removes a part of my concerns, thank you!
@skulliah Your post actually helped me notice that we're in ninja mode, we don't have anything that really says we're on the community team. Sneaky pirates, the lot of us!
@lady-aijou Do you have any memorable moments or experiences from the forums when you haven’t been behind the scenes or on duty moderating?
I do recall a few of your responses on some old threads like the one about how we got out handles ect.. :)
@knifelife I don't think I'll ever forget the first time I came in and posted with the "Rare Employee" tag next to my name. It felt so surreal, it still does really! I love being a part of this place, there's something incredibly special about this community :'D
@lady-aijou Yeah I bet that was surreal! Rare do like to let us know on the day when they promote people! 😂
And you are right, it’s why this is the only forum I have ever signed up to and probably ever will. :)
It is actually possible that the 'Gobal Moderator' badge may bring some confusion.
I think it's mostly a feeling of being neglected and forgotten compared to other social places. I guess that a slightly more important presence of the Rare Employee badge (or a Community Team one) on the Forum (and outside of moderation posts) would be greatly welcomed and appreciated. :)
#TheForumsAndMe
I've spent most of my life behind a keyboard earning a living. I usually visit the forums daily, but most of my post are kept $hort. I do enjoy reading the various threads. I've sailed with a few on here.Let's me just say... when the conversation out on the sea is about what was posted on the forums today, I know I'm in good company :)
@knifelife It's an honor to be mentioned by you in the same sentence as folks I consider to be the most respectable members of our community. While I haven't been as active these last few months due to getting my degree, I try to post as much as I can.
#TheForumsAndMe
So my story is a short one but one I am still very proud of. When Rare decided that positive members of our community, who are fairminded but respectful of the Pirate Code and Forum Rules, were going to be honored with a title I was excited to see some of the members I looked up to get the recognition they deserved.
This group of people would henceforth be known as: Boatswains. At the time I thought it was pretty cool to see this group be a positive force in the community. To lead by example.
Then I got a message from Khaleesi about a week, maybe two weeks, later telling me Rare wanted to add me to this group of people and wear the title of Boatswain. I was beyond excited and couldn't believe I was considered part of that group of people! Of course I accepted it and here we are, 8 months later :).
I still believe the Boatswains can make a difference around here. Whether through constructive feedback about the game, notifying you of the pirate code, being great people to have in a discussion somewhere or just being downright awesome to have around :D.
It is nice to know that someone is reading the forums and taking things back. I do not think most doubted that. There is a huge difference between reading and actively participating. The impact of the latter is significantly more important and means way more to the community as has been mentioned.
I know it has also been mentioned that everyone is busy working on content. That is awesome. Everyone greatly appreciates that. It is also expected. However, that should not mean that there is zero time to take a few minutes here and there at the same time. Everyone here takes time away from their daily lives and from playing the game Rare is making. It should not be too much to ask for even a littler two way interaction and communication. What occurs should not just be restricted primarily to social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.
Thank you for the time you took to provide us all a response and to give some reassurance that this place still matters. We greatly appreciate it and you!
@KnifeLife Me when Kbot left and there was no one in line to keep the inmates from running the asylum aka "The Forum Ship"....
Been reading through the replies on this thread and it’s amazing to see all stories and experiences everyone has had and how this place has managed to bring people together and forge many a great friendships!
Here’s to everyone who makes this place worth coming back to and long may it stand the test of time! 🍻
And thanks to you @knifelife for bringing this to the right people's attention, and for bringing us all together once again!
It really is good to see a community united behind one common passion and belief in one another.
@KnifeLife I appreciate the tag :)
#TheForumsAndMe was where my SoT journey started. I joined because my husband kept going on about this game and so I had to check it out. At the time, it was the only official place to interact and stay up to date with the game and for the record this game is still all we talk about even now haha.
I was not one of the originals here either so I mainly lurked and read a lot. Eventually I began to contribute and reply, finding a lot of interesting discussions and creative posts, including fun speculation and fan creations. Inspired by others I began to create my own SoT creations and share them here on the forum. I also got to know a lot of people here through many of the fun and positive threads posted.Now that the game is released, the forums have grown in number, as have the official channels to keep up to date with the game. It’s just like the game world itself, continually changing and expanding to include new regions or in this case more social media outposts.
While I am still active on the forums (maybe not as much as I used to be) I have found myself embracing these other channels too such as twitter and the SoT community within it. These in some ways seem more suited for sharing a lot of the games post launch content (in particular screenshots and videos) and are a lot easier to interact with. That does not mean the forums cannot be a fun place to be or have been abandoned; they are where it all started and will continue to be another port of call to read information, share creations, stories, feedback, have discussions and interact with fellow SoT community members.
@khaleesibot said in Time to release the forums from the ferry of the damned!:
Forums to me are magical. They seem to have this way of taking a bond over shared interest and transcending it into something beautiful. More than just friendship but family.
I think thats what makes this place so special. Never lose that.
You definitely left your lasting mark on this place K-bot you are always consistently mentioned in high regards and missed! :)
Glad you still pop in to check the old ship now and again!
@knifelife Aww that's so nice to hear! I miss you guys heaps and it's nice to see so many familiar faces 😊
Hope you're all doing well!
K-bot is still one of my most cherished nicknames.
@knifelife I know I'm slightly late to this party (blame it on the age of this old seadog) but honestly thank you for this thread.
So much I could write, but I don't want to bore people, so in essence, the Forum has made me many, many friends, people who I would never have met in real life - however myself and my dear lady DeviousDogz have, and we have treasured every moment. I've even come across someone who I now consider my best mate, even though we live countries apart. The magic of this forum was amazing it has had it's ups and downs, but it is still there with posts like these.
More than 2 years ago I came here, and every story told, every silly forum games played, every person I've come across, I feel blessed.
Love all you guys and gals, and thank you both Rare, & the community, I am honoured to be a part of it all.
@j4dio Better late than never my friend! And the more the merrier!
I’m really enjoying all the different stories and memories of different people around these parts.The developers may not have jumped on board to join in but to be honest I don’t care, it’s there loss! Just reading and learning more about everyone around here has made this thread amazing for me.
It’s truly great to be surrounded by such humble pirates :)
Thanks for putting this thread together! A bit of context, when Dee left we went through a bit of a limbo period with no one really on point for managing the Forums. Now that I've come back to the community team, part of my new role will be doing just that.
I'm on the same page as you in terms of making the Forums a lively place again with more interaction from the team as it was before, especially during when the original Insider Programme was thriving. Rest assured, that's something I'm going to be looking at over the coming months.
Just wanted to let you know that this is being thought about and there's someone on point for helping to make that happen!
@knifelife @OpticalMatrix
Raises me tankard
Aye, she'll be ship shape and bristol fashioned again!!Yarr... great news indeed!
Birthday just keeps getting betterAs someone who has built/ran/moderated ... I guess "fan" forums... before for mmorpgs.. guilds/raiding groups/etc I thought.. just another forum.
Then I saw actual game developers discussing, explaining their reasoning, intent..
This is truly different.
This wasn't a fan forum set up by the publisher, this was the company's actual discussion realm.
No waiting for an interview to find out information, no waiting for a leak from an employee, Rare was in the mix wanting to communicate.
I was dismayed at the start of release, the sheer number of people willingly remaining ignorant of all the developers did share as to why things are how they are, instead demanding their voices be heard, the game be the way they want it..
Any type of reply wasn't really heeded, as soon you replied, another post similar moved to the top.People continually posting in the wrong area, refusing to spend a few moments to direct their comments appropriately, just really makes me feel worse for the Rare employees who are trying to consolidate the feedback.
Perhaps it was that.. tidal wave.. that quieted interaction here. I hope it does rekindle.
I don't make many topics, and the little I do, I guess I try to help or post things people haven't talked about... rather replying and trying to curb distress or irrationality, and point to the dev's answer they missed.
As for history I guess a couple things that stood out:
The golden bananas sharing on the forums, trying to help but at the same time not give it away.
The die hard discussions like: Streaming and Island LODs will never end until expectations are met.
The old website & forums feedback forum, that was my favorite forum to post topics in.. suggesting some UX things to do, inconsistencies to improve on, bandaids for "can't reply" and so forth. It was something I feel I could contribute to with an informed perspective.
The time a topic was ping-ponged:
https://www.seaofthieves.com/forum/topic/66045/hair-colour-option/3
(IMO there should be a site wide agreement on posting, so much is suggested outside of that forum)The time I was:
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The time I flagged @Musicmee post for moderation (only to indicate the zendesk ssl was used, not the letsencrypt giving any users a scary malicious looking support.seaofthieves site, hope it got sent.. I certainly wasn't going to twitter about it.)
And lastly the ability to post something this funny:
Craig: cults are fine#TheForumsAndMe nice idea @KnifeLife
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