What’s the point of Sea of Thieves?

  • @captain-uncle If the basic concept of this game isn't to your liking I suggest looking for another one.

  • it sounds like your looking at season 8 fortnite… this game is what you make it, as far as quest overhaul that's already in progress. There wont ever be weapons you can buy with progression in sot and that's one of the things I love is that the new player is on the same playing field, maybe not in experience, but you see where im going with this.

  • @captain-uncle valid point as there really isnt a point. I felt like what has addressed this the most are bilge rats and commendations as they give a sense of a goal and boundary to enjoy time with friends. I dont think RARE will add upgrades like u suggest as it strays a little from a level playing field. The only example I can think of is that RARE added cursed cannonballs but these are limited and on a per session basis so I imagine that kind of thing is acceptable. I do hope RARE adds a massive end game though!

  • @captain-uncle After over a year and countless hours, I'll have to disagree. While I obviously don't speak for everyone, I feel I can speak for many people I've played with or interacted with in the community.

    I find that games that need to constantly "reward" players just for playing run out of ways to do just that, or players get bored with having the newest thing just to be able to compete.

    If you need to be rewarded with more than a fun play session, or if you feel you need to have the biggest/strongest weapon, character, ship, etc. then there are plenty of games out there that provide this experience, this simply is not one of them.

    I do hope, however, that you can try to shift your mindset on this though and enjoy the game for what it is, rather than try to get it to mimic so many other titles out there.

  • @captain-uncle said in What’s the point of Sea of Thieves?:

    @cotu42 Why does everything have to be based on cosmetics?

    Cause it means that the stats of pirates and their ships remain the same, while providing visuals to show off your accomplishments. It means that when you enter the world we all start with the same. Which is a core established principle of the games design of this game.

    Why does it have to be about better stats?

  • You know you're half right with this post. We do need a reason to play beyond skins but I'm not so sure it needs to be upgrades to ships etc....The best games I've played in my many years of gaming always had a rating system that you could access somewhere within the game. From Legacy of the Ancients "Hall of Champions" to Sid Meiers Pirates "retirement status" of Bar Owner to Kings Advisor the great games always allowed you to see your personal achievements and ranking. This game however only allows you to flaunt your achievements through cosmetics.
    It be nice to find a cavern that has scrolling lists on its walls of all players rankings for certain categories. It could show your rank and Top100. You could scroll either list in its entirety should you so choose.
    The categories could be both serious and funny!
    Pvp kills
    Ship sunk
    Death by sharks
    Death by falling
    Death by drowning
    Most Gold on hand
    Most Gold earned
    This list goes on and on.
    It'd be a looooong cavern with scrolls on both sides of its walls! Something like this would help to add to the lore of the game and give all if us a number to strive for.🙂

  • Its about the journey.
    I love meeting new ppl, playing with old ones, having adventures together.
    No gold, fancy weapons or cosmetics needed.

    I know a glitché, but it works.

  • Yep so as people have pointed out, there isn't really a "point" to any video games -- its just more obvious in SoT. To once again reference the game design class I took a year or two back, studies separate gamers into 4 categories: Explorer, Achiever, Socializer, Griefer. I think that which type you're high in will determine what you choose as your "objective" in SoT. As an Explorer/Achiever, I love the fun of just sailing around and taking my time immersing myself, but I also have the long-term goal of earning every Grade V commendation and Bilge Rat commendation there is (might take me a while :P).

    Part of the point of SoT is just that -- you get to choose your own objective. Instead of the game saying "here's this linear path that you can travel with these set rewards," it says "Look this is an open world where you have the privilege and responsibility of building your own path and setting your own goals -- and we'll try to reward you no matter what path you set yourself."

    Make sense to anyone?

  • Let's make this game like EA's Battlefront 2, have random loot boxes every time you turn in a chest and get rewards that are so overpowered that you're going to totally destroy newer players without them having a chanse.

    Also let's have Microtransactions for those lootboxes, that's all the craze, other games are doing it so why not have SoT do it as well, that's the norm now right? If other games do it then SoT should too.

    Let's have all ships drop out of a dropship first because lots of games nowadays do that too.

    There should be an endgame with a huge grind just to get there and have people grind more to reach the endgame that's released after the endgame so you can endgame after endgaming.

    (Sarcasm mode off) No but in all seriousness. I'm happy that Rare doesn't follow the popular kids out there. It's a breath of fresh air to have a game that's not a level based grind, to not lock all of the fun stuff behind a grind and lets you have fun from the first time you log in.
    It's great that we're not getting lootboxes shoved into our faces, or DLC's/ Expantions that will just make whole sections of the world be useless (just look at WoW and it's dead zones)

    Please read up on what the developers were thinking when making this game to see where they came from what they already tried and how the game works and why. It's a great read.

  • What makes this game an open sandbox and what tools are you give to use...

    1. you get a ship with minimal stock of supplies. Ship has cannons, sails, anchor and wheel to steer with.
    2. Every pirate comes with a flint-lock, cutlass and EoR.
    3. Open world setting with amazing seas, wind, creatures, AI threats and PvE elements.
    4. Open world setting where other players are present and any kind of interaction could occur between parties.
    5. Quest systems of various types, while basic in nature, are meant to get you out sailing, potentially creating those player interactions.
    6. Skull forts and Skelly ship cloud events, again offering a PvE element, but ultimately create opportunities for other player interactions. You simply never know what will happen while doing them.

    All of these are tools that you can use to create a new and unique story every time you set sail. While Rare could and should add more tools, none of the added tools should give any player any advantage over another. The only advantage should be an individuals skill set. Knowing which tool is the right tool for the job, and then using it as it is designed.

    I probably sail as much if not more than anyone around. Certainly I am probably in the top 3 percent of people as far as time on the seas go. There are rarely any days I am not on the seas for at least 3 hours. Usually though my play time is around 5-6 hours per day. And while I have obtained PLA10 many, many months ago, I still find great adventures on the seas. I am not a PvP first pirate, but I am not afraid of it. Unless I am sailing with someone that needs to grind something, we generally set sail with very few expectations for each gaming session. And yet, I still to this day often find myself in great adventures out on the seas. Why, because of the player interactions. Once in a while I can say the same for the PvE content, and specifically the AI threats that are out there, but for the most part, the player interactions drive the fun. You just never know what that other pirate is thinking, are they friend or foe? Are they trustworthy or not? All of it, bound together, make this a grand sandbox that anything can and most likely will happen.

    The fact that I don't have to grind if I don't want to shows just how open of a sandbox this game is. Fact is, you can get to Pirate Legend without ever setting down a single quest if you chose to. I know of several pirates that reached the feat simply doing skull forts, and in a few rare examples I know of where pirates became PL simply by raiding other pirate ships, never touching a skull fort (unless taking the loot from someone else that completed it) or claiming any washed up treasure.

  • @yardlurker47 I see your point, but think before you write. Not in any way will improving this game make it Fortnite. [Mod edited]

  • @cotu42 I just feel like visuals isn't worth repeating the same thing over and over. Because that's what you're doing when you're out "adventuring".

  • @captain-uncle said in What’s the point of Sea of Thieves?:

    @cotu42 I just feel like visuals isn't worth repeating the same thing over and over. Because that's what you're doing when you're out "adventuring".

    Then go play a different game. I am a legend athena 10, I have done every challenge in the game multiple times. Though the experience is not the same thing over and over again due to the variation of the pirates I encounter and play with. I keep it fresh by changing up how I play, I fight, I flee, I sneak, I grind, I mess around and based on that what I am doing within the game changes each time.

    If you are not enjoying the game cycle, the fact that they don't give you a shiny +1 attack shouldn't make a difference.

    Play games because you enjoy the repetition of the game cycle as they are. It might net you a shiny new thing in the end, but that shiny thing should never be the reason you play.

    Trust me I have done a lot of grindy things in my life, as an old school WoW vanilla raider as an example.

    Don't play to grind, grind because you enjoy playing.

  • @hynieth I'm not saying Rare should follow other games (if you actually read my post you would know this). I'm dsuggesting they should add something else that players can spend their gold on.

  • @nofears-fun I have never met any friendly pirates, and I play this game as much as you, or more.

  • @captain-uncle said in What’s the point of Sea of Thieves?:

    @nofears-fun I have never met any friendly pirates, and I play this game as much as you, or more.

    thats strange. I don't play nearly as much as either of you, and I encounter friendly pirates about as often (maybe more so) than hostiles.

  • @captain-uncle Then I do feel bad for you as I have met plenty. Just this past weekend, had plenty of PvP and added three pirates to my friends list. Had a great time working with them against the hoards of other ships trying to get an advantage over us. LOL

  • The point of Sea of Thieves is to provide an enjoyable experience to the user.

    If you do not enjoy it, you can find another game you may actually enjoy.

  • @captain-uncle mate, I think the point that everyone is trying to make is that maybe you aren't seeing the vision for this game that the dev's had. This is not a grind type of game, though it has elements of it for those people that want to grind. Yet, they also offer plenty of ways for you to get obtain those higher levels without actually grinding for those that don't want to grind.

    Yet, rather than accept what people are saying, you resort to insults and simply saying things that don't match the vision of what this game is meant to be. I would remind you that you do need to adhere to the pirate code in these forums and treat others with respect mate.

  • @marsmayflower In that case why would the user even bother to comment on this game if he would just move to another game? He is obviously commenting because he likes it and would like modifications to make it better.

  • @captain-uncle said in What’s the point of Sea of Thieves?:

    @nofears-fun I have never met any friendly pirates, and I play this game as much as you, or more.

    The you might want to consider talking more in the game. Shoot less on sight and make a joke instead. How friendly others are is really based for the majority of your willingness to initially talk to each other.

    If you never met a friendly pirate, you need to adapt your style of approach.

    Even amongst the reaper flag voyages going on with 16 chests on board I made truces that were very beneficial to fight off those less friendly ones, especially when my ship got hit by the kraken and the brig decided to take us out... that sloop truce was extremely useful.

  • @eva1977 You are correct, he most likely does find some enjoyment in the game. However his suggestions are contrary to the dev's vision of the game. While he has every right to desire changes, others also have the right to disagree.

    For everyone else I do however hope that a bit more civility is used in doing so moving forward.

  • To answer the question in the Threadtitle:

    To me a game is to have fun playing it.
    If it's not fun, i dont play!

    Very simple.

    I dont want to grind or work off anything and i didnt.
    I celebrate Rare for developing the game without any mandatory grind to do.

    I dont need any meaning, i would even grant everybody all cosmetics instantly without any effort. Even my Founder Sails, i just dont need meaning like that, because to me the only purpose of playing games is to have fun doing it!

    You can have all you want without any effort if you ask me.
    So i'm even not jealous if they introduce a private server thing were people can get all with less effort and without the threat of pvp.
    To me all this is nitpicking and envy.

    The meaning of effort in a game or that some think this is something important or that they become proud to be this or that or have accomplished whatever very fast or like the one who got to PL with pvp loot only is something that is cool if they had fun doing it like this.
    But please dont be proud of it or think you've done something special what has a meaning. Really?

    Can't imagine to be honest people exagerate that much about playing a game.

  • @captain-uncle

    Ahoy there, I've edited your post as the forum rules don't allow for derogatory language towards other community members.

    Derogatory Language
    Name calling, personal attacks and using derogatory language against Community Members, Rare Employees, Global Moderators or Deckhands is not acceptable. Using such language will result in a warning, then temporary ban from the Forums and a final warning. If the action is persistent or increasingly aggressive, a permanent ban from the Forums will be issued.

    I think there are many people who've posted here who are trying to communicate the 'vision' the developers have for Sea of Thieves and they've done that well. The absence of vertical progression is a core element of Sea of Thieves and allows us the freedom to play where, how and with whom we wish. I'm also someone who very much enjoys this aspect of the game.

    The adventure, the 'fun' if you like, comes from the different encounters you have on the seas with players or ai, the uncertainties and the content additions which come on a regular basis and provide us with new challenges.

    At the moment the game devs are working towards Mar 20th when they'll be announcing a LOT of content additions coming to the game. This is a little different to last year, where we had meatier Bilge Rat Adventures if you like, every couple of weeks or so, but from what we've heard, this isn't sustainable in the long term for a variety of valid reasons.

    As someone said already, it really is a breath of fresh air to be free of the grind/reward system we find in almost every other single game and which is limiting, simplistic and finite in my opinion.

    I'm happy with cosmetics, I don't need them to be superpowered armour or 'the hull of speed', the rewards are there every time I set sail.

    If you're wanting to understand what Sea of Thieves is a little more, then there are a couple of videos I'd recommend -

    and this

    https://youtu.be/kaCWxjK3Pa0?list=PLomNoVhiUffa7TuP_Q_H6DENs2XRy4bkE

    as well as this very early video -

    https://youtu.be/bJ25OF7f5us?list=PLomNoVhiUffa7TuP_Q_H6DENs2XRy4bkE

  • @cotu42 Exactly what I was thinking Mate. We had a server with two other galleons beyond ours, 2 brigs and a sloop. All doing the reapers runs. And only one of the ships didn't fire first at us, one of the brigs. So we agreed to work together, help each other, and when we got done we would alliance up to share the rewards. And we had a great time working together, though I do think they benefitted more from us helping than the reverse, it still was fun and truthfully having at least one ship that we didn't need to destroy was a bit of a relief. Especially with our supplies constantly getting drained. (We sunk many ships and didn't lose ours once, which only made our supply situation worse, LOL)

  • @nofears-fun the other sloop was better than mine I believe in battle.

    It is fun to have a truce. Sometimes you benefit more, while other times the others are the beneficiaries. It is hard to achieve full equal advantages.

  • @captain-uncle
    Hello Mr Captn Uncle, what is the point of SOT? That's a good question. First of all , the goal of every game is to entertain people, how it's done is different for every game, if they aren't copying eachother...
    What is the point of SOT? Well, Sir , you mentioned grinding ,and then i automaticly shake my head , Grinding makes you feel like "working" , a bit like a fresh and happy horse that get dumped in a mine to pull charcoal carts while their eyesight get's limited so it only sees the tracks...A few years later this horse becomes blind....Sea of Thieves is a game that should not be put in a category , forget PVP, PVE , roleplaying/ Cosplaying and so on ...you have to play this game as a whole with everything included, from the moment you cut this game up , you are only hurting your own gameexperience without realizing...

    "Now, why do we only play for cosmetics , fool, or why aren't there heavier /more powerfull weapons per level": i hear you ask ( * Wait did you here him ask that to you ? i didn't hear a thing...oh oooow , i think it's time for yer pills again , frutti di cakey...). Well, Sir , this game is totally not based on realism but has a lot more hidden realism tha, you think...Even the most famous or better said notorious Pirate , in the Golden Age of piracy , and before or beyong that period , could be killed by a bullet , a knife in the dark , or just by sickness....In here , you can be a Legend Level 10, have played 1000 's of hours of gametime but you can be taken down by a toddler with luck or rapid fingers ...i see you frown yer eyebrows and ask me : " Wait , moron, you find that beautiful? " ( * Hey , George , he seems to know you) and i will say : " Yes" ....i've been playing other Multiplayer games in the past and when i thought i levelled up far enough to enter the multiplayer part , PVP kind , i was swiped the floor on like a Broom...Not everyone has Seas of time to bulk up a character to be able to withstand other people...Therefor this game is Perfect...

    Now you seemed first to be caught by the Beautiful water but it lost it's Magic quite fast for you...Take a look at different games , this water wich is already developed for a few years still stands above all other Seas from other games...Sea of Thieves isn't all about it's water , the Music , wich is composed by a Musical Genius , can make me switch on this game just to hear the Epicness of the soundtrack again...The Graphics , the handling of the ship , the bobbing on the Waves , the sounds of cracking, gulf splatting on yer bow, seagulls and so on and on , are creating a feel like i'm really at Sea...i cannot count the times i have just set sail only for pure sailing , just to listen to the details , you would miss while being focussed on Treasure gathering....

    So , let me come back to the cosmetics , you say or think they have no point , but didn't you spend hours in the Infinite Pirate Generator to find an Unique Pirate that maybe looked like a cartoonversion of yerself , and do you not want that this Pirate stands out between other Pirates / Crewmates...Well, the ever increasing wardrobe of clothes , weaponskins, shipskins give you this oppertunity...

    But when you have played this game for many hours , something different will crawl or rush under yer skin...i've always called it Magic, or anomaly , but in all honesty, i have and will never find the exact word...This Magic has sneakingly been put in this game by one or more Geniuses at Rare...

    " What are you talking about , you mumbling fool" , i hear you say with impatience in yer thought ...Well, Sir , the online Multiplayers games , most of them , don't encourage a " bounding " feel, or a cooperative goal and if they rarely do , then most people play silent or give orders and demands by written words, if one cannot fulfill the other player's wish then he can read other words that i better not mention here , since i fear the banhammer...

    You mentioned Fortnite , before , a game where only the last man/woman standing seems to be memorized and honored ...But how many gamers keep on watching the whole game when they have been killed by the first 10? So many other games only honor the " Best of the Best " but what with the "rest" , are they bad and sad gamers ? Are they not worthy to enjoy the game or get a bit of honor...In all honesty , i'm fed up to play like an overstressed spring , roaring and cursing if the game or a gamer has killed me unexpectedly...In Sea of Thieves ,where i'm mediocre at best at PvP , i still have value to the crew since i try to keep the ship afloat till my last zip of spit...

    Crew ....Aaaah...i'm getting where i always like to talk about....What has Rare suceeded into that makes this game so fun and addictive ? Well , Sir , Rare has succeeded , mostly, in turning the online mentality of verbal trolling and griefing into a whole Friendlier and better enviroment..." Utter FOOL " i hear you say , sure there are still Trolls and Grievers ,in this game...One cannot turn a missgrown mentality that rules or terrorized so many other games, over more than one decade, but Rare is slowly but certainly proving that this sad mentality is going to get pushed in the Shadow where it belongs...

    Since Rare has intruduced the crew in this game , i have made heaps of Friends, i visit some of them in Brittania while i'm not a globetrotter...The more i play with my friend , the more i discover about their personality , Some have such a great personality that ,if i was a sculpter person, i would immortalize them in Marble ...The side effect of this is that you become an oiled crew where the Helmsman/Woman is evenly important as the navigator , Buccaneer or repiarpirate of the crew...

    The Uniqueness of simply every person makes that no Journey is the same as the ones before ...And you may not feel the same as me , but THIS is for me the biggest thrive to keep playing this game ...THIS is what me keeps curious on meeting new people , new people means new Adventures , Does this means that known Friends mean boring sessions? No , Sir , known Friends means better working crews as this game automaticly puts the best person at their best station...This is a very smart game , that can steer personalities without feeling being steered .
    This is so Magical, because many people get sucked into the adventure , and therefor don't realize that their subconcious mind is lowering their automatic defence and allow me to see and learn about their personality while they don't even realize i'm getting to know their Core of their Soul...

    If this game wouldn't reward me with Gold, Clothes and so on ...i would still play , this ggame rewarded me in returning to give my voice back, it's let's me to become the eternal kid i always hide in Real Life , it let me cross many borders , language and mental ones and it lets me connect with people over many languages ...And most important for me, it let's me ,finally, materialize an old , forlorn Dream...Making people laugh ...i improvise with situations , with the personalities in the crew , and brings smiles on their and mine face...Since two years , yes Alpha Player i was, i hardly touch any other game , since when i have a few hours to spare than Sea of Thieves gets switched on...My mind travels to the Sea and in notime i mostly have a great crew to play with...

    " Does Sea of Thieves has a reason to excist?" , Bloody Hell , yeah and soon other developers will see that the days of humiliating people as a sport is slowly coming to an end...

    Sea of Thieves grew slowly in many eyes , was shot down by release but Rare is a Champion in creating new and inovative games and soon a whole lot of copycats will appear , not to copy the Pirate game , but they will try to copy the Element that made so many people talk and play without reservations and finally enjoy a game nomatter what their skill is ...
    Sea of Thieves forces people, to work together and people , without moaning, compensate where their Talent and being where the other Pirate is coming short , shining on other Fronts where the other person may lack some skills or Talent...

    Sea of Thieves is new in more ways than the first glimpse can catch...

  • @clumsy-george Matey, your mastery of words continues to humble me in so many ways. Thank you sir for once again putting together such a great way of saying this game rocks. LOL But seriously, thank you, I am very thankful that you are once again posting/contributing in the forums. The place feels a little empty when you take a hiatus.

  • @nofears-fun Hoards of other ships? There’s max 6 in one server.

  • @captain-uncle Yes, and when all 6 are in one confined space, that is a hoard. Especially since, apparently, having that many ships in one spot brings a lot more megs and skelly ships to check out what all the action is about.

  • @clumsy-george When I’m reading your text I’m hearing a pirate voice in my head LOL

  • I have some points to adress...

    1.

    I posted this thread because I enjoy the game and wanted to suggest a change.
    If I didn’t like the game, I would play another game.

    2.

    Every game has an insentive, for example;

    • Progressing trough levels unlocking new equipment

    • Shooting aliens and getting better weapons

    and the list goes on...

    SoT has the core game loop of bringing a tressure from point A to point B in 3 diffrent ways. It has no progression. If all this game has to offer is “To create your own fun”, this game dosen’t have much to offer.

    3.

    I respect people’s opinions, and I haven’t called anyone out for their opinion, just replied to them.

    4.

    Every game out there has a lot to offer. This game has (which I have already stated) “Create your own fun”. That’s not enough for a fun long term game in my opinion. So please stop relying “Create your own fun”, because that’s not true. A game can’t have its core based on creating your own fun. And if it does, the player should atleast have the right tools to do so.

  • @captain-uncle said in What’s the point of Sea of Thieves?:

    Every game out there has a lot to offer. This game has (which I have already stated) “Create your own fun”. That’s not enough for a fun long term game in my opinion. So please stop relying “Create your own fun”, because that’s not true. A game can’t have its core bases on creating your own fun.

    Minecraft, for one, would like to have a word with you. Your statement about "the core premise of a game can't be 'create your own fun'" is objectively false.

  • @blam320 sagte in What’s the point of Sea of Thieves?:

    @captain-uncle said in What’s the point of Sea of Thieves?:

    Every game out there has a lot to offer. This game has (which I have already stated) “Create your own fun”. That’s not enough for a fun long term game in my opinion. So please stop relying “Create your own fun”, because that’s not true. A game can’t have its core bases on creating your own fun.

    Minecraft, for one, would like to have a word with you. Your statement about "the core premise of a game can't be 'create your own fun'" is objectively false.

    i wouldnt say "false", but its a very different aproach of playing games.
    I am very, very thankfull Rare did it this way.
    You can progress, to me its plenty to do if i see my "progress" in commendations, achievements and whatnot. But because it means only cosmetics and is more about your personal preferences i prefer to play SoT casually but regularly and it's allways a lot of fun to me.

    If people want more "meaning" than fun, i have no idea how to argue to have them like it more, but to say: play it or fun or don't

  • @blam320 I have to disagree with you there. In Minecraft, you have the tools to do so. In SoT you don’t.

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