SOS Game Devloppers

1. No one besides content creators or big discords would play it. It'll die out pretty fast with a subscription model -- community is already on the edge regarding the new Plunder Pass system.

2. They simply do not have the man power for new areas. Also it will make the map bigger again → less player encounters.

3. You mean Molten Sands Fortress? From last season? It will probably make some time-limited comeback eventually.

4. Besides Bilge Rats Weekender, events usually go for longer and therefore can also be played during the week.

5. Improving Guilds would not be on the top of my personal priority list but yes, surely in need of an improvement.

@fassgatto

Private servers will mainly be useful for people wanting to TDM friends, train PvP, or run group events. Charging for them would cut off a big part of the player base, as most people would only use them if they were free.

The better way to make money would be putting extra options behind Ancient Coins, like controlling world events, wind, respawn settings, or PvE difficulty. Features like that would likely appeal to people running community events without locking private servers behind a paywall.

That’s the only way I can see private servers making money without hurting player access.

Making private servers free is a mistake because their funding would have helped finance the teams and development

So those without parents' credit cards cant enjoy it? Think of the backlash.

To retain players and encourage them to play, add new areas to the game

Look at Devils Roar, was once a place full of fun, nobody visits it anymore. Even with the new stuff added.
Just a waste.

Bring back the Devil with a Fortress that can be activated with the key from the Tomb of the Banished, just like the Devil Fruit is activated with the skull. Having Garrison Fortresses nearby would make your work worthwhile.

Future Events, they said this.

Regularly add events that can be played during the week.

We have daily events already but they said somewhere in S20 will see calendar events

There are so many other additions to make; the community is surely ready to continue playing this magnificent game.

Players are the Npc of this world. We the pirates can create our own content, events and play this game as it is.
Collect Reaper chests and hide it in a fort and defend it from the attacks. Story driven.

Rare Studios may not have a large staff, but you have a golden game on your hands. Re-evaluate the business model; do things to make Guilds more attractive.

They already know this. :/
Guilds are just weird thing. Nothing can be added to make them appealing without making them OP.

@burnbacon

"So those without parents' credit cards cant enjoy it? Think of the backlash."

• Of course, not everyone can afford to pay, but will private servers be useful to the majority of players? I don't think so. And their funding, thanks to the numerous guilds in the game, would provide the necessary resources to continue its development. Making everything free isn't a viable solution.

" Bring back the Devil with a Fortress : Future Events, they said this. "

• The fact that you can create the Molten Send Fortress by activating it like the Devil Fruit would make the Devil Fruit much more popular.

" We the pirates can create our own content, events and play this game as it is. "

• Creating your own events, without any tangible results, will be fun for a short time before becoming tedious.

@mrpalmerdixon

The current problem is that Rare's staff has shrunk, and consequently, so has the quality, with almost constant delays and reduced content.

Most events are on weekends, making them unplayable for many players: Weekender, Community Events, Fight Night...

Devils Roar has been abandoned again because there's nothing exceptional about it, apart from Molten Send, which should be permanently active.

@fassgatto said in SOS Game Devloppers:

@mrpalmerdixon
Devils Roar has been abandoned again because there's nothing exceptional about it, apart from Molten Send, which should be permanently active.+

And that is ... straight-up wrong.

There are 2 Ashen Garrisons in the region now.
There are more chances to find Eternal Guards to unlock 3 Sanctuaries of the Banished.
Volcanoes have been nerfed to make voyaging more easy there.

So, should Molten Sands be as permanent raid event? No.
It's always at the edge of the map, so not likely people will enter the event like like FotDs when there's no deeds/rewards.
Also, it would require a rework. The quest for the key temporarily replaced emissary quests (levels were also boosted during the event). One danger was the Smugglers Route that was next to it during that season. The main item was an orb that was economy-wise overkill but also has lore significance so it cannot just be put in again. And probably many more reasons ...

(also do not know what "Devil Fruit" is supposed to be, probably some weird translation that went wrong)

It will have a comeback eventually, just be patient.

Volcanoes have been nerfed to make voyaging more easy there.

and I still hear complaints about them. :/
Boost the Ashen loot payout and bring back the volcanoes. danger.

@uluckyhitreg

Your idea is original, but without implementation, it will be useless in the long run. A business model needs to be found quickly so that Rare can continue its work and expand its workforce.

@mrpalmerdixon

After discussing it with my guild's community, I can assure you that Molten Sand would be played frequently if it were active, in order to fight and obtain original loot.

@burnbacon

I agree with you. Reactivating it with good loot would be attractive for Devils Roar.

@fassgatto said in SOS Game Devloppers:

@mrpalmerdixon

After discussing it with my guild's community

lol

if it were active, in order to fight and obtain original loot.

This seems to be a major problem with the game atm. Athena's Chest use to be, next the king's items; now it's CoF.
But after a while they are just items use to complete commendations, and once done, why bother?

I think the best items are the cursed ones, but they lack value compared to the danger they come with.

@fassgatto molten sands is active all the time don't know where you got it wasn't. It was active before they made that special event and it is still active today. As long as people are in the Roar emergent Skeleton forts still spawn there. The problem is as it always had been when the fort spawns there no one does it cause they hate going to the roar. Same as when they had the limited event there. People would activate it to get the deeds but not do it. Or it would never be active on my servers. I did that fort so many times and no one even contested it cause it wasn't a popular thing. It will eventually come back but it will not be something people are going to rush to go do.

@elmo6842

People aren't going to the fortress because it's no longer activated with the Banished Key like last season. They're now just regular forts with low-quality loot...

@fassgatto no one rarely went to them when they had the key. My servers never had them activated. If they did do them they they took the COF and the orb and left everything else. Most players don't need loot in the game anymore. Long time veteran players are distinction 5 in everything and that is why WE don't get done on servers anymore. Nothing is needed from them

@elmo6842

I do indeed have all five awards. However, the Devils were still often played despite everything. Currently, we're back to where we were two seasons ago. We therefore need to find solutions and move forward to improve the current situation.

@fassgatto they need to up our distinction levels. Then people will have stuff to work towards again in each emissary. Then the WE and emissaries will be worth it again to go out and do.

My controversial opinion on how Rare may continue to generate a profit from the Sea Of Thieves IP aside new players arriving and aside a Sea Of Thieves 2 is to create high production level DLC expansions for the game inc. New areas, new stories and new narrative TT's, new treasures, new cosmetic types, new PVE/PVP emergent events and modes... And stick a price tag on it, Basically Sea Of Thieves 2 in everything but name.

New areas, new stories and new narrative TT's, new treasures, new cosmetic types, new PVE/PVP emergent events and modes... And stick a price tag on it

We can have all this already without the need to pay.
If they start charging "now," it wont end well.

There more than players playing and purchasing ingame items = profit. There numbers we dont see.

@elmo6842

I agree with you to up distinction levels

@soloventure6142

The idea is indeed well thought out. The more of us who share our ideas and concerns, the more the developers will listen to us. The game still has a lot of room for improvement.

@burnbacon

Indeed, the current shop, with its more frequent updates, and the Plunder Pass are sufficient.

Now, we need to be listened to so that the game evolves in the right direction for both new and veteran players.

For example:

• a new map area
• increasing the Emissary Distinction level because once you reach level 500, you no longer need to equip an Emissary.
• Improving the guild system with Guild events.

@burnbacon

You know, as surprising as this might be to you, I expected you to pop up and disagree 😂

@fassgatto

Yes and this would be acceptable if it was 8 months old... It's 8 years old and the latter half of that has seen a rapid downward trajectory illustrated by player dissatisfaction, bad "press" and nose diving active player number counts on the steam charts.

@fassgatto

I agree with the new map area, this should happen, I'm not sure how effective raising the rep level will be, it's already been raised and it seems like an uninspired, unimaginative and cheap way to attempt to encourage players to keep playing, ultimately it translates to: More of the same but hey, your numbers can go up to 1000 now... Yay. 🤔

Edit: If they up distinction levels they might as well just uncap them altogether and let the rep levels roll up and up for as long as people choose to play the game... Rep levels without rewards is inconsequential and raised distinction limits means that when everyone reaches those new limits.. They'll ask for the limits to be raised again and again and again, it's not a solution to a problem long term.

@soloventure6142

Increasing the number of distinctions by implementing monthly rewards to unlock for each faction would be a great way to avoid boredom and encourage people to represent their emissaries. Once the current rewards are unlocked, there's no longer any point in representing a faction because there's nothing left to unlock.

We need to find ways to re-engage people in representing the factions after Distinction 500.

@fassgatto

What this leads back to is cosmetics, an increased pay out for loot sold in exchange for gold at grade 5 Emmisary is supposed to be the incentive, the problem is with the lack of diversity in types of things to earn / purchase.

We have an abundance of these cosmetics:

Pirates: titles, hairstyles, tattoos, scars, curses, beards, hats, eye patches, coats, shirts, gloves, hooks, trousers, boots, peg legs, finger rings, dresses, costumes and skirts.

Weapons: cutlass, flintlock, blunderbuss, eye of reach, double flintlock pistol, blow pipe, harpoon gun and throwing knives.

Ships: top flags, sails, hull, figurehead, capstan, helm wheel, curtains, chandelier, table, chair, carpet, trinkets.

Players that have been around for awhile have a maxed out fleet with their ships decorated as they want them to be and many many combinations of pirate cosmetics making up everything they could ever want from these selections, new items in these categories maybe no longer matter to them so much, so the only thing they spend gold on is supplies. Players that haven't been around for a long time may only want selected items from these that suit their tastes. A minority of collectors and commendation hunters will be seeking to obtain everything.

Possible solution:

New cosmetic types such as jewellery at ultra prices. Wouldn't be a permanent solution but it would help with some engagement for awhile with the purpose of earning gold to buy cosmetics with and the best way to earn gold is by being a grade 5 Emmisary.

And... New faction (s) with new rewards.

Looking at SOT from a new player perspective, I imagine the amount you can do and get would be quite overwhelming so I imagine the tendency is to be selective about what to go after rather than trying to obtain everything. Veteran players on the other hand either don't care about what they don't have because they have everything they want already (some of which is unobtainable and rare now) or they have been collecting everything from the start and have everything so far, more or less.

You can't please everyone, introducing new cosmetic types and new factions would provide more diversity and variation and it would increase the amount of content, possibly making newer players even more selective about what they go after and veteran collector players may feel exhausted at the prospect that there is even more to go after if they are going after absolutely everything. Also, there are players that I think just like to horde gold so they may not spend it for anything.

Increasing distinction levels for the already existing factions and having more of the same categories / types of comsetics as rewards for those factions isn't in my opinion going to solve the problem of getting new or veteran players to engage more with the game or with factions.

Another possible solution may be to create a situation where players must choose who to represent and work for which has a visible impact on something in the game like what happened with Golden Sands becoming Port Merrick.