Great game but, seriously? Is... This it?

@xskrimps I am in two minds about this. As far as weaponry is concerned I agree and I love the equal opportunity for all players idea.
On the other hand if I buy an expensive shovel it would be nice if it dug treasure up faster.

I think it is a slippery slope. If you allow any items perks that improve a skill 20% for example then people will want this item to do something then this weapon to do something. I think it should be an all or nothing approach and I am ok with the nothing.

Progression being linear and a title is great. You do have something to work for...A reputation of being the best most fearsome pirate and be legendary about it.

@nightmare247365 Yeah true. I love that it's about developing your own ability rather than buying ability.
As someone who often plays solo, I often wish I could dig quicker though. Took me 45 minutes to get three chests today because I could get one dig in before getting hit by new skeletons. But going solo was my decision, so noone to blame but myself.
As I said, the idea is brilliant and I wouldn't ask for it to change because this is one of the few games I haven't gotten bored of despite the number of hours I've sunk into it.

@Uberkull

Yet your fancy legendary title, ship, and clothes mean zero because a complete p**b who just bought the game at Walmart can come in a sink your legendary arsh.

The game needs progression. Goals are good. Planning out how to earn better gear is fun. Just looking good will only last so long before ppl move on.

GREAT! There is something to be said about a player who is not afraid to lose. I could care less if the player has 1 hour or 10000 hours. I want to know that I beat them on skill (or they beat me on skill) alone. The Title, Ship, and Clothes are great because they build a character in the game and allow someone to live that character's life through imagination.

I have had too many years of school, college, and work to know that I have a progressive system I live everyday. I don't want that in a game. I would like an end goal which this game has - Become a Legendary Pirate.

I think your quote "will only last so long before ppl move on." is true about many things. Progressive systems where Guns, Armor, Upgrades get old since those games are not about skill, they are about who has the time to Prestige 10X over and can earn the most overpowered weapon in the game. I hate the fact that in most of those games I am better than the 12 year old playing, but because he spent so much time in game he has a weapon that has 0 counter to it!

There are probably more people who quit or demand a refund from games like CoD because there is such a step playing curve that unless you are playing Day 1 for 40+ hours a week than there is little to no opportunity for you to catch up. They will always win because they have a better weapon. If you want that you have hundreds of other games to go play.

I applaud RARE for stepping outside the norms of video games and allowing us to actually battle with wits and skill than 1 weapon is far superior to the other. People will move on, but the player base will benefit from that. People will enjoy this system and find it a nice change of pace than the grind that every other game is.

Sorry if that is not for you, but you are not required to play.

Love the game but there needs to be sidegrades. You need have a desire to return to an outpost and refit the ship or your character to "try things differently this time"

Examples:
Swap a forward mast for a forward cannon.
Swap speed for more armor.
Swap a cannon for harpoon gun.
Upgrade to boarding ropes
Upgrade to tiny stern swivel cannon
Something

Item that let's you run with a chicken cage
Item that allows you to carry more of xyz supply

@uberkull

Yet your fancy legendary title, ship, and clothes mean zero because a complete p**b who just bought the game at Walmart can come in a sink your legendary arsh.

Oh no, they won't. Already you cant tell experienced crew from inexperienced.
Doing two-man sloop mostly, I can now sink galleons and so far I have only got one galleon who has made me flee and actually earned the imaginary title "We should stay away from that sloop with one light on"

Galleon teams with randoms have taught me that when I stay with the ship and get it ready for defence ppl usually start screaming at me "What are you doing raising the sails and the anchor and turning the ship around" and all that. So Walmart p**b will get beaten easy.

@Nightmare247365 Well said!

The bottom is that most ppl are used to the formula: Grind - bet better weapons - kill new players easy - gratification. And thats it, no skill. Rare really is swimming against the industry and has my money because of that.

Counter strilke has no meaninful progression either, only skins. Yet ppl play it for skill. (dont get mad if I got it wrong, never played it.)

@lucky-monkee sagte in Great game but, seriously? Is... This it?:

The bottom is that most ppl are used to the formula: Grind - bet better weapons - kill new players easy - gratification. And thats it, mainly no skill. Rare really is swimming against the industry and has my money because of that.

Counter strilke has no meaninful progression either, only skins. Yet ppl play it for skill. (dont get mad if I got it wrong, never played it.)

fantastic writeup!

I was just considering this "cosmetic only" thing. You spend money to upgrade your level with the groups in game and get better voyages. That's not cosmetic. Just a slight outside the box view on the situation.
Now you have progression and reward. Just play.

@xskrimps Ok, how about Minecraft or Flight simulation games? There maybe a story mode but in all reality, there is no progression system. You can enable basically a God Mode in Minecraft and build whatever until your heart's content. That game has sold MILLIONS world wide. Sure you can PvP with diamond weapons and such, but people don't play that for progression. They play it for creativity.

Flight Simulation games allow you some progression as you learn to pilot larger planes, but again, there is no requirement for progression, you can fly the exact same plane over and over. Kerbal Space program, etc.

Each of those games takes time to learn, but you develop skill around it. In this game, you do need progressives, so you can learn and develop your seafaring skills to beat other too!

While I know this is not about different games, this game is about building a world that you and your character live in. It is not about PvP, it is not about skill development that allows you to out perform others. It is about your experience.

Ultimately you are entitled to your opinion, but this game may just not be for you if you think you need progressives to enjoy it. I hope you do, I hope you get quite a bit of playtime out of it, but quit worrying about how I need to defeat someone else with a better weapon and enjoy the experience. If not and you need progressives, please go find a different game and leave this one to those of us who enjoy it.

@xskrimps I wondered how long it would take...