Solo Player Blues....

I use to play solo a lot my self on my way to PL. Few tips that helped me or might help in general.

In terms of the skeleton ships, first I’d say avoid them as much as you’d avoid other players. Treat them like any other Gallon IE RUN. Second they’re also very stupid and bad at avoiding islands and rocks so if you find your self being chased try and get them over to some rocks and out maneuver them. They’ll totally crash and get stuck. If you're bent on fighting them, maybe try to get some gunpowder from a fort to use on them.

I’m terms of fighting skeleton captains or large groups of skeletons, again try to bring gunpowder with you if you can. Or lead them to the beach and shoot from your ship with your cannons (especially gold ones.)

Finally, if your having a hard time finding good crews. On the Xbox (don’t know if it’s the same on PC) you can make posts in the “looking for group” section. From there you can make a post saying “no kids, mic only, doing forts, etc” and weed out any people you don’t want to play with. I make posts all the time and get people in a party to talk to them before I invite them incase we’re not on the same page of what we’re trying to do.

Hope some of that helps. Lots of people will just hit you with “git gud n00b!” Lol

Good luck and good sailing.

I never play Random crews. Always use the looking for group feature in Xbox as you can narrow down players who are looking to do what you are.

I have met some fantastic players using this feature. I am mostly a sloop player and have no problem finding like minded sloopers to roll with.

As for solo you can do a lot solo just don’t expect to do anything as fast as a 2-4 man crew.

@csc40

It is all about time, patience, and practice.

Skelly ships - I want them as I am solo. I want the kill to slowly build up to 500 of them so I can get my cannons.

Quest difficulty - Some are easier then others. If you get stuck you can abort it and drop a new one, or keep trying.

Time to money ratio - Designed to keep you coming back for more. All of our rewards are cosmetics and gated behind time and energy alone. You can get them all regardless of your skill level if you apply enough time and energy.

Also - 10 chests at higher levels will net you up to or above 1k each depending on what they are and where you get them.

I do EVERYTHING as a solo player. None of my friends play... it's usually easier solo than a full galleon of random crew.

I love the solo play in this game. Everything that is too difficult only means you're too inexperienced. I have solo'd 10 skeleton ships in the past two days... On the side... while running cargo.

It's not too difficult. Practice (death) makes perfect.

Your first point is that you Want to Solo, that's not a bad thing, but then you say you want it to be easy. Well that's just not how the game was designed. SoT is a game and not a walking simulator, there should be some form of challenge, and that challenge is catered towards a crew of 2-4 poeple. It literally tells you when you start to solo: This game is going to be hard without a second player are you sure?

Your second point is that you'd like the quests to be easier? The game is incredibly easy when it comes to skeleton fights. They have easy to exploid AI and since you just need to kill waves and there's no penalty to dying you can just throw yourself at them (or get good at combat and beat them handily)

Your third point is that you're not earning enough money?!

Now when I combine these three points I'm getting the feeling that you want instant gratification without playing the game for it. I'm against that type of design. I like having to work for my booty.

@csc40 This should be entitled "newish" solo player blues. Takes a number of hours on the seas to get use to solo and the skelly ships can actually be tough solo if you do not get a jump on them and angle your boat in the right ways. Also, you should check out the xbox app to match with random players. You can specify what kind of crew you want. I have had a lot of success with this. I would never do random open again if I were you :) As for the money thing... you will get use to how to make money pretty efficiently. You can certainly solo 3 skeleton captains but to start you may want to only choose islands where you can strategically place your boat for a cannon shot if need be. In other words... probably avoid plunder, old faithful, shark bait, lone cove, the one to top left of the map, and probably marauders arch as well. O and devils ridge and possible the other ridge one. All the others are fair game. Just avoid the ones I mentioned for now until you get better at solo.

10 chests for 2,600 Gold in about 4 hours.
Do Merchant quests, more profit for a lot less time. I still enjoy doing these quests even now. If I do get attacked I am not too bothered If I lose my cargo.

I wish these posts about things being too difficult for solo players would stop. Please do not speak for an entire community of people because you are struggling. Say, "I have trouble with..." or "Could someone give me pointers for..."

You'll receive more help, and less criticism.

Many solo players sail every day and enjoy the challenges the game and playstyle present.

@csc40 Hang in there. I play solo a good chunk of the time too and have my share frustrating moments. Still fairly new but making progress on PvE and PvP. It can really suck to feel like you wasted time but it also feels great when you manage to out wit the game/others and cash in your hard earned loot. Helps to talk with other pirates and pick up some tricks from the older hands.

@csc40 said in Solo Player Blues....:

I recently just got back into sea of thieves. While loving pirates and the feel of sailing your boat on the open ocean a few key problems have been constantly ruining my time on the game.
(TL/DN below)

1. Solo
   In sea of thieves the main focus of the game is to play with a crew. This is not always possible for me(as I also assume everyone else) while playing with random people can be enjoyable. Usually as of late I have been meet with kids, micless, rude, or some talking through what I believe was a toaster.

Moving from that you can assume I usually will play by my self which is very possible.
Until it isn’t.

Now here why,

Skelton Ships. Yep that’s it. Now most of the community will say “Ha! I could solo a Skelly ship in my sleep! Use a bucket forhead. You need to play more anyone experienced wouldn’t have sunk.” Etc.

My response is I shouldn’t have to be “good” to enjoy a very laid back and easy game. Plus the intent of a skeleton ship isn’t meant nor was designed to target solo players on a sloop.

As you are stating this is a co-op focused game you decide to take it on alone. Therefore some skill is involved. Skeleton ships were meant and were designed to target any type of ship and this includes solo sloops.

Who ever stated that this game is a laid back easy game? It can be relaxing and laid back based on how you play, but the seas are a dangerous place and being a pirate is by no means easy. There are things in the depths wanting to drag you down, other pirates that want your treasure and skeletons that want to kill you.

Your attitude towards the game makes it laid back and to be frank... the game isn't all that hard, though it does require practice.

I desperately urge a change in programming to make Skelton ships unable to spawn on players by themselves. I have lost countless treasures and wasted HOURS of my life just to hear that dreadful music and sink 20 minutes later.

God no.. don't take one of the funnest things in the game for people that choose to play the most difficult crew size. I love taking on skeleton ships on my own, man I even head to fleets when I see the ship cloud pop up by myself and I have another hour to burn and enough stock build up.

2. Quest difficulty

I am one to do any quest I have been giving. One of which was a 3 pirate captain quest. This was not in anyway possible to do by my self. Why doesn’t the game scale it down for a solo sloop player. I couldn’t possibly fight that amount of Skelton with no ammo box near me. This may be a small issue but I have had many quest I just gave up on after dying 7 times.

Well, all quests can be overcome with pure determination. How often you die in the process is really up to how you play, the type of skeletons you meet and the level of voyages you do. The voyages scale based on the level of the voyage... I have done dozens of Athena's by myself. Once again, being a solo captain has its challenges and it is the hardest crew size to play. If you don't like it, search for a crew, use the open crew system or the other channels out there. Don't dumb down the game for us pirates that enjoy a personal challenge cause you refuse to play with others.

3. Time to money ratio.

This may get much better later in the game but as of right now it’s horrible.

I play for 4 hours turn in 10 Chest and get maybe in total 2,600 gold. Maybe sometimes more. I know you get better quest as you get higher in level but it’s not easy getting to that point. Especially if one huge hull of treasure gets sunked by a Skelton ship.

This points of issues can and have been solved by playing with a crew. But Rare. Listen I can’t always have a top notch crew on me. Sometimes I play solo. And I don’t want to go cash in every chest I get in fear of a stupid AI controlled boat.

TL:DN
Skelton ships are too hard for solo players and ruin the game/money is earned to lightly in the beginning/random crew can be a pain more than a help/certain quest can be to difficult for solo players.

If I play for 4 hours by myself I can complete nearly two Athena voyages or earn 10k to 50k an hour with ease based on what I am doing and what I encounter. The rate at which you acquire loot is based on skill, focus and decision making.

You refuse to learn how to deal with Skeleton ships on your own. They aren't difficult and can take 5 to 25 mins to beat if you know what you are doing. Instead of accepting that you are the one refusing the crew up or improve, yet demand that the game is supposed to be 'easy'.

Games are about losing, they are about winning, they are about providing you with challenges that are able to be overcome and that is exactly what this game currently does for any type of crew size. With the biggest challenge being a solo pirate on a ship, where the dangerous seas are awaiting you and it is up to your wit, cunning and abilities to take on these dangers.

Don't take away the pleasures of a place to hone ones skills as a pirate and the joys of having a challenge just because you don't want to improve. Many of us that choose the life of a solo captain do so because of this initial challenge and keep seeking these challenges till they have beaten them all like myself. I do not fear anything on the open seas even when I am alone. It isn't that I never lose or lose tons of treasure... I am a bit of a hoarder. It is the risk and challenge that makes it exciting, the mystery and danger of the seas that let me come back. Why should they take away my pleasure while the solution to your issue is easy: get a crew?

If you do not enjoy the solo captain experience there are enough ways to get a crew, even just a single additional member makes a world of difference even if you aren't a top notch pirate crew together it is easier to overcome the dangers of the sea. The legendary song is for a good reason: We shall sail together... the other option is hone your skills as a pirate and become one of us solo captains that take anything on without fear.

@csc40 said in Solo Player Blues....:

I recently just got back into sea of thieves. While loving pirates and the feel of sailing your boat on the open ocean a few key problems have been constantly ruining my time on the game.
(TL/DN below)

My response in a somewhat detailed nutshell:

1. The Skeleton Ships

These ships will target anyone and everyone when they go aggressive. Solo slooping is hard mode, thereby making it difficult to battle skeleton ships. I play solo quite often and I can easily say my Win/Loss/Escape ratio 33/33/33.

One tip I can suggest is if you are attacked in the open and are not fairing too well in the battle, make for the nearest island and remember the name. I do this when solo for the following reasons:

• By anchoring at an island, you reduce your target profile. The skellie ship has to keep circling around the island, and therefore can only attack one side of your ship.
• You now have a (small) additional supply source via the barrels on the island.
• Offload any treasure onto the island between attack waves, keeping it well hidden in brush, bushes, etc.
• If you can manage to survive long enough, the skellie ship will eventually break off and submerge.
• IF you still get sunk, your treasure will be there waiting for you provided you get back quickly.

2. Quest Difficulty

Again, Solo Sloop is considered hard mode - That being said: Some quests may seem impossible, but they are doable....it will just take you many deaths to achieve. You would not believe the number of times I have made the trip to the ferry of the damned during quests where I am overrun by hordes of gun or powder barrel toting skellies.

It takes me hours to do what a crew can in one hour, but that is the challenge I have accepted as a solo player.

3. Time to Money Ratio

This one is easy. As you level up, that ratio will improve drastically. A big help is to run the gilded voyages from the Duke the Bilge Rat in the tavern. If you don't care about commendations, then you can run them multiple times without the reaper flag so as to remain relatively covert....the gold is still the same.

@csc40 "My response is I shouldn’t have to be “good” to enjoy a very laid back and easy game."

This is why I didn't provide any tips. Statements like this mean you aren't looking for techniques. It means you're looking for the game to adapt to you, rather than you to the game.

If you're looking for input and advice, ask questions instead of blaming the game.

@csc40 you never said everyone, which is why I did not quote you as doing so.

However, you do want to implement drastic changes to the game based on your struggle with it. The generality of making the game easier or less challenging for solo players implies that all solo players are struggling as well. I simply pointed out that that is not the case.

@csc40 Lol, what? Did you read my reply at all? Before you go all hating on me, please read. Also why are you spamming the forums with so many posts? You can reply to multiple people in one post.

You're clearly new to the game and have yet to learn every facet of it. That's not a bad thing that's just you having to learn things. This post comes across as if you want to have instant gratification. Not something I'd like to see changed because I too play this same game and love the challenge it provides at times.

Just a pro tip. If you want to discuss change be prepared to face people who don't want those changes. If you're going to just brush them off with a vague retort that makes no sense be prepared to be called out on it. It might work on the schoolyard but not where I'm from.

@csc40 said in Solo Player Blues....:

@cotu42 to your main point. Yes. To your point of get a crew to solve your issues. Sure would love to. You have one for me to join. Didn’t think so. To everything else you said a quote from my OP.

Actually there are tons of crews out there, hit one up through the open crew system (as I do occasionally), use the xbox LFG or join a discord community.

Finding a crew takes a tiny bit of effort, teamwork is a challenge though usually not a big deal for PvE encounters.

“Now most of the community will say “Ha! I could solo a Skelly ship in my sleep! Use a bucket forhead. You need to play more anyone experienced wouldn’t have sunk.” Etc.”

Yes, solo captains are the ones that determine their own fate and therefore your skill is the only aspect to decide if you are successful or at the bottom of the seas.

This is a game, we win, we lose, we improve and we own... challenges are the reason many people play, so removing the challenging mode of the game while there is an easy solution already in game, a crew, is a bad idea.

Adapt to the game, don't expect the game to adapt to your personal goals... there are more people than just you that would be affected.

OP - I love solo as it is, please don't take my Nightmare Difficulty mode away!

The basic message is: if solo is too tough, play in a crew. Solo is tough for everyone, at first.

Rare released arena with this update too, you could try arena mode and use it as a bonding exercise to meet new pirates to crew with in adventure. Think of it like speed dating for lonely pirates.

"Yaaar, I like long walks on the beach, the feel of the sea breeze in my beard, and treasure, lots of treasure..."

Solo is something that I gravitated towards after I felt I had mastered all of the mechanics. I've been soloing less since the update, mainly because I have new stuff to master and the best way to do that is in a crew. Take from that what you will. I was a very accomplished solo pirate, but even for me it'll take some time to learn the ropes again. Doesn't mean the game is broken nor is it a reflection on my ability.

You like the game, you'll have that in common with most other players. There you go, there's some common ground for you to use to establish a bond with other pirates you meet.