There are literally PvP modes that players who are tryhards can go enjoy themselves in.
The retractable ladders suggestion has been proposed dozens of times, so it's not "just me having one bad experience".
What's the point of all these specialty cannonballs if I never get to use them? I don't think I've EVER gotten to enjoy a PvP encounter as a ship battle. It's ALWAYS me just getting shot in the back of the head by someone who somehow teleported themselves onto my ship despite their ship still being a mile away.
The ship to ship combat is so fun, while the hand-to-hand combat is a janky mess. I'm not suggesting we remove the ability to board, I just want it stop it from being the easiest thing so that it's immediately the first strategy the enemy does. Make them EARN their boarding by ramming my ship and jumping on or firing themselves out of the cannon or something. (Or sneaking on while I had my guard down and left the ladders hanging).
And if making ladders retractable makes sinking each other's ships more difficult because of the speed at which players can repair holes and bail out water, then simply add another mechanic or two for this as well - like maybe a specialty-cannonball that players always have that's on a 2 minute cooldown (which you can also gather more of) that stops a boat from being able to bail out water for 30 seconds or something.
Like I would love the PvP experience in adventure mode if using the specialty cannonballs was the main way of getting the upperhand. And if instead some battles end up being a war of supplies, that's still more fun than just try-hard who mastered the janky hand-to-hand combat just spawn killing me over and over.
Like I want to see another player on the Horizon and get that adrenaline rush of "Ahh!, should we fight or flight?? We've got some cool cannonballs and the ship to ship combat is fun... let's go for it!" With the anticipation that it's going to be a ton of fun on our boat trying to not get sunk or sniped or crash etc. Instead, when we see an enemy boat on the horizon, it's a HUGE eyeroll. Like instead of getting excited, we all feel the opposite. Just the "welp, at least we had fun while it lasted. Keep an eye on the ladders I gues- Oh they're already on board and I'm dead. sigh"
I understand that most people who are on a Sea of Thieves forum are probably the really dedicated players who have hundreds of hours in this game and spend time watching youtube videos on how to "get good" at it, so to you people you might think I'm just whining.
But I'm trying to speak up for all us players who join the adventure mode of a fun pirate-boat game and are tired of the experience getting ruined by players having no trouble at all climbing up onto our boats and spawn killing us.
Keep the ladders as normal in PvP modes or something. Let adventure mode players engage in more exciting form of PvP that actually relies on using your boat sometimes. Please!