Optional Ferryman?

  • GrumbleGrits
    Castaway

    I'm fairly new to the game and only recently discovered how grueling it is to endure the loading screens involved in respawning and there is no time more frustrating to experience them than when you're engaged in PVP.

    Now, I don't really have any idea what the devs were thinking when implementing not one, but TWO mandatory loading screens into the respawn process but I can't help but ask... in what world is such a thing a ever good idea? Especially in Sea of thieves case where being dead and stuck in a loading screen can result in the untimely loss of several hours of effort as your ship is sunk and your hard earned treasures stolen all while you stare at a black screen and a little spinning graphic.

    Don't get me wrong, the Ferryman is neat and has it's uses but it absolutely shouldn't be a mandatory visit every time you die. Having to suffer through two loading screens which are subject to great fluctuations in their duration has NO PLACE in the respawn process of a PvP enabled game. Hell, even a singular loading screen is egregious where those few seconds make the difference between survival and losing everything you have on board.

    The fix would be simple, really...

    Make the visit to the Ferryman optional.

    By holding the button to offer up your soul to the Ferryman you get to visit him while some other option allows to to respawn directly upon your ship.

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  • ZiG ZaG LTU
    Commander
    Insider

    @grumblegrits Well this would give a massive advantage to the one who lost the initial battle, as when you die, you are on the ferry, not on your ship, your best bet is that you're on discord and teammates tell you exactly where the enemy is and what the enemy is doing now, but SOT combat is very fast paced and things change quickly. When you respawn you don't know where you will respawn and where your enemy would be. As much as I like to give thought to all suggestions and see their worth, this one would really change the game and I don't think for better. I like the ferry too :)

    Black screens and long loading times is a different topic, I hope it will improve.

  • BurnBacon
    Vanguard
    Insider

    Now, I don't really have any idea what the devs were thinking when implementing not one, but TWO mandatory loading screens into the respawn process

    There really is only one.
    The return to your ship. Anything else is the player.

    Make the visit to the Ferryman optional.

    You still be loading.... dying, having to be reborn and wait. Loading.

  • Foambreaker
    Sailor

    The black screen is not intentional, it is not by design, and part of it is the client performance.

    As for changing the ferryman, that would be a very bad thing. It would make existing problems much worse, for example, repairs in PvP are way overpowered, they can't really change it because of PvE balance, so a solo PvP tactic is to kill the player and while he is on the ferry his ship is sinking. Otherwise it becomes a stalemate.

  • Selgewick
    Master

    I know Ye! A Spy from Dark Bretheren! Ye thought it would work, but Ye have been discovered. Begone, Back to the Sea of the Damned! And tell 'Em all such trickery and deception won't work on us, again...

  • PithyRumble
    Rogue
    Insider

    @selgewick said in Optional Ferryman?:

    I know Ye! A Spy from Dark Bretheren! Ye thought it would work, but Ye have been discovered. Begone, Back to the Sea of the Damned! And tell 'Em all such trickery and deception won't work on us, again...

    This week...

  • Red0Demon0
    Commander
    Insider

    Good idea, they should give you the personal option to have just 1 long drawn out loading screen instead of the ferry man.

  • SweetSandMan
    Legend
    Insider

    If your suggestion is to basically make it like Arena was...fun fact...you could still suffer a black screen of death in Arena.

    The problem isn't the ferry. The problem is loading your fresh character in its fresh location.

    Hopefully Rare finds a way to fix the actual problem.

    I also really like the idea regardless of the problematic black screen.

  • CoffeeLight5545
    Legend
    Insider

    @grumblegrits

    It would be cool to bring back the Arena death sequence if you are involved in an active hourglass battle.

    For those who are new, when you die in the Arena you simply float into the sky instead of visiting the ferry. This allowed you to communicate what the enemy was doing via voice chat or game chat. You would still suffer the black loading screen as you transition back on your ship.

    Unfortunately, anything Arena related is most likely never coming back.

  • Grog Minto
    Master
    Insider

    The ferry has its use as a hub for socialisation. It can be quite fun to chit chat with your opponents while you're on the ferry waiting to have at it again ! I've had a lot of nice interactions there. :D

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