I can’t stay away from this game; it has an experience that is completely unique that no other game has. I love sailing, I love how it looks, I even love the puzzle of figuring the maps out for sailing and treasure. It’s truly spectacular. However, I am by no means someone who wants to/can PvP. I was injured as a kid and due to that injury I lost a lot of dexterity in my hands. Of course I can practice, but I will always be at a distinct and clear disadvantage from players. I also, unfortunately, play solo due to a lack of friends who play and a girlfriend who gets sea sick at the sight of the game. I don’t want to just give up, but it’s really tempting. I’ve quit before for about a year after a few months of playing due to the same issue. So the obvious work around is running away and hiding right? However, even watching YouTube videos and practicing isn’t helping me get away. I’ve tried sailing head first into the wind, and somehow a brig caught up to me with a lot of ease. I leave my anchor up and try to check the skyline every minute or few minutes, but I still return to see ships practically on top of me, too late to even run. I can’t repair as well as regular players, I can’t sail as well as regular players, and I can’t seem to figure out exactly what I’m doing wrong. Is it just luck? Is it that I’m just bad? It feels like I know what I should be doing, but when I try it myself it just doesn’t work out. It just sucks to see a ship giving chase or firing at me and knowing that it’s game over. I know I shouldn’t let my inabilities get the best of me, but factually, someone who has the full use of both their hands has an absolute advantage over me. How do you run away correctly? If someone just refuses to stop chasing you, how do you get away? I had heard sloops were the fastest ship against the wind, but I don’t know exactly what that even means I guess? I just sail so that the flag is going directly back from the mast (as best I can). Should I just never solo play? I worry about playing on an open crew and struggling to be a good crew mate because I doubt many people want to play with a handicap who doesn’t even like the PvP play. I know this is mostly a rant, but I just seem to be doing a lot wrong and I can’t find where to learn how to be better, because even the YouTube How To videos aren’t clear enough for my thick (and always second guessing) skull.
I’m a solo casual player who needs some advice
@ghostofgameplay said in I’m a solo casual player who needs some advice:
Should I just never solo play? I worry about playing on an open crew and struggling to be a good crew mate because I doubt many people want to play with a handicap who doesn’t even like the PvP play.
You're not a handicap to the sea you're an adventurer with preferences and a variety of strengths waiting to be sharpened just like everyone else.
We can set up a time to sail together sometime if that interests you.
I know this is mostly a rant, but I just seem to be doing a lot wrong and I can’t find where to learn how to be better, because even the YouTube How To videos aren’t clear enough for my thick (and always second guessing) skull.
You're not doing anything wrong. This is just a thing to work through. You can message me anytime about strategy, tips, pve, accomplishing realistic goals that you set in the game. I'll respond as soon as I can.
There is a lot of advice to give, plenty of it would be helpful
but it's still overwhelming and just leaves you with more things to consider.
I don't see it being truly helpful in this case by piling on advice here or in game. I'll just offer some time, not to tell you how to do something or to teach you something just time to adventure.You don't have to be anything, there are no expectations, we can plan a time to go pick up some loot and sell some loot and you just be you, play, adventure, nothing to worry about. If we sink we sink.
Keep your head high pirate, you're gonna be alright. This struggle will pass.
It's awesome to have you here, take care of yourself, you're worth the investment.
My Dear Pirate , you are not bad , not bad at all... You try to play with your handswho aren't as fast as ours but do not even have one minute sadness about that... You are a fighter , i can tell by the story you've written and yes , you lose ships , just as we all do, there is nothing wrong with my hands , appart from some occasional shaking or trembling , but i think that i have lost more ships than you and i don't care ... The Beauty of the game and the chance of meeting real Gems of persons is the reason why i still play...
Now , you forgot to mention one big advantage of your ship , sloop , the turning angles , not one ship can turn as thight as a Sloop ... Combine your cannon fire with chain and cursed balls and brigs and certaintly Galleons will start to fear you... And if you are close to rocks or islands try to make tight angles and then drop a keg just around the corner , if a brig or galleon uses the sharpoon , then it runs straight on it... Sure they won't sink from one keg but the chaos you've started by that should be enough to gain some distance again...
And lastly , why do you not give yourself a chance to find a Pirate Friend , there are hundreds of Solo Players ho would love to sail with a sidekick...And believe me , i'm certain that when you focus on finding someone , you will find someone , maybe even one that show you some tips and tricks in a way that you close the gap or make it less gaping compared with people with fully functioning hands...
Do NOT give up on this game , try to make Friends , sail with an Alliance flag , tell your story in the game because ... There are STILL Pirates with their Heart on the right place and you will be amazed how much they will enlarge your quality of Adventures...
i bow to you and to the courage you sail with , and want ,once again , press it to your Heart that you are not bad ...i'm sailing ever since the first Alpha but that never translated to become a killer Pirate , and i have no hair on my head that cares about that... Just sail and try to reach out to others or keep sailing solo but set up traps , use your chainballs , firebombs , cursed balls... For me , Sloops are the most dangerous of all, they lack firepower but are hard to hit , even after all these years of practise...
i wish you fair winds , and lots of adventures , don't give up because you're Great , and if fed up with Solo , just Reach out , that Gem of a Personality that you wished for for years may be just there on that Horizon...
@ghostofgameplay I would suggest using the Looking For Group tool. It is better than using open crew. It gives you a chance to talk with interested players before you invite them to the crew. You can see if your play-style and goals are compatible. Or you can use it to join another crew. Many of us advertise ourselves as casual crews to deter the players searching for more aggressive gameplay. As far as your value to other crew members, that is independent of your ability to fight or your dexterity. Most players are just looking for others who are fun to play with.
I would also suggest trying to find a crew preferably with some semi-experienced people if possible at first, that can communicate. Discord lfc is quite decent to find people who want to do the same stuff you do (in your case pve). You can learn a lot that way, plus its easier to play in a crew.
Solo can be quite unforgiving, even if you are experienced.
You may already be doing this, but just to make sure, when sailing into the wind, you also need to set your sails fully foward to get the most speed. If you've watched videos you probably already know this, but your post didn't mention it, so I'll say it just in case.
There's also rowboats. They take much longer and you have to know the map pretty well, but they're great for staying out of sight. I've also had good luck with hiding myself and my loot on islands. If you have multiple treasures on one island, don't take them directly to your ship. Hide them nearby till you have them all, scan from your crow's nest, then load.
It won't work for everyone, but you'd be surprised how many times a crew has sunk my ship and sailed off without bothering to look around.
My last bit of advice is more mental. Like you, I dislike PvP. For me, it's an anxiety issue. It upsets me. Not in an angry way, just a build up of nervous energy that makes me jittery and uncomfortable. I got around this by making dying part of the game for me.
If I'm cornered and can't get away (or if I just don't feel like taking the time to run away), I try and do something funny or silly with the other crew. Sometimes I'll jump overboard and then spam the most nonsensical messages I can. Sometimes I'll shoot my pets at them. When they board, sometimes I'll see how long I can have them chase me around the deck, hopping and scurrying all over. Or I'll just meet them with a silly emote. The Fake Wound and stuff like the Target Hide ones are my favorites.
Basically, it's prioritizing the experience of the game as your reward for playing instead of gold or rep. And it sounds like you're pretty much there already, which is great. If you can find amusement from people attacking and killing you, then it all just becomes part of the game and you can enjoy it just as much.
But that's just my approach. It may not be for you, but there it is for what it's worth.
All the best. =)
I tend to agree with Ghoastpaw about looking for a group instead of open crew. If you let them know that you avoid PVP because you are not good at it, and they still join you or invite you to their group, there will be no expectations of you if it comes down to a battle. Do what you can and enjoy the experience. Anytime that I join a group, I always let them know that I suck at PVP, and that they won't get much out of me should the time come. Then if I am a little helpful (maybe doing repairs), I've pulled my weight. Most adventure or fishing crews that I have joined were looking for someone to help keep the conversation going anyway. And that can add just one more fun element to the game.
If you see my sloop, I will probably be waving. Good luck out there.@ghostofgameplay best advice I could give for solo players is keep an eye on your horizons and if you can’t out fight a crew out smart them
@mrat13 said in I’m a solo casual player who needs some advice:
I'm tempted to say we need a flag to point out disabled players so people can be nice to them, but sadly I know some players will only take that as an excuse to hurl abuse at that player (just like with the pride flag).
They are one of us. They are capable. Their worthiness for kindness comes from existence not struggle, just like every other crew that shares the seas in my view.
@ghostofgameplay I'd like to second the offer that Wolfmanbush made, happy to sail with you sometime. Fighting is a much more realistic venture with a couple of other players with you, plus I'd say me and Wolf could provide enough guile to help escape encounters where we're outmatched. Solo play is definitely tough. Feel free to toss me a PM and we can try to sort something out 😁
@ghostpaw I’ve had better crews on open crew than on the lfc, on the official discord people get very elitist about who they sail with and the discord mods are very touchy and tbh seem power mad. I think the twitch streamer community discord’s lfc’s are way better, phuzzybond’s especially is very welcoming and wholesome. But I’ve still never topped my best open crews, that’s why they’re now my regular crew. I know this is just my experience but I don’t think people should ever be discouraged from open crews, just because of some bad experiences with newer players that could’ve been guided to a better play style with not that much effort.
You might consider what day/time you play. I'm not sure how flexible your gaming schedule is, but I find the Sea is at it's most peaceful on weekdays during the day.
For example, if I'm looking for a peaceful sail, I try and play on Monday or Tuesday in the late morning/early afternoon. I've had plenty of voyages when I haven't spied even one other crew, though I assumed they were out there.
Again, playing during the week might not work for you due to work commitments etc, but yeah, give it a go if you can. :)@cpt-slashed said in I’m a solo casual player who needs some advice:
I’ve had better crews on open crew than on the lfc, on the official discord people get very elitist about who they sail with and the discord mods are very touchy and tbh seem power mad. I think the twitch streamer community discord’s lfc’s are way better, phuzzybond’s especially is very welcoming and wholesome. But I’ve still never topped my best open crews, that’s why they’re now my regular crew. I know this is just my experience but I don’t think people should ever be discouraged from open crews, just because of some bad experiences with newer players that could’ve been guided to a better play style with not that much effort.I agree that open crew is a great resource.
I've personally long avoided the official discord and lfg based on my own preferences. I would recommend trying it all so a person can figure out what fits them best.
Enough effort into open crew gets someone to the heart of the organic experience. Beyond the outside social influence, the social status that floats around the sea, there is an organic experience where nothing is contrived, it's not based on content it's just people livin' and playin'. It's raw, it's not always pretty but it's real and it's certainly worth trying out.
Some will do just fine in discords and lfg but I think open crew offers a tremendous amount of opportunity as well.
That's where I go when I feel like being around people on the sea, that's not gonna change as long as it exists. It's an interesting experience, often rewarding with a patient and positive approach to randomness and difficulty.
@ghostofgameplay said in I’m a solo casual player who needs some advice:
I can’t seem to figure out exactly what I’m doing wrong. Is it just luck? Is it that I’m just bad? It feels like I know what I should be doing, but when I try it myself it just doesn’t work out. It just sucks to see a ship giving chase or firing at me and knowing that it’s game over. I know I shouldn’t let my inabilities get the best of me, but factually, someone who has the full use of both their hands has an absolute advantage over me. How do you run away correctly? If someone just refuses to stop chasing you, how do you get away? I had heard sloops were the fastest ship against the wind, but I don’t know exactly what that even means I guess? I just sail so that the flag is going directly back from the mast (as best I can). Should I just never solo play?
Solo-slooping is definitely possible and worth it. Some of my advice on solo-slooping:
-always make sure all your lights are off
-use as dark skins on your ship as possible (nothing glowing)
-stick to the Shores of Plenty (kind of the newb area) or the Devil's Reach (almost no one goes there)
-always check the skies when you stop and before you head out (and AT LEAST once a minute when you are on a large island alone)
-never stay motionless for long enough for someone to rowboat over from the next island
-keep a good stock on blunder bombs, and use them to knock enemies off your ladders before they get on
-make sure you are always full up on meat and health regen (keep the bar full)
-keep a keg or two on hand (but look out for storms), if someone gets close enough to use your kegs against you, you were already beaten anyway, but if you get a lead on them, kegs make excellent guided mines, just set your ship sailing straight, and jump off backwards with the keg towards the enemy, try to let it go just before their bow hits it, if you die just mermaid back to your ship and repeat
-same thing works with firebombs against newbs, experience crews will ignore it, but green crews will panic and stop pursuit when set on fire
-you can also use a cannon rowie in the same way with mystic balls, set sailing straight, drop off the back with the cannon rowie and aim your anchor ball or what have you right down their throatSloops should be the fastest into the wind, I've never had a ship catch up to me directly that way, however, you can't run forever, and you always have to turn somewhat to avoid rocks, storms, when the wind changes etc... better crewed or more manuverable ships can always take advantage of this to whittle down the distance over time.
This is why once you are sailing straight into the wind, you have to use some of the above strategies to stop or slow your enemy down. Once they get too far behind, they all give up. Good strategy (blunderbombs & guided kegs etc...) and logistics (managing your meat supply, keeping regen up etc...) can make up a LOT for any tactical deficiencies.
As for physical input issues: SoT has a lot of accessibility features like:
-reduce hold to interact/use
-camera auto centering
-auto-float in water
-toggle/sticky radial menus
-radial menu keyboard shortcuts
-menu mouse recenter
-etc...Proper configuration can reduce the amount of physical actions you need to take in order to execute game commands.
I've also got carpal-tunnel repetitive stress injury in my mouse hand (20+yrs of software dev will do that) and what I've found is that foot pedals can help immensely, it's quite easy to learn how to use your feet for extra input bandwidth, and USB pedals are pretty cheap.
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