Sea of Thieves is a game where anyone can play any way they please… provided they can actually pull it off. Certain things are easier to do than others. People tend to do these things, not necessarily because they enjoy doing it, but because it is the path of least resistance (and more success). This is how metas develop. I was just thinking of running some stuff by you guys and seeing if you like my ideas. The goal is to add variety to the kind of ways people PvP and steal in SoT.
Stealing
Okay, starting with stealing. After spending nearly 4K hours in SoT, I’ve come to realize that stealing is more of an armed robbery kind of style, rather than the sneaky heist kind of style. Sure, stealth styles do EXIST, but they are UNCOMMON and NON-PRACTICAL. Meaning, stealth might be fun the first time or so (done for giggles), but by no means will it be a popular method to go about stealing. So how about we popularize it?
Mermaid Whistles
- Summons a smokeless mermaid (only for other players, you can still see smoke) after being in water for at least 15 seconds.
- Is an item you can pull out from the equipment radial (like a fishing rod).
- Mermaids will never appear anymore, unless this item is utilized.
The idea is to make stealth more practical and effective and also make wait times for mermaids a constant and predictable outcome. Stealth becomes more lethal in the method arsenal and mermaid hell is gone for good.
Loot Bag
- Carries 10? 20? 30? pieces of treasure.
- If player is killed, all collected loot scatters (similar to how ashen bosses drop their loot after death).
- If player opens the bag, all collected loot scatters.
- Also an item found and equipped through the equipment radial.
The goal is to make stealth-based heists just as profitable as smash & grab-based heist. Both methods currently exist, but smash & grab is by far much more prominent (because it just makes more sense to do).
Smash & Grab Method
- Upon succeeding, you steal the entire haul.
- You usually have reliable transport.
- Mermaid presence does not matter (just because you can see an armed robber, does not mean they won’t armed-rob you).
- Upon death, recovery of the attempt is more likely.
Stealth Heist Method
- Upon success you steal 1 item (that’s no heist, it’s petty shoplifting of a candy bar at best).
- Olympic-level swimming is necessary to cross to ocean with your 1 piece of treasure.
- If they spot your mermaid, you might as well classify it as a Smash & Grab attempt, with added handicaps.
- Dying is a pretty big setback (chances at recovering the steal attempt are basically paralyzed and just not even worth it).
PvP Interaction
Probably going to get controversial from here. Anyways, whether we admit it or not, the majority of combat in SoT is naval-based. Sure, close-quarters combat is used to finish the job or sprinkled in here or there, but by no means is it a practical way to sink a ship. I was just thinking we change that by adding some mechanics or tools?
Boarding Hook
- It would replace the cutlass and take up a weapon slot? Or maybe add it in as an equipment?
- Can climb sides of ships with this.
- Maybe can pry planks off holes (definitely should take just as long, if not longer, than the time to patch a hole).
Zipline
- Maybe shot from the harpoon of a boat?
- Maybe shot using some mechanism?
- Allows players to zip over to enemy ship if attached.
- Can be severed by guns or sword, causing players to fall into water.
- Zip attempts would vary based on distance, wind speed, ship speed, angle of attachment, and other factors?
- Only flintlock can be utilized during zip?
Ropes
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Allow pirates to swing over to other boats.
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Some method of attachment?
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Some method of prevention?
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Players cannot use weapons while swinging, but can use them after releasing hands off rope (sending them flying).
Keg Straps
- Allow players to carry kegs on their back at the cost of a little movement speed.
- Add it as an equipment item?
- Can be combined with other boarding methods (more ways to get kegs on other peoples’ boats and incentivize people to carry kegs on their own boat).
The idea is to make close-quarter combat just as effective and practical as naval combat. Also adding more variety is always nice. Personally, I suck at close-quarters compared to my naval abilities. This would most definitely go against the way I play, but I feel it might be exciting and I’d be willing to adapt. Maybe close-quarter and naval aren’t even the only way we have to battle? Perhaps other ways to kill one other could be suggested.
Some of these ideas probably have been suggested and debated, but let me know what you think. Anyways, thanks for reading.
