While it's always fun having an island to run/crash into and never a dull moment if you know what you want to do, it would be cool to have a true cross-world sailing simulation on an endless procedurally-generated ocean outside the Sea of Thieves, featuring most of everything the Sea Of Thieves can spawn!
But this game mode world should be BORING. VERY BORING. You must find ways to pass the time and have fun with your fellow crewmates, just like how a journey across the world in a boat used to be. Check your map table and compasses however, so that you don't sail past any nearby points of interest, as any procedural generation whatsoever will be rare but made up for in entertainment and rewards. Having so much downtime and adjustment to how you spend it makes the rare random encounters on the seas much more frightening and/or exciting.
Be careful though! You may encounter other player ships on the horizon, and once you sink, your ship is gone and will not respawn nearby. You may have to restart the game mode over again. So you best make sure you have a rowboat for your loot and supplies, or hope the enemy crew is merciful and will take you aboard as a swabbie.
Terrain-based encounters (decent navigation required):
-Shipwreck graveyards like during the Maiden Voyage mission
-Natural or artificial port islands that can be either open & friendly, or fortressed off & hostile. Navigate through their canals, caves and such for loot and trading opportunities, or to switch emissaries.
-Magical ruins with magical creatures
-Medium or small misc. island generation, could have something like lone houses or taverns on a tiny island.
-NO random rocks everywhere!
Weather-based encounters:
-Rain/thunder storm with or without the heavy wind
-Heavy wind by itself
-Fog
-Ghostly fog with spooky singing
-Snow/blizzards
-Earthquakes
PVE-based water encounters:
-Skeleton ships
-Kraken
-Megalodon
-Sirens
-Ghost ships
-Hydra?
-Dragon?
PVE-based land encounters:
-Ghosts
-Skeletons
-Ocean crawlers
-Gorgons?
-Elemental creatures?
One of the things that inspired this idea for me is the Maiden Voyage mission, where you navigate your ship through a misty graveyard of other ships and spiked rocks, as a skeleton ship attacks you before it gets pulled under by a Kraken.
Another thing is the concept of Sea Of The Damned, which is supposed to shift and change to create entire realities for those trapped in it. So this game mode could take place on that endless sea between worlds, just not always dark & spooky but also having the same day & night cycle.
Let me know what you guys think!
