~For context
I got my 240 wins in less than a month of arena being released. I got the next 360 wins Before cross play optional. I got my + this weekend* (probably about 40 wins: Xbox & mixed servers, galleons & sloops) I lfg'd a lot and I played with Xbox & PC players. I'm disabled so I play a lot.
LOBBIES & MATCHMAKING (1)
The last arena update broke matchmaking; plain and simple. No one should be waiting 45 minutes to get into a 24 minute game. (Avg. Wait time was 25m with having my crew split into two lobbies to join whichever started first, if we didn't do this the avg. time would've been higher)
~ I understand people abused the old matchmaking to get cannon kills.
~Them getting cannon kills does not negatively affect my experience on your game... But INSANE lobby wait times does.
~Arena will die again after the event because ever since you changed matchmaking the lobby wait times have been 1 hour to 1 game (if it ever starts at all) during non events. Most people give up and leave before lobbies can get to 5 teams.
THINGS THAT COULD HELP (1)
~Fill.
Fill up (one or two) lobbies at a time so the games will actually start instead of just throwing crews into random lobbies (via testing there's often many lobbies with 3-4 crews not starting because they're never filled before people get bored and leave.)
~ ALLOW GAMES TO START WITH 4 CREWS after 10m wait.
~Automatically re-queue solo open crews.
So they stop preventing lobbies from starting. If you can't launch a boat without 3 people why do entire lobbies have to wait 30m for the open crew to fill. (or until the solo open crew is afk kicked)
~Gold & Rep
Need boosted permanently not just during events.
XBOX SERVERS (2)
This was the first time my main crew (xbox) has actually felt like we were playing a fair game. We actually got to be aggressive, we actually got to feel like we were good at the game, and we got GG's instead of hate mail. It felt like how arena was always supposed to be played. This is the first time I've seen the Xbox servers actually running.
IS SOT KILLING XBOX ONLY ON PURPOSE? (2)
~They delayed it a lot and only barely mentioned it on their channel
~It has to be manually set (and isn't a known setting)
~If you search Xbox only you often have to search several times to actually get into the Xbox server (tested with multiple crews; aka it randomly decides to deny you even when the servers for it are running and need crews)
~There's not enough people with the setting so instead of asking Xbox crews "hey would you like to join the Xbox server" it just keeps sending them to mixed lobbies where they give up on arena.
~^due to above mentioned, the Xbox player lobbies have only ever run (somewhat) during this event and will disappear again after.
~Some streamers incorrectly thought servers would die without Xbox players and threatened to quit the game so it was pushed under the rug after that.
This is a legit question because I don't think they want feedback or to fix this. I think it was set up to fail and be removed.
XBOX vs PC (3) We need Xbox servers
If you still think there isn't a difference you're delusional. If you love this game and think alienating part of the player base will help it you're wrong. If you think that servers will not have enough players if there's Xbox only servers you're stupid.
If you want the game to stay alive and be loved. If you want to have a brain. If you want to see more full servers(overall). Then you should support Xbox only servers.
You don't want Xbox players to quit arena/the game if you care about this game so it SHOULD have designs within the game that support its average player. The try-hards do not keep this game alive, the casuals do.
NOW THAT WE GOT THAT OUT OF THE WAY; MY EXPERIENCES (3)
~Load times.
This is the #1 reason I lose arena games. Try to mermaid in arena, or load into a new boat. It's MINUTES of a difference on average. There's not a lot of minutes to spare in arena. (SSD does help, but most of your players are normal Xbox players) I can't send people to get anchors, fight, swim a chest, etc due to fear of them being out of play for 1-3 minutes of load screen if they fail. I have to call my crew back early to do anything (losing time from digging, etc) and they're often too late due to how drastic the load times can be (leading to sinking, losing a chest, etc).
~Load times are also massively different in adventure when leaving the ferry of the dammed.
~Aiming.
There's a reason you don't see any* Xbox players running double guns. This is a problem across all cross platform games. Not SoT fault, but shouldn't be ignored.
~Turning speed.
This affects pvp more than people realize; it's the #1 reason I see Xbox players unable to kill PC players. (Remember average Xbox player doesn't run 10 sensitivity/also no one on controller can play like that) Mice allow players to turn around instantly allowing: fancy sword moves Xbox players can't avoid, blocking, attacking in ways Xbox players can't block, and the ability to always escape. A simple run behind and turn around is enough to best most Xbox players before they can finish turning. It's hard to explain just how much this affects combat unless you actually have weeks of experience or sit down and test it. Which I recommend all try-hard PC players that think they don't have an advantage to test this; you aren't as godly as you think when you kill an Xbox player.
~Lag?.
Xbox players get what we call.. stun locked, easily by swords. It never happens to PC players. If you hit a PC player 3 times they keep running because you're delayed, if you hit an Xbox player 3 times they're locked, they're dead. The "moment of doing nothing" after a missed sword lunge also doesn't seem to stop PC players from moving around freely where Xbox players just freeze. Hits register better with guns on PC. This isn't SoT's fault, but it shouldn't be ignored.
~LFG.
If there wasn't such a huge advantage why is so much of lfg PC only and leaving if there's more than one Xbox player in the crew.
~In general the ability to do what Xbox players can't.
We can't ladder glitch, we can't shoot while climbing, we can't pre aim our shots (many PC players run with a dot in the middle of their screen), we can't hotkey everything, we can't block (turn speed), we can't one shot snipe people (or double gun so fast it sounds like one shot where you don't aim down sights?), we can't run around the boat and never get stunned, we can't exploit glitches or hack(which yes people do get banned for, but a lot more don't get caught, sadly). Many Xbox players are of the mindset they've already lost if a PC player gets on their boat, and many times that is also true. It's not fun to play like that; it makes people quit.
~Even as a try-hard.
I struggle and often need a teammate to beat a good PC player due to the advantages they have. It's very obvious when you're fighting Xbox vs PC. I got my wins by watching ladders(tho many PC players still glitched up it), ship combat and outplaying the other crews. Never, in all my wins, did I win because of hand/gun combat it's not something I can get better at, it just isn't something Xbox players can beat them at. I know many PC wins come from hand/gun combat, and I also know PC players find it easy to wipe (spawn camp) most Xbox crews. I promise you not all PC players are good/all Xbox players are bad it truly is just easy because of their advantages. One of the main reasons players quit a game is because they feel helpless. Casual (and sometimes all) Xbox players are helpless against PC players. It's not good for anyone. Their easy wins, sinks, etc are destroying the game they want to play.
~Final note
I love this game, I want it to thrive for a long time. Fixing wait time/lobbies is obvious, but you all need to remember supporting Xbox players is a good thing. Casual players (mostly Xbox via game pass) are what make games like this stay around for many updates to come.
We all want to see this game stay alive, active, fun. Please listen to Xbox players, please help us get our own servers running, please fix matchmaking for arena, please realize easy victories make Xbox players quit the game forever.
-From a pirate who knows the declining playerbase should be something we are ALL working to fix because I've seen too many games die.