Never posted on here, so forgive me if my style is a bit off.
Nonetheless, I've been meaning to make this post for a bit, and after the game bugging out and freezing me in place, causing my ship to crash and sink while I was helpless to do anything about it, I think it's time I spoke my mind on the state of affairs and make a suggestion on how to change the direction of the game, even though I'm like 99% certain it will go nowhere with the devs and be heavily contested by the community.
(Also, this is not my main account. Security issues with Microsoft prevented me from using that one)
So, based on everything witnessed as of late from the numerical stats on player count and the comment section of anything the dev team posts on Youtube, the game is in bad shape, and imo it seems to be only getting worse. I've been playing this game for a few years now and despite my relationship with it being downright toxic (in that it frustrates me immensely, but I still keep coming back), I can't help but go back to something I see a lot of potential in and love a lot for the community encounters I've had and the possibilites for all the things this game can be with what we have now. However, none of it is going to keep this game afloat on it's own, I'm convinced, so lend me your ear for a minute.
The issues in the game, to me, seem to be
-1. People leaving the game due to frustration, boredum, confusion or all of the above
-2. Lack of content, either due to Rare not knowing where to go or possibly just not being able to interact with the community in a meaningful and open way
-3. Fixations on fomo events
-4. Fixations and making Sea of Thieves a sport more than a game as a way of getting people to buy it
-5. Bugs, SO many bugs (everyone is aware, ik)
What I want to propose is a risky but perhaps necessary change of direction to perhaps bring this game to a new high in popularity and retain much of the community of new players using a method many would likely see as nonsensical in the context of the game.
The nonsensical idea in question; double down on the infamous byword "Sea of Friends"
Before you grab your torches, give this an honest read.
I'm NOT proposing getting rid of PVP, it is a part of the game even if everyone doesn't like it
I'm NOT proposing threshing through the playerbase and redbearding everyone who does any little bothersome thing
And I'm NOT proposing that we change the game at it's roots.
What I am proposing is an alternative option to (pardon my hope that Rare will even listen) give a better idea of what the community wants an where focus should be emphasized in the game by the implementation of a seperate gamemode alongside High Seas and Safer Seas (albeit, this could possibly replace Safer Seas). This gamemode would be the idea of a sandbox some might think Sea of Thieves is when they hear about it. Imagine High Seas, but PVP is traded for increased PVE difficulty that is turned up so high, it actually demands teamwork and cooperation in order to make real progress. At first, it would be rough around the edges, sure, but expansion in this case would depend upon reception, that if the communtiy speaks it's wishes by making this gamemode substantially popular compared to High Seas, that would make it's own incentive for it be expanded upon by the devs.
Now, I feel I should stop and explain a bit where this is all coming from. From the stats of this game (to the best of my understanding based on other sources), a lot of the playerbase in Sea of Thieves peels off in the beginning with roughly 80% of players quitting after 2 weeks and never touching it again, and of the 20% that stay, 80% of them are mainly PVErs. Granted, by playing the game, you do sign the implicit contract of "If I sail the sea, be ready for PVP", but if this is alienating the majority of people who just want another option that adds challenge instead of compromise and incentivizes companionship over solitude, it may be worth trying to get this game the numbers it needs to usher in a new golden age and keep it above water. Moreover, Rare seems to have a major fixation with relying on streamers to draw people into this game for all the legitimately skillful stuff they can do, only to realize how much dedication it takes to build those skills and the frustration you will go through just to still be at risk of losing to PVP anyway. After all, there is ALWAYS a better crew. In short, no disrespect to any streamers, but we can't rely on this anymore as the main way of bringing new players in because it just isn't working for retention, obviously. Moreover, it seems to be damaging the reputation of this game in that people don't know what they're getting into and likely can't get what they wanted from this game in the first place. We need a game that speaks for itself, not a community that glorifies it or celebrities that make it look cool, we need substance, and I don't think anything is going to get the crowd we need if they don't have the motivation to keep going with a game they quickly realize is in as bad of a state as it is. A lot of the inspiration is drawn from games that ARE sandboxes and have strong communities based on the game itself and what it offers (ex. No Man's Sky).
How would it go?
Start simple with small changes. Make skeletons take 6-9 hits instead of 3. Give Skeleton ships chainshots and make holes take slightly longer to patch. In other words, you don't want crewmates, you NEED crewmates. Beyond the simple changes, if the gamemode speaks for itself, then add things that expand the sandbox, from old ideas like skele-brigs and perhaps new movesets for bosses based on the stage of the fight, to new ideas like, what I'm calling, Interceptors, which would be the remedy to having Athenas and Reapers in a PVE mode. Imagine bot-brigs that surface like skele-ships when you fly a PVP emissary or have enough of their loot on your ship. Each interceptor carries the theme of the opposing faction (Reaper pjs skeleton crews and Ghost crews with red/green flaming hulls and sails) that are super aggresive and block you from selling until they're sunk. I know it's a lot, but that's why it takes time, and the community response could get us out of the fomo phase of the sandbox needing to be limited as an incentive, to a chance to put this game back on top for all it has to offer when the world and mechanics have been properly worked on and expanded (while keeping simplicity in areas where due).
I love this game and I want to keep playing it, but if we want it to get back out of this state, we need content. If we want content, we need a strong community to signal the financial incentive for Microsoft or whoever to give this game more resources and, if need be, expand the dev team and work on the game from it's basic to the complex issues and get the desperate help they need with their PR at least. I know this is putting a LOT of faith in Rare that I'm not sure anyone in the community has at this point, but what can we do accept try if we want our beloved game to thrive? If this all is going to happen, we need new ideas and perhaps an educated risk taken. After Bilge Rats weekend being the only good thing of this act and lasting one weekend, only one day of which I got to play and the thing I described at the beginning happening, I need to take a break and play something else, but I wanted to post this and see if it holds any water.
Thanks for attending my TED talk, let me know your thoughts. I expect many verbal fires started in the replies.
