Sea of Thieves fans are setting their own rules in the pirate sandbox - Which rules have you used successfully?

  • KattTruewalker
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder
    Deckhand
    Cass Marshall  /  Apr 25, 2018  /  Opinion

    Sea of Thieves fans are setting their own rules in the pirate sandbox

    Sea of Thieves fans are setting their own rules in the pirate sandbox

    Players are creating their own systems of communication while navigating the high seas

    PARLEY!
    Ship captains have the perfect word for opening negotiations: “Parley!” When a galleon is bearing down on an opponent, the captain of the weaker vessel will occasionally call for parley.

    CODEMAKERS AND CODEBREAKERS
    Galleons are the lords of the sea, peacocking around with their eight cannons, three sails and multi-layered hulls.

    Indeed, sloops have few options if a galleon decides to take it out. Which is why sloop captains around the sea have decided that enough is enough, and are teaming up.

    FORGING YOUR OWN PIRATE LEGEND
    One of the biggest emergent gameplay patterns showing up in Sea of Thieves comes from the desire for players to cement their reputations as legendary pirates. While the “pirate legend” unlock is an actual, material goal with gameplay advancement connected to it, many persistent players are less interested in the in-game title and more interested in proving themselves to other players.

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  • ChosenSilver716
    Marauder
    Insider

    @katttruewalker successfully.... None of the above lol

  • Gloog
    Master
    Founder

    I use the standard lantern, my buddy uses the OoS latern. We rapidly turn them on and off looking like the sea police, attempting to pull over other sloops. Only merchants are freely allowed on these seas ! :p

    We've managed to check a few ships lol.

    We've managed to team up with sloops to take on galleons at skull forts. Feels so good. Even midbattle with a sloop, a skull fort popped and I told them a galleon was going to it. We still set aside our differences to team up.

  • Irish9399
    Marauder
    Insider

    Parley? To the depths with whatever muttonhead thought up 'parley'!

    But in seriousness, I've tried a couple of different "friendly" ship signals, the success is about 50/50. Cannons point up, ring the bell when entering and leaving an outpost, leave lanterns on at night, flash lanterns to signal other ships, call out "parley", generally be friendly... Problem is there's no way of knowing if those signs are legit in the first place, or if they were just thought up to sort the gullible suckers from the predacious pirates. Honor codes are fickle mistresses in this game.

  • TouchDown1504
    Castaway
    Insider
    Founder

    @drzoidberg-xxx said in Sea of Thieves fans are setting their own rules in the pirate sandbox - Which rules have you used successfully?:

    @katttruewalker successfully.... None of the above lol

    I second this. I have a couple rules of my own, they may not be popular but whatever...

    I work the map edge, no one wants to chase a ship that close to the red sea. I off load as often as possible. I never fire first! I always try to wave, or play music. My final rule...if I can't have my loot, neither can you!

  • Rdizz
    Ship Mate
    Founder

    I mean not to be debbie downer here... but the chances of running into the same player twice are well slim to none. So I can only be a legend in that game session and that's if they even remember my name. As far as the code same applies. I'm on board here dont get me wrong and I do have a sloop code if you will. But unfortunately due to the way servers are handled I may be the only one with said sloop code.

    But with that said.

    If rare came out publicly with their own codes a suggestion and advertised this we would have a better chance at this becoming a reality. Just need it to reach a wider audience. There also needs to be a "PARLEY" emote added to the game.

    And I'm not talking about the play nice code in the tavern that no one reads.

  • MacDoland
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    Aw, definitely as a sloop captain, always help that sloop in distress from a chasing galleon. That's the sloop code!

    Complications arise upon discovering that said sloop is carrying a lot of treasure.

  • BLOODFRENZY187
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    I quit trying to interact with people. It's not worth the headache of being killed repeatedly and sunk for waving or playing an instrument.

  • Gloog
    Master
    Founder

    @rdizz you didn't share your code!

  • A Cranky Eskimo
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    @rdizz I was really hoping servers would be handled like an mmo aswell. Or maybe like Runescape servers so that people can have larger fleets that tend to stay on the same servers or something. Maybe in 10 years For SoT 2 i suppose :(

    The police lights are funny, and you can do it solo if you just stand by the front lantern and have it off but your OoS lantern on, and just click the buttons simultaneously. They rarely work from my limited experience though.

    Waving, flashing lanterns and playing music work well enough, but voice chat is the only almost sure way of getting atleast a small pause of peace before they kill you anyways lol, but has a higher chance of actually turning into a parley than anything else. Sometimes it helps to actually start fighting and show that you would probably sink the crew and they will be a bit more willing to accept a parley rather than keep fighting. Though when I say this I mean ship combat not player kills, at that point they likely won’t trust you.

  • Rdizz
    Ship Mate
    Founder

    @gloog said in Sea of Thieves fans are setting their own rules in the pirate sandbox - Which rules have you used successfully?:

    @rdizz you didn't share your code!

    I've tried but I'm just one pirate in a vast sea full of thieves.

  • Rdizz
    Ship Mate
    Founder

    @a-cranky-eskimo said in Sea of Thieves fans are setting their own rules in the pirate sandbox - Which rules have you used successfully?:

    @rdizz I was really hoping servers would be handled like an mmo aswell. Or maybe like Runescape servers so that people can have larger fleets that tend to stay on the same servers or something. Maybe in 10 years For SoT 2 i suppose :(

    The police lights are funny, and you can do it solo if you just stand by the front lantern and have it off but your OoS lantern on, and just click the buttons simultaneously. They rarely work from my limited experience though.

    Waving, flashing lanterns and playing music work well enough, but voice chat is the only almost sure way of getting atleast a small pause of peace before they kill you anyways lol, but has a higher chance of actually turning into a parley than anything else. Sometimes it helps to actually start fighting and show that you would probably sink the crew and they will be a bit more willing to accept a parley rather than keep fighting. Though when I say this I mean ship combat not player kills, at that point they likely won’t trust you.

    I was wishing for an eve like sever and a progressive one. I'm not a fan of how every game is a new session at all. But it is what it is and that will mostl likely never change. It's also the reason alot of people compare sot to a battleroyal your reputation holds no weight. You can grief an entire server within the rules and be a complete jerk if you so choose with 0 consequences. Just log into a new session.

  • Thewolfman321
    Captain
    Founder

    @katttruewalker only success I've had was frantically screaming " BE CHILL!!! BE CHILL!!!" in game chat at the sloop attacking us yesterday xD

  • A Cranky Eskimo
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    @rdizz yeah I’m not a huge fan of how the game is session based either, but I agree that it likely won’t change, that’s why in the alpha stages advocated for more modes, if the game is to be matchmade and session based with the small population we have, and the underwhelming cosmetic progression and lack of much meaning to the content that does exist in the open world beyond the pvp threat, I don’t see why they don’t have multiple game modes to choose from, with different settings to things and different rules etc, this would maximize the use of the few weapons and items we do have, the cosmetics aren’t such worthwhile progression to most people that earning the gold in different ways would be fine, and would set them up for a good MTX market where the gameplay is the focus and the cosmetics are an afterthought for fun. As is I’m constantly wondering where they are going to take the game, and why they didn’t hire like 200 more people and give the amazing concept the treatment it deserves, and the amount of content and sandbox elements it deserves Though I don’t know the logistics on how possible that could have even been.

    Hopefully a lot more things like exploding barrels and other physics based sandbox items will be added that give us even more possibilities, hopefully there will be trading companies with more freeform sandbox gameplay or the old ones enhanced, they have the crates of tea and spices and silks and sugars, why not let us harvest and craft these, and be able to sell them for profit to npc regardless of a voyage buffing the value. They need to get past the “fair playing ground” in some areas such as cosmetic prices, and I think should do the same with the session based aspect in mind. Everyone should have the same weapons etc, but if I play in a session for 5 hours and you just join, I already could have an “advantage” from the cannonball crate or full supplies, why not add in more random things like this that can be considered an upgrade or sidegrade, but dosnt change the fairness in the sense of everyone having the same ability to obtain these each session and they will be designed to have situational advantages/disadvantages and not be OP.

    Now I’m just rambling but I think I had a few good ideas in there. Hopefully rare has their own and many more and they read all of our ramblings and decipher them for their use lol.

  • Captain Arcanic
    Master
    Insider

    I second the need for a "Parley" Emote.

  • Sytoki
    Marauder
    Insider

    These player rules are more what you call...guidelines and vary from person to person so nope no parleys or any of that jazz for my crew.

  • Entinome
    Lord
    Insider
    Boatswain
    Founder

    @KattTruewalker
    Long post! Sorry.. I know.. I have a problem...

    Anyway, usually I flicker the lanterns before I come upon a ship if my intentions are peaceful. While there have been successfull moments, such as when I had a meeting with some friendly faces from the forums where we just waved at eachother before we went our seperate ways.

    But, just now, I had a different experience. We saw a galleon in the distance and we employed the lantern tactic. The ship immediately opened fire, we circled them, stayed out of range and got boarded and killed a few times. Got rammed into an island, but managed not to sink.

    We then returned fire, made some holes, one of us boarded to defend the holes, and they sank. Then they called us cheaters, and proceeded to tell us that they had all reported my friend and I for cheating.

    I tried telling them we came in peace, but they were having none of it. So, while there are definitely great stories that can occur whilst employing your own rules. The opposite is also true. But that's what makes this game fun, not knowing how others will react to your "rules".

    Just unfortunate that they felt like we were cheating :/

    I also try to employ the rule of not shooting first, as this opens up an avenue of interesting interactions. Like alliances, or competitions, races, fleets, and much more.

    Sure, you might get backstabbed. But thats why we're pirates right ? I've sailed with friends who share the mentality, and there have been a few instances where we managed to turn a hostile ship into a friendly one by not shooting first.

    Those two "rules" usually go hand in hand when I play. I can recommend them, it has opened up interesting avenues on occasion.

  • Arch Fable

    Doing my own legend. I wish there was more activities and ways to actually get the title though.

    I would be interested utilising parley and contracts as coded features. Especially when parley could lead into different outcomes based on situations. Contracting crews under convoys would be interesting too, in a suitable size of course.

  • oo NoKk oo
    Master
    Founder

    ive took to offering people the chance to drop animal crates of their ship and ill let them go, im nearly 50 on everything but animals so if they let me take the animals i dont mind about the other stuff..

    but so far only about 2/10 auctually do, even with my police siren soundboard lol

  • CAPNSWAYZJONES
    Seafarer
    Insider

    I've Co beat a fort with both 2 crews and 3. I've sailed around on a 8 man super galleon. Drunk many pints of grog with other crews at the tavern. Managed to turn in loot at the same outpost as another sloop and walk right by each other with loot. L**o we even exchanged supplies. They needed more planks we needed bananas. Honestly. If your in a sloop. You can usually be friendly with other sloops pretty easy.

  • NWO Azcrack
    Master

    @gloog
    Just imaging you trying to pull someone over is like the cops is hilarious. My sides hurt

  • Crimson Cass
    Commander
    Insider
    Founder

    On my ship we follow a few rules:

    • Don't attack docked ships at outposts
    • Don't attack sloops
    • The less valuable item of the haul is left at the outpost when we deliver the loot. (We usually leave it in the Tavern)

    We also try to not shoot first, but that depends on the other ship attitude against us.
    First 2 rules are broken if we get attacked.

  • FuzzyPyrate
    Master
    Insider

    @katttruewalker said in [Sea of Thieves fans are setting their own rules in the pirate sandbox - Which rules have you used successfully?

    CODEMAKERS AND CODEBREAKERS
    Galleons are the lords of the sea, peacocking around with their eight cannons, three sails and multi-layered hulls.

    Indeed, sloops have few options if a galleon decides to take it out. Which is why sloop captains around the sea have decided that enough is enough, and are teaming up.

    Yep....I have teamed up with another sloop in the past to take down a galleon. I was solo, the other was a dual crew. We succeeded.

    Sent that galleon down to the the kraken's lair, we did....Aye.

  • mintprizma
    Ship Mate

    @gloog said in Sea of Thieves fans are setting their own rules in the pirate sandbox - Which rules have you used successfully?:

    I use the standard lantern, my buddy uses the OoS latern. We rapidly turn them on and off looking like the sea police, attempting to pull over other sloops. Only merchants are freely allowed on these seas ! :p

    We've managed to check a few ships lol.

    We've managed to team up with sloops to take on galleons at skull forts. Feels so good. Even midbattle with a sloop, a skull fort popped and I told them a galleon was going to it. We still set aside our differences to team up.

    HAHAHAHA my team does the police lanterns on the front of the ship too!!!!

  • Sorenthaz
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    None. This game has no reason for people to cooperate unless they decide to.

  • MrBrocksEgo
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    @katttruewalker The only thing I've had actually work is pulling out my Grog and sipping it a bit to indicate friendliness. Only works once your really close so its kinda risky

  • WilliamHerschel
    Castaway
    Insider
    Founder

    @katttruewalker

    I really enjoy teaming up with other sloops to fight Galleons. It's very satisfying.

  • KyahStar
    Master
    Insider

    Just feel I need to quote Captain Barbossa here

    "The code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules."

  • CaptMorgan8469
    Marauder
    Founder

    If they ain't on the cannons we don't usually shoot. Same with any other friendly behaviour, like instruments or waving. Though we're still careful, if they touch ladders without using mic or typing then we shoot them and then sink their ship. Also, outposts are somewhat treated like safe zones for our crew. Exception is if we're chasing a crew to an outpost and they start selling their stuff, then it's all a o kay ;)

  • Navarita
    Ship Mate

    @katttruewalker l**o really cute that they think this actually happens on the sea. They should check the kind of posts and comments that make it to the top in the SoT subreddit to get a taste of most pirates' mindset.

  • Captain Fob4141
    Commander
    Insider

    @katttruewalker said in Sea of Thieves fans are setting their own rules in the pirate sandbox - Which rules have you used successfully?:

    Cass Marshall  /  Apr 25, 2018  /  Opinion

    Sea of Thieves fans are setting their own rules in the pirate sandbox

    Sea of Thieves fans are setting their own rules in the pirate sandbox

    Players are creating their own systems of communication while navigating the high seas

    PARLEY!
    Ship captains have the perfect word for opening negotiations: “Parley!” When a galleon is bearing down on an opponent, the captain of the weaker vessel will occasionally call for parley.

    CODEMAKERS AND CODEBREAKERS
    Galleons are the lords of the sea, peacocking around with their eight cannons, three sails and multi-layered hulls.

    Indeed, sloops have few options if a galleon decides to take it out. Which is why sloop captains around the sea have decided that enough is enough, and are teaming up.

    FORGING YOUR OWN PIRATE LEGEND
    One of the biggest emergent gameplay patterns showing up in Sea of Thieves comes from the desire for players to cement their reputations as legendary pirates. While the “pirate legend” unlock is an actual, material goal with gameplay advancement connected to it, many persistent players are less interested in the in-game title and more interested in proving themselves to other players.

    Yar, one day I know someone will actually call for a parley and the day that happens is the day i drop my sword and listen. Until then... in a Galleon every one is a target. Unless the sloop shoots first though i offer to liberate half their treasure and resources. In a solo sloop, I am a mercinary for hire and will defend you or help complete a voyage for a fee. In a duo sloop I hunt galleons and sloops alike always prefering to steal than sink and teaming only in the face of multiple galleons (or if a new player needs help)

    My favorite part of the game is that being a pirate is like a box of chocolates.... you never know what youll get.

  • RobRoyTheRed
    Master

    I spared some guy who had both his cannons up

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