Hi to all!
I know that you are having troubles with bugs and errors. I think that your game is pretty new and probably you have the time over you since months!
So I think it is normal in that kind of development, a development that is on the client side. I mean, I have the idea on my mind that the game wants to evolve more and more by the player feedbacks.
It means that every little development have a really impact cost on your developers crew! Because it have to be good for the majority of users and sometimes the program could change cause of feedbacks.
I think that you will have many bad comments and bad critics because your game, is really in the middle of the development (probably the way of the Sea Of Thieves is very large and the game wants to evolve into a really great game).
On the other hand, the players, who bought you the game, the players who played on Alpha and Beta phases. Those players, like me, we understand that the game launching is only "another beta" is a real GAME yeah! but we know that the actual contents are only the beginning and now you really need how the community of players receipt the game in order to do the correct changes and updates and to mark the right way of the Sea Of Thieves Development.
So please, I hope it works and the development life of the game don't fell into the initial bad critics of people that are so comfort we actual game that doesn't improve the mechanics of the game only a good story, good characters and new graphics and that's all. Your game is really really different to that kind of games.
So I think you are doing a great Job with this development.
Thank you for dedicate your life in this game! =)
Now, I will talk about the release notes.
I don't mind in the errors or bugs because, as a alpha player I see that you responds to it as fast as you can and I feels really comfort with you in that way.
Over the death cost I think you probably will need to design a way that it is not free to kill others. I mean as I'm a pirate I want to try stealing other crews their treasures. But, as they are pirates too, they are dangerous!
So, If I dont have any treasures and I go for them, I have nothing to lose except time. It won't more interesting if I risk something too?? I don't know but my death or if my ship were sunk, I think that probably we as a community will need something to lose ever with the death!
I don't know what it have to be because of the bullying but probably there is a way that you don't lose anything if you are the victim of an attack but if you starts the attack you must to pay a failed attack or something like that.
It will help that player have a communication before than attacking others (Obviously if you win the attack you only can win something without losses!)