Bring back the core gameplay loop!

I actually fully agree with this! We need more high-stress high loot PVE events which will in turn allow for exciting PVP events.

Rare can definitely incentivise it with a proper content look back to the Reaper vs the World Event by far the best event if you ask me every time I hop onto a server I would find 3+ emissaries without fail it was incredible!

I personally think the problem is the rewards - I play with a friend and we have limited time to play. We've been playing for ages now since before Season 1, and really enjoy the game - both PvE, PvP and them mixed.

Our issue is that PvP has really unbalanced rewards. Most people who come attack us are server hoppers - so they have no loot, except maybe a purchased crate of cannonballs or bananas. (And they usually give up or quit fighting if they don't land their spawn chainshots.) People who actually PvE will run away - and can't blame them for that, it's the best strategy in response to attackers with little loot.

PvE meanwhile, if you want to focus on it, the best trick is to server hop yourself till you find a peaceful server with no Reapers on. You earn nothing for fighting other players most of the time, so if you're PvPvE you will get less rewards over time than if you do the PvE part. Similarly, PvP server hopping gives the best rewards over time, so you focus the PvP part and don't do the PvE. So PvPvE is pretty dead.

Some of the most fun PvP encounters we've had have the same issue with rewards - we defended a vault we'd completed successfully, saved our ship and rallied. But by the time we'd done sinking our attacker, the vault had reset and deleted all our loot.
We've fought with people whilst doing Skeleton Fleet - but the loot in the water sinks before you can pick it up mid-event. Flameheart similarly, if you PvP someone competent near the end, odds are loot has despawned by the time someone wins the fight.

Fort of Fortune was really fun, mad dash on release - but now usually I don't see anyone going for them.

I think they should add a faction similar to the Sea Dogs that has no loot - you just earn reputation from scoring cannon hits, kills, chainshots, getting sinks on players.
I'm sure people would abuse it and farm each other for XP. But currently people sit in Alliance servers anyway, or just Red Sea their loot... At least add some incentive to fight in PvP against foes with no loot, and that'd encourage people to play the PvPvE game more?

@wolfmanbush said in Bring back the core gameplay loop!:

not a lack of opportunity imo it's a lack of participation and shared interests

This is true. There is plenty of PvPvE content in the game. Players can still choose either. But new content, which is what people flock to, either doesn't add anything to PvPvE (lost shipments), or actively works against it (Tall Tales, Shrines, Treasuries).

Content that emphasizes the PvPvE loop will make SoT feel more like itself again. There are a million games focused on grinding PvE—let's get SoT back to what makes it unique!

so there's no real point in attacking

Always a reason to attack. Some view the reasons unfavorable tho. So no reason makes any side happy.

@burnbacon said in Bring back the core gameplay loop!:

so there's no real point in attacking

Always a reason to attack. Some view the reasons unfavorable tho. So no reason makes any side happy.

There may be reasons, but attacking an empty, abandoned ship is not much fun.