@sweetsandman "You want some tough truth? It's not just PC players that are wrecking newcomers to SOT. It's high game-hour controller players, too."
That is true of all OW PvP games. The question is will Rare wait until the game has a bad reputation, like for example EVE Online, before trying to address new player retention. EVE listened to the "pixel macho" players for years until one day they realized they had a problem, by then they had such a bad rep people were not even willing to try.
@foambreaker said in Suggestion: Make XBox Only the default for New Users on Controller:
That is true of all OW PvP games. The question is will Rare wait until the game has a bad reputation, like for example EVE Online, before trying to address new player retention. EVE listened to the "pixel macho" players for years until one day they realized they had a problem, by then they had such a bad rep people were not even willing to try.
I'm not sure what Rare can do to fix the learning curve at this point. This is a 5 year old sandbox game in which its 2 most prolific updates were the last 2. It's like we've been a part of a 4+ year beta and the game was actually just released this past August with Season 7. That probably comes off as harsh, but it's to point out that if you are just recently getting into SOT and dabbling in Season 8's content, you're going to have a tough time competing with people that have been playing for years.
Unless you're regularly engaging in naval combat in this pirate game, you're probably (definitely) not going to be good at naval combat.
Digging up chests, solving riddles, doing tall tales, fighting skellies/crawlers/phantoms, delivering cargo, etc...all that land-based PvE stuff...if that's what your time was spent on prior to S8, you're probably having a tough time in faction battles.
If you spent a lot of time doing Skeleton Fleets, Flameheart, and battling other player ships, you're probably having a lot of success in faction battles (when you aren't waiting in queue).
The only thing they could really do is put a strong encouragement on naval-combat activities. And when I say strong encouragement, I mean really providing attractive cosmetic rewards for naval combat.
Right now...there's Ghost Captain Sails and Legendary Cannons...that's about it...
You look historically and there were way more...Bone Crusher...Wandering/Inevitable Reaper...Legendary/Triumphant Sea Dog/Other Arena cosmetics...none of those things are available anymore.
They have almost nothing to make a new player want to practice naval combat outside of Faction battles...
@sweetsandman "I'm not sure what Rare can do to fix the learning curve at this point."
Follow the suggestion of this thread, make the setting the default for new players.
Does it solve world hunger, no, but that is not a reason to throw up their hands and do nothing.
@foambreaker said in Suggestion: Make XBox Only the default for New Users on Controller:
@sweetsandman "I'm not sure what Rare can do to fix the learning curve at this point."
Follow the suggestion of this thread, make the setting the default for new players.
Does it solve world hunger, no, but that is not a reason to throw up their hands and do nothing.
Not only does it not solve anything, it further divides the playerbase.
I think they need to go the other way....
Introduce a controller aim assist and eliminate the Xbox+controller option altogether.
If you think playing on Xbox+Controller servers is going to improve the W/L ratio of newer/casual players and somehow make the learning curve less drastic when it comes to PvP, you're dreaming.
@sweetsandman said in Suggestion: Make XBox Only the default for New Users on Controller:
@foambreaker said in Suggestion: Make XBox Only the default for New Users on Controller:
@sweetsandman "I'm not sure what Rare can do to fix the learning curve at this point."
Follow the suggestion of this thread, make the setting the default for new players.
Does it solve world hunger, no, but that is not a reason to throw up their hands and do nothing.
Not only does it not solve anything, it further divides the playerbase.
I think they need to go the other way....
Introduce a controller aim assist and eliminate the Xbox+controller option altogether.
If you think playing on Xbox+Controller servers is going to improve the W/L ratio of newer/casual players and somehow make the learning curve less drastic when it comes to PvP, you're dreaming.
Considering I play on the Xbox only servers and it is better, more balanced, maybe you are the one who is dreaming. Playing on controller server with other controllers is night and day different.
Try this, play your PC, but use the arrow keys for a few days, not the mouse. That is exactly how controller works. It is not just aiming, it is pretty much everything.
Why do you care if new controller players default to controller only, if you are worried about not enough players let me tell you if you leave this kind of problem fester eventually there will not be enough players even with servers combined. It is a tail spin.
@foambreaker I play on a Series X using an Elite controller. MnK is super uncomfortable for me on this game.
Again...the problem is not the input. The problem is the skill gap as it pertains to PvP.
The Xbox+Controller preference is kind of hidden, right? You have to look for it and understand why you're looking for it.
The result? The only people on Xbox only servers are the people who think they're safer...and the people who hunt the people who think they're safer.
Look at Saika, or KingdomOfMachine...or heck even Flotsam occasionally. They play on controller and wreck the overwhelming majority of their opponents because of PvP skill gap.
Is the ceiling higher on MnK? Sure. But Rare can fix that with a simple controller aim assist. That's why I'd suggest that as a solution instead of promoting segregation of the playerbase. Even still, it takes a LOT of PvP focused hours to approach the ceiling in SOT.
If you feel like it makes PvP more "fair" then more power to you...but I'd rather see them find a way to make the playerbase all play together.
@foambreaker I feel like you're missing my point.
Defaulting to Xbox+controller servers does not solve a skill gap. It just doesn't.
A 3k+ hour controller player that has a lot of PvP experience will steamroll a 100 hour player just as fast as a 3k+ hour MnK player. It's not even debatable.
The problem is not input...the problem is that 100 hour players are being pitted against 3k+ hour players.
@sweetsandman said in Suggestion: Make XBox Only the default for New Users on Controller:
@foambreaker I feel like you're missing my point.
Defaulting to Xbox+controller servers does not solve a skill gap. It just doesn't.
A 3k+ hour controller player that has a lot of PvP experience will steamroll a 100 hour player just as fast as a 3k+ hour MnK player. It's not even debatable.
The problem is not input...the problem is that 100 hour players are being pitted against 3k+ hour players.
I see the point you are trying to make, you think it is all skill. As far as the vet versus new player, that is irrelevant, game balance is based on similarly skilled players.
At least they have a chance against other newer players, which they do not now.
Just because a change doesn't solve world hunger all at once is not a reason to do nothing.
Implement an aim assist and eliminate the segregation.
That's the better solution if you want to give casuals a false sense of leveling the playing field.
Look at some of the current FPS games that have aggressive controller aim assist. Controller is actually the meta over MnK. They could easily overcorrect and do that too 😂
Neither solution solves the problem, though.
@sweetsandman Aiming is only one part of the problem, it seems to be the part that gets the most whine :), but that doesn't make it the only part of the problem.
Everything is slower. To move items from a keg to inventory a mouse can point and click, controller has to scroll from item to item. I could probably list another dozen examples and I have only been playing a few months.
The bottom line is point and click is a superior input method to joystick and to arrow keys. What we are discussing now is a repeat of the "clickers versus turners" debate that started in PC PvP, gee, 2 decades ago.
I understand that every time you "split the queue" population problems are made worse, but the correct solution is not to remove splits but to work on the root issue of new player retention.
Google "clickers versus turners in PvP games", it is Ground Hog Day Captain :)
@needsmokes said in Suggestion: Make XBox Only the default for New Users on Controller:
I wanted to opt out of crossplay to avoid being paired with cheats on PC.
Turned out to be a huge success and changed my gaming experience ever since.The sheer scale of things I witness on YouTube but never on Xbox servers only further back up my beliefs that forced crossplay was such a bad idea.
Glad it's all in the past.
The controller servers are so much more fun. Less cheats, a lot less boarding (2taps) and more cannon fights. Totally different and refreshing culture.
PC servers are a bad, but fading memory :)
@paparug420 said in Suggestion: Make XBox Only the default for New Users on Controller:
Crossplay should definitely be OFF by default.
A big problem that Sea of Thieves has is player retention. Seperating PC players and preventing them from consistently destroying Xbox players would help solve this.
PC players have undeniable advantages such as:
- minimal loading times
- insane movement abilities
- precision aiming
Not to mention the prevalence of exploits and glitches that you find rampant amongst PC players (sprint cancel, macros, dpi glitching, various hacks and cheats).
I exclusively played on all player servers as I honestly felt that the differences between PC and Xbox players was minimal.
A few weeks into season 8 my win/loss ratio was 8 wins - 40 losses. Consistently and constantly getting destroyed because I was facing PC players with undeniable advantages.
I switched to Xbox only servers. Currently sitting at 62 wins - 65 losses. Crossplay should be OFF for all Xbox players and they can opt in if they want.
The only people who will argue that crossplay shouldn't be OFF by default are PC players looking to have their easy wins against Xbox players.
Or you know any pc player that actually wants to socialize. The crossplay opt out definitely hurt the social aspect of the game, especially for us PC players.
I will not deny the truth, you have advantage on mouse and keyboard.
@foambreaker I've switched to Xbox servers with the release of s8
And you're right, it is a different game! Fights are more balanced and I never find myself getting stomped or spawn camped.
Duels and hand to hand PvP are much more evenly matched and fair
@personalc0ffee "The crossplay opt out definitely hurt the social aspect of the game, especially for us PC players."
Social Aspect? You mean "GG" after roflstomping someone on controller? That is not being social.
@foambreaker said in Suggestion: Make XBox Only the default for New Users on Controller:
@personalc0ffee "The crossplay opt out definitely hurt the social aspect of the game, especially for us PC players."
Social Aspect? You mean "GG" after roflstomping someone on controller? That is not being social.
No, I mean social.
Before the crossplay opt out I would run into all sorts of pirates who would just talk with me, they wanted friends.
Now most of what I find is that of what you speak.
I have been with this game for a very, very, very long time.
@personalc0ffee I would not be the least bit surprised if all the RPers are on Controller. The PC side is l33t, gg, 2tap. To RP on the PC side you need to be faster than 2tap or you will be RPing with the dammed :)
