Replace the front-end menu with loading into a 'lobby'

  • HonestAuntyElle
    Commander
    Insider

    Captains Club, Pirate City, Guild Hideout.

    Whatever you want to call it.

    When I load up Sea of Thieves, I don't want to see ANY of the front-end menu's.

    If there's an important announcement, Larinna should be OUT OF POSITION and getting my attention immediately, and telling me about it non optionally.

    If it's an 'out of character' announcement, maybe introduce a new character for that? A talking Dodo? whatever Rare's mascot is, Shelly?

    From here, I should be able to charter a ship, whether that be a guild ship, a captained ship, or 'advertise myself' to open crews who are seeking personnelle.

    If I am a member of a guild, I should see my guildmates loading through here (even if I belong to 3 different guilds)

    I should be able to see all the guilds ships in little bottles along a wall, as well as my own, and able to pick one and create a crew session.

    I should be able to browse a noticeboard for recently created open crews in my region, and see what their current voyage/HG status is, or create my own posting.

    I should be able to easily view Emissary progress for each of the factions, and be alerted if I'm missing rewards for those or any content from the season pass, or limited voyages, without getting bogged down in menu's.

    e.g. there should be an Emissary representative, with the various rewards posted on shelves with some sort of indicator, so I can browse them without diving deep into the menu's just in the world, and see when new ones drop at-a-glance.

    It should also be possible, if you are a newer player, to browse ALL future emissary drops, and see the pathway to getting there, much like a season pass.

    Basically, I want to feel like I have a place in the world, and the world is talking to me, and getting my attention, instead of having to dig through menu's.

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  • xDragonMan15558
    Marauder

    @honestauntyelle

    I think a small change in the regular menu could be a refreshing idea, though I’ve gotten quite used to the current one.

    The main question is how others will react.

    Other players have also gotten so used to the current menu that it takes them less than ten seconds to enter a new session.

    The current menu as it is is simple, but maybe a few things here and there the player base may like, but may also not like.

    It’s a very conflicting idea; a this or that kind of problem.

    I would assume that many players may complain about wanting back the old menu a week or two after the new one is added.

    I will say I’m quite fond of how the menu is right now. Since it’s so familiar I can navigate it with ease, but it might not be as easy for newer players.

    It would definitely take some getting used to.

  • Thamb0
    Master
    Insider

    @honestauntyelle Probs never gonna happen :( although I really agree 100% with you and wish this would happen. It just seems like Rare would never wanna put in the time for cool stuff like this, but we can always hope!!
    Also, Glorious Sea Dog's Tavern would be an amazing place for this for pirates default load in, and if they choose, they could load into their selected Guild Hideout that could be it's own instanced island fort that is somewhat like Port Merrick, but more tailored to specific guild builds.

  • xDragonMan15558
    Marauder

    @thamb0 said in Replace the front-end menu with loading into a 'lobby':

    It just seems like Rare would never wanna put in the time for cool stuff like this

    I assume it’s because they have to keep up with maintenance.

    It’s also a struggle for them to try to satisfy everyone’s desires, so they have a lot on their hands.

  • Thamb0
    Master
    Insider

    @xdragonman15558 agreed.. because it's more of a want than a need at this point. As badly as I want this, it isn't gonna break the game if we don't have it.

  • HonestAuntyElle
    Commander
    Insider

    @xdragonman15558 said in Replace the front-end menu with loading into a 'lobby':

    The main question is how others will react.

    Other players have also gotten so used to the current menu that it takes them less than ten seconds to enter a new session.

    By far the biggest barrier to entry, and one that makes me believe that this approach is sadly impossible to do 100%, is accessibility.

    The front-end menu's, as nightmarish as they are, are based on HTML web tech, that's easily screen-read.

    Converting that, to a pirate hideout, without a fallback is a non-starter for the blind, if they can't readily get into their regular crew sessions.

    Combine that, with the fact that people may need to adjust game settings before jumping in (graphics settings crashing your gfx card?)

    But I can still pitch my ideal world, and hope a compromise is met.

  • xDragonMan15558
    Marauder

    @honestauntyelle

    The sad fact is that most ideas get overlooked, whether they are good or bad.

    There just isn’t enough time or resources or satisfaction to carry out the things that most players want.

  • Fysics3037
    Marauder
    Insider

    As much as I would love something like this, I have to question why it should take priority over other glaring issues with the game. HG desperately needs some attentions as we're approaching 8 seasons since it's initial release swiftly (like 3 years). PvE content has gotten stale and older things desperately need to be revamped and improved. Why add a new hub now? What's the sell? I mean won't players only interact with it in the first minutes of their session?

    I mean I think the idea is cool to be clear. There's a lot of potential in a centralized hub and it seems like something Rare has had on their minds of a long time. I just don't see it happening in like the next 3 seasons as the game needs some large changes and additions to the gameplay to get people back on board.

    I will add one thing I think we need to see as part of this tho, we need to be able to choose a specific outpost to spawn at. At least after PL when players are familiar with the world and quests. Most people just dive using TTs anyways now.

  • HonestAuntyElle
    Commander
    Insider

    @fysics3037 said in Replace the front-end menu with loading into a 'lobby':

    As much as I would love something like this, I have to question why it should take priority over other glaring issues with the game. HG desperately needs some attentions as we're approaching 8 seasons since it's initial release swiftly (like 3 years). PvE content has gotten stale and older things desperately need to be revamped and improved. Why add a new hub now? What's the sell? I mean won't players only interact with it in the first minutes of their session?

    I mean I think the idea is cool to be clear. There's a lot of potential in a centralized hub and it seems like something Rare has had on their minds of a long time. I just don't see it happening in like the next 3 seasons as the game needs some large changes and additions to the gameplay to get people back on board.

    I will add one thing I think we need to see as part of this tho, we need to be able to choose a specific outpost to spawn at. At least after PL when players are familiar with the world and quests. Most people just dive using TTs anyways now.

    What's the sell? I thought I outlined it pretty clearly.

    • More intuitive information spaces.
    • Better menu redesigns, increasing information density, without making screens 'cramped'.
    • Better open crew cross-platform looking for crew integration
    • Modifying diving mechanics to make the core game loop work better.
    • Better immersion.
    • Removing newly spawned boats from outposts completely, if they are in the world, they are a potential threat.
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