Ship Attachments? What are ship attachments? What the ships in Sea of Thieves really need are situational attachments that you can have installed to your ship by paying a shipwright. When a player chooses to purchase a ship attachment, the attachment will replace an aspect on the ship as with this change many aspects of the ship would be an attachment themselves. Things such as the harpoon gun or rowboat docking location. Attachment possibilities listed below.
A fishing net that passively gathers fish slowly as you sail from quest to quest, a great aesthetic for a fishing ship but also good for the Hunter's Call. All ships would have the fishing net on the back of the ship, and this would replace the ability for a crew to dock a rowboat on their ship. The gather rate for fish would be really slow and limited to only common fish. This will not be a reliable way for players to get fish for commendations or for gold. It will only provide passive food for players and reward them for playing an extended amount of time on one server. The license to own a fishing net would be purchased from a Hunter's Call rep after reaching distinction 1.
A reinforced metal naval ram to complement ramming strategies. This would prevent damage to the front quarter of the ship from things such as collision. This would also allow more cosmetic opportunities and another way for monetization. The naval ram would replace the harpoon guns. The license to own a naval ram would be purchased from the Reaper's Hideout after reaching reputation 50 and reaching level 50 in the Servants of Flame hourglass faction.
A diving bell that would allow players to get to sea shrines much more quickly. The diving bell would go on the back of the ship and would replace the ability to dock a rowboat on your ship. Players can enter the diving bell and "undock" it do get dropped into the water really quickly. The diving bell would stop near the entrance of the shrine and would a means of protection against sharks while going to a shrine. The license to own a diving bell would be purchased from the Gold Hoarders after reaching level 50 and after obtaining the "Sunken Sorrows" curse.
A bunk beds attachment which allows NPC ghosts to help you man the ship just like The Burning Blade and the obsidian skeleton crew. The bunk beds would go below deck on the ship and would remove the stove which would remove the ability to cook food on the ship. This would also allow a great way of monetization in the way of crew cosmetics for the pirate emporium. One player is worth 2 NPC ghosts. This means that the NPC ghosts will only crew your ship if you have a crew slot open. Example: If you are solo on a sloop then you would have 2 NPC ghosts to help you because you have 1 crew slot open. If a crew mate joins, then the ghosts disappear. If a crew mate leaves then the ghosts appear. NPC ghosts will not be able to leave the ship and will only assist in repairing holes, shooting cannons, and adjusting masts. The NPC ghosts will not fight back against boarders, will not helm the ship, will not raise/lower sails, will not assist with the anchor. The license to own a bunk beds attachment would be purchased from the Pirate Lord in the Pirate Legend Hideout after reaching Pirate Legend and reaching reputation 50 in the Guardians of Fortune hourglass faction.
The same attachment as above except with skeletons instead of ghosts. The license to own this would be purchased from the Reaper's Lair after reaching reputation level 100 in the Servants of Flame hourglass faction and distinction 1 for Reapers Bones.
A first mate attachment which would add an NPC to the ship that would assist the player in loading/unloading trade goods. The first mate would remove the ability for players to use the harpoon guns and would also remove the ability to dock a rowboat to the ship. The first mate would stand next to the wheel and will not assist in any aspect of the ship other than loading, unloading, or otherwise handling trade cargo. This would include the first mate automatically using the harpoon gun to grab Merchant's Alliance cargo. When the ship is docked next to the Merchant's Alliance stall at a port then the first mate will unload all of the merchant cargo onto the docks for easier and quicker selling. When any merchant related cargo is on board the ship then the first mate will tend to it. This means that plants will be automatically watered, cloths will be moved below deck if in a storm/moved higher up if taking in water, snakes in cages would be calmed automatically, etc. The only cargo not affected would be rum bottles, it would still be up to the player to ensure these are not damaged. This would give the Merchant's Alliance a long-awaited buff and would remove the frustrating cycle of tending to all the trade goods while sailing a ship. The license to own a first mate attachment would be purchased from the Merchant's Alliance after reaching distinction 1.
An armory attachment which would add human NPCs to the ship to help players fight skeletons. The armory attachment would be placed near the player armory on the ship and would remove the ammo box. This is also fixing the issue that purchasable ammo boxes are not worth. The NPCs would not help the player with any aspect of the ship and will only assist with land combat against skeletons on Order of Souls voyages. They are required to be transported via rowboat to and from the ship. Every ship will be given 4 NPCs regardless of crew size. The NPCs will loiter around the ship until a player gets on a rowboat, then the NPCs will all board the rowboat and will get off on the shore to assist with any skeletons you need to fight, whether it be a skeleton fort or a skeleton bounty. The license to own an armory attachment would be purchased from the Orders of Souls after reaching distinction 1.
