Rare's Intention?

I have also thought about how the "big-boi" streamers are put on a pedestal having their little minions hopping the servers for them and am against it.

Not exactly sure how the issue would have to be solved, but limiting server hopping would just be worse for everyone and wouldnt make a big difference for the streamers with their outside help, instead the regular folk would just hop a couple times and go play something else until they can hop another few times if they even came back at all.

On the same note I think that alliance mechanics should be reworked to balance the rewards to be more on par with the work each crew puts in and not just magically giving everyone the full reward. I meaning like if the whole server is in alliance and one turns in a chest the value is already mutliple times bigger instead of sharing the base value between the crews. 2 crews in alliance should split the reward 50-50, 3 crews 33-33-33 and so on, or if possible I would personally like to see a slider that alliance offers could be set to in regards of the share of the loot. But in no way it should just give out more gold because "magic"

@lukadra Thanks for the feedback. Yea I know limiting server hopping wouldn't be great and isn't an easy answer. Just one thought I had. By the way I also agree about the alliance thing. I am fine with an alliance but when you run into these server alliances arranged via discord or whatever....that's kind of dumb. Definitely not the way the game was intended.

@wolfmanbush Thanks for the feedback. Yea I know limiting server hopping wouldn't be great and isn't an easy answer. Just one thought I had. You bring up some good points and I am definitely not against PVP in general. I love everything about this game (PVP and PVE) and I also agree that the game is pretty balanced with all things considered. Maybe I just chalk this up to bad luck of the draw and move on as you suggest which I have mostly done. Again losing the loot or getting sunk isn't really the problem I have...it's the "big boi" streamers using their chat to help find servers that I question. Maybe when you break it down in the grand scheme of things it isn't a big deal but I still argue that it gives them a larger advantage in finding that "spice" than if it were one person server hopping. It takes away from the adventure on a larger scale and makes things less organic. Yes I agree that people should be able to play the game the way they want to but not every normal player has a hundred people give or take looking for servers for their streamer. The game shouldn't be different based on if you are a big streamer or not. It should be the same for everyone.

I don't know, I'm coming around on the server hops per hours limit... it would put a kink in people just bouncing looking for prey (and also a kink in people setting up alliance servers.) it does seem a simple solution - but I"m not sold yet.

But I don't think that would stop the streamers that this post was about. they would still have dozens of minions looking. So, yes, each one of them would have a limit, but when there's dozens, they'll likely find prey.

I just always assume there's a bigger fish out there. It's inevitable that you'll run into a better pirate(s) and get sunk. Be they streamer or sweatlord. Give it your best and sink them or get sunk, say GGs and bounce.

SOT partnered streamers who have their chat searching for "content" should be something Rare deals with. It does give them an advantage (full disclosure: I mod for one). As for non-partners - I'm not sure there is anything can be done, but the majority of top SOT streamers are partnered with the game.

Organically meeting other players or server hopping to find events, even FOTD or Grade V Reaper's Bones, is fine as this is something even non-streamers do.

Should there be a limit on server hopping? Personally, I think there should be a short cooldown (say 5 mins) but I know that's not a popular stance here.

Limiting Server Hopping would have zero effect on the problem you describe. However, it would effect everyone else who doesn't have an armada of server sniffers. Even if you make some way to limit hopping, that doesn't change the fact that each audience member can hop their limit. An audience of 1,000 can still have 100 people searching, even if you limit to one hop, that is still 100 possible servers looked at.

A change like that only hurts the average player. I as an average player have no choice but to server hop, otherwise, I am stuck as a Reaper with no new Emissaries being created.

@realstyli Maybe you hit the nail on the head. Maybe SOT partnered streamers should not be allowed to take servers from their chat? Not sure how hard that would be to control? Maybe just the threat of losing their partnership would do it? I appreciate the feedback and the fact that you agree and mod for a partnered streamer speaks volumes in my opinion lol. I do think Rare needs to deal with this in some way shape or form. Good luck on the seas!

@nabberwar Agree. I was only offering a suggestion off the top of my head. You are correct. I think limiting server hopping would just hurt the average player more. Still think something needs to be done about it though for these big partnered streamers.

@ginger-one-eye

Still think something needs to be done about it though for these big partnered streamers.

Does Rare need to though? Streamers are a percentage of a percentage, what are the chances of running into them daily? If I take the sum of my entire sailing experience, I can say that I have 4 separate encounters with Streamers, 2 of those 4 was the same person. That is within a 2-3 year span. I guess to put it somewhat bluntly, I don't really see this worth investing time over.

@nabberwar Agree to disagree I guess. You are correct that the chances of running into a streamer are small on your own...but when you start multiplying that over other players, them streaming for 6 - 8 hours (maybe daily), and looking at it as a whole I still think it's a problem. Regardless of how you look at it, these large partnered streamers still have an advantage in the fact their audience is server hopping for them. After talking about this more I honestly think the right answer is for SOT to stop them (partnered streamers) from taking servers from their chat. If they did that then they would be forced to server hop like any other average player...the way it should be. That I would be okay with. This could in theory be easy to enforce. With the threat of loosing their partnership if they got caught. I see no issue with this. You aren't hurting their gaming experience. Would it hurt their stream a bit? Maybe....but should Rare be building the game around large partnered streamers and twitch or their vision for the game itself and entire community? You will never make everyone happy but I say let's make the experience the same for everyone including large partnered streamers. They shouldn't have a higher % chance to find someone because they have "server sniffers" running around at their disposal. I would be willing to bet 100% that Rare never intended this to happen this way. Hence the title of my post.

I’ve never come across a streamer. Then again I wouldn’t know what one looks like to begin with.

Running into streamers isn't the real problem though, a big issue comes up when the people who try to "help" with their content by, lets say occupying 90% of the available FotD servers just to hold it IN CASE the streamer has time to take it, preventing other people who would actually make their own plays having the chance.

I would say a good step towards the problem would indeed be if Rare took a stand with at least getting the Partner program to discourage this minion/master behaviour, aren't they already supposed to be setting the prime example how us pirates should behave on the seas?

@lukadra Agree, great point.

@wolfmanbush You mentioned "personalities" twice. If people truly enjoy the streamer and the personality they provide then it shouldn't be a problem. I am not advocating restrictions on the game at this point. Sure I mentioned server hopping restrictions above but that was just me brainstorming. I am merely proposing that large partnered streamers should not be allowed to take servers from their chat which many do their entire stream. They should have to server hop just like any other average player on their own or with their crew. The game experience should not be different for a streamer just because he or she might have thousands of viewers and maybe hundreds of viewers looking for servers for them. Sure people like to see high stress situations and spice, but make them find it on their own just like everyone else has to. Having something handed to you on a silver platter for content when they may not have found it in the first place just seems wrong to me because they have the "minions" at their disposal.

@ginger-one-eye There can't really be limits placed on server hoping, as its the tool that is far more helpful than it is harmful.
On top of this, content creators are such a tiny portion of the population that its already a rare occurrence to encounter one.

What you are describing as a problem, frankly, just isn't.

I'm not one to usually jump in and comment on these types of posts. I was reading this today and was thinking I somewhat agree.
However this happened tonight:
We were sailing around on a brig and doing a whole heap of things, sunk a few ships, finished a fort on our server and we had reached lvl 5 reaper and were just sailing around finishing off event tasks as the seas had become quiet. We ended up getting hunted by 2 galleons both of which had streamers on. There is no way that either of these ships found us organically as we are on oceanic servers and at least one of those crews was entirely US the other one was 1/2 US other 1/2 Aus. But to basically be 2v1 for content is not fun.
And no it's not a matter of git gud or you should of sold up instead of sailing around with a giant marker on the map. We were actually carrying very little as we had already sold off most of what we had, but decided to go and collect a gold reaper chest. Having 2 galleons hunt you is not fun. In a normal situation as a galley you would take out the stronger opponent or wait for them to take out the smaller ship and pounce with the upper hand. Nope 2 galleys chasing us for content.
On a side note it made the encounter feel very fake. Some of the best times I've had have come from chatting to people after the battles. Be it on the ferry or once a truce has been made. Sharing the laughs and tears about what happened. Can only say one person from either ship was worth talking to the rest it was all for the views as once it was won they just up and leave the server.

The biggest problem for me is that the audience thinks the game is all about chasing people, server hopping, chasing people, server hopping, chasing people.
There are so many aspects of the game that are not shown at all.

@stundorn There are plenty of legit reasons to server hop. Choosing one aspect of how your adventure starts does not remove the randomness from the game.

Trying to do animal quests, sorry they aren't for sale.
Trying to do X world event, sorry it didn't spawn for an entire 4 hour session of doing events.
Looking to hunt a flag down, turns out the crew was a fully experienced galleon and they wipe you.
Want to avoid spawn camping or just dont want to deal with a particular open crew you joined, time to server hop.

If I hadn't been able to server hop for crews with mics, I never would have run into a player named Mike. He would never have been able to introduce me to Josh, Andy, and Alex. I play Sea of thieves with Josh/Alex every week, I play with Mike at least twice a month and am in constant communication with people who have become some of my very best friends since we started playing together in April 2018.

Just because you want to add a RULE to a game that has used the phrase Tools not Rules for years shows that maybe you don't know what is best for this game. I'm not going to pretend that I do, but server hopping is a tool, a key to choosing one small part of your adventure.

I wish all the best on the seas and I feel like streamers with their followers is a small situation and that may be slightly more prevalent during drop periods when streamers view counts are at their highest.

@wolfmanbush LOL Nobody is trying to "control others". If Rare decided to make some sort of game change (related to this or not) and you didn't like it then you are free to not play the game. That can be said about any game, service, or product you purchase. If you don't like it, stop buying it or don't buy it. That's how a free economy works. This post wasn't meant to oppress anyone or control anyone. Yes people are allowed to play the game as they see fit until it changes or they can no longer play the same way. I only brought up the fact that big streamers have an unfair advantage when looking for "spice" or "content" because they have "server sniffers" (possibly hundreds, who knows...) hopping servers for them and handing them FOTD's, emissaries, guilded Athena's etc. Do they have an advantage in game when fighting or playing? No, other than they probably have countless hours over most of us and will wreck most of us...not the point.

The point is any normal player or crew does not have these resources when serving hopping if that's how you choose to play the game. (I personally do not server hop.) The fact that they have these resources and do it for maybe 6-8 hours a day creates false/fake situations. For example someone above noted how they were hunted by two galleons that had streamers aboard on an oceanic server but yet the streamers were from the US. Unless someone from that region handed them that server on their stream there is no way they would have even been placed on that server. Sorry that feels fake and takes away from the adventure of the game. Even a mod above for a partnered streamer agreed. That's not to say that all mods feel that way. In all honesty it seems like a lot of people tend to agree with my post so far. Everyone has an opinion and is entitled to feel that way.

I am not sure what the real answer is here. Maybe nothing? Maybe server hopping is limited? Or better yet as discussed these big streamers shouldn't be allowed to take servers from their chat, then that person leaves and the streamer's crew joins. Then the crew does what they want and then leaves right away. That's the real problem. I would be okay with a streamer joining one of their audience members and playing with them. That's a bit more organic.

Just because a problem may not be large scale doesn't mean it isn't a problem. It is still affecting the average player's game play on some level. You cannot argue the fact that large streamers with "server sniffers" and do nothing but hop, and hunt for "spice" do not have a larger statistical advantage in finding what they are looking for than the average player. The math adds up. More people looking/working toward a common goal get more accomplished. Just because you don't agree or see the point does not mean it doesn't exist or is not a problem.