9 days until release. The forums are becoming really toxic. People are canceling their pre-orders. The pioneers say that there is more to the game, but people find it difficult to believe them. What's the purpose of the NDA at this point? I feel like it is just doing more harm than good. If we should be more excited about the game, then hype us up and show us the content, Rare. The secrecy this close to launch is making people very suspicious. Can you blame them?
Time to Lift the NDA?
NDA is lifted for the Beta but everything Alpha related or Pioneer related will be under NDA, and I think it'll be for quite some time.
While I'm not at liberty to talk about what is in the Pioneer build, I can assure you that after sinking over 500 hours into the game, it is well worth it, at least to me.
@rayfromjersey said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
Have any proof that the pioneers have experienced more than what was in the final beta?
The pioneerthat leaked all the pics a few days ago ended up only showing stuff that was in the final beta.
Well, that's the problem. Nobody has any proof.
Pioneers say there is more, but they're under an NDA. People are suspicious. If there's more, then show us.
@martijngamer12 said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
@clarkalii but if we show you, we'll be kicked from the pioneer program
Um.
That's why I asked, "Is it time to lift the NDA?"
Until (if) the NDA aid lifted there’s unfortunately not much that can be said about what is to come, and no people can’t be blamed for being suspicious at all as that’s just a natural feeling about the unknown. With that said, the Final Beta was not the final version before launch, there will be more in 9 days.
@dhg-ixxrmacxxi said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
Until (if) the NDA aid lifted there’s unfortunately not much that can be said about what is to come, and no people can’t be blamed for being suspicious at all as that’s just a natural feeling about the unknown. With that said, the Final Beta was not the final version before launch, there will be more in 9 days.
Right. Well, I'm questioning whether it is doing more harm than good. We're really close to release. Look at all the toxicity happening on the forums. What do you personally think? Should it be lifted? Would it help or hurt?
@clarkalii said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
@rayfromjersey said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
Have any proof that the pioneers have experienced more than what was in the final beta?
The pioneerthat leaked all the pics a few days ago ended up only showing stuff that was in the final beta.
Well, that's the problem. Nobody has any proof.
Pioneers say there is more, but they're under an NDA. People are suspicious. If there's more, then show us.
I'm just saying that I think it's interesting that the only leaks pioneers have shown were what ended up in the final beta.
Seems strange to me that those leakers wouldn't have leaked other things.
@rayfromjersey said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
Seems strange to me that those leakers wouldn't have leaked other things.
Fair point, sir.
@clarkalii And that’s the really good question as it could very easily go both ways. Sure we all want to know what the pioneers are testing because that stuff would seem cool, but even Pioneers don’t know if that will make it into the game. What if (hypothetically) something was tested, was extremely fun, but didn’t work well with balance. Then that feature everyone sees and is excited for, but it gets removed and then everyone is mad it’s no longer there. Sure you got to see it, but it would be like giving your brother a new toy, letting him play with it, then your parents taking it away and you never get a chance to play with it. At the same time, sure there are bound to be fun features that do make it through and we’d all love to see them early, but at least those features you will get to play afterwards right? I know this probably doesn’t make much sense, but basically it’s a fine line. Sure the toxicity and cancelling of pre-orders hurts, but the game will release in 9 days and at that point hopefully everyone will see and decide to pick it up at that point.
@dhg-ixxrmacxxi said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
Point taken, and I had thought about that as well -- i.e., It would be difficult for the Pioneers to distinguish between future content and launch content; thus, they could easily break the NDA for future content by accident.
However, I feel like you could work around that issue if Rare just released an official video or statement. That would naturally inform the Pioneers, and Rare could also specifically outline things not to talk about on the Pioneer forums. How about that?
@clarkalii said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
@rayfromjersey said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
Well, that's the problem. Nobody has any proof.You could use inference to satisfy your suspicions. If most everyone in the pioneer program are saying there is much more and it is worth it in their eyes, you have to ask yourself, are they either:
- All conspiring with Rare to trick you into buying the game.
- All a bunch of posters employed by Microsoft and Rare posing as players on the forums.
- A bunch of satisfied gamers who are not allowed to share details about the game but want to reassure you that what they have experienced is worth it.
- A bunch of disheartened players who are under duress to say only good things about the game.
I am going with the most likely scenario and say they are simply satisfied players. I will infer there is more to the game based on the repeated assurance of other players.
@clarkalii said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
Look at all the toxicity happening on the forums. What do you personally think? Should it be lifted? Would it help or hurt?
How is lifting the NDA going to change toxicity levels? That is more a result of the personalities and maturity level of the people interacting. I don't believe giving them more to argue about is going to change that. The harm is the game will be judged based on a game that has not been fully developed and released. Have you ever noticed that game reviews do not go up until after a game has been released? Many of the reviewers have played the game before the release and could write 90% of their review based on that. Have you ever wondered why those agreements exist? That might help you understand why the NDA is in place.
@ghostpaw said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
- All conspiring with Rare to trick you into buying the game.
No.
- All a bunch of posters employed by Microsoft and Rare posing as players on the forums.
No.
- A bunch of satisfied gamers who are not allowed to share details about the game but want to reassure you that what they have experienced is worth it.
I'm sure they believe that.
- A bunch of disheartened players who are under duress to say only good things about the game.
On these forums, yes. Not on reddit. There have been multiple posts on reddit by Pioneers that have contradicted the promises of the Pioneers on this forum.
It definitely makes me suspicious, even if I can't prove they are pioneers, although some did provide screenshot evidence. You also grossly underestimate fanboyism and product loyalty creating bias and infecting Pioneer opinions. One need only be around this community since January to see that. It's really hard to argue objectively about this game with this community. It's very hard to criticize it without some sort of backlash. I've never seen anything like it, honestly.@clarkalii Even though I love this game, it has many flaws (at least what we've been presented) but everything you said is true. And somewhat sad really
@clarkalii The game is going to be what it will be. You knowing it ahead of time makes zero difference in the outcome. As @ChurroBeard suggested, wait until the game is released before you put money on it. It sounds like pre-ordering based only on what you know now is leading to unacceptable levels of anxiety for you.
@ghostpaw said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
How is lifting the NDA going to change toxicity levels? That is more a result of the personalities and maturity level of the people interacting. I don't believe giving them more to argue about is going to change that.
This forum has obviously been more toxic since the beta release. Rare could ease the tension through an official developer video that details the launch content.
The harm is the game will be judged based on a game that has not been fully developed and released.
It's 9 days until launch, though, and the development is completely finished for launch content.
@churrobeard said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
If you are not sure about content under NDA being enough to justify the retail price of the game, the answer is very simple: Do not preorder, wait until you see everything Sea of Thieves has to offer, and then make an informed purchase.
I am doing just that. I canceled my pre-order and intend on using the Gamepass trial. However, I do think Rare is making a mistake with the NDA.
@siriondb said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
NDA is lifted for the Beta but everything Alpha related or Pioneer related will be under NDA, and I think it'll be for quite some time.
While I'm not at liberty to talk about what is in the Pioneer build, I can assure you that after sinking over 500 hours into the game, it is well worth it, at least to me.
Sorry to be the devil's advocate myself, but that last bit still is not going to help anyone sway thier vote. Anyone can have countless of hours with thier friends doing whatver. The question is... is there alot more they aren't showing. That's the one you should be answering. If not that means this is going to be one of the hugest "early access" releases ever.. and the next debacle of the industry. I dont think youll be violating NDA in anyway telling us if it has alot more that what is being shown. You dont even have to tell us whats in it XD Just that there's tons more.
@clarkalii There's more in the launch build and after that. You can see it in some videos from Rare. We will get the Order of Souls, the Legend Pirate stuff + hideout. Rare talked about the kraken, animals and pets. I would recommend the Cinematic Trailer from 2016.
If there's other stuff, we are not allowed to talk about that.
You don't have to be sorry.
I am not trying to sway anyone's decision. Simply put, I feel like the game, in it's current state, satisfies my needs and I am happy to shell out the necessary money to play.
That being said, I understand that a lot of you require more information to make a decision on whether to purchase or not. Sadly, I cannot provide any more information on the Pioneer Builds.
This privilege is important to me, and I'd rather not jeopardize it.
@clarkalii And how would that help? Then you would have an army of people hyping themselves into oblivion about content that may not even make it to the final game.
When inevitably one of these features gets tossed out, you would have to deal with a myriad of complaints about people demanding for it to be put back.
Let me put an example from another game. When Diablo 3 was going to be released, they announced a PvP arena system. People loved it, everyone was very eager to try it out, and there were millions of forum posts about it being one of the core systems of the game. Eventually Blizzard decided to toss this system, and it didn't make it to the final game. At least not in the way it was intended to be. And then came an army of complaints, criticism, and anger towards the developers for scrapping that system. I believe Rare is doing things right in this situation.
And besides all this, you did the right thing. Cancel preorder when you are unsure, buy the game when it has enough content to make you happy. Games are here to make us happy, and if being around the forums is stressing you out, I recommend that you take a break from all this pre-launch madness, and come back refreshed to steal some treasure and sink some ships.
@ghostpaw said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
@clarkalii The game is going to be what it will be. You knowing it ahead of time makes zero difference in the outcome. As @ChurroBeard suggested, wait until the game is released before you put money on it. It sounds like pre-ordering based only on what you know now is leading to unacceptable levels of anxiety for you.
It's not about me. It's about Rare being super sketchy with its customers. I think it's wrong. Why not be honest? I hope the Pioneers are right.
@churrobeard said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
@clarkalii And how would that help? Then you would have an army of people hyping themselves into oblivion about content that may not even make it to the final game.
9 days before launch, though? I feel like the probability is low, especially if the source is simply Rare, and not necessarily Pioneers.
And besides all this, you did the right thing. Cancel preorder when you are unsure, buy the game when it has enough content to make you happy. Games are here to make us happy, and if being around the forums is stressing you out, I recommend that you take a break from all this pre-launch madness, and come back refreshed to steal some treasure and sink some ships.
I'm fine personally, but when I see all this toxicity, I have to disagree with Rare's secrecy.
@siriondb said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
You don't have to be sorry.
I am not trying to sway anyone's decision. Simply put, I feel like the game, in it's current state, satisfies my needs and I am happy to shell out the necessary money to play.
That being said, I understand that a lot of you require more information to make a decision on whether to purchase or not. Sadly, I cannot provide any more information on the Pioneer Builds.
This privilege is important to me, and I'd rather not jeopardize it.
You do realize the game comes out on the 20th right? Lol. You wouldn't be jeopardizing a thing by saying "hey yeah.. they got a lot more." and then ending the discussion there. Now if you started talking about it specifically as in detailed etc, the then yeah.. you would be.
I mean i'm already getting it right? But i can understand why a lot of people are on the fence about it. Rare are being super hush hush and very vague about some things and saying... "just wait and seeeeeee." Which for a lot of people.. isn't happening due to titles such as NMS pulling the same thing. And if all they have are three fetch quest factions, then a lot of people wont want to shell full priced game money for just that. And in the end that hurts the game you and me will play because that will mean far less people to play with. That's my point. Either way, i respect your decision we will all find out regardless soon.
@dhg-ixxrmacxxi I believe, looking at the official list of what’s going to be in the final game, that the only thing not in the beta that would have been major was order of souls and kraken. OoS is just another variety of fetch quests. Face it, this game is not ready for launch. All you can do is fetch stuff for money or steal stuff for money, and all you can do with that money is buy skins for the same equipment that everyone has. There’s maybe 80 hours of content at launch before you get bored and start just grinding to become pirate legend. And even when you get to that nothing changes. More fetch quests and more skin customizations. Rare needs to start showing what this game really has to offer if it wants my money.
@talonwren said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
You do realize the game comes out on the 20th right? Lol. You wouldn't be jeopardizing a thing by saying "hey yeah.. they got a lot more." and then ending the discussion there. Now if you started talking about it specifically as in detailed etc, the then yeah.. you would be.
The pioneers have said there is more to the game. Many times in many ways. What are you missing? Do a thread search (I'm not doing your work for you). Something tells me seeing them say "there is more" will not be enough to satisfy.
@ghostpaw said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
@talonwren said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
You do realize the game comes out on the 20th right? Lol. You wouldn't be jeopardizing a thing by saying "hey yeah.. they got a lot more." and then ending the discussion there. Now if you started talking about it specifically as in detailed etc, the then yeah.. you would be.
The pioneers have said there is more to the game. Many times in many ways. What are you missing? Do a thread search (I'm not doing your work for you). Something tells me seeing them say "there is more" will not be enough to satisfy.
Something tells me you are judging books by their cover. But i digress. ;)
@dhg-ixxrmacxxi said in Time to Lift the NDA?:
@clarkalii And that’s the really good question as it could very easily go both ways. Sure we all want to know what the pioneers are testing because that stuff would seem cool, but even Pioneers don’t know if that will make it into the game. What if (hypothetically) something was tested, was extremely fun, but didn’t work well with balance. Then that feature everyone sees and is excited for, but it gets removed and then everyone is mad it’s no longer there. Sure you got to see it, but it would be like giving your brother a new toy, letting him play with it, then your parents taking it away and you never get a chance to play with it. At the same time, sure there are bound to be fun features that do make it through and we’d all love to see them early, but at least those features you will get to play afterwards right? I know this probably doesn’t make much sense, but basically it’s a fine line. Sure the toxicity and cancelling of pre-orders hurts, but the game will release in 9 days and at that point hopefully everyone will see and decide to pick it up at that point.
Who is in charge of marketing LOL. So with how many times gamers have been burned by pre-orders and shenanigans by dev/publishing companies, your marketing department decided its cool we will wait 1 day before release to actually advertise what people are going to buy?
@lordmasterrazor There isn’t any “official list” of things that are going to be in the final game or there would be no point to this thread in general. Everyone wants to know what the game will be on March 20th and they will find out soon enough. In terms of Rare needing to show what the game is, they have shown exactly that. If you watch all the videos, played in the most recent beta and read the developer updates you know exactly what this game is meant to be. Sure the game has an option to sail solo, but it is far from a solo game and playing by yourself very much hinders your own experience. The game is about making memories with your friends or random players you come across that you have fun with. Personally I’ve spent countless hours in the game not doing a single quest or hunting a single pirate, just simply goofing around with crew mates and sharing stories. On top of that there will also be Live Campaigns to attempt to complete for some pretty awesome prizes (like solid gold bananas). There will also be regular free content drops that will add many features to the game over at least the next year and a half and hopefully longer to keep things rolling. We also don’t know what the Kraken, or the Order of the Souls will add to the game in terms of depth and longevity as we haven’t played with them in yet. I feel like this all is pre-emptive thought and will need to be revisited after launch when we’ve had a chance to test that game environment, until then we’re making assumptions on things we ultimately don’t know yet.
Just as an aside, there’s no one forcing anyone to pre-order. A lot of people such as my close friends always wait until after release to buy a game to make sure they don’t have any issues when they first want to play it, there’s nothing wrong with waiting to see what it looks like at launch before deciding whether or not to purchase the game.
Sea of Thieves: Official E3 2016 Cinematic Trailer
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