Emote-Initiated Mini Games (Cards and Dice)

@ripdastardly

It would be difficult for me to believe that the ship coming towards me right now just wants to play a game of cards. This might just be me, but I have trust issues when it comes to other players. I mean, if you meet another player on an island and a table were to "appear in-world in front of them," (I'm guessing it spawns in the middle of an island) from an emote, are you hoping that members of their crew aren't robbing your ship while you play cards with this person?

I might be alone here when I say this, but, when I log on, if I'm waiting for friends to join, I'm busy with purchasing supplies (IF the merchant gives it to me), cooking food, looting the outpost, organizing my barrels, seeing what's happening on the server, and if I'm still waiting, I dive to a fort to get more food, supplies, etc. If I log on and see 2 members of my crew just standing there playing dice or cards, I'm not going to be happy. If we're on a long voyage, they're jumping off searching flotsam, or firing out to islands filling pockets. Even if we're done for the evening and sailing to an outpost to sell (mostly it's at Reapers), our eyes are on the horizon, one person is dumping loot while the others are selling.

In my opinion, this isn't needed to, "encourage organic player interaction," since that already happens in-game with world events, emissary marks on the map, and players who don't see us coming. And to quote from you again, there have been many times we've heard some words from the "fully optional social feature," in this game with players blaming us for their mistakes.

I've met the most amazing players in this game thru epic naval battles who are now friends, and have hilarious clips and videos in my collection of our antics and wins. This is where "meaningful engagement" is for us, not with dice/card games.

I think we’re actually describing two different player moments.

Everything you mentioned — prepping, horizon watching, selling under pressure — is core gameplay and wouldn’t change. This idea only applies to downtime or intentional social encounters, not active voyages.

Sea of Thieves works because it supports multiple playstyles at once. This would simply expand that toolbox without taking anything away.

This idea only applies to downtime or intentional social encounters, not active voyages.

When do these moments apply?

Downtime would mean nothing is happening, but everything can happen in a blink. Cant tell you how many players complain about being sunk/attack "Every second" or just being fresh spawn.
and often these same players will say, nobody wants to talk or interact, they are "toxic"

Its all nice, I welcome the Emotes like the PL emote we had during that event, but...when would people really wanna do it.

By downtime I don’t mean “nothing can happen” — Sea of Thieves is never safe, and that’s intentional.

I mean moments players actively choose to slow things down: sailing with no ships in sight, finishing a sale, post-battle when crews decide not to re-engage or ally, waiting for friends to join, or spending time in taverns.

Those moments already exist — players emote, play music, sit, drink, and talk during them. This would simply be an optional extension of that behaviour, not something meant for active voyages or contested situations.

If it’s not for someone’s playstyle, they’d never need to touch it.

@xdreegan

To be honest, it's not Rare's problem either. They don't need to incentivize anyone to play any particular style. It's up to the individual player(s) to proceed how they wish. If that means sinking every ship on sight, or risk going up to each ship peacefully playing music, there's no way to control the actions of others. Because even then, what's this "peaceful player" going to do, once their ship gets close? Been there. Experienced that. Not happening again lol.

I've experienced it all in this game, and it all boils down to a simple golden rule: Don't trust other pirates.

I mean moments players actively choose to slow things down: sailing with no ships in sight, finishing a sale, post-battle when crews decide not to re-engage or ally, waiting for friends to join, or spending time in taverns.

Blink of an eye.
There is always a Pirate nearby who is just waiting. Even after a single battle, one can appear either player or npc.
Tavern isnt safe either, as I said...players often say they get attacked at outposts...so there is never a true moment.

But, I am still for having emotes to add. But those moments...are thin as paper.

@xdreegan said in Emote-Initiated Mini Games (Cards and Dice):

They don't really incentivize interactions between crews outside of just simply killing each other, or doing Glitterbeard. That's really it.

How dare you. How dare you forget about the incredible content that is Skeleton Thrones.

@xdreegan

"This game makes co-oping both extremely risky, and often, extremely pointless. But that's not necessarily OP's problem, it's Rare's."

This is your comment I was referring to. No. It's not Rare's problem with how players choose to play their content. I'm seriously scratching my head here at how you think I'm supposed to believe that this "sweet and innocent" ship sailing over to me, is simply coming over to play cards, which is what OP is suggesting. The ship coming in may indeed be "sweet and innocent", but like I said (no idea why you think I'm trolling), the golden rule in this game is to never trust another pirate. That's it. Never once, in my years of playing this game, have I ever seen a ship coming towards us while doing FotD and said, "Hey guys, maybe they want to play dice with us?" That doesn't happen.

"Playing cards and dice gives players something to do during long voyages..." again, not happening on my ship, where my crew is busy organizing, looking at the map, getting supplies, checking tables, or we're diving to a more-active server in search of something spicy. If I join a random crew and all they're doing is goofing off, not helping, and playing cards or dice, we're not going to be productive, and it's pointless to stay on that ship.

"They don't really incentivize interactions between crews outside of just simply killing each other, or doing Glitterbeard. That's really it."

Rare provides the content. It's up to the players to decide for themselves how to act and react, and as they gain experience, they learn not to trust other pirates. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice. Alliances get betrayed. Players fishing get rolled up on, their fish stolen and sold. I've heard stories of people demanding other players get banned for attacking them as they did Glitterbeard. It happens. The best defense is a good offense, which again, is why you can't trust other players. Why you think I'm trolling is beyond me at this point. If I'm sitting somewhere playing cards with another player keeping them occupied, I promise you, my crew is taking their treasure and supplies as they're not watching their ship. Just as you can't trust other players, they also can't trust you.

When I meet amazing players that want to add us? I'm busy adding them as friends on XBox, Discord, and maybe even joining their guild. We're not sailing over to go somewhere ignoring the horizon and what's suddenly appearing on the map, just to play dice. Again, not trolling, just being honest here. What part of my post made you think I was trolling?

@shadowfox327533 you totally should trust someone running at you at full speed that means they're going to give you a hug

@shadowfox327533 true but you should still have a reason to chill even in the sea of Thieves as long as you keep an open eye for the chaos just around the corner

@shadowfox327533 lairs dice

@shadowfox327533 Great points 🏴‍☠️🫡

@xdreegan

To be honest with you? When I log on the game, play with friends or meet other amazing players, we set out to accomplish something. Let's go sink that manned Burning Blade. Someone is doing the Molton Sands fort let's go. A lvl 5 reaper is pulling up to FotD. Let's find a rowboat and get prepared here. If this were a thing, we'd probably laugh at the person who'd suggest, "Hey, why don't we forget about all that and just have our pirates play dice with each other?"

You're seriously suggesting that if we're doing a FotD and see a ship approaching, we should assume they want to play cards or dice completely innocently with us? Just so I'm clear here that this is what you're saying while suggesting I'm trolling..

As for making stories between crews, which here sounds better and more engaging to you:

"We see a brig, galleon, and 2 sloops in an alliance at a stacked FotD. As we approach, the galleon turns and comes over. We hit our chain shots, spiraled them, my flex goes over, kills a few, and they sink. We have no time to waste because the brig is coming up on us fast. I turn ship, while my crew is restocking. I jump down on cannons, open fire. Brig sinks. Sloop boards us, we get mega-kegged. Our bilge is amazing. We sink the sloop. Guy in the water telling us how amazing we are, and suggests we all go and do Glitterbeard. As we all sail over, one of my crew members stays behind, completes the fort, and uses a rowboat to sell everything at Reapers (guild name: Shananigans). It was the most amazing and adrenaline-rush feeling. We added them as friends, they joined our guild, discord, and we have new friends and members of our crew." (True story by the way).

----or----

"I rolled a 5. He rolled a 10. I lost all my treasure."
"While we were in the tavern playing cards, another ship rolls up, sinks me and takes all my loot."
I rolled a 20, he rolled a 10, shot me, his buddy sank my ship and I lost my treasure."
"I see this brig approach. They say they want to play cards. While I'm playing with one guy, his ship opens fire at me and I sink."

Telling my crew that the galleon heading towards us as we do Molton Sands, "Guys guys, calm down, maybe they just want to play cards," would get me mocked into oblivion.

This is Sea of Thieves sir. Not VRChat. Not trolling.

Not every game has to have a minigame in it, nor does every game need to handhold players not to be bored. Especially sandbox games with tons of events and content like SoT.

You've lost me at "downtime". There is no downtime in Sea of Thieves. Maybe in Sims and Farming Simulator, but not here (except when glitched while diving lol).

All the suggestions like this and housing (owning an island, decorate your house, etc) don't add anything meaningful to the core gameplay. On contrary - they take away from it, cuz you actively spend time NOT engaging with the core gameplay.

Of all the stuff devs could add to enrich the sandbox, these "peaceful" "downtime" activities are the ones that should be added last. And if I was to be asked - never at all, at least not in this game.

Give me more action and events. Not Sea of Soy.

So in and all, Emotes for player interactions is a well idea. Much welcomed.

But the fact players think this will cause players to, behave or be nice is up in the air.
You either take a gamble and hope they are nice and willing to "RolePlay" what your doing or be a little tiny pirate and just destroy your ship up and steal from you. Both welcome.

Will Rare add these? Maybe. Its been proven already they can make Emotes and have it interactable between players. Just need it to follow up with another emote with results.

Can we do this already? Yes.

• We have Dice, and they say the results. (Multiples)
• We have a one card draw with randomness. (Lucky Deal)
• Coin Flip! (as name)

Just need both players to have same one and just...use them.

@xdreegan s

Cooking meat?

Has purpose - HP buff or selling/commendations, whether you acquire it, or take away from another player

Fishing?

Has purpose - HP buff or selling/commendations, whether you acquire it, or take away from another player

Drinking grog?

Has purpose - throw up in a bucket and use it as a weapon against other players

Playing music with your crew or alone?

Has purpose - tied to previous content (summoning the meg), and current content (Glitterbeard, using instrument to uncover clues, etc)

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Cards and Dice? Absolutely 0 gameplay purpose.

On servers where you get kicked for 10min of inactivity - which should tell you that Rare doesn't like people doing nothing for an extended period of time. And for the same reason they're spawning skeleton ships/megs on you the longer you stay on an island instead of sailing / being active.

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PS. not gonna address rest of the stuff cuz I don't wanna move the discussion away from the topic. But I have voiced my opinions multiples times on mentioned useless mechanic requests. And I'll gladly voice them again once people ask for them the next time (cuz I'm sure those will come back).

I don't know why there's this assumption that exists that gambling games between cheating/lying/stealing/murdering Pirates is somehow a "peaceful" activity

PSS. gambling is never gonna happen cuz it would move the game rating to PEGI 18. Since this is a kid/teen rated game - nope.

Also, it doesn't involve any type of combat. So maybe you'd call it non-violent, but I'll call it peaceful. Especially compared to "stealing/murdering" as you've yourself pointed out.

Liar's Dice as a minigame was requested when the Pirate's Life Tall Tale's got released. While i also would like to see something like that i am not sure when and if minigames would be added at all.