Sea of Thieves [XO, PC, PS, XGP]
- Thread starter Cyan
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The game is a visual treat. I absolutely love the art stye.
First time playing should be with a 4-man team & voice chat since that's how the original game was designed. Its a social team game at it's heart. Solo was added after the fact. I will agree that they shot themselves in the foot by only showing 1 of 3 announced Trading Companies/voyages. They're holding back the rest for launch. They have even said the random encounters/emergents are the heart of the game & won't be there until launch also. So it seems like the Beta is less a demo & more of a server stress test. :/
Tommy McClain
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Have you experimented with the solo play/mode? This game appeals on every level but my playtime is just not compatible for multiplayer, i.e. not fair on others. I had no idea that solo was even viable!
Oh yes. Probably the majority of my time has been solo. It's more than viable. The way The Alpha & Beta are setup is choose your boat at startup: 1) 4-player galleon 2) 2-player sloop 3) 1-player sloop.
The galleon is the original boat which really makes it difficult to use without at least 3 people. The anchor is slow to raise, but the more people helping the faster it goes. The sails block the helmsman's view. So he needs a navigator. He also needs somebody to man the map, sails, cannons or make repairs to the hull. This is why you need 4 players. 3 can work but it would be more complicated. Though they have said they are bringing 3-player galleons with launch.
The sloop compacts all those roles in a smaller ship. So 2 cannons instead of 8. Anchor raising is faster for one person, but moreso for 2. Map, sails & cannonball storage are closer to the helm. Sails(1 mast instead of 3) can be lowered where they don't block your view. It's a much easier setup, but you're more vunerable. You can be quicker than a galleon if you're good at the sails & catching the wind just right. You can make easier turns too. But if you go into a storm you will have problems seeing over the swells since you're lower to the water. You also have worry about leaving your sloop unattended when you're fetching treasure. Galleons can sneak up on you & sink your sloop & then take your treasure. So a 2-man sloop would be best if you are planning on doing some large hauls.
Got more questions? Hit me! LOL
Tommy McClain
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That's hugely encouraging, thanks! 
That's it?! Man I was ready for some more tough questions. I've almost hit 100 hours playtime. Need to cross that line before Beta is done.That's hugely encouraging, thanks!
Tommy McClain
There's grog & it makes you puke. Good thing you can catch it in your pail to throw at other players.Dibs on handling the rum.
What, no rum you say?
Tommy McClain
I'm still surprised they are charging for this. From the streams it looks really light on content and the gameplay is shallow and repetitive. If they treated it as an early access F2P game they could grow the userbase while they continue to develop the content without screwing over the day one people.
The free Insider program has been running since December 2016. Yeah it's invite only. Don't see another need to add to another early access program. Plus, their Pioneer sessions will continue after launch.
BTW, Rare has been adamant it would not be "Pay to Win". So I can't see how it could be F2P & not P2W. <shrug>
I will agree I wished it was cheaper. I'm not spending $60 on it either, just a $10 Game Pass. However, the Beta only had 1 the of 3 announced Trading Companies. Plus, the times events/emergents that make up half the game was missing too. They also didn't have the weapons & potions shops or any of the player & ship customizations. I think they have some potential to get $60 worth into launch but for some people, like yourself & I, they will probably struggle to find the value. The good thing is they have been working on more DLC to be added afterwards. In fact they promise a steady stream of updates that could allow the game to last for years. With that said they may get there eventually like you suggested.
Tommy McClain
