Custom Server Update Discussion

  • TakuBoto
    Lord
    Insider
    Founder

    Seeing the creative events that the community have put together over the years has been great, and so we want to help support these by bringing Custom Servers to Sea of Thieves! We'll be rolling out an early version of this feature for testing through the Insider Programme soon for an initial audience of community groups and creators - more details from Joe here:
    https://www.seaofthieves.com/news/custom-servers-update

    We also understand that this has been a hot topic of conversation among players for a long time now and so we're setting up this discussion thread to allow you to reflect and let us know your initial thoughts on the update provided today.

    As you participate in this thread:

    Keep to the Pirate Code

    As a reminder, the Pirate Code is more than just guidelines (though the reference really never gets old), but the rules of the community and game that we expect all members to abide by when participating on the forums. Any member who fails to abide by the code may find themselves put in the brig, or removed from the community.

    We also have Forum Rules, which we moderate to.

  • Login To Reply
    443
    Posts
    330.1k
    Views
  • Little Squash
    Commander
    Insider

    @takuboto
    Finally!!!!

  • L4chsFPS
    Commander
    Insider

    There are gonna be A LOT of tears from the PvE-only faction...

    But srsly, I hope the devs consider implementing a proper camera tool for creators.

  • Schwammlgott
    Champion

    @takuboto nice feature, good for content creators, but nothing useful for myself, only if someone asks me to join some fun event...
    I'm glad it's without gold and rep, and I hope you stay at this decission

  • FaceYourDemon
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder

    I am so proud of you Rare thank you!
    No rep or gold that is important im happy to see it confirmed but i would like to know what about commendations?

  • Genuine Heather
    Captain
    Insider

    Sounds great! I think a formalized way to initiate custom servers for special events, games, contests, etc. is a wonderful idea. They've made it clear these will not be PvE servers, as no gold or reputation will be gained. It'll be interesting to see how this works out over the coming months.

  • Musicmee
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Moderator
    Founder
    Deckhand

    @faceyourdemon Ahoy matey!

    Progression in commendations will also not be a thing on these servers.

    These servers will be completely progressionless.

    Hope that helps :)

  • NeedSmokes
    Commander

    Should also remove all cannon balls, explosives, and all weapons, as players will now be able to practice PVP scenarios in a safe space at a disadvantage of players in the shared world.

  • FaceYourDemon
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder

    @musicmee That is great to hear thank you!
    I think its an important detail to incude.

    This is a major step foward you are all awesome.

  • Schwammlgott
    Champion

    @needsmokes sagte in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    Should also remove all cannon balls, explosives, and all weapons, as players will now be able to practice PVP scenarios in a safe space at a disadvantage of players in the shared world.

    Seriously?

  • NeedSmokes
    Commander

    @schwammlgott

    I forgot ships too.. They can practice sailing in a safe space!

  • Genuine Heather
    Captain
    Insider

    @needsmokes said in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    Should also remove all cannon balls, explosives, and all weapons, as players will now be able to practice PVP scenarios in a safe space at a disadvantage of players in the shared world.

    That...doesn't really make sense. Care to explain?

  • Schwammlgott
    Champion

    @needsmokes sagte in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    @schwammlgott

    I forgot ships too.. They can practice sailing in a safe space!

    Sarcasm, mh? Works better irl, than in written text...

  • NeedSmokes
    Commander

    @genuine-heather

    Yes, now players in those safe worlds can now practice any number of scenarios on how to better attack other players, or defend better against other players, be it with a ship or hand to hand. This is a disadvantage to everyone else in the real game world who will have to learn all of this over time with experience with real time players.

  • TriplePlayed
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    Meh. I'd probably pay for a private server with Pve progression. This? Yeah no. Thanks but no thanks. Tbh this just seems more like a slap in the face since the tech work will already be done but it will just be a policy decision to not let people play how they want to.

  • Thor von Blitz
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Boatswain
    Founder

    @takuboto
    Amazing news!

    Over at Fortune, ever since our first events The Grand Odyssey and the very first Skullball Tournament, we were looking forward to the day we would get Custom Servers for our community events.
    It was always great to talk about these kinda things with you folks at various conventions and meet ups, so seeing this slowly come to fruition is great.

    From what i can tell, Content Creators and Affiliate Alliances will get their first swing at the early Alpha version of the Custom Servers - any chance our small legacy groups (Fortune, Rogue Legends, Deckhands, Boatswains) can as well? 👀

  • Genuine Heather
    Captain
    Insider

    @needsmokes said in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    @genuine-heather

    Yes, now players in those safe worlds can now practice any number of scenarios on how to better attack other players, or defend better against other players, be it with a ship or hand to hand. This is a disadvantage to everyone else in the real game world who will have to learn all of this over time with experience with real time players.

    That's not really what this is for, but okay. Let's say they eventually open up custom servers to the general public, for a fee in the Pirate Emporium. Everybody will have the same access to this "training ground." If a bunch of friends want to get together and practice their combat skills, I don't have a problem with that. There would be no progression at all, so it would it would be on their own time. People who are already great at PvP wouldn't bother. It's only people who really need the practice who would benefit. I think that's fine. Maybe it would help quiet some of the folks who show up in the forums complaining about getting ganked all the time. If they had a way to practice a bit, it might be more fun for them.

    I don't see a problem here.

  • LucianSanchez82
    Legend
    Boatswain
    Founder

    We all knew this was coming, and I'm glad that it's being done correctly. A place to organise events, not a place to farm gold and rep.

    Simple!

  • JetOrchidee97
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder

    Excellent! A camera tool indeed and maybe a world editor to add structures, NPCs and objects would be the cherry on the top. Very good job Rare, I can't wait to try it out (if I'm lucky enough to be selected).

  • FaceYourDemon
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder

    @schwammlgott Dont even.....
    Not worth it, its a day for celebration and what is a better way to celebrate other then destrying solo sloops/ doing voyages/ fishing / chilling/ friendly crews.

  • NeedSmokes
    Commander

    @genuine-heather said in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    @needsmokes said in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    @genuine-heather

    Yes, now players in those safe worlds can now practice any number of scenarios on how to better attack other players, or defend better against other players, be it with a ship or hand to hand. This is a disadvantage to everyone else in the real game world who will have to learn all of this over time with experience with real time players.

    That's not really what this is for, but okay. Let's say they eventually open up custom servers to the general public, for a fee in the Pirate Emporium. Everybody will have the same access to this "training ground." If a bunch of friends want to get together and practice their combat skills, I don't have a problem with that. There would be no progression at all, so it would it would be on their own time. People who are already great at PvP wouldn't bother. It's only people who really need the practice who would benefit. I think that's fine. Maybe it would help quiet some of the folks who show up in the forums complaining about getting ganked all the time. If they had a way to practice a bit, it might be more fun for them.

    I don't see a problem here.

    It is the start of the slippery slope towards pay to win.
    Something we never thought we would be seeing.

  • Schwammlgott
    Champion

    @needsmokes sagte in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    @genuine-heather said in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    @needsmokes said in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    @genuine-heather

    Yes, now players in those safe worlds can now practice any number of scenarios on how to better attack other players, or defend better against other players, be it with a ship or hand to hand. This is a disadvantage to everyone else in the real game world who will have to learn all of this over time with experience with real time players.

    That's not really what this is for, but okay. Let's say they eventually open up custom servers to the general public, for a fee in the Pirate Emporium. Everybody will have the same access to this "training ground." If a bunch of friends want to get together and practice their combat skills, I don't have a problem with that. There would be no progression at all, so it would it would be on their own time. People who are already great at PvP wouldn't bother. It's only people who really need the practice who would benefit. I think that's fine. Maybe it would help quiet some of the folks who show up in the forums complaining about getting ganked all the time. If they had a way to practice a bit, it might be more fun for them.

    I don't see a problem here.

    It is the start of the slippery slope towards pay to win.
    Something we never thought we would be seeing.

    You're exaggerating a bit, don't you think?

  • Peteloaf777
    Champion
    Insider
    Founder

    Haha brilliant, I hope this ends the PvE posts once and for all. No progression - hate to say we told you so...

  • Gundy the Shark
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder

    @needsmokes this doesn’t even come close to being pay to win. Training on a private server doesn’t really give much benefit to playing in the shared world, especially since you can’t predict what another person will do. Arena perhaps, but even then it’s still unpredictable. Strategies are rarely bulletproof, and generally succeed when the enemy can’t find the flaw in time.

    Wargaming scenarios can only go so far. The rest comes down to luck and innate skill.

  • Gundy the Shark
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder

    I could see someone setting up a Tall Tales server that, though not offering progress or rewards, will at least allow players to experience the content without fear of being obliterated. I think that would end the PvE server debate (assuming that people have been demanding it in good faith, that is).

  • Chronodusk
    Commander
    Insider

    @takuboto

    I'm totally on board with your implementation of this, Rare!

    I was just telling my crew that it might be fun to get into a custom server, each of us in a sloop and play last man standing.

    It will be a nice feature for creators, and the lack of progression ensures that it does not interfere with the broader shared world dynamic of the game. Nicely done!

  • QuietRobot
    Champion
    Insider
    Founder

    @musicmee said in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    @faceyourdemon Ahoy matey!

    Progression in commendations will also not be a thing on these servers.

    These servers will be completely progressionless.

    👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

    Perfect decision.

  • Nabberwar
    Lord
    Insider

    @l4chsfps

    There are gonna be A LOT of tears from the PvE-only faction...

    Where else do you see them getting all that fresh salt-water from for the new oceans? Need to fill them somehow.

  • Chronodusk
    Commander
    Insider

    @tripleplayed said in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    Meh. I'd probably pay for a private server with Pve progression. This? Yeah no. Thanks but no thanks. Tbh this just seems more like a slap in the face since the tech work will already be done but it will just be a policy decision to not let people play how they want to.

    It's not as simple as just letting everyone play exactly how they want. The biggest thing is that creating alternative servers with the same exact features, but tailored to different play styles goes against the core philosophy of this game. It would broadly effect how everyone experiences the shared world by limiting the variety of other players we are encountering.

    Plus, while this game is largely a big sandbox where you choose how you use the tools available to you, at the end of the day the developer still has a vision for the foundation of what the player sees and experiences, and safe predictable PvE play is not a part of that vision.

  • TheArgonaut144
    Ship Mate

    This is clever, and a well thought out decision I think.

    I'd quite like to play on my own with absolutely no progression or gold whatsoever and be able to complete a Tall Tale without interference - even if it makes absolutely no difference on the official server.

    It would be nice to invite people who are like minded to me and have a drunken foot race, or being able to tweak the skeleton ships so it spawns 20-30 somewhere and all six ships need to go together to beat it. It'd be great to celebrate birthdays, enjoy shanties together on the dock, have Grog in the Tavern with everyone on the server, and generally be a bit more chilled.

    There's also the possibility of RP servers which I think might be popular and writing your own Tall Tales, as people are very clever and imaginative. There are countless people writing quests and storylines for Tabletop games, and being able to create your own tall tale for other people on the server and your viewers to watch and play along through chat would be awesome.

    In the fullness of time, the server admin being able to place custom items in the world- like the Journals- to lead players on a treasure hunt would be brilliant.

    And yes, there will be people who want to just turn their settings up to max, get in a ship and sail about for no other reason than the joy of it. I know this might be a difficult concept for a minority to wrap their head around but if the player has paid for it, has absolutely no progression on Gold/Rep/Commendations I really don't see the harm in it.

  • OneEard Mac
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    Rare. Many players will be pressuring you to have gold and progression in these custom servers. Do not cave in to the pressure! This game centers around progression with risks. Allowing custom servers where players could progress with no risk would completely and utterly destroy the game at its core.

    I've played this game since alpha, and I mostly play as a solo pirate. The challenges are many, but these hardships are what make the successes rewarding. Do not cave in to the pressure! Keep gold and progression out of custom servers!

    Thank you.

  • Papy Pitch
    Commander
    Insider

    Glad to see that there will be ne progression at all !
    That's how it should be done !
    Thanks Rare !

  • DaRiddler94
    Marauder
    Insider

    @captoneear but what about the ones who are max level and just want to pvp/tdm without interruption form others. I think it’s a fantastic idea if it works

  • rowge gaming
    Seafarer
    Insider
    Founder

    @peteloaf777 said in Custom Server Update Discussion:

    Haha brilliant, I hope this ends the PvE posts once and for all. No progression - hate to say we told you so...

    Yeah, now players can stand around and drink grog. What fun. This is sure to bring new players to the game.

  • DaRiddler94
    Marauder
    Insider

    @rowge-gaming I’m guessing you’ve never heard of tdms

Login To Reply
443
Posts
330.1k
Views
19 out of 443