PC vs Xbox - My Experience

  • Daddy Sanctus
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    I decided to download SoT on my PC and give it a try after seeing how many people were complaining about cross-play, and I have to say there are some definite truths to PC having an advantage. I’ve played on the Xbox for probably 100-150 hours since launch, and have only played on PC for about 10-15 hours 150+ hours, but here’s what I’ve noticed so far.

    First, I think Console players should have kB/m support without a doubt. The ability to aim a weapon on the PC is insane compared to Xbox. I’m able to pop shots at people with extreme accuracy that I just couldn’t do on console from the same distances and the ADS speed is insane. When fighting with swords in close combat you can 180° in mid air and change directions to flank your opponent.

    The ability to free look around when doing various activities such as climbing a ladder, pulling anchor, pulling sails, etc.

    The ability to hot key literally every single item for quick access (no more using the wheel at all).

    The ability to hear in-game chat, while being in a private party and switching between the two with a press of a button.

    The ability to turn 180° in the blink of an eye to target an enemy and fire your weapon in a second or two.

    Increased FPS making the game feel smoother.

    Zooming around the map in a blink of an eye and selecting all desired locations/islands.

    Selecting weapons from the armory quicker. (no bumpers, all mouse).

    Using gaming monitors to have a dedicated crosshair on your screen for hipfire accuracy.

    The ability to use full text chat as another forum of communication.

    The ability to quickly turn nearly 90° during a sword charge to attack an opponent on your left or right.

    The ability to “on the fly” adjust your mouse sensitivity to drastically increase your aiming speeds with weapons, including the Eye of Reach.

    The ability (can’t prove myself) to respawn faster after exiting the Ferry of the Damned vs console players and some PC players. (Hardware dependent). Spawn times from the Ferry of the Damned have been adjusted but still are not equal. PC players spawning in roughly 5-10 seconds faster.

    So far the ONLY downside I’ve seen using the telescope feels pretty slow / not as smooth as the console. I will also admit I have not tried the Eye of Reach so I have no opinion on that.
    -Adjusted the above text to reflect using “on the fly” DPI changes in mouse sensitivity to increase those aiming speeds.

    Overall, I feel like I can do quite a bit more on PC vs Xbox which is a bit of a shame. I enjoy playing on the Xbox as the game in 4k HDR on a MUCH larger screen is just down right beautiful. Now, I don’t think that the PC players should be limited in these options / mechanics, but I do think the console players could use a little boost to try and get up to the same level as PC players in some of these areas.

    Just my thoughts on the subject.

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  • LogansDadToo
    Founder

    @daddy-sanctus
    Get ready for all the pc players to come in & tell you you're wrong m8!
    There is no difference at all, pc players have 0 advantage.
    I 100% agree & can confirm all of your points, as i have both xbox & pc & i have tested & came to the same conclusions!

  • Daddy Sanctus
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    @logansdadtoo Oh I’m sure some will, that’s just the nature of the forums. But to deny that PC has some definite advantages is just asinine. Glad you’re on board though and have been able to see the differences first hand.

  • SARACENS LAMENT
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    This is a very well thought out and written thread, well done. (You don't see many currently) I approve!

  • LogansDadToo
    Founder

    @daddy-sanctus
    Not some m8, most!! They will argue the fact that pc has no advantage even though it clearly does. Then they'll just tell you to buy a kb+m for your xbox (like that will solve everything!)
    That is the reason that i am a staunch advocate of having the option to opt out of crossplay.
    I can't see how Rare can balance all the issues to make this game fair & even!
    Well done on an excellent well presented post ;)

  • Nevabud4U
    Seafarer

    I agree 100%

    Check out:

    1. Macros
    2. Spawn time from the ferry
  • Nevabud4U
    Seafarer

    @daddy-sanctus applause

  • Daddy Sanctus
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    @nevabud4u Ah, yeah I didn’t think about those. I can’t even remember the last time I used macros (WoW maybe?) So it didn’t even cross my mind.

    I’ll have to pay attention to the spawn time. I haven’t died yet while playing on PC, so I haven’t experienced it lol.

  • SARACENS LAMENT
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    @logansdadtoo said in PC vs Xbox - My Experience:

    I can't see how Rare can balance all the issues to make this game fair & even!

    I don't see any evidence of them trying at all man, they have completely ignored it and seem happy to leave it as is. Their "we're listening" policy seems to be very selective. For instance they have completely ignored the xbox players asking for the game to be compatible with the chat pad so we can type, and it's fallen on deaf ears.

  • ColdPopeye

    Can you check the sword charge? I sometimes fight players that seem to charge the heavy attack much faster than normal. Movement comparison might be good to do too, counting steps with the compass, running from A to B etc.

  • BusTarbox

    Your not wrong, and that's why I play the PC version!

  • TtargetPractice

    @coldpopeye There's a glitch with the sword where you hold block and then begin the charge so you don't lose the ability to move or jump, and the charge still goes off normally. This isn't specific to console or pc, though, and it might not be what you're referring to. I don't think you can charge it faster, but it might seem that way if you're expecting them to slow down or stop jumping while charging.

  • ColdPopeye

    @ttargetpractice no is not that, I know the block then charge glitch. What I encountered was a faster charge somehow.

  • MBL666
    Captain
    Insider

    Some people are better with a keyboard & mouse than a controller
    I play on Pc but use a controller as my pc is hooked up to my TV so I don’t get the macro keyboard advantage
    As much as most hate cross platform, I think it’s the future of this games survival. I’ve played too many pc games with zero player count compared to the console with 1000’s
    But as with any game there is always a better player who will kick your a*s every time on console or Pc.
    There will always be winners and losers in any multiplayer game, just savour those winning moments & swear likem a pirate every time you get killed!!

  • SolidSnakeMig
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    @daddy-sanctus this is what we need more of for Rare to take notice, not the endless arrogance and “git gud”, for me personally i want crossplay to be an optional thing, i do not want its outright removal. Thanks!

  • Turtie5Hell

    The xbox elite controller does a good job closing the gab between difficulty.

    The ability to move jump, and use buttons onto the back of the controller allows you to never take thumbs off sticks in heated battle.

    The ability to modify the sticks is great too. You can make them more or less agressive, smoother or jottier. You can even fix dead zones and get it to lock at different degrees.

    The elite controller is sweet.

  • Daddy Sanctus
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    @ColdPopeye I will have to check on the sword charge and see if I can find any differences. I’ve used it a bit, but didn’t notice any descrepencies. I’ll test it tonight more and get back to you. The movement in general in the game seems to be the same. Running from point A to point B is the same on either console. The fact that you can turn to change direction so quickly on PC would be the only advantage there.

    @Turtie5Hell I agree, the Elite controller is a must have for console players if there isn’t going to be kb/m support. It does a great job trying to give console players a wider range of options for button inputs and customization. Unfortunately, even with all the button mapping, hair triggers, thumbstick sensitivity’s, and paddles, it still pales in comparison to the good ol’ kb/m.

    @SolidSnakeMig I think cross-play is possible and can happen with closer parity between the two systems, but the console users either NEED to have kb/m support, or need to have deep customization options (which SoT has for the most part) along with more freedoms such as not having your character “auto-look” at the sails when lowering / raising them, or having the ability to adjust the map scroll speed, or increasing the delay in button presses when swapping from a weapon to the wheel to select a banana.

    Which reminds me, I will test the speed at which a PC player can swap to bananas / other items after using weapons compared to console, along with the sword charge. If anyone else has anything else they want me to look at, feel free to let me know.

  • Daddy Sanctus
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    I've done a bit more testing, and will update my list tonight.

    @ColdPopeye The sword charge isn't any faster to charge up, however, when you're charging up your sword you can turn a full 90 degrees to your left or right at any moment and dash in the new direction you're facing, allowing you to not even be facing your enemy when charging the attack, and then turn at the last moment to face them and charge. You can do the same thing on console, although it doesn't feel a full 90 degrees, and is MUCH MUCH slower.

    The ferry of the damned respawn time feels about the same. After stepping through the doors to respawn it took about 20-23 seconds before I was respawned into the game.

    The speed at which you can consume bananas after using the sword swing feels to be the same as it is on console in terms of delay, even with hotkeys.

    The Eye of the Reach and Telescope speeds can be VASTLY improved on PC by simply using "on the fly" DPI changes in the mouse. You can bump your speeds up with the press of a button, allowing you to ADS with the Eye of Reach and turn nearly a full 90 degrees in the flick of a wrist. On Console, even when maxed in sensitivity cannot even come close to competing with this. This is a HUGE advantage in gunfights, allowing you to snipe with extreme efficiency.

  • Captain Tolstoi
    Marauder
    Insider

    @daddy-sanctus

    The ferry respawn time totally depends on your Hardware!

    With a good PC you are able to almost spawn instantly.
    On my System (7700k@ 4.8Ghz, 32GB RAM@ 3466Mhz, GTX1080, Game installed on SSD) it will take about 2-3 seconds for the Respawn. Loading into the Game on a fresh start needs 20 to 25 seconds... I never saw a second loading-screen.

    That's a pretty huge Advantage !

  • Daddy Sanctus
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    @captain-tolstoi said in PC vs Xbox - My Experience:

    @daddy-sanctus

    The ferry respawn time totally depends on your Hardware!

    With a good PC you are able to almost spawn instantly.
    On my System (7700k@ 4.8Ghz, 32GB RAM@ 3466Mhz, GTX1080, Game installed on SSD) it will take about 2-3 seconds for the Respawn. Loading into the Game on a fresh start needs 20 to 25 seconds... I never saw a second loading-screen.

    That's a pretty huge Advantage !

    Holy smokes man! That is insane! My system isn’t nearly that good, so I could see why it took me so much longer to respawn.

  • TtargetPractice

    The elite controller is very disappointing. I thought that the paddles would be their own buttons, allowing for four extra key assignments. They aren't. The paddles can only be used as a substitute for a button that already exists, which is pretty lame. You can already press the face buttons without moving your thumb off of the right stick by simply using your index finger.

  • Daddy Sanctus
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    @ttargetpractice Yeah, it would have been nice if they were 4 independent buttons that could be remapped at will, especially for this game.

  • Daddy Sanctus
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    After speaking with a number of other players on PC, it seems the faster load in times for the black screen are true. With the higher end systems you can see load times as little as 3-5 seconds. I even had one player describe to me how they can die at the same time as an enemy pirate, spawn in first and then watch for the "shadows" of the enemy pirate spawning in before they actually do. He's able to stand right next to them, wait for them to appear, and then immediately kill them again. That's a pretty big issue when it comes to Xbox vs PC in my opinion. Now, not all PC players will have this advantage, but a few certainly will.

  • Ebrim1

    If you prefer it, play on a pc then, most people have one and you don’t need a monster system. Some people may well just prefer playing Xbox though and it’s nice for them to have that option.

  • LogansDadToo
    Founder

    @ebrim1
    It's not a case of playing on a different system, it's about balancing the 2 systems!
    If they cannot balance the systems, then they will have to consider xbox only, pc only & crossplay servers.

  • Daddy Sanctus
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    @ebrim1 said in PC vs Xbox - My Experience:

    If you prefer it, play on a pc then, most people have one and you don’t need a monster system. Some people may well just prefer playing Xbox though and it’s nice for them to have that option.

    At first I hated the PC, but it’s really growing on me now. The Xbox + 4k HDR tv still gives me a bigger sense of emersion in the game, but the PC I feel more competitive on.
    The best of both worlds would be playing on the Xbox, with a keyboard and mouse and at least 60fps. Then I would for sure he playing on my Xbox more.

  • Cpt Toothpick
    Marauder
    Insider
    Founder

    @daddy-sanctus So basically you want them to turn their xbox in to a slow as... computer. With a keyboard and mouse thats what consoles are, restricted low performance PC's.
    I would not mind that, but thougth was interesting thing to point out.

  • Cpt Toothpick
    Marauder
    Insider
    Founder

    @daddy-sanctus we don't have HDR support on PC even with a HDR screen, but that could change. It sounds to me that you just need to update your man cave and PC screen to get the same feeling as you do on your TV set.

  • Cpt Toothpick
    Marauder
    Insider
    Founder

    Have you heard anyone saying I choose to play on this sub par version IF they have the chance to use the superior version?.. There are a few things why people play on a console.
    They don't know how PC hardware works and they don't care enough to learn so they stick with just buying a bundle that they can press start on and go. You can do that on PC but it does cost a wee bit more and you pay that price to not be restricted.
    And that leads in to the price. People can say that they prefer to play on a console because they like to sit in their sofa or some special chair, relaxing infront of their big screen TV. Thats [mod edited] and just a sign of how lazy they are and don't want to take their gaming abit more seriously, and pay that extra bit to get it. There is countless of videos showing prices and how they can get PC's that have the same or above performance for the same price as a current gen console, atleast on release dates and not counting in sales.

    On the PC you can hook up your TV and sit on your favorit sofa and play with a controller in your hand aswell. BUT it needs a few other cables and some knowhow of basic windows functions, hell most off that stuff can be done with config programs nowdays with a click of a button.

    So conclution of the matter is, Xboxers just don't take their gaming that seriously and that leaves them at a disadvatage.
    No one in their right mind would choose a subpar version IF they can pick one, and it would only be the picking part that they would have to do.

  • UrihamRayne
    Legend
    Insider
    Founder

    upvote for kb/m support for xbox.

  • UrihamRayne
    Legend
    Insider
    Founder

    @cpt-toothpick I'm on pc.

  • subaqueousReach
    Ship Mate

    @daddy-sanctus

    I've mentioned this elsewhere, but something I'd like to see added is multiple sensitivity sliders;

    Horizontal Look
    Vertical Look
    Horizontal ADS
    Vertical ADS

    I'd also like to see a slider for analog deadzone added to the options menu and have the FOV max increased to 110.

    Along with m/k support for xbox, I think these settings would bring people to a more even playing field. At the very least people could fine tune their controls to a more comfortable, personalized level, which can give more of an advantage than people think.

  • Cpt Toothpick
    Marauder
    Insider
    Founder

    @urihamrayne Well then no problems for you. Then my post can go for all the others that IS playing on a console then.
    I grew up with consoles my hole life, got a computer when I was 10, I do play games from time to time on the PS4 or Xbox, but I allways go for the PC IF is released on the PC, its allways gona be better. And I don't really have to worry about what I can and can not use :P
    It's about having options. Sure give consoles support for K/M im fine with that, but why not just skip that step, there is greener grass on the other side ^^

  • M4R51PUL4M1
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    @cpt-toothpick

    Irony
    Of it all is that Microsoft wants to strengthen the Xbox by allowing crossplay and it does the exact opposite. People realize they have a disadavantage and next time they will buy a pc and not a xbox or switch to PlayStation without crossplay.

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