Bring the bilge rats back to glory

@xxx-link-xxx-12
Yeah, I'm not gonna lie.. When you think about it, the Bilge Rats got kicked in the teeth even harder than the Hunter's Call (and that was despite existing for FAR longer). They lost their original leader (who got replaced with a cardboard cutout), they lost almost all functionality (Black Martket, Doubloon giving, etc), and now just kinda serve as a landfill of old loot that no one else accepts (for some reason). Remember back when they were the "Let's have fun and do something crazy/amazing" faction? I do.. I even remember Duke's catchphrase being "Go do something amazing!"

When you think about it.. It kinda echos the devolution the game's taken over the years from "Have fun" to "Sweat, suffer, grind, and only have fun at the expense of others".

@th3-tater I think she's in the Athena hideout

@xxx-link-xxx-12 How would you "Bring the Bilge Rats Back to Glory?"

Yeah, I'm not gonna lie.. When you think about it, the Bilge Rats got kicked in the teeth even harder than the Hunter's Call (and that was despite existing for FAR longer). They lost their original leader (who got replaced with a cardboard cutout), they lost almost all functionality (Black Martket, Doubloon giving, etc), and now just kinda serve as a landfill of old loot that no one else accepts (for some reason). Remember back when they were the "Let's have fun and do something crazy/amazing" faction? I do.. I even remember Duke's catchphrase being "Go do something amazing!"

Sea Dogs might've been kicked in the teeth the hardest though.

@thamb0 100%

@h0b0jo0e

Make the Black Market available again. Bring back cosmetics from that time. Add new stuff. Right now doubloons are more or less useless.

@shenlongkazama BOOM, Now that is a suggestion. Bring back the Black Market

@musicmee Isn't he alive tho?

@h0b0jo0e idk maybe have them do adventures again or some kind of quest make them relevant again maybe a tall tale centered around finding Duke and convincing him that he isn't hated by everyone and get him to come back to the outposts I don't know I made this post more as a see if anyone else shared my opinion and bounce ideas off of each other

For what ever reason rare has been undoing past work a bit lately. They made captain ships have unique and custom voyages that could be stocked up on so players could do what they want at will without break, and then undid that by making all voyages permanently active only 1 year after putting work into that. Then they have been taking rare chests and making them so common because people were excited to find or take them that they are no longer exciting. And absolutely the bilgerats have been made functionally useless.

I would argue the bilgerats have had the worst of it going from being a unique shop and people who sent you on wacky different adventures. They need something to make them special again, as it is new players already have no idea who larinna is outside of every tavern because shes pretty much useless anymore.

@musicmee FOR REAL. We need Duke back, just chilling in the Taverns, because they are soooo empty.
Also, I wish Rare would start giving Doubloons as rewards for all Bilge Rats comms again. It seems like all the new sections they have been adding don't reward Doubloons anymore.

No. I still have some kind of trauma from Larinna screeching at me when I entered the game, I can't remember if it was an adventure or mystery a couple years ago but if I had an emote to get on all fours like a cat and do a 180 and kick cat litter towards her I would use it everytime I login.

The Black Market could have alot to offer given the list of old cosmetics. Also login rewards.

• Bone Crusher Set
• Wailing Barnacle Set
• X Marks the Spot Set
• Merciless Marauder Scars
• Pay Respects Emote

Some are obviously also tied to commendations like sinking skeleton ships and Hoarder of Barnacled Gold. With a new, or refreshed stock of items, you make players spend more time on the seas and make it worthwile. There can even be new cosmetics exclusive to the Black Market.

@xxx-link-xxx-12 Ah, I gotcha. But hey, that sounds like a good idea: A adventure(in general) to get Duke back. Besides, he did kill Flameheart orginaly and now they are both back.

I have no Idea why or how my post is done twice

@th3-tater Thank you so much, I didn't know I could do that

Back to task at hand:
Adventures were kinda boring tho. I was on but never did them. Would not like to see adventures come back