~Captain Maximillian Zeus:
The Damned Rider of the Ferry
and Master of the Song of the Dead
New Quest Type: Adventure Island (Goonies Island)
If you like this idea link other Pirates to the thread so we can get a proper discussion going to attract RARE's attention.
And don't forget to comment if you have questions or ideas to propose.
Updates added to the main post:
- Update 1 (Complete 3/2/19): Added island description section, FAQ, a condensed version of the quest in the proposal.
- Update 2: (Complete 3/5/19): Added "Sailing to the Island" section, changed the island's location, added trial difficulty= crew size section in the FAQ, added more ways to receive an Adventure Quest.
Update influences: @SappyElephante and @vorondil1
- Update 3: (Complete 3/9/18): Overhauled "Sailing to the Island" section, added many popular questions to the FAQ section, "Exit to Surface" section is now more clear, added map showing the exit to the surface, general rewording throughout.
Update Influences: @mr-dragon-raaar, @InSpektirGadget, @lI-JRATT-lI, @CotU42, @Shinten-Rai
- Update 4: (INCOMPLETE): FAQ (How does transfering to and from the quest server work?)
this is definitely very well thought out, heavily inspired by the goonies, which is all good in my book. I'd would love to see something like this added. I can only imagine how much coding it would take, along with the maze/web of tunneling level designers would have to do. But if any game out there should do something like this, SOT needs to be the one, the foundation is already there.
This is really good, thanks for sharing!
@enticed-malice
Thank you kindly, yes it would be quite a lot of work but this Adventure Quest idea captures most of the romance of what we believe to make great pirate stories thus making it a worthy addition to SoT. Btw any thoughts on improvements?As for emulating The Goonies well we know that the pirates over at RARE are quite fond of that movie as you can see from the references in their video here.
@Vin-Delanos
Thanks, I put a lot of effort into making it so well composed. I'll tell you making those images were a nightmare. Btw any thoughts on improvements?Well hopefully this thread gets a lot of traffic so RARE can see it. The forums are not what they used to be so people don't comment nearly as much on these new idea posts. I wish there was a way to be sure they see it.
Yet Another fantastic post. Soory i havent got your other post link to the MasterList yet As I'm about to do a large updat on the 28. But i would like to add this post to that update as well.
@maximillianzeus said in New Quest Type: Adventure Island (Goonies Island):
@enf0rcer
Certainly! Add away!Your post has been added to the Master List i agian thankyou for your contribution.
@maximillianzeus I have some qualms about specifics like only being in a bottle(I would make it replace athenas for PL quests) or the reapers mark(I would just sit around waiting for someone to find it and steal it rather than risk it myself), but this is awesome! If this was in the game at launch SoT would have done so much better.
@betsill
Thank you for your input!
Messages-in-Bottles:
Well the idea of the "only found in messages from bottles" came from the romance of pirate adventures from stories. The greatest pirate treasure stories usually come from a person accidentally finding the map, given a map by a hooded stranger you never see again, or a family heirloom contains a hidden map.
So I wanted to reflect such random encounters by having the Adventure quests only found in botles. That said, if there were more ways to receive random quests then Adventure Quests could be funneled into those methods as well. I just bothered by the idea that you could buy a grand adventure from a company when ever you feel like it. It would lose the magic feeling of the quest.
Adventure Quests Should Be For Everyone:
I may be misinterpreting your statement but I feel that Adventure Quests should not be locked behind the Athena/Pirate Legend Quests.
Reaper's Mark
Ok, so the Reaper's mark would NOT cause you to be seen on the map when you are on the quest. I used the Reaper's Mark in this idea because it is the Sea of Thieves logo and what better way to showcase the ultimate pirate style adventure than with the logo.
@maximillianzeus This game is currently being ruined by RNG game design IMO. There is just too much locked behind dice rolls. Putting it behind PL would be a good reason to actually get PL. currently PL means almost nothing. You get access to the same quests you've already spend hundreds of hours doing and are bored with, but now they are more tedious and more grindy. Obviously there is still the problem of the grind to PL being terrible, but that could hopefully addressed with the same design type as this big dungeon adventure mission. If it wasn't simply bought for gold you could instead have certain triggers for a ghost pirate(like mysterious stranger) to appear on your ship or something and offer you the quest. That way it would be somewhat random, but also something you can work towards by doing things that make the stranger more likely to appear. It would also, be more immersive and interesting to interact with a mysterious pirate with a VO that sets the mood, than just picking up a random bottle IMO.
@betsill
Quests for all
Look I agree that there should be more PL content. In fact we have been informed that PL content is coming on the 20th of March. But Adventure Quests are like quests from the stories where anyone can find themselves on such a quest. What sea of thieves is about embracing where everyone gets to experience what it means to be a pirate.
That said Athena quests that are Adventure Quests could be longer, more dangerous, challenging than standard quests but the base Adventure Quest should be available to all.
As you said PL quests are longer more obnoxious versions of the current quests. While PL Adventure quests would be longer (more trials they must undertake) they would actually require the player to increase their skills. More trials = more chances of failure, so players would actively have to develop strategies on how to master each trial and the team work required to get through the quest. Because remember unlike other quests Adventure Quests are a one shot deal, you don't get to employ the "we'll throw bodies at this quest until it gets done."
How to get the Adventure quests
I agree, only getting Adventure Quests in a bottle is lame. Ghosts and other ways would be very cool. I was using bottles because that is the only way currently in game to get a random quest. The more random ways to get quests the better.
Another epic and well thought out idea, particularly the link to Goonies, which we know is a major inspiration for Sea of Thieves and the adventures.
I like the idea that it's randomly found in bottles, although it would be useful if bottle quests could be added to your Voyages inventory, so if you find one but don't have the time to complete it, you could save it for another day or even if you could pass it on to another crew perhaps.
Would love to see something like this added to the game.
Forth, Adventurers!
@maximillianzeus I would be good either way. Just having something fun to do that isn't the same 3 quests over and over would be great. Rare said that "the true adventure begins when you reach PL" and right now that's total BS. If they used this to make PL actually mean something, I would be cool with that and would actually try to get PL. Regardless though, good post.
@MaximillianZeus love the idea of this adventure island! Very nicely thought out.
I have a couple comments about it. First, the location. Due to the size of the island, I think it would fit better somewhere not currently on map (to the north, west or south).
Second, while there would be plenty of places to hide your ship, it's safe to say many crews upon completing their adventure would emerge to find their ship gone--sunk by a pillaging pirate or troll. Maybe the quest should grant your vessel passage to the island?Great Input! Thank you for the reply. I'll definitely have to add something now, anyways here what I am thinking.
Location:
Due to the size of the island, I think it would fit better somewhere not currently on map
Ok that's a fair point. Here are some alternatives:
- The island would be placed in a future expansion of the sea.
- It gets moved to the edge of the Devil's Shroud, the island would have normal blue water in it. Think of the island as an oasis within the red waters.
____A) The island could also have different spawn locations depending on the server you are on. That way whenever you get an Adventure Quest simply sailing to the island will feel different and like a new adventure each time.
___________♦) Yes I know server migration is still causes problems to the game and there may be issues with this idea but this moving island idea assumes Rare works out those issues by the time this feature comes out.
Safety:
While there would be plenty of places to hide your ship, it's safe to say many crews upon completing their adventure would emerge to find their ship gone--sunk by a pillaging pirate or troll. Maybe the quest should grant your vessel passage to the island?
I see your concern and I have a few thoughts. Firstly, in general nothing should be 100% safe in the SoT. Everything should have that risk/reward to it. Second many of the great pirate stories have one crew seeing another crew find the fabled treasure and wait for the right time to steal it.
That said I do have some thoughts on how to tackle these issues.
Location- The Island:
- Hiding your newfound treasure:
Adventure Island is a pretty huge island, this means that there will be many places to stash it on the island.
--
So lets say you leave the treasure room to discover that your ship is gone. Stash your treasure on the island, have three crew members die to get back to the ship. Have them sail the ship back and get your treasure. Rowboat strategies would be good here as well.
Location- The Sea:
-
Timing:
Because other crews do not receive an indication that you have an Adventure Quest it would behoove you to make sure that no ships are around that can see you sailing to Adventure Island.
______A) If that means waiting for other ship to move out of sight then you should wait if you want to be cautious.
______B) Waiting until night will definitely help your efforts of not drawing the wrong kind of attention. -
Taking advantage of the more hard to reach spots on the island:
Assuming the "Pillaging pirates and trolls" did not see you arrive at the island they should have no idea you are there. Which means that many of these types of players aren't going to want to waste time exploring an island in hopes there is someone to mess with when there is a perfectly good ship for plundering on the horizon.
______A) That said, I am aware that there are those who would go that extra mile but my point is most of those unsavory type of people wouldn't.
Location- The Devil's Shroud
- The risk and effort to get to the island:
Since Adventure island would be on the outer edge of the Shroud then it would take resources just to make it to the island. Furthermore it would be an incredible waste of time if no ship are there to sink thus making it less appealing to journey out there without an Adventure Quest of their own. - Plan your course:
Due to the point above it is imperative you don't let your self be seen going to the island. If someone follows you because you did not plan out how you were going to get there then that is on you. If someone sees you going willingly into the Shroud then they would know that you probably have an Adventure Quest.
______A) You could gather extra planks beforehand and travel to Adventure Island from above or below and avoid going directly there to avoid suspicion. - Different Server, Different Island Location:
As stated above as a possibility, if the island is not always in a consistent spot then people would not just haphazardly roam around the Shroud until they found the island in hopes they might find someone there to pillage/troll them.
--
They would travel to the island, for the most part, only if they had an Adventure Quest themselves or they saw you going into the Shroud in search of it.
Additional Mechanic: When someone find the Adventure Quest bottle and the musical jingle plays, it should play for everyone on the island.
~Captain Maximillian Zeus:
The Damned Rider of the Ferry
and Master of the Song of the Dead@MaximillianZeus Wow! What a fantastic idea, and laid out in such a detailed fashion! It seems to me that this kind of adventure is what the normal voyages are trying to be, but are too short and simple to truly effect. This feels like it really well exemplifies all that Rare hoped for this game, from mechanic down to flair and general "vibe." Here are a couple of the things I wasn't sure about at first and had to think about.
- If Adventure Island were just a normal island you could sail to, then it might be tempting to just camp there to hit ships exiting from it. You could kill two birds with one stone (camping/trolling possibility and the memory load/placement problem) by having a randomized spot inside the Devils Shroud open up only for your ship. So the first clue could lead a crew to sail south past Devil's Ridge, and when they hit the Shroud in that vicinity, a huge fog could come up so they can't see, and while the fog obscures vision, the game could unload the real world and load in the Adventure Island. Then on departure, same thing in reverse.
- I'm conflicted about the idea of giving each character just one life for the exploration. I see why its good -- lend stakes to the adventure, and give a real feeling of tension while exploring -- but I feel it could be problematic. In particular, what about puzzles that are easier for teams (like the shark dive you suggested)? A solo slooper's only advantage would be the ability to respawn and try again -- without it they would be at a notable disadvantage. Perhaps that's just how it goes though.
- I really like the idea of only finding it as a message in a bottle! That will encourage exploration of the game world as a whole, which I think is fantastic. I would also love a way for players to seek it out, though. I'm just spitballing here, but what if there was a new NPC you could interact with that would give you a map to Adventure Island after a certain set of tasks (kinda like Merrick giving you the drum after you found all his journals). That way you still have to really explore to get there, but you can also intentionally seek it out if you want.
That's all I've got in terms of criticism or feedback (sorry if this post is too long, I just got really excited)! I honestly can't see any other real holes or problems, this is a truly fantastic idea -- complex and gratifying to play but simple in broad concept, high risk/reward to challenge veterans and newcomers alike, and fully in line with Rare's style and vision! Well done!
@vorondil1
Thank you very much, I pride myself on detail, clarity, and presentation. I very much appreciate feedback to make this idea better.Location and Pirates Want To Steal Your Treasure:
A lot of your issues here are touched on Post 19 which I would recommend reading. Let me know what you think of those ideas and perhaps your concerns will be lifted.
Transporting Fog:
The transporting fog as a means of leaving and entering the "real world is interesting". I would amend the idea where the Adventure Quest would leave you to this transporting fog but you don't need the quest to enter it. That way if you are followed because you didn't watch your back you could be leading someone to take your treasure.
One Life:
I see the problem here, you don't want the trials to be impossible for the solo to complete. The trial intensity could change depending on the crew size and so would the treasure worth.
That said, the solo pirate experience is supposed to be the most difficult out of all play styles. So I propose that when a solo pirate goes into a trial the difficulty will be set to crew size of 2. this means that solo pirates who try their hand at an Adventure Quest must be as skilled at playing the game as 2 pirates. It wouldn't be impossible but it would be very difficult.
Acquiring the Adventure Quest:
I agree to a point. I'm not opposed to NPCs granting Adventure Quests but only if you can't buy them. Adventure Quests must be earned or happened upon. If you can buy them then it loses part of its magic.
@maximillianzeus yep, goes to show I should read the comments -- absolutely a good fix to marauding pirates. Regarding solo players, that sounds like a good compromise -- scale it a bit to match the crew size, but still leave the solo player with the iconic increased difficulty. Great!
@maximillianzeus you're completely right about the need for risk and reward. In general your response in post 19 reminds me of the dev teams goal to provide players different tools/experiences and it's up to the players how they use them.
I would love it to have the island location random and in the devil's shroud. While this could definitely conflict with future map expansions, it would add to the sense of adventure so much--a lost land pirates tell tales of...I am blown away by such a heartfelt post. The effort, the detail, the heart. This is the reply thread makers hope to receive. So thank you.
Long Distance Red Waters Sailing:
I'm envisioning something like this. "X" is the trigger point for the fog.
A true test of a crew's merit:
Ironically the Devil's Shroud as we know it would be rather tame in comparison to the area of the shroud that the fog takes you to.
(The picture below is just concept, I do not have strong opinions on the layout.)
As you can see there are rocks, shipwrecks, whirlpools (assuming they get added), volcanoes, and a large helping of fog. The fog doesn't have to be every where constantly. I was showing it everywhere for the sake of the example.
Frequency of the Quests:
I feel that while the quests should be rare they shouldn't be that rare. Now that the quest is becoming more difficult as we add more ideas that means that the failure rate will increase. Think about what these crews will have to go through.
Cross the Devil's Shroud, Cross the Devil's Shroud Pt 2 (this time with hazards), survive all 5 trials (and a boss if you choose to), and then sail all the way back to an outpost with your loot without getting sunk by the environment or other players. The failure rate will be imense, only the best crews will make complete it.
If the quests are too rare and the failure rate is high people will stop having fun. However if the rare but not too rare/uncommon while maintain a high failure rate then Adventure Quests will become a challenge that people will look forward too since they know they won't have to wait forever for one.
I for one would rather have a large difficulty barrier rather than a large RNG barrier.
Persistent Quests:
What happens when 4 people each have their own Adventure Quest saved from a previous session?
Considering the points I raised in the last section about increasing the frequency of finding these quests, I feel that persistent quests should not feel needed anymore.
How to receive the quest:
Again in previous posts and in the main thread I've stated I'm not particularly concerned how you get the quests as long as they are random. All your ideas here could work.
Non-Trial Traps:
Not every danger on the island has to be a trial, I could easily see one or two of the tunnels having poison darts in the walls. The crew must be ever vigilant if they want to survive the island, let alone the trials. You can very easily loose your bearings in those pirate tunnels.
Crocodiles:
Yes.
Part of the Crew:
I would gladly have you on my crew.
Final Thoughts:
As I said earlier thank you for such a great post. Let me know what you think of these revisions and keep the ideas coming.
~Captain Maximillian Zeus:
The Damned Rider of the Ferry@mr-dragon-raaar
Sorry for the late reply. My house flooded due to some burst pipes been dealing with that all day. Anyways, there has been so much editing of photos for this whole thread O.o but I have been getting better at it because of this so that's a plus.Fog on the island:
I agree the fog should just pass/roll through if it, exists on the island at all.
Quest Failure:
I feel that quest failure should come in two forms.
-
Ship Sinking:
Once your ship begins to follow the path in the Devil's Shroud (See image in post 25) your crew has begun the quest. At this point if your ship sinks for any reason you fail the adventure Quest. Once sunk your ship will respawn back out in the normal SoT. If you die on the ship while on the quest you can keep coming back no problem, its the pirate tunnels that act differently. -
Crew Wipe:
Adventure failure would also be possible once you enter the Pirate Tunnels. As stated in the main post each pirate gets only one life to complete all the trials. The purpose of this is to remove the "throw your unlimited bodies at the problem until its beaten" mentality. This will require players to think and strategize. Should a pirate die they will respawn on their ship and must protect it while the others must finish the quest.
Quest Frequency and Persistence:
Frequency:
At this point I think it is safe to say that best idea for this idea is to lower rarity in exchange for high difficulty.Persistence:
What happens when 4 people each have their own Adventure Quest saved from a previous session?
Again if rarity is lowered then this becomes a moot point anyways.
@lI-JRATT-lI
I wouldn't be opposed to turtles.-
@inspektirgadget
Thank you! Any improvements or thoughts? I update the main post with influences from the community. So if you have anything to toss on the table just fire away.@maximillianzeus i think the quest should be a rare find. While not as rare as the shrouded one or box of secrets but rare enough that it's not the only thing players are seeking to complete. I like the past suggestions about sailing through the red sea or adding some challenges to get there. I secretly would like this island to randomly spawn in different locations in the world, potentially requiring you to do some presteps to find the islands location. I dont think failing should kill your ship or wipe your crew, but i agree you should be able to fail. I would hate loosing a stocked ship bc i failed a quest. I would be pretty concerned with the length of time it takes while not being able to see or get back to your ship and feel others would show up while you are down there and sink you leaving you boatless and your treasure to be easily looted. But gotta risk it for the biscuit i guess
Quest Frequency:
When I came up with this idea I also had the mentality that the quest should be rare. And part of me still desires that, however there is too much against it now.
-
Difficulty:
"If the quests are too rare and the failure rate is high people will stop having fun. However if the rare but not too rare/uncommon while maintain a high failure rate then Adventure Quests will become a challenge that people will look forward too since they know they won't have to wait forever for another try." -Me -
Effort to make the expansion to the game:
"While a lost world should not be found by everyone regularly.
This likely would never happen though since there's no way developers would put this sort of work in to a new area for limited crews to visit." -@mr-dragon-raaar
Besides this is the SoT, lost worlds are part of its very definition. -
Mastery of the island:
Part of the fun of SoT is mastering the mechanics and adventures of the game. Through practice a player can become the very best among players. With the difficult sailing, 30 possible trials, sailing back, and various other hidden surprises there will be a lot to master. However that can't happen unless the frequency to find the quest is at most uncommon/mildly rare.
Failing the quest:
I see there was some miscommunication here. You don't lose your ship because you failed the quest. You failed the quest because your ship got sunk. So any loss of supplies is on you and won't be taken unfairly.
Failure to complete the trials also doesn't sink your ship, you simply can't reenter the tunnels for another attempt until you get a new quest.
Leaving your ship alone:
Firstly, yes it is a risk to leave your ship unattended. However it isn't the death sentence you think it is:
- Difficulty of the journey:
The frequency of the amount of pirates on the island at the same time will probably be quite small. The journey to the island will wipe out most of the ships trying to get to the island. - Server Transference:
"Since the fog trigger would essentially be a merge into a quest server with the island then this would ensure that the correct number of crews is maintained." -@mr-dragon-raaar - Patience will only profit them:
Many pirates will wait to sink your ship until after you have loaded it up with the treasure you had earned. Otherwise if you exit the treasure room to discover that your ship has been sunk then you would just hide the treasure somewhere on the island, in the many hiding spots, and just come back for it with a new ship. - They'll let you do the work:
These other crews may just follow you into the normal waters to then try to sink you now that you have done all the legwork.
-
@MaximillianZeus Good stuff.
I'm all for it. thou, i think the area needs to be tied in w the current map.. As is theres only 6 ships per server.. and if 3 of them are in "adventure island" (a separate map) that'd only leave 3 ships on the main map. Or they just need to drastically increase the ship per server cap.
Itd be great to see them just increase the map size and slap this baby right in the center of it.. w the whirlpools, fog, volcanos surrounding it. Everything needs to be on 1 map for the sake of not separating the ships on the server.Well thought out, good pitch.
RARE, take note.Server Transference:
"Since the fog trigger would essentially be a merge into a quest server with the island then this would ensure that the correct number of crews is maintained both on the quest server and on the original server." -@mr-dragon-raaar
So 6 ships per server and 3 of them leave to go to the adventure server then those ships get replaced on the server. When the ships on adventure server go back to the main sea they either go to a new server(s) to fill up empty slots or return to their old server(s) and there is a brief time in where more than 6 ships are on the server until some of the outlier ships on the server get transferred.
It would be up to rare to adjust their server migration algorithm to account for more ships coming and leaving.
Whether or not a dungeon system would be a good addition to be added at all is a discussion on its own. The single life aspect is a cool addition, but the inaccessibility and capabilities of defending your ship are a big deal in a game like Sea of Thieves. This is more a conversation and discussion on whether a system like this would even fit the adventure mode at all, while we are here to discuss your idea. Therefore as requested my thoughts on the idea presented.
Locating the island is adding additional ways other than the one we are used to. Just adding game mechanics for the sake of game mechanics is not a good idea. It over complicates the game for no added benefit.
How to know that you found an adventure voyage in a bottle or barrel will have it's own icon, just as the voyages have their own. Therefore checking out random voyages will reward the vigilant player.
The map should just be one of the regions of the map, with a X located at one of the edges with the shroud. The region will be revealed once you are there if you have one of these voyages in some Sea of Thieves fashion.
Therefore sticking to the same method that we are used to. The first page of your reveal a bit about the puzzle first page and the interaction with the map table is just adding complexity. We have to remember what the game teaches people and build on that.
Once you locate the island and the veil is lifted the second chapter begins. A multi step riddle is done on the island. When you dig in the location a hatch is revealed with a ladder down leading to the tunnel system. I personally have a difference in opinion on the tunnel system, but I will get into that later.
Trials
Example one, Reading Sheet Music (the passive trial, merchant alliance focused loot room rewards) is just a question of learning which button to press based on what you read. Once someone learns how to read the challenge disappears and isn't varied. The first couple of times it will seem great, but once done a dozen times the repeat-ability goes away. It just becomes a thing you do. There is no exploration, fight, etc. involved.If you want to involve music, you have to think of the instruments we have and the shanties we know. Maybe have a room with engravings on the ground with symbol representing a specific shanty is on. If you stand on it, just like the carpet in the inn for pirate legends, you will play a specific shanty that we know. Based on the paintings in the room, you have to play the shanty that fits the story. Based on the difficulty setting only one or multiple could be correct. Then have for instance the player playing the song be eliminated if they had it wrong. Therefore you lose one for each incorrect answer. This allows also for new paintings to be added and artist can go crazy with small hints in various manners. That is my initial idea of converting the sheet music in the mechanics that we already have and know.
Example two, Trap room (the treasure trial, gold hoarders focused loot room rewards) this always work, platforming. The traps, like boulders, and such should all have tells and ways to avoid them, predictability is key. It shouldn't be the quick, but the smart that get through it alive with a higher chance. That way you can make the path that is reliant on timing and phasing. Running through should be possible, but would be more risky and there is nothing wrong with a trap saying: stop wait a sec, now go you have a window again.
Example three, Shark Infested pool sword slash your way through sharks and be meat shields for each other, spread the damage and heal up. I just think it will be a to high of a random person dies at the start, hack away at them festivity rather than a real trial. It also sounds impossible to do as a solo or just pure luck of the draw as you state yourself: teamwork is key (aka have more health than a single pirate).
It seems to hard to balance or really have a strategy for, you could waste all your bullets though you might need them later on. Therefore it would just be maybe: 1 shot per member a max of two and swords. Then heal up the moment you get hit and hope you don't need them later. With just one life to spare, these type of elements will not feel fun, more like an ow no, not this one moment. All the trials should be fun to do.
Therefore I would go for a stable solution of a Skeleton or new type of foe battle (the fighting trial, order of souls focused loot room rewards) pretty straight forward, a battle versus the skeleton crew there. There would be one major difference required if they aren't made specifically unique, the waves would not have any gun powder skeletons as they just would be a liability and have another really... that is how I lose moment. I do think that there should be a bit more design behind them, that based on the terrain specific compositions are spawned for a more focused difficulty rather than just 3 blunderbuss, 2 pistol and 2 snipers popping up from the ground.
The Legendary Trial, this would be in the loot room with a big door sealed by the Legendary emblem and a ladder upward. If a legend plays an instrument there, they will play the legendary tune and open up the doors. Releasing the legendary creature behind it that they have to battle.
This would be the way to have the optional extra difficult aspect added. This legendary creature, skeleton lord or similar would drop a legendary treasure, as single piece that can be delivered to the mysterious stranger for Athena reputation and gold.
I think it would be fun that based on the challenges you faced, the loot would be based on that. See above which additions would be added to the loot room.
Island choice:
I get the appeal of the bay, but I am surprised you didn't pick Thieves Haven as the reference, it has high pillars provides the ability to hide for all crew sizes. The issue though it that if the island is spotted, usually that will mean someone is there. Still kind of giving it away and might cause people to investigate.Tunnel system:
Maybe even have the tunnel system be more like a huge island on its own that you must navigate with your ship through the high rocks further into the system. Failure to complete the challenge wouldn't just mean the death of a team member, but will sink you all together. Resulting in that you can spawn back and retry, but at some point something will destroy the ship or strand it. Removing the need to leave your ship behind all together.This would also allow the option that some of the chambers have a puzzle to raise a bridge to continue, while others are sea battles that need to be defeated. As I stated at the start, I am not a big fan of leaving my ship behind unprotected and unguarded if people want to do the challenges (especially true when solo). In short have your tall mass high cliffs be the tunnel system, where you get your ship from one area to the next by opening the barriers in-front of you while closing the ones behind you.
It could even allow for the Ferry man's master does not open up the doors as long, as a challenge was active. Giving the ability for crew members to rejoin after a challenge was completed to join for the next one. Seems like a more fun way to play than wait outside while the rest of your crew finish of the voyage.
This would allow for an interesting dynamic of crews following them on the same path, or trying a different route to cut you off. Where the speed at which you did the challenges could result in one crew catching up to the other.
Scaling of difficulty:
Now if you want to make it that it is based on ship size, that is fine. However stating that it is based on crew size, but not for solos sounds like you just want to discourage it all together. Solo is already going to be more difficult, the ability to do only one task and having only one target is one of the most difficult things about a solo pirate. Just have three difficulties; Galleon, Brigantine, Sloop is fine. Think this was more a wording issue than a big difference in idea. How it is worded is important in its messaging and acceptance by others.Scaling of Loot:
I for one am against this. Having more people and lives in this idea is a huge benefit and provides options like: Having a look out on the ship. For me one of the biggest aspects of the game is that all crews are treated equally even though there bid differences as well.The treasure should be the treasure, the rewards aren't split among crew members everyone gets the same amount in the game. Whether you were playing a solo or a four man galleon the captains chest will provide all members the same among. This is the scaling of loot mechanic, loot x amount of crew members you have, that is in the game and I do not believe we need a variance in amounts on top of this. A deviation between crews like this would be bad in the game and would feel like the game is pushing even harder for Galleon crews than it already is.
All and all it is a pretty decent dungeon system, some aspects could use some work and adaptations in my opinion to suit the game more and our views might differ here and there. The biggest mistake that you made in my opinion is focusing on making fun additions to the game, this is a common mistake in game design. While the initial thought is great, the process afterwards should be focusing on the core element of each aspect and how to integrate it by using the mechanics that are already established in the world and reusing as many of its elements as possible. This reduces the amount of new things people need to master and learn, making it easier to get into and enjoy, without over complicating it.
If you ever just want to have a chat, or pick my brain about game design - feel free to message me, we could even sail together. Hope I didn't fumble up too much of the feedback, tried to be as detailed as your presentation and sorry if I repeat myself here and there, I didn't do it in a single sitting.
This could be it's own game personally. It is that well thought out. I would play this game.
The only problems I can see from it as others have already brought up other things I had thought of so I won't rehash, but the island location. I may be confusing myself and not understanding it but we have to sail through the Devils Shroud to get to the island? I am unsure if that is a good decision based on how much damage you get in the Shroud. You would have to make sure you and your team had lots of wood to just get there. What happens if you don't have the wind? Too many issues with sailing through the Shroud to get to the island. It should just be like how the PL thing is. A teleport feature. I feel that having the island move around would be too much for SoT. We have to remember that they broke their own game by implementing being able to hand over items. A moving, island would I feel be far out of their league currently. It could still be in the Devils Shroud the entrance but it could be activated with a song. So you would sail up to the correct grid and start playing the song before you sail in and boop. You are now in the Adventure Island waters.
How much treasure will you get from doing this? Skull Fort amount of loot? A couple of pieces? If the loot gain isn't enough then no one will do them. Just how no one wants to do riddles because it is only one chest for having to run all over the island to various spots then to the actual treasure spot. Just not worth the time. And regardless of how amazingly fun and awesome your idea is the over all community would not just be willing to do a AI voyage if the treasure gain was pretty lack luster.
And finally, the last piece of my feedback because honestly, it sounds like you have gotten it nailed down pretty good and I like it so not much to really dissect and pick apart for feedback haha, but, the exit. You said it would be a combination of levers and if you pulled the wrong one the others get locked. So does that mean, game over? You can't get out and would have to find a way to kill your selves? Or would there be a reset timer? I am all for increasing difficulty in this low skill ceiling game but I don't think that would be appropriate to have it be the exit locked behind something like that. Maybe something simple where you have to flash a specific pattern of your lantern to get the door to open. You have to keep in mind that while the exit to this place should be the over all goal and it should be a happy and exhilarating feeling when you get to it completed. Instead with how I am understanding it it is just another trap you have to disarm which takes away from the feeling of seeing the exit. The light at the end of the tunnel.
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