[Mega Thread] Custom Servers

  • Ahoy!

    As you all know, to aid and support the fantastic creative events that you as a community create, we'll be bringing Custom Servers to Sea of Thieves!

    An early version of Custom Servers have been available to Partners and Insiders for the last few months and you can read more about what they entail here.

    We would now like to open a new discussion to you, our players, so are spinning up this brand new Mega Thread to open up the conversation.

    To be clear, this is NOT opening the doors for any discussion on PVE servers.

    Custom Servers will not give Gold or Rep and this will not change.

    If you need more details on the team's stance on PvEvP then check out our Podcast.


    As you participate in this thread:

    Keep to the Pirate Code and abide by the Forum Rules at all times.

    Keep it civil and be polite. Remember, it's not only a person on the other end of the debate but a group of people working behind the scenes to create this game. Be kind.

    Those who fail to abide by the rules will see their posts removed and warnings placed on their account - too many of these can result in a suspension or permanent removal from the Forums and Insiders.

    Thanks,
    j0toro

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  • I would actually like to see crazy custom servers since there's no progress, there's no care but what if you can admin spawn in things as well as people?

    Like say you need 200 kegs for some craziness.

    You spawn it in, in reasonable amounts, and there you go. Go have fun.

    Or say you want to practice skills against certain enemy types in a glorious arena to the death.

    This is what I really want to see with custom servers.

    1. console/chat commands as coffee says. As there is no progression, let players summon megs, let players give themselves loot. Let players teleport everywhere. Have permissions for these set by the server owner. Let players set their own respawn points/change the time taken to respawn. Let players modify how much health they have, how much damage each weapon does and how much food heals them. let players progressively move the red sea, kinda like /worldborder does in minecraft.

    2) Have the option for arena custom servers (at the moment I think SoC and NAL need to mess about with multiple accounts). A lot of players I think would enjoy playing arena against friends (even if they don't enjoy arena normally). RIP. that's a big RIP

    1. Have the option to remove limits on ship sizes. Let players have 2 lots of 12 8 (another RIP) man galleons on a server if they really want (again set by the owner). It's just a custom server so balance doesn't matter.

    2. Let players do the tall tales (including going through the portals) and do voyages, just don't reward them anything for it. (I believe you can't do that on the private servers partners have access to right now)

    3. Give a commendation for killing the shrouded ghost on a private server. Just to add insult to injury ;)

    4. Controversial one maybe, but let players modify cooldown times on actions (such as bucketing/shovelling, but also weapon reloads and eating etc) It would make some NAL folks happy, but also provide the chance for interesting events such as "no bucketing, last man standing" if you choose to increase the cooldown.

  • I would like to be able to choose between arena and adventure sized maps for our custom lobbies. It would be really nice to spawn in closer proximity for TDM and such.

  • I'd like to be able to make Arena-like custom servers. What I mean by this, as that players should be able to toggle between "contest" and "Adventure" mode when creating a server.

    When set to "contest" mode, a bunch of new settings would be available, including number of teams, map size (and location), contest time, points system.

    Players should be able adjust the points system:

    • they should be able to set activities for which the game gives them points.
    • they should be able to set the amount of point gained by a set activity.

    This way it's not only easier to make custom arena matches, but it'd open up a whole new way for ANY competitive game / event. Including fishing, digging and sailing contests.

    For now, that's the only thing I want to be added to the custom servers' capacities.

    Thanks for this megathread
    Cheers!

  • I think a cool feature would be a camera tool. Maybe a player choosing to spawn in as a camera for the session.
    Maybe changing to a camera with a button press, similar to the monitor in halo's forge mode.
    Maybe even set it up where if you are doing an emote, you can break away the camera from your character.

  • @testakleze said in [Mega Thread] Custom Servers:

    I think a cool feature would be a camera tool. Maybe a player choosing to spawn in as a camera for the session.
    Maybe changing to a camera with a button press, similar to the monitor in halo's forge mode.
    Maybe even set it up where if you are doing an emote, you can break away the camera from your character.

    This would be FANTASTIC for making more of GATAS.

  • I think, despite the work it would take, there are TONS of amazing idea's in this thread. If these custom servers are going to be paid for as rumour suggests, then these features NEED to be added.
    Changing spawns, adding or taking away loot/enemies, changing the time of day, and changing equipment cooldowns are all perfect for custom servers, especially for events.
    And even if it may be difficult to implement, i would 100% love a camera feature to take snapshots of our pirates at angles or of beautiful shots in game. If custom servers are cheap or free i could cope with going without these, but it feels greatly unfair that there wouldn't be more to these custom servers to get out of your money. I personally would not have a use for custom servers outside of once in a blue moon, but with these features, i would be rather tempted to use them more often, especially with friends.

    • Being able to choose the supply pool that can be found on barrels and that will spawn with ships would be amazing.

    • You could host a naval fight without chain shots or with only wraith balls instead of having to "ban them with words" and hope that everyone will respect the rules or farming FH fleets for hours just to get 5 wraith balls for each crew.

    • Being able to stop the time, it would allow you to take screen shots with perfect moon positions and allow to have minigames take place at the middle of night.


    This is what this thread is about right?

  • While some of the above settings sound fun and some even useful, I dread the possibility they'll find their way to the Adventure server.

    At minimum the server owner should be able to either remove players or close down the server.

  • @lem0n-curry said in [Mega Thread] Custom Servers:

    While some of the above settings sound fun and some even useful, I dread the possibility they'll find their way to the Adventure server.

    At minimum the server owner should be able to either remove players or close down the server.

    I am not sure what that is supposed to mean. The developers made their stance quite clear, so, what was the "issue" here?

  • @mew-schnee said in [Mega Thread] Custom Servers:

    @lem0n-curry said in [Mega Thread] Custom Servers:

    While some of the above settings sound fun and some even useful, I dread the possibility they'll find their way to the Adventure server.

    At minimum the server owner should be able to either remove players or close down the server.

    I am not sure what that is supposed to mean. The developers made their stance quite clear, so, what was the "issue" here?

    I see that I worded that awkwardly.

    I did not mean that these features would also become features on Adventure, but that due some bug or oversight settings could be changed on Adventure.

  • @lem0n-curry said in [Mega Thread] Custom Servers:

    @mew-schnee said in [Mega Thread] Custom Servers:

    @lem0n-curry said in [Mega Thread] Custom Servers:

    While some of the above settings sound fun and some even useful, I dread the possibility they'll find their way to the Adventure server.

    At minimum the server owner should be able to either remove players or close down the server.

    I am not sure what that is supposed to mean. The developers made their stance quite clear, so, what was the "issue" here?

    I see that I worded that awkwardly.

    I did not mean that these features would also become features on Adventure, but that due some bug or oversight settings could be changed on Adventure.

    Oh, haha, yeah, no gold and rep for all and cheers 😂

  • This is definitely the feature I want the most, precisely to be able to create content such as events, roleplay, tournaments, etc. Unfortunately it was only in the hands of partners and that was why I wanted the partnership so much. Hopefully one day we'll have customization control and maybe a spectator mode. It would be fantastic.

  • @seventysvn said:

    I would like to be able to choose between arena and adventure sized maps

    alt text

  • For someone who one day..like to make "videos" in SoT and create own works of story telling.

    I like to see some camera controls.
    Similar to how all those introduction videos to past events we see on youtube. Camera zooming, Panning around.

    Spawning enemies as you like them.
    Example: Spawn skeletons sitting around doing nothing until approached, like you see with Brigs during the Tall Tales.

    among other controls that allows a camera man full control and set creator to make a scene.

  • As others have said, I too hope to see "Server Admin" commands and permissions available, perhaps even freecam at some point to give players the premium screenshot potential!

  • I love the idea of the custom servers. especially for those who want to do content on how to do things or to hold special events . And while you can still pick up loot. It's cool for all those people who make really cool designs with the loot .

  • ok so I have been playing this game since launch and I Absolutely love it. But i have an idea that would make the game 100000% better and this is it here! so this would be a different game mode in which you own a island and you build and fortify it and store all the loot inside, think of a clash of clans type game but with the sea of thieves style. players could raid other islands and the player could grow its treasure just like pirates in the good old day. storing the treasure and then being able to have these assets i find to be way better than just cashing them in never seeing them again just to buy cosmetics. please if you could show this to one of the developer i think this would blow up fast. Thanks RARE

  • Custom servers to me are really an additional supporting base to the term "Sandbox". In a way I'd love to see custom servers take on the identity of a community-run Creative Mode. Having the freedom to do or set up whatever you want is what will revitalize the heart of the game, especially for fun mini-tournaments and competitions.

    I know the devs have been keeping their eye about in the community. Witnessing multiple custom server events from FFA and team ship battle tournaments, hide and seek events, keg collecting charity events, racing events, manipulating Arena servers to host very consistent and well operated TDMs. These kinds of creative ways for players to get together and play with or against each other is what the game's community has been looking forward to for a long time. And the current implementation of custom servers for Partners and Insiders has been a great start showing the possibilities.

    I would love to see more customizeability and ship spawn location options available to the hosts so maybe, we could have an arena-like round based in whatever location on the seas we want, or allow our ships to come stocks a specific number of cannonballs, specials, curseds, foods, and wood. Being able to spawn and fight around locations like the new Coral Fortress, in the completely empty waters where the Devil's Shroud used to fill, or at the Sea Dog's tavern with barely any access to the other islands nearby it, at forts where several levels of fighting shenanigans can occur, even allowing control of a world event in the location you spawn in to treat as a customized hazard for the naval or island fighting. It would make these kinds of events extremely varied... if not a literal headache to develop for the devs out there.

    I'm only hoping that when it comes out of alpha, and many of the functions to making a custom server operate well is done, that the "custom" part of custom servers is worked on for the beta... to be done in another year or so from now assuming no more world disasters cause any substantial delays.

  • Hi,
    I think there should be a teleportation device for the sunken Pearl tall tale,
    Many thanks

  • This would be amazing! Imagine how you can practice your skill friend against friend, this would change the game for good! Love to see it more updated soon! :)

  • @wsurftvveeds no…you should be able to do voyages and get rewards…gold, cosmetics, etc. you just dont rank up on emissary or get ledger board stuff. also no access to world events

  • @madfrito99

    "Custom Servers will not give Gold or Rep and this will not change."

    j0's words not mine.

  • @wsurftvveeds its something that needs to change

  • @madfrito99 doesn’t really need to change. Letting players earn normal commendations, gold, rep, ancient coins, and cosmetics would mean that players who don’t want to PvP will all just use custom servers, depriving the game of one of the core elements, which is player interaction. Cosmetics are meant to be rewards for doing stuff like 500 barnacled chests, and if you could just do everything without the risk of others stealing your things (or the benefit of being able to set your spawn location), there’d be no reward to play normally adventure apart from ledger rewards. Ledger rewards would also become super easy because players who do only PvE will only use the custom servers. Custom servers are a great idea which will hopefully mitigate people complaining about tall tale sinking or not being able to experience parts of the game (like FoFs) without a reward for doing it with minimal risk.

  • @madfrito99 I think you may have had one too many tankards of grog after a bad session on the seas.

    Taking away one of the most varied and unavoidable dangers on the seas: other players, would absolutely devalue every single cosmetic you earn in the game. It takes away player interactions, the dangers of interacting/getting spotted by players, and the reward of overcoming all of those challenges with a nice cosmetic that likely would have a great story up to you owning that cosmetic. If you're having trouble enjoying the purely multiplayer experience, these custom servers aren't going to fix that, and you surely won't be making any progress in there for your's, and everyone else's own good.

  • [mod edit]

  • @madfrito99 said in [Mega Thread] Custom Servers:

    [mod edit]

    Many players don't have a problem with this given the hundreds of thousands of players (nearing 1 million really fast) that have reached PL.

    Your hang up is just that, don't project it to be more than a personal preference with zero data to back it up.

  • @madfrito99 Dude stop…

    You are just delusional even though a rare employee said this:

    To be clear, this is NOT opening the doors for any discussion on PVE servers.

    You try and do it anyway, this thread is about custom servers as they are intended. Stop detailing the thread.

    They have been very clear:

    Custom Servers will not give Gold or Rep and this will not change.

    Also stop comparing every game to just every game, this is not destiny, this is not GTA this is Sea of thieves!

  • @madfrito99 said in [Mega Thread] Custom Servers:

    alot of people solo sloop and have a disadvantage against brigs and galleons

    Did you know Steam acknowledged Sea of Thieves for being "Better With Friends"? This game is exceptionally unbearable solo, especially if you're unable to handle the challenges of playing alone. That's why one must utilize Xbox LFGs, the Sea of Thieves Discord Server, hell, even the in-game open crew matchmaking (or lack thereof) can offer up a good host of crewmates every blue moon.

    If you choose to play this game and then choose to play solo, you should know what to expect when you play for multiple session solo. If you don't like it, create a crew, and if you don't want to create a crew, you're at a very bad fork in the road for playing the game. Adjusting your playstyle and preferences is a must in this game in order to enjoy it fully, and custom servers are not an adjustment to one's playstyle.

    Under your suggestions, it will be more detrimental to your playstyle and eventually leave you bored enough that you will not want to play the game anymore because there is nothing to do. No one wants that scenario, and it's side effects like those that give alliance servers a bad reputation.

    Sea of Thieves isn't going to flow with trends of making things safe for players when the heart of the game is the player interaction and combat between one another. If you can't adjust, I don't know what to tell you, but the seas will be ruthless and swallow you whole if you don't adjust to it's challenges.

  • @madfrito99 Just to reiterate AGAIN

    @meroviel said in Mega Thread - Custom Servers

    To be clear, this is NOT opening the doors for any discussion on PVE servers.

    Custom Servers will not give Gold or Rep and this will not change.

    If you need more details on the team's stance on PvEvP then check out our Podcast.

    Your post has been edited accordingly. Please try to remain on topic.

    Thank you

  • I'm having a lot of fun doing game capture in Sea of Thieves, and I don't necessarily dislike the challenge of doing capture on public servers with no freecam, but a way to break camera on private servers would be really cool to see.

    I know this in no way a priority, and I don't even have access to private servers myself, but I keep dreaming about what I could do with freecam tools.

    Shoutout to the devs who keep supporting this awesome game. I hope that someone at Rare sees some of the silly but cinematic videos I've made and gets a laugh.

  • Kind of a necro, but I think it's okay for mega feedback threads isn't it? (especially if still in development).

    What would be really nice is a programmability to them, either using a pre existing language or a simple drag and drop scripting language, so that custom modes/games can be made (sort of like you have in overwatch with parkour maps etc).

    Some kind of public custom server finder would be pretty nice also.

  • Can we have at least a server browser for the arena? It would be so great to make sloop matches with friends...

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