Community Spotlight - Taaamas

Since launch, Sea of Thieves has created a thriving global community, not only on the seas but also across multiple social platforms. These communities bring together passionate pirates to talk all things Sea of Thieves and share their creations, and one pirate has become well known not only for his stunning in-game photography but for his reliable and cheeky presence as a moderator on the official Discord server.

This week, we talk to Taaamas, also affectionately known as Goose on Discord, about his love of gaming, Sea of Thieves and capturing the world in which he sails!

[Q]: Can you tell us a little about what got you into gaming?

[A]: I don’t remember much of how I started with videogames, though I fell rather late into it overall. I’d have to attribute me getting into games from my dad and his interest in them that brought me to it too, so I have him to thank for a lot of this.

[Q]: Were you a Rare fan before Sea of Thieves? Do you have any favourite Rare games?

[A]: Sea of Thieves is actually the first Rare game I’ve played. I was aware of Rare and their other games prior to Sea of Thieves, but never played them. Though now I absolutely want to play them, knowing what I’ve been missing out on. However, I did manage to grab the new Battletoads recently which was an absolute delight! I also can’t wait for Everwild to release, I’ve been trying to follow it closely, looks stunning!

[Q]: What other games are you currently playing? Any favourites?

[A]: I have recently started playing Red Dead Redemption 2 and it’s absolutely fantastic, I highly recommend it! Hollow Knight and Celeste are still some of my favourite games. I’d love to play through them again one day, despite how angry they made me. I can definitely recommend all the Shovel Knight games, they’re fantastic and charming, all big favourites!

Recently got Metro Exodus though I’m yet to play it, can’t wait to dig into that and see what it has in store for me! Enter the Gungeon is another game I absolutely adore and can’t get enough of. I used to be quite invested in No Man’s Sky and played it frequently, it’s another game I need to get back into or maybe start afresh somewhere. I’ve recently been playing games like Stardew Valley, Raft and The Forest with friends, amazing multiplayer experiences there. And of course Sea of Thieves, though that should be obvious.

[Q]: What brought you over to Sea of Thieves and its community?

[A]: So prior to the game’s launch, I had basically heard nothing of this game. The first thing I saw of Sea of Thieves was when a great friend of mine named Tram was streaming the game on Twitch. Watching him and my other friends messing around in that game, and knowing they were without a fourth crewmate, I quickly picked up the game for myself to join them! I would most likely never have played Sea of Thieves if it weren’t for him and my other crewmates at the time, I owe them a lot for that. I stuck with them for a good few months on the seas, though after The Hungering Deep event they parted with the game so I’ve done my solo Slooping ever since. Though they come back every now and then which is lovely.

In terms of the community, I was disconnected from the rest of the Sea of Thieves community until some months into the game when I had some technical issues that led me to places like the Forums and Discord, and then I got drawn into it all. It was probably some time after the Anniversary Update and into 2020 that I felt I was interacting and being part of the community and it’s been absolutely wonderful! I’m glad to be here!

[Q]: You’re doing great work as a Sea of Thieves moderator – can you tell us a bit about what that involves?

[A]: It certainly involves paying a lot of attention to the Discord. I try to keep an eye on it the best I can, having it open most of the time when I’m at my computer. This was certainly the case when there were only a couple of us and we had alternating shifts because of time zones. Thankfully with some new people on the team it doesn’t take up as much focus as it used to. It’s also pretty important to make sure you know the people you’re working with and the regular users of the channels to help understand their intentions and usual reactions. That helps a lot to solve issues they may be having with other people or knowing when to step in.

I’d say it’s also beneficial to use the channels yourself as a normal user, allowing moderation to be more relaxed and regular rather than potentially strict and tense if you’re only present to keep people in line. It’s alright for the most part, but it can be stressful on those update and maintenance days. It also involves at least someone every day asking about the servers and how I should be fixing them. I promise I’m working very hard to fix every game issue myself.

[Q]: Can you tell us more about how you got started with your in-game photography?

[A]: Pretty much as soon as I found the screenshot button it was all downhill from there. Honestly though, I find the screenshots I take to be the best way to save memories. Going back through my captures folder is like peering into a time capsule of the things I’ve done in this game and the people I’ve met. I have my regrets about purging a bunch of screenshots from launch to the first anniversary to try and make some room on my computer, keeping important ones and removing ones I didn't think I’d want later. Though now I don’t much care to clean it up, it’s 60GB of pure mess and I love it. Sometimes I think I take so many that the captures folder cuts me off, not allowing me to take any more pictures because it breaks after I spam it all evening.

Recently I’ve been messing with the idea of taking headshots of pirates I meet on the seas, crewmate or otherwise. Maybe once I get enough I’ll compile it all somehow into a big collage! Also, I’ve been slowly trying to upload a bunch of my treasured screenshots (of which I’m only about 1/8th through) to websites so I can view them remotely and allow other people to have a browse of the ones I’ve taken! That’s all assuming I can stop being lazy and crack on with it. I’ll certainly keep taking pictures if I know I can look back on them later and smile!

[Q]: What have you learned or what challenges have you faced along the way as both a Sea of Thieves fan and moderator?

[A]: It’s definitely a challenge, you can get hate for what you’re doing, you see things you may wish to never see, you find yourself trying to solve everyone’s issues at once – it’s all part of the role, I suppose. Though I’d say it’s worth it, it has been incredibly rewarding and has allowed me to branch out and meet some amazing and lovely members of the community.

The entire experience I’ve had with moderation and being part of the Sea of Thieves community has also been a great help at teaching me how to better communicate with others. I may still have certain areas of communication that I’m not so great at (and anyone who knows me will know what I’m referring to with that) but people have been rather accepting of it and that’s just another reason I stick around.

I’m incredibly grateful for everything this community has had to teach me, to everyone I’ve had the pleasure of getting to meet and the amazing opportunities Rare have given me, allowing me to feel part of the community and meet these amazing people! I don’t know if I’d still be playing this game if I hadn’t been introduced to the community, I find it to be the biggest selling point the game has and a great reason to stay aboard!

[Q]: Thinking back, are there any standout moments for you in Sea of Thieves since you started playing?

[A]: Playing with my launch crew was certainly a standout moment for me on Sea of Thieves, they were the best people to sail with and still come by every now and then to sail. Even if they do fish the entire time I try to show them the new Tall Tales!

A particular standout moment would be when dying in the Shores of Gold, meeting a friend I knew from the Sea of Thieves Discord on the Ferry after getting a message saying he saw me go through the door! And it turns out a whole crew of friends I knew from that Discord were there so we spent the entire night sailing together and grouping up at the Sea Dog Tavern for a dance around and some duels. That was one of my favourite sessions in Sea of Thieves and I’m glad to know those guys!

Another fantastic moment I’ve had would be getting a message from The Kreators group asking if I’d be interested taking part in a 24 Man Band private server! That had me up all night, it was hilariously fun! We ended up messing about, doing fishing competitions, water bucket fights and instrument rival gangs! Glad to be invited, many screenshots taken and friends made! Similarly, the Community Moderator private server night I took part in, getting to sail with so many Community Managers, Moderators and Deckhands was amazing, never thought I’d get to meet them! Hopefully more of that in the future!

Lastly, I’d say getting to help out in WoodrowJenkins' Community Sailing sessions. Those sessions definitely help me get better at talking with people and making new friends! Been to a couple so far and they’ve been fantastic, it’s definitely allowed me to be more involved with other communities and meet even more fantastic people. Glad they keep me around, I’ll never know why, haha. Overall, the most standout moments are just getting to sail with other people that I haven’t had the chance to yet and make those new memories!

[Q]: What are your favourite additions to Sea of Thieves over the past year?

[A]: Where do I even start with this? I’ve loved pretty much all of the additions that Rare has thrown at us! The standout additions that I’ve loved would be things such as The Hunter’s Call as I’ve been wanting fishing since Cursed Sails released. Similarly with the Pirate Emporium update, I had been begging for pets since I first started playing and was overwhelmed when they finally arrived!

The addition of The Devil’s Roar was another standout moment, it felt so magical to see an entire new region with new environment threats like the volcanoes, the new locations and characters, it was amazing! The emissary system in Ships of Fortune was a huge change in player behaviour, adding so much to the game, even though I rarely use Emissaries! Haunted Shores and Ashen Winds were amazing, adding those new AI threats, mechanics and player weapons.

I definitely have the fondest memories of updates like The Hungering Deep as many others do, the introduction of the Megalodon in that was fantastic and I wish I could go back and experience it all over again with my old launch crew! Can’t wait to see what future additions the game has to throw at us!

[Q]: What are your greatest achievements in a game, Sea of Thieves or otherwise?

[A]: Probably getting to this point where I get to be featured on a Community Spotlight page! I don’t consider myself to have been in the community for very long or have much to show for myself so I wouldn't have thought to be on here, but it’s a real honour to feel part of the community like this!

In terms of in-game Sea of Thieves achievements, I don’t tend to go after any rare or challenging achievements in any games I play, though I’d say having won the #SoTShot competition was certainly a lovely achievement and I’d love to continue taking part in those screenshot competitions!

[Q]: If you had to choose a pirate and ship name, what would they be?

[A]: My ship tends to change every other day with new liveries, so I don't think I could call my ship anything consistent. As for my pirate, they haven’t changed much in years, weirdly enough. I suppose ‘Taaamas’ or ‘Tam’ would be appropriate as that’s how I’m known. I don’t really refer to myself often or label myself with a pirate-themed name, though other people do often refer to me as ‘Goose’ so that’s as good a name as any, I suppose!

[Q]: What kind of other hobbies do you enjoy outside of gaming?

[A]: I’m constantly trying to improve my knowledge of programming. Lockdown has definitely helped me with allocating time to that, which is great. I also enjoy doing little graphical edits that people might know me for as I shove it in their faces from time to time, particularly with Sea of Thieves edits such as ship livery concepts. I used to play the drums, despite how shocking I was at it. I did also have a small interest in singing, though anyone who knows me will know how ironic that is.

[Q]: Share a fun fact about yourself. Anything is fair game!

[A]: I’ve been learning BSL (British Sign Language), though I’m still severely lacking in what I can use it for or say with it so I hope to continue developing that! Another interesting thing would be that I’m a twin! (It’s not as great as you might think, trust me…)

That concludes our latest Community Spotlight! Thank you to Taaamas for talking to the team – we look forward to seeing more beautiful in-game photography and edits of his glorious pirate on the Sea of Thieves. If you’re eager to hear more from our Community, you can check out our previous Community Spotlights. Until next time!

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