Sea of Thieves not off to a Good Start

[Guest]

Yikes, so it's launch day for Sea of Thieves and already it's not looking good. Despite months of beta testing, the game is having some issues where the servers are down and new players can not sign up. It's pretty bad when your game is not even open for sign up on launch day, many are likening it to the infamous Diablo 3 launch. There is also apparently a lack of customization in the game and some of the mechanics are being criticized. Death apparently is rather inconsequential and there does not appear to be a lot of buzz surrounding the game yet, despite this being one of Microsoft's major planned launches this year.

The game did get sandwiched between the recent trailer for and upcoming release for God of War 2018 though, so that may be a factor. Only time will tell if Sea of Thieves manages to strike gold (SEA what I did THAR?), but for now it looks like people will have to wait a bit longer to DIVE into the latest from Rareware.

Honestly, this game to me never looked like it was going to take off if I'm blunt. I like Rareware (even though I didn't grow up with them as everyone else did) but I don't think anyone can deny they are a shell of their former self. If Sea of Thieves really does bomb, Microsoft may finally pull the plug, but at this point it may be a mercy killing.

I could be DEAD wrong though and Sea of Thieves could become the next big thing, but currently... things are not looking fantastic.

Edited March 20, 2018 by Guest
added

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,291]

This is just pointing out problems at launch, which always happens with games like this. It doesn't make it any less bullshit, but it is so common that the gaming community should be used to it by now. This is coming from someone (me) that feels that Microsoft is focusing too much on Sea of Thieves and not being broad enough right now. They are putting too many eggs in this one basket. Pointing out its launch woes doesn't really get us anywhere though. 

As for the game itself, my cousin is enjoying it and early reviews seem positive to an extent, but I will have to try the game out myself to know for sure. It is on Game Pass so that will make it easy.

Edited March 21, 2018 by PathfinderCS

[Megas 27,064]

10 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

 This is just pointing out problems at launch, which always happens with games like this. It doesn't make it any less bullshit, but it is so common that the gaming community should be used to it by now.

Just because it's common doesn't mean doesn't mean we should be used to it, that just tells devs/publishers it's okay to be lazy and rush shit to launch before it's ready

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,291]

1 minute ago, Alvin Yakitori said:

Just because it's common doesn't mean doesn't mean we should be used to it, that just tells devs/publishers it's okay to be lazy and rush shit to launch before it's ready

Exactly, but it happens so often that I don't think anything is changing anytime soon. That's my point.

[Sovereign Leader Rarity 12,000]

If so, then that's a shame. I didn't grow up with Rareware, but I have played a great many of their games by this point, enough to know how good their games actually can be, and have been in the past.

That being said, a great many games have issues at launch such as this (though perhaps not quite ti the same degree) so it really probably doesn't actually mean as much as it may appear to right this moment.

I doubt that Sea of Thieves will be "the best game that Rare has ever made", to put it in their own terms, but I DO think that the game has promise, and potential to be a very fun time. And even if the game doesn't do THAT well on any front, I doubt that it will "bomb" in any capacity.

Edited March 20, 2018 by Rarity the Supreme

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

This is just pointing out problems at launch, which always happens with games like this.

Tons of games launch with no major issues like this. Not being able to play the game is a huge issue. That being said this game was in beta testing for MONTHS, this is inexcusable.

 

22 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

It doesn't make it any less bullshit, but it is so common that the gaming community should be used to it by now.

"It's bullshit, but we should be used to it". That's the mentality of accepting mediocrity which gets more mediocrity. People should stand up and complain about these major problems every time they happen to drive the message home that we do not want it to be normalized or accepted.

24 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

This is coming from someone (me) that feels that Microsoft is focusing too much on Sea of Thieves and not being broad enough right now. They are putting too many eggs in this one basket. Pointing out its launch woes doesn't really get us anywhere though. 

On the contrary! I agree with you. I think pointing out this problem though might get Microsoft to wake up if all of their fans are telling them that they shouldn't have put this much stock in one game.

 

[The Coffee Pony 1,390]

13 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

Exactly, but it happens so often that I don't think anything is changing anytime soon. That's my point.

That is a horrendous outlook to have. I'm sorry but we should keep giving companies shit for this, we should be hammering in that this is unacceptable and we definitely should stop giving them money for broken on arrival games. Every time you give them money you're telling them that this is okay, you're telling them you have 0 financial wisdom whatsoever and you're telling them that you're looking to be taken advantage of.

[Snow Frostflame 3,567]

If you expect a highly anticipated online game to run smoothly on the day of launch then you are fooling yourself. I tried to launch the game the minute it released in America.... it took me and my friend two hours later before we could actually play the game. Is that annoying? Yes very much. Does that make Sea of Thieves a bad game? Absolutely not! The lack of customization I found kinda odd, but I'd say I'm satisfied with how my pirate looks. I'am an alpha and beta tester and I can tell you for sure the game has come a long way since, but has become exactly what I imagined it being when I saw it at E3. A game that doesn't hold your hand, or tell you what to do... just sailing around with friends, finding treasure, killing other players, etc. If the game is not your cup of tea, then so be it. But because you don't like the way they made their open world pirate simulator doesn't mean the rest of the internet agrees with you.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,291]

2 minutes ago, The Coffee Pony said:

That is a horrendous outlook to have. I'm sorry but we should keep giving companies shit for this, we should be hammering in that this is unacceptable and we definitely should stop giving them money for broken on arrival games. Every time you give them money you're telling them that this is okay, you're telling them you have 0 financial wisdom whatsoever and you're telling them that you're looking to be taken advantage of.

I would change my outlook the moment games like Call of Duty and Destiny stop selling millions. Games that are filled to the brim with greed and incompetence yet gamers still support them to massive success.

[Megas 27,064]

5 minutes ago, Snow Frostflame said:

If you expect a highly anticipated online game to run smoothly on the day of launch then you are fooling yourself.

last I remember Overwatch, Fortnite and Monster Hunter World had no major issues at launch. Yeah, not every game is gonna be perfect, they'll still have to fix a few kinks after launch that they missed, but when you have issues logging in there's no excuse

 

Edited March 20, 2018 by Alvin Yakitori

[Snow Frostflame 3,567]

1 minute ago, Alvin Yakitori said:

last I remember Overwatch, Fortnite and Monster Hunter World had no issues at launch

Last I remember Overwatch, and Fornite aren't free world MMOs... can't say the same about Monster Hunter though since I never played it.

Edited March 20, 2018 by Snow Frostflame

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,152]

Guys, I'm just frustrated that I had to intervene here. I don't need to do this, nor do I want to, but when I have to it's not fun for anyone. There is a good conversation to be had; just stick to that. Please, DO NOT:

1. Point out that this thread is pointless. That's not up to you, and only leads to further off-topic nonsense!

2. If you feel that this thread is going to provoke a response aimed at the OP, just don't. Either contribute to the topic, or don't. Simple as that.

3. Do not reply to posts you feel target you. Again, this just only continues derailing a thread.

This is for everyone; not just one individual. Please, do not make me shutter this thread permanently.

Cheers, and carry on.

[Jokuc 8,172]

I remember watching the trailer for this a long time ago and the first thing I thought was "This is going to be the next big thing". I haven't read anything about the game so I'm not really sure what features they actually have in there now for launch, but if they fix the server issues and add a bunch of customization I'm sure this could be quite popular despite the rough start.

[Megas 27,064]

The game looks like they took the worst parts of Windwaker and tried to combine it with No Man's Sky, which is also a huge red flag. On that tangent people are drawing similarities to No Man's Sky, and it's not a good thing when people are comparing your game to one of the most infamous gaming letdowns within recent memory.

If it wasn't for Game Pass the game would have been dead at launch

Edited March 22, 2018 by Alvin Yakitori

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,291]

I have been extensily playing this game over the past couple of days thanks to Game Pass and the way I see it is this: Sea of Thieves has a multitude of issues. Lack of content, no good progression, terrible combat, boring enemies and a lack of different features. The game in no way should be priced at $60. However, I once again feel like I can't take the gaming community seriously. Games like this and No Man's Sky, games that were launched too early and lack content, are basically crucified for it by the gaming community. No Man's Sky is basically a meme at this point that people bandwagon on because the lols. Yes, both of these games are disappointing in their launch in many ways, but we all know Sea of Thieves will get better. Does it excuse the poor launch? Not at all. What makes me more lenient though, is how hypocritical gamers are. They burn No Man's Sky and Sea of Thieves at the stake but a game like Destiny gets so many free passes and is supported by the masses, despite that game's numerous problems and greedy business. Keep in mind that Destiny had the largest marketing campaign in gaming history and it was a disaster in game design. Its missions were terrible, the enemies and bosses were boring, the story was one of the worst ever and yet people were fine with shelling out $60 pre orders and an additional $35 for the expansion pass. Those same people, after being glorified beta testers for a year, would go on to pay even more money for the Taken King expansion which added in features that should have been in the game on day one. Not to mention they locked off base game features behind all of this DLC as well. Then, after all of that bullshit, people were still so blind that they bought Destiny 2, a game that shares almost every problem with its predecessor and the exact same DLC tactics are being deployed, yet people STILL support it.

If people can still support Destiny despite it being shallow, greedy, corporate clusterfuck hellbent on being as inane and brain dead as possible, then surely those same people can give Sea of Thieves a chance to improve. I am not syaing that companies should release games in such unfinished states, but if gamers are going to continue to support something waaaaaaay worse, like Destiny or Call of Duty, then they should apply the same level of non-scrutiny to other titles.

[joanro 247]

The server issues the game has are definitely disappointing. This is something that really should not have happened. I have heard speculation that it was possibly due to more people playing the game through Game Pass then they had anticipated. I know it still should not have happened, but I just thought I would throw that out there(again, just speculation). However, I don't think that these issues are going to doom the game. I think the game will either sink or swim depending on whether people truly enjoy the game or not.

Okay, so I kind of want to give my impressions of the game. Let me start by saying, I never really buy into hype when it comes to video games. As a gamer, I am pretty darn cynical when it comes to video games. I don't know whether the hype for this game was there or not, but I thought I would just say that.

So anyway, I played a little bit of the beta about a few weeks prior to the game being released. When I say a little bit, I mean like 15-20 minutes of the game. Not really enough to give any really impression of the game. I played with three other people, but I had no idea what to do on the galleon. Apparently, some of the people I played with had played the previous betas, so they were more familiar with the game's mechanics.

Okay, so fast forward to the game's release. My friend ends up picking up the game, so I play with him. I haven't played the game that much...maybe, about 3 or 4 hours. So, it seems a little challenging at first to get the hang of managing the galleon(especially when it was just my friend and I), but it eventually clicks. In my opinion, the sailing is one of the coolest parts about the game which is good because you do a lot of it...you know being a pirate and all. It doesn't hurt that the ocean looks gorgeous as well. I love how when you are sailing through a storm, it really feels like how you would imagine it would be trying to steer a ship through a storm. It just feels right, you know? I honestly just feel like they nailed this aspect of the game. That being said, I haven't done much in the game besides treasure hunting. It was fun playing with my friend and seeing who could dig up the treasure first. I have to say playing with friends or with randoms is the way to play this game. You can play alone, but I feel like you would be missing out by doing so. I guess you could make the argument that most games are more fun with friends or other people though. My friend and I did play with some random online. We(it was my friends idea) jokingly sent him to the brig. We let him out immediately afterwards though because he was playing depressing music. We also encountered other pirates at the outpost who my friend proceeded to shoot and kill while the player harmlessly played his instrument. They later took revenge on us by boarding our ship and killing us, haha. It's moment like those that make the game enjoyable. It's just funny and just like how the game does not take itself very seriously. It's nice...I mean I know there are other games like this, but this game feels very "Rare."

What I also enjoy about the game is you are free to play the game how you want to. Want to stick around the outpost and rob other pirates who are coming to turn in their treasure? You can do that. Want to engage in naval warfare with that other crew's ship you see over there? Go ahead. Or vice versa. You can be a nice pirate if you want and help other pirates out. It's up to you. No one is going to stop you...except maybe other pirates. In that regard, it is a pretty level playing field. Everyone has access to the same weapons and equipment.

In regards to what the OP mentioned. I think death in the game only has consequence if you are killed by another pirate who is stealing your treasure. Your stuck in that place for a bit when you die. By the time you respawn, the pirate who made off with your treasure will be long gone and your ship will probably be at the bottom of the ocean.

All in all, I think this game has a lot of potential. I am interested to see what new content they will add to the game in the future. I love sea monsters and the Kraken they want to put in the game sounds really cool. I guess time will tell whether this game bombs or not.

[Megas 27,064]

On 3/22/2018 at 8:38 PM, Kyoshi said:

I have been extensily playing this game over the past couple of days thanks to Game Pass and the way I see it is this: Sea of Thieves has a multitude of issues. Lack of content, no good progression, terrible combat, boring enemies and a lack of different features. The game in no way should be priced at $60. However, I once again feel like I can't take the gaming community seriously. Games like this and No Man's Sky, games that were launched too early and lack content, are basically crucified for it by the gaming community. No Man's Sky is basically a meme at this point that people bandwagon on because the lols. Yes, both of these games are disappointing in their launch in many ways, but we all know Sea of Thieves will get better. Does it excuse the poor launch? Not at all. What makes me more lenient though, is how hypocritical gamers are. They burn No Man's Sky and Sea of Thieves at the stake but a game like Destiny gets so many free passes and is supported by the masses, despite that game's numerous problems and greedy business. Keep in mind that Destiny had the largest marketing campaign in gaming history and it was a disaster in game design. Its missions were terrible, the enemies and bosses were boring, the story was one of the worst ever and yet people were fine with shelling out $60 pre orders and an additional $35 for the expansion pass. Those same people, after being glorified beta testers for a year, would go on to pay even more money for the Taken King expansion which added in features that should have been in the game on day one. Not to mention they locked off base game features behind all of this DLC as well. Then, after all of that bullshit, people were still so blind that they bought Destiny 2, a game that shares almost every problem with its predecessor and the exact same DLC tactics are being deployed, yet people STILL support it.

If people can still support Destiny despite it being shallow, greedy, corporate clusterfuck hellbent on being as inane and brain dead as possible, then surely those same people can give Sea of Thieves a chance to improve. I am not syaing that companies should release games in such unfinished states, but if gamers are going to continue to support something waaaaaaay worse, like Destiny or Call of Duty, then they should apply the same level of non-scrutiny to other titles.

Ummmm,Destiny never got free passes, everyone grilled Destiny, and support for it fell off the cliff

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,291]

7 hours ago, Alvin Yakitori said:

Ummmm,Destiny never got free passes, everyone grilled Destiny, and support for it fell off the cliff

Yet it sold millions, its DLC sold boatloads and Destiny 2, while not near as successful as the first, was still one of the best selling games of 2017. Then those people were all shocked when Activision deployed the exact same greedy garbage in D2 as they did in D1. Can't wait for Destiny 3 for it all to happen again, while gamers complain about other games doing the same things Destiny does, though not even as bad. And I am not saying all of this in defense for Sea of Thieves.

[Sovereign Leader Rarity 12,000]

It has come to my attention, that although decently good, Sea of Thieves has failed to leave any major impact on Rare's behalf. I'm not saying that they will still definitely never come back, but this is sadly not the game that will put them back on top.

Though I can respect the idea (and Rare for making a title which isn't another bland, mediocre Kinect Sports game), it would seem that the game was rushed out before it was ready, and the initial end result is fairly unimpressive.

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

I prefer ARK:Survival Evolved

[Scrubbed user 3,415]

 

On 4/2/2018 at 9:19 AM, Lucid_Nightlight said:

I prefer ARK:Survival Evolved

ARK, the game that was in Early Access for over 2 years, was an unoptimized piece of shit, had a console release while still in Early Access, and Studio Wildcard had the nerve to release DLC for it, while it was still in Early Access.

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

11 hours ago, Vulon Bii said:

 

ARK, the game that was in Early Access for over 2 years, was an unoptimized piece of shit, had a console release while still in Early Access, and Studio Wildcard had the nerve to release DLC for it, while it was still in Early Access.

What about Rust? I don't have the money for it, but from what I've seen it looks decent