Sea of Thieves

[Dark Drakan]

I have been reading some articles and interviews with Rare and the media and it's shaping up rather nicely. Wasn't really sure what the game was about for a while but they have been releasing new videos to clear that up.

9 Things You Should Really Know About Sea of Thieves

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Sea of Thieves will launch on Windows 10 & XB1 in 2018 & is part of the

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​

 

[Dark Drakan]

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You'll be able to play the intriguing looking pirate game

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between the PC & Xbox-minded friends on launch day, developer Rare has confirmed.​

 

[Dark Drakan]

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Perhaps more importantly, Sea of Thieves was a big hit on Twitch (and Mixer), apparently reaching the live-viewer top spot while the closed beta ran. Which is great news for Microsoft and Rare and with talk that

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that number would skyrocket.​

 

[Dark Drakan]

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[Dark Drakan]

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If you'd like to get involved, you'll either need to have pre-ordered the game or to have

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. Unless things have changed over the last seven days, you should still be able to register for the latter.

Accessing the beta build can be a little fussy (especially on PC), so it's worth having a read through

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.​

 

[Dark Drakan]

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As Sea of Thieves' draws ever closer to release on March 20th, Rare is steadily filling in the remaining blanks regarding the features that wannabe pirates can expect to see at launch. Latest on its list are further details of customisation, both of the personal and ship variety.

Sea of Thieves' "horizontal" progression system has, of course, been known for a while - with the game's broader pull coming through the acquisition of new clothing and weapon cosmetics, enabling you to carve out your own piratical identity within the world. Less documented is ship customisation, which Rare's new dev video shows in more detail.

By visiting a shipwright at an island outpost, you'll be able to purchase and equip new hull and sail liveries, as well as new figureheads - with the video demoing everything from regal lions and a sombre Neptune to jaunty skulls and wooden sharks. There are ample hull and sail colours, patterns, and emblem variants on show too.

Interestingly,

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also suggested that it would eventually be possible to customise a ship's cannons, capstan, masts and wheel - although these specific elements aren't mentioned in the video.

As Rare's Ted Timmins explains, "It was really important to us that for launch, when you see a particular sail on the horizon, that it has a meaning... you might have heard about that crew. And therefore [ship customisation] kind of shows a sense of stature in the world".

To that end, ships will be customisable on release - with the video also confirming that players will be able to own their own ships post-launch. It's not entirely clear what this means, but it could be a reference to Sea of Thieves' fascinating-sounding later-game, in which crews

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, and gain access to their own ships, secret hideouts, and exotic quests to embark on.

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[Dark Drakan]

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During a developer update about the final beta, executive producer Joe Neate explained that the studio wants to have a greater number of players trying the game out than before, and in order to do so it has opened up the trial to everyone. Additionally, a number of new features have been included in the new beta.

The first of them is the Merchant Alliance, which is a faction that tasks players with capturing animals in exchange for rewards. Another new feature being tested in the beta is Skeleton Forts, which creates the opportunity for forts in the world to be occupied by skeletons. These special forts offer greater rewards for those who clear them out, but they're signified by large clouds hovering above them that are visible to all players. Naturally, this means you may have to battle other players as well as skeletons for riches.

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[Dark Drakan]

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Rare's done it - Sea of Thieves has topped the UK games chart in a busy week for new releases.

Impressively, the PC and Xbox One pirate simulator hit number one just on Xbox One boxed copies alone. (UK numbers company Chart-Track does not count digital sales on PC or Xbox.)

And, of course, those sales do not count anyone playing the game using the cheapest option - via Microsoft's £7.99 per month Xbox Games Pass subscription, which Sea of Thieves is part of.
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[Dark Drakan]

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Sea of Thieves recently crossed two million players and as more gamers experience the title, new problems emerge. This week Rare fixed the ship-spawning issue which caused griefing, but there are other problems like spawn-killing and cheating which need to be addressed. Today, the studio put out a list of topics the team is working on as well as addressing the lack of content many gamers have been bringing up. ​

 

[Dark Drakan]

Rare Innside Story - Content Plans

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Sea of Thieves design director Mike Chapman and executive producer Joe Neate talked about the development roadmap for the game in a new video and how Rare plans new “ways to enrich the world” and deliver “things that surprise you.”

The next big addition to Sea of Thieves is a content update called The Hungering Deep. It’s due in May and will introduce a “new AI threat” to the game that will “encourage players to interact in different ways” and “bring crews together” in new ways. The Hungering Deep will be a permanent fixture in the game, with new mechanics and rewards, but will kick off with a timed event that Rare plans to start teasing soon.

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[Dark Drakan]

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With title updates, hotfixes, and a ceaseless development cycle, every franchise earns at least one second chance in the open-world, always-online era. But Rare never betrayed their faith. The studio charted a comeback with a remarkably steadfast commitment to its vision of Sea of Thieves, betting it all on a single unassailable fact: that we all wish we could live the pirate's life.

An interesting article by IGN on the launch that stumbled and giving the players what they wanted over time and evolving the game based on feedback. ​

 

[Dark Drakan]

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More than two years after its debut on the Microsoft Store, the multiplayer high-seas hijinks game Sea of Thieveswill arrive on Steam on June 3. Developer Rare said it's looking forward to opening the game to "a whole new community of PC players," and also confirmed that the Steam release will have full cross-play compatibility with the Windows Store and Xbox One versions.​

 

[Dark Drakan]

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The game has been out since 2018, but until now it has been a Windows Store exclusive to Microsoft.
Sea of Thieves still uses Xbox Live for accounts even on Steam, but you will be able to cross-play between Steam copies, Xbox players and people who play through the Microsoft Store. It has also (at the time of writing this) just hit its highest

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. ​

 

[MatteoMercatale]

The game is focused on emergent gameplay. Sailing and fighting, exploring and lootin.. Amazing indeed

 

[Dark Drakan]

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Sea of Thieves has officially surpassed 15 million players since its launch in March 2018.

June 2020 was also the most active month the game has ever seen, with 3.3 million active players. The game launched on Steam at the beginning of June and has sold over one million copies through the platform since.

The seafaring pirate game has grown in popularity since January, attracting over 5 million new players in just six months. Since it allows players to explore the seas and adventure around with friends, it’s become a popular pick-up during the coronavirus pandemic alongside other multiplayer exploration games.

Not to mention the next Ashen Winds Update is set to roll out July 29th

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[Dark Drakan]

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To commemorate this historic milestone of the studio, Rare is throwing a little Easter Egg hunt in Sea of Thieves. Find all five connections to Rare’s heritage, and you will unlock an all-new exclusive Rare Legend Figurehead.


You have from August 3rd: 05:00pm to August 24th: 04:59pm to interact with each of the Easter Eggs and grab the elusive reward! As always, you can check your progress on the official

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website as you activate each Easter Egg.

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Spoiler: Steps to Unlock

1. Blackwyche on Shipwreck Bay

Visit Shipwreck Bay and interact with Blackwyche

The mighty Blackwyche shipwreck resides on Shipwreck Bay. Head to the South side of the island to find the wreckage on the beach.

Climb up to the entrance of the Captain’s Cabin on the East side of the wreckage and look up at the nameplate found above the door.

To activate the Easter Egg, you’ll want to “Inspect” the nameplate. Once you’ve read a bit about the Blackwyche, you will be rewarded with a tidy sum of 7 Doubloons and 3,500 Gold Coins!

2. Battletoads on Snake Island

Venture on Snake Island and find the painting of mighty toads

Sail on over to Snake Island and walk on up to the highest point of the middle isle. Walk on over to the North side and peak out over the edge to find the Battletoads rock painting.

Inspect the painting to learn the legend of these ‘Fightin’ Frogs.’ Once you do, you’ll hear the lovely sound of Doubloons and Gold Coins clinking into your pockets.

3. Banjo-Kazooie on Plunder Valley

Visit on Plunder Valley and seek the picturesque bear & bird duo

“Guh-huh!” The Banjo-Kazooie Easter Egg resides on a large island already quite bedecked in avian art—Plunder Valley.

Plunder Valley has a rather iconic silhouette—topped by a large bird shaped rock formation. The Easter Egg you seek is at the base of this rock formation.

Climb on up to the middle level of the island, working your way around to the east side of this base. You’ll find this painting on the side of the rock formation facing towards the East sea.

Inspect this rock painting to successfully activate the Easter Egg. You’ll earn Doubloons, Gold Coins, and another check marking off yet another step on your quest to that beautiful figurehead.

4. Viva Piñata on Thieves’ Haven

Stop by Thieves’ Haven and look for colourful animals at the top

Hungry for candy? Why not stop by Thieves’ Haven and find yourself a piñata or two?

Head into the cave system found on the middle level of the island from the North side. Follow the caves westward and you’ll come across the Viva Piñata rock painting.

Walk up to the painting and inspect! More Doubloons and Gold Coins will trickle into your coffers. More importantly, you’ll have another Easter Egg checked off the list!

5. Perfect Dark in a storm

Sail through a storm with all your lanterns off for a Perfectly Dark moment on the seas!

Remember how we said you’ll activate “most” Easter Eggs by inspecting them? Well, this Easter Egg is much more interactive than the others!

For this Easter Egg, you’ll need to sail through a storm at night with all your lanterns off.

Make sure all your lanterns, above and below deck, are turned off while in the storm. You’ll know you are truly in the storm when you hear your ship’s bell ringing!

Completing each of the five challenges will unlock the very special Rare Legend Figurehead ​