E3 2016: 4 Things We Learned About Sea of Thieves

Rare Wanted to Make an Intuitive Multiplayer game

The main thing that Rare wanted to achieve with Sea of Thieves, gameplay wise, was to create a multiplayer game that felt instantly intuitive to the players. For instance, putting all five crew members on a ship would give them a vague idea of what to do and how to behave. Before the ship can move, you would naturally place someone at the wheel, and then have other people raise the anchor so you’re no longer tied to the ground. After that, you’ll need people to adjust the sails and their lengths to determine the ship’s direction and speed.

A ship is meant to be a familiar environment for players, and allow them all to have a general sense of what they need to do in order to make progress. in addition to that, Rare acknowledges that there hasn’t been an epic pirate game in recent years, and they felt that it was a waste to leave such an interesting theme unexplored. Their goal was to send players out on an adventure together where they could discover treasures, and also do so without having to adjust to a steep difficulty curve.

Sea of Thieves is Completely Fantastical

I asked if Sea of Thieves drew any inspiration from real life historical pirates and pop culture, and executive producer Joe Neate admitted that the team had looked to a lot of these materials for references. However, Neate also mentions that the team wanted Sea of Thieves to have its own original, fantastical world. Instead of creating a pirate game that was grounded in reality like in the 1600s, Rare’s intention was to create a game that was full of colorful mythical creatures that you could interact with. Sea of Thieves comes with its own lore, and the game wants its players and community to help build this world.

Neate also makes the point that you won’t find any historical pirates like Blackbeard. Rare wants “players [to] become the Blackbeard of their game and become famous in the community.” There will be krakens and mermaids, and it will very much be an experience shaped by players’ personal stories.

There Will Be Ship Customization

Rare knows that “everyone wants to own a ship.” Neate confirmed that players will be able to customize their ships in all sorts of ways, including the upgrading and equipping of new cannons. Players can use their looted treasure to purchase cannons with longer ranges or better power, and create a ship that is truly your own. Players will also be able to visit their friends’ ships and see what sorts of upgrades or customization options they have, and then work towards that themselves. While you won’t be able to steal things while visiting other ships, you can actually do so in the middle of battles if you’re able to board another opponent’s ship.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a real pirate game if you couldn’t customize your own Jolly Roger. Every player can customize their flags to establish their own unique pirate identity in Sea of Thieves.

More Improvements Will Be Added in the Future

Weather conditions are a big thing in Sea of Thieves. Storms and winds will greatly affect your ship’s movement and your own visibility. Winds can change directions at the drop of a dime, and your crew has to be ready to adjust the sails whenever this happens. When asked about the weather conditions and general support for the game in the future, Neate stated that “this is going to be a constantly evolving game” that will receive even more improved weather conditions in the future. Things will grow over time, and weather conditions might become a more complex gameplay component you’ll have to watch out for in the future.

Neate also directed my attention to the game’s sky. He mentions that the sky and the sea are the two things you’ll see the most in Sea of Thieves, and that’s exactly why Rare has put in so much effort into perfecting them. The sky isn’t just a dome over the world; it’s an actual sky with 3D clouds and they’re meant to signify the passage of time as you sail the seas.