- 11 minuti fa
Rare ha pubblicato un nuovo video di Sea of Thieves dedicato al panel che si è svolto al Comic Con di New York ai primi di ottobre.
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00:00:02Hello, everyone. Hi. Y'all having a great Comic Con? Nice one. Fantastic. Fantastic.
00:00:11Well, thank you for coming along. It's a massive pleasure for us to be here and for us to have
00:00:16our sea of friends here.
00:00:21It's Sea of Thieves, a new kind of multiplayer experience. And my name is Peter Hentz, also known as Yoho
00:00:27Hentz.
00:00:28Here we are. Aha. Gnarly, yes. We also have our design director, Mike the Mutinous Chapman.
00:00:46And Joe Three Sheets Neat.
00:00:53Quite possible the most murderous looking pirate I've ever seen in my life.
00:01:03And Shelley Presgang Preston.
00:01:11So, there's just one thing we want to do before we kind of get the show on the road.
00:01:14We were hoping that we could take a little photo of the crowd.
00:01:17So, if you could all go full pirate for us.
00:01:20And we're just going to take a little bit of a snap that we'll share on social media.
00:01:22Come on.
00:01:24Come on. Let's do it.
00:01:25Come on. Let's do it.
00:01:28Yeah.
00:01:34Very good. Awesome.
00:01:37You guys are awesome.
00:01:40Awesome.
00:01:41Thank you very much.
00:01:43So, without further ado, I'm going to hand over to my esteemed colleague, Mike the Mutinous.
00:01:49Thank you.
00:01:49There you are, sir.
00:01:50Thank you, Pete.
00:01:52Thank you, everyone.
00:01:54John Oliver.
00:01:55John Oliver. Yeah, that's me.
00:01:57Thank you.
00:01:58Thank you, Comic-Con.
00:01:59Thanks for having us.
00:02:00So, just to begin, if you didn't know, what is Sea of Thieves?
00:02:05Well, Sea of Thieves is a shared world adventure game where you and your friends have the freedom to live
00:02:11the pirate life playing who you want to play,
00:02:14whether that's adventuring, exploring, completing quests, encountering fantastical creatures in the world,
00:02:20and, of course, encountering other real players out there on the waves.
00:02:24Ultimately, everyone in Sea of Thieves will be progressing towards becoming a pirate legend.
00:02:30And along the way on that journey, they will have memorable adventures and no two sessions are ever going to
00:02:37play the same.
00:02:38So, just to open up, here's Sea of Thieves in a nutshell.
00:03:20So, just to open up, here's Sea of Thieves.
00:03:49Thank you.
00:03:50Thank you.
00:03:51Thank you.
00:03:54So, our goal is to create a new kind of multiplayer experience, and one that can change perceptions of what
00:04:00multiplayer can really be.
00:04:02We firmly believe in the untapped potential and the power of multiplayer to bring players together.
00:04:07That's better. You can hear me now, right?
00:04:10Creating welcoming communities and new and fresh experiences.
00:04:13It's fair to say, however, that there are varying perceptions of multiplayer as it currently stands, and I think this
00:04:19is entirely fair.
00:04:20And for a great deal of players, some of this is quite off-putting.
00:04:24So, if we think about some of the perceptions of multiplayer that are out there today, there's the perception that
00:04:30it's just about pure competition, that it's just about pure mastery of mechanics, that it's just about player skill, that
00:04:38it's only about your skill that you bring to the game being the societal factor of who wins and who
00:04:43loses.
00:04:43But multiplayer can be so much more than that.
00:04:46There's the perception that there's too much toxic behavior.
00:04:49It's inevitable in any kind of community that there'll always be a small group of players who want to take
00:04:54the fun away from other people.
00:04:57It's important that we give players the power to deal with those kinds of situations and also build a community
00:05:03that's welcoming, that stands for what's right in that kind of game community.
00:05:08There's the perception that there's limitations around play style, and it relates to the first point where, ultimately, it's always
00:05:14going to be about competition.
00:05:16And that once I'm locked into a play style, I can't really move.
00:05:18It's just about battling the environment or it's just about battling other players.
00:05:22We want to create a game where it can support multiple player motivations and multiple play styles.
00:05:27And last, and I think this is a very important one, and I'm sure if you've played a lot of
00:05:31games, you've experienced this as well.
00:05:33The perception that you get left behind, that you need to put in that same amount of time investment as
00:05:39your friends to be able to keep up with them.
00:05:41That every, you know, if you say we need to play together every Tuesday night to be able to stay
00:05:46at the same level,
00:05:46otherwise we're going to fall behind and I can't really play with you anymore.
00:05:49That is such an alien concept. That puts barriers in place from friends to be able to play together.
00:05:54And that's not what Sea of Thieves is about.
00:05:57We believe in the magic of multiplayer.
00:06:00And that promise that if you, you know, if you played games years ago, that idea of getting lost in
00:06:05this world with your friends,
00:06:06just being able to go on these epic adventures, multiplayer promises so much and there's so much untapped potential.
00:06:12Ultimately, we have faith in gamers, but we know we need, this starts with our game design approach.
00:06:18It starts with a fundamental game design, that we look at this with fresh eyes and we design it from
00:06:23the ground up to make the most of this multiplayer experience.
00:06:26Have to call this one out first.
00:06:28I think everyone's aware of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the reading books like Treasure Island,
00:06:42and, of course, if you're old enough, the humour, the tone and the character of Monkey Island.
00:06:50And I think all those things encapsulate that fantasy of being out there and being a pirate.
00:06:55But I think it's really important for Sea of Thieves because so many people will come and play this game
00:07:00and they've already got an idea in their heads of what it's like to be a pirate in this fantasy
00:07:04world.
00:07:05They've already got an idea of what it means to crew up with friends and be on a ship together,
00:07:09out there on the open waves, going in hunts of epic lost treasure and exploring these islands.
00:07:15Everyone already comes to Sea of Thieves with an idea of what pirates do.
00:07:19That allows us to meet players halfway, where we don't need to over-explain the purpose of what you're doing
00:07:24in this world.
00:07:25because you already come with that ready-made knowledge.
00:07:28Co-op is naturally at the very heart of Sea of Thieves.
00:07:31Whether it's the design of the ship, the design of the quest, the design of the tools that you have,
00:07:37co-op is at the absolute heart of our decision-making process.
00:07:40And it wasn't just around, like, forcing players into these co-op situations.
00:07:45It was about building natural benefits, having other people around.
00:07:48It's not just like some games out there where having more people around you is just extra firepower
00:07:54or it's just having more ability to take down bosses.
00:07:57In air game, having people around you means there's more soft skills.
00:08:01It's having an extra pair of eyes, an extra pair of ears.
00:08:04Having someone in the crow's nest who can spot ships from a distance.
00:08:07Someone who's been an explorer in the world and has knowledge of the island.
00:08:11Someone that can share that with the crew.
00:08:12All of that comes to the fore in a game like Sea of Thieves where, ultimately,
00:08:16the communication between the crew is what makes the difference.
00:08:19It's not about someone's reaction times or the raw skill.
00:08:21It's about how they work together as a crew, just like you'd expect in real life.
00:08:26Player tools as well.
00:08:27So we equip players with a variety of tools in the game and they work just like you'd expect.
00:08:33You can see here in the image there's a compass.
00:08:35The compass is just a compass.
00:08:37It points north.
00:08:39There's a map, a physical map that you look at that shows you the island.
00:08:42And there's a world map on the ship.
00:08:44You just use the world map.
00:08:45You haven't got a map with you all the time, but you use the map on the ship,
00:08:48just like pirates would.
00:08:50And they would navigate using their compasses.
00:08:52And it just works like real life.
00:08:54So you don't need to have complicated tutorials.
00:08:57It just works the way you'd expect.
00:08:59So players can just discover things naturally throughout the game.
00:09:02And that's something we're seeing really come to the fore in our technical alpha
00:09:05where we don't need these complicated tutorials.
00:09:07You don't need to handhold players.
00:09:09It just all works naturally.
00:09:10Choice of play style.
00:09:12So in our technical alpha at the moment,
00:09:15our players essentially have the chance to become treasure hunters.
00:09:18So think of the treasure maps as a kind of light puzzle solving.
00:09:23And we have an example here of our riddle maps where, again,
00:09:26that kind of feel of that Goonies adventure, that pirate riddle,
00:09:29that's really important here.
00:09:30But we've mentioned this as well on our podcasts and when we talk to our community,
00:09:35we're hard at work on building other play styles into Sea of Thieves
00:09:38that will be there for the launch of the game.
00:09:40So play styles that fulfill that need for exploration
00:09:44or having combat on demand.
00:09:46We're building progression systems and quest styles
00:09:48around players being able to choose their play style.
00:09:51And players aren't locked into it.
00:09:52They can choose with a crew and they vote on the voyage they go in next.
00:09:56And players can chain these different quest types back to back
00:09:59and have these whole varying experiences.
00:10:01The crew bond in Sea of Thieves is absolutely sacred.
00:10:04We made a decision early on in development that you can't hurt your crew.
00:10:08We want you and your crew to work together.
00:10:11And each time you play the game, we want it to play out differently
00:10:13based on who you're playing with and what play style you're opting into.
00:10:18So we also have things in the game, social lubricants, shall we call them?
00:10:22So being able to drink grog together, play musical instruments together,
00:10:25a great way to break the ice when you first meet people.
00:10:28And if you... It is a great way to describe it.
00:10:33Well, we know if we can make you laugh together, we're already kind of winning.
00:10:36You're already kind of a way to break that ice and form those bonds together
00:10:39and maybe you'll play together again.
00:10:40The fact that there's shared rewards,
00:10:42it's not that the first person to get to the treasure gets to keep it.
00:10:46As a crew, you work together to get that chest back.
00:10:51If you were the player to pick it up first, I don't mind.
00:10:55It's in my interest to protect you because if we get that chest back
00:10:58and we open it up, we're all going to get exactly the same share.
00:11:01So it's in our interest to protect each other and watch out for each other's backs.
00:11:05This is something we're all really passionate about and that's removing barriers.
00:11:09So no matter if you've played the game for hundreds of hours
00:11:11or you've come into the game day one,
00:11:14there shouldn't be barriers in place that prevent friends from playing together.
00:11:18You should be able to play together without having to go away and progress separately.
00:11:21there should be no barriers in place between players who want to make that connection.
00:11:25And also that comes down to platform as well.
00:11:27If you've got a crew of friends who want to play Sea of Thieves,
00:11:30you should be able to play together regardless of the device.
00:11:33So whether that's on Windows 10 or Xbox One,
00:11:35you should be able to play together.
00:11:36We just want to get out of the way.
00:11:38We don't want to put barriers in place that stop players from playing together.
00:11:48So as a last point,
00:11:49we're obviously operating our technical alpha at the moment.
00:11:52So we really feel like we're building this game alongside our community.
00:11:56So whether that's our forums or looking at the data we get back from our playtests
00:12:00or our questionnaires,
00:12:01we are balancing and perfecting our mechanics based on the feedback we receive.
00:12:06And most importantly,
00:12:07we're also prioritising what's in our roadmap next based on that feedback.
00:12:12I mean,
00:12:12Shelley will talk about some features later that we prioritise based on feedback
00:12:16and the way players are playing in our technical alpha.
00:12:18It's such a privileged position to be able to do this with real players.
00:12:23And everything I've talked about,
00:12:24it kind of goes beyond mechanics for us.
00:12:28As I think you're giving players a set of tools,
00:12:30you're giving them this pirate world.
00:12:31Ultimately,
00:12:31how they react is going to be down to them.
00:12:34We have our assumptions creatively about how these things are going to be used.
00:12:38But until we test it with real players in the world,
00:12:40we really can't know for sure because it really comes down to human psychology.
00:12:44It's a very hard thing to predict.
00:12:46And ultimately,
00:12:47that's the thing that's going to make our game endlessly replayable,
00:12:50that each session it's going to play differently based on who's in the world,
00:12:53who you're playing with.
00:12:55What we're all building up to is this goal to build a diverse community.
00:13:01Players with different motivations,
00:13:02different outlooks,
00:13:03different backgrounds,
00:13:05playing together in this pirate world,
00:13:06all seeking their own motivation.
00:13:09That is going to make our game richer.
00:13:11It's going to make our game more replayable.
00:13:13So we want to build this game for everyone.
00:13:15Like if you want to come to this game,
00:13:17and you were initially put off by multiplayer,
00:13:19Sea of Thieves,
00:13:20we want it to be the game for you.
00:13:21We really are passionate about
00:13:23Sea of Thieves potentially being someone's first multiplayer game.
00:13:26And that's been such an inspiration for us on the team.
00:13:29But of course,
00:13:30how are we going to achieve this?
00:13:32I'm going to hand over to Shelley Preston now,
00:13:34who's going to talk a bit more about that.
00:13:42So as Mike mentioned,
00:13:44we made a decision really early on in development of Sea of Thieves,
00:13:47that the bond between the crew is sacred.
00:13:49And that idea,
00:13:50that principle,
00:13:51is really at the heart of all of our design decisions on Sea of Thieves.
00:13:54because we believe that a crew that's going to be bonded together,
00:13:58they're going to be working together,
00:13:59cooperating together,
00:14:00communicating together.
00:14:01It's just going to create a more positive multiplayer experience
00:14:04for everybody in our game.
00:14:06So if you take the first thing that a crew will do in Sea of Thieves,
00:14:10and they'll learn to sail the ship together.
00:14:12So we've seen many crews set sail for their first adventure in Sea of Thieves.
00:14:16And I could honestly watch this endlessly,
00:14:18because it's a genuine joy for us to see
00:14:20four strangers become one bonded crew
00:14:23as they learn to sail the ship together.
00:14:24It isn't just the individual cooperative nature
00:14:28of the mechanics of sailing the ship.
00:14:30It's the fact that you learn it together as a crew.
00:14:32The first thing that you do
00:14:34is figure out how to set this behemoth of a machine moving,
00:14:38and it feels like you've achieved something together.
00:14:40So you're really bonded together right from the outset.
00:14:43And while we believe really strongly in the magic of multiplayer,
00:14:47we know that there are players out there who,
00:14:49well, Sea of Thieves is always going to be in a shared world.
00:14:52Maybe they're just not comfortable with the idea
00:14:54of jumping straight into that four-person crew experience.
00:14:58So we have created a small ship that you can sail alone or with one other player.
00:15:04And we've designed this to be an avenue into the game for players who,
00:15:07perhaps they love the idea of going on this pirate adventure in Sea of Thieves,
00:15:11but they're just not sure about jumping in with people they don't know.
00:15:14Or maybe you always play on a large ship with your friends,
00:15:17but when they're not online, you want to carry on playing,
00:15:18but you don't want to play with anybody else.
00:15:20We see it as giving players the freedom to play how they want,
00:15:23giving them the choice.
00:15:25And we don't see them as mutually exclusive.
00:15:27The two are very different experiences, and we love them both.
00:15:30And something we're really excited to do is to show some footage of the small ship,
00:15:34because we haven't showed this at all.
00:15:35We'll be right back.
00:16:06So, while the large ship has been designed to be crewed by four people and you need to cooperate together,
00:16:13the small ship has been designed from the ground up to work for one person.
00:16:17It's really fast and efficient to raise the caps and lower the sails. All of the primary controls that you
00:16:23need are in and around the same area.
00:16:25It's really been designed to work specifically for one person alone. You know, there's only one sail for you to
00:16:30deal with.
00:16:31It's not going to block your view like it does on the large ship to make you need to communicate
00:16:34with your crew.
00:16:35You can turn more nimbly as well and you're lower down in the water.
00:16:39And what this means is when it comes to encounters with other ships, because you're quite low profile, you're probably
00:16:45going to see a large ship before they'll see you.
00:16:47And it just means you've got a little bit more choice about whether you go into those encounters or not.
00:16:52Everything that you can do on the large ship, you can do on the small ship as well.
00:16:55But obviously, despite all these advantages, because you're on your own, you kind of have to deal with everything so
00:17:01you are more vulnerable.
00:17:14So this is actually something we've seen happen in our playtests at Rare, which is small ships naturally banding together
00:17:21to take down a large ship.
00:17:22And this has happened, this has happened without prompting.
00:17:27And what's really cool about this is those two small ships, they're not a crew.
00:17:32And yet they're cooperating together and having a drink together afterwards.
00:17:36It's just another layer of which you can join in the multiplayer of Sea of Thieves.
00:17:52So the freedom to communicate how you want.
00:17:54So up until now, your only option to communicate with your crew in Sea of Thieves has been using voice
00:17:59communications.
00:18:00And we know there are many reasons why players either can't or don't want to use voice communications.
00:18:06Perhaps you have an accessibility issue and you physically can't use voice.
00:18:09Maybe you're uncomfortable with identifying yourself online by using voice.
00:18:14Or maybe it's situational and normally you chat away all the time, but you've got kids asleep in bed and
00:18:19you just want to be quiet that night.
00:18:21Whatever the reason is, we wanted to introduce a nonverbal communication system into Sea of Thieves to allow players the
00:18:28freedom to communicate how they want to.
00:18:29And we do hope as well that for those players who can use voice comms, maybe this will provide an
00:18:34avenue for them to be able to start off perhaps with nonverbal communication, find out what a positive and welcoming
00:18:41community there is in Sea of Thieves and maybe eventually use verbal communications.
00:18:45So that's something we're going to show now as well.
00:18:52So how it works is players have a set of phrases that they can choose from and then that will
00:18:57pop up like a text box to the rest of your crew saying that phrase.
00:19:00And what's really cool about this is we wanted to give players using nonverbal the ability to say everything you
00:19:06need to say during a typical voyage.
00:19:08But that's a lot of stuff, right?
00:19:10There's a lot of things you want to say to your crew.
00:19:13So we wanted it to be really slick and quick and easy for you to use so that you could
00:19:17use nonverbal communication in crews where other players are using verbal and not at a disadvantage.
00:19:23So what we've done is we've made it context sensitive.
00:19:26So if, for example, you're raising the anchor, all of the phrases that you'll see are around using the anchor.
00:19:33If you are on the world map, all of the phrases would be around navigation.
00:19:36And this just allows us to give you tons of options of things to say, but it's still fast and
00:19:42easy to use.
00:19:43Another thing that's really important to us is we didn't want it to be really dry and functional.
00:19:48Sea of Thieves has that silly sense of humor and that had to be present in our nonverbal communication as
00:19:52well.
00:19:52So there are options in there that are just there for a little bit of silly fun.
00:19:57They're designed to make you and your crew laugh together so that players communicating using nonverbal can join in with
00:20:05that laugh and smile with their friends and bond together, even if they're not using verbal communication.
00:20:11So we've talked a lot today about how that bond between the crew is sacred.
00:20:15But what happens when somebody breaks that?
00:20:18What happens when you have a griefer or a troller on your crew?
00:20:21And it's really unfortunate, but it's out there.
00:20:24It happens.
00:20:25We've already seen it in our technical alpha.
00:20:27It's something that we take very seriously.
00:20:29And we've kind of thought long and hard about how best to deal with this in Sea of Thieves, because
00:20:33it needed to be something that fits in our world.
00:20:36And it needed to work.
00:20:38So what we felt was that it's your crew bond.
00:20:44So it should be up to you to decide what behavior is acceptable and unacceptable.
00:20:49And the power should be in your hands to deal with it so that you can deal with troublemakers like
00:20:54the ones you're going to see in this video.
00:21:31So everyone on the crew has a vote.
00:21:34And if a troublemaker receives enough votes, they're going to be locked in the ship's brig.
00:21:49But it's not a one-way ticket.
00:21:50It was really important to us that crews can reconcile.
00:21:53And players can learn, you know.
00:21:55They may be...
00:21:57So your crew can actually vote to release you from the brig if you reconcile, let you back out onto
00:22:03the crew.
00:22:05Or they could just leave you in there and throw vomit on you.
00:22:11And while we feel really good about this approach, because it's so much about human behavior, we really need to
00:22:17test it with real players.
00:22:18So we're going to be putting the brig approach into our technical alpha really soon.
00:22:22And we're just going to be trying it out and seeing if it does give crews the power to deal
00:22:26with toxic behavior.
00:22:28Or if there's still more work that we need to do.
00:22:31And I'm going to hand you over to Joe.
00:22:37Thank you. Awesome.
00:22:40So, firstly, before I kind of get onto my topics, I just want to say it genuinely makes me proud
00:22:45to work with people like Shelley, like Mike and like Pete.
00:22:49But genuinely, people with the passion and the smarts to kind of talk so coherently about kind of the vision
00:22:57for Sea of Thieves and what we're trying to do and everything else.
00:22:59It genuinely makes me super proud that we've worked on this project since the start.
00:23:02And just to stand here and watch you guys, like I was like getting a little tear on.
00:23:06But please give them a round of applause because they are incredibly smart people.
00:23:15But genuinely, like we believe so strongly in this project and the vision and the opportunity that we have.
00:23:19And it's so cool to hear just colleagues talk like they do.
00:23:23So, alongside the game design choices that Shelley and Mike have talked so eloquently about, it's really important to us
00:23:30that we, you know, strategically, we wanted to ensure that we had a welcoming, positive community for Sea of Thieves.
00:23:37Because when we get to that launch period for the game, having this welcoming, positive community that's going to be
00:23:43friendly, it's going to be helping new players, all that kind of stuff, it's super important.
00:23:46And it's a new IP.
00:23:47It's something that we needed to build.
00:23:49So, you know, since December last year, in fact, we've been running our Insider program, which is, like, has been
00:23:56very much embracing kind of open, transparent development.
00:23:58So, you know, we send out weekly updates to people.
00:24:01We write Insider reports for the forum.
00:24:03And I've still got to write this month and I'm late.
00:24:05I'm sorry.
00:24:07But, you know, and the videos that we release talking about the game features and the thinking behind it and
00:24:12the reason we come to kind of, like, Comic-Con and places like this is to talk about, you know,
00:24:16our thinking and our plans.
00:24:17And we engage in Reddit.
00:24:18We engage where people are.
00:24:19Like Mike talked about, we listen to feedback.
00:24:21We're very much kind of making design decisions based on what players are telling us in our alpha because we're
00:24:26creating this social kind of sandbox multiplayer game where we're really dependent on how players behave with the features we
00:24:32give them.
00:24:33But what all this does, and, you know, it's been a purposeful choice, is it builds trust and respect.
00:24:40And I'm really glad I could get a Barack Obama picture in a slide.
00:24:44But genuinely, like, it builds trust and respect because we're open and transparent, because we're talking about the decisions that
00:24:51we're making, explaining why, even if players maybe don't agree with all the decisions we make.
00:24:55It builds that trust and respect between each other.
00:24:58And, you know, we listen, listen, we're like, it's a super important part of our strategy for this game.
00:25:04And, you know, hopefully that's what we're doing.
00:25:08So another really important thing for us is something we've talked about quite a lot with our community is a
00:25:11pirate's code for Sea of Thieves about how we expect, and not just us, but our community expects players to
00:25:18behave in Sea of Thieves.
00:25:20So this is something that we actually consulted our community about.
00:25:24We kind of posted on our forums and asked people, like, what do you expect in a multiplayer game?
00:25:29What do you expect in Sea of Thieves in terms of player behavior?
00:25:31And so we've created our kind of seven-step pirate code, which we posted in the forums a couple of
00:25:37days ago asking for feedback on what we think is the right kind of set of codes and behaviors for
00:25:43players to kind of abide by.
00:25:44But we're going to have this in the game.
00:25:46We're going to have this kind of on the loading screen.
00:25:48We're going to be, like, holding people to account in terms of how they should behave in Sea of Thieves,
00:25:52because a multiplayer experience, it should be for everyone.
00:25:55And kind of toxic behavior and negative behavior is unacceptable.
00:25:59And, you know, we will not abide by that in Sea of Thieves.
00:26:02So, yeah.
00:26:08So, yeah, this is the first point, right?
00:26:10The sea calls to all.
00:26:11Like, everyone is welcome in Sea of Thieves.
00:26:12There is no space for discrimination for any reason.
00:26:16And anybody that behaves like this, you know, they will not be allowed to play Sea of Thieves for much
00:26:20longer, right?
00:26:21It's like, genuinely, we will be kind of using all of the tools at our disposal to ensure as much
00:26:28as we can that this is a game for everybody.
00:26:30So, like, there's something, like Mike talked about, the magic of multiplayer.
00:26:34We believe so strongly in the potential for multiplayer.
00:26:37And by creating a game that isn't just about competition, you know, it's more of a social play box for
00:26:43people to come and role play as pirates.
00:26:45We believe that there's such an opportunity there to bring multiplayer to such a wider audience, to people that have
00:26:50maybe been put off before.
00:26:53And, yeah, and the sea unites us as one community.
00:26:57You don't have to drink, but, like, it's okay if you want.
00:26:59But, like, community behavior is super important.
00:27:03Whether it's in your crew, you know, the people you meet or that you chat to on the forums and
00:27:06the Reddit, we are one community.
00:27:08And, again, you should be respecting everybody else in there, respecting their opinions, respecting their voice, giving everybody a chance
00:27:13to kind of talk and have their opinions heard.
00:27:17And ultimately, yeah, like, if you have disputes, settle them up on the waves, right?
00:27:20Like, we've got this amazing social pirate sandbox where you can actually go and kind of settle them.
00:27:25But everything should be done in-game, right?
00:27:27Use the game to settle scores, to settle your discussions.
00:27:30It's not about abusive behavior and communication and stuff.
00:27:34And all crewmates are equal.
00:27:36You know, so, again, everyone should have a voice.
00:27:38Like Mike talked about earlier, players will vote on their voyages.
00:27:42So everybody's going to be able to get a chance to put down their kind of quest that they want
00:27:45to go and achieve.
00:27:46But ultimately, it's the crew, that crew bond.
00:27:48You guys are going to be deciding what it is that you want to go and achieve.
00:27:50But everyone is equal, right?
00:27:52People vote on the voyages.
00:27:53They vote on sending people to the brig.
00:27:56It's a democracy, ultimately.
00:27:59And, yeah, you've probably heard this phrase quite a lot before, but the crew bond is sacred, right?
00:28:04And those that betray the crew and ship through griefing, they will be sent to the brig.
00:28:10And, you know, I think that's a really important thing for us.
00:28:16And, like, whether you've played 1,000 hours or you're new to the game, you should be able to play
00:28:21together.
00:28:22Again, Mike talked about this, about breaking down boundaries.
00:28:24And so Sea of Thieves, we implore everybody that plays this to support your fellow players.
00:28:29Like, you know, if you're experienced and you've played a lot and a new player comes and joins, help them,
00:28:33guide them.
00:28:34Like, teach them how to use the ship.
00:28:35Teach them how to kind of do quests.
00:28:37But, like, this should be a positive, welcoming environment.
00:28:40And it's all about the players.
00:28:42The players that are in there are so critical for us.
00:28:44And so, yeah, respect everybody that you play with.
00:28:48And then, ultimately, those that cheat shall be punished, right?
00:28:52Don't be a shit, basically, is the summary for that.
00:28:55But, like, honestly, because, like, we will, you know, we have a customer service team.
00:29:00We'll be, like, looking at, like, trying to get reports out of that.
00:29:02And, like, yeah, just don't be a shit in Sea of Thieves, basically.
00:29:06That's the summary.
00:29:07We couldn't get that as the name of the talk, unfortunately.
00:29:09But, so, yeah.
00:29:12So, our private code.
00:29:13So, we've posted this in our community.
00:29:15We've been seeking feedback.
00:29:16So, we might adjust.
00:29:17We might alter.
00:29:18But those are the articles.
00:29:19Those are the things that are so, like, there's something that we believe in so strongly as a team and
00:29:24as a game.
00:29:25Right?
00:29:27So, I'm going to be kind of wrapping up fairly soon.
00:29:29And then, we'll get into some questions and, ultimately, some feedback around kind of the talk.
00:29:33But I just want to kind of encapsulate what the vision is for Sea of Thieves, what's so important to
00:29:37us.
00:29:38And, firstly, it's a safe space where players role play as pirates, but they respect each other, right?
00:29:44You come into the game, sure, live out those pirate fantasies.
00:29:46But respect the people that you're playing in this multiplayer game with because it will be a better game for
00:29:51everyone if you respect the other players in a multiplayer environment.
00:29:56That we have the multiplayer game with a positive welcoming community.
00:29:59And so, this is actually a photo of a bunch of our insiders that actually managed to visit Rare a
00:30:04few weeks ago, actually, after EGX.
00:30:05It's super cool for us to be able to meet and chat with people who are in our community and
00:30:09vice versa.
00:30:10Really inspiring for us as much as the people that visited.
00:30:12But, you know, this is our goal.
00:30:14And we're going to do everything in our power to kind of maintain this.
00:30:17You know, however big and successful Sea of Thieves gets, like, and it obviously will.
00:30:23But, like, we, like, sorry.
00:30:27Hashtag not humble.
00:30:28But, genuinely, obviously, we believe in the opportunity for this game.
00:30:34But, like, we will always be doing everything.
00:30:37However many people come into this game, this is what we're going to be doing and preaching.
00:30:41And how we behave and how our community behave, we think it's super important.
00:30:44And, yeah, and this is what we want to create.
00:30:47Right?
00:30:48The most fun and welcoming multiplayer experience ever.
00:30:50So, like Mike said, if you've not played multiplayer games before, come in.
00:30:53Jump in.
00:30:54Like, give it a try.
00:30:55We genuinely, we've got something so special.
00:30:57So, I think that is us.
00:31:00So, yeah, so we would love questions and or feedback.
00:31:04And so, I think there are microphones around the room.
00:31:05And I think Pete is going to, yeah, yeah.
00:31:07So, yeah, like, so either questions about the game or questions about what you've heard today
00:31:11or feedback because, like, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this stuff.
00:31:15Okay, then, cool.
00:31:16We'll take the first one.
00:31:17Basically, so soon is the time frame for small ships and for the little jail?
00:31:25Yeah, so.
00:31:26Soon is the time frame.
00:31:27Yeah, soon is indeed the time frame.
00:31:28Yeah, so, like, we have, like, basically they're ready.
00:31:31And we wanted to show them here first before then putting them into the alpha with real players.
00:31:35So, it's something we're going to be testing with our kind of pioneer groups to begin with.
00:31:39And then it will go into the wider kind of group of players.
00:31:42But, yeah, like, soon, yeah.
00:31:44The sale is on the horizon.
00:31:47Very good.
00:31:48Just about make it out.
00:31:49Yeah.
00:31:50All right.
00:31:50Well, since I can't really think of anything else on the spot, I'm just going to do a quick shout
00:31:53-out
00:31:54for anyone here who hasn't played the alpha yet, you haven't joined the insider thing,
00:31:58just join it.
00:31:58Free, simple, easy to do.
00:32:00Get into this alpha.
00:32:01It's amazing.
00:32:02I've been doing it since March, and I'm in love with it.
00:32:05You should have done the panel, dude.
00:32:06You were better than that.
00:32:08I would have loved to.
00:32:09Do you want to come up here?
00:32:10And the forums, too.
00:32:12Legit, the forums are not nearly as toxic.
00:32:15There's some other forums that there are.
00:32:18People will help you out.
00:32:20So if you have questions, you actually can get answers and responses.
00:32:24So I really encourage you all, sign up for the insider program, join the forums, be active,
00:32:29because this game is phenomenal.
00:32:31Thank you very much.
00:32:32Thank you so much.
00:32:33That was wonderful.
00:32:34Thank you.
00:32:37Hello.
00:32:37I've got your payment at the end.
00:32:38Matt.
00:32:39I'll be honest.
00:32:40I love PvP.
00:32:41I love being toxic.
00:32:42That's actually how I met a lot of my friends.
00:32:44Friends.
00:32:45A lot of them.
00:32:45I'm not kidding.
00:32:46A lot of them.
00:32:47But you're talking about how you want the game to have a nice community.
00:32:50But will PvP be in the game?
00:32:52Well, PvP is in the game today.
00:32:54Is it in the game?
00:32:55Absolutely.
00:32:55Well, it kind of feeds into how we've designed the quests.
00:32:59I mean, we've shown off one type of quest extensively, which is the one that leads to
00:33:04Buried Treasure, which we had to do first because it's the ultimate pirate trope.
00:33:07But the design around that was to make the chest a deferred reward.
00:33:13So when you dig up that chest, you can pick it up like a physical object in the world.
00:33:18But the important thing to note is that it's not really yours yet.
00:33:23You are just picking it up, putting it on the ship, hiding it where you like.
00:33:27You're just relaying it in the world.
00:33:28It only becomes yours when the chest gets opened back at an outpost.
00:33:32So that's the way we'll design our quest because we want that deferred reward to
00:33:37lead to that classic pirate PvP scenario you can imagine where you board someone's ship
00:33:43and they've got tons of chests on board.
00:33:46And you just go, oh, that looks like the most valuable one.
00:33:48I'll take that one.
00:33:49But the important thing is once you open that chest, the gold is then safe.
00:33:54So you know what's at stake as a player.
00:33:56So the goal has been to get that nice balance of you get to live out your pirate PvP fantasies.
00:34:03But once the gold is safe, it's safe.
00:34:05You get to take that away from the session.
00:34:06So we feel we've struck a right balance there.
00:34:08Okay, and also a follow-up question.
00:34:10So you talk about like mini ships here now, but like say if a person's alone, okay?
00:34:15I love bullying in video games more than the next guy, I'll be honest here.
00:34:18So like say if I get a group of four friends, okay, all experienced players,
00:34:21could we say attack less experienced players?
00:34:24Like is it like an open world?
00:34:25Is it like an area where high experienced players go?
00:34:28So I can just bully as many people as I want?
00:34:30But remember that you absolutely can.
00:34:35You're going to spend a lot of time here.
00:34:37But right from the start, we've made decisions to make that work.
00:34:41And that comes down to the size of the world, the level design of that world.
00:34:44Where players start that adventure.
00:34:47And also the fact that there is no fast travel in Sea of Thieves.
00:34:51You can't teleport ships around the world.
00:34:55If you see a sail on the horizon, that ship physically has to sail over to you.
00:35:00So you can imagine the scenario where you are on that small ship.
00:35:03You as a player, it's such an incredible experience where you are constantly scanning the horizon.
00:35:08Paranoid that ship's going to come over the horizon.
00:35:11But when you do see it, you've got complete control to angle the sail into the wind and head in
00:35:15another direction.
00:35:15Okay.
00:35:17Well, thank you for answering my question.
00:35:19Thanks very much.
00:35:20Thank you.
00:35:25All right.
00:35:25Hey, I'm Matt.
00:35:28I know one thing that a lot of multiplayer games have been dealing with recently is microtransactions when customizing.
00:35:35And I just want to get this right off the bat.
00:35:38Is there going to be any microtransactions?
00:35:40And will there be any way to customize characters if there won't be?
00:35:45Okay.
00:35:46So we're not quite in a position to talk about our business stuff at the moment.
00:35:50But when it comes to the, like, that's something that I think we'll talk to in a little while.
00:35:54We have plans that we're happy with and that we think are fair to players in terms of how we,
00:35:58like, you know, deliver this experience to people.
00:36:00But in terms of, like, the character customization and stuff, like, when you're playing the game and you're completing quests
00:36:08and maybe you're being like the guy that was on before and you're going around sinking other ships and stealing
00:36:13stuff off other people, that that will be kind of reflected in the kind of things that you can wear,
00:36:17that you can kind of gesture character in and the titles that you can earn.
00:36:20And so all of those things are very much like, you know, we want players to become the legend that
00:36:26they kind of want to be and that reflects how they play and give that freedom to players.
00:36:30So, yeah, very much how you show up in the world will be reflected with kind of how you've behaved
00:36:34and the things that you've earned and the things you've done.
00:36:36So, yeah, we have some super cool kind of plans around the progression side of things.
00:36:39Thank you.
00:36:40I'm sure if anyone is in the technical alpha, you might have noticed the chests on the middle deck.
00:36:45There's a little loadout area where there's multiple chests.
00:36:48So even customizing your character, we want to make it as social as possible.
00:36:52So rather than just pressing start and burying yourself in a menu, you'll physically go to the pirate dress-up
00:36:58box.
00:36:59And if you want to decide on that day, hey, guys, let's all dress in red.
00:37:02You can all go there together and pick out your outfits.
00:37:06Thank you.
00:37:07Cheers.
00:37:07Thanks.
00:37:09Hi.
00:37:09I had a question about the brig mechanic because I get how it deals with, you know, you have a
00:37:14team of players actually trying to play versus the troll.
00:37:17What happens when you have the inverse?
00:37:19Maybe you have, like, a team of trolls who they have one extra player who maybe it's their friend they
00:37:23don't really like or something like that.
00:37:25And they just lock them in the brig for no reason.
00:37:27Is there a way to deal with that like you plan on mechanically or based on your philosophy as a
00:37:32team?
00:37:32Like, okay, that's the democracy of that crew.
00:37:34Let them do whatever they want.
00:37:36So it is something that we thought about.
00:37:37And it's actually something we looked into data from our technical alpha because, as I mentioned, we have seen it
00:37:44already, like trolling and griefing.
00:37:45But when we looked into the situations that have been happening, it does tend to be that single kind of
00:37:52person.
00:37:52And we know that the approach isn't going to fix every possible scenario, but we kind of wanted to start
00:37:59somewhere and start with a solution that we feel is going to fix the kind of primary case that we've
00:38:04got, which is that lone kind of griefer.
00:38:05But I think if you're in a situation where you have three griefers on your crew, you're probably going to
00:38:10want to leave that crib anyway.
00:38:14And like Shelley said in her talk, we're going to be testing this.
00:38:17And this is what the, you know, since December we've been testing.
00:38:20We started with 1,000 players.
00:38:21We're now over 100,000 that are playing like Sea of Thieves at home.
00:38:24We can test this for real.
00:38:25And it's kind of you're managing social behavior.
00:38:29So you have a design and you put it out there and you see, does it actually work as we
00:38:34expected or do we need to take a further step?
00:38:37Because otherwise we'd just sit spinning forever and ever trying to kind of come up with every edge case and
00:38:41every kind of possible human behavior that might happen.
00:38:43So I think we're just going to put it in the alpha and test it, right?
00:38:46So, you know, I think it's going to be exciting to see what we learn.
00:38:49Yeah.
00:38:50Thanks.
00:38:50Yeah.
00:38:51Thank you.
00:38:51Thank you.
00:38:51Thank you.
00:38:56Hello.
00:38:57My name is Raimondo.
00:38:59Yeah.
00:39:00And follow up on his question with Brig, actually.
00:39:02Other games have done something similar, particularly Left 4 Dead 2, where you can kind of do a group vote.
00:39:07The voting process itself actually became a griefing method where people would spam the vote process at key moments to
00:39:14distract other players and eventually just kind of all die in glorious, awful fashion.
00:39:19Do you guys have any, like, plans to try and combat that actual vote initiation to try to be itself
00:39:25a trolling method?
00:39:27So I'm not familiar with the Left 4 Dead 2 mechanic.
00:39:33But, like, our voting mechanic, it isn't, like, a timed thing that you kick off.
00:39:38It's just at any point if you can kind of set your vote against that player to be that you
00:39:43want to lock them in the brig.
00:39:44And then if enough players set their vote, as soon as it reaches enough players, they'll get locked into the
00:39:50brig.
00:39:50So there isn't kind of a timed mechanic.
00:39:52I don't know if that really answers your question.
00:39:54I'm sorry, like, an on-screen, like, prompt?
00:39:56Because in Left 4 Dead it would be, like, a kind of noticeable prompt when you have, like, giant zombies
00:40:00in front of you and it's time to kind of block your view.
00:40:04So we don't have that.
00:40:05Like, we're kind of hoping that the crew will be able to communicate, like, naturally using communication about the vote.
00:40:14And that we hope that kind of if somebody is trolling or griefing, everybody's kind of going to notice that.
00:40:18Like, we didn't want to make it too, like you say, like, almost a mechanic in itself that alerts everybody
00:40:24that it's happening.
00:40:25Okay, thank you.
00:40:26And also, real quick, in regards to the smaller ships, how do you see the power balance to, like, four
00:40:32people on a big ship versus maybe four individual players on a small ship?
00:40:36The big ship itself isn't a liability.
00:40:38Is it, like, two ships are equivalent to one big ship in general ideas?
00:40:43Honestly, it depends on the people who are on the ship.
00:40:46Like, you could have a really amazing, skilled person on a small ship, like, not me.
00:40:52I was going to say, like, me, but I can't pull that off.
00:40:56Who's using, like, the abilities that the small ship has, using the nimbleness of the turning.
00:41:02And you could have a crew, like, honestly, you could have a crew of four people on a large ship.
00:41:07But if they're not working together, if they're not communicating together, that one person's going to kind of outdo them
00:41:12every single time.
00:41:12So, really, it just depends on the players, like with everything in Sea of Thieves.
00:41:16I think we've struck a really nice balance with, you think of that large ship, it's got three sails that
00:41:21need to get angled into the wind.
00:41:22It moves slower in the water.
00:41:24Well, that small ship has got, well, it sits higher in the water, it's pretty nimble.
00:41:29Large ship obsesses that by the fact that it's got more firepower.
00:41:32But that firepower and maintaining that ship's speed requires four players working together as a well-hauled machine.
00:41:39So, it works really well.
00:41:43And you often see small ships just running rings around the large ship.
00:41:47And, you know, we're in a world where I think large ships will think twice about going to attack a
00:41:52small ship because they know how much more flexibility that small ship has in operating it in the water.
00:42:01Apparently, I made a Celine Dion reference there.
00:42:03Oh, all right.
00:42:05Thank you very much, even for the reference.
00:42:07Thank you.
00:42:08Thank you.
00:42:08Next question.
00:42:10Okay, so, I have just a general question.
00:42:12How exactly does ship ownership work?
00:42:14So, does everyone just start out like, hey, you have a big ship and a small ship, have fun?
00:42:20Yeah, I mean, it was important that we get players out there having adventures on the large ship to begin
00:42:26with.
00:42:27We didn't want to kind of say, well, you've got to start on the small ship, you've got to earn
00:42:30your way up to the large ship.
00:42:31Although that kind of makes sense in terms of a player journey, it would really limit, and again, a barrier
00:42:36we'd put in place between friends playing together.
00:42:39In terms of like, I mean, I guess the ship is owned by the crew, but there's definitely things we're
00:42:45looking at for the future in terms of ship ownership to really, like, ships becoming a personification of what an
00:42:51individual has done in the world is something that we are looking at.
00:42:54Yeah, I think initially it's about your personal kind of pirate legend as a player, right?
00:42:59Yeah, so, I mean, as I kind of said in the first slide, players who come into Sea of Thieves
00:43:04start that journey to become a pirate legend.
00:43:06So, you on that personal journey, customizing your character, building your reputation across these play styles, but then that naturally
00:43:14then builds into you and your ship.
00:43:17So, the definitely exciting plans are where we want to take the game next.
00:43:20And just as a follow-up, because you just said your ship, so how exactly would ship customization and progression
00:43:27work?
00:43:29All I will say is that we've got very exciting plans around that area, but we'll save that for another
00:43:35Comic-Con panel.
00:43:36Make sure to go.
00:43:38Thank you very much.
00:43:39Cheers, David.
00:43:40Yeah.
00:43:43All right, first of all, I'd like to say that your game looks amazing, and I am a big fan
00:43:47of those kind of games, that genre.
00:43:49So, this is why I'm a bit critical about it.
00:43:54There are games out there like Elite Dangerous, and some of us were unfortunate to play No Man's Sky.
00:44:00No comment.
00:44:01My question is, what is the priority that you guys have on Context?
00:44:06Because that is what's going to keep us playing your game.
00:44:09How do you mean on Context, sorry?
00:44:10Well, you know, you go in, you grab some loot, you go back to your ship, you have a few
00:44:16beers, and you rinse and repeat.
00:44:19What other things can you provide for us?
00:44:22I think we're talking about progression again, right?
00:44:24Yeah, I mean, it relates to progression, relates to quest design as well, and the different play styles that I've
00:44:29talked about.
00:44:30So, I guess kind of the context of your question is that, is it more than just the core?
00:44:37Sorry, like content.
00:44:38Yeah, sorry, I just mean like the...
00:44:40Did I say context?
00:44:41Yeah, yeah.
00:44:42I'm sorry, content.
00:44:43The core loop that you've seen so far, and the fact that, you know, there's an element of that sandbox
00:44:47experience where, you know, crews get to make their own fun.
00:44:50But ultimately, there will be a progression system where players are not only customizing their character, they're also unlocking richer
00:44:57and more rewarding experiences.
00:44:59So, what players are seeing now in the technical alpha is more kind of like a base level.
00:45:03There's no kind of progression there around that play style.
00:45:06Even the play style that players have seen, the treasure hunting and the other play styles we're working on, they
00:45:10will progress.
00:45:11So, as an individual on your path to become a pirate legend, the types of voyages you will go on
00:45:17will become harder, more challenging, you'll see more mechanics, you'll get richer rewards.
00:45:23And that's something that you share with the crew.
00:45:24So, when you come to the crew, you know, players like essentially put their cards on the table, they put
00:45:29their voyages on the table, and they vote on what they're going to go do as a democracy.
00:45:34Right, we're going to go do this today, and then we'll do your voyage next, and then my voyage.
00:45:38So, in other words, if I were to play more than my friends, and I were to get more experience
00:45:44and get much bigger events, they would be able to share that with me?
00:45:49Absolutely.
00:45:50And they won't be handicapped, though?
00:45:52They won't be able to keep up with everything?
00:45:55Absolutely.
00:45:55There may be a case where you need to give them some pointers and shepherd them a bit.
00:46:00But, yeah, the cool thing to stress there as well, and this is obviously something we're really passionate about, is
00:46:05in that situation where you bring a really rewarding voyage to the crew, and they vote on it, and it
00:46:11becomes the one you go after, you will feel incredible as that individual with that experience that you have.
00:46:17You brought that, and you've shared it with the crew.
00:46:19And for them, they'll love you for it.
00:46:22They'll probably spam you with friends requests, because they want you to hook them up with all the best voyages
00:46:25in the game.
00:46:26And not only will they want to play with you, they'll want to be you.
00:46:30And that's a really powerful thing in our game.
00:46:32They're going to want to be you and have those on demand as well, and that will strengthen their progression.
00:46:36So, it's a really exciting area that we're kind of really keen to.
00:46:39Yeah.
00:46:40We use the phrase about breaking down barriers a lot, right?
00:46:43About, yeah.
00:46:44And there's, you know, we could have made any number of decisions to put barriers in place to stop people
00:46:50playing together with, like, around progression or whatever else.
00:46:52But we always wanted to make sure that, regardless if you've been playing for 500 hours, and then I'm fresh
00:46:57to the game, and I'm your friend, and, you know, you've been talking about it and getting me excited.
00:47:00I should be able to come and play with you, and there shouldn't be a barrier in place for that.
00:47:03Right.
00:47:03Now, you speak about barriers, though.
00:47:05Does that mean that the loot that you get is just going to be cosmetic?
00:47:09Because if you do get anything in those loot crates that are maybe a stronger sword, then you do have
00:47:15progression, and then you do have an advantage.
00:47:18So that is something that we're being really careful around, the idea of vertical progression, because that in itself is
00:47:27putting a barrier in place.
00:47:29The idea that the scenarios where you interact with other crews in the world are purely a result of who's
00:47:35got the highest level gear, that is not Sea of Thieves.
00:47:38That is putting a barrier in place, because, like, it's a one-dimensional interaction.
00:47:43It's like, well, I've got no chance against them, where we want players to always be on their guard.
00:47:48That if they come across a ship and it's like, well, this crew, they seem like they're new to the
00:47:53game, like, they could be deceiving you.
00:47:56They could be using a title.
00:47:57They could be purposely dressing like castaways, dressed in rags, because they're deceiving you.
00:48:02They're pretending to be somebody else.
00:48:04And that deception is a really powerful thing, I think.
00:48:07And it's so befitting, the pirate experience, rather than it just being this linear aspiration of, I just constantly get
00:48:14better.
00:48:15And, like, yeah, it's just one-dimensional.
00:48:18So we're trying to build a richer experience around the progression game.
00:48:20And that you earn the ability to go on kind of more interesting and varied voyages, right?
00:48:24Like, that's almost that you have more interesting adventures is kind of how you progress and what you earn.
00:48:30That's kind of where our design thinking is going, right?
00:48:32Yeah.
00:48:33Thank you so much for answering my question.
00:48:34Thank you.
00:48:35Thank you.
00:48:35Great questions, dude.
00:48:36Great questions.
00:48:36I'll be leaving you my email so you can send me an alpha card.
00:48:39Ah, fantastic.
00:48:40Don't tell everyone.
00:48:43Hello, guys.
00:48:44Hi.
00:48:45So I have played the technical alpha, and I loved it.
00:48:49Thank you for that.
00:48:49Thank you.
00:48:50Awesome.
00:48:51I just have a question.
00:48:53I have a question when it comes to weather effects.
00:48:56Okay.
00:48:57So I was a PvP player, me and my crew, and we would often hunt people.
00:49:02So I realized while hunting a ship through a storm that the lightning would actually hit the ship.
00:49:11It would hit me off the wheel.
00:49:13Yeah.
00:49:13And I would take damage.
00:49:14Yeah.
00:49:15But I always wondered.
00:49:16I was like, wait, there's no fire here.
00:49:18So I was like, so what are you guys going to do as in terms of what kind of damage
00:49:24can be done to the ship?
00:49:25Like, is every, the only thing I've seen so far is if it rains, you have to like kind of
00:49:31take water out from the bottom of the ship.
00:49:33Will that be all?
00:49:35So there is, the hull does kind of get strained and take damage in the storm as well.
00:49:40It's recently been added, hasn't it?
00:49:41It is very recent.
00:49:42So if you're in a storm now, you will actually have damage, you'll need to repair, as well as extra
00:49:47water that you'll need to bail out.
00:49:49Okay.
00:49:49And if you hit rocks and islands and other ships and stuff, you'll take damage and hulls.
00:49:53You've seen that, right?
00:49:54Yeah.
00:49:55Or you never hit another island or rock.
00:49:57If so, skills.
00:49:58Yeah, that's perfection.
00:50:00One more question.
00:50:01Are there going to be anything else besides day, night and storms added to the game?
00:50:06Like snow or anything?
00:50:08In terms of like, oh, environmental stuff?
00:50:09Yes, environmental things.
00:50:10Good question, isn't it?
00:50:12I think, like, it's important that what we...
00:50:14I don't know the answer.
00:50:15What we add to the...
00:50:16Well, sorry, I've snuck a secret feature in, Joe.
00:50:19No, I think it's important on what we add to the game fits the Sea of Thieves world.
00:50:25I think we'll definitely explore in that area.
00:50:27We won't just leave it to that,
00:50:28but we'll make sure it kind of fits this pirate world.
00:50:31I think it'd be quite odd if you saw a snowstorm in that world.
00:50:34But it's a fantastical world,
00:50:35so there will definitely be other danger from the world in a fantastical world.
00:50:40I guess I'll watch one piece.
00:50:42Yeah.
00:50:42But thank you.
00:50:43That's all my questions.
00:50:44Thank you.
00:50:44Thank you.
00:50:46So we're just running out of time here,
00:50:49so I'll just get everybody to just ask one question if we can,
00:50:51just to try and see if we can get through everybody.
00:50:53Okay.
00:50:53Thank you.
00:50:55Is there going to be any kind of crew finder,
00:50:58or is it just kind of whoever you see or whoever you already know is who you go with?
00:51:03Well, I guess even in the technical aisle for now,
00:51:06you can choose to play with friends.
00:51:07You can add friends to the crew,
00:51:09but you can also use random matchmaking.
00:51:11So we will put...
00:51:12Obviously, we put crews together in a really slick and easy way.
00:51:15We've also got the LFG feature on Xbox,
00:51:17which is really popular.
00:51:18And I think we were so pleased when we saw that feature get announced
00:51:23because it's almost like it's been tailor-made for Sea of Thieves.
00:51:25And we toyed a lot of time, like a few years ago,
00:51:29thinking we need to build a feature that is exactly the same functionality
00:51:33what LFG has made.
00:51:35Sorry, the...
00:51:36Looking for group.
00:51:36Looking for group, yeah.
00:51:37Sorry, I used my acronyms.
00:51:39So I think that's a great way for like-minded crew members to come together.
00:51:44and it speaks to the point that the gentleman asked earlier
00:51:47around making connections in the game.
00:51:50We're really designing features around, you know,
00:51:53building those friend relationships in the game.
00:51:56So if you were to just come across someone in matchmaking
00:51:59who's got those better voyagers than you,
00:52:01that's a great kind of incentive to like get to know them
00:52:04because they can kind of hook you up with these kind of more rewarding voyagers
00:52:07and all the other decision points around meeting players on the Ferry of the Damned.
00:52:11You could meet players on there, hit it off in a conversation,
00:52:13and then add friends.
00:52:14I think that's really our focus.
00:52:16It's always been an aspiration for us right from the start
00:52:18that Sea of Thieves is great with friends,
00:52:21but you don't have to have them before you play Sea of Thieves.
00:52:24And it's something we've actually seen come into fruition
00:52:26in the technical alpha that's been amazing for us
00:52:28is that people have actually genuinely made friends through Sea of Thieves
00:52:32and then gone on to players' crews,
00:52:34they've built crews from the random matchmaking.
00:52:37And that's really awesome for us to see.
00:52:39Yeah, we purposefully, sorry, we purposefully didn't...
00:52:42I guess the easiest thing for us to do
00:52:44and for us to get better fun ratings and everything else
00:52:46in our alpha surveys would be to allow everyone
00:52:48to bring their friends in with them to the alpha,
00:52:50but we purposefully didn't allow that
00:52:51so that we knew strangers would be playing with kind of strangers
00:52:54and we'd see, can we actually build bonds with strangers and everything?
00:52:58That's always been our goal for kind of Sea of Thieves to,
00:53:01like you say, you play with friends or you make friends in the game
00:53:04and kind of build those bonds.
00:53:05So the progression is...
00:53:07I mean, the matchmaking is completely randomised.
00:53:09It's not based on your progression.
00:53:10That's correct.
00:53:11Okay.
00:53:12Yeah, that's a deliberate choice as well.
00:53:14We didn't want to start...
00:53:15Because that, in a way, is kind of segmenting players.
00:53:17Saying, well, you can only play with this other person.
00:53:20And you know how we feel about barriers.
00:53:22Well, pretty strongly I'll have you know.
00:53:24No, but I think that would be us getting in the way
00:53:29of some great potential friendships that could be made in the game
00:53:32by saying you can only play with people who have achieved the same level as you.
00:53:36Where some of the best friendships you'll make
00:53:38will be playing with people who are at completely different points
00:53:41in their journey.
00:53:41And I think that's pretty ambitious as a vision.
00:53:45But we feel we're...
00:53:46Well, we're on track at least, I think.
00:53:49Thank you.
00:53:49Thank you very much.
00:53:50Thank you.
00:53:50Great question.
00:53:53Hi, how's it going?
00:53:55I'm really a fan of your multiplayer vision.
00:53:58I think it's going to be really good.
00:54:02So, are there sea monsters that can capsize ships?
00:54:07Because I think that'd be really awesome.
00:54:09Have you seen some of our previous trailers?
00:54:12I have not.
00:54:12We've been...
00:54:13Well, we're pretty bad with it, really.
00:54:15We've been dropping hints now for like two years, I think, in our trailer.
00:54:19If you think of the mythical creatures that are out there,
00:54:23like pirate lore, pirate fiction,
00:54:25we've got to do something to live up with that.
00:54:27So, yeah, watch this space.
00:54:28So, yes, is the simple answer.
00:54:31I can't just give a yes or no answer.
00:54:33I have to lay for the point.
00:54:35I'm sorry.
00:54:36Heard it from Joe.
00:54:36You definitely have me sold.
00:54:39Very cool.
00:54:40Thanks, guys.
00:54:40Thank you.
00:54:41Thank you.
00:54:41Thanks.
00:54:45Hi.
00:54:46So, you already have the game on PC and Xbox.
00:54:49Do you think that you would ever be interested in developing
00:54:52for PS4 or Nintendo Switch?
00:54:55Like, we are an Xbox first-party studio.
00:54:58So, our responsibility is to develop for Xbox and Windows 10
00:55:01and kind of cross-playing the magic that that entails.
00:55:04So, I think that's our focus, right?
00:55:06And, like, that would be a decision way above my pay grade
00:55:09in terms of, you know, like, that would be an Xbox strategy decision.
00:55:13So, you know.
00:55:14So, yeah.
00:55:15So, that's our kind of focus.
00:55:16Is that a little bit disappointing for you?
00:55:18Yeah.
00:55:21We're all big gamers, though.
00:55:22We're all fans.
00:55:23Oh, absolutely.
00:55:24Of all those platforms.
00:55:25Yeah.
00:55:26Thank you.
00:55:27Thank you.
00:55:27Thank you.
00:55:28Cheers.
00:55:32Hi.
00:55:33I was interested in the weapon variety for the game.
00:55:37Like, if there would be, like, light weapons
00:55:39and, like, maybe heavy weapons
00:55:40or, like, maybe, like, two-wheeled, like, knives
00:55:43for, like, later in the game.
00:55:46Yeah.
00:55:47I mean, so far in Air Technical Alpha,
00:55:48we've showed off cutlasses,
00:55:51flintlock pistols, and blunderbuss.
00:55:52And the idea is that each of those weapon archetypes,
00:55:57if you will, kind of conform to different classes.
00:55:59So, you've got, obviously, cutlasses,
00:56:01which is deliberately short,
00:56:02a short-range melee weapon.
00:56:04There's flintlock pistols, which are kind of mid-range,
00:56:06and then you've got blunderbuss,
00:56:07which are super close range.
00:56:08and the idea there was always
00:56:11to get that kind of classic pirate scenario
00:56:14of someone boarding someone's ship,
00:56:16like, firing off a blunderbuss
00:56:17and then switching seamlessly to their cutlass.
00:56:20And all I'll say is that, like,
00:56:22look at pirate movies.
00:56:24There's probably some weapons we're not yet serving,
00:56:27and we'll definitely be looking at those.
00:56:29Okay.
00:56:29Thank you.
00:56:30Thank you.
00:56:30Thank you.
00:56:31Thank you.
00:56:34So, like, I enjoy the game so far,
00:56:37but, like, I haven't downloaded it yet.
00:56:39I think it's really good for multiplayer people,
00:56:42and I was wondering, like,
00:56:45how good is the variety of weapons to choose from?
00:56:48Like, is there any powerful,
00:56:50any, like, weak sort of type weapons,
00:56:53like, that deal less damage than others?
00:56:55Yeah.
00:56:55I love that you're asking that question,
00:56:57brandishing a kunai.
00:56:58It's like...
00:56:59I missed that.
00:57:00I didn't see that.
00:57:02Very nice.
00:57:03Very nice.
00:57:03I think, like,
00:57:05a focus on the design team
00:57:06has always been the right tool for the job.
00:57:08So rather than us deliberately going to design
00:57:10and create these kind of weak-powered weapons,
00:57:13it was always the fact that
00:57:14that might be the trait of a weapon,
00:57:16that it's generally lower fire-powered,
00:57:18but it's got the benefits.
00:57:19It's got the benefit elsewhere.
00:57:20And that in a certain situation,
00:57:21there's an incentive to use that weapon.
00:57:24So earlier on,
00:57:25I talked about the loadout area on the ship,
00:57:27and that'll be the area
00:57:29where players will be choosing
00:57:30the weapons they want to take,
00:57:31and they can change that
00:57:32on the ship at any point.
00:57:33So choosing the right weapons for the job
00:57:35has really been air-focused.
00:57:37So as a crew,
00:57:37you can go,
00:57:38right, you take this,
00:57:39I'll take that.
00:57:40That's kind of the way we're approaching it.
00:57:42So there'll be a range of weapons,
00:57:44but they're not like they're going to be
00:57:46from really rubbish on this end
00:57:48to awesome on this end.
00:57:49They'll be,
00:57:49in certain situations,
00:57:51they'll all have their part to play.
00:57:52All right, thank you.
00:57:53Thank you very much.
00:57:54Cheers.
00:57:54So we've only got a couple of minutes left.
00:57:57We'll take one more question,
00:57:58and for anybody who's left behind,
00:57:59we'll answer your questions outside
00:58:01because I think we're probably
00:58:01going to get thrown out
00:58:03pretty soon.
00:58:03Or put in the brig,
00:58:04I don't know.
00:58:05Everyone,
00:58:08the first point I saw this game
00:58:09was really intrigued,
00:58:11and one thing I thought of right away
00:58:12is will there be any,
00:58:14or is there at least a vision
00:58:16for any NPC-style enemies
00:58:19that a crew
00:58:20and maybe possibly another crew
00:58:22could face together?
00:58:24Possibly sea monsters too,
00:58:25also,
00:58:26but just in any terms,
00:58:28like an NPC boss or something.
00:58:30That sounds like an excellent idea.
00:58:37Maybe.
00:58:39So yeah.
00:58:40Whoa, whoa, whoa.
00:58:42Whoa, whoa.
00:58:43Don't interrupt you.
00:58:44I'm just kidding.
00:58:44I think that kind of idea,
00:58:49mechanics in the world
00:58:50that can bring crews together
00:58:52in cooperation,
00:58:54definitely plans in that area.
00:58:57And I think like playing,
00:58:58big fan of like public events in Destiny.
00:59:01Obviously,
00:59:02we'd want to do it
00:59:03in a sea of thieves way.
00:59:05It feels really natural,
00:59:06feels really organic,
00:59:06completely seamless.
00:59:08so we'll be looking at
00:59:09just things that naturally bring
00:59:11ships of players together
00:59:12in the world.
00:59:13So, yes.
00:59:14All right.
00:59:14Thank you guys.
00:59:15Thank you.
00:59:16All right.
00:59:16Let's see if we can speak.
00:59:17Let's see if we can,
00:59:18I'm going to say,
00:59:19let's see if we can speak
00:59:19on our couple of questions.
00:59:20Come on.
00:59:21All right.
00:59:21First of all,
00:59:22I need one of those shirts
00:59:23as soon as possible
00:59:25because those shirts are awesome
00:59:27and I need one.
00:59:29but I was,
00:59:30yeah,
00:59:31I think you should have brought
00:59:32a couple more.
00:59:33Yes.
00:59:33Yeah, do it.
00:59:34Do it.
00:59:34Do it.
00:59:35So,
00:59:37yeah, right?
00:59:38Please don't do that.
00:59:39This is taking a strange time.
00:59:41Arr.
00:59:42So,
00:59:42me and my friends
00:59:43were talking about this game
00:59:44when we first saw it.
00:59:45We thought,
00:59:45damn,
00:59:45this game is dope.
00:59:46It's amazing.
00:59:47We're going to get to do
00:59:48like a Red Dead type of style,
00:59:50go to get a plunderer
00:59:51and get some loot
00:59:52and stuff like that
00:59:52and then I just heard
00:59:54today there's only four players
00:59:55and I was like,
00:59:56oh.
00:59:57So,
00:59:57is there anything
00:59:58in the future
00:59:58maybe where you think
00:59:59of doing like an eight player
01:00:01bigger ship
01:00:01so we can like,
01:00:03because I have
01:00:03a bunch of friends
01:00:04that we play a lot of games together
01:00:05and we like the bigger formats
01:00:06of bigger co-ops.
01:00:08Yeah,
01:00:08I mean,
01:00:08we say four players,
01:00:10that's what it currently is
01:00:11in technical alpha.
01:00:12Right.
01:00:14That's definitely one of the areas
01:00:15that we're really keen
01:00:18on getting feedback on
01:00:18and we have.
01:00:19We're kind of watching that
01:00:20really intently
01:00:21and seeing what do players expect,
01:00:24what do they want
01:00:24from that large ship
01:00:25in terms of crew size.
01:00:26I think when we set out
01:00:27to design the game,
01:00:29we deliberately went,
01:00:30it was always kind of
01:00:31on the smaller side
01:00:32so you'd never see
01:00:33kind of crews of,
01:00:34you know,
01:00:3515,
01:00:3520 people
01:00:36because you just,
01:00:37I think when you get
01:00:38beyond a certain number
01:00:39it just becomes a rabble.
01:00:40It doesn't really feel
01:00:41like you're working
01:00:41together anymore
01:00:42and people will naturally
01:00:43kind of split off
01:00:44into separate groups.
01:00:46so we'll look to finalize
01:00:48that number soon
01:00:49but like feedback
01:00:50like that,
01:00:52I totally understand it
01:00:54and it's something
01:00:54we'll be looking at.
01:00:55All right.
01:00:55Thank you.
01:00:56Thank you.
01:00:56Thank you.
01:01:00Hi.
01:01:01I actually had a question
01:01:04I had a question
01:01:05about the physics
01:01:07for the boats.
01:01:10For most games
01:01:12that have one boat,
01:01:15usually you have to run along
01:01:18with the boat
01:01:18wherever it's going.
01:01:21And I also have
01:01:23another question.
01:01:24Could we make,
01:01:24later in the game,
01:01:27development,
01:01:27can we make custom NPCs,
01:01:32weapons and maps?
01:01:36Like custom ships?
01:01:37Do you want to take
01:01:38the physics question?
01:01:40Just how we've...
01:01:41I'm not quite sure
01:01:41what the question was.
01:01:42Well,
01:01:42just the design of the physics
01:01:44of the ship
01:01:45and how much time we put.
01:01:47So we spent a lot of time
01:01:48getting the physics
01:01:49of the ship to feel right
01:01:51and it's actually something
01:01:52we developed in Unity first
01:01:53which is a different game engine
01:01:55to,
01:01:56let's see if the user
01:01:57is in now
01:01:58which is in Unreal.
01:01:59And it's actually
01:02:00something that we just spent
01:02:01a lot of time
01:02:02getting the feeling of it right
01:02:03so that it felt like
01:02:04a real ship
01:02:05and it kind of felt
01:02:07exactly how you expected
01:02:08it to feel.
01:02:09And then when we developed
01:02:11it in Unreal
01:02:11it was actually one of the things
01:02:13that took the longest time
01:02:14to get right
01:02:14going from one engine
01:02:16to the other.
01:02:16But we're kind of,
01:02:17we're really happy
01:02:18with where it ended up.
01:02:20Oh yes,
01:02:21the second question
01:02:22was around...
01:02:23Custom weapons,
01:02:25NPCs and boats?
01:02:28Yeah,
01:02:29well I think
01:02:30weapons,
01:02:31like players having
01:02:32unique weapons,
01:02:33absolutely.
01:02:34Definitely with boats
01:02:35longer term.
01:02:37Like,
01:02:38we get questions around,
01:02:40you know,
01:02:40will Sea of Thieves
01:02:41have a crafting system?
01:02:42Those kinds of questions.
01:02:44And I think
01:02:44one thing we've
01:02:46never tried to do
01:02:47is just take mechanics
01:02:48like carbon copy
01:02:49from other experiences.
01:02:50we've always tried
01:02:51to pick what's right
01:02:53for Sea of Thieves
01:02:54and when we do
01:02:55put our own unique spin on it.
01:02:56And I mean a great example
01:02:57of that is
01:02:58when players die
01:02:59they go to the ghost ship
01:03:00and it's like a social hub
01:03:02for dead people
01:03:02and we could have easily gone
01:03:04well if someone's dead
01:03:05we'll just put a timer in.
01:03:06But that's an example
01:03:07of us taking a mechanic
01:03:08grounding it
01:03:09in the Sea of Thieves world
01:03:10and putting our own
01:03:10kind of spin
01:03:11and creativity on it.
01:03:12So I think
01:03:13like I totally get the question
01:03:15in terms of
01:03:15it'd be really cool
01:03:16to kind of
01:03:17have your weapons
01:03:18personalised to you.
01:03:19but I think
01:03:20if we do that
01:03:20we'll put
01:03:20like a proper
01:03:21Sea of Thieves
01:03:22spin on it
01:03:23that fits the pirate world.
01:03:25Okay.
01:03:25Thank you.
01:03:26Thank you.
01:03:27And we have our
01:03:28final question
01:03:29for the day.
01:03:31This could be real quick.
01:03:32How big is the brig?
01:03:33Because I really want
01:03:34to play a survivor simulator.
01:03:40It's uncomfortably small.
01:03:42We deliberately made it
01:03:43so that you felt
01:03:45the confinement in there
01:03:46and you know
01:03:47if two people
01:03:48get locked in there
01:03:49it's definitely
01:03:49a bit socially awkward
01:03:51and uncomfortable.
01:03:53How does it work?
01:03:54Can you put a third person
01:03:56in there too?
01:03:56I mean
01:03:56what happens if
01:03:58because
01:03:58Two at the moment
01:03:59because you need
01:03:59a majority from your crew
01:04:00to get them in there.
01:04:01Got it.
01:04:03Thank you.
01:04:04Thanks very much.
01:04:05Thank you.
01:04:06And thanks very much
01:04:06to everybody for attending.
01:04:09It's been a real pleasure
01:04:10to be here.
01:04:12So safe journey home everyone.
01:04:14Thank you very much.
01:04:15Thank you.
01:04:16Sea of Thieves.
01:04:16Thanks.
01:04:22Thanks.
01:04:22Thanks.
01:04:23Thanks.
01:04:23Thanks.
01:04:23Thanks.
01:04:23Thanks.
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01:04:25then please like
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01:04:28of our weekly videos
01:04:29and if you're interested
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01:04:33and join our insider program
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01:04:37It's a worry.
01:04:38I'll just wait here.
01:04:39I'll see you next time.
01:04:39Bye.
01:04:40Bye.
01:04:40Grazie a tutti.
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