Rare has givenSea of Thievesplayers a good reason to start sinking opponents' ships more often. That may seem like an odd idea. Sinking ships should be an obvious goal in a multiplayer private game with competitive elements. Yet inSea of Thieves, there’s been a counterintuitive mechanic that was driving an increasing number of dastardly pirates to do the opposite. They’d leave ships floating, spawn camping theirSea of Thievesopponents, though for an understandable reason.
Supplies inSea of Thievescan be a somewhat rare commodity.Special types ofSea of Thievescannonballs, bananas, wood planks, and other supplies can feel plentiful up until the point a player needs them and realizes they ran out. As such, dedicatedSea of Thievesplayers know it’s smart to stock up when the opportunity presents itself. The best source of supplies, by intention, is opposingSea of Thievesplayers who have likely stocked up for their own treasure hunts.
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The contradictory element is thatRare designedSea of Thievesso that when a player’s ship sinks, the supplies in their barrels go down with the ship. That creates a problem. If a player is raiding another ship for supplies, it behooves them to keep their opponent’s ship afloat. It’s become a common practice to “siphon” other pirates, spawn camping them so they aren’t a bother while a teammate gathers supplies and ferries them back to their own ship. It’s griefing, but it’s encouraged bySea of Thieves' design.
Rare has now made a significant change regarding supplies and sunk ships.Sea of Thievesplayers have confirmed that when a ship sinks, its supply barrels will float to the service. In other words, siphoning supplies is no longer necessary. Players can quickly sink an opponent, gather their floating supplies, and go on their merry way.
Some players have reacted in an odd way, saying they’ll still siphon because they like to let theirSea of ThievesPvP opponentsgo on their way after stealing all their supplies. That’s both kind and cruel in a way that truly matches the spirit ofSea of Thieves, at least. It’s also something that was possible before the change.
There are still some problematic design elements inSea of Thievesthat will require some further thinking from Rare. For example, scuttling a ship will still cause supplies to sink with the ship. They won’t float, so players can troll those that sink them in a last-ditch effort. Further, players can still spawn camp others for the fun of it. The supply change won’tpreventSea of Thievesgriefersfrom doing what they do, of course. Still, it’s a good fix for a problemSea of Thievesplayers have been dealing with for a long time.
Sea of Thievesis available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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