Sea of Thieves fans, get ready to embark on a new adventure! In a recent Designer Diaries #2 video, Sherwin Matthews, the designer of the popular game, discussed the early ideas and iterations that led to the development of Sea of Thieves™: Voyage of Legends.
Matthews shared how he wanted to explore a more conventional approach for open world games, specifically the 4X game genre. He explained that 4X games stand for explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate, which fit well with the nautical context of Sea of Thieves™.
However, Matthews and the creative director, Mat Hart, agreed that the traditional 4X games were too complex and time-consuming for newcomers to the hobby and for the pacing of the game they wanted to create. So, they aimed to create a game that borrowed the best parts of the 4X genre while streamlining the experience to fit the world of Sea of Thieves™.
The gameplay takes place on a set of tiles surrounding a central outpost island. Players start in the same place, and their ships become their bases. The game encourages players to go out and explore the world, discover treasure and loot tokens, and complete commissions for trading companies to earn gold and reputation.
The ultimate goal is to become a pirate legend by earning enough reputation, which can be achieved through various tasks and objectives. However, players must watch out for dangers, such as skeleton ships or sea monsters, and rivals who may attack their ships and steal their cargo.
Matthews also shared that if a player’s ship is sunk, it’s not the end of the game. The ship will eventually wash up on an island where it can be repaired, and the player can continue their adventure.
Matthews promised to share further details in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more exciting updates. Fans can chat with Matthews and the rest of the SFG team in the comments and on the SFG Discord servers. So, set sail and join the adventure of a lifetime with Sea of Thieves™: Voyage of Legends.