On this episode of Game Talk Live, host Mandie Roman talks with panellists about Sea of Thieves and the issues it has run into since its launch, as well as the pros and cons of Microsoft’s Game Pass system/ joining her in the discussion is Dan Hammill aka Greenskull, Khail Anonymous, and Candace Gomez aka VampireKitten.
Starting off the show, the panel discusses some of the issues that have been plaguing Sea of Thieves since its launch. Does the game have a problem in shaking its unfinished feel, and is that a symptom about the game development cycle these days?
The panel talks about the problems that arose from the Sea of Thieves beta, and how they might have changed things on release. The panel also looks at whether the final beta for Sea of Thieves was too accurate, and whether some things should have been kept hidden for the launch.
"The problem is people would lose interest. You're talking about a game that has one enemy type!" - @KhailAnonymous on #seaoftheives following a similar strategy to #PUBG
— GameTalkLive (@GameTalkLive) April 2, 2018
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The panel then talks about the similarities between Sea of Thieves and No Mans Sky, and whether the developers need to add more content to the game. The panel also looks at the defining draw of the game, the ability to have fun with friends, and whether that is too broad of a goal.
The discussion turns to what the developers can do to improve the game, and whether they can make changes fast enough for it to matter. With fans willing to make detailed posts about why they are upset, the panel discusses whether the fact that fans are asking for more is a good sign for the future, or if changes will come too late.
"Give us some promises. Give us something to look forward to. I get that your Twitter account is all cute and speaks in pirate but give us something beyond that" - @KhailAnonymous on #SeaofThieves
— GameTalkLive (@GameTalkLive) April 2, 2018
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The panel then discusses the issues with the games multiplayer, and whether the PvP at the core of the game is proving problematic for its player base. The panel looks at whether certain mechanics taken out of the game, such as a death tax, should have been left alone, and how that would have affected the games ecosystem. With the game providing many “magical moments” for fans that don’t involve PvP, the panel looks at whether there should be a separate, PvE mode available.
The topic then turns to the progression in game, and looks at the ways in which that could be different. With an entirely cosmetic approach to game progression, the panel looks at ways in which that could have been changed to be more meaningful, or whether the developers could have potentially looked at monetization.
"Don't charge real world money! What happens if you do that is people can't pay for the game, especially after they've already spent $60 on the game" - @VampireKitten on #SeaofThieves death system
— GameTalkLive (@GameTalkLive) April 2, 2018
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The topic then changes to the issues surrounding Microsoft’s Game Pass system, and the ways in which it could be improved. The panel also looks at whether nostalgia towards the developers of Sea of Thieves could have clouded people’s expectations when the game was released. Finally, the panel talks about the potential future of Sea of Thieves, and what the developers need to do in order to retain their current players while also capturing new ones.
"You can only get so many people in on a beta... It’s the real release of a game that destroys the servers… Every major title has issues the first few days!" - @Greenskull on #SeaofThieves release issues
— GameTalkLive (@GameTalkLive) April 2, 2018
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Game Talk Live has wrapped up for today, but you can see the episode in its entirety in the video above. Be sure to check out the previous episode, where panellists discuss the Overwatch Leagues leaked Code of Conduct and the Mental Health Issues surrounding its Pro Players.