Sea of Thieves Dev Explains Why the Maximum Crew Size Is 4 Players

Rare's had feedback asking for larger parties, but four is the magic number for now.

[drpepperdude]

I can sea more than four being a little overwhelming for directing everyone on what to do, especially if you are not playing with friends but random people. In the beta I personally enjoyed sailing alone and the two man crew. When it came to playing with three other people without a mic... our pirate dreams of finding the most booty sunk pretty quickly.

[Shmeidi]

Definitely a game where you need mics.

[FITgamer]

...and where everyone speaks the same language lol. IDK why but during the Alpha and Beta I was constantly getting thrown into lobbies with French speaking players.

[Cyborgg]

I was getting thrown around with kids that was messing around and speaking different languages.

[frostypants]

"I can sea more than four being a little overwhelming"

I sea what you did there.

Anyway, yeah, I wish games like this required mics...E.G., forced a mic check before matchmaking.

[UnHoly_One]

People would just plug one in to pass the check and then let it sit on the couch.

[UnHoly_One]

I had more fun on the 2 man ship as well.

I'm hoping in the full version they allow groups of three.

Even if it was 3 on the 2 man ship I'd be fine with that.

[mark_parch]

Unholy_One
Totally agree, they have to have a 3 man crew, even if it's on a big ship. Ive been playing the beta with a friend on a 2 man ship which was epic fun but another friend plans to join us at launch and I don't want to have a random player thrown in every time we want to play

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Okay then cool

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Will you be playing

[frostypants]

My initial excitement for this game is deteriorating by the day...

[UnHoly_One]

Why?

Mine keeps going up.

[Rachel_Alucard]

If you haven't heard, try blackwake on steam for your pirate needs. It's in early access and its multiplayer only but it's only $20, has no micro-transactions whatsoever, and lets you coordinate a team of up to 16 people atm. It's more objective based but you have to physically coordinate with everyone when operating canons and repairing the ship when its sinking.

[Xenophon_York]

Thanks, Rachel. Good info.

[WilliamSheridan]

My pre-order is already in...

[Xenophon_York]

Was super-intrigued by Sea of Thieves for awhile now. But, between the manipulative way micro-vampirism is being updated into the game and now knowing a crew on a full-sized, ocean-going ship can only have four players my interest is all-but-lost.

To think it would be too difficult for more than a third-of-a-dozen players to work together is simply a show of sympathy for the game. Werewolves Within does fine with up to eight players all communicating with often-times complicated lines of dialogue.

[UnHoly_One]

Not everything is better with more people.

[Usperg]

WOW you are crying over someone purchasing a flipping pet like a snake or a monkey or a parrot or even a hat to wear that will not hinder your experience in any shape or form! Such salt!

Where are you getting this full sized ocean going ship info from , dude this is a game not real life, the ship is scaled and designed for 4 and can handle 4 easily, even 3 and many players on the SOT forum have requested for the option to have 3 only on a Galleon which Rare stated it would be implemented.... More salt in your post than the ocean ingame...

Don't know why i am even replying, you haven't even played the game!

[mark_parch]

@Usperg
Totally agree, they need to add a 3 player crew/ship

[mark_parch]

Xenophon_York
You have to understand gameplay balance. If you have a crew of say 8 people nobody will stand a chance against them and when sailing to a location there will be 4 people bored out there brains with nothing to do on the ship. 4 player crews is a perfect balance, there's nothing stopping your 4 player crew joining up with another 4 player crew. for example in one alpha session our 4 man crew made friends with 2 other 4 man crews in the tavern and decided to all set sail together. What they need to do is add a 3 man crew

[Xenophon_York]

@mark_parch

You explanation makes sense. It doesn't mean eight, twelve or however many more players wouldn't be more fun, though. It's just despicable that so many XBOX fanatics are so devoted to this game that nothing—regardless how atrocious (even the thing ninety-nine percent of gamers despise, microtransactions) that they attack those of us with values and dignity who question developers.

In any case, Blackwake is supposedly able to pull off big crews, so it's possible balance game play with more than four crew-mates. Hell, for that matter it could be an option to go with a bigger crew. Fact is, it sucks it's limited—plain-and-simple.

[mark_parch]

@Xenophon_York
I agree having bigger crews could be fun but just not in sea of thieves, they would have to re-design the core mechanics and basically re-design the game. Blackwake has been made from the ground up to have bigger crews so it is balanced in their game but blackwake and sot are totally different games.

With regards to microtransactions I think you are over reacting. Because sea of thieves is going to be supported for many years to come you would have to be extremely naïve to think there would be no monitization and I think this is the most non intrusive way to do it. no random spins on loot boxes and nothing that will give you any type of advantage over other people.

[alb1899]

I will get game pass

[AmstradAmiga]

I have 3 XB1, 1 XB1X, 2 PS4 and 1 PS4Pro in the house...but more importantly enough of my kids are into gaming we can create our own 4 person crew.

This is going to be great. Nothing beats being a dad and getting into co-op multiplayer with your kids! Rocket League was the same...although 2v2 made for some interesting family discussions afterwards!

[maybelovehate]

If Destiny has taught us anything it is that 6, not 4 is the magic number.

[Atanasrikard]

I never played Destiny in a 6-man squad, only ever played with 4.

[Atanasrikard]

@MakoD

The only thing this guy's article shows me, sadly, is how much some people need their hands held in gaming these days. As someone who played in the alpha and the beta, it only took me a couple of minutes (at the most) to figure out how to do any of the things that he was seemingly unable to figure out in his entire time playing the beta.

I played solo, with a group of randoms and with a group of friends and while grouping with randoms was hit or miss, I found myself enjoying my time playing the game. Isn't that what gaming is supposed to be about? Enjoying yourself?

I can understand if someone feels the game isn't for them, there are plenty of games that really aren't for me. However, if you think there isn't anything to do simply because the game doesn't tell you what to do is rather disingenuous.

As far as Destiny goes, I played and enjoyed the game quite a bit. Destiny 2, however, rubbed me completely wrong. Not sure why that was but I only played until the first expansion and then didn't bother with it after that. If Sea of Thieves can bring back the feeling that I got from Destiny, I will be happy. So far, it has done that and more and I haven't even been able to get my hands on the full game yet.

[maybelovehate]

Wow, you never done a Raid.. I feel bad for you. Their raids are the pinnacle of gaming.

[Atanasrikard]

@Maybelovehate

Who said I didn't do any raids? I never said that.

@Mako

Aren't all things for specific people? I find it interesting that you bring up Fable Legends, as I was in that beta too.... at least until it was closed down. I can tell you that between the two, there is much more to do in Sea of Thieves than there was in Fable Legends. Maybe because FL kept struggling with balancing the gameplay between 4v1, I don't know. Don't get me wrong, I actually did enjoy FL for what it was. However, it definitely felt empty.

[LateNightThirst]

Ignore the ponies, they'll cite micro transactions are poison, but be completely okay with games like UC4, TLOU, DC having them. Then they'll talk about crew size without playing and a lack of content, even though Rare has constantly stated the Beta didn't even have 1/4 of the total content in the game

I swear these people need mental help, swings both ways for Xbox fanboys who trash PS without any sufficient reason

[mark_parch]

yep that seems to be the theme, especially on n4g

[sampsonon]

disappointing