One of the big takeaways from the Sea of Thieves beta that a lot of players seemed to have, was that while there was a big world with a lot of opportunities for emergent gameplay, it felt a tad on the empty side. Developer Rare took the opportunity to try and assuage some of those concerns by releasing a video dedicated to the game’s lore, explaining that many of the landmarks that players come across have their own story and that players will be the driving force behind the events of the world.
Each of the game’s factions has their own motivations for what they want out of the world. The Gold Hoarders want to get rich, the Merchant Alliance aims to control trade, and the Order of Souls seeks to control the more mystical elements of the world. Each faction offers different quest types, and as you go along, you will learn more about who they are.
One of the more intriguing aspects, in regards to the Order of Souls, is that their quests involve hunting down undead pirates, each of whom has a history in the world of Sea of Thieves.
“In the lore of the world, they’ve had their own adventures,” says Design Director Mike Chapman. “They’ve come to the Sea of Thieves with their own motivation. They’ve made their legend, they’ve buried their treasure,” he continued.
The video ends with a somewhat unusual quote from Chapman.
“The Golden Age of Piracy is yet to come to the Sea of Thieves and players are going to play a key role in them.”
It’s tough to glean any concrete details, but it could mean that Rare could have instanced events planned or some sort of content that’s yet to be announced. Sea of Thieves releases on Xbox One and PC on March 20th, 2017.
