Sea of Thieves’ Captaincy update makes the seas feel more alive

Sea of ThievesSince its inception, the site has been continuously updated with everything from coral beasts and spectral phantoms to Jack Sparrows and Spanish fleets. Captaincy’s most recent update was released at the beginning of August, along with season 7. Captaincy lets players name, decorate, and sell their ship to special vendors. This allows them to show off their high-seas status. It’s the first update to really shine the spotlight on other players, and it makes the Sea feel so much more alive.

If Sea of ThievesAt the time of launch, there was not much to be afraid. Developer Rare has since expanded the map into the fiery, frightful Devil’s Roar and added a whole host of dungeons and quests to explore. All of the updates were made externally, which has changed the world. Although pirates have had new tattoos and dresses made, they rarely receive new opportunities to advance their stories.

Now, on the high waves, peering down a spyglass at a Captained ship plays a little tune, and you get to see their ship’s name, which is also emblazoned above their quarters. For instance, if you were to encounter me on the seas, you’d see that I run The Bewwowing Hewwo, a fearsome sloop. I greet others with a heartfelt “Hewwo.” I’m the captain of this ship, and you can’t do anything about it — although many try, often with cannons and fire. Peering at others’ ships, with names like the parrot-cosmetic-adorned Chicken Club or the black and gold Booty Hunter, and flipping through their log books, make them feel like similarly established characters.

“[Captaincy] always felt like a core part of the pirate fantasy,” says creative director Mike Chapman in a call with Polygon. Chapman said that the team had been discussing adding this feature since launch. “I think we’ve kind of reached a point now with the sandbox facilities that have evolved so much, and there’s such a breadth of different experiences and play styles, that it was time to allow players to become Captains.”

Sea of ThievesYou can earn reputation and progress in the Tall Tales quest line, as well as show up for Adventures. But there wasn’t much in the way of meaningful personal progression. Only a few pirates were able to earn Easter eggs through community donations, however there is no way to get Boots of Better Sailing or Pirate Points that can be used in talent trees. Although your pirate may be able to dress up with new cosmetics like tattoos and a sword, each session will still start with an unadorned sloop.

Image: Rare/Microsoft

Now, players can assemble their own fleets, purchasing new ships and locking specific customization slots — like a treasured capstan or cool cannon — to automatically load on a sloop, brigantine, or galleon. As Captains go about their adventures, they’ll accumulate Milestones, which unlock new trinkets and treasures. If your ship has been jostled, you can fix it by rearranging your statues and putting in new paintings. If your ship is kraken’d or firebombed, that damage will show up unless you pay a small sum to remove it.

“When we thought about deep levels of customization, we thought that players want to express how they play and who they are as a captain,” says Shelley Preston, lead designer on Sea of Thieves. “If you love the Devil’s Roar stuff, you’ll have Milestones that correlate with globe-y, volcanic rock looking decorations — and you can progress that way and become that reflection of that play style.”

Some of the trinkets are trophies from dramatic adventures, and some of them are just nice little ferns or a humble hook on which to hang one’s hat. “It was about ensuring that we’ve got enough variety and kind of role-playability to actually make the cabin and the quarters feel like it’s theirs,” says Preston.

Image: Rare/Microsoft

Chapman explains that the process was to provide Captains with fun alternatives without clogging up their ships. You can also much. “What you don’t want to do is push it so far that you can adversely affect the core gameplay, that you’re impacting the free flow of walking around the ship and accessing damage holes when you’re under stress and your ship is sinking. So it’s trying to tread that line of not affecting the core gameplay, but really giving that ability to express yourself and the things that you’ve done.”

It is rare that Rare gives Sea of Thieves a multitude of updates since its launch over four years ago, the Captaincy update is one I’ve enjoyed the most so far. Fun things like a new expedition or finding a landmark to explore is great, but I love the doll-up aspect of arranging tiny trinkets in a neat manner on my sloop.

It’s also great to sink another ship and read their logbook. My friends and I were on a brig when we were chased by The Audacity (a Reaper ship), and we worried about our cargo. However, we were able to stay on board and won a bloody war of attrition. We then seized their logbook, marveling at their accomplishments. The Captaincy’s other features like being able to sell all your loot to an outpost vendor, are just the cherry on top.