Discouraged to explore

[Larger 7]

I was having a blast playing the first several hours. I started off in L12, got the feel of the game, and then moved to K12. Once there, I established myself, and set up shop. I mingled with the locals, got the lay of the land, and explored the seas. Then after several hours I managed to build my first Sloop. It was great! It felt like a radical step up from using the raft. I found a couple of Common low level maps (I assumed, since the bottles related to me that their "rarity" factor was 1 or 2. So I set off to J12. I crossed the boarder and the area was different enough for me needing to adjust, had some scares with the sharks, grabed some extra flotsam, etc. I proceeded to the nearest island, and here is where my adventuring took an abrupt end. I lowered my anchor, and before even leaving my ship, I was brutally assaulted by what appeared to be Godzilla. This crocodile was large enough to attack me from the Sea, and I had no where to run. After dying I realized that the Croc did not leave the area, and would continue to maul me and my ship.

I somehow managed to get out of this scrap, circled the island, and thought, let's try again. This time I found a spot on the North face of the island and I actually managed to step foot on shore. However, it must have triggered a trip wire or something because out of nowhere an Alpha Wolf, level 168, ran up, struck me once, and I died. I respawned at my ship, and once again was molested by a pair of crocodiles. Now whenever I spawn I don't even get to see the horizon before I die again.

Now I am discouraged to go out exploring at all. Are the other islands like this? Is this the hardest area of the game? Am I somehow so under-prepared that I need to go back home, and hunt snakes until I have leveled out the skill tree, only to explore then? I don't know, but I saw some glaring issues that I hope are addressed. Besides the obviousness of my story (Namely that predators are way too aggressive. If this were a special event with a special monster with special mechanics, then I could understand, but there was nothing special about this), there are some glaring issues that need to be addressed about exploration. If all of the above is how it should be, then the biggest problem is creature density. There was a crocodile on every shoreline of this island. 

Or perhaps, I am just... REALLY bad at this game. I don't know, but this seemed ridiculous to me. I just wanted to provide some kind of feedback that's all, and in no way want this to be seen as a way for to vent my frustrations because I am really enjoying it so far, albeit with some exceptions.

[Nutcutt3r 173]

Well the alpha is gonna kill ya a good majority of the time. And a crock killed ya, no big deal. Stuff happens, spawn at your bed and get your stuff back, rinse/repeat.

[Larger 7]

Rinse and repeat doesn't make for fun exploration. If all I am doing is making death runs, and not being able to enjoy myself with the difficulty of survival, then what's the point?

[wildbill 142]

Yes, some islands (sounds like that was a desert island) are much worse in the way of predators than others. The desert biome has crocs, wolves, rhinos, giant snakes, rattlesnakes, scorpions, and vultures that will kill you. Normally if they put this much bad stuff on an island there must be something really good that makes it still worth going there, but the only thing I know of is salt. There should be much better stuff too, but never found it. 

[Larger 7]

Thanks for the information Wildbill. Yes, it was a Desert island. Knowing that Desert islands are supposed to be really dangerous is good to know, in fact, having some kind of clarification of any kind would have been great. The sheer amount of wildlife on the island was staggering. I couldn't see an empty patch of land that didn't have wildlife. Now this begs the next question, how do I know what to explore, and what to avoid? Having a pair of crocs spawn camp me into oblivion is not an ideal pass-time. Now I'm thinking of setting up a raft with a bed closer to home, just for emergencies, but that sounds like a really bad band-aid for this problem.

[Nightstrasza 137]

Just now, Larger said:

Thanks for the information Wildbill. Yes, it was a Desert island. Knowing that Desert islands are supposed to be really dangerous is good to know, in fact, having some kind of clarification of any kind would have been great. The sheer amount of wildlife on the island was staggering. I couldn't see an empty patch of land that didn't have wildlife. Now this begs the next question, how do I know what to explore, and what to avoid? Having a pair of crocs spawn camp me into oblivion is not an ideal pass-time. Now I'm thinking of setting up a raft with a bed closer to home, just for emergencies, but that sounds like a really bad band-aid for this problem.

Easiest are temperate islands, then tropical, then... have no idea since was not on any dessert yet but tundra is very not nice aswell with tons of wolves, some snakes (which are pathetic compared to wolves), there are ocasional lions too tho which are just a much frustrating as wolves. The hardest is polar, very low amount of resources, agressive yetis that agro only on players and nothing else, alot of damned ships and whales, temperature is low, not much space to place stuff on and lack of vitamin A and C.

[Larger 7]

That's good to know. Seeing that spike in difficulty though, I'm not sure how anyone could visit places like that. I was being killed in anywhere from 1 to 3 hits. At least K12 had a reasonable difficulty curve when it came to over coming snakes and tigers, and the like. Sure, they are predators and are extremely aggressive, but they don't hone onto my position from such a great distance like the Crocs did. I feel like if the Desert Biome is supposed to be as difficult as other people are saying, the wildlife needs to be readjusted in some way.

 

[Computer1633 5]

Also keep an eye on the map. Landing on an island in a zone with a power stone (the black circle in the center) is suicide if you are not ready for it. They are heavily guarded for a reason. Best when first starting to stick with temperate and tropics as Nightstrasza is correct about these being the easiest.

[Larger 7]

I just wish that was a logical progression of some kind when it comes to exploring the seas. The zone I am referring to is only two squares away from a freeport, and there is no meaningful way to tell other then through Guessing and checking. I guess I am venting after all, which isn't what I want to do.

[Sharana 8]

10 hours ago, Larger said:

I just wish that was a logical progression of some kind when it comes to exploring the seas. The zone I am referring to is only two squares away from a freeport, and there is no meaningful way to tell other then through Guessing and checking. I guess I am venting after all, which isn't what I want to do.

The game is hardly made for solo exploration like you are trying to do - at least on officials. At it's core that is game about group play and territory control. For solo player the predators are problem on any server you will visit. And other then role playing explorer you aren't gaining anything from trying to "explore". The reality is that you will find either low populated islands or high populated ones (players wise). In the first case the predators will be out of control as no group is powerful enough to clear around them and keep them in check (so they pile up to pretty high number). In the seconds case there are high chances the group owning the island will just kill you on sight - or their NPCs will kill you on sight if you pass close to their base or ships as they are set on auto attack as protection against griefers in off hours.The tropical islands are the best (easiest) to set up on and for that reason they are almost all controlled by players groups that kill predators (they don't pile up to the unfun amounts) and that's the main reason there aren't that many there.

 

Might not sound fun, but that's about it. Where "exploration" comes in play is mainly in three scenarios:

- the basic one is where you need resources not available on your islands (which is the case by game design - you need stuff from other islands to progress beyond simple personal house). That's the main driving factor for sailing, exploring and interaction. Being a game targeted at groups tho that is fun only when you go on expedition for some specific resource or animals. Meaning you prepare and go with armed group (with firearms) that can hold it's own against a lot of predators at least. Otherwise being solo you will be eaten all over again before you gather what you really intend.

- then there is the treasure hunt. That is mid game already and requires group too - not only for protection against predators and hostile players while looking for the treasure, but also to deal with the powerful NPCs that guard those treasures. Yet again - you can't get treasures alone, the NPCs will kill you even if you are high level and geared. That's group content. Those coins are needed to pay the NPCs that help man the bigger ships and man the base defenses on your islands. Killing those NPCs also provides massive amounts of exp, so that's the best way to progress above level 20-25. Doing it with animals and resources gathering is just painfully slow.

- the last one is where you need to actually explore the map in order to advance beyond level 51. That's borderline endgame already and yet again will be extremely frustrating to try and do solo - at sea you will be sunk by players, sea monsters and NPC ships. To explore the map and keep it as enjoyable experience you need to do it as group again. You man the biggest ship with lots of level 51 guys that need to explore not because it's what they really want to do, but because that's the only way to progress. With such already experienced crew and the biggest ship armed to the teeth you can deal with the serious PvE threats out there and keep going by repairing the ship after all the storms and hostile encounters, exploring the islands without getting eaten by big predators and farm (from the islands you visit) the really high amount of resources needed to maintain and repair the big ships.

Edited January 5, 2019 by Sharana

[Captain Jack Shadow 488]

14 hours ago, Nightstrasza said:

Easiest are temperate islands, then tropical, then...

Depends on the Island.  We are on a temperate island that has many mountains.  It's one of the larger islands.  As a result of all those mountains, it forces you to travel in areas where the animals have been funneled to...the valleys.  As a result, traveling on foot is difficult as there is little opportunity to avoid wolves, lions and snakes.  You have to fight your way through them.  With the way bows now break, just going out to forage is a costly affair.

[Skydance 1]

Bows? If you control an island (particularly a bigger one), then you should be using Guns. Carbines are the way to deal with Lions and Wolves. Have one of the people in your Crew spec into Firearms so he can make them for the rest of you.