Skull and Bones is back. The last Ubisoft Singapore pirated game I saw at E3 2018 is finally back and released in November of this year. But what exactly is that? Despite its appearance, Skull and Bones is a very different game from Assassin’s Creed Black Flag. In fact, it’s more like Sea of Thieves than any of Ubisoft’s traditional open-world games.
To make sure we’re ready and ready to sail, we talked to game director Ryan Bernard and found seven things you need to know about Skull and Bones.
There is no campaign
Unlike most Ubisoft open world games, Skullland Bones has no campaigns. “It’s definitely not a story-driven game,” says Bernard. “We don’t end Skull & Bones, we have credits and cutscenes at the end. We want to make it a live game for years to come.”
But that doesn’t mean there’s no story at all. “We have the central characters or” kingpins “of the game you will encounter in the middle of the journey, and they have a bit of the story and background you will be able to do. [learn through] “Jobs and contracts with them,” explains Bernard.
Instead of the main comprehensive story written by Ubisoft, the Skullland Bones story is your own. You set your own goals, decide how you sail the waves, and plunder the ship to increase your wealth and infamy. You can do all this solo, but Skull and Bones is a shared world game with up to 20 players on each server. You can team with those other players … or hunt them down, sink their ships, and steal their treasures.
Open ocean activities
So what exactly does Skull and Bones do without a campaign? Now, the Indian Ocean is full of opportunities. There are many characters who offer adventures, explosions, and most importantly, work contracts that lead to the Treasure Mountain.
“We want [activities] To be pirate-oriented, “Bernard reveals. “It’s probably a settlement to bring dangerous smuggled goods to different parts of the world, chase out the named pirates who are causing problems with one of the Kingpins, or obtain certain items. Is to plunder one of the general [activities] It falls into the category of getting things for pirates who want them, or taking things from one place to another. This is very dangerous and cannot be lost. Otherwise, you will pay for the result. “
Explore the ocean to find trade routes, hidden islands, and enemy fleets. Each is a new opportunity to fill your hold with loot and make your infamy. And the more infamous you are, the more you will be respected by the characters of the world.
Become a pirate kingpin
Notorious is the Skull and Bones Progression System. Raising the infamous rank unleashes the ability to captain a more impressive ship and experience higher level opportunities in the game.
“Your name is a big deal,” says Bernard. “”[Back in the age of piracy] If you sink a big ship or a named ship, people will hear about it, your infamy will grow, it will work with you and give you access to the various pirates you want to trade with. increase. This is exactly the same flow that our progress follows. ”
The highest rank of the infamous ladder is your big comprehensive goal. Become a pirate kingpin and sit among the scariest pirates in the Indian Ocean. “Play Skull & Bones regularly and spend some time to reach Kingpin,” Barnard guarantees. “Kingpin is where a new type of experience begins, which can be a bit more competitive.”
Survive the sea
Becoming a kingpin doesn’t happen overnight. You have to start with just the clothes on your back, go from the sea urchin to the sailor, and then to the captain who plots. In the process, you should always be aware of the Skull and Bones survival mechanism.
“At the beginning of the game, there’s basically nothing left, so we need to make the first spear,” Bernard explains. “You have to hunt sharks and fish, grill them and feed yourself and your crew, otherwise they will revolt against you and throw them outboard.”
Wait, rebellion? “To be a good captain, you need to keep your crew happy,” says Bernard. “We have a concept called morale because it is difficult to run these big ships when they are sailing into the sea. [Morale] Depending on the type of ship you are on and the infamous distance, it will be ejected slowly or quickly. To keep it up, you need to feed them. ”
As you become more successful, what you have to do to survive changes. Managing your ship will be more important and challenging than ever. The hull needs to be repaired and loaded with cannons, but you also need to carefully balance your weight. Looting all the treasures you find is fascinating, but if your ship is overweight, you will find it difficult to overtake your enemies. Sometimes it’s best to throw some of that cargo overboard to stay alive.
Pave the way for victory
You can survive just by making a spear and cooking fish, but to prosper, you need to get the most out of your Skull and Bones crafting system. Well, it starts with almost everything you can find.
“We want to add value to all this sensation in the world,” says Bernard. “That is, if you find something, you can use it right away, save it later for a blueprint or design, need it as a component of a recipe, or sell it.”
The raw materials collected, plundered and collected are brought to the craftsman’s NPC and become valuable items for the ship. It could be to build a new set of cannons that can more efficiently blow up enemy ships into debris, armor plates to protect the hull, or furniture that makes the ship feel a little more personalized. ..
Ships, shooters, sailors
Your ship is Skull and Bones’ most important property. Since the game is set almost entirely at sea, the ship is both a means of transportation and a weapon. That’s why Ubisoft Singapore strives to make sailing and cannon firing easier.
“I think it’s very intuitive,” says Bernard. “It’s very easy to pick up the voyages of the various ships we have in the game. Combat was something we wanted to make sure it was very intuitive and it seems like we’re playing a shooter. It’s something. ”
Captains range from small dhows and sloops to medium-sized sambuks and brigantines. Each can be fitted with a variety of guns, from classic cannons to more specialized equipment such as flamethrowers and multi-barreled mortars. Different contracts require different approaches, so it’s important to combine the right ship and gun. For example, a courier task requires a completely different setting than a fortress assault.
It is also important to remember that ships and cannons are not the only tools. If you want to sail with the best loot, it is imperative to use your crew wisely.
“When you do damage [to other ships]At some point, the crew will be caught up in this enthusiasm and will be able to carry out what is known as a “crew-to-crew attack.” .. .. If you adjust the timing to a place where the enemy ship’s physical strength is low, [your crew] Perform a boarding operation and its hook [the enemy] It’s the only way to put all the loot in your cargo. “
Land Ho!
Most of the Skull and Bones world is made up of water, but the land has places to visit and explore. These areas are similar to the base camps of games like Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed. They are where you meet NPCs and other players, sign contracts, create new items, and build your fleet. The largest of these places are pirate dens, but small outposts are scattered throughout the Indian Ocean.
“In the burrow, there is a warehouse here, where you are likely to interact with other pirates, you can build all kinds of weapons and new ships, and you can refine the materials,” Bernard explains. increase.
“Outposts scattered around the world rotate,” he continues. “At this point one of the factions may be at its outpost, and they are offering a specific set of contracts only while they are there. [Outposts are also] A place to buy new blueprints and designs while notorious [tiers].. “
Bernard also promises that the outpost will be a place to learn more about the Indian Ocean and the pirates that live there. “You’ll find a piece of tradition that leads to the story. Why are you all here? What’s wrong? There’s a deeper underlying story that isn’t a linear story, but it’s something you can research and learn as a player. You can do it.
And these are seven things you need to know about Skull and Bones. It will be released in November of this year. For more information on what to expect in the Indian Ocean, keep an eye on IGN.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Features Editor.
