For new players joining today due to the steam launch...

Welcome! Personally, I am excited for more players.

I am writing this post because I would like to give my opinion on PvP and what is and isn't toxic player behavior.

It is rare (heh... No pun intended but I'm kinda proud) that a game comes along with PvP so heavily integrated into game play. I'm talking to the point that you could be farming treasure for hours just to have a galleon roll on up and nab it all, leaving nothing for you. Not even a change in Exp. There is NO option to turn this off. It's all a part of the game.

My following opinion should be digested with the knowledge that I am AWFUL at PvP. But I'm practicing.

It can be frustrating, but somebody stealing all your stuff is NOT toxic gameplay. Spawn camping on your ship, while frustrating, is NOT toxic gameplay. It is legitimate strategy in order to sink you. Someone bombing your ship is NOT toxic gameplay. Tuccing is NOT toxic gameplay. Jumping off their ship to go after your anchor is NOT toxic gameplay.

So what is?

I consider the following to be toxic:

Doing any of the previously mentioned actions while being a jerk on the mic.

Also, going after someone you know is doing a tall tale (only if you know. A majority of what you receive has no turn in value and can take players a long time to complete. If you don't know and attack, that's normal. This is mainly about the people who just camp tall tale locations exclusively to do this)

The biggest mistake you can make in SOT is to avoid PvP all together. You will not learn to defend yourself if you don't attempt to learn how to do so.

Hope to see you out there!

Edit: u/xTEKNIKLx has a good point that I didn't think of. Saves do change the tall tale bit.

Also, something that I didn't think of before that I haven't seen before:

BEWARE THE HOTMIC. if you are talking and you see the speech bubble icon in the top right, any players near you can hear you.

I have a friend I play with that ALWAYS hotmics and gets annoyed easily, and proceeds to say things like "ITS BULLSHIT! HOW DID THEY GET ME FIRST! IM GOING TO THE CROWS NEST AND IF THEY ARE THERE TO KILL ME i KNOW THEY ARE CHEATING!"

It's not that blatant, but a decent representation. don't do that.