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Sea of Thieves Guide: 7 Essential Tips for Beginners (2024) Ships, crew, missions and more
To prevent you from becoming fresh bait for veteran pirates, here are 7 things you need to know for a smooth arrival in Sea of Thieves.
After 6 years of roaming its seas, ‘‘Sea of Thieves’’ is one of the few games as a service that I consider a second home. Rare’s pirate adventure is a sea full of opportunities to live fun adventures that has evolved over the years to become an increasingly accessible experience, but at the same time has expanded to continue delivering content and new experiences. Now, a few days before its arrival on PlayStation 5 in one of the most unusual moves in the world of video games, it is time for this world of adventure to integrate a new group of pirates.
If you’re curious about how to get started in 'Sea of Thieves', or just want a guide on how to get back, don’t worry, we’ve got all the basic information you need to get started.
How do I get started with 'Sea of Thieves'?
The most important thing is to get the game. ‘'Sea of Thieves'’ arrives on PlayStation 5 this April 30th after several weeks of waiting, thus expanding its presence beyond the Xbox and PC family of consoles (through Windows Store and Steam). There are currently 3 versions you can start playing with: the Standard, Deluxe, and Premium editions. While the Standard Edition includes the base game, the Deluxe and Premium Editions include some cosmetic extras, as well as extra cash to get you through the store quickly and start your pirate adventure in style.
Prices are as follows:
- 'Sea of Thieves': Standard Edition - $39.99
- 'Sea of Thieves': Deluxe Edition - $49.99
- 'Sea of Thieves': Premium Edition - $59.99
These editions are available for Xbox, Steam, Windows 10/11, and PlayStation 5.
Do the tutorial
Things have changed a lot since ‘'Sea of Thieves'’ launched in March 2018. And that’s because back then, the game threw you right into the sea without really giving you any instructions on what to do. There are details that are extremely intuitive (lowering the sails moves the ship forward, dropping the anchor stops it), but others not so much. For those entering the game for the first time, the best recommendation is to take the Maiden Voyage. This experience is a fairly quick tutorial on the mechanics of the game, ranging from how to use your ship, how to use some of your tools, how to survive in combat, or even how to cook. Even though it’s very simple, it can’t hurt to have the Pirate Lord himself explain to you what to expect in the special world of 'Sea of Thieves'.
Know your ships
Every pirate knows that part of the adventure is in the ships. 'Sea of Thieves' has three ways for you to traverse this world, and the choice of size will depend on your crew. Each of the ships will have basic elements such as an anchor and a steering wheel, two ladders on the sides, two lateral harpoons at the front, a mission table, a map of the sea with islands, barrels with resources and a space at the back of the ship to place a rowboat. Then there are the cannons and masts, which depend on the type of ship you choose.
Below we will discuss each of these boats:
- Sloop: This small ship is ideal for starting an adventure alone or with a friend. Its small size makes it ideal for learning the basics of using a ship in 'Sea of Thieves'. It has only one sail and two cannons, making it an easy ship to operate, but with the bare minimum to attack, so be careful.
- Brigantine: With an ideal space for crews of 3, this ship is the most balanced in the game, reaching a good speed and having enough cannons to attack and defend easily. Its size makes it easy to defend and operate.
- Galleon: The largest of all the ships and always requires 4 players to operate. Its size, multiple levels, 3 sails, and 6 cannons make it one of the most complete, but also the most difficult to handle, so teamwork will be very important. Its size must be taken into account when braking, as its inertia can be greater, its turns slower, and when sailing against the wind, as you will have the slowest ship in the game. However, being the best-armed and the most difficult ship to sink, you will be facing a ship that you will respect when you see it from a distance.
Decorate your ship
One of the elements that 'Sea of Thieves' has is the part of making your ship unique. Although you start with nothing to decorate your ship with, as you play, complete missions, and most importantly, collect money, you’ll be able to purchase decorations for your ship, ranging from sails, rudders, anchors, flags, and more.
Buy your ship
As time goes by and you have acquired items that decorate your pirate and give him more personality, you can decide to use the gold you have saved to buy your own ship and become a real captain. You will still be able to decorate your ship, but you will also be able to buy details such as interior decorations, and most importantly, you will be able to give your ship a name. When you encounter another player in the distance, you will be able to see both the name of the ship and the user who is captaining it, indicating that you are no longer a newcomer to the 'Sea of Thieves'.
Assemble your crew
Once you’ve chosen the size of your boat, it’s time to choose your crew. Whether you play alone on a sloop or with one, two, or three other friends. You can ensure that no one joins your crew by keeping it closed, but if you want to interact with anyone who happens to want to play 'Sea of Thieves', you can leave the option open.
An organized crew is an essential part of successful ‘Sea of Thieves’ adventures, so communication is a key element. Assigning positions or roles will help keep everyone from wanting to do the same activities, and will make better use of space on the ship. For example, someone may be in charge of steering from the helm, giving instructions on the length and direction of the sails, while someone else checks the chart and horizon to make sure they are heading in the right direction and that there are no hazards in the way (like other ships, or worse, the Kraken). The same is true when you get into some kind of battle, deciding who controls the ship, who fires the cannons, and who goes down to repair.
There are elements you can consider later, such as forming a guild with several friends and working together to increase the number of rewards.
What activities can I do in 'Sea of Thieves'?
Jumping into 'Sea of Thieves' is the start of a great adventure with a growing list of activities to do. Before you begin, you can choose which sea to explore. Safer Seas is a great option if you are a beginner. You will have all the excitement and adrenaline of the game, but without other players on the server and therefore no PvP activity. At the same time, you won’t earn the same amount of gold and reputation as you would in the High Seas.
Once you have chosen which sea to enter, it is time to begin your adventure. Whenever you start, you will either start alone or with your crew at one of the taverns in the game’s outposts. Here you can gather resources, shop, and prepare to set sail. But what you do in 'Sea of Thieves' depends a lot on what you are looking for. Do you want to start sailing and do some of the missions in the game? Do you want the fun of a story that immerses you in the world of 'Sea of Thieves'? Do you want to get into combat? Well, there’s a little bit of everything, so let’s take a look at the basics of what the game has to offer.
Trading companies
The world of ‘Sea of Thieves’ is populated by three trading companies that offer different activities. On the one hand, we have the Gold Hoarders, who, as you can imagine, love chests full of gold and any other trinket of value. The Order of Souls, connoisseurs of the mystical arts, seek out skulls to learn the secrets of the pirates of old, so be prepared to face skeleton squads. Finally, we have the Merchant Alliance, whose job it is to trade goods, hunt wild animals on distant islands, fill crates with resources, or search shipwrecks to salvage their cargo. Each of these factions has its level of representation; once you reach level 50, you will be recognized as a Pirate Legend, opening the door to Athena’s Fortune, which only the elite can reach.
On the other hand, if you want to prove that being a pirate is all about stealing and sinking ships, there are the Reaper’s Bones, which will accept anything you find at sea in ‘Sea of Thieves’ (if you stole it from someone else, all the better). These 5 companies can fly a flag showing that your ship represents them, allowing you to level up and get better rewards. Also, if you want something quieter, you can answer The Hunter’s Call and dedicate yourself to fishing, catching animals, cooking them, and selling them.
Tall Tales
'Sea of Thieves' has a very deep lore with very charismatic characters and a struggle between good and evil. But to get to know them, their motivations, and their stories, one of the useful elements is the Tall Tales. These stories will take us from island to island performing activities such as obtaining special items or helping ghosts from the past find peace. These adventures add an extra layer to the general quests that the game provides and have the player reading journal entries and searching for hidden items in the places they go.
Special Tall Tales
In addition to the Tall Tales that are part of the 'Sea of Thieves' mythology, we find two special stories that link this special sea to the world of pop culture. On the one hand, we have an adventure inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean, with Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl, Davy Jones and other characters and elements that Disney fans cannot miss.
For veteran players who have pirate adventures in their hearts, last year we had the opportunity to go to Mêlée Island to help Guybrush Threepwood himself in an adventure that mixed the mythical Secret of Monkey Island with ‘Sea of Thieves’.
Each of these adventures brought content to the in-game store, from pets to skins to weapons and more. Although these cosmetic items come at a price, these stories are part of the free updates that arrive each season, so you won’t have to pay extra to play them.
Plunder Pass and Seasons
Like any game as a service, 'Sea of Thieves' is not exempt from some of its most distinctive elements: seasons and season passes. While this is relatively new to the game (starting in 2021), it has remained the same, allowing players to unlock additional rewards through a reputation system.
The upcoming Season 12 will bring new items such as weapons, ziplines on islands, cannonballs for ships, and other items that will change different parts of the game.
Tools, not rules
One of the main philosophies that Rare has shared in this game is “Tools, not rules”. This indicates that everything that comes in the game are just tools to help us customize our adventure. At the end of the day, this is a game that leaves us with a huge sandbox.
This also translates to the literal use of the tools, becoming a concept of “thinking outside the box”. For example, if you need to look for treasure on an island that is under an X but you don’t find it, you can bury another one to generate an extra map to help you compare where you are and how close you are to what you are looking for.
It is a sea of thieves, not a sea of friends
As the webcomic ‘Penny Arcade’ explained at the time, the game “it’s not called ‘Sea of Friends,’” so when you see a ship in the distance, it is wise to be prepared for any eventuality. Just as it could be a ship looking to make an alliance, it could also be a ship looking to steal your loot.
Likewise, check your map to see if there is a Reaper on the map, just to be on the lookout, or in another case, if there is someone with one of the flags indicating that they want to fight.
‘Sea of Thieves’ has many more details, but with these elements covered, your pirate adventure is ready to begin.