Sea of Thieves has come to Steam after a long stint on the Microsoft Store. Coming to Steam means that bunches of players are going to be jumping into the game. The problem is, some folks might want to play Sea of Thieves solo. So if you don’t have pals that own the game, you could still take on the game solo.
Sea of Thieves gives you varying sizes of ships, with the smallest one being aimed at a two-person crew. But if you really want to go it alone, there is a way. Be warned, it won’t be easy. There are Kraken, Skeleton Forts and a ton of other content that just isn’t possible solo due to the volume of enemies involved.
You will need to handle raising and lowering the sails, loading shot, steering, and repairing damage. It’s going to be hard but not impossible. The two-man ship makes this much easier. If you want to grind out reputation for some of the easier missions, it’s possible. Some basic tips can help as well.
Rely on Speed
Always try to complete Voyages as fast as possible. Get in and get out. Don’t waste time trying to clear islands of enemies or hunting extra treasure. Just complete the task you’re there for and get moving on to the next destination.
On the same token, you’re most vulnerable when sitting still. Your ship needs to get moving in a hurry, especially if you’re under fire. Practice sail management and gliding to a stop. Don’t rely on your anchor for slamming to a stop, this makes it harder to just drop the sails and get going. If you have to spend time raising your anchor while under fire, you’re going to regret it.
Also, smaller ships may be slower, but they can fit into some very tight spots. Keep scanning the horizon when looking for other players. Always try to visualize what they can see of you based on where they are. If there’s small island between you and a hostile crew, they will have a much harder time firing. Keep yourself mobile and use the terrain to your advantage. For example, take your ship between rocks when trying to evade other ships.
Run Dark
Always run dark, keeping your lights off at night to make you harder to spot. This makes it easier to move from place to place. Having your lights out also makes it easier to spot dark silhouettes on the horizon, as well as lit up ships.
Aim True
When you do get into combat with larger ships, and you do have to fire back, always aim low. The advantage of smaller ships is that they reload faster. You can fire several cannon shots into a hull before some crews get their first volley off. If you keep mobile and aim for the water line, punching holes in an unaware ship can sew tons of chaos.
So it may not be a single-player game, but you can try. You will face some challenges though as a crew is pretty necessary for the whole thing. All the different things you need to manage from the cannons to the sails. Having to keep track of all of that takes a team. And sure, you could have some randoms join your game, but that kind of defeats the point of playing Sea of Thieves solo.