Andrew Preston Shelley Preston & Craig Duncan Interview Sea of Thieves A Pirates Life

Andrew Preston, Shelley Preston, & Craig Duncan Interview: Sea of Thieves A Pirate’s Life

Screen Rant sits down with Sea of Thieves Lead Designers Shelley & Andy Preston and Rare Studio Head Craig Duncan to discuss their Disney crossover.

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

Andrew Preston Shelley Preston & Craig Duncan Interview Sea of Thieves A Pirates Life

The legendary pirate Captain Jack Sparrow enters the Sea of Thieves next week for the start of the game’s third season, A Pirate’s Life. Based on the Pirates of the Caribbean Disney Park ride and film franchise, A Pirate’s Life contains five Tall Tales filled with new enemies, a new World Event, and features that also carry over to the sandbox world. Pirate crews are joined by Captain Jack Sparrow as the game’s first-ever AI companion. They will also encounter other familiar characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean series, including Captain Barbossa and Davy Jones, while setting sail for an adventure that promises to change Sea of Thieves forever.

To bring such an iconic character to life in the world of Sea of Thieves, developers at Rare spent time studying the mannerisms and speech patterns unique to Jack Sparrow. They even brought in one of the stunt doubles who portrayed the character in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides to create the most authentic and accurate portrayal possible. The surprise announcement of Jack Sparrow’s debut in Sea of Thieves at E3 2021 was generally well-received by the community, and it seems players are eager to have him on board.

Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life looks to be an ambitious crossover that brings many new gameplay mechanics players could see more of in the future. Rare Lead Designers Andrew Preston and Shelley Preston and Rare Studio Head Craig Duncan recently sat down with Screen Rant to discuss the process of bringing Captain Jack Sparrow to Sea of Thieves, new game mechanics and how they fit into the established world, and what players can expect from the game’s exciting third season.

Andrew Preston Shelley Preston & Craig Duncan Interview Sea of Thieves A Pirates Life

I’m curious, how did you manage to keep this a secret from us for so long? It was very clearly a surprise to the community during E3.

Andrew Preston: Yeah, we went through a bunch of different steps to try and ensure that nothing from A Pirate’s Life leaked before the big E3 reveal. There were a number of different techniques we used: we code-named all of our assets, and everything that we were building in the game. Instead of referring to Disney, it was Dreamland; or instead of the Black Pearl, it was the Dark Crystal. We got used to all of these code names and used them all as part of our review, so that hopefully nothing could get data mined or leaked out as part of that.

We also didn’t push anything out, specifically around the storyline of A Pirate’s Life, to our internal insiders programming either. We put the AI threats out – the phantoms, the ocean crawlers, and the sirens all went out to our insiders for testing, so that we could get the stability and gameplay feedback from them. But we didn’t give them any context other than that, because we wanted to make sure that special moment that we all shared together last week stayed a surprise for everybody.

Shelley Preston: Yeah, as you see, it was about how that moment played out as well. That’s what’s so important about keeping that secret: we wanted that incredible reaction moment for people who love our game, and for people who love Pirates of the Caribbean. We believed so strongly in how special this moment could be, and to get to see that play out in real-time was [great].

All across the team, we were sharing people’s reactions and reaction videos, because that is what brings us such joy. That’s what we do it for, so the fact that we were taking all of those precautions was all around building that moment in time for our players. And then to be able to say, as well, “It’s coming out so soon, June 22,” we’re just thrilled that it worked like that, and it didn’t leak.

It’s a huge sense of relief, but at same time, it’s kind of surreal. It’s a bit weird that we’re allowed to talk about it now.https://screenrant.com/pirates-caribbean-stranger-tides-movie-pitch-meeting-video/

Craig Duncan: Just to echo what Andy and Shelley have said, it’s been an 18-month secret that now isn’t a secret.

We normally operate in this way, where we’ve always got what we’re working on next out in some kind of test realm or alpha ring where it’s being played. So, we had to fundamentally change everything – our whole development process, as Andy said. What things are called, where they go, how we test them, how we flight them changed, because all of that we wanted to keep secret.

Even to our most tapped-in insider community, with whom we normally are pretty open and transparent with what we share, it was a surprise as well. Even in the team, and the wider Xbox organization, it was a very need-to-know project basis. Which, again, is fun. It makes the secret even more secret, which is lots of fun.

What was it like to collaborate with Disney on this project? Do you think you will launch more crossovers, with Disney and other companies, in the future?

Andrew Preston: I could probably say at the start of that one. But it was incredible working together with Disney on this project. It was a huge opportunity and a dream come true for a bunch of us on the team. We’re all super fans of Disney; we’re all super fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean. We absolutely love those characters and those stories, and we have fond memories of going to Disneyland together and riding that theme park attraction. Having the opportunity to work with those characters and those stories, and even elements from the theme park attraction, were just a dream come true.

Our creative director mentioned in the showcase event about depicting scenes from the original 1967 theme park attraction which, personally for me, was just one of the most amazing and unreal opportunities ever. We worked very closely with the Disney team on that in particular, where we’d send them builds of assets and environments of lighting, and then they’d provide really insightful feedback to make sure that the authenticity of how we represent all of these IPs is done with a great deal of care.

But it wasn’t just the Parks teams that we worked beside, we also worked beside the film teams as well. They gave us a ton of really insightful feedback on how we represent their characters; how they look, how they dress, how they should animate, what types of things they would say. Again, just to try and make sure that everything we put into A Pirate’s Life was truly authentic for the fans of Pirates of the Caribbean, the fans of Disney, and crucially, fans of Sea of Thieves as well.

I would say everything was done with meticulous care. It’s just unbelievable. Rare is super excited for it, and I’m sure Disney as well.

Shelley Preston: On that authenticity note, and to answer the second part of that question around future collaborations and things like that… We’re obviously fully focused on Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life, and this has been a huge undertaking for us. But I think if we were to look at anything, potentially, it would all be around creating something authentic and finding the right stories and the right fit that would move Sea of Thieves on in a meaningful way.

This whole working relationship, and the whole interweaving of these two worlds has been done with absolute care and authenticity. As Andy said, we’re working so closely with them because we want to do justice to the Pirates of the Caribbean world. We want to bring that to our game in a really authentic way, but at the same time, we want to be authentic to Sea of Thieves and what’s unique and special about Sea of Thieves.

See also  A Bad Moms Christmas The Most Brutal Reviews

Interweaving those worlds was actually part of the original creative part of the story being brought together. So asking ourselves the question of what would happen if Jack Sparrow found a way to cross into the Sea of Thieves, and what would happen if Davy Jones followed in his week? Those are genuinely authentic questions. How would that play out? What kind of characters exist in Sea of Thieves that might perhaps align with Davy Jones, or might perhaps align with Jack Sparrow? That authenticity then lends itself to this really true interweaving of these two worlds, and that’s what was so special about this particular project.

Craig Duncan: I have nothing to say. You both answered it perfectly.

Andrew Preston Shelley Preston & Craig Duncan Interview Sea of Thieves A Pirates Life

It is no small feat to bring the legendary Captain Jack Sparrow, and the entire Pirates of the Caribbean experience, to life like this. What was the process like? What were some of the biggest challenges?

Andrew Preston: Yeah, we took that very seriously, trying to represent Jack Sparrow within our game. He’s such a beloved character.

We actually got a stunt double from one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies to come to Rare, and he was fully dressed up in the Jack Sparrow costume with all the makeup and the rings and the fake scars. But he was an incredible person to work with. We captured footage of all of the mannerisms for all of the cut scenes that play out as part of A Pirate’s Life directly with that stunt double to ensure that all the subtleties of the gestures from Jack Sparrow were brought through into our game to try and make it as authentic as possible.

We also worked closely with the Disney teams to ensure his voice was there as well, and represented as you would expect. It was a very iterative process that involved a lot of back and forth between Disney to really nail that the look and feel, but also to make sure that he was represented in a way that’s befitting of the Sea of Thieves art style. We didn’t want him to appear as a jarring misfit; we wanted him to fit comfortably and perfectly within the world that we’ve already created, and that glorious art style that Sea of Thieves already has,

Shelley Preston: When you see him within our world as well, and when he’s joined you on your ship, he’ll actually be looking at your map table and calling out and almost poking fun at us a little bit about some of the island names. He’s commenting on some of the places in our world, and as a Disney fan myself, it genuinely gives you this real thrill to see these two worlds coming together in that way.

It is about, again, authenticity. It’s about believing that you are actually with Jack Sparrow. And when you’re adventuring with him, by his side, everything he’s doing and what he’s saying and how he looks is all curated around making it feel like he’s really present. He’s really with you.

Andrew Preston: That was its own challenge as well, trying to bring an AI-controlled character aboard your ship for the first time in Sea of Thieves. We’ve never done that before, and what better way to do that in Sea of Thieves than to have Jack Sparrow aboard your ship. It literally feels like you’re playing a Pirates of the Caribbean movie when you play A Pirate’s Life.

Shelley Preston: Yeah, we always say it feels like you are part of the movie. I think that’s something that’s really inherently cool about video games: you are actually inside it, you’re in the action. So, it’s not only these places and these scenes and feelings from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and also obviously the original ride as well – you’re actually right inside that action.

That original ride, you can actually explore around those cobbled streets and see things that you couldn’t see from the ride experience. You can be alongside Jack Sparrow, you can get up close to him, you can take a screenshot with him. That’s what’s really cool and unique about video games as a medium. We all feel like it’s going to give fans a real thrill and delight as they play Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life.

What was it like completing A Pirate’s Life during the pandemic and working from home?

Andrew Preston: I mean, it’s been very challenging, but there’s nothing that’s brought us together more as a team than this opportunity. It’s just been that burning fire to want to do it right and make Pirates of the Caribbean as a franchise proud, make Disney proud, make Rare proud and really grasp it with both hands.

But I would say, speaking personally, Rare’s been second to none in terms of how they’ve looked after their staff, how they’ve shipped out all of their equipment to them – how all of that’s been handled, trying to make everyone feel comfortable. We talk about that quite often. The world’s turned upside down with the pandemic, but Rare’s tried its best and done an incredible job of making sure that business is just carrying on as usual. They’re keeping everybody connected, keeping everybody feeling safe, giving everybody their equipment to do their job their jobs professionally.

It’s been difficult, but we’ve adapted to it. We’ve even worked closely with the Microsoft Teams team to try and help improve their video streaming so that we can review the game together over Microsoft Teams in a secure way. So that nothing leaks, because we don’t have that luxury unfortunately of all being in the same room gathered around an Xbox playing this together. We’ve had to use the tools that we have to make the best of it. Recording videos, time-stamping them, and sending them between one another.

It’s been a huge learning process, but I think the team has totally stepped up to the plate and overcome that. I think A Pirate’s Life is a testament to how well Rare has stood up to that challenge.

Craig Duncan: Yeah, the pandemic’s been tough for everyone. And I think what we wanted to do was almost make Rare a safe haven – of all the things you’re worried about in the world, I don’t want people to worry about their jobs or their state of living. Let’s just make games. We know games are really powerful, and we’ve seen so much great feedback from people that have used Sea of Thieves in the pandemic to keep in touch with loved ones.

We know that’s the role our game can play, and we know that as people are going through trying times in the pandemic, the art of working together and making something is still needed. We still need to make games, and we still need to do our job and bring games to people. It’s just trying to do that in a way that’s not as disruptive.

I think the thing that we all miss the most is probably just seeing each other and catching up with each other and doing those in-person things. But for a bunch of the tech things, like how we review bills and how we share, we have incredibly smart and talented people that went and figured a bunch of those problems out. We actually learned a lot, and we’ve changed a lot of processes because of it. But I think the hardest bit is just that we miss working together day-to-day and seeing each other day-to-day. That’s been by far the toughest bit for all the team.

See also  20 Crazy Facts About Sky High

Fundamentally, what’s core to Sea of Thieves is a place for you and your friends to connect and go on adventures together. And I think the world’s needed that.

What is your personal favorite feature coming to A Pirate’s Life? Are there any surprises fans should look out for?

Shelley Preston: Yeah, it’s an interesting one. I think, honestly – and I do truly mean this – there isn’t any one feature for me that’s a favorite. It’s the scale and ambition and cinematic nature of those tall tales, and the way that we’re telling the story. It’s a true evolution of everything, not only that we’ve learned but tech that we’ve built as well. Building on our original titles, you’ve seen over time how they’ve gotten more and more ambitious. These are truly our most ambitious yet, so for me, the scale and ambition is my favorite thing about the features.

Andrew Preston: I share the sentiment there. There is a moment in one of the tales at about the midway point – I’m trying not to spoil too much, but it was revealed a little bit in the showcase anyway – where players explore depictions from the classic 1967 Pirates of the Caribbean theme park ride. That’s my personal favorite bit, but I think that’s my personal favorite bit because it touches me on such an emotional level.

I love Disneyland; I proposed to Shelley there back in the day, and we try to go there every couple of years to enjoy that experience. To build something around one of those rides that we ride on all the time, and to be a very small part of that heritage is just a dream come true for me personally. I would say that is very special.

But to your point about the enemies, we’ve done a lot here in this update with the enemies. We’ve got the phantoms, which are a brand new enemy. They’re extremely nimble, masters of swords and guns, and they’re very hard to track down. They feel very different to any threat that we’ve had in the game before. And then the ocean crawlers – we bundle them under ocean crawlers, but there’s three distinct new enemy types there. And they all work together collectively as a crew, which is again something we’ve never done before in Sea of Thieves. You’re fighting these threats, and all three of them are shielding each other and working together as if they’re their own crew unit as well.

There’s some great additions in the AI, and the sirens as well, they’re now brought into the main Sea of Thieves world. They’re introduced as part of the narrative of A Pirate’s Life, but they will touch that sandbox forevermore now. When players swim down to shipwrecks, they will encounter the sirens as well. So, there’s a lot of things to be excited about. But it’s hard to say one specific feature or mechanic.

Craig Duncan: Yeah, I think that just comes down to how the team brought that together. And for me, it goes back to that authenticity and the [fact] that you believe in Jack Sparrow being in the Sea of Thieves. You believe that he’s there because you see him interacting with Sea of Thieves characters and characters from Sea of Thieves lore, and referring to the game and the islands. You just believe in his motivation, and you’re on that story with him, and you believe in Davy Jones’ motivation.

It does feel like you’re on this magical journey with characters that you love. The team has just done an incredible job.

It sounds like Jack Sparrow is going to operate like an AI companion, which has never been done in Sea of Thieves before. Could you talk a little bit about that experience and any challenges that came with it?

Andrew Preston: It was very exciting. It was a difficult challenge, but one we grasped with both arms.

Everyone’s going to love sailing the seas with Captain Jack Sparrow, but I think what I love so much about that particular feature is how it transforms solo play. There are a lot of players that play Sea of Thieves that might not feel comfortable and might not want to share that experience with other players, and they play it on their own. But having Jack Sparrow aboard your ship as a solo player is like nothing you’ve experienced at Sea of Thieves before.

You’re on the helm steering the ship, and then you’re looking over the balustrades and seeing Jack manning the cannons and shooting targets for you. It just feels like you’ve got this AI co-op companion on your adventures. And there’s no pirate quite like Jack Sparrow, either. It’s a pretty special moment.

Shelley Preston: Yeah, there are moments throughout the tales as well, where you adventure with Jack. Again, we keep saying this word authenticity, but it really is what it was always about. In the way that we built that, the approach was always just making it really feel like it’s Jack Sparrow’s presence. To Craig’s point, he’s really there; he’s really in our world.

The way that we designed those environments to make sure that you could see Jack, you could hear Jack, and that everything around the story [revolves around] what he’s doing. Of course, he’s Jack Sparrow, so he’ll be getting into scrapes and being very funny, as Jack is. It all feels truly like he is along for the adventure with you, which is my favorite part about it.

Apart from the exciting new Tall Tales and Pirates of the Caribbean content, are there other new features or changes players should expect in Season 3?

Shelley Preston: Obviously, we’ve got the five tales of A Pirate’s Life. And then as Andy touched on as well, with the new enemy threats that we have and the weapons as well, they enrich the sandbox experience as well. So, you do get introduced to them as part of the sandbox for every player. If you’re doing something that you’ve been doing for three+ years, and doing an X marks the spot map or finding a message in a bottle on an island, there’s a chance that you’ll encounter phantoms. There’s a chance you’ll encounter ocean crawlers if you’re under the water. If you’re searching the island shelf for treasure, or you go by a shipwreck, you may encounter a siren song heralded by this dark, ominous music that’s a dark version of the friendly mermaid that helps you back to the ship. It’s a lovely twist on that, but they can appear.

There are features that are showcased and are present throughout the world. But then this is season three, so it does come with seasonal progress as well, which has its own rewards as part of that. And the tales themselves as well, if you dive into them, there’s commendations and secrets to find. There’s some really, really cool ones that we can’t tell you too much about. But there’s some quite in-depth side quests and plenty of things to explore in every nook and cranny of those environments as you uncover everything there is to do. And that also gives you new rewards as well. There’s tons to see, basically.

Craig Duncan: I’ll just go back to what the trailer said, “The world of Sea of Thieves has changed forever.”

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/sea-thieves-interview-pirates-life-crossover/

Reviews -