Everyone knows that you want to protect your treasure at all costs, but there's more to be wary of out on the Sea Of Thieves. As you're on your way to collect some treasure or to cash in some treasure, you want to know what's around you at all times.
Anything can take you by surprise and seasoned players catch these things before those things even know they are there. Using the small telescope in your inventory, better known as a spyglass, you can watch out for all threats and points of interest. You never know when you'll need to make a quick turn in the other direction. It's best to know where everything is!
Different Types Of Islands
When it's night time you'll be able to see the glow of outpost stations lights. It's important to know where the nearest outpost is if not by your map then by your line of sight. You may have to quickly cash in some prizes before you get into a fight with a reaper ship. You can also use the spyglass to see any large rocks that might become a problem or a skeleton fort. Skeleton forts are scary because their cannon towers often look like ship sails in the distance. If you're en route to an island and you know it's nearby, but aren't sure where exactly, use that spyglass.
Incoming Enemy Ships
The most important thing to keep a lookout for. From player ships to skeleton ships, you can spot these from a crazy distance if you have someone constantly checking the horizons with a spyglass. At night these things can become more obvious. Skeleton ships always shine bright green and blue, while player ships have a yellow to orange tinge light.
Some players can turn their lights blue by taking light from the Ferry Of The Damned or they can turn off their lights completely. You can still see ships coming without lights, just look for the shape of sails while also remembering what raised sails look like. You don't want to get caught off guard. When you pinpoint another ship from a distance, you can get away from them before they can get a chance to shoot at you or you can find your next target.
Other Players Looking At You
If you're pointing your spyglass at another player, they can see you no matter how far you are. Whenever a player does this, the player on the receiving end can see a glint or a sparkle coming from the direction of the player using the spyglass.
Because of this, it's a risk using a spyglass to stare at another ship and see what's going on. They might see you watching and decide you want to fight. But it's also important to know that a glint from afar means you too are being watched. Tread lightly when this happens. You might have either a fight on your hands or a new player who is curious and afraid.
Sea Monsters And Water Barrels
If the water is turning black, it's time to turn back. Black water means a kraken is afoot and ready to tango. You can escape the kraken's slimy and clammy grasp, but it will still be spawned in the distance. If you need to turn back or pass the same area, make sure there aren't tentacles in the distance! Using the spyglass, you can also see if another ship is being chased by a sea monster or if you've successfully outrun one yourself.
You may also end up passing by barrels and shiny things in the water. Sometimes these can be loot left over from another player's sunken ship or randomly spawned items for any lucky lad to find. These usually have mermaid gems or skulls, barrels, and sometimes crates in the mix. The barrels will contain resources you may already have. One gem isn't working stopping the ship for but keep an eye out for multiple glimmers or a crate of tea for some extra money.
Special Events And Challenges
There are a lot of special points of interest in the sky and the horizon beyond. The important thing about these is that every single player on your server can see them. They offer special loot that will give you more money than a measly treasure chest hunt. Because of this, there will be a lot of PvP if attempting to be the one to get the loot.
- A red skull in the sky is Flameheart, an event where you must kill dozens of ghost skeleton ships.
- A normal skull in the sky is a skeleton fort boss.
- A cloud the shape of a ship means skeleton ships will spawn and attack you if you sail underneath the cloud.
- A red tornado is an event where you must defeat hordes of enemies and then a boss on an island for large rewards.
- Red and green swirling lights like in the photo above mean there is a reaper chest and or good loot underwater.
Remember that everyone is trying to get these. These events are riskier than the voyages you buy from merchants.
Birds Flocking Together
If you see a flock of seagulls circling one area above water, it means there's sunken treasure. These are helpful to pick up on your way to a voyage or to cash in because they give a lot of extra money. Everyone can see these birds if they are nearby and once all treasure is acquired, the birds will go away. This means you'll know there's still loot left if the birds are still there. The treasure will be inside a sunken ship under the water which provides a challenge. It's jarring and difficult traversing a sideways ship while under water and losing breath, while also being chased by sharks.
These wreckages contain chests, gems, skulls, and lots of resources. The more sunken the ship, the harder it is to retrieve all the loot since you'll be underwater for a longer amount of time. Sometimes you won't actually see the tip of the ship poking through the water. This means it's sunken even lower. If there are birds, there's a ship down there somewhere.