Sail Forth “Open Seas” update out now (version 1.4.4), patch notes

Open World Exploration:
– Loading screens between areas are removed
– Can sail seamlessly between areas
– Added ‘Deepblue’ ocean biome between areas with its own soundtrack
– Island generation has been reworked a bit to give locations a bit more personality

World Map Rework:
– World Map generation has been redesigned with an open world in mind
– Can now freely explore the biomes in any order after Sandy Shores
– Difficulty is now scaled based on your overall progression in the game, rather than by which location you are in
– Depending on where you explore, you may still encounter some high-challenge enemies
– Player exact position is now saved instead of just current location

Content Updates:
– New boat: Kestrel, a mid sized schooner balancing armament and maneuverability
– Clams: New digging/surfacing behavior to make finding them more interesting
– Clams: New types of pearls are dropped by clams
– Clams: Moontide Shop uses Moon Pearls instead of normal pearls
– Ship Shape Shop: Shops now have intermittent sales depending on the calendar day, look for flashing lights!
– Ship Shape Shop: Can now sell boats that are stored in your dock without undocking them first

UI Updates:
– New combined Area Map + World Map with better visuals for nearby locations
– New design for wind indicator in the steering/compass display
– World Map shows real player position instead of anchoring to nearest location
– Label ‘key’ items in inventory

Misc:
– Crates and other small targets now always take 1 shot
– Perf improvements when many boats are visible
– Time passes during eclipse so you aren’t stuck on the same day forever
– Improved sinking physics for destroyed boats
– Improved sorting of crew inventory and cargo

Bug Fixes:
– Photo hunt encounter now properly progresses through the various ‘giant’ photo subjects, fixing cases where players were unable to complete their photo collection
– Boat AI now uses oars properly when necessary
– Fix case where player escorts might stop following player for no reason
– Fix cases where the wrong fleet boat could be selected after exiting the outfit or crew manage screen
– Fix many cases where NPCs could be covered by trees or rocks
– Adjust ice target course to be less insanely difficult
– Many fixes throughout the game to quest logic and cutscenes