Best Of
Re: How Solo Players (Basically) Saved MMOs From Going Extinct
But what is 'keep up' and why do solos/casuals care about it?
Sure, some of us know, but others don't know what you're talking about.
Sure, some of us know, but others don't know what you're talking about.
Azherae
1
Re: Out of video memory Error while entering Cities
Persistent Crashing Resolved - Alpha 2
Wanted to post this somewhere in case it can help others who may be crashing. I am running super barebones minimum specs, lowest settings, so I am surprised I was able to get it going...
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
16.0 GB RAM
Geforce RTX 3050 (6 GB)
Windows 11 Home 64-bit 24h2
Day one, I was getting persistent crashes just trying to load into the starting area. Shut down all start up apps and had all other apps closed to maximize my memory available, but it still crashed. I received a patch update on day two and I also adjusted the Virtual Memory Page File. This was enough to squeeze out and leave 1.2-1.3GB of free memory when the game is running. It has run pretty solid since, a few visual rendering issues. Some snow areas look like blocks on the ground, minor flickers and once in a while I will get an invisible enemy that I can't see to kill it... but for the most part I can play. 3 hours straight on both day 2 and day 3. Happy hunting!
Virtual Memory Page File Location:
System Properties
Advanced Tab
Performance > Settings...
Advanced Tab
Virtual Memory > Change
Check the box:
Automatically manage paging file sizes for all drives
This changed my default from 1024 MB to:
Minimum allowed: 16 MB
Recommended: 2866 MB
Currently allocated: 15872 MB
Wanted to post this somewhere in case it can help others who may be crashing. I am running super barebones minimum specs, lowest settings, so I am surprised I was able to get it going...
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
16.0 GB RAM
Geforce RTX 3050 (6 GB)
Windows 11 Home 64-bit 24h2
Day one, I was getting persistent crashes just trying to load into the starting area. Shut down all start up apps and had all other apps closed to maximize my memory available, but it still crashed. I received a patch update on day two and I also adjusted the Virtual Memory Page File. This was enough to squeeze out and leave 1.2-1.3GB of free memory when the game is running. It has run pretty solid since, a few visual rendering issues. Some snow areas look like blocks on the ground, minor flickers and once in a while I will get an invisible enemy that I can't see to kill it... but for the most part I can play. 3 hours straight on both day 2 and day 3. Happy hunting!
Virtual Memory Page File Location:
System Properties
Advanced Tab
Performance > Settings...
Advanced Tab
Virtual Memory > Change
Check the box:
Automatically manage paging file sizes for all drives
This changed my default from 1024 MB to:
Minimum allowed: 16 MB
Recommended: 2866 MB
Currently allocated: 15872 MB
sorians
1
Re: π Dev Discussion - Archetype Vibe Check
Which archetype do you find the most fun to play? Why?
Rogue or Bard. Most versatility and depth to their ability trees. There are multiple ways to play each and different spec options that are viable. Almost all abilities function well for each and offer something of value. Both are probably also op in all seriousness and overloaded.
Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
Ranger. Very static binary game play. There is extremely little build variety options. Nearly all Rangers will play near the same identical spec build for ability tree for pve and pvp as everyone else. Using a bow is not unique to Ranger. Every class nearly uses one so you don't have a range advantage nor a unique playstyle as everyone is shooting arrows regardless of class (not a fan of the any class any weapon design with primary and secondary weapons. Feels bland and takes away from the fantasy class identity on the world).
Ranger also has severe mana problems and can't use more than a single rotation without going OOM. Ranger is either OOM constantly if using its aoe abilities or lacks sufficient burst to secure a kill with its single target combo. Ranger lacks utility so it has to excel in burst. Its movement is among the worst of all classes where it should be its trademark it excels at. Bear traps are not reliable as a cc. I agree with others comments that Ranger plays more like a weak aoe caster than a Ranger. Ranger's mana regen on auto attacks is very weak and not functional in pvp. Way too much down time just auto attacking in combat. Ranger plays like afk Runescape combat. Very boring. A ton of passives (half the tree are passives you activate for buffs rather than abilities).
Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
Pve combat in general is dreadfully boring in nearly all instances. Standing still for hours mob grinding while you barely move your character is not entertaining. Half of class kits you can't use because the areas we fight in are too small and you'll pull/tag mobs so you stand still and mentally go afk. Its poorly designed layouts for mob grinding areas. There should be more open area farming locations groups can maneuver during combat like the volcano island in the Tropics.
Rogue is bloated, Fighter and Ranger are starved for functional abilities in pvp, build diversity, and general Quality of Life.
The overall combat design even at early levels is overly convoluted and has way too many layered status effect interactions. Idk who wants this type of combat layering but it is not going to appeal to the masses. Rather than having fun abilities that are solid alone, everything is about weaving and stacking status effects. Strange design. Game is only in Alpha and I'm already tired of the anal conversations about status effect monitoring. So tedious. This is the opposite of the action combat design I was hoping for. This is full tab-target pve ocd debuff bar monitoring. Not a fan.
All weapon trees are about as uninteresting as it gets. I'm not sure what value they have. The game would be improved by consolidating the weapon trees entirely by asking players do you want to run Crit version of class, attack speed version, attack power version, mana regen version, etc.
I still find the base idea of physical wand, magic bow, physical orb to be lame. No class identity. Everyone's the same. Rangers using bow getting shot by a mage for as much with their magic bow or a fighter. Its dumb.
Solo mob grinding to level needs to be viable for all classes not just high sustain ones. 1* mobs should not crush classes five level above them.
Fighter - in general most of its kit has way too long of cast animations. This class has the longest cast animations and is a melee class. It makes no sense. It has to be much more fluid. It also has to receive abilities or a large stat boost to its mitigation so it can engage without getting blown up immediately. Even in pve 80% of the mobs damage is to melee aoe in a 360 degree area, especially Forge.
My feedback would be to remove the secondary weapons from the game and classes only to use a primary weapon. Way too much every class pew pew with bows in pvp. Very Asian mmo boring design. Rangers don't have a single melee ability. Why do they need a melee weapon. What purpose to secondary weapons have other than being stat sticks and pvp auto attack spam by all? Can the whole idea and use one weapon only or develop melee and ranged class ability trees for every class.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
Yeah, what I mentioned above. And variety in game play. Stagnant mob grinding statue game play is like watching paint dry. Where is the engagement in game design? Mob random target 1-shot mechanics are uninteresting. Just random ko's and xp debt without any logic (pyromancer's, snipers in HH). Tanks consistently do not hold aggro well in pve and ranged aoe dps classes will constantly gain aggro even if they waited properly. Tanks must have stronger aggro management so classes can use their aoe abilities. A lot of times you feel forced to only auto attack or use single target abilities because you know you'll pull aggro if you cast an aoe because for whatever reason Tank class taunts are not competent for the job. Makes for boring paint dry mental afk game play.
The level range limiters for parties for xp and loot drops is too restrictive and makes a lame culture in the game. The whole game revolves around no lifing during the rush after a phase launch with a set group. If you become detached from a levelling group its a pain in the ass. I just want to play a game, not jump through so many tedious hoops just to level during the early part of a game. Its very tiring just trying to find groups if you start a new character after the initial phase launch due to the loot and xp bracketing limiters set in place. You're letting people level up by chopping trees and hitting rocks. Why do we care to make solo levelling via mobs brutal? And if someone is going to spend their time in a group who cares if they are power levelled? You'd rather they go hit rocks instead? This is a guild game. Guild's are going to funnel gear to them regardless. Unsure why forcing harsh level range brackets is healthy. A lot of testers I've seen get upset with others because they don't know about the level range bracketing rules. Ie. The system causes more problems then its worth.
Rogue or Bard. Most versatility and depth to their ability trees. There are multiple ways to play each and different spec options that are viable. Almost all abilities function well for each and offer something of value. Both are probably also op in all seriousness and overloaded.
Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
Ranger. Very static binary game play. There is extremely little build variety options. Nearly all Rangers will play near the same identical spec build for ability tree for pve and pvp as everyone else. Using a bow is not unique to Ranger. Every class nearly uses one so you don't have a range advantage nor a unique playstyle as everyone is shooting arrows regardless of class (not a fan of the any class any weapon design with primary and secondary weapons. Feels bland and takes away from the fantasy class identity on the world).
Ranger also has severe mana problems and can't use more than a single rotation without going OOM. Ranger is either OOM constantly if using its aoe abilities or lacks sufficient burst to secure a kill with its single target combo. Ranger lacks utility so it has to excel in burst. Its movement is among the worst of all classes where it should be its trademark it excels at. Bear traps are not reliable as a cc. I agree with others comments that Ranger plays more like a weak aoe caster than a Ranger. Ranger's mana regen on auto attacks is very weak and not functional in pvp. Way too much down time just auto attacking in combat. Ranger plays like afk Runescape combat. Very boring. A ton of passives (half the tree are passives you activate for buffs rather than abilities).
Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
Pve combat in general is dreadfully boring in nearly all instances. Standing still for hours mob grinding while you barely move your character is not entertaining. Half of class kits you can't use because the areas we fight in are too small and you'll pull/tag mobs so you stand still and mentally go afk. Its poorly designed layouts for mob grinding areas. There should be more open area farming locations groups can maneuver during combat like the volcano island in the Tropics.
Rogue is bloated, Fighter and Ranger are starved for functional abilities in pvp, build diversity, and general Quality of Life.
The overall combat design even at early levels is overly convoluted and has way too many layered status effect interactions. Idk who wants this type of combat layering but it is not going to appeal to the masses. Rather than having fun abilities that are solid alone, everything is about weaving and stacking status effects. Strange design. Game is only in Alpha and I'm already tired of the anal conversations about status effect monitoring. So tedious. This is the opposite of the action combat design I was hoping for. This is full tab-target pve ocd debuff bar monitoring. Not a fan.
All weapon trees are about as uninteresting as it gets. I'm not sure what value they have. The game would be improved by consolidating the weapon trees entirely by asking players do you want to run Crit version of class, attack speed version, attack power version, mana regen version, etc.
I still find the base idea of physical wand, magic bow, physical orb to be lame. No class identity. Everyone's the same. Rangers using bow getting shot by a mage for as much with their magic bow or a fighter. Its dumb.
Solo mob grinding to level needs to be viable for all classes not just high sustain ones. 1* mobs should not crush classes five level above them.
Fighter - in general most of its kit has way too long of cast animations. This class has the longest cast animations and is a melee class. It makes no sense. It has to be much more fluid. It also has to receive abilities or a large stat boost to its mitigation so it can engage without getting blown up immediately. Even in pve 80% of the mobs damage is to melee aoe in a 360 degree area, especially Forge.
My feedback would be to remove the secondary weapons from the game and classes only to use a primary weapon. Way too much every class pew pew with bows in pvp. Very Asian mmo boring design. Rangers don't have a single melee ability. Why do they need a melee weapon. What purpose to secondary weapons have other than being stat sticks and pvp auto attack spam by all? Can the whole idea and use one weapon only or develop melee and ranged class ability trees for every class.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
Yeah, what I mentioned above. And variety in game play. Stagnant mob grinding statue game play is like watching paint dry. Where is the engagement in game design? Mob random target 1-shot mechanics are uninteresting. Just random ko's and xp debt without any logic (pyromancer's, snipers in HH). Tanks consistently do not hold aggro well in pve and ranged aoe dps classes will constantly gain aggro even if they waited properly. Tanks must have stronger aggro management so classes can use their aoe abilities. A lot of times you feel forced to only auto attack or use single target abilities because you know you'll pull aggro if you cast an aoe because for whatever reason Tank class taunts are not competent for the job. Makes for boring paint dry mental afk game play.
The level range limiters for parties for xp and loot drops is too restrictive and makes a lame culture in the game. The whole game revolves around no lifing during the rush after a phase launch with a set group. If you become detached from a levelling group its a pain in the ass. I just want to play a game, not jump through so many tedious hoops just to level during the early part of a game. Its very tiring just trying to find groups if you start a new character after the initial phase launch due to the loot and xp bracketing limiters set in place. You're letting people level up by chopping trees and hitting rocks. Why do we care to make solo levelling via mobs brutal? And if someone is going to spend their time in a group who cares if they are power levelled? You'd rather they go hit rocks instead? This is a guild game. Guild's are going to funnel gear to them regardless. Unsure why forcing harsh level range brackets is healthy. A lot of testers I've seen get upset with others because they don't know about the level range bracketing rules. Ie. The system causes more problems then its worth.
Re: π Dev Discussion - Archetype Vibe Check
Roundtable Discussions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNd2fXKgiNs&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Cleric)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8AyHv0gSNI&t=300s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Bard)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtumHZyny18&t=6s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Ranger)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9b-RGaI_PA&t=242s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Fighter)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXwdKLq28r8&t=1138s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Mage)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKamYorGzC0&t=2950s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Tank)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivf5n6PKpqY&t=117s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Rogue)
Which archetype do you find the most fun to play? Why?
I find the Rogue to be the most fun to play in a PvE setting. The interactions between abilities feel more meaningful than the other classes (maybe besides Bard but I haven't played Bard myself, just from what I'm told). Although I don't want to play a Rogue as my main class as the two classes that I want to main aren't in a good state.
Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
Ranger by far for me. I played Hunter in WoW for almost 13 years straight so I know I'm a little biased here, the current state of the Ranger feel really bad. Almost every single ability is a cast time which feels bad and the interactions of the abilities are either non-existent or not as meaningful as I would like. You need to do a make over of the passives in pretty much every class tree to make interactions between abilities fun and engaging to play with as a player. If we are supposed to have 30-40 abilities per base class than having at least 3-5 passives per ability would be ideal to truly make your own rotation/set of abilities you want to play with. That would lead to a big class tree so I made this video a while back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIHb9njnabc&t=209s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming
This video goes over how I would remake the current talent tree in a way that would better serve us, the players and give the most flexibly to you the devs.
Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
Ohhhh yes, the basic weapon attack. I really don't know how you would redo it but currently the basic weapon attack after you have all your abilities on CD just feels completely not engaging and not fun at all. I understand that its Ashes version of auto attack but it doesn't have any weight to it. I would personally rather have a spam-able class ability than rely on the basic weapon attack. I am not saying to get rid of it but I can't really think of a way that would better serve the players to be more fun to use in combat and not feeling like I can't do anything for 6 seconds so.... just swinging my sword around lol.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
I would say that mobs in general feel need more interactions and mechanics to them to really make decision based call outs more meaningful. Right now, every thing is just gathering them up and AoE them down. There are certain mobs that have priority cause they can one shot players so you just focus them down and still AoE everything down. Again, feels very one dimensional. As a fighter, I want to provide more for my group than what I do now which is just more AoE damage. Give me options within my passives to transform some of my abilities to have more of a group dynamic than just myself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNd2fXKgiNs&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Cleric)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8AyHv0gSNI&t=300s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Bard)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtumHZyny18&t=6s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Ranger)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9b-RGaI_PA&t=242s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Fighter)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXwdKLq28r8&t=1138s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Mage)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKamYorGzC0&t=2950s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Tank)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivf5n6PKpqY&t=117s&ab_channel=VlhadusGaming (Rogue)Which archetype do you find the most fun to play? Why?
I find the Rogue to be the most fun to play in a PvE setting. The interactions between abilities feel more meaningful than the other classes (maybe besides Bard but I haven't played Bard myself, just from what I'm told). Although I don't want to play a Rogue as my main class as the two classes that I want to main aren't in a good state.
Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
Ranger by far for me. I played Hunter in WoW for almost 13 years straight so I know I'm a little biased here, the current state of the Ranger feel really bad. Almost every single ability is a cast time which feels bad and the interactions of the abilities are either non-existent or not as meaningful as I would like. You need to do a make over of the passives in pretty much every class tree to make interactions between abilities fun and engaging to play with as a player. If we are supposed to have 30-40 abilities per base class than having at least 3-5 passives per ability would be ideal to truly make your own rotation/set of abilities you want to play with. That would lead to a big class tree so I made this video a while back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIHb9njnabc&t=209s&ab_channel=VlhadusGamingThis video goes over how I would remake the current talent tree in a way that would better serve us, the players and give the most flexibly to you the devs.
Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
Ohhhh yes, the basic weapon attack. I really don't know how you would redo it but currently the basic weapon attack after you have all your abilities on CD just feels completely not engaging and not fun at all. I understand that its Ashes version of auto attack but it doesn't have any weight to it. I would personally rather have a spam-able class ability than rely on the basic weapon attack. I am not saying to get rid of it but I can't really think of a way that would better serve the players to be more fun to use in combat and not feeling like I can't do anything for 6 seconds so.... just swinging my sword around lol.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
I would say that mobs in general feel need more interactions and mechanics to them to really make decision based call outs more meaningful. Right now, every thing is just gathering them up and AoE them down. There are certain mobs that have priority cause they can one shot players so you just focus them down and still AoE everything down. Again, feels very one dimensional. As a fighter, I want to provide more for my group than what I do now which is just more AoE damage. Give me options within my passives to transform some of my abilities to have more of a group dynamic than just myself.
Vlhadus
1
Re: π Dev Discussion - Archetype Vibe Check
My favourites so far are the Ranger and the Cleric.
The Ranger seems to have a decent skill-set and does reasonable enough damage that you feel useful. I don't really like the Hunts. I tend to just stick one on and not bother doing anything with it other than benefit from its passive. But the passive itself is useful.
The Cleric has a good Healing skill-set, but lacks any real offensive power for when by themselves. I seem to recall the original Cleric design had more of a rounded set of skills. Would be nice to see a few of those come back again.
My least favourite so far is the Fighter.
The Fighter feels like it takes ages to actually become playable. Early level Fighter is a chore, and it's only sheer determination that gets you through it. Not a feels-good experience at all. At high levels, and with good gear, and with a good Cleric Healer, and with a Bard mana-battery buff-bot, then it can work. But that's a lot of "with"s.
I do think the non-Cleric/Bard archetypes could do with at least some sort of weak self-heal. Making them utterly reliant on another player feels like a poor decision.
I also feel that the Bard is expected to just sit there and do nothing else but be the Mana-Battery, cos there's such a problem with mana sustain in the other archetypes. Makes Bard feel that little less enjoyable, but it's still a fun one to play.
The Ranger seems to have a decent skill-set and does reasonable enough damage that you feel useful. I don't really like the Hunts. I tend to just stick one on and not bother doing anything with it other than benefit from its passive. But the passive itself is useful.
The Cleric has a good Healing skill-set, but lacks any real offensive power for when by themselves. I seem to recall the original Cleric design had more of a rounded set of skills. Would be nice to see a few of those come back again.
My least favourite so far is the Fighter.
The Fighter feels like it takes ages to actually become playable. Early level Fighter is a chore, and it's only sheer determination that gets you through it. Not a feels-good experience at all. At high levels, and with good gear, and with a good Cleric Healer, and with a Bard mana-battery buff-bot, then it can work. But that's a lot of "with"s.
I do think the non-Cleric/Bard archetypes could do with at least some sort of weak self-heal. Making them utterly reliant on another player feels like a poor decision.
I also feel that the Bard is expected to just sit there and do nothing else but be the Mana-Battery, cos there's such a problem with mana sustain in the other archetypes. Makes Bard feel that little less enjoyable, but it's still a fun one to play.
Re: π Dev Discussion - Archetype Vibe Check
I want to start off by saying you all have done an amazing job so far with the game and keep up the good work!
Which archetype do you find the most fun to play? Why?
So far the most fun archtypes I have played for me are Bard, Mage. These classes seem to be set apart from others with the kits they have and how playing them feels. Just overall a fun experience.
Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
So far for me the least fun to play archtypes have been Ranger, Tank, Cleric. These archtypes seem to just have this generic feel to them from gamplay movement to have the skills interact in combat, they just seem too linear or have a manufactured feel to them instead of a uniqueness to their respective archtypes. For ranger you just feel as those you are a stationary auto turret with different auto attack animations. Cleric is pretty much the same for me as ranger, it just feels like that stale copy pasted of what the class has always been. As for tank it took a step in the right direction but just has this feeling that something is missing and you can't quite tell what, like eating food you know is missing some type of seasoning but you can't quite tell what. Tank for me is in a weird middle ground, sometimes it feels great and others not so much.
Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
In my opionion there is only one that needs a little more love and that is the combo system for skills. In this regard looking at it from a new player standpoint it would be difficult to tell what spells/skills combo with another or break your auto attacks keeping you from triggering finishers, that being said it could easily be fixed with a little more attention and discription to the skills and spells to know exactly how they work and what combos off of another attack or skill.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
This is a touchy subject for me as it is somehting that is gonna flare some hate, SO SAYING THIS I AM AWARE THAT AOC IS STILL IN DEVOLPMENT!!! Its just a personal irritaiton. For solo play sessions the questing system and bounty bords need ALL THE LOVE! Most quests in the current state are broken or are so vague in the quest description that they get bypassed and people just go straight to grinding mobs, which is sad because the quests that do work are fun! As for bounty boards they would benifit from staying with player lvl/zone lvl. What I mean by this is when you pick a bounty up from the kill board it should be withing your lvl range so you can actually bennifit from it, as it is now they don't do that and once you hit lvl 10-15 much like the quests it becomes more efficent to just kill mobs and again its sad because they could be great for the solo players out there. As for group sessions right now the mid-late game grind is more of just mindless mob killing and just has no dept or substance. I can't really explain it but just aimlessly killing mobs in ROS for 5 lvls is just not exciting gamplay. We need group content, quests, objectives something to pull that group in and work together to give it that group feel. IDK but that is my opion and just that.
Keep up the good work you all!
Which archetype do you find the most fun to play? Why?
So far the most fun archtypes I have played for me are Bard, Mage. These classes seem to be set apart from others with the kits they have and how playing them feels. Just overall a fun experience.
Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
So far for me the least fun to play archtypes have been Ranger, Tank, Cleric. These archtypes seem to just have this generic feel to them from gamplay movement to have the skills interact in combat, they just seem too linear or have a manufactured feel to them instead of a uniqueness to their respective archtypes. For ranger you just feel as those you are a stationary auto turret with different auto attack animations. Cleric is pretty much the same for me as ranger, it just feels like that stale copy pasted of what the class has always been. As for tank it took a step in the right direction but just has this feeling that something is missing and you can't quite tell what, like eating food you know is missing some type of seasoning but you can't quite tell what. Tank for me is in a weird middle ground, sometimes it feels great and others not so much.
Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
In my opionion there is only one that needs a little more love and that is the combo system for skills. In this regard looking at it from a new player standpoint it would be difficult to tell what spells/skills combo with another or break your auto attacks keeping you from triggering finishers, that being said it could easily be fixed with a little more attention and discription to the skills and spells to know exactly how they work and what combos off of another attack or skill.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
This is a touchy subject for me as it is somehting that is gonna flare some hate, SO SAYING THIS I AM AWARE THAT AOC IS STILL IN DEVOLPMENT!!! Its just a personal irritaiton. For solo play sessions the questing system and bounty bords need ALL THE LOVE! Most quests in the current state are broken or are so vague in the quest description that they get bypassed and people just go straight to grinding mobs, which is sad because the quests that do work are fun! As for bounty boards they would benifit from staying with player lvl/zone lvl. What I mean by this is when you pick a bounty up from the kill board it should be withing your lvl range so you can actually bennifit from it, as it is now they don't do that and once you hit lvl 10-15 much like the quests it becomes more efficent to just kill mobs and again its sad because they could be great for the solo players out there. As for group sessions right now the mid-late game grind is more of just mindless mob killing and just has no dept or substance. I can't really explain it but just aimlessly killing mobs in ROS for 5 lvls is just not exciting gamplay. We need group content, quests, objectives something to pull that group in and work together to give it that group feel. IDK but that is my opion and just that.
Keep up the good work you all!
Saaril
2
Re: π Dev Discussion - Archetype Vibe Check
Which archetype do you find the most fun to play? Why?
Rogue is the most mechanically filled-out and engaging class to play. Abilities dovetail together well, you have good options for weaving in abilities to your autoattack rotation so there are less dead periods, you have an expansive and varied toolkit that gives you good responses to a variety of situations, but you still need to be paying attention and be active to do well.
Mage has good visual and audio feedback on abilities for the most part, can set up good combos with Shatter, and is overall doing okay. The only main gripes with Mage is that Fireball is just flat-out always worse than Firebolt to a degree that it's never worth taking, Blizzard doesn't feel great, and the class feels like it could use some love to fill it out more.
Ranger feels like a functional class but doesn't really feel engaging. It has some ability to set up combos but it doesn't feel like it's in a good place overall. It feels like it lacks identity. Mana issues can be a large problem for the class. Snipe, however, has very good audio and visual feedback, and the screen shake is a small but appreciated touch.
Fighter feels like a worse version of Ranger with less clear mechanical interactions between abilities for how many of them reward setting up enemies being Tripped. It's functional. It's capable, for the most part. It's not really majorly interesting and there aren't a lot of moments with the class where you're like, "Wow that was cool!" early on like you might get with other classes. The first time you set up a Shatter combo on Mage or you rip off a Snipe on Ranger, you have a good feeling about it because it has good audio and visual feedback and spikes a large enough amount of damage out that it feels good. Fighter feels like it's lacking something with that factor. Cataclysm is about the closest you get.
Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
Fighter, though I haven't tried Bard or Cleric. Bard at least seems like it could be interesting due to mechanical depth. Fighter just feels like it's overly bland, the mechanics feel like they weren't integrated well together, and it lacks much in the way of big class fantasy/flashy things it can do.
Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
The entire Stamina system with Guard/Dodge/Run feels like it was basically forgotten and almost abandoned. Gear integration with stuff like bonuses to stamina regen or run speed or benefits post-dodge/guard, a skill tree that has more depth to it and that you don't just have enough points to get literally everything, some sort of differences between how it all works based on armor weight for light/med/heavy. Opportunities exist for it. Right now, they aren't being capitalized on, so it feels out of place.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
The finisher system could do with being made a bit more clear to the player where you are within your chain. The general experience of mob grinding is very static as it stands currently, you go to a PoI, you find an area with okay density, you get into a decent spot, and you start spamming until you need to go take a group mana break. There aren't any apparent dynamic mob behaviors, there's not much in the way of patrols in most places. You basically just unhinge your brain for however long you have a competent group for and then suddenly wake up several levels higher with a pile of assorted glint and loot. I'm not against the occasional brain-off grind session with the lads, but the P2 roadmap did make a point that dynamic NPC behavior and dynamic dungeons would be a thing, and I'm wondering what that's meant to look like and when we're going to see it. Even just something like PoI-specific simple events or quests would be at least something.
Rogue is the most mechanically filled-out and engaging class to play. Abilities dovetail together well, you have good options for weaving in abilities to your autoattack rotation so there are less dead periods, you have an expansive and varied toolkit that gives you good responses to a variety of situations, but you still need to be paying attention and be active to do well.
Mage has good visual and audio feedback on abilities for the most part, can set up good combos with Shatter, and is overall doing okay. The only main gripes with Mage is that Fireball is just flat-out always worse than Firebolt to a degree that it's never worth taking, Blizzard doesn't feel great, and the class feels like it could use some love to fill it out more.
Ranger feels like a functional class but doesn't really feel engaging. It has some ability to set up combos but it doesn't feel like it's in a good place overall. It feels like it lacks identity. Mana issues can be a large problem for the class. Snipe, however, has very good audio and visual feedback, and the screen shake is a small but appreciated touch.
Fighter feels like a worse version of Ranger with less clear mechanical interactions between abilities for how many of them reward setting up enemies being Tripped. It's functional. It's capable, for the most part. It's not really majorly interesting and there aren't a lot of moments with the class where you're like, "Wow that was cool!" early on like you might get with other classes. The first time you set up a Shatter combo on Mage or you rip off a Snipe on Ranger, you have a good feeling about it because it has good audio and visual feedback and spikes a large enough amount of damage out that it feels good. Fighter feels like it's lacking something with that factor. Cataclysm is about the closest you get.
Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
Fighter, though I haven't tried Bard or Cleric. Bard at least seems like it could be interesting due to mechanical depth. Fighter just feels like it's overly bland, the mechanics feel like they weren't integrated well together, and it lacks much in the way of big class fantasy/flashy things it can do.
Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
The entire Stamina system with Guard/Dodge/Run feels like it was basically forgotten and almost abandoned. Gear integration with stuff like bonuses to stamina regen or run speed or benefits post-dodge/guard, a skill tree that has more depth to it and that you don't just have enough points to get literally everything, some sort of differences between how it all works based on armor weight for light/med/heavy. Opportunities exist for it. Right now, they aren't being capitalized on, so it feels out of place.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
The finisher system could do with being made a bit more clear to the player where you are within your chain. The general experience of mob grinding is very static as it stands currently, you go to a PoI, you find an area with okay density, you get into a decent spot, and you start spamming until you need to go take a group mana break. There aren't any apparent dynamic mob behaviors, there's not much in the way of patrols in most places. You basically just unhinge your brain for however long you have a competent group for and then suddenly wake up several levels higher with a pile of assorted glint and loot. I'm not against the occasional brain-off grind session with the lads, but the P2 roadmap did make a point that dynamic NPC behavior and dynamic dungeons would be a thing, and I'm wondering what that's meant to look like and when we're going to see it. Even just something like PoI-specific simple events or quests would be at least something.
Re: π Dev Discussion - Archetype Vibe Check
- Which archetype do you find the most fun to play? Why?
- Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
I played all archetypes to level 25 at some point. I think they're all fun to play in their own ways, but I also think that there's a lot missing from every archetype as well.
- Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
YES. Archetype depth. Every single archetype currently is a well-rounded archetype that can do everything. Depth into the trees will create meaningful choices. Do I want to be a frost mage, fire mage, DoT archetype, burst rogue, mobility rogue, stealth rogue, bomb-class fighter, sustain fighter, immobile juggernaut tank, mobile gap closing tank, support cleric, radiant cleric, utility bard, damage bard, healing bard, mana bard, mobile auto attacking ranger, snipe burst ranger, AoE ranger, utility ranger, etc.
There's a lot of ways to play these archetypes that may be unlocked with secondary archetypes but currently there's not a lot of depth that makes the players make choices. There is only "you have all the skills available once you hit level 25" and I don't think that's a good thing. More choices, more skills, more adaptability, more playstyles, more diversity in general will make balancing harder... good. When games are too balanced then they start feeling stale and metas form. We can look at Phase 2.5 PvP tourney for that. When everyone had the same DR then the fights lasted longer, sure, but once you take down one person the fight was completely over for most scenarios. When healing is too strong, mitigation is too high, and TTK takes forever, you cannot turn the tables in a fight.
- Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
I played all archetypes to level 25 at some point. I think they're all fun to play in their own ways, but I also think that there's a lot missing from every archetype as well.
Bard: One of, if not the strongest classes at the moment. Has really strong DPS in resonant stacking and using their melodies. Has one of the biggest AoE stuns with Mesmerizing Dance that create big advantages in PvP. Have heals and good clutch moments with Gambit for group play. Also have a very strong ability in Marionette for PvP and PvE pulls. Tuned on the higher end, could reduce resonant dump damage. Ranged class with lots of utility, mobility, and damage. Jack of all trades and master of some at the moment. Bard, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Cleric: Healing is too damn OP. Look at the numbers you give this class with the amount of buttons to press for healing and you will see why this class can soak up all the damage AoE, over-time, clutch moments, etc. Purify being no cooldown for wiping debuffs is massive. Turned a support class into a piano key class and that's fun. Please for the love of god tune the numbers down. Cleric, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Fighter: This archetype has the most fluid rotation out of them all. It's extremely fun and people love this class. It has zero durability and revolves around blood fusion to exist and when that cooldown is down it is no longer good. The damage coming from them is not enough to burst in the current meta which makes them extremely weak as well. While it may be one of the most fun classes with one of the best kits, it is lacking in utility, durability, sustain, and damage for what it is meant to be. Fighter, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Mage: Mage is probably the most OP damage class at the moment on PTR. With lack of magic resist in the gearing options they do a lot of damage to physical classes since light armor is not currently in the game giving bonuses to physical users. The lack of gear diversity is making Mage the best class in the game at the moment to play. They have the ability to make big plays, do tons of damage at range, and are relatively safe with all their damage and have a huge defensive with Shell making them tanky as well. This has to be the absolute best archetype at the moment. Mage, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Ranger: This is by far my favorite archetype in every MMO and has always gotten shafted due to power in range/mobility. Ranger currently is less mobile than immobile while supposedly it is supposed to be the second most mobile next to Rogue. So far, Bard is the most mobile class. Ranger is the brain dead drop vine field, snipe, lightning reload, snipe headshot get a pick class. Reign of death for wounds, and scattershot to spread big dick damage... but does less than mage and isn't really that much damage to be fair. You're not getting picks solo anymore with increased TTK and the cast time of snipe is not a fast kill and will probably get healed through. Having movement speed decreased while shooting as a ranger feels really bad and should have a passive that allows Rangers to auto without decreasing movement speed. Strider is good, but not that good. Disengage being your only real way to get out of anything and bear traps are so niche they're not that great. Focus as a class resource is good and is a good way to bump damage but it is still lacking in terms of magic archetypes. Ranger, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Rogue: My baby. My one true love that I walked away from Ranger for. True invisibility is amazing... when it works. It's by far the most overloaded kit in the game outside of bard. It ALSO has the worst damage in comparison. It doesn't fulfill the burst class. Poison stacking feels like a mechanic that's good for extended fights for PvE but in PvP it's an afterthought and also not really applicable. I also don't want Rogues to feel forced into Poisons--which it is. It's by far one of the coolest archetypes in Ashes of Creation but is severely underloaded in numbers due to it's overloaded kit and that feels bad. A lot of it's "overloaded kit" comes from the amount of CC it grants that makes people upset, but in reality, you're not hitting major CC for a long time in group PvP. It's hardly worthwhile in PvE. It's no mesmerizing dance and marionette class, that's for sure. It's relatively weak in comparison to other archetypes all around... does good in 1v1s though. Which, to be fair, does not exist in Ashes of Creation outside of dueling with all of the group play mechanics and gets gimped by the over-tuned corruption system for those that want to fight people in the open world. Rogue, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Tank: This has to be the strongest physical based archetype. Good mitigation, good damage, good support skills, good utility, and has some good mobility. This archetype is probably really good if not for the constant clicking of grit whenever it's off cooldown (which is not long). The grapple has to be the most frustrating part of playing tank. Having control in PvP and in PvE, you are the archetype that everyone wants in their party. However... Tank, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Cleric: Healing is too damn OP. Look at the numbers you give this class with the amount of buttons to press for healing and you will see why this class can soak up all the damage AoE, over-time, clutch moments, etc. Purify being no cooldown for wiping debuffs is massive. Turned a support class into a piano key class and that's fun. Please for the love of god tune the numbers down. Cleric, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Fighter: This archetype has the most fluid rotation out of them all. It's extremely fun and people love this class. It has zero durability and revolves around blood fusion to exist and when that cooldown is down it is no longer good. The damage coming from them is not enough to burst in the current meta which makes them extremely weak as well. While it may be one of the most fun classes with one of the best kits, it is lacking in utility, durability, sustain, and damage for what it is meant to be. Fighter, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Mage: Mage is probably the most OP damage class at the moment on PTR. With lack of magic resist in the gearing options they do a lot of damage to physical classes since light armor is not currently in the game giving bonuses to physical users. The lack of gear diversity is making Mage the best class in the game at the moment to play. They have the ability to make big plays, do tons of damage at range, and are relatively safe with all their damage and have a huge defensive with Shell making them tanky as well. This has to be the absolute best archetype at the moment. Mage, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Ranger: This is by far my favorite archetype in every MMO and has always gotten shafted due to power in range/mobility. Ranger currently is less mobile than immobile while supposedly it is supposed to be the second most mobile next to Rogue. So far, Bard is the most mobile class. Ranger is the brain dead drop vine field, snipe, lightning reload, snipe headshot get a pick class. Reign of death for wounds, and scattershot to spread big dick damage... but does less than mage and isn't really that much damage to be fair. You're not getting picks solo anymore with increased TTK and the cast time of snipe is not a fast kill and will probably get healed through. Having movement speed decreased while shooting as a ranger feels really bad and should have a passive that allows Rangers to auto without decreasing movement speed. Strider is good, but not that good. Disengage being your only real way to get out of anything and bear traps are so niche they're not that great. Focus as a class resource is good and is a good way to bump damage but it is still lacking in terms of magic archetypes. Ranger, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Rogue: My baby. My one true love that I walked away from Ranger for. True invisibility is amazing... when it works. It's by far the most overloaded kit in the game outside of bard. It ALSO has the worst damage in comparison. It doesn't fulfill the burst class. Poison stacking feels like a mechanic that's good for extended fights for PvE but in PvP it's an afterthought and also not really applicable. I also don't want Rogues to feel forced into Poisons--which it is. It's by far one of the coolest archetypes in Ashes of Creation but is severely underloaded in numbers due to it's overloaded kit and that feels bad. A lot of it's "overloaded kit" comes from the amount of CC it grants that makes people upset, but in reality, you're not hitting major CC for a long time in group PvP. It's hardly worthwhile in PvE. It's no mesmerizing dance and marionette class, that's for sure. It's relatively weak in comparison to other archetypes all around... does good in 1v1s though. Which, to be fair, does not exist in Ashes of Creation outside of dueling with all of the group play mechanics and gets gimped by the over-tuned corruption system for those that want to fight people in the open world. Rogue, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
Tank: This has to be the strongest physical based archetype. Good mitigation, good damage, good support skills, good utility, and has some good mobility. This archetype is probably really good if not for the constant clicking of grit whenever it's off cooldown (which is not long). The grapple has to be the most frustrating part of playing tank. Having control in PvP and in PvE, you are the archetype that everyone wants in their party. However... Tank, like a lot of archetypes suffer from lack of archetype depth.
- Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
YES. Archetype depth. Every single archetype currently is a well-rounded archetype that can do everything. Depth into the trees will create meaningful choices. Do I want to be a frost mage, fire mage, DoT archetype, burst rogue, mobility rogue, stealth rogue, bomb-class fighter, sustain fighter, immobile juggernaut tank, mobile gap closing tank, support cleric, radiant cleric, utility bard, damage bard, healing bard, mana bard, mobile auto attacking ranger, snipe burst ranger, AoE ranger, utility ranger, etc.
There's a lot of ways to play these archetypes that may be unlocked with secondary archetypes but currently there's not a lot of depth that makes the players make choices. There is only "you have all the skills available once you hit level 25" and I don't think that's a good thing. More choices, more skills, more adaptability, more playstyles, more diversity in general will make balancing harder... good. When games are too balanced then they start feeling stale and metas form. We can look at Phase 2.5 PvP tourney for that. When everyone had the same DR then the fights lasted longer, sure, but once you take down one person the fight was completely over for most scenarios. When healing is too strong, mitigation is too high, and TTK takes forever, you cannot turn the tables in a fight.
Lloyd
2
Re: π Dev Discussion - Archetype Vibe Check
Which archetype do you find the most fun to play? Why?
I enjoy cleric immensely because I prefer to play healers. It has the core kit for healing that I really enjoy. I do believe the damage tools are a bit bare and lack a design that lends itself to a "war of attrition" playstyle though. Something like a mana burn, a slowly building damage that punishes someone for not killing the cleric quickly.
I also think cleric's mobility is awful presently. PVP isn't a cat and mouse game presently. Just a cat and unmoving cat toy game. I'd love to see some kit choices that allow clerics to lean into damage and unholy themes but have it be a compelling choice in the talent tree. Also, something that is more "miraculous" and "big" that feels like a god intervening on their behalf. Big bonus points if it can be augmented by their religion.
That might be a big way to help clerics out with flavor, is through religious augments to their abilities.
Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
I have not played much of other classes because I am not interested but I did enjoy them when I dabbled. I have seen fighter and tank suffer the most as far as player count as compared to earlier iterations of the game, so they likely need some love.
Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
Discriminators for friendly v. unfriendly abilities would be great. Meaning tinge the abilities with red around the edge of it if it is a harmful ability. Friendly abilities can be left alone visually.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
For higher levels I hope there's a few more interaction between abilities archetypes/class. I'd love for there to be some sort of team up abilities that take time to charge to create a significant ability (think like a mage and a summoner conjuring a golem or cleric and bard to create an impactful buff.) I'd love some longer cooldown abilities that are compelling when you use them that have a bigger impact that require another class or character to do it.
That and augments (not just subclass, but racial and religious as well.)
I enjoy cleric immensely because I prefer to play healers. It has the core kit for healing that I really enjoy. I do believe the damage tools are a bit bare and lack a design that lends itself to a "war of attrition" playstyle though. Something like a mana burn, a slowly building damage that punishes someone for not killing the cleric quickly.
I also think cleric's mobility is awful presently. PVP isn't a cat and mouse game presently. Just a cat and unmoving cat toy game. I'd love to see some kit choices that allow clerics to lean into damage and unholy themes but have it be a compelling choice in the talent tree. Also, something that is more "miraculous" and "big" that feels like a god intervening on their behalf. Big bonus points if it can be augmented by their religion.
That might be a big way to help clerics out with flavor, is through religious augments to their abilities.
Which archetype do you find the least fun to play? Why?
I have not played much of other classes because I am not interested but I did enjoy them when I dabbled. I have seen fighter and tank suffer the most as far as player count as compared to earlier iterations of the game, so they likely need some love.
Are there any combat systems or mechanics you feel need more development or refinement? Please explain.
Discriminators for friendly v. unfriendly abilities would be great. Meaning tinge the abilities with red around the edge of it if it is a harmful ability. Friendly abilities can be left alone visually.
During group combat or grinding sessions, do you feel any core features or gameplay elements are missing or underdeveloped? If yes, please describe.
For higher levels I hope there's a few more interaction between abilities archetypes/class. I'd love for there to be some sort of team up abilities that take time to charge to create a significant ability (think like a mage and a summoner conjuring a golem or cleric and bard to create an impactful buff.) I'd love some longer cooldown abilities that are compelling when you use them that have a bigger impact that require another class or character to do it.
That and augments (not just subclass, but racial and religious as well.)
Leukael
2
Re: Mepps Joins Intrepid Studiosβ Community Management Team!
wishing you an awesome start and lots of success ahead
