Glorious Alpha Two Testers!

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Best Of

Re: NPC towns

You just haven't yet seen the Tier of Node that would be 'memorable' for most people.

They're coming, and by the nature of the game, we're going to see the world change, but not so incredibly fast or so much that most players won't experience Nodes as a consistent, memorable thing.

I'd take bets on certain City (Tier 5) Nodes on certain Servers literally never falling, or at least lasting more than 4 years.

Azherae

Re: Node Level Confusion.

Vaknar wrote: »

Just to reiterate here, the design intention of zones and how they progress does indeed remain the same. The quotes from Steven on this page are still accurate at this time
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Zones_and_progression

Upon deep review of that page, I have not found a clear answer to my question.

While Steven has confirmed that all nodes start at "level 0" and progress, there is nothing stating that "level 0" is the same "level 0" for each node when it comes to mob levels.

This is what’s so frustrating—it was never even a question that nodes could have different base level ranges until the penultimate livestream.

I am grateful you took the time to reply, but the question lives on.

Vhaeyne

Re: Make PvP Viable

Ludullu wrote: »

beretta7 wrote: »

You simply cannot make pvp extremely accessible in the open world in a combat system that is mostly based on gear and level vs skill. If a new player could at least hold his own and have a chance if he is simply trying to gather then the risk reward makes sense. A level 25 sweaty player running around areas and ganking for free resources is what would happen if we make pvp less painful. They sealed this with their tab target gear based level based system. Sorry.

And none of that is the case with the corruption system. Higher lvl PKers get crazy amounts of corruption, so they'll be hunted to the ends of the world. Multiple PKs in a row also mean higher lvls of Blight, which means more corruption per kill, so it's the same situation as with the lowbies.

The only reason we have high lvl players killing lowbies is the broken mob leashing and aggro design.

I agree with you in the current system but Im pretty sure the author was saying they wanted it less punishing for pvp which really cant happen unless they change their combat system totally. They could make small tweaks but it has to be pretty damn brutal to pvp with this current system otherwise the game would really never succeed imo. They could always have a bounty system and a totally consensual pvp system with areas that were totally open. Other games with low skill combat systems have done that and it was worked. I think a bounty system is a must in an open world. Bounty systems are almost always a lot of fun.

beretta7

About being a Mana-Bard

Hi together,

first of all: playing a Mana-Bard in pvE is easy an no Problem and feels good (maybe a bit too strong) - the team never drops in mana.(maybe a bit boring)

in PvP instead it make basicly no sens to play it at an mana-build, but I would love to.
problem here is, the max range poking in group pvp makes it nearly complete useless to play the pensive melody, because I will not prog 3 finisher to push the big mana-boost.
also a bit annoying is, the cleric is not able to autoattack, because of busy healing, to use my mana-saga, to recover mana.

WHAT I would like to see:

- Mana-Saga will be used as the Healing-Saga does (no autoattack needed - just a big mana push)
- Add an "Mana-Dance" like Shielding-Dance to the toolkid. I will be able to jump into my Frontline team and give them mana with my risk of getting attack. (would be a big funny way to play)
- rework hyme of the mind. its basicly useless, low mana-push (also in single target), not really funny to play this skill

KaiWhat

Re: Melodies dropping from CC is too punishing

It breaks Counterpoint, and that alone was the reason why I use the alternative. It also breaks bard's Resonance mechanics.

Melody cast being interrupted by everything is one of my main frustrations as a bard player. Melodies should not be interrupted by anything, but death. Melody casting should be also FAR quicker, 2 seconds cast time is far too long in pvp.

SmileGurney

Re: Is Under-water Gathering Intended?

Yeah... I suppose it would be nice to have something rocks on a rope to help us stay anchored, or some equipment that counters the flow of water, would be helpful to gathering where currents are flowing. Maybe potions of water breathing and current resistance?

Neurotoxin

Re: Steven, Please Rethink “Not for Everyone”

Caww wrote: »

So, if I log back into a zone I camped out of a few days earlier, that has since turned Lawless, does this mean I have to fight my out to leave? Should there be a "Get out of Dodge fast" option?

Edit: Not to derail from the original topic but just following the stream of consciousness of this thread....

As much as I like to give Steven well deserved shit, I also do try to be fair.

To that end, I feel it worth pointing out that he said "areas" not "zones". Since he also said there will be objectives in these areas, I am taking this to be that areas around top end bosses will infact be lawless - which is something I have assumed for actual years.

If this is the case, my actual assumption for how this would work (based on Stevens reliance on other games for his ideas) is that there will be bosses in a set spawn timer (probably with an in game calander) that when they spawn they will turn the local area lawless.

If this is accurate, you should never be in a situation where you don't know that an area is due to turn lawless, as they will all be known well in advance - and the areas themselves will always be known.

My big issue with this is the lack of any mention of anything to do with this in 8 years of communication during what is claimed to be "open development".

Noaani

Re: Ideas for Glorious Mounts and Creatures

some animals as of inspiration for creatures or mounts

pseudo melanistic tigers

sloth bear

Brown Hyena

Andean Bear

African wild dog

dwarf cassowary

Masked Palm Civet

Green Junglefowl

Aye Aye

Fossa

Rose-crowned Fruit Dove

Bat-Eared Fox

Namdapha Red Giant Gliding Squirrel

Red and White Giant Flying Squirrel

Northern Bald Ibis

potto

Spiny Softshell Turtle

Golden Common Brushtail Possum

Hoffmann's two-toed sloth

eastern lesser bamboo lemur

Asian Glossy Starling

fringed leaf frog

Iberian lynx

nyala

Bushbuck

Bongo

thylacine

white Flying Fox Bat

Matschie's tree-kangaroo

Malayan Colugo

Tibetan brown (blue) bear

sorraia horse

Tiger quoll

Northern River Terrapin (batagur baska)

Lowland streaked tenrec

Sulawesi Bear Cuscus

Leopard seal

Hypselodoris bennetti

Kallysha

Re: NPC towns

There are Lionhold and Samia's Hope right now, and there will be some more.

Andi

Re: Node Level Confusion.

Vhaeyne wrote: »

@ELWOW
I think we just have fundamentally different priorities for what Ashes should be, and that’s okay.

You’re concerned the game might lean too hard into sandbox design—I’m more worried it won’t lean far enough. Personally, I’d be thrilled if they ditched most of the scripted story elements and leaned fully into a true player-driven experience, more like EVE Online on foot.

Ashes is going to be a niche game no matter what. The gamers who crave story, exploration, and hand-crafted lore already have tons of high-quality options. I doubt Ashes will pull many of them away from titles that already do that better.

Where I think Ashes has the strongest potential is in appealing to PvX sandbox players who want long-term investment and systems that create emergent gameplay. That’s the crowd that won’t get bored—just look at how EVE has endured for decades by staying true to its niche. It’s not mainstream, but it’s still thriving.

I agree node balance matters, but I see it more as a tool for emergent gameplay than as something that needs strict leveling ranges or developer-shaped hotspots. To me, a well-designed sandbox can outlast a sandpark if players are truly shaping the world.

Exactly, players that are only playing for some kind of storyline or questline, or just to grind to max level will only last a couple months in the game. The players that will be playing the game for years are the ones who are invested in the competitive node systems and the PVP around them. Part of that is having balanced options right from launch on which nodes to go grind at and progress.

It also helps distribute the player base so we arent all bunched up in one zone right off the bat either. If we could get to level 6ish from lionhold and then run to desert or jundark and start leveling/gathering, it would alleviate many of the "not enough copper" complaints.

I hope phase 3 starts out like this, but then how do they ensure that each node has item drop potential? Should every node have a tower of Carphin level POI, with a variety of bosses that can gear up players? They have invested alot of time and effort into getting the riverlands POIs well developed and fully sustainable.

I can understand the hesitation in making every node as complex as Miraleth or Winstead, but what is the alternative, cutting back on their content just to balance them with new nodes?

Xeeg