Best Of

CC against players is not fun. Losing control of my character is not fun. Being stunned for 1 second is not fun. Interrupts are fine, so long as I don't lose complete control of my character.

Choosing between CC and damage is not really fun. As a dps class, your focus is on damage, but not having CC when you need it can also be bad, and t hus not fun.

CC vs mobs is great and adds a layer of strategy without making a player feel bad by having no control.

If CC exists, every class should have a way to break it, because (repeating myself) being stuck in a crowd-controlled state is absolutely not fun. The break should also apply a very short immunity.

How do you feel about CC and CC breaks in MMORPGs?
It's a must and quite literally a staple in any MMORPG. I love being able to lock down the opponent and being able to save myself through a well timed CC break. It is and always has been: Stop the enemy from playing the videogame and deal damage, whilst they are trying to do the same. Whomever does it best wins.

How do you feel about all Archetypes in Ashes of Creation having some form of a CC break?
All archetypes should have a few. Perhaps some more then others, but baseline, every archetype should have the option. How many depends on how CC heavy the game will be.

What are your thoughts about choosing CC or CC breaks versus damage when allocating skill points?
I tend to lean to an equal spread. But if i ran out of CC breaks to choose, i would put it into CC before damage skills.
So i guess that would make the order: CC breaks if any, then CC if any, and last damage.

Misc thoughts:
I might change the order to CC breaks > Damage > CC if all i can choose is the same type of CC and it'll just get diminishing returns on the cc duration.

• All archetypes should have at least 1 CC break. With some archetypes like Tank and Fighter having multiple.
• Using a CC break should reset all of your Diminishing Return buckets, making you fully susceptible to CC again.
• CC is Tanks domain, Supports should have the second most access, DPS should have very little access.
• Tanks are in dire need of more status effects, and being able to provide CC relief/mitigation to others would be a good option for a new Tank-related status effect. This would make it so that other archetype kits wouldn't need to be spammed with CC breaks.

Misspelled words during an Alpha are fine.
Reporting text bugs is part of testing.
And we are supposed to be testing and helping to find bugs - not playing.

Ludullu_(NiKr) wrote: »

Flanker wrote: »

Throne and Liberty got released just recently. Interesting...

It's even more intersting considering that TL had supposedly super long leveling and it got changed due to feedback.

In other words, listening to feedback is always a mistake, cause someone will always complain.

Also, on a related note. That post is downvoted cause people are saying that it's closer to 10 than 5 and even then you gotta literally skip all the story, do everything according to a guide AND just know what you're doing in the game, while completely ignoring everything else.

So, just as Steven said, even in Ashes some people will be max lvl before most nodes even reach lvl3. And the ones doing it will be those who skip all dialogue, do not care about any horizontal progression, have played the testing phases so they know what they're doing and are in a group of like-minded people.

So, as one person in that thread said - it's about you, not the game. If you decide to skip the entire damn game just to be able to say "d-duh, this game is trash cause I rushed and got to max lvl in record time" - that's a you problem.

Oh, for sure, in r/MMORPG or even in r/AshesofCreation post upvotes don't really play an important role (with rare exceptions) due to the nature of Reddit and it's audience. Comment upvotes are somewhat more credible.

And yeah, when it comes to feedback, specifically to a huge sample of subjective opinions - it makes as much sense as ... [insert anything that doesn't make much sense, cuz I'm tired to think of an example atm]

But still, I'm really curious to see what happens next and I decided to post it in advance without knowing the outcome.

koltovince wrote: »

What was your most memorable/favorite MMO moment?

When I stepped through the portal to enter Verra.
It happened later this month!

Vaknar wrote: »

Dev Discussions are an opportunity to join in on player discussions about topics that Intrepid Studios want to hear your thoughts on. This is less about asking us questions, and more about us asking YOU the questions! If you do have questions about Ashes of Creation, keep an eye our social media channels for our monthly Q&A thread, check out the Ashes of Creation community wiki, or try the #questions channel in Discord!

In this thread, we’ll be discussing:

Dev Discussion - Crowd Control
Crowd Control (CC) are abilities that Interrupt or disable an enemy’s movement. CC breaks are abilities that cancel or stop CC abilities.

• How do you feel about CC and CC breaks in MMORPGs?
• How do you feel about all Archetypes in Ashes of Creation having some form of a CC break?
• What are your thoughts about choosing CC or CC breaks versus damage when allocating skill points?

1. How do you feel about CC and CC breaks in MMORPGs?

While CC can add a layer of strategy to MMORPGs, its overuse often leads to frustrating and unenjoyable gameplay. Excessive CC mechanics can strip players of control over their characters for prolonged periods, turning engaging combat into a cycle of helplessness. This not only diminishes the player's agency but also disrupts the flow of the game.

In PvP scenarios, prevalent CC abilities can create an unbalanced playing field where victory is determined not by skill or strategy but by who can immobilize the other first. This can lead to a toxic environment where players feel cheated out of fair fights. In PvE, over-reliance on CC can make encounters feel monotonous, as players repeatedly disable enemies rather than engaging with dynamic combat mechanics.

CC breaks, intended to counteract CC effects, can further complicate the issue. If CC is so rampant that CC breaks become a necessity, it indicates a fundamental imbalance in the game's design. Players should not have to dedicate resources or abilities solely to counteract an overpowered mechanic. Instead, CC should be used sparingly to enhance combat, not dominate it.

2. How do you feel about all Archetypes in Ashes of Creation having some form of a CC break?

Allowing all archetypes to have CC breaks risks homogenizing the classes, eroding the unique identities and roles that make each archetype interesting. Classes should offer distinct playstyles and strategic options, but if every archetype can counter CC in the same way, it diminishes the need for teamwork and role specialization.

Moreover, universal CC breaks can lead to an arms race where CC abilities become stronger to compensate for the ease of breaking them. This cycle exacerbates the prevalence of CC, further entrenching it as a dominant mechanic. It reduces the diversity of combat interactions, as players rely on the same counters regardless of their class choice.

By giving all archetypes CC breaks, the game diminishes the value of strategic planning and situational awareness. Players no longer need to consider positioning or timing to avoid CC; they can simply rely on their CC break ability. This can make combat feel shallow and less rewarding, as the nuances that come from class differences and player decisions are overshadowed by generic solutions.

3. What are your thoughts about choosing CC or CC breaks versus damage when allocating skill points?

Forcing players to choose between CC/CC breaks and damage when allocating skill points creates an unhealthy gameplay dynamic. It pressures players into investing in CC-related abilities not because they enhance their chosen playstyle, but because they are necessary to remain competitive. This limits build diversity and can make character progression feel restrictive.

When CC is overly prevalent, neglecting CC or CC breaks in favor of damage can leave players at a significant disadvantage, unable to perform effectively in both PvE and PvP. This can lead to a homogenization of builds, where optimal play requires a specific allocation of skill points, reducing the freedom players have to customize their characters.

Furthermore, this trade-off can be detrimental to class roles. For example, damage dealers may feel compelled to sacrifice their primary function—dealing damage—in order to invest in CC breaks. This undermines the class system and can lead to imbalanced group dynamics, where players are less effective in their intended roles because they had to compensate for the overpowered CC mechanics.

There hasn't been official communication yet, but in the past people have been notified of where and how to download the client via email - so be sure to keep an eye on your email.

How do you feel about CC and CC breaks in MMORPGs?
Every archetype should have some form of CC. Ideally their own type, rather than just their own spin on the same type.

How do you feel about all Archetypes in Ashes of Creation having some form of a CC break?
I personally prefer if CC breaks come only from the bard and cleric.

What are your thoughts about choosing CC or CC breaks versus damage when allocating skill points?
If everyone has access to both, then this is a requirement, cause all of your dps stuff won't matter if you can't CC your opponent for long enough to use them or if you're CCed yourself and can't get out of it.