Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two testing is currently taking place five days each week. More information about Phase II and Phase III testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two testing is currently taking place five days each week. More information about Phase II and Phase III testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Best Of
So the " biiig " Updates are coming and approaching now ... ...
The Phase draws oh-so-ever closer - where the super-hard Beginning and Start is behind us. And i don't mean specifically Phase Three which also draws closer.
- Naval Update
- Two Biomes complete in Landmass - even if not fully in Content of Release Version 1.0.
- Rogue
- NODE Sieges
- Tropics get closer to Completion
And since Sir Steven said, that in the Middle of this Year -> maaaybe most of all (or all ?) of the Western Continent will be complete -> People can now rejoice and look forward to big Updates every Month or so.
Alpha Two looks like it is picking up pace again and i am all here for it.
- Naval Update
- Two Biomes complete in Landmass - even if not fully in Content of Release Version 1.0.
- Rogue
- NODE Sieges
- Tropics get closer to Completion
And since Sir Steven said, that in the Middle of this Year -> maaaybe most of all (or all ?) of the Western Continent will be complete -> People can now rejoice and look forward to big Updates every Month or so.
Alpha Two looks like it is picking up pace again and i am all here for it.
Aszkalon
1
Re: Inspection of other players
that makes sense. i'm nether for or against this. I am against Power Level in general though. Its too simple, makes all the builds boring, they'll all be the same basically. With the current direction of this I doubt I'll play seriously, and if you don't play seriously there's no point in playing. It's not a causal friendly game.
Volgaris
3
Re: Race specific starting zones
I like the idea of racial starting zones, but they shouldn't be forced so friends can start together without having to travel if they pick different races. But in this game it really doesn't even matter. There's no reason for racial starting zones at all, lore wise and game play wise. The game doesn't lean into RP, there won't be any RP servers. Really what it'll need is different starting areas that allow the starting population to spread out in a health way. The starting area is just where you 'portal' in to, it's not like you're starting out in a fully formed city led by elves or dwarfs or man. But rather returning to the ruins of an old world that's isn't populated by any civilization. The players will be founding those civilization.
I think this and what others aid make sense. I guess if there was no racial conflict on the other end of the portals it makes sense they are not segregated.
However I do believe Tulnar will have their own starting zone for the fact they are segregated which makes sense rp wise.
But they won't have RP servers? That's a big blow to me... I'd love a designated server for Roleplayers to flock to, if not several of them.
We'll see, a lot of things are in flux right now, but if we go by their general stated intentions, there is likely to be at least one unofficial RP server.
The real question is what power the 'RP-Ruiner' type will have to disrupt it. If you are referring to a server where there may be stricter rules or penalties for seriously disrupting RolePlaying for 'no real reason', we don't have any information or indication relative to that yet.
We know that Steven quite likes RP as a concept, but not really how much he'd be willing to 'enforce' it.
I imagine this game will have a lot of potential for RP griefing but also as a roleplayer I always play on RP servers because the availability of random encounters and the atmosphere always feels more like what I expect from the game. Griefing is only my second concern, the atmosphere is number 1 so hopefully they announce roleplay servers at some point
Well, just be a little 'pessimistic'. Remember that Ashes is a game with so many systems and intentional openings for 'drama' that it is absolutely trivial to legitimize actions that disrupt that atmosphere even if they don't turn into 'RP-Griefing'.
Then again, maybe I don't know what you personally mean by atmosphere in this case. I think of it as 'when a group decides to destroy your node, they at least offer some actual reason'. My 'point' here, I guess, is that I would expect that even on the RP server, they 'wouldn't have to'.
Azherae
1
Re: 🌼👋 Dev Discussion: Gatherable Spawning System
Ok, to cover my group as a whole, one more!
What aspects of the current gathering system do you like and dislike?
With the current form, the feeling of 'I want [__] so I go [__] or buy from someone who goes because I don't want to go' is weak and does not incentivize engagement, immersion, or even the will to log in to exist.
What makes a gatherable system fun for you?
It all comes down to the above, whether it be gatherables or mobs. It can't be directly progression though, because that runs out/gets warped/messes with incentives. It has to be 'progression within one's chosen path'. A good enough economy covers this though. Minigames that fit the mental model of the player who likes the craft often help, but aren't vital.
What kind of scenarios would you like to see encouraged through the system?
Paying attention to dynamic weather, and dungeon/POI delving to use special crafting stations. Open World.
Are there gatherable systems in other games that you enjoy?
Speaking primarily in MMORPG terms, this is the spot where the answer is personal (my group members will be poked to expand on their stuff for this only, now that I've written enough essays on the rest...
Personally I like almost all gathering systems because I think so abstractly, but if we're talking about Itemization as an integral part of gathering, then MineCraft is fine, BDO is usually at least okay but suffers when I want an actual incentive, FF11 is fine, except Chocobo Digging which is the best thing ever (but I do not need nor particularly want replicated anywhere). Throne and Liberty is getting there, I definitely have a few 'spots' in that game, especially because they are at the 'mildly dynamic weather' stage.
What about those mechanics do you find fun?
I want, therefore I go. If I want enough different things, the dynamism determines where I go, who I meet, the relationships I have with people who have similar interests.
In FF11 I knew the other high level chocobo diggers by name because we were always competing for the good zones, and whoever was most prepared for the weather and moonphase combination on that day would win out using various strategies.
Similarly, you could 'leave a zone to someone else' out of 'respect' knowing that while you COULD compete for the big ticket items, you didn't share the Artisanship skill that goes with the bulk of what you get for that zone, so you 'leave it to them' rather than both of you spending the same time for 'half the profit'. Or if you didn't like them you could do it anyway for 'spite' ofc.
It's hard for me personally to say what I find fun, but for the group feedback in case they don't touch this one, the first line is the important one.
Which of the upcoming gathering-related changes excites or intrigues you the most, and why?
It's hard to be excited about the installation of boilerplate experience, I think. No group members have expressed any meaningful interest beyond 'oh you mean they might stop doing it the utterly stupid way? Well, that's good'. The changes are moreso removing a pain point, but they don't, as of now, even raise the gathering to 'getting a passing grade'.
That's relative to the 'final exam' though, and it seems like y'all are still in 'week 2 of the semester', so for now, keep doing your best, we (mostly) believe in you!
What aspects of the current gathering system do you like and dislike?
With the current form, the feeling of 'I want [__] so I go [__] or buy from someone who goes because I don't want to go' is weak and does not incentivize engagement, immersion, or even the will to log in to exist.
What makes a gatherable system fun for you?
It all comes down to the above, whether it be gatherables or mobs. It can't be directly progression though, because that runs out/gets warped/messes with incentives. It has to be 'progression within one's chosen path'. A good enough economy covers this though. Minigames that fit the mental model of the player who likes the craft often help, but aren't vital.
What kind of scenarios would you like to see encouraged through the system?
Paying attention to dynamic weather, and dungeon/POI delving to use special crafting stations. Open World.
Are there gatherable systems in other games that you enjoy?
Speaking primarily in MMORPG terms, this is the spot where the answer is personal (my group members will be poked to expand on their stuff for this only, now that I've written enough essays on the rest...
Personally I like almost all gathering systems because I think so abstractly, but if we're talking about Itemization as an integral part of gathering, then MineCraft is fine, BDO is usually at least okay but suffers when I want an actual incentive, FF11 is fine, except Chocobo Digging which is the best thing ever (but I do not need nor particularly want replicated anywhere). Throne and Liberty is getting there, I definitely have a few 'spots' in that game, especially because they are at the 'mildly dynamic weather' stage.
What about those mechanics do you find fun?
I want, therefore I go. If I want enough different things, the dynamism determines where I go, who I meet, the relationships I have with people who have similar interests.
In FF11 I knew the other high level chocobo diggers by name because we were always competing for the good zones, and whoever was most prepared for the weather and moonphase combination on that day would win out using various strategies.
Similarly, you could 'leave a zone to someone else' out of 'respect' knowing that while you COULD compete for the big ticket items, you didn't share the Artisanship skill that goes with the bulk of what you get for that zone, so you 'leave it to them' rather than both of you spending the same time for 'half the profit'. Or if you didn't like them you could do it anyway for 'spite' ofc.
It's hard for me personally to say what I find fun, but for the group feedback in case they don't touch this one, the first line is the important one.
Which of the upcoming gathering-related changes excites or intrigues you the most, and why?
It's hard to be excited about the installation of boilerplate experience, I think. No group members have expressed any meaningful interest beyond 'oh you mean they might stop doing it the utterly stupid way? Well, that's good'. The changes are moreso removing a pain point, but they don't, as of now, even raise the gathering to 'getting a passing grade'.
That's relative to the 'final exam' though, and it seems like y'all are still in 'week 2 of the semester', so for now, keep doing your best, we (mostly) believe in you!
Azherae
1
Re: [Fan Art] - Mobs and Mounts -A new Monthly Magazine about...Mobs and Mounts
I really loved your work! Thank you for taking the time to do it! If there were a magazine, I would gladly read it every week.
REHOC
1
Combat - Why it feels basic right now.
I've been thinking about what feels off about the combat in the game for a while now, having played the 3 main archetypes - DPS, Healer, Tank. So far, for me, it feels like it boils down to the weapon system that is currently in place, how it is implemented, and why it feels extremely basic and boring.
The current system, I realized, makes it feel like I'm playing a weapon with some skills attached to it, and not a class picking a weapon I to compliment my playstyle. Everything is guided by the weapon at the moment, and it is done in such a way that it makes it feel like the player is a beginner at a dance studio learning to count their rhythm - 1, 2, 3 step....1, 2, 3, step. I am drawn away from 'participating' in combat because I have sit there and count out the combo of my weapon (and it's made worse by Deadly, Extended, etc...finishers) to the point that I don't even need half the skills most of the time and can just hit auto-attack and be done with it.
It almost feels, and I really hate to put it this way, like the system is being developed for a mobile input where the system does most of the heavy lifting and I can just sit back and hit a key or two after the combo does its thing. Is that a little exaggerated, sure, since input is needed a bit more often than that, but doing so breaks the combo set-up and results in a loss of some buff or the other that is needed. The additional input, when it is done, has a very "spam like" feels to it, where I feel like I'm either adding some blocks/mitigating abilities, or as a healer I spam some heals and go back to auto-attack waiting for the next big hit, or I throw some skills in to add to the proc my auto-attack triggered from the 1-2-3 Finisher.
The current system, I realized, makes it feel like I'm playing a weapon with some skills attached to it, and not a class picking a weapon I to compliment my playstyle. Everything is guided by the weapon at the moment, and it is done in such a way that it makes it feel like the player is a beginner at a dance studio learning to count their rhythm - 1, 2, 3 step....1, 2, 3, step. I am drawn away from 'participating' in combat because I have sit there and count out the combo of my weapon (and it's made worse by Deadly, Extended, etc...finishers) to the point that I don't even need half the skills most of the time and can just hit auto-attack and be done with it.
It almost feels, and I really hate to put it this way, like the system is being developed for a mobile input where the system does most of the heavy lifting and I can just sit back and hit a key or two after the combo does its thing. Is that a little exaggerated, sure, since input is needed a bit more often than that, but doing so breaks the combo set-up and results in a loss of some buff or the other that is needed. The additional input, when it is done, has a very "spam like" feels to it, where I feel like I'm either adding some blocks/mitigating abilities, or as a healer I spam some heals and go back to auto-attack waiting for the next big hit, or I throw some skills in to add to the proc my auto-attack triggered from the 1-2-3 Finisher.
Re: In-game Chat Filter (+18 Age)
I imagine it'll come in the full Chat Box. Pretty sure the one we have is just placeholder. It is pretty basic.
Re: Fast travel
No fast travel, it's perfect right now!
Let's stop caualizing games. It hinders immersion.
Let's stop caualizing games. It hinders immersion.
Feno86
8
Re: Fast travel
This topic has already been widely debated, but we are in a game where fast travel clearly has no place. Adding it would kill a large part of the game experience just to please a few people who don't even take the time to fully enjoy the game.
The game is built around trade, exploration, and immersion. Allowing fast travel would ruin many of these essential features.
Steven and the developers have repeatedly confirmed in the dev blogs that fast travel will not be part of Verra, and that’s a very good thing.
You want teleportation? Well, scientific cities will be connected to each other. For everything else, you have your mounts and your feet.
Because we know you, the ones who complain about the lack of fast travel because you only have two hours to play. Then, you’ll whine because you have to walk to the instances, you’ll be tired of looking for a group for a dungeon, and then you’ll ask for an automated group finder. And once that’s in place, you won’t even bother saying hello when joining your instance groups. If something goes wrong, it’s always the tank’s or the healer’s fault, a little taunt, and you leave.
Yes, I admit it, I’m salty against this mentality that always wants to simplify everything in the game.
The studio’s stance is clear, and I really hope they never listen to you.
The game is built around trade, exploration, and immersion. Allowing fast travel would ruin many of these essential features.
Steven and the developers have repeatedly confirmed in the dev blogs that fast travel will not be part of Verra, and that’s a very good thing.
You want teleportation? Well, scientific cities will be connected to each other. For everything else, you have your mounts and your feet.
Because we know you, the ones who complain about the lack of fast travel because you only have two hours to play. Then, you’ll whine because you have to walk to the instances, you’ll be tired of looking for a group for a dungeon, and then you’ll ask for an automated group finder. And once that’s in place, you won’t even bother saying hello when joining your instance groups. If something goes wrong, it’s always the tank’s or the healer’s fault, a little taunt, and you leave.
Yes, I admit it, I’m salty against this mentality that always wants to simplify everything in the game.
The studio’s stance is clear, and I really hope they never listen to you.
Imanek
4
Re: So the " biiig " Updates are coming and approaching now ... ...
Not sure this is healthy expectation management, leaping from one disappointed overblown expectation to the next. Let's just focus on hyping up the things we like that we actually get to see.
