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
Re: Lack of soft and hard stat caps is killing the pvp - stat stacking, gear rarity, enchanting & buffs
Agree with others that enchant stacking on gear has led to 1-2 shot PvP meta and just feels terrible. I think the enchanting system needs a complete rework and could stand to benefit from taking a close look at what the folks over at UO Outlands did with enchanting and the birth of the Arcane enchantment system. One of the big gripes I have about ashes right now is that the grind to be minimally PvP viable is just not possible for your average casual gamer.
Proposed Design Changes:
1) De-couple enchanting from having an effect on players who become PvP flagged. The grind for gear is heavy enough as is, we don't need some horrible BDO style RNG stat grind tossed on top just to be PvP viable.
2) Re-design enchanting so it is not just grind to + stats on gear, instead take some inspiration from D&D and have the enchants give you some PvE specific power that can be incrementally raised. A simple example would be applying a poison effect to your weapon that can be raised up in efficacy. I'll drop a link to UO Outlands Arcane system for yall to review, they designed something very special there I think modern indy mmo's could really benefit taking inspiration from.
3) Consider adding some cosmetic only enchants as a carrot for PvPers to chase after.
https://wiki.uooutlands.com/Aspect_Mastery
Proposed Design Changes:
1) De-couple enchanting from having an effect on players who become PvP flagged. The grind for gear is heavy enough as is, we don't need some horrible BDO style RNG stat grind tossed on top just to be PvP viable.
2) Re-design enchanting so it is not just grind to + stats on gear, instead take some inspiration from D&D and have the enchants give you some PvE specific power that can be incrementally raised. A simple example would be applying a poison effect to your weapon that can be raised up in efficacy. I'll drop a link to UO Outlands Arcane system for yall to review, they designed something very special there I think modern indy mmo's could really benefit taking inspiration from.
3) Consider adding some cosmetic only enchants as a carrot for PvPers to chase after.
https://wiki.uooutlands.com/Aspect_Mastery
Cyjax
1
[P2] Pressing Escape STILL cancels Melodies and Melodies STILL prevent mounting
I understand that a lot of things might have priority, but come on guys. These bugs have been in the game for over 2 months and are insanely annoying. Now that we're in Phase 2, we really need to see some of these obvious ones being fixed.
And if you're working on Melodies, maybe also work on Melodies properly displaying on your character so that you can actually tell if they're running or not by looking at your character.
And if you're working on Melodies, maybe also work on Melodies properly displaying on your character so that you can actually tell if they're running or not by looking at your character.
BRAD_AoC
1
Re: For the love of casuals PLEASE
I think that, rather than safe caravans, it would be good if there were some more features for caravans to communicate with allied forces that they are being attacked, and call for aid. Like, a button the caravan driver could push to have them show up on the map for members of your guild or node would be nice.
AS A CASUAL, I don't really think that trying to make the caravans safer is at all good for the kind of content they are. They're made to be PVP content, and you have to make the choice to create them, or participate in them. I don't ever feel pressured to do them, but I know they are there if I want to engage with them, and that's great!
I just think that things might be somewhat stacked in the favor of attackers at the moment, so, some way to better make yourself known to allies who you aren't actively talking or in a group with to would be nice.
AS A CASUAL, I don't really think that trying to make the caravans safer is at all good for the kind of content they are. They're made to be PVP content, and you have to make the choice to create them, or participate in them. I don't ever feel pressured to do them, but I know they are there if I want to engage with them, and that's great!
I just think that things might be somewhat stacked in the favor of attackers at the moment, so, some way to better make yourself known to allies who you aren't actively talking or in a group with to would be nice.
VerySoft
2
Re: For the love of casuals PLEASE
Why is the answer always "The game needs to adjust for me" instead of "I need to figure out how to be more effective in this situation"?
Verra is dangerous by design. So either gain levels & gear to be prepared for the fight, or find alternate ways to move material from node to node. I have never had a problem moving mats myself without a caravan.
Intrepid is not going to put the puzzle together for you.
is that what you think I'm talking about?
this is why you won't get why you're selling mounts for less than you make them for.
you'll blame pve... but realistically. ganking low levels is FAAAAR from pvp. and that lack of money changing hands will be the downfall. it isn't me who makes the rules. they've been set and documented well before I was alive.
eyawn
1
Re: For the love of casuals PLEASE
Let's see what happens as the game gets more features.But right now, the only low risk option is straight selling your glint to a vendor. It just feels like doodoo to go grind monsters, to just sell your gains to a vendor like grey trash in WoW.
Steven has a dream.
And he hopes many players will play his game.
But you don't have to play it if you don't like it.
This is a terrible response to anyone generating a talking point. Dont do this, be better.
Gyn
1
Re: For the love of casuals PLEASE
I wait to see the mayoral caravans and weekly castle caravans. And vassal networks binding nodes together to prevent sieges. Players are supposed to go and attack caravans from other nations, to weaken them. All that is missing.
Also Steven has to make people really care for their nodes, more than for the guilds living in them.
What's a nation supposed to look like? I think this is critical to the core of Nodes and Caravans. How could they not put this in yet? Depending on how it was done a Nation would really tie these systems together. Right now it's just all...? pointless I guess. If we could get some good RvR or NvN fights I'd be all in. Damn I hope they do something about this...
As the systems are now I don't care about Nodes. They're just tedious crafting benches. But if the core missing element was added (Nations maybe) then Nodes would have more purpose? It's hard to say without knowing what his plan is.
What is really annoying is IF there are core systems still out of the game why are we play testing it? What is the actual value they get from it? What's the point of the grind? To balance the mobs, the amount of materials? Does any of that even matter yet, won't it change as more areas are built. Won't the dynamics of player interactions change as the world grows and as new systems and introduced?
This vassal mode structure tells you what it looks like for a sovereign at a level six metropolis stage; and what it can control at a maximum vassal network is two level five nodes, of which a level five node can control one level four and one level three as direct vassals; and then the four can control a three; and every three can control a one or a two. Now if the three gets removed through siege, the one or the two is removed as well. So that's an important distinction between the three's vassals, which technically isn't really a vassal relationship because there's no citizenships possible. Those vassals don't exist between three and X, but they do exist between four and three, five and four, and six and five. And what this also allows is that because there are 85 nodes that are within the world, we have a buffer zone of about 20 nodes that lives in a max server state. So if you had maximum five metropolises form in a world, you will have a number about 20 nodes that can live alongside those metropolis networks; and when or if a metropolis falls, that extra cushion of nodes around the five metropolis structures allows for the map to be redistricted in a way that is unique. It doesn't mean that one of the fives is just going to pick up where the last six left off and form the same exact metropolis structure. From a territory perspective it has ancillary nodes to play with and expand towards that redistricts the map, so that if a metropolis falls there's a significant difference in the layout of the world and the layout of these almost nation-like territories.[1] – Steven Sharif
Steven said nodes do not belong to players. That those structures form in a way which is hard to figure out and influence.
The high level nodes will have more end game content (dungeons, crafting benches ...) and players might want to defend them because benefits them.
If a node is destroyed, people will lose materials stored there.
Can be that even if the game is balanced reasonably well, guilds will still attack and loot solo player's caravans, even if these solo players have the same citizenship. If soloers have no impact onto the balance of power, nobody will care about them.
I think this game is a social experiment. Steven hopes there is a golden cohort, a player category which wants a game like he described. But people will simply lose motivation to play the game and will not return when is finished. Especially if they lose things in a siege of a node they don't care for.
that's for the info!
Steven is placing too much trust in players. Having Caravan Nameplates and Loot Nameplates that show the player's guild, node, and religion will be good. So this might prevent some caravans from getting attacked by citizens of their node, ally nodes, same religion. But the risk is still basically zero for the attackers. I firmly believe there should be a faction style system that will make nodes hostel to players for attacking that nodes or vassals citizens. Guards only going hostel because a player is corrupt isn't going to be enough. You could have an enemy node's players in your node utilizing it, it's so weird.
The vassal system really seems to be the core of the balance of powers in the game. But as it's written there it's full of holes and ways to exploit it. The risk of to makers is too high, the risk to the takers is too low as it is currently. It does seem like a one sided risk vs reward system. If you're not part of a massive guild there is not viable way to defend a node, if there's no viable way to defend it then there's no reason to build it up.
I appears Steven only thinks from the massive group play. Will there be enough of them that stick around to make it successful? I doubt it. As the smaller guilds are cut off from content the players will start to leave, either for a large guild or for other games. As these smaller guilds dissolve there will be less content for the mega guilds. So the pvp content turns to the mega guild vs mega guild, but what will be their motivation to war? I'm making quite a few assumptions here because the lack of systems in the game to actually see how this will play out.
Volgaris
1
Re: For the love of casuals PLEASE
bloodprophet wrote: »I wait to see the mayoral caravans and weekly castle caravans. And vassal networks binding nodes together to prevent sieges. Players are supposed to go and attack caravans from other nations, to weaken them. All that is missing.
Also Steven has to make people really care for their nodes, more than for the guilds living in them.
What's a nation supposed to look like? I think this is critical to the core of Nodes and Caravans. How could they not put this in yet? Depending on how it was done a Nation would really tie these systems together. Right now it's just all...? pointless I guess. If we could get some good RvR or NvN fights I'd be all in. Damn I hope they do something about this...
As the systems are now I don't care about Nodes. They're just tedious crafting benches. But if the core missing element was added (Nations maybe) then Nodes would have more purpose? It's hard to say without knowing what his plan is.
What is really annoying is IF there are core systems still out of the game why are we play testing it? What is the actual value they get from it? What's the point of the grind? To balance the mobs, the amount of materials? Does any of that even matter yet, won't it change as more areas are built. Won't the dynamics of player interactions change as the world grows and as new systems and introduced?
Never built anything have you?
Putting the shingles on a roof before the foundation is done seems......odd.
Nice snidy mc sniderson. You could have just answered what "nations" were supposed to be in Ashes... no need to be a prick about it...
I get that they are putting systems in as they're ready. Which is fine. But play testing incomplete systems is pointless, and I'm not grinding again to get to the any new systems. At least not until the play testing is more fun to me.
Volgaris
1
Re: How playable is this game solo?
If you have game knowledge, it's very solo friendly, not optimal but friendly, I have basically played solo and I am 25, 600g, full semi bis armour, but it's all about game knowledge
Chicago
1
Re: How playable is this game solo?
The game is very obviously made to be played with other people. It's more dangerous to be on your own, but it's far from impossible to be on your own, and there is tons and tons you can do on your own.
It's more fun with friends, but it's quite easy to roam around solo.
If you're going against a little boss for a quest or the like, other people who might want the same thing tend to invite you to a group to take it down together, which is very rewarding~
It's more fun with friends, but it's quite easy to roam around solo.
If you're going against a little boss for a quest or the like, other people who might want the same thing tend to invite you to a group to take it down together, which is very rewarding~
VerySoft
1
Re: For the love of casuals PLEASE
Early game animal husbandry leveling is THE BEST investment in the game. Everyone will want a better mount later on, so if you're the first one to be able to hunt the higher lvl animals - you win.Try to make a profit w/player stalls, or yeah - you may have to sell your results for a loss to gain skill. It's called investment. When your skill is high enough to produce a mount that has higher demand and lower supply then go make some profit. Does this require caravans, no.
Even back in P1 there was a dude who sold apprentice mounts for great money and had a huge customer base. And then the more caravans there are in the world - the more beasts of burden people will need, so even the rng part of husbandry is not as bad as it might seem (even though I do hate it).
Ludullu
1