Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Phase III testing has begun! During this phase, our realms will be open every day, and we'll only have downtime for updates and maintenance. We'll keep everyone up-to-date about downtimes in Discord.
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 Phase III testing has begun! During this phase, our realms will be open every day, and we'll only have downtime for updates and maintenance. We'll keep everyone up-to-date about downtimes in Discord.
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
With Fresh starts, merges and node wipes coming, let's get rid of flying mounts!
With the server merge on May 1st, it's a good time to think about some of the mechanics we've experienced and how their absence might shape the game moving forward, especially with Phase 3 on the horizon in August. Flying mounts have introduced some concerning issues when it comes to node development and community balance.
One of the more significant issues I've observed is how flying mounts can inadvertently incentivize players to game the Node Mayoral system. Instead of focusing on the core gameplay loop of node progression - participating in events, building structures, and leveling up the node itself certain communities have been able to leverage mayoral control to secure multiple flying mounts. This feels counter to the intended design, where mayoral leadership should ideally be tied to fostering a well-developed node.
Flying mounts also create an imbalance of power. Groups that manage to win multiple nodes gain an even greater advantage due to their enhanced mobility and scouting provided by flying mounts. This can make it significantly harder for smaller communities or newer players to establish themselves and compete.
The upcoming server merge, which will reset mayors and remove flying mounts, presents Intrepid with a fantastic opportunity. We'll essentially have a clean slate to observe how a server ecosystem functions without the influence of widespread aerial travel. This period leading up to the Phase 3 launch in August could provide invaluable data on node progression, resource distribution, and community interaction in a world where ground based travel and node development are more central to the experience.
Personally, I'm interested to see how the absence of flying mounts impacts player behavior and the overall server dynamic. Will we see a greater emphasis on node development and cooperation? Will the balance of power shift, offering more opportunities for emerging communities?
What are your thoughts on the impact of flying mounts? Do you agree with these potential negatives, or do you see benefits that outweigh them? Let's discuss!
One of the more significant issues I've observed is how flying mounts can inadvertently incentivize players to game the Node Mayoral system. Instead of focusing on the core gameplay loop of node progression - participating in events, building structures, and leveling up the node itself certain communities have been able to leverage mayoral control to secure multiple flying mounts. This feels counter to the intended design, where mayoral leadership should ideally be tied to fostering a well-developed node.
Flying mounts also create an imbalance of power. Groups that manage to win multiple nodes gain an even greater advantage due to their enhanced mobility and scouting provided by flying mounts. This can make it significantly harder for smaller communities or newer players to establish themselves and compete.
The upcoming server merge, which will reset mayors and remove flying mounts, presents Intrepid with a fantastic opportunity. We'll essentially have a clean slate to observe how a server ecosystem functions without the influence of widespread aerial travel. This period leading up to the Phase 3 launch in August could provide invaluable data on node progression, resource distribution, and community interaction in a world where ground based travel and node development are more central to the experience.
Personally, I'm interested to see how the absence of flying mounts impacts player behavior and the overall server dynamic. Will we see a greater emphasis on node development and cooperation? Will the balance of power shift, offering more opportunities for emerging communities?
What are your thoughts on the impact of flying mounts? Do you agree with these potential negatives, or do you see benefits that outweigh them? Let's discuss!
Hamlet
6
Alpha Two Phase III Testing Schedule
🗺️ Alpha Two Phase II is extended to August 4 as we finalize dynamic gridding, server optimizations, and the move to UE5.5!
✨May 1 - Server merges, fresh start realm, and Third Wave Bundle holders gain access
✨Aug 4 - 24/7 testing starts!
📖Read the full update: https://ashesofcreation.com/news/alpha-two-phase-iii-testing-schedule
✨May 1 - Server merges, fresh start realm, and Third Wave Bundle holders gain access
✨Aug 4 - 24/7 testing starts!
📖Read the full update: https://ashesofcreation.com/news/alpha-two-phase-iii-testing-schedule
Re: Disable Evasion Rating (Physical/Magical Disable Evasion Rating)???
And, as Azherae said, there's counter-crit effects/builds that would reduce the effectiveness of your crit build. So now you'd need to think of ways of winning w/o crits (or with way weaker ones). Sometimes those ways go so far away from what a class represents, that the entire class turns from a rock against scissors into a paper.Blaspherian wrote: »If you're going in for a CC, you probably have a combo/plan of action to execute to follow up that CC. If that CC is resisted, the feeling is very jarring, as it disrupts your entire plan/thought process up to that point, leaving you feeling CCed yourself. And this is gonna sound dumb, but on multiple occasions I've checked my mouse/keyboard just to make sure it's not hardware failure, because that's exactly how it feels. Like something isn't working properly. It just feels like random removal of player agency. And that's shitty.
To me, CCs with non-100% chance of landing is the same, because the enemy can build into resistances, while I should be able to build into chance increase (be that waterfall or direct increase of specific CC type). And just as with the crits, some classes might become way weaker against people that managed to build against their exact type of CCs.
But yeah, as I said before, I'm 100% against any generalized CC evasion, because I totally agree that it would become THE meta, cause of fucking course it would - IT'S FUCKING GENERALIZED.
I think this simply comes down to experiences. In L2's design archer and dagger classes relied highly on their crits to win (archers from basic attacks, daggers from abilities). The game had buffs that would cut down 30% of incoming crit dmg, debuffs that would cut down crit rate and/or dmg (2 different debuffs) by 30/25% respectively, and several super strong party defensive abilities that would make incoming dmg near non-existent.Blaspherian wrote: »I can't wrap my head around how devs/gamers can think this adds to competitive integrity or fun gameplay.
All those abilities would make life of those classes way harder. Counters to them would consist of buff stealing/cancelling and of precise debuff cleansing.
CCs would have resistance buffs against them and CD prolonging debuffs that would highly reduce their frequency. Counters were the same as above.
But then on top of that you'd have gear-based effects of +-% to the landing rates, while gear itself (and usually its OE values) would be the fully passive counter to incoming dmg.
So, in my experience, both of these things function in the same way, are countered in the same way - all while the fun of gameplay was perceived in the same way as well (I already gave examples of situations I've seen before). And so to me they're fine.
And I was about to add an angry point about the "blanket response to a whole type of attack", but then realized (again) that it's just a mirror effect for evasion as a whole. I think the middle ground compromise that I'd be fine with is if they add an exclusivity branch to the dodge mechanic, where your maneuverability goes waaaaaaay down, but your CC resistance goes up. In other words, make it a conscious choice on the side of the player, whether they want to have more protection against phys effects or magic ones.
BUT I STILL WANT HEIGHTENED RESISTANCES RATHER THAN FULL EVASION AGAINST MAAAAGIC. You can't evade magic, cause it's fucking maaaagic.
Ludullu
1
Re: Disable Evasion Rating (Physical/Magical Disable Evasion Rating)???
Okay so I think there's an important sentiment that needs to be established here; what is the benefit to including disability evasion rating? Genuinely. It does make the game more complex, but I don't think added complexity makes a game more compelling on its own. Also if it becomes such a pervasive stat to include, it could have the opposite effect. It actually streamlines the game into a mandatory stat allocation because CC prevention is king. There's a reason that diminishing returns exists in practically every competitive PVP game. Because inhibiting your opponent from being able to do anything is stronger than any damage, healing, etc. and having an unlimited cap on the strongest resource in the game leads to toxic gameplay (or lack there of for the person getting perpetually CC'd into oblivion). So the idea of having ways to counteract it is important, but we have the already referenced diminishing returns as well as the disability mitigation stat. Both of which are substantially more trackable and don't completely invalidate CC as a mechanic, particularly in erratic ways. Not to mention abilities in the archetype kits to counteract CC too. So then why would we also add a stat that completely deletes CC from happening in a more variable/random format? From a compelling, more interesting competitive standpoint - I can't find a reason.
So then... does the game become more fun to include this as a mechanic, and if so, how? Obviously this gets a bit more esoteric as to "who has fun from what," but let's try. Paralleling this to something like critical hit chance, which could also determine a fight via RNG, I think is a good starting point. The perspective of hitting that really big damage number has enjoyment behind it. A moment where your power "goes beyond" and you see a quantifiable number that supersedes normal expectation. There is hype in that. You can say that that too is enjoyment at the detriment of another player, but to some capacity any PVP game can/will be perceived that way. Conversely, if I CC evade my opponent because I opted into disability evasion rating, I'm not doing something strong myself, I'm invalidating someone else's strength. And trust me, that unstoppable wall concept also has a huge draw to it. That being said, the places where disability evasion rating will matter most is in the extremely low TTK moments, typically DPS vs DPS, where one properly landed CC could make or break the fight. Not in the scenario where the tank holds the line versus countless enemies. Also disability mitigation rating DOES have a fun aspect to it; urgency. When I've done MMO PVPing and my CC ends up only having half the duration, that creates an "Oh shit!" moment that I quickly have to reassess the best path forward. It rewards the person who opted into disability mitigation, but not in a way that is 100% abusive to the opponent. You take that through the lens of disability evasion and it's not urgency, it's just an "Okay I lost the coin flip, so I lose the fight." Nothing feels more invalidating than that.
TL;DR From my perspective there isn't a valuable mechanical or fun reason to include disability evasion, especially when we already have other compelling alternatives in the game now.
Fukn A
Couldn't have worded it better myself.
Re: [NA] Suspect | Mercenary | PvX | Competitive & Social | 18+ | Alpha/Beta/Launch
Buena gente, discord muy activo!
UnWire
1
Re: [NA] Suspect | Mercenary | PvX | Competitive & Social | 18+ | Alpha/Beta/Launch
Suspect is going to make Cooking great again. xD.
Come try the best dishes in Vyra!
Come try the best dishes in Vyra!
mageon
1
Next Livestream - Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 11am Pacific
Glorious Ashes of Creation Community!
Our next livestream will be Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 11am Pacific! (Click here to convert this to your local time) Join us as we showcase new zones, pocket dungeons, and more!
During this stream, we will spend time answering some of your questions live from Twitch chat, Discord, and social media platforms. Stay tuned to our social channels for announcements on any upcoming Q&A livestreams!
We'll see you soon for our development update livestream! twitch.tv/ashesofcreation
Vaknar
4
Re: Disable Evasion Rating (Physical/Magical Disable Evasion Rating)???
In the end, the big problem anyone bringing this up will face is simple.
Intrepid has a specific set of testers and backers who are the 'first line' of input for certain types of change. I definitely am not saying those people are favored, I'm pointing out that since the rest of us never see the input from those persons, and they just 'don't need to engage on forums in the first place', it's not like you can 'have a discussion.
Again, I am not strongly in favor of RNG at least in the sense that I would prefer it to be how @Apok says, but I also know that's not how the community at large felt, from the old threads. It's just that the community is now split into 'those who have the first ear' and 'the rest of the forums'.
So even if the only person in this thread going 'no random CC is fine actually' is Ludullu, that doesn't mean that Intrepid is going to 'get the message that most of their players don't like that' because that's not actually what's happening.
If anything, I'm just bringing up their arguments for the sake of dispelling that perception, but I suppose it could be equally true that everyone left with an interest in this game, even in the Phoenix Initiative group, is also asking them to change the CC/Disable Resist.
Point is that I'm probably gonna stop here, I don't want to 'get a reputation for wanting RNG CC chance' even by accident.
Intrepid has a specific set of testers and backers who are the 'first line' of input for certain types of change. I definitely am not saying those people are favored, I'm pointing out that since the rest of us never see the input from those persons, and they just 'don't need to engage on forums in the first place', it's not like you can 'have a discussion.
Again, I am not strongly in favor of RNG at least in the sense that I would prefer it to be how @Apok says, but I also know that's not how the community at large felt, from the old threads. It's just that the community is now split into 'those who have the first ear' and 'the rest of the forums'.
So even if the only person in this thread going 'no random CC is fine actually' is Ludullu, that doesn't mean that Intrepid is going to 'get the message that most of their players don't like that' because that's not actually what's happening.
If anything, I'm just bringing up their arguments for the sake of dispelling that perception, but I suppose it could be equally true that everyone left with an interest in this game, even in the Phoenix Initiative group, is also asking them to change the CC/Disable Resist.
Point is that I'm probably gonna stop here, I don't want to 'get a reputation for wanting RNG CC chance' even by accident.
Azherae
1
Abilities should cancel weapon attack animation
Using action camera. i have disabled all auto attack setting and hold LMB to weapon attack.
Using Abilities should cancel weapon attack animation. NOT talking about animation cancelling where the dmg still goes through from the weapon attack if you press an ability during weapon attack animation. NOT talking about abilities "interrupting" the weapon chain combo making it start over.
The issue is you need precise timing for abilities to go through during a weapon combo chain (around the end of the animation) if another weapon combo chain attack starts due to you missing the timing, you have to wait until that attack finishes to use an ability. This is not that much of a problem with slower weapons like the 2h greatsword but extremely noticeable and annoying with the daggers where it feels like 50% of the time when im pressing abilities the input does not go through and will only get worse with more attack speed.
Using Abilities should cancel weapon attack animation. NOT talking about animation cancelling where the dmg still goes through from the weapon attack if you press an ability during weapon attack animation. NOT talking about abilities "interrupting" the weapon chain combo making it start over.
The issue is you need precise timing for abilities to go through during a weapon combo chain (around the end of the animation) if another weapon combo chain attack starts due to you missing the timing, you have to wait until that attack finishes to use an ability. This is not that much of a problem with slower weapons like the 2h greatsword but extremely noticeable and annoying with the daggers where it feels like 50% of the time when im pressing abilities the input does not go through and will only get worse with more attack speed.
Mayhem
3
Re: Power Scaling / TTK / Enchanting & Tinkering
TTK STILL TOO QUICK IT NEEDS TO BE 30~ SECONDS AT THE VERY LEAST LOL
