Official Livestream Q&A Question Thread – May 22, 2017

ArchivedUser

The mage has a ball that can supply light. Will we be able to throw the ball to suply visions to places further away?

ArchivedUser

Hi guys
First I want to say that you're doing a great job. But that's not why we're all here:
So my questions are:
Halberds and Bagpipes. Will they be in game?
Machines and a Tinker profession (or even class?). I know it's HIGH fantasy and they won't really need machines, but you can combine the two and tinkers could build magic (maybe Mana) powered Golems, Siegemachines etc. Tinker would be a crafting profession that can help the previous two stages, so gathering and processing, get their work steps done faster and easier. But that'd all come at a pretty high price with the magic being dangerous and only a tinker that is able to build one of these machines would be able to repair one, so it'd be a job where the crafting isn't that risky, but the using and rewards would be high risk for high rewards.

ArchivedUser

It's been mentioned a few times that servers can experience different storylines as their nodes may progress in different ways. Can our main characters "visit" these alternate dimensions so that we can see and experience them, or do we need to create alts?

ArchivedUser

How long will it take to level a crafting profession? Will it be a be comparable to levelling your combat class?

ArchivedUser

Even though getting people into real world pvp for "meaningful combat" is a much higher priority than arena-based pvp, will arenas be more than just a place to practice and test builds? I know there was mention of a leaderboard which is great, but will there be a reward system in place for the people who spend most of their time in arenas aside from pursuing a higher leaderboard rank?

ArchivedUser

<strong> How will baby mounts be made? Could you tell us the process you have to go through when utilising the husbandry artisanship? </strong>

ArchivedUser

Will there be a mechanism that transfers the role of Guild Leader to someone else if the guild leader hasn't come on in weeks or months? (Like in Riders of Icarus)

ArchivedUser

Sorry it's more than one question, but they really tie in to each other:

Combat NPC's, allying with villains and being the villain

-> So you can raid nodes, caravans, etc. to gain resources to further your own nodes. That seems to be "normal" for Ashes. Like in a way that you only do this with the creation of your own stuff in mind.

- Will it be possible to hire NPC's to help in combat or is it players only?
- Will you be able to ally/hire NPC's that are on the villain-side for your node, including non-player-races?
- What about actually becoming a villain? Will it be possible for nodes/guilds to change the highest goal from creation to destruction? Create only to destruct and dominate (not in a player griefing way)?
- If you are able to ally/hire with villain-creatures, will that and your guilds way of ruling your node impact how the environment looks like?

To clarify my questions one simple and extreme example:

Let's say you play a summoner in a necromancer style (that a thing btw?) and have a guild(cult) that uses undead npc's to help their raids and the highest goal to eradicate the living, while the nodes that guild uses and conquers kind of die due to the "occupation", becoming plaguelands.

Other nodes may then rally and make alliances to defeat that guild.
Different types of villain creatures could have different effects on combat and the enviroment. I mean... they too want to live (or stay undead), right ? Have a heart for villains?

ArchivedUser

Will a bard be able to provoke beasts so they fight each other or even tame them to fight by his side? If not the bard, will any class be able to do so? I miss my tamer from UO times back in 98!

ArchivedUser

How will looting a defeated mob or player happen? Will it be individual per target, toggled aoe based (vacuum up surrounding loot), automatic straight into your inventory or via pets collecting the loot for you (like in BDO)?

ArchivedUser

Some people just want to watch the world burn:

Will it be possible to turn off the feature that shares "Contribution XP" with the nearest node while questing or exploring? It might make sense to decide not to empower a "rival" node while doing quests or gathering resources in their ZOI, after all.

ArchivedUser

Q. With the additional staff brought in through the Kickstarter stretch goals, will they be dedicated to these features or will they be used to expedite the game to an alpha state beforehand?

ArchivedUser

Could you give more details regarding the future of networking/servers and actual plans for handling clients in the game?

ArchivedUser

I would like to know if dungeon/raid bosses will be scripted (they follow a strict pattern when it comes to using their attacks), if they will use their abilities at their own will, or if it will be fifty-fifty (they use skills freely except for specific ones which are executed when a boss reaches a certain HP percentage.

ArchivedUser

Hello fellow Earth Monkeys at Intrepid Studios. I am wondering how extensive the inhabited part of the Underrealm will be. Will there be as many underground nodes as there are above ground or more like a couple nodes and a vast complex of noodle like tunnels filled with murder beasts? Best Wishes - The Thoroughbred of Sin

ArchivedUser

can we get a bit more info on the orcs. are we going to see a big race that looks more monster than human or are we going to see this silly greenskin human kind of race that ruins all for people who like playing the bit more brutish type of classes. and a small follow up can we make Ugly Characters like obese characters or will we only be playing the typical fitness races that always look perfect in a time where the shower is not even invented yet :)

ArchivedUser

Crafting shields will be under weaponsmith, armorsmith or it will be separate branch please? (in other words, how deep is specialization in professions?)

ArchivedUser

Hi folks!
Regarding the angel and demon skins, will those affect the visual appearance of the spells? Will it even be possible to use those in combat? If so, will we be able to transform into that demon/angel during a combat (instant or cast time?)? That would create a really nice RP aspect, like unleashing your inner demon. :-)

Regards
Almador

ArchivedUser

-Regarding besieging a metropolis node: Are you worried that that roughly 50% of players involved in that siege are going to be sorely disappointed by the result? If I spend months developing a node to metropolis (or months preparing for a siege) and it gets destroyed (or my siege fails) that feels like a major letdown. I wonder if I will still be motivated to continue playing if I have to "start over?" Doubly so if I've invested financially in that node. Are their consolations for the side that fails?

ArchivedUser

Is there something preventing players from just placing 50 freeholds in an area? If not, would there be some way of connecting them, essentially creating a village/town?

ArchivedUser

I have always played a dwarf in MMO's, From the game footage we have seen so far ruins of castles and other structures litter the world, my question is... Will there be a hollowed out mountain with a dwarven city within, kinda like Erebor from LOTR?

Thanks, much love. Your local Dwarf Role Player <3 B===D

ArchivedUser

Caravans...
Will we be able to destroy or block caravan routes, bribe them to go with them somewhere else or steal stuff from them before they start moving to their location? (basicly while they are preparing. Loading their cargo or something like that.

ArchivedUser

Can we expect a system similar to the Dominion system in Archeage?

ArchivedUser

Do you guys have any specifics on what kind of bonuses the specific races get and do the subraces get different bonuses?

ArchivedUser

Most of your meaningful conflict seems to be resource driven, whether it be currency /materials or city/castle node based. In the case of the former how will risk/reward scale to compensate for inflation? And for the latter how will players in moderate to small size guilds be able to contest these from larger guild alliances that have no interest in the siege of another guild's metropolis?

ArchivedUser

How will the logging out system work in AoC?
Ex: will it be instant or like 10 seconds before it logs you out of the server? Personally will hope it will have a timer on it.

ArchivedUser

How will Archetype choice effect what weapons can be equipped and used? Will it be any Archetype can use any weapon or more class restrictive whether via bonuses for certain classes with specific weapons or some Archetypes being prevented from equipping some weapons?

ArchivedUser

Can you go into detail on end game besides the obvious siege node/capture node/rebuild node aspect of the game? How in depth will the PvE boss battles be, and will there be replay incentive for all of these activities to keep us coming back for more?

ArchivedUser

Are we going to be able to toggle (some) pieces of armor? Such as a helmet, it may look good on humans, elves, and orc's, but may look like crap on a dwarf and the underrealm race. Or perhaps hide your cloak because it just has a ugly design on it or something.

ArchivedUser

Can you give some details on the variety of weapon types?