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Main city

This is a very superficial question, so I'll try to avoid the 5000 word essay and keep it short. Personally, while it may contradict the philosophy of AOC, I love a main city/hub. Places like Jeuno, White Gate, Limsa Lominsa, Stormwind, Ironforge, Heidel, Marianople, are all places that I just love and think about and remember all the nooks and crannies and made for great places to kind of just relax. Games like Wildstar, which took the "rebuilding a new world" approach to the world always kind of had a dead spot for me (personally) even though the game was fantastic. I know as new players, it's our job to expand the frontier, but can we possibly expect a main hub outside of the node system?

Comments

  • Large nodes will evolve and devour local small nodes.
    You will get multiple large hubs evolving naturally.

    Is there any particular reason you would want only 1 hub instead of a few ?
  • I think that's why AoC's node concept is so amazing. Players will decide what becomes a main hub through the node system. The more players hang around a certain area, and do stuff in that area, the more that node will develop and eventually become a large Metropolis, therefore becoming a Main hub like you speak of.
  • it's not about expanding or a realm of choice persay, it's just that, with due respect, I don't fathom that some of those emotions of old are able to be replicated. I could be wrong but I guess unless you've felt the feeling, it's hard to relate. It's just I've seen this done before and it doesn't always feel authentic and it rarely hits the g-spot. It's an atmosphere, music, aesthetic, vibe, intangible inexplicable emotion that you get when everything is just perfect. When the city you spend your free time in, basically just using the game as a fleshed out version of AIM, becomes more than just x,y coords in a game you chill in. A lot of games don't get it right the first time, and in many cases the last time, but it was just a thought I figured I'd check into. I don't expect any modernity of in game creation to match some of those feelings most of us had years ago.

    P.S. While you're probably thinking it *looking at you, younger people*, no it's not just nostalgia. The last decade of mmos have spent too much time trying to fix what isn't broken instead of focusing on the important elements.
  • I mean i playd wow too and i spent countless hours in stormwind and orgrimmar waiting for queus. I dont have any special feelings or nostalgia of having some big static cities, it dosent really add any depth to pvp or pve its just some rp stuff maybe. But since we can create the cities ourselves and have houses inside and outside cities i think thats much better for rpers. Also the fact that players create the cities and can destroy them makes it alot more intresting. I cant wait to be able to destroy cities wich players used countless hours to create and develop and then and mine salt in forums. I think itll take the drama and guild politics to next level. This will for sure create lots of drama like spying alliances backstabbing etc. If they excecute this well guilds will be yber impactfull in AOC and even rpers and carebears should like that.
  • I mean i playd wow too and i spent countless hours in stormwind and orgrimmar waiting for queus. I dont have any special feelings or nostalgia of having some big static cities, it dosent really add any depth to pvp or pve its just some rp stuff maybe. But since we can create the cities ourselves and have houses inside and outside cities i think thats much better for rpers. Also the fact that players create the cities and can destroy them makes it alot more intresting. I cant wait to be able to destroy cities wich players used countless hours to create and develop and then and mine salt in forums. I think itll take the drama and guild politics to next level. This will for sure create lots of drama like spying alliances backstabbing etc. If they excecute this well guilds will be yber impactfull in AOC and even rpers and carebears should like that.
  • Good question, imo if we are going into a empty world there would be no main city to start off with,

    however by players focusing on building up the city and making it stand out from the rest they could make a hub that other players come to, for trade etc
  • [quote quote=3116]Good question, imo if we are going into a empty world there would be no main city to start off with,

    however by players focusing on building up the city and making it stand out from the rest they could make a hub that other players come to, for trade etc

    [/quote]
    Seems we come through a portal into the world, don't you think theres gonna be some starter - like city, the first "central hub" perhaps. Maybe it's just gonna be like a military camp around the portal, but would make more sense to have some fortified city.

    Other than that, I agree with the rest of you that I think theres gonna be some hubs/cities that become so powerful that they are never gonna be overthrown, so they become the pillars of the world.

    On the other hand though, having a major city that you know 100% can't be destroyed and that you're 99% safe in it, is really nice. Otherwise you're probably gonna be just a little on edge all the time.
  • [quote quote=3119]<blockquote><div class="d4p-bbt-quote-title"><a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/topic/main-city/#post-3116" rel="nofollow">Shunex wrote:</a></div>
    Good question, imo if we are going into a empty world there would be no main city to start off with,

    however by players focusing on building up the city and making it stand out from the rest they could make a hub that other players come to, for trade etc

    </blockquote>
    Seems we come through a portal into the world, don’t you think theres gonna be some starter – like city, the first “central hub” perhaps. Maybe it’s just gonna be like a military camp around the portal, but would make more sense to have some fortified city.

    Other than that, I agree with the rest of you that I think theres gonna be some hubs/cities that become so powerful that they are never gonna be overthrown, so they become the pillars of the world.

    On the other hand though, having a major city that you know 100% can’t be destroyed and that you’re 99% safe in it, is really nice. Otherwise you’re probably gonna be just a little on edge all the time.

    [/quote]

    the first node will become a pretty big node from all the people flooding in, but i want to build up one in the central area for trade purposes :) easier access to the rest of the world :)
  • If the community is social and civilised, hubs will build.
    If the community is toxic and just wants to watch the world burn, their will be no hubs and civilisation will never get off the ground.

    So, its up to us. Plain and simple.
    That Epic PvP combat gear you wanted for war ? Never gonna happen as civilisation cant advance enough to make that kind of gear.
    So.... war or peace ?
    Community/civilisation/humanity or Law of the jungle, kill or be killed.

    Duality. You cant escape it. Anymore than you can escape your conscience and ego.
  • [quote quote=3123]If the community is social and civilised, hubs will build.
    If the community is toxic and just wants to watch the world burn, their will be no hubs and civilisation will never get off the ground.

    So, its up to us. Plain and simple.
    That Epic PvP combat gear you wanted for war ? Never gonna happen as civilisation cant advance enough to make that kind of gear.
    So…. war or peace ?
    Community/civilisation/humanity or Law of the jungle, kill or be killed.

    [/quote]

    i think after a certain time and guild's take ownerships of nodes etc players will create "zones" by default i.e town x,y,z common areas for pvp due to the guilds controlling them, whereas a,b,c are crafting towns because more people run caravans there etc, i think that will create crafting towns/ pvp zones etc and then those area's will be protected by guilds that want to safeguard their interests in thoose nodes such as the higer tier crafting etc. and im really excited to see how the civilisation will come about.
  • [quote quote=3123]If the community is social and civilised, hubs will build.
    If the community is toxic and just wants to watch the world burn, their will be no hubs and civilisation will never get off the ground.

    So, its up to us. Plain and simple.
    That Epic PvP combat gear you wanted for war ? Never gonna happen as civilisation cant advance enough to make that kind of gear.
    So…. war or peace ?
    Community/civilisation/humanity or Law of the jungle, kill or be killed.

    Duality. You cant escape it. Anymore than you can escape your conscience and ego.

    [/quote]

    Playing the game as its intended is not toxic. Toxic is if you are dick about it and fight in chat and forums before and after sieges. And even if the community is toxic what makes you asume big guilds/alliances wont be able to maintain their cities? In bdo we was able to even when other guilds made massive alliances against our 1 guild and troughout the game be4 sieges even got released people left grinding spots because they didnt wanna start fight with certain players and guilds. Im hoping AOC can create the same experience and better. I hope we will see multiple large guilds/alliances and massive cities and drama with all kinds of backstabbing spying and politics.

    And just to make it clear i will definetly be toxic as well im even not gonna try to pretend otherwise, im not just gonna be happy with destroying ur cities i will also destroy u in forums afterwards.
  • @Shinigamiqt

    <blockquote>Playing the game as its intended is not toxic. </blockquote>
    Where in my post did i say PvP was not an expected part of the game ?
    Did you not see the word 'duality' mentioned ?
    Did you not read my very last paragraph ?

    A world at war destroys itself.
    A world in peace prospers.
    This is the way the world works.
    This is the way the game is designed to work.

    It just so happens that some PvP players, take their angst away from the game too.
    Thats when stuff becomes toxic.
    Thanks for proving my point though.
  • @Shunex
    Yeah it will be good to see how civilisation evolves and crumbles.
    Who creates. Who destroys.
  • Cities arent gonna get destroyed if the guilds and alliances are strong enough to defend them. So im sure some cities will be static that are inhabitated by hc guilds and others get destroyed.



    [quote quote=3139]Where in my post did i say PvP was not an expected part of the game ?[/quote]
    [quote quote=3139]If the community is social and civilised, hubs will build.
    If the community is toxic and just wants to watch the world burn, their will be no hubs and civilisation will never get off the ground.[/quote]

    U sayd if community wants to see world burn there will ne no civilisation, as if its white and black and there is no inbetween. Some guilds will be able to keep their cities and some dont, thats how i asume it will be if its excecuted well.
  • @Shinigamiqt

    Players either fight or build.
    You cant be building while you are fighting.
    You cant be fighting when you are building.
    How is anything going to be built if everyone is fighting all the time ?
    Its not magic. Its division of labour.
    So yes it is black and white.

    So, like I said it depends on the community.
    If 100% of the population only want to punch each others face in 24/7 (instead of gather/craft), nothing will be built.
    If the majority of the population just want to punch each others face in, anything built will devolve or be destroyed.
    If a minority of the population just want to punch each others face in, nodes should evolve slowly.
    To get better materials, and I assume better gear, nodes need to evolve.

    Those focusing on evolving will divert resources to gathering/crafting and be combat weak.
    Those focusing on combat will want to ensure the competition does not evolve and get any advantage.
  • [quote quote=3147]<a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/users/shinigamiqt/" rel="nofollow">@shinigamiqt</a>

    Players either fight or build.
    So yes it is black and white.

    Those focusing on evolving will divert resources to gathering/crafting and be combat weak.
    Those focusing on combat will want to ensure the competition does not evolve and get any advantage.

    [/quote]

    I mean what would even make you think so? Thats just **** assumption it dosent make any sense. You are saying hc guilds will on purpose gimp themselves? Thats not how its been in any mmo i have playd.


    <img src="https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder927/500x/18320927.jpg" alt="" />
  • i dont think its just black or white, i think there is a middle ground made up of people who are the "support" players of the game the crafters, farmers who support the combat players. they dont fight with attacks rather with supplying the items etc.
  • [quote quote=3160]i dont think its just black or white, i think there is a middle ground made up of people who are the “support” players of the game the crafters, farmers who support the combat players. they dont fight with attacks rather with supplying the items etc.

    [/quote]
    100% Agree. And given the fact that nodes aren't build by players, but more evolved in that sense. You need "activity" to develop a node, that could be fighting, crafting, trading etc. So nodes are gonna evolve no matter what, but what they evolve into is another thing though. Right now it seems nodes are evolving into what the players do in it, so if to nodes are constantly at war, then its probably gonna be militarised nodes, if you only craft and farm then its gonna be a peaceful (bandit filled?) node.

    @Rune_relic What you say about division of labor is kinda true, but not completely. If one node wanna become strong it won't help you if every player just PvP's, cause eventually theres gonna be a smaller node with better gear thats gonna overtake you. So you need a bit of both worlds, some that defend/attack, some the supply these and some that keep the money coming for both of these. The whole point of the system is to make it one big grey area, the inbetween most of the time (IMO).
  • Clearly you guys havent had similiar experiences as me. Saying that hc guilds and players will only focus on either pvp crafting or raiding is ignorant, thats the most nice way to put it. Hc players are gonna compete and theyll do whatever is most efficent for improving ur characters strenght be it leveling guild, crafting, raiding, ganking, grinding etc. If you think pvp players will not do raids or craft to get best items to win at pvp, you clearly havent playd hc or met any hc players. Sure maybe someone will not enjoy pvp or raiding as much as the other but they will definetly do it if its necessary to compete.

    I mean im a pvp player myself, but in wow i had all professions maxed and i did raids to get legendary weapons for pvp etc, in bdo i was always in top 5 horse breeders cause i wanted to have competitive horses and i was also doing alchemy and gathering big time as well because they were needed to stay competitive. And so was everyone else not just me and ur delusional if u think otherwise.
  • [quote quote=3175]Clearly you guys havent had similiar experiences as me. Saying that hc guilds and players will only focus on either pvp crafting or raiding is ignorant, thats the most nice way to put it. Hc players are gonna compete and theyll do whatever is most efficent for improving ur characters strenght be it leveling guild, crafting raiding, ganking, grinding etc. If you think pvp players will not do raids or crafts to get best items to win at pvp, you clearly havent playd hc or met any hc players. Sure maybe someone will enjoy pvp or raiding as much as the other but they will definetly do it if its necessary to compete.

    [/quote]


    i agree the h/c guilds do other content i just forgot to put that in my post lol, i was trying to explain that there isnt just black and white side of looking at things. there is the middle group who also have a invested interest in the node's survival.
  • [quote quote=3175]Clearly you guys havent had similiar experiences as me. Saying that hc guilds and players will only focus on either pvp crafting or raiding is ignorant, thats the most nice way to put it. Hc players are gonna compete and theyll do whatever is most efficent for improving ur characters strenght be it leveling guild, crafting, raiding, ganking, grinding etc.
    [/quote]
    Only one person is saying something else, just saying ;). But I don't even think its about only the HC players/guilds. I don't think you can sustain a large node without help from smaller guilds, groups or individual players, even though you might be a big guild. You're mostlikely gonna need every aspect of the game to be the best.
  • There should be one central large "Starting town" that serves as a tutorial, as well as having your trainers and basic smithy and profession junk, from there, it should split out in all directions to player made stuff.

    You need somewhere to start, being thrown out in the middle of a forest with nothing is not good, not for people new to the genre, and not for any games in general.

    If yo uwant to keep things mostly playerbuilt, then you need the 5% NPC cities, the rest would be 95% player nodes.
  • Linking back to what ‘Soboro’ said about the basic elements making great cities is a great point. However, there a few simple features that create the foundation to a great city which are less looked upon and they are: Visuals, music, NPC interaction and simplicity. When thinking of what makes a ‘great city’, you have to elaborate on the fundamental psychology of a player. The majority of people playing MMO’s are there to relax and escape. Music and Visuals play a vital role in making it easier for players to understand that this a major city, and is different from a town, without having to explain it to them. This creates emersion. Games such as World of Warcraft and Gw2 do a great job of this. Let’s look at ‘Stormwind’ when you are about to enter the city there is a massive gate followed by a long bridge that has large statues. Whilst this is happening the music changes from a quiet, relaxing, forest ambience into a loud, deep vocal choir. The whole thing shouts grandeur, and is a simple trigger to tell player that they are in a place of importance. NPC interaction is a given, when you walk into a city you want to feel important and recognised. Having someone shout ‘isn’t he the one that saved that town’ all adds towards emersion. Next is much harder point which is simplicity. The design of a city is a lot harder as several factors have to take into account such as lore, theme, placement in the world and scale. However, making all the crafting vendors in a certain part of the city makes it easier for player to player interaction, and will add the social aspect to a city, when someone asks where xyz is. Hence why Stormwind is generally preferred over Orgrimmar (not always true, and there are numerous factors to this such as aesthetics etc.).
  • In short for people that don't enjoy reading a paragraph. Using music to explain changes is a great tool, and in ashes of creation I would love to see the theme you go for. Secondly visuals of a city. Looking at the graphics of AOC I know I won't be disappointed. NPC interaction. How will AOC approach this? Finally do you think simplicity of a city is needed? I hate seeing games with large arduous quests sending me to speak with numerous NPC's around a city trying to explain the whole thing to me in 15 mins.
  • [quote quote=3148]<blockquote><div class="d4p-bbt-quote-title"><a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/topic/main-city/page/2/#post-3147" rel="nofollow">Rune_Relic wrote:</a></div>
    <a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/users/shinigamiqt/" rel="nofollow">@shinigamiqt</a>

    Players either fight or build.
    So yes it is black and white.

    Those focusing on evolving will divert resources to gathering/crafting and be combat weak.
    Those focusing on combat will want to ensure the competition does not evolve and get any advantage.

    </blockquote>
    I mean what would even make you think so? Thats just **** assumption it dosent make any sense. You are saying hc guilds will on purpose gimp themselves? Thats not how its been in any mmo i have playd.

    <img alt="" src="https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder927/500x/18320927.jpg" />

    [/quote]

    Except AoC is not contructed like any other MMO game.
    So your argument is an instant fail ;)

    Why do you assume the masses of solo players will have no impact ?
    The game is designed around all playstyles being viable....not just large guilds.
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