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Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Don't be a static MMO
I'm sure that I am not the only one to feel that a lot of the MMORPGs nowadays are too boring per se.
At least most of it.
ArcheAge, Revelation, WoW, etc has very static NPCs which makes the game look dead. I mean, I get it, it's an MMO so it should be the players making the activity, but the background should count as well.
Look at Black Desert Online for an example, the major cities have NPCs talking and walking and each of the NPCs (half of them at least) have their own conversation which is pretty amazing. It makes for the lore.
I hope that AoC will step it up as well by making NPC be living. Upgrade it from ArcheAge static style, upgrade it from BDO's alive NPC to an actual living breathing world where each NPCs have their own pattern.
Let's compare both games.
ArcheAge: NPC mostly stays in one spot except for the guards and one or two NPCs, but 98% of them will always be on the same spot regardless.
Black Desert Online: NPCs walk and run, they travel from each town and at times, have something to say.
What I hope AoC will do is to take it up to another level by making the NPC almost like a player. In which, if there's a sudden invasion of monsters, then most of the NPC will take part to battle it out.
Also, if you get attacked by a monster and you decide to go next to a guard, they should be able to help you and what not.
This is asking too much as well, but Guild Wars 2 have a really great system for that. A town gets besieged by centaurs and you, as a player, can partake to defend it and will gain EXP from it. And if it falls, then another event will happen while if they successfully defend it, then the guards or army of that town will push forward to attack the centaur camp.
Now, I hope this kind of system gets implemented but it should also be added in the player side alongsides the PVE side. I've seen that there's a player-faction run and how a guild can take over a single node, then what if that specific guild decides to pursue more influence by attacking the adjacent town? It should go through mechanic like Guild Wars 2 where you have to attack specific points and slowly you will be able to choke the other city and inventively take it. However, this shouldn't happen within a single hour, not even a day, but through an extended time.
NPCs should also take part of this. As in, if the central city gets besieged, then no other NPCs should be able to enter and no support whatsoever.
Let me give an example:
Kryta City decides to expand its influence and take over Silia City.
In order for Kryta to do so, they must gather enough support or approval from players residing within that city.
Then once they get that approval, they can then start gathering supplies for the expedition.
This will initiate a lot of economical activity and also warn Silia!
Kryta City then gets their supplies and move on to attack a neutral grinding area of grassland full of mobs. They decide to build a watch tower there to assert their dominance. They move forward building watch towers until they get to a good location just next to Silia City (which is inflicted by political war of choosing to defend or diplomacy). They need further supplies to build catapults and what not. So the watchtowers which were built previously can act as a gateway or route from Kryta to the camp.
Now, Silia finally decides to act and send soldiers to attack the watch towers which gives Kryta lots of trouble. Then, Silia uses diplomacy to ask an adjacent city, Republica, for help. Republica declares war and immediately mobilizes their troop (now troops should consist of mainly NPCs since not enough players can accommodate, the players will be acting as captains of army or another squad overall). Kryta asks another adjacent city, Sacramento, for help and Sacramento rejects to declare war, but instead, supplies Kryta.
Silia and Republica ends up destroying half of the watchtowers that connects Kryta to the camp therefore losing their supplies. Silia and Republica then decides to attack the camp and destroy it.
Kryta retreats.
Silia and Republica then starts their own invasion by gathering supplies and placing their own watchtowers. Kryta tries to distrupts by doing skirmishes, but fails to do so.
Silia and Republica finally sets up a war camp and besieges Kryta.
Sacramento stops supplying Kryta and remains neutral.
Kryta slowly loses their wall and NPC soldiers without supplies from Sacramento (who were threatened by both Silia and Republica) and suffers defeat. Kryta is no more as both Silia and Republica takes over.
Sillia and Republica fights for whoever gets the city and so on and on..
Well, I wrote quite a lengthy post. I'm pessimistic that a system like this won't be implemented but a man can hope. And that, I will do.
At least most of it.
ArcheAge, Revelation, WoW, etc has very static NPCs which makes the game look dead. I mean, I get it, it's an MMO so it should be the players making the activity, but the background should count as well.
Look at Black Desert Online for an example, the major cities have NPCs talking and walking and each of the NPCs (half of them at least) have their own conversation which is pretty amazing. It makes for the lore.
I hope that AoC will step it up as well by making NPC be living. Upgrade it from ArcheAge static style, upgrade it from BDO's alive NPC to an actual living breathing world where each NPCs have their own pattern.
Let's compare both games.
ArcheAge: NPC mostly stays in one spot except for the guards and one or two NPCs, but 98% of them will always be on the same spot regardless.
Black Desert Online: NPCs walk and run, they travel from each town and at times, have something to say.
What I hope AoC will do is to take it up to another level by making the NPC almost like a player. In which, if there's a sudden invasion of monsters, then most of the NPC will take part to battle it out.
Also, if you get attacked by a monster and you decide to go next to a guard, they should be able to help you and what not.
This is asking too much as well, but Guild Wars 2 have a really great system for that. A town gets besieged by centaurs and you, as a player, can partake to defend it and will gain EXP from it. And if it falls, then another event will happen while if they successfully defend it, then the guards or army of that town will push forward to attack the centaur camp.
Now, I hope this kind of system gets implemented but it should also be added in the player side alongsides the PVE side. I've seen that there's a player-faction run and how a guild can take over a single node, then what if that specific guild decides to pursue more influence by attacking the adjacent town? It should go through mechanic like Guild Wars 2 where you have to attack specific points and slowly you will be able to choke the other city and inventively take it. However, this shouldn't happen within a single hour, not even a day, but through an extended time.
NPCs should also take part of this. As in, if the central city gets besieged, then no other NPCs should be able to enter and no support whatsoever.
Let me give an example:
Kryta City decides to expand its influence and take over Silia City.
In order for Kryta to do so, they must gather enough support or approval from players residing within that city.
Then once they get that approval, they can then start gathering supplies for the expedition.
This will initiate a lot of economical activity and also warn Silia!
Kryta City then gets their supplies and move on to attack a neutral grinding area of grassland full of mobs. They decide to build a watch tower there to assert their dominance. They move forward building watch towers until they get to a good location just next to Silia City (which is inflicted by political war of choosing to defend or diplomacy). They need further supplies to build catapults and what not. So the watchtowers which were built previously can act as a gateway or route from Kryta to the camp.
Now, Silia finally decides to act and send soldiers to attack the watch towers which gives Kryta lots of trouble. Then, Silia uses diplomacy to ask an adjacent city, Republica, for help. Republica declares war and immediately mobilizes their troop (now troops should consist of mainly NPCs since not enough players can accommodate, the players will be acting as captains of army or another squad overall). Kryta asks another adjacent city, Sacramento, for help and Sacramento rejects to declare war, but instead, supplies Kryta.
Silia and Republica ends up destroying half of the watchtowers that connects Kryta to the camp therefore losing their supplies. Silia and Republica then decides to attack the camp and destroy it.
Kryta retreats.
Silia and Republica then starts their own invasion by gathering supplies and placing their own watchtowers. Kryta tries to distrupts by doing skirmishes, but fails to do so.
Silia and Republica finally sets up a war camp and besieges Kryta.
Sacramento stops supplying Kryta and remains neutral.
Kryta slowly loses their wall and NPC soldiers without supplies from Sacramento (who were threatened by both Silia and Republica) and suffers defeat. Kryta is no more as both Silia and Republica takes over.
Sillia and Republica fights for whoever gets the city and so on and on..
Well, I wrote quite a lengthy post. I'm pessimistic that a system like this won't be implemented but a man can hope. And that, I will do.
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Comments
I am joking of course but please do not except too much from a game - sure devs can make it incredible and put everything a player always wanted - but they will have to release the game in 30 years. Be realistic people..
The technology has come a long way!
Agree though, so far BDO has done an amazing job at making the world feel alive... best so far. But if those NPCs could have their own lives, it would be amazing.
I am joking of course but please do not except too much from a game – sure devs can make it incredible and put everything a player always wanted – but they will have to release the game in 30 years. Be realistic people..
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I understand what you mean but i also agree with Lethality and sen. I think MMO'S should get a good AI for npc's it makes the world feel so alive and i love it :D
You should keep in mind that games such as Black Dessert, Star Citizen (if it ever released), Chronicles of Elryia (Well, they "talked" about it but does it truly work? Not so sure) etc. have a set story.
The entire premise of Ashes is for us players, adventurers to exploring and building the world. It would make little to no sense if if the NPC's intelligence could defy the heavens.
Wait! I don't mean to dump down NPCs but I mean, it would make more sense for them to learn over time. For instance, new Nodes are discovered or a war has erupted several regions north, NPCs could talk about that stuff...
Okay, in retrospect. This could even be more challenging to programme..
Well, that's my opinion.
~ Zention
I like the idea. But it's not on my wishlist. Would be great if they can and have the time and money for it.
But then again .. I would hate to spend several minutes finding "Lucy", because she is out finding flowers or chit chatting with a pig, to finish up a certain quest ;D