Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Comments
MMO-No box cost or cost for dlc or expansions. $15 month subscription plus OPTIONAL cosmetic only cash shop.
APOC-Standalone game with BR, Siege Battles, and Horde Mode Monster. Free 2 play. Cosmetics available to be earned that will be used in the mmo also. Season Pass for $10/10 weeks( a dollar a week) available that allows access to "Legendary Path" that offers more cosmetics than free option. EXP BOOSTS as part of the Legendary Path only speed acquisition of cosmetics not power in APOC.
There will be other ways to support. We have known from the KS that the goal will be to branch out at least with novels. So others could support by purchasing those when/if implemented. However, many will consider that a crash-grab too.
Games can survive without cash shops, sure. That doesn't mean they should. I think a lot of the resistance you face is due to the hypothetical situation you provided. Most of the threads that start with doomsday scenarios, yours didn't.
However, this thread according to the OP is along the hypothetical train of "MMO's make in game cosmetics look poor, cheap, or outdated. They only sell their good stuff in the cash shop." Since this is an Ashes forum, most assumed you were suggesting IS was going to produce under-par cosmetics in game and somehow force us to use the cash shop if we want to look nice.
I don't think that will be the case with Ashes. If you are proven right kudos, IS dropped the ball and disappointed us. If, in the end, this was a wrong assertion then your thread is just another Ashes Doomsday topic.
Where did they ever say or show that armor sets are less attractive than the cash purchased ones (please give links)? All they are selling are alternate versions (usually with different colors or effects). Did you watch the stream with the basic 'pants and t-shirt' they showed us? It is amazing.
We are still in alpha and there have been over 100 individual items listed with unique or limited appeal.
how flooded will the market place get before it feels like a free to play MMO?
character customization is getting more and more pay walled.
at what point will the player base feel that the actual game is playing second fiddle to the shop front...because that is the risk and the turn off. I have witnessed other MMOs create content only to justify the cosmetics built around them.
I have already expressed my opinion of microtransactions in an other thread with over 2k posts.
but to summarize
My observation has been that microtransactions prematurely kill the longevity of games. It is and always has been a max profit anti consumer practice.
The sad truth is microtransactions wouldn't exists if consumers didn't purchase them an there is a pretty good chance that the content* they provide would already be added to the game as base line otherwise.
Chicken/Egg pet skin now in the cashshop......
As soon as someone can provide proof (actual proof, not hearsay) that anything in the cash shop is pay to win, then we can all get out the pitchforks.
Since the MMORPG has yet to come out, what knowledge does anyone have on how it will fare? Everyone keeps saying that this will happen or that will happen. How about we wait and find out what happens?
@Whocando your observations are on point, and thank you for mentioning this has already being discussed in a lengthy post before, so I will avoid repeating what I'm sure has already being said, so I will just add: sheep deserve to be sheared.
The complaint is that you feel compelled to purchase every cosmetic in the cash shop?
yeah I heard the the 'no p2w' mantra on many occasions even when it's not relevant to what I have said or the subject at hand.
what if my sub fees fund shop item production? who cares right....
If it helps them make a better game, I will gladly pay extra for some bling. As people say, if you don't like it, don't use the cash shop.
Your argument is that money from your sub will fund the cash shop.
No.
The first person who bought something from the cash shop started paying for items in the cash shop. As each item is bought, it funds other items for the shop. And so on, and so on. Our sub money will go into the main MMORPG (since we haven't started paying for subscriptions yet).
Merchandise sold outside the game should be ok. Physical Lore wiki books, collection sets, t shirts. Cd tracks with in game music, World maps. It's one of the ways to support and have no impact on the game at all, and shouldn't be called cash grab.
All being said is that its not P2W and the topic closed. That's where my concerns are coming from. If the cash shop won't bring any in game breaking immersion or lore gear and there won't be any hidden and common practices in it. I will be amazed. I will be really happy that I'm wrong. I want this game to succeed with or without cash shop.
I hope you didn't miss my post in which I stated it's the best to accept whatever it may be and test the game to your liking. Cash Shop isn't a doom for this game but a opportunity for the developers to show that a different practise can be done.
Thank you also for a good post.
There are several known psychological reasons to buy or collect things.
I personally am aware that I bought at first in the cash shop, because of fear of missing out, combined with convenience:
I know that I would use cosmetic x in game, I have my concerns that my server may never unlock the content that would allow access to similar in game. Or, if it were unlocked it would be too much of a struggle for me to pick up on what I might intend to be only a disposable rp character.
I am still buying, for much the same reason, but to a much lesser degree. (Also due to being unable 100% to admit that investing in ashes was a mistake, another psychological thing)
I have reduced spending, (though not stopped) having had a 180 shift on my opinion of Intrepid. I cannot reconcile their stated ideals with some of their contrary actions.
I actually think that the cash shop is doing wonders for the game, after all, if they saturate the market with cosmetics prior to launch, each 'unique' cash shop piece becomes much less perceptibly valuable against those REALLY valuable in game legendary cosmetics that we've yet to see.
Yes, society is driven by consumerism and capital, no that's not a perfect ideal, but so far we've been unable to produce any viable alternatives.
Yes, the cosmetic store is a cash grab, but if it is a way to ultimately fund the change you wish to see, ie a great mmorpg, then I'm still waiting to hear why that's a bad thing.
On the other hand personally I do feel I should get all the content with the subscription alone, however if I can get something extra (which I can also get in game) by paying for it then I don't really mind, of course I am referring to cosmetics only, that's why as long as intrepid provide good in-game earnable cosmetics and good looking base armors then I don't mind it too much if they add some extra into the cash shop.
Thanks for your opinion!