Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Phase II testing is currently taking place 5+ days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here
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 II testing is currently taking place 5+ days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here
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.
Dev Discussion #13 - Share Your Gaming Obsession
LieutenantToast
Member, Alpha One, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
Glorious Ashes community - it's time for another Dev Discussion! Dev Discussion topics are kind of like a "reverse Q&A" - rather than you asking us questions about Ashes of Creation, we want to ask YOU what your thoughts are.
Our design team has compiled a list of burning questions we'd love to get your feedback on regarding gameplay, your past MMO experiences, and more. Join in on the Dev Discussion and share what makes gaming special to you!
Dev Discussion #13 - Share Your Gaming Obsession
What game are you playing right now? What keeps you coming back to it?
Keep an eye out for our next Dev Discussion topic regarding content level equalization!
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Comments
And of course there is a million reasons why it's so successful and millions of people play it, there's a couple of reasons why I personally keep coming back to it.
1) It's competitive. It's easy to get into to, it's hard to master. The more you learn, the better you get, the more you understand how bad you are. Learning the game more and more opens your eyes to things you were not even aware existed. So it has a low skill floor, high skill ceiling. That's one of the things that makes it compelling as a competitive game.
2) There is a lot to learn, it has depth. And once you learn it, even if you take a brake, you don't suddenly not know the game. You can come back after a month and all the core systems are still there. No matter what small changes were made.
3) There is constant change. With a cast of ~150 champions it is pretty hard to balance them all, and even if you are able to do it, why would you? Imagine every champion is at a perfect 50% win rate. Nothing needs any more changes, the game will get stale. What do you pick? What does it matter. So I don't think Riot really tries to balance everything to that point, it's not beneficial for them. 45%-55% is probably a sweet spot.
Small and frequent changes keep the game fresh, it makes the players more involved. Every 2 weeks players go through the patch notes, they try to figure out how all the small changes will impact the meta, what new champion they need to learn, content creators do patch breakdowns, etc, etc.
And something simmilair can definitely be done in AoC with 64 classes. Just need to find a good balance between not completely gutting a class for people that only want to play that class while also making changes that are impactful enough so that players who want to maximize their impact will want to switch to a new class, want to learn it, want to test out the new numbers / changes.
Legacy Discord
The reasons for my return are just basic.
Besides that i enjoy League of legends every now and then because I can play as an anthropomorphic crocodile
1. Farmville - only prettier
2. Raid World Bosses and events
3. Daily questing to earn currencies for: housing, cars, gear upgrades, vanity items, castle seige
Another thing I do love about this game is you need to participate in hostile zones which forces a bit of PVP from time to time. This is nice because I'm usually in a raid group when I come across PVP. I'm not an avid PVP'r, I'm a peaceful woman, so having some peaceful zones along with PVP zones makes things easier for me that a full on PVP game.
There is a lot to do in this game. So many things to do day to day, that's why I keep logging in despite the server issues (to name one.)
the player housing and huge amount of content keeps me there.
Naval Combat
Very open Sandbox
Ctrl F Purpling Mechanic for griefers
Honors Nodachi
League of Legends
Legends of Runeterra (when i get the chance to play)
Stellaris
Monster Hunter
Halo Reach
I also play other titles like the Enderal mod for Skyrim, Vermintide 2, CRPGs like Pillars of Eternity, and an assortment of indie titles. They all bring me back for different reasons, but overall it has to feel fun from the very beginning. If I have to start finding a reason to play it then either the game developers missed the mark somewhere or it doesn't meet my expectations (whatever they may be; sometimes I don't know other than it just doesn't grab me).
It's generally just a nice place to hang out and goof around.
I played PlanetSide for years, and PlanetSide 2 until I couldn't stand the balance paradigm and engine issues any longer. The constantly shifting territory control, and responding to different strategies as they grew and evolved over time, plus adapting to balance changes and content additions, made these games that were easy to enjoy for hours, best with a a group of 10+ players at a time.
Warframe has had me coming back for years, and they keep getting better. Every year or two they drop content that completely changes the entire nature of the game, like recently they've put flyable ships with player crews, fully modifiable features and components, and the first release of playable content in what plans to be a larger game-expanding change going forward.
Path of Exile stopped doing Diablo style normal, hard, and extreme as the same content 3 times over, and extended the game by essentially tripling the content and adding a buncha new chapters that one character plays all the way through just once to get to endgame. They constantly test new features with new leagues, and some features become permanent, while others come back with some leagues but not as a regular part of the game.
Aside from PlanetSide 1, these are all free to play games, which does wonders for keeping the population up. In a multiplayer game, emergent interaction with other players is definitely a form of content!
I've been playing this game for 8 years together with my Father. Game is in 2D.
The biggest advantages of the game are:
1) "Monster Hierarchy" and its effects:
1. Normal monster;
2. Elite monster [with a chance for heroic and unique items];
3. Heroes-[monster with so much spawn in the area, this monster respawn in few hours and had chance for legendary item, each heroes has a story in the game, for example "Mulher Ma" is a priestess, former general and half demon trying to restore the cult of the spider queen (the whole story is shown in a series of quests).
4.Titan is monter with a few day respawn time(big boss with chace for legendary item(untradable), they are strong and require 8-10 people).
5.Colos. is stronger than the titan, they act as instances with one entry per day [Require 10 people (maximum group),have a separate drop system, one for person].
6. And most important type monster "Elite II".They are leaders of specific monsters are strong, but not problem for people with good equipment. Respawn time: few minute (4-20min, depends on level).
Endgame is 300lvl or from 30 we can stay on selected lvl and play with guild on this stage.
In this way "compartments" were created and this is most magic thing in this game. Game live not only endgame,but we can play with other, but the same people on another lvl with another titan,colos,heroes and elite II for which guilds are fighting.
2)EVENT'S
Events always have their own well-written story, they introduce temporary maps, sometimes they remain permanent. Special heroes and a giant are also included in the game only for the time of the event with great legendary items. On average, 14 tasks and a daily task are introduced, for each task we collect event currency and we can buy special buffs, heroic weaponry or potions for it.
3)STORY
Quests and events often refer to Polish history and mythology. And they are good.
Unfortunately, after 8 years, the community is crumbling and the game itself is not playing as it used to, so I was looking for something new, but I see the only ray of hope in your project.
Regards, Patrick
PS:Sry for my eng ;p
1) With MWO, the main draw for me is the brevity of each game. During the work week I do not have the time to get drawn in to a long campaign, but I do like playing with other online players. MWO fills that niche for me as I can get online with a small group and play a round in about ten to fifteen minutes.
2) Star Citizen is still very much in Alpha, but is playable. Back when Space Sims were insanely popular (e.g. Wing Commander) I thoroughly enjoyed piloting my fighter ships around and shooting other ships. The thrill of fighter-plane dog-fights, but with the 3D freedom of space combat. With Star Citizen, especially now with the new flight mechanics, piloting spacecraft around, landing on planets, moon, space stations, or even other ships allows me to see just how far the new game engines have come and I enjoy the change.
3) Elder Scrolls Online currently fills my Role-Playing needs, but is also the reason I play it only intermittently. Good Role-Playing requires a time commitment and unfortunately the only real time I have for it these days is on the weekends.
4) Finally was NeverWinter Nights 2. There were many communities with good Dungeon Masters (DMs) and custom worlds that were heavily Role-playing based - several of my favorites were created by a team of NWN Developers and DMs going by the name of DragonCoast. They would make a world heavily modified with their own scripts and then run a campaign until its logical (or Apocalyptic) ending. Then, a short time later, a whole new setting with a new campaign would be released. In fact what I have read of AoC so far reminds me of the strong player-centric nature of those old NWN worlds.
I play プ リ ン セ ス コ ネ ク ト! Re: Dive since February 2018, although at the beginning I played it a lot and spent some money for it, at this moment I only play to see what events or new beautiful characters are introduced and see the new stories.
Keep working hard, don't worry about time and don´t hurry up, delay as long as you consider necessary to release a legendary game. I will continue waiting for it.
Formerly T-Elf
1) League of Legends (with 160+ characters the game offers a lot in terms of potential inspiration for class abilities in Ashes). It is competitive, challenging and fun which is why it has been the most popular game in the world for quite some time. I stopped playing it at least 12 times in the last 7 years but I always came back because it offered the skill based combat that no online game could offer in a fantasy setting.
2) Overwatch - I play this occasionally but it's a great shooter with emphasis on teamwork.
3) Elder Scrolls Online - I play this mainly because of how immersive it is. You can interact with anything and it has that real RPG feel to it partly to do with the action camera it has so rather than clicking on things with the mouse cursor, you actually need to face them (a small detail but a very important one for someone like me who takes immersion seriously).
The MMO that had some of the best crafting and open world feel to it was Vanguard there was no instancing just a big open world full of monsters that would kill you quick if you were not paying attention. Shame it was launched too early and full of bugs that killed it once the bugs were sorted out several months after launch it really was a fun game.
I would like to see that they implemented some artificial intelligence system with machine learning that takes as input the players' actions in order to create different content individually for each player in order to generate skill and others that adapt to the style of play of each one in addition , as in log horizon the anime where a ninja gains a new skill or adaptation of a skill during a decisive combat that helped him win that fight, also being able to apply it with the actions of the players in the environment giving suggestions on what content to generate and go developing it with your team as the game progresses it would be great to see that in a mmo besides that they would be innovators with the new technology
The Onyxia attunement quest line is SO repeatable. Every alt i make I get excited for that questline. It also ties in with another thing I love which is the complexity of the Black rock depths instance, its cohesiveness in the larger storyline, all the simultaneous storylines in the same dungeon and how they all tie in with the Molten Core Raid. BRD as you know is also a complex and deep instance underground that is difficult to learn how to navigate and easy to get lost in. I loved the extensive cave systems in EQ as well but back to classic.
Another thing I liked about Vanilla wow that wasnt the case with retail wow is how unforgiving it was to us all. Classic is easy now. Its been picked apart, analyzed, broken down, and min/max’d, the addons have been created, the strategies are online, the work arounds are hashed out. WoW is not the same experience it once was.
The complexity of the game and the amount of avenues you can play keep you interested in one form or another though. Farming, questing, battlegrounds, raiding, playing the AH, there is an avenue for everyone or for all your moods.
1. Unlocking 100% of everything. If I love a game, I want to see and do everything the game has to offer (rewards, secrets, glitches, easter eggs...). This applies to all genres. In your Q&A you were asked about secret messages in runes and you gave the sly response along the lines of 'how do you know we don't already have them?' I immediately logged in to APOC and went searching for a codex of some kind
2. Mining. I don't know why mining gets me. It's a 0 IQ task, but for some reason I love to mine. I played runescape for years in my youth just to mine ore (lvl 99 and still did it...). Skyrim I obsessed over it. I even downloaded Idle fucking Miner on my phone. That's how bad it is...
3. Class mastery. I usually don't play multiple characters in games. I like mastering a single playstyle and sticking to it. And I NEVER switch until I feel I have 100% optimized my character (at least to the best of my ability)
4. PvP. I like task-centric PvP. Give me good battlegrounds, objectives, or fun people to play with / against and I will PvP all day (or month).
5. Finding cheese. (I would report any cheese I found of course).
6. Related to 5 - Going places I should not be going (under the map, off the grid, restricted areas - you can guarantee I will try to find a way into the phoenix club). Climbing things I shouldn't be climbing (though with flying mounts this becomes inconsequential)
They are all faction based. Senseless killing of the enemy faction, instead of competition for dominsnce between guilds.
PvP: arena
PvE: Instance
Progression: Dailies (either solo, or a big wave of zerg)
End game repetition since the game felt consumed within a couple weeks.
Endless questing of little importance:
Qursts should be fewer, harder and with a purpose. Not silly rewards that you dont need the next day.
You reached lv 30 and you want to be a Necromancer or a Dreadnaught?
Go and spend two days doing this quest and then you can become a necro with access to new amplified skills.
You want to reach the last ability of the Two Handed sword? There is this quest.
You want to gain access to the Dark Tower non instanced dungeon? Well the Gatekeepers need this proof. Go quest for you and your friends and then you can enter.
Guild lv 5? Help the guild leader do this quest.
Armor micro enchantments: take this armor and this weapon (BDO, AA and maybe more) and spend all your time increasing it's stats.
Bound items: what if I am done with these items and I want to sell or give away?
Running from A to B on a straight line on a mount all the time. Zero danger. Zero fighting your way towards a location.
Bring back the adventure. A location needs exploration and the only way is of you spend an hour at it:
gaining the best EXP for the current lv of yours
Looking for specific material for a craft, doing some quest.
Searching for a Boss
2nd is Black Desert. The combat is fast, fluid, and characters feel connected to their movement within the environment. The PvP is best in class, and there is occasionally good RP too.
Non-MMO i'm playing Ghost Recon (both Breakpoint and Wildlands) and still a bit of Rainbow Six Siege.
Hoping the combat here will ultimately be less bunny hopping and floaty than what we see in Apoc. Very much looking forward to the city building, skirmishes, sieges, and large scale group dynamics of the real MMO!
Ooh! I so miss NWN2. Very different type of game, but if there was an MMO that allowed player created content like that it would get my money for 10 years.