Dev Discussion #13 - Share Your Gaming Obsession

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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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Freezman

Ok, so I've been playing this one little game for more than 8 years now. Coming back to it over and over and over again. Quitting, coming back, losing interest, playing 16 hours a day, been through it all. It's called League of Legends, you might have heard about it.
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.

ShadowVen

Playing FFXIV at the moment. This is my 3rd time returning to it...
The reasons for my return are just basic.

I'm an avid Final Fantasy fan
quite a few of my friends play (which i prefer to enjoy gaming with others in a team situation)
There are multiple things that keep me interested if one of the game mechanics/features bore me. For example: I really enjoy the gathering jobs (they're a good way to chill /relax), crafting is fun if i get bored of raids
I do enjoy the difficulty & challenge of their high end raids / primals.

Azryil

The last couple years I've been on a Survival MMO kick. I've put a couple thousands hours into ARK and hundreds of hours into Conan Exiles, Atlas, and Dark and Light. I enjoy the freedom that open world survival games offer, being able to build custom bases anywhere in the world.

xXOMNIXx

Well. First off I've played WOW. FFXIV. ESO. DCUO. Liked them all in there own way. Pvp is deffinatly part of the reason I get attracted to mmo's but also end top tier raiding is another. Also a good crafting/trading also helps the experience. I think mindless daily's Is not the way to go. I think good developers who listen to there player base or at least have idea of what makes a good game. I also play fps and arpg's. RPGs. I'm okay path of exile and these developers really get it. They are top notch. Putting out content and just being in tune. I like this reverse QA. thanks for asking

mcstackerson

ATM i'm still playing Archeage Unchained. I enjoy the variety of different systems the game has (i.e. boats, farming, mounts, etc.) as well as the open world and pvp.

Besides that i enjoy League of legends every now and then because I can play as an anthropomorphic crocodile

Volgalove

I'm currently playing Archeage: Unchained. Why some of you may ask, because I didn't get to experience the whole game when the legacy version was released due to many, many issues. Now that's not to say AA:U hasn't had any problemos. Regardless of the issues I've really enjoyed playing this game because:

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.)

ashone

not really mmorps. lately i have been playing Meadow and Therian Saga. Meadow is very calming and relaxing and Therian. is a strategy game which requires advance planning and LOTS of it. I play them for different reasons and I like them both.

Kotter

i've been playing Everquest 2.

the player housing and huge amount of content keeps me there.

ruin

Archeage

Naval Combat
Very open Sandbox
Ctrl F Purpling Mechanic for griefers
Honors Nodachi

Damokles

Star Citizen
League of Legends
Legends of Runeterra (when i get the chance to play)
Stellaris
Monster Hunter
Halo Reach

Hydrilla

I grew up playing Nintendo and my buddies and I would stay up all night and play games talking about how awesome it would be to be able to play games with each other from home and play " split screen" without the other person being able to see what you were doing. Also I always thought in my head how much i wished I could take my character into the background and go anywhere I wanted. Fast forward 15 years or so and I finally got my first computer, had internet for the first time. I picked up a game called World of Warcraft that just hit the shelves at Walmart, it looked pretty cool on the box. It was everything I dreamed of as a kid and I still play it. I take breaks but I keep going back, it's not just the game itself that keeps me coming back but the community.

Zephirius

Currently I'm playing Everquest 2 again since the new time locked Kaladim server launched March 2019 (to celebrate 20 years of Everquest). My first real MMOG experience, aside from Meridian 59, was the original Everquest, so the nostalgia is one reason, at least for Everquest. Generally speaking, I go back to games that have a high replayability value, rich lore, vast amounts of quests/tasks/achievements, and a well-designed combat system. If a game has good PvP, like Dark Age of Camelot did, and a reason to PvP, like Dark Age of Camelot did, then I will continue returning. Unfortunately for DAoC, it has not aged well so I don't play it that much.

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).

Plateau

Final Fantasy XIV -- Good stories, even the side quests. Top-tier writing/localization. Decent end-game challenges. Not too grindy, but allows you to grind your ass off if you want to, for alts or cosmetics. (Getting to max level on all 17 classes is a pretty common long-term goal for players.) Lots of little side-content to do and explore. Supposedly the crafting is fun too, but I haven't gotten around to trying it. The community is generally very nice and wholesome, partially because the game/story attracts those kinds of players, and partially because of the strict no-harassment policies. Everything looks good despite having PS3-level graphics, especially the outfits. (Glamour and housing are the real end-game.)

It's generally just a nice place to hang out and goof around.

Neurotoxin

If it doesn't feel like I'm doing the same thing over and over again, but at a higher level and a different configuration. Alternatively, the content is similar wherever I play it, but the main focus is cooperation and/or competition that feels meaningful. There also needs to be enough content to be satisfying, but more along the way, or changes in content over time as player-driven activity affects the world. All of that, and the systems and mechanics of gameplay actually need to be fun, and both the lore and UI/UX presentation being complete enough to instill a sense of immersion.

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!

werkcung

Margonem is Polish game MMORPG in browser.
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

Dayuhan

Currently I have been playing MechWarrior Online, Star Citizen, and when time permits Elder Scrolls Online. However, my gaming career favorite is NeverWinter Nights 2 (the original not online MMO).

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.

Darakris

I am currently playing Blade & Soul, and I play once or twice a month プリンセスコネクト! Re: Dive

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.

T Elf

I keep going back to EverQuest 2. They have the best holiday events, huge land areas, love the crafting/adventuring to 100 after that, meh. They have many races and classes, share-able banks and houses; and I found the Broker system way better than the Auction House system. The most outstanding housing system there is in any MMO. The world has subtle changes as it ages. There is plenty to do. They have a very flexible paperdoll system that you can mix/match appearance gear with regular gear. They also offer mercs, pets, and familiars.

Magic Man

Currently playing;

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).

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