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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.
Lack of Info on Classes/Augments?
SerChubulas
Member, Alpha Two
So first a disclaimer, this is my very first game I have watched from an alpha stage being developed. I have been apart of betas but nothing in alpha.
I wanted to see what everyone's opinion was on the current situation with the lack of information concerning the classes. We still don't have specifics on 4 base classes, and have virtually nothing on the 64 advanced classes. From my perspective I feel like we are being kept in the shadows on that. I keep telling myself the game is in alpha but I also look at the amount of time we have had the famous 64 class chart (late 2017 was when it was published) and I think to myself how do we not have more on this? To be clear, I am not asking for footage or even to be fully implemented at this point. It would have been nice to had at this point what abilities we could see for the base classes, much like the info graphics we have already for tank and cleric, and what augments are going to be available per second archetype.
I know during some podcast or interview Steven mentioned he wants there to be a mystery/discovery element to finding out the exact abilities and you can keep that mystery/discovery element while disclosing more info. What I would like to see if you pick warrior for your base classes here are some abilities you could expect and if you pick mage you will have access to teleportation, fire, frost, and electric augments (Steve has somewhat confirmed the mage's secondary archetype augments however this still leaves 7 other archetypes to be relieved). Doesn't have to be as descriptive as Steven's example of combining a teleportation augment with the warrior's dash will give you x.
Given the time frame of alphas 1 & 2 and what is expected to be in each one I think it is fair to say this is coming soon (other 4 base classes will be released prior to alpha 1 and alpha 2 is supposed to have all the secondary archetypes - see "Release Schedule" on Ashes of Creation wiki). Just seems like there after all this time we should have more information on the base classes and augments at this point. Am I expecting too much for a game in alpha? Should this info be available now? Curious as to everyone's thoughts on this.
Thanks for reading!
I wanted to see what everyone's opinion was on the current situation with the lack of information concerning the classes. We still don't have specifics on 4 base classes, and have virtually nothing on the 64 advanced classes. From my perspective I feel like we are being kept in the shadows on that. I keep telling myself the game is in alpha but I also look at the amount of time we have had the famous 64 class chart (late 2017 was when it was published) and I think to myself how do we not have more on this? To be clear, I am not asking for footage or even to be fully implemented at this point. It would have been nice to had at this point what abilities we could see for the base classes, much like the info graphics we have already for tank and cleric, and what augments are going to be available per second archetype.
I know during some podcast or interview Steven mentioned he wants there to be a mystery/discovery element to finding out the exact abilities and you can keep that mystery/discovery element while disclosing more info. What I would like to see if you pick warrior for your base classes here are some abilities you could expect and if you pick mage you will have access to teleportation, fire, frost, and electric augments (Steve has somewhat confirmed the mage's secondary archetype augments however this still leaves 7 other archetypes to be relieved). Doesn't have to be as descriptive as Steven's example of combining a teleportation augment with the warrior's dash will give you x.
Given the time frame of alphas 1 & 2 and what is expected to be in each one I think it is fair to say this is coming soon (other 4 base classes will be released prior to alpha 1 and alpha 2 is supposed to have all the secondary archetypes - see "Release Schedule" on Ashes of Creation wiki). Just seems like there after all this time we should have more information on the base classes and augments at this point. Am I expecting too much for a game in alpha? Should this info be available now? Curious as to everyone's thoughts on this.
Thanks for reading!
3
Comments
B.... B-B-Bard... Bard Gameplay.
Please, dear god give me some Bard gameplay!
I'm quite interested to see the bard abilities myself. I think they will be vital and carry fights.
I want to try a Bard/Tank. I'm interested in seeing how the Tanky augments affect the support skills.
My thoughts on how bard augments will work is that they will modify the buffs the bard gives based on the secondary class. So in @daveywavey example I think a Bard+tank could end up focusing on damage mitigation buffs. Bard+Fighter, Bard+Ranger, and Bard+rogue would be attack speed, crit chance, evasion and damage buffs or something. Bard+mage could be casting speed and magic damage buffs.
Obviously I could be way way off the money here but it might be cool if it worked that way.
Summoner first
Summoner/Cleric, by any chance?
Releasing class info is one of the best ways the develoeprs have of building hype around a game.
As such, I wouldn't expect to see massive info dumps on classes until the game goes in to beta, at the earliest.
My personal impression is that their not putting much effort into building the classes yet. Their monthly development updates have almost never had anything to do with this. Also, they have only announced the use of Archetypes (these are not classes) in the upcoming Alpha 1 and Castle Siege testing.
We'll be sure to keep you posted in all our usual news places, like our website and here on the forums and Discord, so keep an eye out for more details on that front as we get closer to upcoming testing!
Hittin us with that sweet sweet info.
Bard/tanks will have access to a big drum set to surround themselves and act as armour. They will dictate the rhythm of the fight through their sick beats and pull aggro with their kazoo.
Ohhhhh, PLEASE be right.....!
Variables:
(a) 8 - Archetypes
(b) 10 - Minimum Skills per archetype
(c) 8 - classes per Primary archetype
(d) 4 - schools per class
Equation: a*b*c*d = number of combinations per each primary archetype
What I'm saying is thats 20,480 combinations with the current proposed 8 Archetypes. This also doesn't take into account weapon, racial, or religious augments. I also took the floor with the above variables, as i think they'll have more then 10 skills (ie passives and such). What's I'm saying is daddy wants to know more about the augments too.
I think most of those 20k combinations will be duplicates though. An elemental Mage augment might make 50 different skills just add fire damage.
Since the other 4 base classes were going to be released with/before alpha 1 we can hopefully see more information on that in December.
For the augments/64 classes/secondary archetypes, however you want to phrase it, we are looking like having more info on this in July/August of next year? Maybe June at the earliest? With the playable alpha 1 ending in May I think that time frame is reasonable if they are prompt going into alpha 2 (assuming they end alpha 1 and go straight into alpha 2).
The more I think about it the more I think you are correct on this...This game really is another 2 years out from being released.
Where does the 4 schools come from?. I recall in an interview with Steven, this was brought up. He mentioned when a warrior picks mage as a secondary class, they will get to pick from 3 schools. Teleportation, elemental damage and i can't recall the last one. Though i might completely remember wrong
It was the promise of 64 classes. I loved how the Base Class and Secondary Class determine what your true Archetype really is. It's so unique and clever and something I've always wanted in a game.
So ANY and ALL info they release on the Class-combos; I eat it up.
I would definitely love for the developers to release info on a regular bases about how that it coming along.
Steven Sharif is my James Halliday (Anorak)
“That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die.”
-HPL