Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
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.
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.
From the Undergrowth
MargaretKrohn
Moderator, Staff Staff ›
A bright and fantastical place populated by winding stems and luminescent spores, the mushroom forests are as lethal as they are beautiful. Sentient fungi plod around the landscape, often indistinguishable from their inanimate compatriots until after it is too late. Despite the danger, some thrive in this blighted place, nearly becoming one with the land itself.
The From the Undergrowth cosmetic add-ons will be available in the Ashes of Creation shop from April 7, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific until May 5, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific. Don’t forget that the Root of Conquest addons will be removed on April 7, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific when the new cosmetics swap over.
For more information, check out our news post: https://ashesofcreation.com/news/2021-04-06-from-the-undergrowth
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Comments
I must admit the art team did an amazing job and it looks incredible, however it will be extremely immersion breaking to see every person and their dog able to run around in spectacular gear. The old saying is true, when everything's amazing nothing is amazing; and at the rate of output noone will look normal and everyone will look special.
Im really hoping the sub will mean that ashes will stay true to its original intent, and not follow the trail of other unmentioned mmorpg's in the genre, theres still time to stay true to the dream
It's amazing what some people consider "immersion breaking". When I see everyone in the same outfits running around THAT to me is immersion breaking. I love that there will be diversity from the get go.
Formerly T-Elf
Absolutely!
I'm also getting some Morrowind vibes.
Side note: I would terrified to be on that carriage. At a moments notice you could be flying through the air.
Yeah ops, sorry about all those bottles of WINE.
@Archeon That has been a tickle in my brain too as the months have gone by but I think it just gives people the choice to look how they want when they play and also helps all the clones out there. I am sure there will be ways to stand out such as some epic looking gear in game or crazy skills/spells.
Game for fun, not for life
mmm however even at this point the game will have to compete with itself for flashyness; and we havent even hit launch yet... usually you reserve the most insane animations and models for the best gear or spells in the game.
The immersive MMORPG which is meant to establish this high-fantasy medieval universe which we play in for years will have completely evaporated in a daze of crazy skills spells and epic gear... all of which takes place before the launch even happens...
one of the core tennants of the game was
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Gear_appearance
before launch we have already seen angels and demons race re-skin's, and now these awesome fungal archers which look like they should either be a tier set or an end game boss... what happened to the realistic look?
I really question anyone who thinks it will feel immersive to be in the natural Dünir Dwarven starting zone, as all the dwarves are charging around fighting bandits.... Next to an angel or demon...
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Racial_skins
Idk all I can hope is that these Cosmetic Store Skins, stop trying to out do each other with flashyness insane-ness and that we return to the somewhat realism aspect which was promised, and that there is a toggle-able button in-game with the default setting being that all of this is disabled unless you opt into seeing it.
seems they know what they are doing then
Fair point aha
I don't know if I necessarily agree with the ability to turn them off, but I don't have any other solutions either. Maybe starting to recycle the released cosmetics instead of just making more and more? Part of my worry is them running out of gas in the artistic tank, so to speak, whereby things earned in-game just won't even be comparable.
Guess we'll have to wait and see!
The issue is that there isnt any compromise in this regard, if even one player in your starting zone is riding a corgi that directly and immediately changes every new players experience of the game who sees it; they will instantly be less immersed, every association with terrible mmorpgs which run are flooded with cash-shops like wow with their Motorcycles; and they are insantly and irrevocably associated with this game, and that player's view of this universe changes from one of immersion and tangibility to one where its yet another dress-up simulator.
If even one player is wearing a cash-shop transmog which is artistically better or equivelant to epic gear which actually takes skill, time and difficulty to achieve it instantly minimizes the achievements of those who earnt their gear and will make those players feel worse about their experience in the game.
If even one player is able to change their race from their chosen race such as dwarf elf or human, then no race matters anymore, because why would it when you literally no longer look like or identify with that race; you are now an angel or demon, a reality which directly undermines the entire intent of the game; Players will instantly feel like being a dwarf no longer means anything lore wise because you can choose not to be one and be a righteous angel instead at the simple click of a transmog. I mean whats the point of a node system which reflects the races which contribute most to it when, which is meant to exemplify and enhance immersion so deep that its reflected in the architecture itself, when races literally dont matter anymore.
All in all theres absolutely no way you can have your cake and eat it too on this one, if you want this game to be about the races and lore, if you want to live and play in an immersive universe where people actually feel tied to it a part of it and contributing to it in a meaningful way, then all and i mean all aesthetic distortions need to be as a default turned off and only be activated through a decisive and intentional choice by that player in their own settings. You cant force your own personal aesthetic tastes on other players which escape the contextual aesthetic of the established universe, and then expect them to still feel immersed within it, its the cold hard reality and unfortunately there is no compromise here. As I said before I 100% recognize the importance and significance which cash-shop transmogs play in supporting this awesome team in developing what is widely regarded as the most anticipated game currently in development, however any given players choice to activate them and be a corgi-riding demon wearing mushroom armour instead of a the leather clad dwarf warrior fighting off bandits in a snowy tundra; should not come at the expense of all other subscription paying players in Verra.
there needs to be a setting for cash-shop transmogs to be displayed and its default needs to be set to disabled.
Even if "that" happens to be a corgi-riding fungus demon.
Moreover, it's not like these cosmetics are coming without some lore that makes them setting-appropriate. Not to flip it around on you, but if we want this game to be about the races and lore, we do have to respect the lore presented. If Intrepid states that there are mushroom forests that have prompted unconventional camouflage, then we're beholden to that reality because it's theirs to present.
For my part, I'd much rather see an address of the issue by the team re: the art direction than just a catch-all button to turn things off because I don't like them. At least to start.
like i said the team has done an amazing job on this set and i have bought the voyager + set because of it but i would be more than happy to wait till max level to use this to ensure everyone has an immersive experience, i honestly cant wait to see everyone using low level terrible looking armor
oO I was not going for that when I was designing these, but I see it!
Glad you like it!
I think you'll be happy to know (along with the other folks in this thread that echoed your thoughts) that folks won't be able to just use the cosmetics right away. They still have to attain an item in-game that has a cosmetic slot in order to use these.
(There will be more details about those things specifically as we get further along in development. I know folks have asked a lot of questions on that topic - specifically about the Freehold Buildings and what types of buildings they can put those cosmetics on.)
Pets are usually fairly small creatures, but variants of these creatures will be in the world and they may be scaled up larger for that purpose.
Not every set will be for everyone, but glad that there's something enticing about it even though you're not a super fan of it. =P
I try my best to do a wide variety of options and swap things around each month, so there will eventually be something folks like.
Maybe because they also like to feed on decomposing corpses?
Perhaps but I think the pets stare is winning me over
If they feed on decomposing corpses doesn't that mean that @Nagash won't have any corpses to use ? If the corpses are eaten, Nagash can't summon 'em.
Really appreciate this note, and looking forward to reading more details as they're released. Thank you!
Thanks for replying, I really appreciate the community outreach and taking the time to address the thoughts of the community. Out of interest has there been any discussions regarding races and the augmentations surrounding them? It seems theres a bit of concern regarding the loss of race fantasy, immersion and world building given that your race within Verra which is meant to effectively be one of the key defining attributes given they influence the architecture, culture, lore and racials; can instantly be deactivated at any players whim as soon as they decide to active a cosmetic.
appreciate the teams efforts the game on the whole looks amazing and is by far the most promising project on the horizon.
Me too! They got me with the mushrooms !