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.
Brine and Bounties
LieutenantToast
Member, Alpha One, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
The magic that flows within the land has seeped through and permeated both the sunny shallows and darkest depths of the sea. For ages, an entire ecosystem of danger and opportunity has lain untapped beneath the waves. The power of the ocean lies ready to be taken by those who can successfully master its potential.
The Brine and Bounties cosmetic add-ons will be available in the Ashes of Creation shop from May 5, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific until June 9, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific. Don’t forget that the From the Undergrowth addons will be removed on May 5, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific when the new cosmetics swap over.
For more information, check out our news post: https://ashesofcreation.com/news/2021-05-04-brine-and-bounties
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Comments
Maelstrom's Crown: Is it a gliding mount? Is it a water mount that moves fast in water/slow on land?
Coral Courser: Is this for a crew of 1-3 or 8 or 40?
Boundless Basin: Does this get placed on a fishing pond or a "patio spot" ? What structure does this cosmetic get placed on?
Does this sea horse boat really swim circles around other boats? There are other member calling the description of these items flavor text, I don't know what the definition of it is wikipedia says this:
"Flavor text is often the last text on a card or on the rear of a toy card or package, and is usually printed in italics or written between quotes to distinguish it from it from game-affecting text."
The pool is magical so it is ok if it is flowing freely in the snowy regions, what really needs to be addressed is the disclaimer regarding the description of the skings cause I really want a boat that swims that sounds boss
These Orc boats from Maelstrom have animals chained to them that swim in the water pulling the boat forward they have extra ramming strength.
I'll let Mags grab the answer to the first one for you when she's back in the office! For the naval and freehold skins, we're currently working with the design team to get you more insight on the specifics of what these each would cover (in addition to clarifying ones that were previously available as well).
As of this time we haven't announced any restrictions on what kinds of cosmetics you could use in certain areas/biomes, though that may be something we look for your additional feedback on during testing! We've also shared our philosophy previously on there being equitable cosmetics available in-game, both from a quantity and quality standpoint.
We include the following note in each cosmetic article to help clear that up: "All skin cosmetic items are cosmetic items only and do not grant the user any other benefit. The lore text is flavor text, and background of the creatures and items in the world of Verra. Costume cosmetic items do not include the weapons pictured."
This means that these are just cosmetic skins that would go on top of your existing items, and wouldn't lead to any change of stats/power/speed - hence the lore text being just "flavor" rather than "game-affecting".
So glad to hear you're loving the newest looks!
A change of that magnitude would have to be applied only to cosmetics sold from that point in time onwards, and not applied retroactively. The hundreds of dollars I and others have spent on your product (cosmetics through the past couple years) were purchased with no restrictions applied to them (other than the ones you have made known to us such as you can't put a skin meant for a low tier building onto a top tier building and only one of your characters can wear a particular skin at a time.. though dropping that bomb on us recently was even pushing the line as we didn't buy them thinking only one character could wear it at a time or that there would be a cool down on when it can be changed out).
Had we known certain cosmetics would only work in certain areas then we would likely have not purchased them or expected far cheaper prices.
It would be extremely unfriendly to the consumer to bait and switch us.
I know personally a big reason why I bought an expensive collection of pixels as a cosmetic was because I knew how fun it would be to have a starkly contrasting freehold from my immediate surroundings... large green happy field with butterflies, then suddenly you see my freehold tower with the skin on it of a dreadlord tower black and fiery. Or a snowy mountain and then suddenly you turn the corner to see my freehold with a beach oasis skin on it and I sit atop of Mr. Stufferton, the magically animated stuffed poodle mount.
Not saying a decision to restrict where you can use certain cosmetics can't be implemented, you just can't make that restriction apply retroactively to cosmetics we have already purchased. In fact I would encourage that change because it would make the cosmetics I have spent so much on already all the more valuable. The rare few that got grandfathered in and only the longest of long time supporters of the game can do it. "Whoa how did that guy get to have a beach hut skin applied to his freehold here on the icy mountain zone?." "He's one of those lucky guys that bought cosmetics way back in 2017 and those got grandfathered in with no restrictions. lucky s.o.b...."
I brought up a post on this describing this very issue. The flavor text needs to be more distinct or people will read the wrong idea from them. I am not the only person seeing this. Put the flavor text in Italics. It is akin to me CAPPING EVERYTHING I SAY TO DENOTE IMPORTANCE. People do not always read everything around a post. They read what they want to see.
Mahes, reading the full page before proceeding is the right thing to do if you are considering investing in cosmetics. At the end of the packages section you will find the following text:
* All skin cosmetic items are cosmetic items only and do not grant the user any other benefit. The lore text is flavor text, and background of the creatures and items in the world of Verra. Costume cosmetic items do not include the weapons pictured
It's each individuals responsibility to inform themselves before making a monetary choice which means reading around a post, between, over, under and above it especially when considering the prices of these monthly cosmetics.
Looks like the notes above are already written in Italic just as you suggested.
This has to be a joke or a meme...
if players are literally able to intentionally break the immersive themes of the environment, architecture and natural context then the game would literally be opting to prioritise monetising the game and cashing in on the player-base over creating the precedent setting quality game we are all hoping this will be...
@LieutenantToast
The issues with players even having the option of doing this are self evident... I mean read this users post,
it really depends on the intent of what's being produced and whether quality immersion and a beautiful universe are the priority of the studio or selling in-game cosmetics is... if this is even a slightly acceptable outcome for the game... im out.
This doesnt take feedback, it doesnt take review and it definitely doesnt need to be tested... its an artistic choice/vision for the future of the game.
The normal user has a right through paying a subscription to be able to be able to enjoy the universe which is being depicted in all of your promotional footage, and allowing a player to:
make a freehold:
" large green happy field with butterflies, then suddenly you see my freehold tower with the skin on it of a dreadlord tower black and fiery. "
or
make a freehold:
"snowy mountain and then suddenly you turn the corner to see my freehold with a beach oasis skin on it and I sit atop of Mr. Stufferton, the magically animated stuffed poodle mount."
quite literally, acutely, and directly not only contrasts but destroys any semblance of that universe.
Please inform the community what the stance of the studio is on this, if this is actually the vision for ashes of creation, Im out... I will stop following its development... and Im taking my paid subscription with me and wont be playing this game.
I guarantee the majority of the player base; who make up the majority of income and profits via consistent monthly subscription; share this sentiment. We have all seen our share of mmorpgs/mobile games which have gone this route, and that is definitely not the mmorpg I signed up for, so please make this immediately and uneqivocally clear, as your last post in effect stated that the studio fully intends to allow players to have firey chaos freeholds in the middle of grassy meddows and tropical oasis's in the middle of snowy mountains.
and if it does I once again am completely out of here.
It seems like some folks may have read into my reply here quite a bit further than intended
Please don't take this to mean that changes are planned - just that we will continue to test and gather feedback on many aspects of the game as we move forward
Goodluck with your game and future development of it, any consideration, discussion or slight acceptance of a universe where players can intentionally do this to the world:
" large green happy field with butterflies, then suddenly you see my freehold tower with the skin on it of a dreadlord tower black and fiery. "
or
make a freehold:
"snowy mountain and then suddenly you turn the corner to see my freehold with a beach oasis skin on it and I sit atop of Mr. Stufferton, the magically animated stuffed poodle mount."
Isnt one i have any interest of being a part of whatsoever.
Whats funny is that the users posts literally declares that they would intentionally make their freehold look that way for the sole purpose of breaking universal immersion so that they can attention seek, and that this is what is considered an acceptable universe for the game to exist in by the studio itself... i guess as long as they pay a little more, they can have whatever they want in-spite of anyone else paying a sub.
""Whoa how did that guy get to have a beach hut skin applied to his freehold here on the icy mountain zone?." "He's one of those lucky guys that bought cosmetics way back in 2017 and those got grandfathered in with no restrictions. lucky s.o.b...."
Finding this out has been very disappointing; but its good that to find out now, I had hoped this game was going to break the mould... and that as originally aspoused the game would be supported by subscriptions rather then a mechanism to monetise a cash-shop driven world... like every-single other MMORPG, I wish all the people and their transmogs the best; I guess universal cohesion and immersion isnt as sought after as much in the modern generation of game development. But I for one have no interest in playing yet another TRANSMORPG, its why Im sick of wow and why I was so excited for ashes.
Peace.
Maybe it's the magical powers of the player that's sustaining a freehold with an oasis on a snowy mountain. All you can do is find their story and how they might be trying to replicate their native lands in another biome (or any other RP reason you can imagine). Options to how players can use these skins are a great idea and restricting their use to your own interpretation of immersion might limit the creativity of others.
The reasonable explanation would be that cosmetics go with the associated biome - given that’s they way they have been presented. So for a business transaction that’s the most likely basis of exchanging money for said cosmetic. While they are stating they do not intend to limit these skins at this time, take that as a caveat. It also does not mean they won’t restrict these in the future. Should they choose to do so, you are in no way cheated. The only condition I see that one could object to is if they eliminated the cosmetic from the game entirely. By the way, they can do that as well but it may come with some form of in game compensation.
This would be similar to buying a shoe cosmetic and not being able to put it on your head. Not that that wouldn’t be cool. But to a reasonable person, which is the legal standard, you buy shoes to wear on your feet.
While the aquatic stuff isn’t my thing, it doesn’t look bad. Ship skins are cool.
That moment when you realize people that pay more get more.