Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Retention
consultant
Member
This particular is bout getting the people that are going to try this game to make this their main MMO. Thing is Since there is no Box cost Associated with this game millions of players are going to see what this game is all about. Players do not have to reach max level to decide if this game is for them or not.. Now think leveling process is like 3 to 4 weeds. So basically you have about 30 days before toon makes decision if this game is for them or not. That being he case the leveling expereince has to show case this game.
Since a player may not reach max level before they make that decision then think things like the following woul be good for game.
Was reading about Naval combat and saw that small ships are going to be used for solo content....well my suggesting is to have a Naval Combat Pve Group oreinted quest at low level. So at like level 15 toon is introduced to Naval Combat quest in which he needs three other people to accomplish. Lets say quest is basically manning 4 siege weapons while NPC navigates ship. And players have to fend off waves of monsters or ships or targets. In this particular quest level does not matter to much because playes will be manning siege weapons so really easy to find people. So about 4 people possiblly more are required to finish quest. This does a number of things.
Not sure when Naval Combat will be unlocked but one of the things that this quest does is feature Naval Combat so player may be inclined to pursue that endeavor.
Next thing it does is introduces group play at low level. So might give toon more of a sense of a community at early stages in game. Opposite of this is lonewolfing it all the way to max level then find a guild then that your group of freinds that you play with every one else is stranger. Like a lot of the current MMOs.
Next Idea is along the same lines but instead of naval combat have a group monster coin quest. So lets say you make the demonic bunny accessable. So in a group of eight while being demonic bunnies you accomplish some task. Does same thing as previous idea plus features monsters coins at low level. Also level does not matter to much cause monster coins.
If there are other key features like Node vs Node be pretty cool if you found a way to feature this content at low level cause well if all cool features are at max level players might not reach max level to decide weather or not this game is for them or not.
Next thin I wnat to talk about is the economy. Think it really important to get players involved in the Auction at low level looks game is already geared for already been plent of posts on this subject but basically after a Toon goes out adventuring they ought to have goodies to sell. The econmics of this game look really good if works as aspected looks like A plus expeerience. Introduce player to this A plus experience early one.
In conclusion you have maybe 30 days possibly maybe more if they decide to play a second month to get people immersed in this game. If the leveling process is 4 weeks then you have to introduce all the key features in this game before max level.
Oh forgot to mention that Naval Combat and Monster Combat Could be introduced at low level cause it would be really easy to design such events for all levels.
Since a player may not reach max level before they make that decision then think things like the following woul be good for game.
Was reading about Naval combat and saw that small ships are going to be used for solo content....well my suggesting is to have a Naval Combat Pve Group oreinted quest at low level. So at like level 15 toon is introduced to Naval Combat quest in which he needs three other people to accomplish. Lets say quest is basically manning 4 siege weapons while NPC navigates ship. And players have to fend off waves of monsters or ships or targets. In this particular quest level does not matter to much because playes will be manning siege weapons so really easy to find people. So about 4 people possiblly more are required to finish quest. This does a number of things.
Not sure when Naval Combat will be unlocked but one of the things that this quest does is feature Naval Combat so player may be inclined to pursue that endeavor.
Next thing it does is introduces group play at low level. So might give toon more of a sense of a community at early stages in game. Opposite of this is lonewolfing it all the way to max level then find a guild then that your group of freinds that you play with every one else is stranger. Like a lot of the current MMOs.
Next Idea is along the same lines but instead of naval combat have a group monster coin quest. So lets say you make the demonic bunny accessable. So in a group of eight while being demonic bunnies you accomplish some task. Does same thing as previous idea plus features monsters coins at low level. Also level does not matter to much cause monster coins.
If there are other key features like Node vs Node be pretty cool if you found a way to feature this content at low level cause well if all cool features are at max level players might not reach max level to decide weather or not this game is for them or not.
Next thin I wnat to talk about is the economy. Think it really important to get players involved in the Auction at low level looks game is already geared for already been plent of posts on this subject but basically after a Toon goes out adventuring they ought to have goodies to sell. The econmics of this game look really good if works as aspected looks like A plus expeerience. Introduce player to this A plus experience early one.
In conclusion you have maybe 30 days possibly maybe more if they decide to play a second month to get people immersed in this game. If the leveling process is 4 weeks then you have to introduce all the key features in this game before max level.
Oh forgot to mention that Naval Combat and Monster Combat Could be introduced at low level cause it would be really easy to design such events for all levels.
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Comments
Things are way more enjoyable and fulfilling when you discover them by yourself and with your friends than by mindlessly following shinny marks on the map to get over it.
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Leveling
You don't have to be max level to participate in Node progression, Sieges or Caravans or Monster Coin events.
We gain a sense of Community by constructing and defending Nodes. As well as by participating in in-game guilds, social orgs and religions.
Since players can have their own player stalls and Freeholds and other players will know where those are located in the game - just as they will know where NPC shops are - and because items can be sold there while offline, the Auction House is not as crucial for the economy as it might be otherwise. But, we can expect every server to have some Auction Houses, sure.
You looking for a race? XD
This is my personal feedback, shared to help the game thrive in its niche.
Exactly.
People have to change their mindset about how the entirety of the progression works.
This game is no linear themepark, where you can rush to max level by hoping from quest hub to quest hub.
The beauty of the node system is that you have to be engaged with everything that ties into throughout the whole experience. It enforces social play at the very beginning and transforms it at every stage.
Also hardcore players will encounter progression gates in form of the node level. Your character can progress further every time the node advances and you have new content to tackle. There‘s probably none that will hit max level very fast and there is certainly none that has obtains perfect gear at the early stages.
The issue with retention will certainly not be the early stages, but its gonna be a challenge for Inteprid to build something beyond the node leveling stage that people can pursue.
A bit disapointed here. 200 hours leveling is "huge" based on modern MMORPGs but it's fast.
I was expecting a 400-500 hours leveling content.
With "only" 200 hours of leveling content, i'm afraid that this game may end up into an another "only end game content matter"
2021 players will figure a way to reduce those 200h and leveling will become irrelevant pretty fast
Reaching max Adventurer Level does not mean that you are at the end of curated content.
Ashes has quite a few max levels to reach... Metropolis being one of them. And maintaining max Node Level is not guaranteed.
I was just letting you know that the 3-4 weeks in your post didn't match the intended leveling speed of 6 weeks for hardcore players. Of course, we don't know if IS will succeed in setting that accurately. Also, your described timeframe was in relation to grabbing the interest of new players. The average player doesn't start a game playing 4-6 hours per day everyday. So, leveling should actually take longer than 45 days for most new players.
IMO, it seems realistic to assume that an average new player (typically a casual) will take months to level cap the first character. That is, if the player sticks with that one starting character the whole way. Total time could quickly increase if they switch.
Consider if leveling speed is set to 400-500 hours. At 4-6 hours a day, 7 days a week: leveling to cap would take about 12-18 weeks (3-4.5 months). This is for the hardcore group. Playing a couple hours a day for less than 7 days a week would rapidly increase the leveling duration. Again, that is for one single focused character for that full duration.
Another FYI, content across all level ranges is intended to be kept relevant by requiring crafting materials from lower areas (and the fact that different level content is mixed together rather than having separate regions). I will assume that you have a good grasp of how gear entering the game is almost completely crafter based and repairs will require materials that were used to create the item.
Not at all.
While I do play a lot, I am typically not the fastest leveler.
I doubt players will feel like it doesn't have much. But I guess we will see
Are you kidding me? Players will have a hell a lot more to do in this game then what WoW and other themepark games have to offer. I guess a lot players have not seen what a sandbox type mmorpg can offer as far keeping players invested in the game and retain them for years.
Eve Online makes the news in gaming because a lot of people that don't play the game are interested in what is going on in that sandbox. Ashes is aiming to have that same living world experience and its a lot more engaging then waiting around for a queue to pop and doing repetitive content with nothing else to do in the game world.
The world will be big. Lots to explore and constantly changing. Passing through an area a month after you last came through there we should see something different.
Lots of dynamic events hopefully as the world changes. Not like GW2 where they are on a timer and you can fast travel to them with a web site tracking them all so you know what is going on where.
Go explore and have fun. Do your own thing stop waiting for other people to tell you where to go and when.