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.
Lone Wolfing It
Dudebruh
Member
Can you do everything in this game without having to join a guild?
Will players not in a guild be able to live in a city and get bonuses?
*late edit - How will they prevent these mega guilds, McGuilds as I call them, from owning all the nodes?
**The rest of this is an incoherent rant, feel free to skip.**
I've had too many bad experiences with guilds and maybe by sharing, you'll avoid the same mistakes. Maybe you can avoid putting in 1000s of hours and have nothing to show for it.
When in a guild, I always feel like I'm working for a private, small circle of friends (Officers). Gathering their mats, filling raid slots in order to funnel all the gear to Officers.
And once the Officers (and their alts) have all the stuff they need, they disappear to their private channels and never interact with the rest of us, unless they need something for themselves again.
But Dudebruh, why don't you start your own group or raid? I've attempted that so many times. Seems like the only ones that fill groups or raids is when an officer graces us in guild chat. Last week on SWTOR, I even saw someone in the guild get in trouble because they started to form a raid of their own and some officer came in to say that they were doing their (officers) raid soon and that guy better disband and didn't have permission. lolwut? Yep, apparently, in a 1000 member guild, you can't run group content when officers are running their 16-man raids. That's just one example over the course of playing MMOs for over 20 years.
I didn't realize this culture existed for a long time. Until one day, I got a tell from one of "the circle of friends" to join their Beast Raid (Anarchy Online). I was told to never tell anyone else and I could come on every raid if I didn't break that rule. These guys had a whole farm system in place, making billions of credits selling loot rights, etc. it was like playing a whole new game after that point.
He said the only reason I was asked was because:
1. People in the guild seem to like me (I'm a clown in guild chat).
2. I always help new players. As in, drop what I'm doing and come help. (Anarchy Online is a brutal game to start out in).
3. I listen to the raid leader and didn't do stupid crap to get myself or others wiped.
Personally, I think 2 & 3 should be a standard for all guildies. Why sit and do nothing because the Tank isn't logged in, when you can go help the level 12 new guy that happens to be leveling a tank? You know, so you don't have to wait for the only Tank in guild to log in?
While, it was amazing to get in on a rare opportunity, I felt like it was kind of crap that it was happening behind the scenes. It answered so many questions. For example, never playing/leveling in a group with an officer. How are they so geared up but never seen them playing? People asking in guild chat for help but nobody replies. Endless questions going unanswered in guild chat. Officers forming up in chat for raids that they need to get done, but never for the rest of us asking for help in guild chat. Mat requirements. High taxes (AO, EVE). These all became red flags at this point.
And of course the looming threat that if you don't meet their requirement each week, you'll be kicked and will never be able to do those mystical guild events or raid so you can funnel gear to the officers. lol
I think I stick around simply because of FOMO. I feel like I'll miss out one day of doing something amazing, but that day never comes. Then I get bored and unsub until I get the urge to play again.
I never go on a raid expecting loot. Never. And if they are the type that "we roll for gear at the end" lol, forget it. The same certain people always win those rolls because "reasons". I no longer bother rolling, at the very milli-second the last boss dies, I quit group and go back to doing whatever I was doing before the raid. And what do you know, 20 minutes later I find out that Officer Billy won all the loot. Surprise surprise! *rolls eyes I'm just not going to stand there for 20 minutes and watch the same 3-4 people give themselves all the important, meaningful loot anymore. I'm just not.
I go once to play through it. And that's it. Why waste my time or work for somebody else that doesn't even talk to me unless they need something? I'd rather go help a lowbie level up than gear up Officer Billy's 12th alt while I am wearing trash gear (or whatever is BIS that can be obtained solo).
Or worse, you get inspected. They tell you that you can't come because you need some piece of gear that gives you 0.1% more dmg which requires 40 players to get. Ok. Let's go get it. "No, Officer Billy's 12th alt needs that before you do." WTF?!
In regards to AOC, I can just see these types requiring "the help" to bring x amount of mats to build and maintain their city and/or for crafting. That's it. That's why you are in their guild. I won't be apart of it. Don't get me wrong, I'm a team player. But that doesn't mean abuse.
On a side note, I think some of these officers take their online video game "authority" a little too seriously. Tone it down, it's a meaningless title irl. I can't take you seriously when you're on the mic huffing and puffing from mashing keys with your sausage fingers, sounding like you just ran a 10K. Ease up, it's a game. If you ever took along "the help" we would probably get better and satisfy your requirement to what is a "good player". Just a thought.
Ok, rant done. Yes, I know that I am 100% to blame for joining these guilds to begin with. That somewhere out there; there are guilds that are fun to be in. Oh do I know this.
Will players not in a guild be able to live in a city and get bonuses?
*late edit - How will they prevent these mega guilds, McGuilds as I call them, from owning all the nodes?
**The rest of this is an incoherent rant, feel free to skip.**
I've had too many bad experiences with guilds and maybe by sharing, you'll avoid the same mistakes. Maybe you can avoid putting in 1000s of hours and have nothing to show for it.
When in a guild, I always feel like I'm working for a private, small circle of friends (Officers). Gathering their mats, filling raid slots in order to funnel all the gear to Officers.
And once the Officers (and their alts) have all the stuff they need, they disappear to their private channels and never interact with the rest of us, unless they need something for themselves again.
But Dudebruh, why don't you start your own group or raid? I've attempted that so many times. Seems like the only ones that fill groups or raids is when an officer graces us in guild chat. Last week on SWTOR, I even saw someone in the guild get in trouble because they started to form a raid of their own and some officer came in to say that they were doing their (officers) raid soon and that guy better disband and didn't have permission. lolwut? Yep, apparently, in a 1000 member guild, you can't run group content when officers are running their 16-man raids. That's just one example over the course of playing MMOs for over 20 years.
I didn't realize this culture existed for a long time. Until one day, I got a tell from one of "the circle of friends" to join their Beast Raid (Anarchy Online). I was told to never tell anyone else and I could come on every raid if I didn't break that rule. These guys had a whole farm system in place, making billions of credits selling loot rights, etc. it was like playing a whole new game after that point.
He said the only reason I was asked was because:
1. People in the guild seem to like me (I'm a clown in guild chat).
2. I always help new players. As in, drop what I'm doing and come help. (Anarchy Online is a brutal game to start out in).
3. I listen to the raid leader and didn't do stupid crap to get myself or others wiped.
Personally, I think 2 & 3 should be a standard for all guildies. Why sit and do nothing because the Tank isn't logged in, when you can go help the level 12 new guy that happens to be leveling a tank? You know, so you don't have to wait for the only Tank in guild to log in?
While, it was amazing to get in on a rare opportunity, I felt like it was kind of crap that it was happening behind the scenes. It answered so many questions. For example, never playing/leveling in a group with an officer. How are they so geared up but never seen them playing? People asking in guild chat for help but nobody replies. Endless questions going unanswered in guild chat. Officers forming up in chat for raids that they need to get done, but never for the rest of us asking for help in guild chat. Mat requirements. High taxes (AO, EVE). These all became red flags at this point.
And of course the looming threat that if you don't meet their requirement each week, you'll be kicked and will never be able to do those mystical guild events or raid so you can funnel gear to the officers. lol
I think I stick around simply because of FOMO. I feel like I'll miss out one day of doing something amazing, but that day never comes. Then I get bored and unsub until I get the urge to play again.
I never go on a raid expecting loot. Never. And if they are the type that "we roll for gear at the end" lol, forget it. The same certain people always win those rolls because "reasons". I no longer bother rolling, at the very milli-second the last boss dies, I quit group and go back to doing whatever I was doing before the raid. And what do you know, 20 minutes later I find out that Officer Billy won all the loot. Surprise surprise! *rolls eyes I'm just not going to stand there for 20 minutes and watch the same 3-4 people give themselves all the important, meaningful loot anymore. I'm just not.
I go once to play through it. And that's it. Why waste my time or work for somebody else that doesn't even talk to me unless they need something? I'd rather go help a lowbie level up than gear up Officer Billy's 12th alt while I am wearing trash gear (or whatever is BIS that can be obtained solo).
Or worse, you get inspected. They tell you that you can't come because you need some piece of gear that gives you 0.1% more dmg which requires 40 players to get. Ok. Let's go get it. "No, Officer Billy's 12th alt needs that before you do." WTF?!
In regards to AOC, I can just see these types requiring "the help" to bring x amount of mats to build and maintain their city and/or for crafting. That's it. That's why you are in their guild. I won't be apart of it. Don't get me wrong, I'm a team player. But that doesn't mean abuse.
On a side note, I think some of these officers take their online video game "authority" a little too seriously. Tone it down, it's a meaningless title irl. I can't take you seriously when you're on the mic huffing and puffing from mashing keys with your sausage fingers, sounding like you just ran a 10K. Ease up, it's a game. If you ever took along "the help" we would probably get better and satisfy your requirement to what is a "good player". Just a thought.
Ok, rant done. Yes, I know that I am 100% to blame for joining these guilds to begin with. That somewhere out there; there are guilds that are fun to be in. Oh do I know this.
1
Comments
1. Possibly, but doubtful. We need more information before we can say for sure but the design intent is the need to interact with other players for craft, raiding, dungeoning, pvp, etc. It will be a pure detriment to your playing experience to play solo.
2. Yes, however there may be social consequences if people start to go old gangster on their territory and try to force you to make a choice. Aside from that there is no real design intent to make you ineligible for citizenship or housing depending on if you are in a guild or not. You could technically become mayor of the entire node all by yourself in the military, economic, and religious nodes. The Science node is probably the only one that would be too difficult for a solo player to achieve as it requires popular vote to become mayor of.
I realize the info is limited to us, but what you said is still encouraging and acceptable.
Thanks for the reply.
You cannot make a Node progress from Stage to Stage as just one person alone.
Lots of people have to be doing stuff near the Node in order to the progress the Node from one Stage to the next Stage.
You cannot successfully defend or destroy a Node just by yourself.
But, you don't have to be in a guild to help progress a Node or become a citizen of a Node or become a Mayor of a Node. You don't have to be in a guild to participate in a Node Siege or Monster Coin Event.
It will not be a detriment to play solo.
Do the stuff you like to do. You might prefer to join a social org, like a Thieves' Guild or Scholars Academy and/or join a Religion, rather than join a player guild.
You don't have to officially join a guild to find a band of like-minded players you enjoy hanging out with in the game. With houses and Freeholds, you will know where to find the people you enjoy playing alongside who are online the same hours you are.
Yeah, I have no desire to control and maintain a node solo. I don't think that's possible. I just want the benefits of it by living in the city without having to join some McGuild.
As far as the looting in groups goes, it seems like you should ask more questions of the guild or raid group that your joining about loot rules with an emphasis on fairness. I would expect Ashes to have a /roll option shown to the team so that nobody can lie about their rolls; but, we will have to see. If necessary, rolls could be done live on Discord camera. There are other systems of loot distribution besides rolling. Also, Ashes will have several systems of loot distribution available. It may include a bidding system in the game rather than controlled by the leaders. Again, just talk to the leaders about fair loot distribution.
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Loot_tables#Looting
One thing that I do notice about your description, if you always leave before loot is distributed, you never get any loot. Also, joining a regular raiding group that has been working together for a while frequently have a system to prevent newly joined members from taking the most valuable loot right away. Such groups have usually experienced a player joining for a raid or two, collecting the best loot and never joining again.
You can be a Lone Wolf when it comes to combat and level at a reasonable pace.
You don't have to be in a guild or even join a combat group to be a citizen of a Node or defend a Node from a Monster Coin Attack or to defend or attack a caravan.
You also don't have to be in a group or a guild to craft. Artisans don't have to join a group or guild.
Ashes supports solo play.
Solo play is about not joining groups - especially for combat. Solo players can still be extremely social - and also rely on others for crafting.
Combat balance isn't going to be much of a concern for solo players if Corruption works according to design and deters ganking. And, a Lone Wolf probably is not going to care much about group/raid loot rights. A Lone Wolf will take their loot from solo quests, harvesting and solo farming mobs and ask friends to craft the stuff they want.
You don't have to be in a group or a guild for any of that.
Sure. Its not impossible to play alone. But the OP specifically asked if it was possible to do everything alone on the first line of his post. Also, OP also gave a long description about looting rights in raids which is what I was responding to.
Religious Nodes seem to be designed for solo-players, as the Mayorship is determined by individual accomplishments and personal quest-completions.
Just because I don't feel like joining a guild to gear up their officers and alts while having nothing to show for it, doesn't mean I won't try to PUG raids and other group content. I know there are limitations to what can and cannot be solo'd. I already do that now while in a large guild. I have to PUG. I think something is wrong with that. But, that's what I have to do already.
I meant while not in a guild. Which would mean PUG the group content.
I explained why I do that. The officers pass out the important, meaningful loot among themselves and the rest of us stand there for the next 10 - 20 minutes until we are told to go away. I just don't bother anymore. I come along because they need more people, then I leave. They will never give me or any non-officer loot, so why stay?
The first line asks if it's possible to do everything without joining a guild.
I don't think that I said anything about joining a guild. I talked about group content and how even for the things that can be done alone such as crafting or combat, your still largely relying on others. i.e. You can't craft anything start to finish alone; or, for combat: combat balance is stacked against you for at least one class (if not more). So, going it alone in combat may mean that you have to flee frequently against that class rather than standing a chance in a fight.
I understand your reason. I was just pointing out that your approach guarantees that all groups match your opinion of groups that you ran with in the past. Not all people are the same; but, you have created an approach to groups that self confirms all as the same.
If want to and choose to, you can almost completely eliminate the chance of joining the groups that you don't want to run with up front by simply asking them about the loot distribution rules so that you don't get screwed.
Group content is a derail.
Right, and when we ask, we are told those rules. And those rules are almost always: "Officer Billy needs that loot for his 12th alt more than you do. Maybe next time (which never comes)" Then they disappear to their private channel until they need something for themselves again.
Really, there's a solution to this. I just don't have the time to do it - Start my own guild. But so far, playing without a guild, PUG group content, and buying loot rights seems to work better than being in a guild.
In fact, I get more invites to do group content from people in other guilds than from my own guild. lol
Group content is not a derail. Obviously, the OP was not asking: can I do all the non-group content without a group? The game is being designed for group content. The OP is asking if the content can still played without a group. Talking about whether group content limits being able to play is the exact topic.
Ok, I shouldn't have said "guild or raid group" in the middle of my earlier post. It made sense because like 80% of the OP post was about guilds, but I didn't need to say guild. The point was groups. My entire post was about whether all content could be done solo. My answer is: there is a lot of group content that cannot be done alone; and, a lot of the content that can be done alone cannot be done fully and is still set up in a way that works better in groups. i.e. since almost all gear is made by players and you can't create gear alone you are reliant on others for gear; and, since combat is misbalanced on a per class basis: you may not be able fight all classes alone.
I realize that there are raid groups that do that. But then there are raid groups that just use guildies that are not in their circle of friends in order to fill raid slots and keep all the loot for themselves.
In Anarchy Online for example, we use a point system and I wouldn't be able to loot until I have accumulated enough points. I'm not whining about that kind of system, I'm whining about being used by a core group of 4-5 people that run the guild and ignoring the rest of us until they decide they need something for themselves again.
I've played many games and been in many guilds. There are some pretty abusive scumbags out there.
The name of the thread is Lone Wolfing it. No group. So, between the thread name and the OP, the question is no groups or guilds.
It doesn't say anything about not joining groups and especially doesn't say anything about not relying on others for crafting.
It doesn't ask whether it's possible to do everything without relying on other players.
I don't disagree with what you are saying here, but I do think you can find a fair regular raid group if you bother to ask the right questions at the start. On the other hand, if all you want to do is occasionally run a raid with various random groups, then yes you will frequently run into the type of situation that you describe as those groups have put in significant effort to learn how to complete the raid (at least if it is a difficult raid; as it should be) and are most likely carrying the random player that joins.
Whatever. I feel like your purpose is to argue over any random thing that you can find rather than to actually provide something useful to the OP. I'm done.
Correct. I'll still be doing group content, I'm just not going to waste my time joining a guild. This thread is to clarify if there is anything I will miss out on by not joining a guild.
So far, I can still participate in raids, smaller group content, and sieges without having to be in a guild. Unless there is another game loop or game mechanic I'm not aware of, it looks like I'll be just fine without spending my time in game funneling all the goodies to some circle of friends that doesn't care about me or my character progression.