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.
Comments
As for questing, a unique questing system add some magic. I think that unique memorable quests add to the leveling experience. Fun ones make a great game in my opinion. Quests that require us to interact with objects to complete them are one of best ones. I like immersion in MMORPGS.
Memorable characters would be welcome at any time. See Arthas, Illidan or Gul’dan from Warcraft universe.
I would like to see “escorting” quests like we had in Vanilla WoW. You escort an NPC from point A to point B and get attacked by mobs. They must be shown as “Escort” Quest in some way.
I would do any interesting end game content.
I would like an interesting crafting system. I want to feel that invest time in crafting worth.
Overall, I like to be busy with questing, end game content. I like immersion to keep me interested. I also enjoy rewardable crafting.
JeanPhilippeQC
Now i would also add that this game has weapon skills as a major part of your character diversification, in a similar but more in depth way to ESO. Eso is its tutorial gives you access to basic versions of each weapon type, allowing you to chose your playstyle from the beginning, this really helps you to feel like you are not wasting your time. New world for example forces you to beginning "sword and board" and by doing this it felt like i was wasting my time, it wasnt the style i wanted to play and i wasnt interested. it took me hours to get the weapon i wanted for my style by which time i was ready to bail on the whole experience.
As this game also is big on PVP, it should go some way to explain that its not just the monsters and creatures of the world that might be your enemy, but also other players too. And you should go some way to explain the corruption mechanic pretty early on, and in such a way that people understand it. The corruption mechanic will matter to the more casual players, and will go a long way towards convincing these players to stay. Now i know some people are going to beat me over the head with the "ashes won't be for everyone and thats ok" quotation here, and thats cool, it wont be. But it for sure needs to be for enough people to ensure not only an initial success, but also a continued growth, so we cannot forget the more casual player base.
inconclusion, give us the basics of the lore/ world, the combat, the crafting/gathering (basics) an explanation of the pvp, and either the choice of weapon we want, or the ability to make a level 0/1 version of each weapon type pretty easily
Pretty sure i missed some things i wanted to say on here too, but if you read this far then thank you
On arrival, honestly I don’t imagine there’s much point in directing players. Just a quick, people are establishing settlements around, perhaps you could join them, and stick a maker on the closest node.
Since crafting is going to be very restrictive, players need to know that BEFORE commuting to one, and something beyond a “this can’t be changed later” notification. No one reads those, and then they get mad they’re stuck with their first choice. Build up the permanence early.
For new players, there probably should be a decent amount of hand holding to introduce them to systems and get them progressing in the game. I don't think it should require a lot of thought for them to get a start on their adventuring class and start liking how their gear looks. They should feel good about their progression before the game cuts them loose.
A good new player experience is based on how much free you are to do whatever you want to do.
So for players who do not want to spend time with character creation; they need a means to make a character fast; less than 5 mins.
While cinematic intros are nice, not everyone cares so having it either be short or skippable will be good.
Start players off in a way that will show them what the next 50 hours of play will be like for them. Do not start them on long quest chains if they are going to be mostly be fighting mobs. Nor have them genocide-ing the local wildlife if what they will actually be doing is chain quests.
Since the intention of the game is to be PvP focused, I would suggest squeezing in some PvP in if possible.
Keep things simple and straight-forward, but do not simplify. Showing things off as too simple will have a backfire effect when the complexity hits later.
The first 90mins should be a completely controlled environment. The player should not be controlled/handheld but the environment should. And the transition from the controlled environment to the free-for-all should be noticeable but not jarring. (Note: I am saying it should be controlled, not safe)
By the end of the first 90mins the player should have a fully functional character. They might be simplistic but they should be able to function in their intended role.
If I need any hand holding I'll find someone and ask them too.
"Hey you sir, I'm a moron and can't figure this shit out, please help me.
If the game is as big and social as we're all hoping for, this shouldn't be an issue.
I did always love the original starting areas and quests in WoW. I had a character of each race and each class in the game. I liked different starting areas for different reasons. My favorites were always the Blood Elves and the Tauren area. Blood Elves was pretty and always was a calm home for me. Tauren... I guess the lore and design. I am half American Indian as you may have guessed from my name. I am Apsalooka (aka Crow although it isn't what it actually means) and Sihasapa Lakota (Tauren appear to be modeled on Lakota). For a game I think they did great with the culture etc. I loved visiting the Trolls I think it was with the great music, etc. I went in and created characters now and then for years after I quit just to see the starter areas again. lol Perhaps something memorable and "home" could be created here too.
As for classes. I would love the basics being taught on a generic character in an area real quick.... movement and how to attack, defend in general, heal or whatever. Then give an option to try classes you wish to try for a few minutes (try 0, 2, 5, or whatever) to get a small idea what it's like and an idea where it can take you. Then create your character knowing what class you want. It just seems a good way to not have to delete characters in order to keep trying and find what you like to start.
For me, I would say the key elements that should be introduced to the player include, core story elements, and core systems elements. Regarding story elements, streamer, Josh Strife Hayes, makes a pretty compelling argument that an MMO should hook its players inside the first two hours of gameplay in this video
When it comes to the amount of hand holding to give a player, I personally feel like an aggressive story hook up front helps a lot. I saw a video somewhere of Steven talking about the nature of the AoC cosmos, the exile of the others, and the return to Verra after the apocalypse. I would not let my players miss that, it's too good. For introducing systems, I think anything from an actual in game tutorial to an in game journal that pops up when I encounter something new is all good depending on how crucial the system. I would also give players the choice to opt to skip out if they choose.
However if any of my friends (who don't keep track of Ashes development) were to start playing - it might be a good idea to have several different tutorial options for people coming from different popular MMOs, relying on comparison to mechanics from these games, and only mentioning briefly the mechanics that are fully replicated.
As some already mentioned, a small non-interactive intro video introducing the background of the world and my character's place in it would be grand.
The stuff that ruins GW2 for me is:
- Quests givers don't really matter in the early game. You just run through the world and when you happen to kill some specific mobs you get a bonus. It doesn't feel satisfying at all.
- Skills and crafting feel way too complicated and I can't really find a way to focus on a specific "project" that would bring me back to the game ("getting to max lvl" is not such a project. If it was, it would be a burden, not a goal)
That being said, I would like to have 3 things in the early game:
- Fighting mobs should be more than just "attack enemy. Hit skill button once. Loot. Repeat". All mobs should have some kind of special attack that forces you to focus on what they are doing, so you avoid that damage (and maybe allow you to do extra damage if their attack misses).
- Skill trees should be easy to understand and the first points you set should make the game feel significantly different by giving you new skills or other significant stuff.
- I need a project that I can start early in the game. This could be the path to my first freehold or learning a craft. Going on that path should give me some benefits, because I need to know that the stuff I craft actually matters.
However, I don't want to have to do this stuff. Just give me early information on how to find these progression paths and then let me choose when to go those routes.
This is always an extremely divisive subject for beginners and HC players. To keep game growth you need to have something in place to satisfy the sometimes clueless casuals who do not understand the mechanics or join for the beauty aesthetics. On the other side a HC gamer wants to bypass all that and dig in on their own terms. You can never please them all but having OPTIONS to have such a thing can at least provide a bit more for some.
Eebzter
Little popup tooltips that can be turned off in the settings seems logical.
Let the community create guides and such to do the in depth hand holding.
Please avoid tutorials videos, that is annoying.
This small area before you enter into the portal will give you some quest where its easy to figure out alone where u have to go next etc. (helps you understand how questing works in the game)
And alot of ppl here had great ideas that can be introductions in this small starterzone.
As soon you enter the portal to Verra your handholding is gone. =]
If there will be a problem with to many ppl in the same starterzone, then maby make it instanced, and when you have done the last introduction quest to get into the portal to Verra you will chose what "gate" you will spawn from.
- The initial introduction has to introduce you to the world. Give context, but drip feed the story through the questing system in the game. I don't think you want to be plunged into the world and there is an immediate presence in the world it can feel like lazy storytelling. Start the game almost innocent - keep the scope local and as we progress our scope in the world and value increases.
A very short and basic tutorial i.e. quests that encourage you to use key abilities/components of the game would be good at the start but let it be part of the game. Don't make it an instanced tutorial - which then throws you into the world - it should be combined as an introduction to the world in terms of story while also introducing you to controls etc.
Handholding is good, covers everyone. Just don't make it obtrusive to where a player turns off all help.
I like that. Something extra for the players who aren't in a rush to finish the tutorial area.
1. Cinematic
Load the game and a cinematic starts showing the basic lore background of the Ancients arriving and taking over Verra, and people leaving for Sanctus through the gates. And of course something about the Tulnar. Make sure people understand the over-arching plot of the return to Verra, and what the overall goal is. Introduce the gods and the races.
2. Character creation
Make it nice
3. Load the character in on Sanctus or in the Underrealm
I would like to see the character arrive on Sanctus or the Underrealm (if Tulnar) in a confined space containing a portal and a tutorial area. I think instanced is best by far. If instanced, perhaps have some NPCs in the background acting like players and going through the portal, just so it doesn't seem too empty. Alternately, dispense with the whole Sanctus/Underrealm thing and just make it a non-descript tutorial area.
4. Optional tutorial
I think the tutorial should target people completely new to the genre, and maybe even new to PC gaming too. Some players like jumping straight into things without tutorials, and some prefer a thorough tutorial to make them comfortable with the basics before they enter the game proper. The following accommodates all.
As soon as the character loads in, present the player with a voiced over tutorial if possible (with text as well obviously). And a big fat Skip Tutorial button they can click.
- Lock the players into the first few basic steps, so at first they can only move using WASD (or whatever they have keybinds set to). Guide them through it, but also let players skip this and the other steps quickly one by one should they desire to.
- Make them hit space to jump.
- Then guide them through holding the right mouse button to turn the character with the camera while moving.
- Teach the player to zoom in and out on the scroll wheel.
- Introduce the action mode as an alternative (hit Z to toggle back and forth and explain how the camera and reticle works)
- Teach the player to interact with NPCs and objects using E.
- End the locked in tutorial part.
In front of the player should now be a tutorial NPC with quests to teach the player more things, like equipping gear (open inventory, check character window etc.).Next up a basic combat quest. Have the player whack a training dummy. Teach them to hold down Q or LMB depending on mode. Let the player try all weapon types in the tutorial area to see what they like. Don't give them actual combat skills yet.
Finally a slightly more advanced combat quest where they learn about the active dodge skill, as well as switching targets using tab or whatever the keybind is set to.
Also, have a super simple and optional jumping puzzle in the tutorial area, where players can practice sprint-jumping and whatnot. It doesn't need a quest or a reward or anything, just make it obvious it's there for the player to try.
It might be good to have an option to go through all the UI elements on the screen, just so players know what the buttons do and are called.
Players who already know the game or hate tutorials can run straight through the portal to Verra of course
5. Enter Verra
As soon as the player goes though the portal, present them with a choice of the 4 starter areas. I suggest not doing a wormhole effect as that is overdone, but a pretty effect on the screen could be cool. Cue a short "cinematic" with a birds eye view of the landing area before zooming in on the character and giving the player control.
Once in the starter area on Verra, have a welcoming NPC teach the character about skills and how to hit J and dragging them to the hotbar and all that jazz if they want to, and otherwise guide them to the first NPC with a quest.
I suggest having either a small starting encampment in which you are instructed to speak with everyone in that camp (each person holding a quest). You could get an achievement for finishing all, while making following that particular tutorial optional. I would encourage the starting node to be static and detached from the other dynamic world nodes.
I agree with this, but I want to expand a bit. At the beginning you should be told pretty much how to play and how the UI works and that's about it. Then explain that there are a lot of ways to mold the world and your character the way you want to play. Beyond that I'd say have the starter area have NPCs that can explain the systems in more depth for if a person wants to learn them. Along with that you could have a journal of sorts that can tell you how to start on a path to learning it whenever they chose to. I'd also think it'd be a good idea, if the tutorial does need to hold your hand more, is to show that combat is not the only way to level up your character as to give a better feeling of freedom in the world.
Ultimately you don't want people who are playing Ashes as there first game ever (because that definitely happens from time to time) to be completely lost on what to do and how to play when they start. But you also don't want the player to be taken out of their immersion by being guided too much toward a goal.
[*] Make it as crazy as possible. I have never heard anybody complain there were too many options when it comes to creating your character. (Always add basic options for looks for people who do not care) Everyone loves it when they can create someone unique to themselves, this means the looks and abilities the player uses. The worse thing about New World is the lack of ability separation from one player to the next. IMO, for abilities have paths that lead down paths that lead down paths. Also add a lore or back story to as much stuff as you can, there are literally communities dedicated to this type of stuff and provide a very immersive feel.
Tutorial:
[*] When it comes to tutorials, most of the time you are given the basics; how to use basic controls, how basic things work in the game, and any UI help. However I feel the best thing to do is have an NPC with quests to teach the player more things, like equipping gear (open inventory, check character window, or any basics.) What this does it allow new players to learn and returning players to skip this part if it is not needed.
Also if you are going to have players choose a starting area or faction that could lock them out of playing with fellow friends who choose differently, please make this this very transparent.
Most people want to care about their character and the story they are diving into. Give them a reason.
Give players a sense of urgency, but don't introduce the BIG BAD BOSS right away. I'm a nobody. Don't give away the big enemy right off the bat or it will feel like I'm being railroaded toward the end of the game right from the onset. Doing so makes any side quests feel foolish in the big scheme of things and they end up feeling like wasted time on the road to mAx LeVEl. Let us enjoy the experience, not simply the destination. Your responsibility is to give us a reason to care about the world.