Greetings, glorious adventurers! If you're joining in our Alpha One spot testing, please follow the steps here to see all the latest test info on our forums and Discord!
Options
Dark should mean dark as in torches/lanterns being needed.
Ironhope
Member
The darkness of night or the dark within the bowles of the earth should be a serious enviromental danger (not knowing if you're going to run into a Balrog or into an ambush or into another enviormental hazard like a trap).
Torches and lanters should be needed to brave it. It would also improve the economy as it would give professions another thing to do, to craft.
Some rewarding activities should be possible only at night or should be possible both during day and night but more rewarding at night.
For example, some objects should only be possible to produce under the light of the moon in a certain temple.
Or a certain type of fish should only be possible to catch during the night.
The night should also influence the NPC's.
For example, making npcs like large-cats and dire wolves or vampires more active and dangerous and with a higher presence in teh world at night.
Other npcs such as carnverous, moving plants should go to sleep.
I think it would add a lot of flavor to the world and a complete new dimension that would make it feel both more complex and alive and rewarding.
Torches and lanters should be needed to brave it. It would also improve the economy as it would give professions another thing to do, to craft.
Some rewarding activities should be possible only at night or should be possible both during day and night but more rewarding at night.
For example, some objects should only be possible to produce under the light of the moon in a certain temple.
Or a certain type of fish should only be possible to catch during the night.
The night should also influence the NPC's.
For example, making npcs like large-cats and dire wolves or vampires more active and dangerous and with a higher presence in teh world at night.
Other npcs such as carnverous, moving plants should go to sleep.
I think it would add a lot of flavor to the world and a complete new dimension that would make it feel both more complex and alive and rewarding.
5
Comments
And, expect glowing lichen and mushrooms in the Underrealm.
Maybe there will be darkest areas where the dark besides the mobs and enviroment will be the enemy.
with bated breath.
It would be a negative for many but I strongly believe this ''negative'' would end up being a fun challenge for most people.
Everyone thing about big bad enemies lurking in the shadows while I remember that level 1 human ranger stock in the Surefall Glade tunnel without infravision. Picking half-elf for my ranger was immediately rewarded in EQ
It's just another thing Ironhope doesn't know, but fears.
No.
Ark tried this shit and people just ended up cranking the gamma on the client side. If people don't want to be hassled by realistic survival shit in a survival game. I am sure they don't want to deal with it in an MMORPG.
If I had more time, I would write a shorter post.
Can I see a video or stream or text where this is said or shown?
On top of that, its something of the sort mmo-rpgs tend to promise (Blizzard did in 2003 for example) and then scrap before release considering not important enough.
No. It is important. Keep it if you intend to get it and intend to get it if you didn't comit to the idea so far.
Everything will be scrapped before launch.
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Environments#Darkness
As @Dygz said it’s in the Wiki. Here’s a quote:
“How deeply we take this though is really going to come down to how much fun it actually is, which we’re still in the process of discovering. As long as we can nail some interesting mechanics, and it’s not more frustrating than fun, make sure you bring your torch.”
The Mage is supposedly going to have a spell that casts light to help with this.
I remember back in EQ when I farmed Wisps to get a Lightstone, otherwise in some dungeons or even certain outdoor areas at night you can’t see a damn thing. I think that sort of retro idea fits really well with Ashes’ old school aesthetic and I’m somewhat nostalgic for it.
ETA: Here is the original interview with Steven himself:
https://www.mmogames.com/gamearticles/interview-ashes-of-creation-on-building-their-virtual-world/
I actually seized on the world “dark” in the quote above, as well, though I’m definitely over-analyzing this. Any plans for a lighting mechanic where night and dungeons are almost prohibitively dark if the players don’t bring a light source with them?
Yep, this is actually something we’ve discussed quite a bit. Unreal does lighting so well, it’d almost be a sin to not use it like this. Darkness also functions as a really interesting environmental obstacle, and we’ve had some happy accidents in the office to move us in this direction. How deeply we take this though is really going to come down to how much fun it actually is, which we’re still in the process of discovering. As long as we can nail some interesting mechanics, and it’s not more frustrating than fun, make sure you bring your torch.