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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.
Hard Core Ashes World
Leviojima
Member, Alpha Two
I understand that Ashes of Creation is already going to be a very immersive and in-depth world. However, there are other forms of immersion that can be done. For players wanting to go full dive into the game, would it be possible to have a world without a hud display and other "assistance" systems so that players can exist as a member of the world more so than as a player.
I would love to hear the opinion of members of the community. Would this be desired? Would you consider this to be casual or hardcore?
I would love to hear the opinion of members of the community. Would this be desired? Would you consider this to be casual or hardcore?
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Comments
I suggest thinking of additions to the current game's immersion tools rather than trying to make an entirely different ruleset/game with a special type of server.
I think there is a core misunderstanding with my line of thinking here I would love to clear up as it seems others have it too. I am not asking for any balancing or control to be implimented... more of an experiment of the Genre. Without the core assistance systems (including balancing runs for non-critical issues like the ghost AI) let there be atleast 1 server where players have to experience the world entirely as the player. It would be the most immersive experience available and I feel (atleast for myself) that this is what Mmo players need/want. We have been drained so much by games meant to rip us off for profit, and if we can true delve into a game like it was our other life then it would allow people to recharge better.
This is why I am not sure if it would be considered hardcore or casual. It is "Hard-core" since you dont get the hand holding, but "Casual" because it allows the most authentic play style without needing to focus on "winning" at the game.
Sorry if this sounds rant-y I have been burned really bad and am so close to leaving mmo and maybe gaming for good. People are fantasizing about Isekai and "trapped in game" experiences because we lost our escape from the world when games because about quick cash and e-sports. Feels like there is no home for just playing in games anymore.
Second, It really should be a bannable offense to go into combat without using your UI in group content. You are effectively griefing your whole party by limiting your own effectiveness in such a way. Not being able to see your HP bars or see buffs and debuffs. It's not "assistance" to its core gameplay mechanics. The whole game is designed with the idea that you can see and read that shit in mind.
There is nothing "Immersive" or "Hard Core" about purposely making yourself ignorant about the details of an encounter.
You might as well not use weapons either... Why use a force amplifier like a weapon as "assistance" when you can just beat everything down with your fists like a real "hard core" player?
This is my personal feedback, shared to help the game thrive in its niche.
The RP in MMORPG is not that you are playing a character name Leviathan, and you are living in a world with other characters, doing things in that world. The RP in MMORPG means that you are a mage in a group that is killing something for some reason, and the role that you are playing is that of caster DPS.
The kind of thing you seem to want is something some games are starting to explore (Kingdom Come: Deliverance seems to me to be along these lines). So it would seem to me that one day such a game set in a High Fantasy setting will happen - but that day is not this day, and that game is not this game.
I think it's pretty clear what you are asking for. Removing one of the core aspects of an mmo like a HUD with action bars, mini maps, information banks etc change how the game is controlled, how the game is balanced, and how players play the game. (Making all this invisible or unusable is a massive change.)
This means you need new balance parameters. You need a different approach to design in order to make the game still accessible in this new style for most players. Can you honestly say the game can be played the exact same way as far as difficulty is considered if you remove all those elements?
Hell you might have some abilities become overpowered on your server just because they are harder to see visually. That alone requires balancing.
- Increased design complexity.
- Target players are very few in number.
- There simply cannot be 1 such server. It would have to 1 such server per region.
- AoC is not for everyone, which is already established.
I think you should look into upcoming VR games in the market rather than playing something on a 2D screen for the level of immersion you are seeking. As AoC release is still 2-3 years into the future, I am sure you will find what you are looking for there by then.