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Alpha Two Phase II testing is currently taking place 5+ days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Transportation Tiers as far as speed goes. With a slight focus on Ships.
Dolyem
Member, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
Just a very simple concept I was considering while brainstorming regarding Risk vs Reward, keeping the world overall active, and travel options. Some is based on what we have been given and some is just how I think it would be good to design it. Just theory/suggestions.
- Tier 0 - Caravans should be slow in order to increase the risk of running them. that way the reward is earned proportionally to the risk.
- Tier 1 - Your base movement is obviously just on your own 2 feet, the speed here is simply affected by your class choices because it is likely that some classes are more mobile than others.
- Tier 2 - Basic Mounts (Land/water) allowing for faster than normal transportation, likely the most common type depending on the varieties of mounts or mount abilities Intrepid decides to implement. Some may be better than others, but generally I would toss typical mounts into this category
- Tier 3 - Node Fast travel features, this is still up in the air but the reason I wouldn't put this in a higher tier is because it is limited to only the nodes affected by the appropriate metropolis, but it is super efficient to be able to fast travel even if it is only limited to the Zone of Influence.
- Tier 4 - Ships, I believe that they should be exceptionally fast, thus creating a reason for sailing to be an option vs just running or riding a mount somewhere. This can increase traffic on the seas as well as creating more instances where people are attacked at sea. If there isn't enough risk to this, there can simply be less/no corruption penalties when at sea, assuming it would be out of typical node zones of influence. Thus, faster transport with potentially more resources while risking open battle.
- Tier 5 - Flying mounts, obviously the most exclusive form of transportation would have the most merits. Its obvious that a fast flying mount B-lining to a destination will always be the fastest choice. There isn't necessarily risk for this reward, just being better or luckier than the rest.
The ship idea is likely the centerpiece for this discussion, I just think it would likely keep the seas from being barren of players and make a sort of "beyond our borders" feel that grants opportunity and danger.
- Tier 0 - Caravans should be slow in order to increase the risk of running them. that way the reward is earned proportionally to the risk.
- Tier 1 - Your base movement is obviously just on your own 2 feet, the speed here is simply affected by your class choices because it is likely that some classes are more mobile than others.
- Tier 2 - Basic Mounts (Land/water) allowing for faster than normal transportation, likely the most common type depending on the varieties of mounts or mount abilities Intrepid decides to implement. Some may be better than others, but generally I would toss typical mounts into this category
- Tier 3 - Node Fast travel features, this is still up in the air but the reason I wouldn't put this in a higher tier is because it is limited to only the nodes affected by the appropriate metropolis, but it is super efficient to be able to fast travel even if it is only limited to the Zone of Influence.
- Tier 4 - Ships, I believe that they should be exceptionally fast, thus creating a reason for sailing to be an option vs just running or riding a mount somewhere. This can increase traffic on the seas as well as creating more instances where people are attacked at sea. If there isn't enough risk to this, there can simply be less/no corruption penalties when at sea, assuming it would be out of typical node zones of influence. Thus, faster transport with potentially more resources while risking open battle.
- Tier 5 - Flying mounts, obviously the most exclusive form of transportation would have the most merits. Its obvious that a fast flying mount B-lining to a destination will always be the fastest choice. There isn't necessarily risk for this reward, just being better or luckier than the rest.
The ship idea is likely the centerpiece for this discussion, I just think it would likely keep the seas from being barren of players and make a sort of "beyond our borders" feel that grants opportunity and danger.
2
Comments
Since you’re focusing on ships, I’d expect that there would be a barge caravan option that would move slower that your standard player owned ship. That way you would have the same risk/reward proportion for port trade cities, and create the opportunity for player pirates.
🏴☠️
Thats actually an excellent idea, and you can have barge caravans move faster than land caravans. Thus giving more incentive despite greater risk of getting attacked without full protection of corruption (as far as what I have suggested in my original post). Perhaps barges move quite a bit faster while also requiring a greater distance traveled to balance out the risk. It would also make port cities viable.
Exactly. And there will be cases (I have no idea how often) that you would need to use both a caravan and a barge to move goods from a landlocked node to an island node. Now you’re taking quite a bit of risk but with the reward of brining very valuable goods to a high demand no supply market.
I wonder if there will be specific class/augment builds that would specialize for defending / attacking caravans by de/buffing the speed of the caravan?
I love it, just think of the battles or even just the presence alone for people witnessing a big escort group for that sort of thing.
I would say to maybe not hinder an already slow caravan. My entire idea is that they can be outran by anyone so no need to slow them with abilities, except maybe barges for obvious reasons like people not being able to swim faster than a boat. Could use things like harpoons to anchor them down.
Personally, I get bored with sea content the second that it becomes ez.
Thats true enough, I was thinking more from a population aspect. Dangerous territory due to free range PvP and speed/potential rewards being the pull for it. It would still take time to get around continents since youre going around a longer distance and not going through them. The time to explore could still take time seeing as you would have to get off of your ship to explore underwater.
Typically yes. There are exceptions not really applicable to Ashes.
I agree on the "danger" of the sea being very much real. I would go as far as to say that smaller ships shouldn't be equipped to handle some of the dangerous events solo at all even with skill. It further encourages group sea content.
I'd love to see fleets of ships teaming up, something I am not used to seeing as much to further cement the group element of the game.
Either jump on and a social journey with other or jump on and then go get a coffee while your journey takes place.
Throw in a little risk and I would be happy to commute this way either by land or sea for those longer journeys.
How fast do you all think ships should be now that the world is even bigger? My original statement stands.
Land
Water. Depends on the class of the ship:
edit: oops KN for ships KTS for planes hehe