Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
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.
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.
Comments
I think he means "practicality" or "realism" instead of "creativity" @Chime?
Its very creative, its not realistic, but i don't really care about realism in a game where people throw fireballs and sunder the earth with their sword. So Snorse +1
You light the beacons in case Mordor attacks.
I suppose that deserts won't have regular seasons? It would be really cool,, if instead the Dunes in the sand desert shifted location through desert storms and uncovered new paths, resources, dungeons etc. alternatively to the normal seasons.
I know it's not done yet but still waiting to see the footstep trails since the weather video! But I know that ground interactions are not really implemented yet so I will just mention it briefly.
I know the music was placeholder but it really suited it and I hope we can see more of that and some other variety in the mix.
- Things I would like to see in the desert Biome -
Sandstorms! They can restrict vision, maybe speed or perhaps just vision. Distort sound as well, while also hearing the whistling wind. Sandstorms can also be parts of events. I had the idea of a sandstorm being an event, which at the end of which reveals an entrance to a ruin or underground catacomb! Just imagine a hatch or stairway making itself visible for curious adventurers to venture into. Perhaps it could also release or awaken some sand monster trapped under the sands for years.
I have mentioned this before but I want puzzles and easter eggs littered around the world of Verra. They can be little lore snippets, and in some cases actual treasure. Take the statue with the purple eyes - perhaps something is "missing" and we need to restore it to its original form in order to reveal a hidden entrance. This entrance could open temporarily - and could be an indiana jones-style gauntlet filled with traps, monsters and treasure!
I'd like some jumping puzzles like I want in EVERY biome. But it's a desert, so be creative and have fun with it!
And I can't express enough about the easter eggs, the lore. Steven seems so passionate when he talks about the history of the world and its inhabitants. I want to see that littered around the world so we can all share that same immersion in the world of Verra.
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald had a Mirage tower that would only appear at certain times:
Similar concept from the kungfu movie "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" - where an ancient cursed temple full of gold lies buried under a sand dune, but during heavy sandstorms small entrances get briefly uncovered - so you have to enter and exit before the sandstorm subsides.
Mario/Zelda games do a pretty great job of sinking sand as a hazard - the more you move the more you sink, so you can create obstacle courses/mazes where people are always looking for solid ground.
Another great mechanic that I think would work well in deserts is to treat them as "the floor is lava" and you're always looking for shade to cool off in (like in V-rising). This would add a lot of environmental gameplay - which would be super cool in an MMO.
offer a place to shelter from punishing sandstorms
Venture deeper into them to find ancient lost civilizations like the Petra:
I think the pyramids were overdone, but are due for a comeback. (but no alien spaceships involved please)
On that note, I super love the classic "when the sunlight aligns with x so that the shadow of x points to y then z happens". hahaha
The Australian Desert (yieww!) has a town, Coober Pedy that has underground buildings. This concept could tie in with a quarry/mine-themed POI.
super cool potential for POIs - probably hugely important for caravan routes.
Magically protected oasis? Rare creatures?
LOVE LOVE this city "Clow Country" from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
Dubai is a really cool idea of an extravagant city in the middle of a desert.
Genie in a lamp - this has potential to be an entire raid experience and you could do something interesting similar to Aladdin - where the cave of riches collapses the moment you try to take something. But please, a genie should be unique (please don't have a town of genies) - it would be cool if Ashes had their own twist to the genie in a lamp story.
Forbidden ancient magic - the great potential for "lost ancient civilization" in deserts comes with great potential for forbidden ancient magic that was the cause of their doom.
Desert Spirits - Australia has 2 desert ancient legends: Min Min lights (inexplicable lights that glow and move in the desert at night, sometimes chase people) and the Yowie (basically bigfoot sightings). Both these legends pre-date white colonialism here - they're in ancient aboriginal folklore, which is where their names come from, but to this day there's an occasional report of a sighting every now and again. I'm sure other countries have similar legends around their deserts too.
Something that did seem odd to me was the bare legs of the rider; I kept thinking he's gonna get a really bad sunburn on them.
You need some crocs with those hippos; would like to see mummys, cave drawings, even pyramids, and camel spiders jumping out of the sand. Being on top of some of those mountains with a thin atmosphere, I would like to able to see "the thin green line" flash at sunset.
Formerly T-Elf
Hippos wearing crocs!? Bleugh!
Are there certain aspects of deserts that you like from other games?
I like in some RPGs (not MMOS) where the desert would have changes in visibility depending on the weather. Other more survival focused RPGs make a big deal of finding water and wearing appropriate gear, but I don't think this would fit an MMO too much.
What deserts in games stand out for you?
Off the top of my head the few deserts I can remember being really fun or beautiful, in games are: Monster Hunter World, FFXII around Dalmasca, the one in Tera, and the whole of Journey before getting to the mountains.
Are there certain points of interest you would like to see in deserts?
Oasis and half buried ruins are the first things that come to mind. Maybe NPC nomadic caravans serving as traders/weapon repair points in the desert. These would be wandering around so finding them would be a matter of learning their routes or being lucky.
Are there desert tropes you would like us to include or avoid?
Can't think of any I don't like or would absolutely wish to avoid. But here you have a list of Desert Tropes to check and see if you'd like to add them or avoid them: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DesertTropes
Which unique creatures do you think should be found in deserts?
Some cool mobs found traditionally found in deserts that I like:
Androsphynx and Gynosphynx creatures guarding half buried temples and ruins.
Worms à la Dune.
Nightwalkers from D&D 5e. Big scary nocturnal creatures.
Giant rock and sand turtles.
Creatures which need not necessarily be aggressive:
Frilled neck lizards (maybe even as a mount)
Giant ducks (like the Super Spot-Billed Ducks from the anime One Piece)
Some chimeric version of kangaroos and kangaroo-mice.
What kind of desert weather and seasonal effects do you wish were found in more games?
As mentioned earlier, reduced visibility during strong winds. So perhaps strong winds kick in and your field of vision is reduced, whilst the monsters in the area retain or even increase their aggro range. This makes the desert a potentially treacherous are to traverse.
This makes knowledge of the area a crucial aspect of traversal, caravans and ambushing.
**Are there certain aspects of deserts that you like from other games? / What deserts in games stand out for you?
I've mostly played Black Desert for a long time, and the thing I love about it is the large dune desert. I think the initial wandering in and getting lost was so capturing to me personally, and I love that even 4-5 years later, I still find myself getting a bit lost at times when running through the desert there. I really like that your minimap gets hidden and you have to mark where you are based on landmarks/general area or have to time how long you have been running in a certain direction, granted there is a compass item that assists you in unhiding your map, I think it's still a unique and immersing feature of that game.
I'd like to see something similar here. I know a lot of other people seem to hate large deserts (Mostly in BDO because it costs people more time before getting to their next 300 hour grind spot), but the large dune desert is one of my favorite tropes in every/any story.
I also like the height/depth range of maps in games like Genshin Impact, where, although the surface area seems small, there are so many cave systems below to get lost in/so much to explore as the typical linear radial area has been flipped and now it's a huge stretch depth/height wise to explore.
Also really like in Black Desert that normal mounts are encumbered/slow in the desert, which forces one to raise a Camel/Elephant or to run on feet because otherwise it's too slow to get around.
**Are there certain points of interest you would like to see in deserts?
As others have stated; sand buried ruins or crevice's in the desert that you might trip/fall into and discover an underground labyrinth/small maze/caves under the dunes.
**Are there desert tropes you would like us to include?
Arabian nights?
**What kind of desert weather and seasonal effects do you wish were found in more games?
Sandstorms that teleport you in the desert so you really get lost
I think weather effects that obscure your vision are very immersive setting. Sandstorms should do damage to a character so that they are required to find some sort of shelter or change course, but at the same time, I understand the desert is typically something that can be traversed in under 5 minutes in most games, so it makes no sense to tie someone down waiting out a storm that takes longer to wait out than it does to get across the map.
And blizzards that do something similar/close of your map so you might get lost.
**Other comments
As others have pointed out, fading footprints in the sand, need some weight
During the first part it reminded me heavily of Conan Exiles. The sort of arid badlands that personally I feel can always use more terrain characterization if that makes sense? Don't get me wrong it looked great! I just hope for more grand canyon rapids and brush that hides cute little animals etc etc. Try to add more of that thick, brittle desert brush foliage and sneak some rare herbs hidden within... or poisonous snakes for jumps scares. As a character moves through the twigs can break off if you want to go the extra mile!
For the desert it looks great as well, deserts are hard to make different from other games imo. Maybe sandstorms or mirages can be a thing? In any case having wind give that small trail of sand into the air off the top of the dunes could be a nice touch.
I'd try to mix in more ancient ruins and pyramids. Not so much that it become cluttered but small little things like broken pillars and such to try to give it some mystery. And then on the horizon perhaps and endless sea of sand spotted with oasis's or distant plateaus.
Now as far as plants go we have a lot to draw on in our own world, but picturing an alien desert would probably involve a lot of survival themes from hoarding water to using some alternative to it. Same perhaps for animals. Probably could make some animal that is a water vampire or a plant that lures you in to the same effect! Some creature that parasites plant photosynthesis could be interesting too. Not everything has to be a predator in mmos! I'm sure you all will include sand elementals somewhere haha!
Also Sieches from Dune would be a huge plus. Small desert communities that have rich cultural history from surviving it would be absolutely amazing for a node. I'm thinking something tucked into a desert cavern, canyon or cave!
If you are concerned about the performance on preset settings make it so the Ultra preset doesn't have everything maxed out - but have a checkbox with a warning message, to enable us go beyond ultra and bump the settings such as rendering distance for foliage further
Professional Skeptic, Entertainer, and Animal Enthusiast
Just a couple of things come to mind.
More desert type wildlife, frilled lizards, some snakes, etc...buzzards or your equivalent flying overhead in certain areas.
Mirages if it's possible to do that, it would be so immersive especially if it could be random across the whole desert depending on how long you are stuck or wandering there.
A sand serpent that lives in the sand would be really cool, or some type of insect like mobs that have nests buried in underground grottos if you have them. A very dangerous place for the unwary adventurer if he/she would stumble upon if out venturing alone.
A huge oasis would also be cool...one that attracts the wildlife, and travelers...maybe a small trailside hub, etc.
One thing is for sure, I wasn't too excited to see this biome, but boy do I want to now after seeing this great vid. The environment team just knocked it out of the park! Keep up the great work!
So many great comments and suggestions here already. I really like the idea of tombs located through quick sand and or revealed and hidden by sand storms.
Sand trap spiders for another desert nasty.
The only thing I would change is the location of the biome on the world map. Doesnt make much sense to me that the river lands are on the latitude 0° while the desert biome is located at the latitude 23° where in the real world the more temperate climate zones are located at. If I imagine Verra is a world on a round planet, the equatorial zones should be located closer to the sun so they tend to have a warmer desert like climate.
But maybe I am wrong and the planet has a different angle to the sun, maybe then it would make sense again. But than at the same time the ice biome is located at similar latitude like the desert biome kind of.
This is also my main concern.
The desert looks amazing and I was completely blown away by the teaser video until this frame @ 00:48 :
It also seems like the view distance was decreased (by fog) compared to A1, which I am a bit unhappy with.
AoC's extremely high-fidelity world only makes both of these issues more visible, which makes them borderline immersion-breaking IMO.
Thankfully Unreal Engine 5.1 - although currently experimental - supports world position offset (moving/warping/rotating) for nanite meshes.
When they upgrade to 5.1 down the line, I believe this will allow them to use Nanite for foliage (and possibly other meshes that didn't use Nanite for the same reason). This would solve the draw distance issue and help with the performance, allowing them to increase the view distance.
Don't quote me on this though, as they might have some other constraints that I'm unaware of that could prevent them from making the transition.
I guess the first scenes of the trailer show the transition from other biomes into the desert biome but somehow there was still a bit missing. Is probably due to the low draw distance of the foliage. This has also bothered me in the past, but I really hope that Intrepid turns it up again properly!
I'd love to see big sandworms in the distance, eating their way through the sand (like in Dune) and ESPECIALLY a desert folk, like the Tusken Raiders from Star Wars, that can ambush you anytime and anywhere. So better watch out, Caravan!
Oh, lets talk about some of these unique creatures in desert biomes.
- Gotta have a big sandworm somewhere. You absolutely MUST have it. And now that Dune is pop culture, people will eat that up. Something something something marketing
- I think having a tribal race of bug people would suit a desert. I'm thinking of the Geonosians from Star Wars, or even Thri Kreen from D&D.
- I'm thinking you have to have some sort of Kangaroo analog. Maybe like a cute kangaroo mouse type thing. Something that moves by jumping to keep their feet away from the hot sand.
- Big ass Vultures that ride the up drafts and scan massive swathes of biomes. Like a Vulture Roc, that would be cool as hell.
- Also remember that DESERTS often used to be PREHISTORIC SEAS. Perhaps there are massive skeletons lying around, or perhaps magically resurrecting something buried here could spawn a prehistoric boss?
Morrowind has a town on top of a mountain with sandstorms, this was one of my favorite finds in that game. The sand was so thick it obscured player vision and would be a fun element to have in some fights.
The big teeth tentacle monsters seem cartoony and way out of place for me. I don't really mind the snorse, it has it's charm. The rhino has dragon scales but the hippo is normal is kind of a confusing parallel to draw. Interested to see what other enemy types will be available.
Flowing sands or quicksand that pulls you underground into dungeons might be cool to hit players with in one or two spots.
Apart from that, all the classic desert cliches have already been suggested and I'll +1 them all: sandstorms, big worms (shoutout to all my Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy homies), mirages and shifting sand leading to hidden temples, its all good.
Just whatever you do don't copy Monster Hunters "drink cold water or you take damage" mechanic. No-one likes that. If you say you do, you're lying to us all, and yourself
Bluntly, spending dev time worrying about stuff like this is a great way to never have a finished game.
Scorpion boss is bloody awesome.
The diversity of different areas to explore appears on point.
Music is great.
A trope I'd like to see is a massive sand storm that you have to out pace/time at regular intervals and then some crazy random ones that come out of nowhere. I imagine bandits and players chasing my caravan forcing me to ride directly into a sandstorm at great risk to lose them.
Hidden oasis's with unique interactions/ items, catacombs, caves, desert boats, massive desert worms and anything Dune related.
I don't know how you would go about this but putting in place skill mechanics to survive different interactions
such as sand storms and desert worms would be awesome
Keep up the great work
Ooh, yes!
MH has a number of mobs/bosses that like to burrow underground and pop up underneath you. While they're burrowed, they're immune to everything - except sonic booms. This becomes an environmental factor that influences combat in the desert, which adds extra spice to desert combat (it is so satisfying to force mobs out from underground)!
So for environment design: Are you going to distinguish between bits of ground that the mobs can burrow within, and ground that they can't (like large boulders/plateaus)?
another idea:
Cactus Flowers - A number of cacti have flowers that only bloom for only 1 day (CRAZY, RIGHT?).
This is PERFECT material for a rare resource/gathering event. If the flowers don't get pollinated that day, they don't bear any fruit later.
I will say that it looks like you've taken a lot of inspiration from Conan Exiles - but to me this is a bonus. That game has the most interactive and exploration worthy desert biome of any game I've played.
The other thing that I have not seen a lot of games do - but I think even the preview eluded to it - was along the lines of ffxi where they had ruins that actually connected several zones through underground passageways and exposed ruins. You could always fall into them from the top desert area but it was essentially a 3-D maze of several zone layers(vertical and horizontally connected) with lots of secret doors and passages that needed group cooperation to open doors with characters standing on different platforms or killing mobs to trigger a door opening, etc.
Very much looking forward to seeing how it all turns out!
I think my favorite desert is BDOs. When you are in the desert, you can't see yourself on the map so you have to look around to figure out where you are. They also have a few survival mechanics that can kill you so you are there is some pressure to get through it.
Formerly T-Elf