Warning, bad take: Mediocre game now or amazing game later

Everything Intrepid has shown in their last many dev updates have been great. It really looks like the game will be the next big generation-defining mmo. The longer we wait, the greater the game will be in the depth of having an interesting world and the complexity of the game systems we interact with.

How long is too long to wait tho?

If I showed you a list of things we need to see after Alpha 1 and a list of things we need to see now, those lists are the same.

some things:
- secondary archetypes
- 5 archetypes
-- we have seen archer but have not seen new tank
- professions
-- we saw some gathering but no processing or crafting
-- we got that list in the ama, but that's just a text file
- caravans
-- we saw steven play with a caravan in the pre-alpha 1 spot testing, but nothing since
- node types
- naval ships and ocean travelling

We have seen slices of many of these systems, but there is still so much more to go. thinking on this gives me anxiety. Should we trust that Intrepid has much more done behind the scenes that they aren't showing us, or should we assume that what we have seen is what they have completed and comfortable with, and everything else is still in development.

I know it is too late to go back now, but it is my opinion that I would have taken a simpler game and have it within the next year over having this elaborate, expansive, well developed game in 5 years. I don't need these amazing graphics and a world the size of whatever the new map is. I just want a game that is fun and respects my time and wallet.

What do you guys think on this?

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Comments

Gui10

I agree that it can feel slow at time, but mind you there are a ton of things they arent showing us but that are progressing in the background.

I agree it seems we still have zero info about some classes, which sucks after 6 years in the making.

But we know they are working on a ton of things. I think they can do a better job of communicating how the develoipment is gong overall, it would help clear about of our doubts. I dont care too much about how fast its going, I just want to know ITS GOING.

A mod asked in the discord "What do you want to see in the december stream", and my main answer was "A Roadmap". I think we should really push for this is we want to know more about whats going on.

I would love a Roadmap WITHOUT DATES, but with a list of features and details about those that are being worked on, those that still need work, those they havent etouched yet, and those that what will be included at the start of Alpha 2, and what will be added along the way during Alpha 2.

In terms of what is too long, I would say its "too long" to wait for the game to be fully completed before launching, Instead of adding things as patches incrementaly over the years after release. (I am talking about non-fundamental features of course).

EDIT: what I mean by non-fundamental features are things like skins (weapons, armor, mounts, buildings), environment details, some actual weapon types and weapon skills/class skills, some node buildings, some map areas like some islands or some underground areas, Also the religion and relic systems dont seem as fundamental to me as other systems but I would still understand if they want to launch with it. Im guessing it wont be there at the start of A2 though.

Azherae

I don't have a reason to play the 'barebones' version.

The community would have to be ABSOLUTELY AMAZING to pull me away from games that do what Ashes promises but better for me personally.

Those games have had years to develop, so it's not 'fair', but my desire is to enjoy the game I am playing, and I don't think I'd enjoy the barebones version of Ashes more than what I play now.

I have honestly had to question if I will enjoy the COMPLETE version of Ashes more than what I play now, though, so that might not mean anything.

So I think I'd prefer to keep waiting. Alpha-1 was nice, but it wasn't actually FUN, it was just 'conceptually fun if I imagined what it could become'.

As for how long is too long to wait... I don't know... it depends on what EXACTLY is holding them up, or what they aren't showing us. If they give us an Alpha-2 where I feel that 'critique style feedback would take months to iterate through', I think I'd be really disappointed.

Either because they would go 'well we chose to do it this way because limitations' and I would have to then go 'well that's unfortunate I guess I'll go back to playing other stuff', or because they would go 'oh we hear your feedback, we thought the community would like this, but we're open to change it' dozens of times and release in 2031.

I personally benefit from just being around here regardless, but if I go by what my teammates feel... some of them are already ready to move on, only the Cleric showcase has given them any 'reason to stay', but if we are about to be ramping up and 'seeing more things like it', maybe it'll be okay.

Voxtrium

A roadmap without dates would be really nice. Sometimes I also get that feeling of anxiety, however i do disagree. id rather the game but exactly what they promised and wait longer, hopefully the alpha 2 releases in June of this year, that'd probably keep the jitters at bay the best.

Depraved

iirc, the bard and the rogue and the fighter were also going to be in alpha 1, but they decided not to include them last minute or so. there were some "technical difficulties", probably some bugs or they didn't look as good at the time. then, we got to see the fighter few months ago and then the ranger, which came out of nowhere. those classes are probably finished and they are just adding some polish and sfx/vfx.

they said that we were going to see the augment system as well very soon, so that's probably nearly done too.

also remember, that they arent just making the game. they are making tools so that they can make and maintain the game. there are lots of invisible things that the player cant see and they need to be developed, and that takes time, probably more time than making the actual game. also, the art and the net code takes time, and those things need to be ready.

I'm confident alpha 2 is around the corner. they just need to add quests, some dungeons, finish creating class skills, and fine tuning numbers

Serafin7

How long we have to wait for AoC if after 6 years they still wondering with simple matters like active blocking ect. Maybe I'm not dev just simply player but in my opinion there is many of things what can be add to the game later.
Relese date :
- World finished in 100% but still can be polish
- main game rules like Node system, PvP system
- fight system in 90%
- class balance in 80% and there is no shance to finish it before relese
- main quest line and constant quests in 100%
- temporary quests in 50%, a lot of this comtent can be add later.

What can be add later and I suppose noone will complain:
- seasons of the year
- costomization system what probably will take long time ( ESO is good example, they add this system later)
- housing costomization and cretion ( good ex. ESO)
- calss balance
- some item sets
- Some temporary quests
- Some PvP systems like arena PvP rated

Probably many many things can be added to the game in patches later.
So final feedback to Intrepid studio is:
Don't pay attention on crap so long if many of mechanics and rules are obvios even for me.

If we could play AoC in 1 year with 80% of your whole vision of this game it would be much better then play AoC in 10 years with 100% of your whole vision. I think so and I understand that game must be playable and interesting in relese. But still, I have never seen MMORPG ready in 100% in relese date... why ? 1st because it could take too much time, 2nd because it's impossible.

Voxtrium

Serafin7 wrote: »

How long we have to wait for AoC if after 6 years they still wondering with simple matters like active blocking ect. Maybe I'm not dev just simply player but in my opinion there is many of things what can be add to the game later.
Relese date :
- World finished in 100% but still can be polish
- main game rules like Node system, PvP system
- fight system in 90%
- class balance in 80% and there is no shance to finish it before relese
- main quest line and constant quests in 100%
- temporary quests in 50%, a lot of this comtent can be add later.

What can be add later and I suppose noone will complain:
- seasons of the year
- costomization system what probably will take long time ( ESO is good example, they add this system later)
- housing costomization and cretion ( good ex. ESO)
- calss balance
- some item sets
- Some temporary quests
- Some PvP systems like arena PvP rated

Probably many many things can be added to the game in patches later.
So final feedback to Intrepid studio is:
Don't pay attention on crap so long if many of mechanics and rules are obvios even for me.

If we could play AoC in 1 year with 80% of your whole vision of this game it would be much better then play AoC in 10 years with 100% of your whole vision. I think so and I understand that game must be playable and interesting in relese. But still, I have never seen MMORPG ready in 100% in relese date... why ? 1st because it could take too much time, 2nd because it's impossible.

sounds like u want A2

777

Amazing game later for sure

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