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Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
New Information Regarding the Freehold Bidding System
AlmostDead
Member, Alpha Two
Regarding the Freehold article that just dropped, there were some key points that I previously did not understand. I suspect others may have also not understood these points.
1. On completing the Lord's Quest, you receive your Freehold Deed.
2. A limited number of Freehold Deeds are available.
3. You need a Freehold Deed to bid on an Estate.
This would seem to imply that a limited number of people can do the Lord's Quest. I did not previously understand this key point. So you're not bidding against everyone for freeholds, but rather, only against other players who completed the Lord's Quest, which is limited.
I think the key then becomes, how is access to the Lord's Quest managed? Perhaps it is First Come, First Served (FCFS), or some other system? This may alleviate a lot of concerns that guilds or RMT will dominate freeholds. You don't need to outbid the big bad guild that can win every FH auction, or the RMTs that have unlimited gold. You just need to outbid the other players who have completed the quest, and access to the quest may be managed in such a way as to throttle the guilds and RMTs. We just don't know at this point.
Also, if you are only bidding against other players who have completed the Lord's Quest, and the number of Freehold Deeds is limited equally to the number of available freeholds (A KEY POINT), then every bidder will be getting a freehold. So you're not bidding against other bidders with the possibility of losing a chance at a freehold altogether, but rather, YOU ARE MERELY BIDDING FOR THE BEST LOCATION!
Maybe I'm a noob and totally missed this before, but for me, this is new info. I think it totally addresses the majority of concerns raised by the community.
Here's the article:
https://ashesofcreation.com/news/2023-07-14-exploring-the-boundless-opportunities-of-freeholds
1. On completing the Lord's Quest, you receive your Freehold Deed.
2. A limited number of Freehold Deeds are available.
3. You need a Freehold Deed to bid on an Estate.
This would seem to imply that a limited number of people can do the Lord's Quest. I did not previously understand this key point. So you're not bidding against everyone for freeholds, but rather, only against other players who completed the Lord's Quest, which is limited.
I think the key then becomes, how is access to the Lord's Quest managed? Perhaps it is First Come, First Served (FCFS), or some other system? This may alleviate a lot of concerns that guilds or RMT will dominate freeholds. You don't need to outbid the big bad guild that can win every FH auction, or the RMTs that have unlimited gold. You just need to outbid the other players who have completed the quest, and access to the quest may be managed in such a way as to throttle the guilds and RMTs. We just don't know at this point.
Also, if you are only bidding against other players who have completed the Lord's Quest, and the number of Freehold Deeds is limited equally to the number of available freeholds (A KEY POINT), then every bidder will be getting a freehold. So you're not bidding against other bidders with the possibility of losing a chance at a freehold altogether, but rather, YOU ARE MERELY BIDDING FOR THE BEST LOCATION!
Maybe I'm a noob and totally missed this before, but for me, this is new info. I think it totally addresses the majority of concerns raised by the community.
Here's the article:
https://ashesofcreation.com/news/2023-07-14-exploring-the-boundless-opportunities-of-freeholds
3
Comments
If there's a limited amount of deeds that can exist, the only way this system works is if people sell freehold deeds and by extension the estate their freehold currently occupies. I really hope that's not the case, but if it is, me and my 2 alts will be happy to rush deeds while the casuals toil away at their jobs. There's no risk of permanently losing a freehold ever (except maybe server merges) if you always keep the deed.
Edit: After reading clarifying comments from Steven on a reddit post, I've realized that the comment I've written above is misguided.
I could very well be wrong in this assumption. Maybe Steven will clarify?
"Come join us as you wont like the taste of the Grapefruits we're throwing at our enemies."
"Never settle for what you think you know" - C. Krauthammer
I suppose it's possible the information provided is incorrect, but it would seem odd that these simple facts would have not been heavily scrutinized prior to publishing.
Seems very cut and dry to me:
"Once this quest is complete, you will receive your bound Freehold Deed
... Nodes have a limited number of Freehold Deeds available based on that node’s level. "
Question: Do you think that guilds will put their money together and make it hard for a single player to buy a freehold? Im just curious if any systems in place to limit this or if it’s intended. I know this is group based mmo so that would be fine.
I do believe this will be the case for some percentage of the freeholds, but there will be mitigating strategies that we use in the designs of the auction system to ensure viable access to a wider audience of play styles. Regardless, it will be difficult to obtain.
that was my favorite part - glad steven double down and they are not making something stupid like having 50k freeholds available
Yes, and it will happen often. The most in demand freeholds will be near POIs like high level dungeons and near developed nodes. They will instantly be bought by cartels and guilds. The less in demand freeholds will probably be quite cheap by comparison, especially those far from auction houses and markets.
Very well could be. There maybe a certain amount and once they are gone the quest giver stops giving the quest until someone wins an auction. I still wouldn't mind a bit of clarification.
"Come join us as you wont like the taste of the Grapefruits we're throwing at our enemies."
"Never settle for what you think you know" - C. Krauthammer
Which makes the idea of having a freehold... useless. I mean for the fantasy shit it's great, for economic purposes, useles. Moving mats will be expensive, risky and time consuming.
The idea that there should be room for everyone to have a freehold just isn't tenable, and would require freehold cost and time commitment to be lowered for you to achieve it, and that just makes it basically meaningless to have.
We also now know for sure that guild members can be granted access to the various activities on freeholds, meaning they are more about group cooperation than anything. Find a good guild with the right processing freeholds on it, or create a family that can compete for a freehold spot. The questline involved with getting the deed alone will make the competition manageable if you are smart about where you choose to compete.
Basically this could be a bid value modifier that is gained through node tasks. Using this, you could bolster the bid you place through individual merit rather than relying on others. This would most likely be exclusive for freehold bids, and should make it easier for smaller groups of people to compete if they centralize around one hard-working player.
Basically the game will become an oligopoly where feuds happen, betrayal and empires will fall and rise (if we' re lucky), but the power will always be concentrated in a few hands.
People are thinking that because a player owns a freehold it's something they achieved. No, it's a guild thing.
So not sure guilds will have permissions to use the processing. That looks like processing will still be locked behind the Family system. At least how I read that. *For now depending on testing* as always.
"Come join us as you wont like the taste of the Grapefruits we're throwing at our enemies."
"Never settle for what you think you know" - C. Krauthammer
I feel like even with the new info people aren't reading it and still making claims. Here's the full link for those people. https://ashesofcreation.com/news/2023-07-14-exploring-the-boundless-opportunities-of-freeholds
"Come join us as you wont like the taste of the Grapefruits we're throwing at our enemies."
"Never settle for what you think you know" - C. Krauthammer
what he's saying there is the reasoning for why they are allowing guild members perms, hes not being vague about whether or not it will exist. "The idea behind guild permissions for freeholds" is the key line here. The rest is an explanation on why and that this is still, like everything else, subject to change.
He also states in the same place "If we end up allowing guild permissions for freeholds it will likely only apply to the other members within the guilds micro structure" Which reads to me If we allow it, it's only going to be for a select few guild members within a certain guild system."
Something else we could use a bit of clarification on IMO
"Come join us as you wont like the taste of the Grapefruits we're throwing at our enemies."
"Never settle for what you think you know" - C. Krauthammer
So you think the discord message that you are doing your hardest to interpret this one way is more important than the clear as day manifest that explicitly expresses that guild members will have access to crafting/processing if given permission?
However, I will be the first to come back here and say I wasn't right if it's clarified and I'm wrong. Can/will you say the same?
"Come join us as you wont like the taste of the Grapefruits we're throwing at our enemies."
"Never settle for what you think you know" - C. Krauthammer
I don't think I will end up wrong because one is a discord post and another is an official statement from the company with a very clear statement on how this works.
If they make a new statement contradicting the manifesto then I am still not wrong, as they would be changing their stance, not clarifying what was said. And It is clear in their statement that this is subject to change.
I am never wrong, no matter what!
Normally I would agree that its fine to be wrong, but theres a clear difference here where rocsek is trying his hardest to make sense of steven's post when in reality the freehold manifesto is clear as day in what its saying. They would have to have screwed up a fundamental understanding of the english language for this to not mean guilds are included in permissions.
Permissions to help manage your home are handled through affiliations like your Guild and family system.
When setting permissions for your Freehold to do things like enter the house, interact with furniture, access Freehold storage, interact with crafting and processing stations, and harvesting gatherables on a Freehold, you can set if your Guild or family members should be able to do these things.
and if it sounds like I'm angry, I am. this whole back and forth is beyond frustrating to have to do.
Heh, I was thinking the same thing. I personally feel its ok to be humble and wrong from time to time. That typically means I've learned something. But hey at least he's honest and upfront about who he is right?
"Come join us as you wont like the taste of the Grapefruits we're throwing at our enemies."
"Never settle for what you think you know" - C. Krauthammer
Steven is known to clarify things after official posts. He said IF they allow guild shit and then micro structure, which means... really small!
Nothing is official because everything is subject to change. So if you have Official post > Steven comment, then Steven comment is most recent, therefore more canon
Thank you @Fantmx