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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.
A Few Questions Regarding: Node Series – Part One
ArchivedUser
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Great dev blog. I came up with a few questions that may ultimately be answered in a future part in this series, but I want to ask them anyways.
1) Say you build up your node to max level. Is there an "end" to the node? You guys mention raid bosses, is that the "final chapter" of that node or will there always be something fresh outside of the resources granted in this specific node?
2) Say a Node A was a max level metropolis and it gets destroyed because people in Node B wanted to expand and node A was in the way. Will there be ruins from Node A or does it just kind of disappear from the world?
3) A year after Node A was destroyed, I want to go back to it because I really like the raid boss in this particular node. Will it be the exact same story, quests, bosses, enemies, etc? Because if so then that is essentially a normal zone in every linear MMORPG, except this zone in AoC is locked behind a Node Grind and you cannot access it.
4) If the story is different and there are different quests, enemies, bosses, how do you capture telling the original story and keep lore-lovers like me from feeling empty because I missed the original story?
I look forward to learning more! Your team has been tremendous.
Thank you,
Zotaine
1) Say you build up your node to max level. Is there an "end" to the node? You guys mention raid bosses, is that the "final chapter" of that node or will there always be something fresh outside of the resources granted in this specific node?
2) Say a Node A was a max level metropolis and it gets destroyed because people in Node B wanted to expand and node A was in the way. Will there be ruins from Node A or does it just kind of disappear from the world?
3) A year after Node A was destroyed, I want to go back to it because I really like the raid boss in this particular node. Will it be the exact same story, quests, bosses, enemies, etc? Because if so then that is essentially a normal zone in every linear MMORPG, except this zone in AoC is locked behind a Node Grind and you cannot access it.
4) If the story is different and there are different quests, enemies, bosses, how do you capture telling the original story and keep lore-lovers like me from feeling empty because I missed the original story?
I look forward to learning more! Your team has been tremendous.
Thank you,
Zotaine
0
Comments
4 - I believe Steven has stated that there will be a main questline for all us lore nerds, whilst each node will have a story seperate from the main questline.
I hope this cleared up some things. :)
First off I would like to give a big pat on the back to the intrepid team and steven for the node video.
Its very informative and interesting, but always leaves you with more questions. And I hate being starved of info. You're left to make assumptions and fill in the blanks. Often with erroneous hopes and thoughts.
Back on topic...
OP. You are thinking this will be just
main quest = server wide
side quests = zones wide
The unique thing about ashes being that those areas level up and the server also levels up according to collective zone progress.
ie you could have 6 levels / zone but 100 zones in a server, allowing the server main quest to have 600 levels if they wanted to. So if the main quest evolves according to server wide progress there is lots of potential for story variation.
From my point of view, I always hoped for varying levels of difficulty anyway. So that depends on your ability to adjust to that difficulty (ie not gate new players from the content). So ramping difficulty up with evolution seems like a natural way of achieving what is contrived in MMOs anyway. Even to the extent of different grades of gear and weapons. Its all smoke and mirrors. Bosses get harder..along with gear/weapons more powerful. So parity always remains and progress an illusion.
There is a spark of genius underlying the design. It just needs to be recognised and nurtured in the right way. You may release the ultimate nemesis if server progress hits max. The result being it destroys the server and sends it back to the start by forcing you to escape. So I will wait to see where exactly steven is going with this.
The more you push the world.....the more it pushes back ! Equlibirum may be the only way to survive in the end. And people often hate the status quo.
How long do you think you can compress that spring for before your muscles fatigue and giveout ? Long term stability through harmony or short term gains through supremacy. What drives you ?
Well first of I would like to give a big pat on the back to the intrepid team and Steven for the node video as Rune did.
But back to the questions.
1 - There will be a lot of play around the nodes even though they've been fully developed. I think the four types of nodes will play a big role in how the metropolis is used and how people interact with the node. Personally I see nodes as a meeting point that you can call home.
You can set up your home/player shop there, and its a place where you find your side quests and dungeons/raids.
I also think they're a great way to make counterplay and preparing epic sieges!
3 - No, the "story" of a node will not be the same if it gets destroyed. The node might develop in new and exciting ways and the storyline of that node will completely different.
This blog update for me is very interesting and I want know more.... Thanks to Intrepid Studios.