Chaliux was trying to be reasonable for most of their posts, then got provoked by NiKr, then got pulled into the vortex. Mixups everywhere.
So at some point maybe you lumped Chaliux and Airborne together due to NiKr's Provoke after a while. And I then had my usual tendency to 'defuse any two people who don't actually strongly disagree with each other'.
Well done summary. Thanks for the flowers getting my posts reasonable IF someone has the ability to chance perspective, if not, the entire discussion does not make sense.
This game if for all player types. All. The restricted view that it is only for owpvp L2 players, is just terribly wrong. And I'm the prove for that and just because 2-3 other keyboard warriros argue in another direction will not change anything. Just switch forum or listing to the internet, so outside the bubble existing here and you will learn. Not "you", Azherae, but others, that are very convinced about their point of view. Well, I'm as well. if Ashes doesn't want to have grey, it will have a dark MMO life - Fine with that. We will see.
You can get good rewards also with low time invest. Other games prove this since years.
Yeah, and they're all boring as hell because of it. You're free to go play them.
That was the only relevant part of your entire posting, because everything just repeated again and again.
This part is essential, because your definition of "satisfaction" is invested time instead of challenging content. You didn't say that, but that's the assumption.
I provide an example for you: I've played arena ranking on Gladiator level, in WoW. I'm not sure what's the name in L2 or whatsoever for this. For this success and highest rewards I invested 4-5h a week. Boring? What the hell are you talking... You seem to have a very limited experience of what a MMO can and should offer so that all attracted players (and Ashes is attracting all of them and NEEDs all of them) find their content with suitable and meaninful rewards. If the game is only a "competion" and "being better than everybody else" all the time, than this is your single definition of it. It's a massive multiplay role play game, it's not the point to make business out of a game by saying: If you invest more time it's not boring.
Solo players need content. Small group (2-4) needs content. Medium group (8-16) needs content. Raids (40+) need content. Each group needs meaningful things to do while not invalidating the other. Catering to only one of these groups will only hurt retention and the revolving door that is MMO population
Exactly.
It is not only a group-competetive-owpvp game. Some minority of players reduce it to this single playing style for them personally. That's all.
Solo players need a place in the world, but they have to keep in mind soloing is harder than being in a group. Ashes as a game needs to help players find groups organically through quest design, level up dungeons, character progression etc.
That's clear since MMO started to be on the market. But some MMOs lack to respect the players time and dont reward it in a meaningful way. I want Ashes to learn from history and experience and do it better. If a solo player invests his time in his challenging content he should get reasonable stuff. Will a raid-group get more? Yeah sure, but that never was the topic or at least never my (!) point in this discussion.
It's confirmed hiere. All playstyles are wanted and needed.
I don't want to discuss with other persons feeling and thinking that the game is their owpvp-whatsoever-copy from an old, aged or dead game, because it's not.
Solo players need content. Small group (2-4) needs content. Medium group (8-16) needs content. Raids (40+) need content. Each group needs meaningful things to do while not invalidating the other. Catering to only one of these groups will only hurt retention and the revolving door that is MMO population
Exactly.
It is not only a group-competetive-owpvp game. Some minority of players reduce it to this single playing style for them personally. That's all.
Solo players need a place in the world, but they have to keep in mind soloing is harder than being in a group. Ashes as a game needs to help players find groups organically through quest design, level up dungeons, character progression etc.
That's clear since MMO started to be on the market. But some MMOs lack to respect the players time and dont reward it in a meaningful way. I want Ashes to learn from history and experience and do it better. If a solo player invests his time in his challenging content he should get reasonable stuff. Will a raid-group get more? Yeah sure, but that never was the topic or at least never my (!) point in this discussion.
It's confirmed hiere. All playstyles are wanted and needed.
I don't want to discuss with other persons feeling and thinking that the game is their owpvp-whatsoever-copy from an old, aged or dead game, because it's not.
It's very much an open world game that involves the possibility of pvp. That said, ashes should focus on getting people to organically find guilds and nodes that enjoy content catering to each player.
The real question solo players should ask is not how am I rewarded, but how does ashes help me find a guild.
You can get good rewards also with low time invest. Other games prove this since years.
Yeah, and they're all boring as hell because of it. You're free to go play them.
I provide an example for you: I've played arena ranking on Gladiator level, in WoW. I'm not sure what's the name in L2 or whatsoever for this. For this success and highest rewards I invested 4-5h a week. Boring? What the hell are you talking...
I am very excited for you to play Ashes and experience meaningful objective-based combat.
If the game is only a "competion" and "being better than everybody else" all the time, than this is your single definition of it. It's a massive multiplay role play game, it's not the point to make business out of a game by saying: If you invest more time it's not boring.
Just because investing more time makes you more successful doesn't mean you have to invest more time to have fun. You can have fun with the success you and your allies get without reaching "the end," or in this case "the top." Shouldn't you in particular be even more fine with that concept, because you're so content with your real life that you don't need to compete in video games?
You can still get rewards for the challenges you overcome.
So I just don't see the problem with waiting 6 months for a really cool reward, while more ambitious players who invest more time get it earlier, and you get to participate in the economy that makes it possible.
The challenging gameplay itself is the *actual* content you're enjoying after all, right, not the dopamine rush of having high-level equipment? It's also very rewarding to beat someone who has better gear than you.
If your primary concern is a pure measurement of skill, League of Legends and Valorant are just a few clicks away. Or Monster Hunter or whatever, if you prefer PvE. Part of the MMO experience is having diverse power levels in the community, that has always been that way, otherwise it wouldn't need to be its own genre, and that's what personal growth in MMOs is centred around. If everyone who plays for 3 months and knows how to beat a dungeon gets top-tier gear, why have gear tiers at all?
Most of the content will not allow no-lifers to have unlimited progress as far as gear and wealth is concerned. The time-cost-efficient stuff will be limited, so it will still take a substantial amount of time for most of them to get it.
And there will be enough clans to keep the other clans in check, and you should be able to find allies among one of them. Doesn't mean you have to group and play with them, just that they'll be there to counterbalance the other no-lifers with strong gear.
I promised I'd stay out of this thread, but I feel like these final clarifications are innocuous enough.
The only one who can validate you for all the posts you didn't write is you.
Not even my kinda unhinged Topic in which i was already gloating about the coming mental breakdowns and Outbursts over Ashes of Creation's Success in a few Years was this cringe however.
( Okay, maybe it was. lol)
How is this Topic here however even a thing ? This Game is the type of Game the FARTHEST AWAY from being any kind of "Solo"-Player Experience. An MMO should never be able to get played Solo. One should always need to have at least Two Friends with themselves - at minimum.
I pray to the Others that Alpha Two comes quickly and be it just a Feeling and Illusion until it is actually here. Everything that will replace this Cringe Festival of a Topic with actual "Gameplay" (Testing) Experience is welcome.
I mean, i see what this Delay does to the Heads of other People. Especially a certain Copium-Addict.
I understand. It sucks. lol
This game if for all player types. All. The restricted view that it is only for owpvp L2 players, is just terribly wrong. And I'm the prove for that and just because 2-3 other keyboard warriros argue in another direction will not change anything. Just switch forum or listing to the internet, so outside the bubble existing here and you will learn. Not "you", Azherae, but others, that are very convinced about their point of view. Well, I'm as well. if Ashes doesn't want to have grey, it will have a dark MMO life - Fine with that. We will see.
This game is designed more for some types than others.
There's stuff for Solo players to do, but Ashes doesn't really cater to Solo play.
Ashes heavily favors Group play.
I'm pretty sure no one here is arguing that Ashes target audience is only L2 players.
But, Intrepid is not really trying to entice PvE EQ/WoW Solo players.
You are not the proof of anything. You have interest in a game that heavily favors Group play over Solo play.
Everyone here understands that. But...
Ashes has a very niche audience. Ashes is not made for everyone.
---Steven
1
DygzMember, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
An MMO should never be able to get played Solo. One should always need to have at least Two Friends with themselves.
Solo means not being joined together in a Group.
You can have friends with you in the game and all still be playing Solo.
MMO doesn't mean always joined together in a Group.
Ashes has some Solo content.
But, encounters are balanced for an 8-person Group with one of each Primary Archetype.
And Stevens primary goal/purpose for the game is 500 v 500 PvP battles.
I am very excited for you to play Ashes and experience meaningful objective-based combat.
Arena was only an example, one example, as I've stated. I've been playing objective-based pvp-combat since years, rated battlegrounds with different objectives/map goals, sieges, etc. In different MMOs. So, not sure what you are excited about. Perhaps for yourself between L2 and Ashes? Not sure.
Shouldn't you in particular be even more fine with that concept, because you're so content with your real life that you don't need to compete in video games?
As I've said, it's important, that the invested time is respected from the game, therefore from the developers. If casuals (and/or solo-players) get their rewards, everything ist fine. It's a pointless discussion, except your are in the meaning, that casuals or solo-players shouldn't get something because they are... casuals and solo-players. In this case a discussion is worth it, because I see this completely differet. If a player invests his time, he should get a reward.
So I just don't see the problem with waiting 6 months for a really cool reward, while more ambitious players who invest more time get it earlier, and you get to participate in the economy that makes it possible.
This is exactly what I've said - but 6 month are of course way to long.
Artificial example: A pvx open world raid boss (like firebrand) drops a legendary sword (name it like you wish). In Ashes few items, or no items, will be soulbound. So, it's tradeble or the player that gets it can seel it at the auction house. Here meaningfull rewarding solo-content comes in place. The solo player can do stuff to increase his gold/glint/coins/whatsoever, by questing, gathering (and selling it), crafting (and selling crafted items) to be in a position to go to the auction house buying that legendary sword, because he is not attending open world raids that perhaps take 4-5 hours (onyl example) if pvp fights are occuring. This is a reasonable cycle, this Ashes must provide, that also a casual player experiences character progress - here gear-wise. He will of course need more time for that, but in the end, he will have his (gear) reward. That's important, that's the carrot, that's needed, otherwise a lot of players will leave the game soon.
Or, to say in in other words: Like every solid MMO out there is doing it (except GW2, see below, that's a different approach, but some players like it)
Part of the MMO experience is having diverse power levels in the community, that has always been that way, otherwise it wouldn't need to be its own genre
Well again, you are wrong, which is again just due to lack of experience. In PvE, you are right. In PvP that's untrue. Only pvp cowards like the fact that they are just stronger because they have better gear, lol. Every serious pvp player knows, that the only real challenge is, to beat somebody which equals in gear and skill. This is right and essential in small scale pvp but also valid in large scale pvp, because overgeared zerg-guilds otherwise will dominate everything to hard and to fast.
Just take Guild Wars 2 as completely different example: There is no hard gear-progression. If you reach max level and invest some time, you are at the top. If you do a break for 3 month, you are still. Nobody else is at better gear or if only with a very small percentage. If you join PvP fights like sPvP in GW2, all players get the same gear at start. There is not gear-difference. So, what to say - I would propose that you collect some experience from the market and the several MMOs out there to get on the same level for our discussion.
Most of the content will not allow no-lifers to have unlimited progress as far as gear and wealth is concerned.
That's a good thing, otherwise developers can handle this with mechanics, time-gating for instance. That's also done in other MMOs that the community is not separated too much, because it decreases the overall health of the game. And, it will make the game to easy for no-lifers, because they will roll-over other players by facerolling their keyboard, which is not fun at all, but boring.
I promised I'd stay out of this thread, but I feel like these final clarifications are innocuous enough.
They acutally changed nothing.
0
DygzMember, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
You seem to have a very limited experience of what a MMO can and should offer so that all attracted players (and Ashes is attracting all of them and NEEDs all of them) find their content with suitable and meaninful rewards. If the game is only a "competion" and "being better than everybody else" all the time, than this is your single definition of it. It's a massive multiplay role play game, it's not the point to make business out of a game by saying: If you invest more time it's not boring.
A lot of MMORPG fans that Ashes initially attracts just by being a new UE5 MMORPG won't actually play Ashes because it's designed for a very niche MMORPG audience rather than a broad MMORPG audience.
Steven is obsessed with constant competition, Risk v Reward and massive PvP battles.
And the Ashes target audience is MMORPG fans who love constant competition, Risk v Reward and massive PvP battles.
Players who don't love all that will probably end up playing some other MMO.
Hopefully there are enough players for that niche, because the integrated systems need a lot of players to work smoothly. And, as Steven said by himself several times: He needs all player types for this linked game designs to work well. The game will not work if there are only 40 man raids running around in the open world doing zerg pvp.
0
DygzMember, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
We will have to see if there are enough people in that niche to keep servers running for 10+ years.
Steven used to say that MMORPGs need all player types - when Jeffrey Bard was still Lead Game Designer.
The last two years, as the game design has become more niche with the absence of Jeffrey, Steven has been frequently saying, "We always said that Ashes is not made for everyone. And we're OK with that."
NO MMO is for everyone. Marketing speech, dont be to excited (or naive).
And yes, I also hope there are enough players. I dont care which player type, I only care that its a mature community. Its the most important. Mature, friendly, supporting. This is the most important aspect for a long living MMO. Fun content, progression and no degression, content offer in PvP and PvE for everybody and a mature community.
0
bloodprophetMember, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
If you chose to run around in a group the pvp aspect is still there.
So no choice that there is no pvp aspect?
Or if yes, how can the player by himself do this choice that he cannot be attacked? Which flag in the UI he can disable that there is no chance to get attacked at all? Would you please provide the source for your answer, probably I didn't see it on wiki or somehwere else. Because my state of information is, that the player has no choice that he cannot be attacked. If you wants to be attacked, he has a choice, it's called pvp-flag, combatant.
If you chose to run around solo the pvp aspect is still there.
So, non-combatant is no real choice then?
Choice: I don't want to get attacked and play pvp for the next 2 hours during gathering fish.
Game systems: Not possible. Game choice is: You still can be attacked, you have no choice.
I just don't expect to get "meaningful" anything with out the risk and effort to get it.
Why not? Why is reward something elisist and exclusive? We are still talking about a computer game or are we already in business on the job?
There seems to "plenty" of solo content (5 topics/clusters). Playing solo is the highest risk in the game. Is the reward the highest one than? The entire logic is wrong. IF non-combatant would be real non-combatant, than that would change a bit.
What's the high risk of a 40 man raid running around and terminating all other players and small groups on their way? They get all the rewards/loot than, right?
There is always a choice. Whether you choose to choose a choice that was presented or not is entirely up to you.
Hell choosing to log in or not is a choice.
The fact the flagging system is the was it is was a choice made by Intrepid.
Most people never listen. They are just waiting on you to quit making noise so they can.
0
DygzMember, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
NO MMO is for everyone. Marketing speech, dont be to excited (or naive).
And yes, I also hope there are enough players. I dont care which player type, I only care that its a mature community. Its the most important. Mature, friendly, supporting. This is the most important aspect for a long living MMO. Fun content, progression and no degression, content offer in PvP and PvE for everybody and a mature community.
This MMORPG is designed for a niche audience.
I dunno what you think "mature" means.
This game is targeted at OW PvPers with a heavy focus on Risk v Reward and massive PvP Sieges and Wars.
I would not expect the gameplay to be "mature" especially with all the trash-talking I've seen the devs doing while they play games. I expect the gamers who play Ashes to be ruthless, rather than friendly and supporting.
Outside of the game, the people here mostly tend to be mature, friendly, supporting. Yes.
While playing the game, their player characters will be highly competitive, combative, conniving and ruthless... and mostly focused on PvP, looting and massive PvP Sieges, Wars and Caravan Raids.
Artificial example: A pvx open world raid boss (like firebrand) drops a legendary sword (name it like you wish). In Ashes few items, or no items, will be soulbound. So, it's tradeble or the player that gets it can seel it at the auction house. Here meaningfull rewarding solo-content comes in place. The solo player can do stuff to increase his gold/glint/coins/whatsoever, by questing, gathering (and selling it), crafting (and selling crafted items) to be in a position to go to the auction house buying that legendary sword, because he is not attending open world raids that perhaps take 4-5 hours (onyl example) if pvp fights are occuring. This is a reasonable cycle, this Ashes must provide, that also a casual player experiences character progress - here gear-wise. He will of course need more time for that, but in the end, he will have his (gear) reward. That's important, that's the carrot, that's needed, otherwise a lot of players will leave the game soon.
[...]
Most of the content will not allow no-lifers to have unlimited progress as far as gear and wealth is concerned.
That's a good thing, otherwise developers can handle this with mechanics, time-gating for instance. That's also done in other MMOs that the community is not separated too much, because it decreases the overall health of the game. And, it will make the game to easy for no-lifers, because they will roll-over other players by facerolling their keyboard, which is not fun at all, but boring.
[...]
As I've said, it's important, that the invested time is respected from the game, therefore from the developers. If casuals (and/or solo-players) get their rewards, everything ist fine. It's a pointless discussion, except your are in the meaning, that casuals or solo-players shouldn't get something because they are... casuals and solo-players. In this case a discussion is worth it, because I see this completely differet. If a player invests his time, he should get a reward.
What did you just say that should inspire any sort of change in Ashes's design directive or that you think I would disagree with?
Well again, you are wrong, which is again just due to lack of experience. In PvE, you are right. In PvP that's untrue. Only pvp cowards like the fact that they are just stronger because they have better gear, lol. Every serious pvp player knows, that the only real challenge is, to beat somebody which equals in gear and skill. This is right and essential in small scale pvp but also valid in large scale pvp, because overgeared zerg-guilds otherwise will dominate everything to hard and to fast.
Ignoring everything I said about allying with others and supporting others to reach the same strength as those overgeared meanies.
Also ignoring everything I've said about the fact that this is the whole point of the genre. Otherwise, again, why not just go play an arena battle game? Why be interested in a game with any amount of sandbox elements, if you strictly want fully organised, perfectly balanced themepark rides?
Just take Guild Wars 2 as completely different example: There is no hard gear-progression. If you reach max level and invest some time, you are at the top. If you do a break for 3 month, you are still. Nobody else is at better gear or if only with a very small percentage. If you join PvP fights like sPvP in GW2, all players get the same gear at start. There is not gear-difference. So, what to say - I would propose that you collect some experience from the market and the several MMOs out there to get on the same level for our discussion
Again, then why make players farm equipment at all? That sounds like a completely pointless time sink, if all you do is farm gear to qualify to be able to do other stuff. How is THAT not disrespectful of the player's time?
The whole point of competition for resources is that some people can get more and better resources than others. [Resources here includes crafting materials and rarer, stronger equipment.]
Then you can attempt to still beat those people by outskilling them despite their advantage, or you can ally up with other people who invest as much time and effort as those opponents, so you can keep up with them and use your skill to lead your allies to victory using their resources.
By comparison to that interactive power dynamic with decisionmaking with depth, the Guild Wars game loop seems even more soulless and meaningless than WoW or ESO, which says quite a lot.
The only one who can validate you for all the posts you didn't write is you.
Comments
This game if for all player types. All. The restricted view that it is only for owpvp L2 players, is just terribly wrong. And I'm the prove for that and just because 2-3 other keyboard warriros argue in another direction will not change anything. Just switch forum or listing to the internet, so outside the bubble existing here and you will learn. Not "you", Azherae, but others, that are very convinced about their point of view. Well, I'm as well. if Ashes doesn't want to have grey, it will have a dark MMO life - Fine with that. We will see.
This part is essential, because your definition of "satisfaction" is invested time instead of challenging content. You didn't say that, but that's the assumption.
I provide an example for you: I've played arena ranking on Gladiator level, in WoW. I'm not sure what's the name in L2 or whatsoever for this. For this success and highest rewards I invested 4-5h a week. Boring? What the hell are you talking... You seem to have a very limited experience of what a MMO can and should offer so that all attracted players (and Ashes is attracting all of them and NEEDs all of them) find their content with suitable and meaninful rewards. If the game is only a "competion" and "being better than everybody else" all the time, than this is your single definition of it. It's a massive multiplay role play game, it's not the point to make business out of a game by saying: If you invest more time it's not boring.
We agree to disagree, again. All the best.
It is not only a group-competetive-owpvp game. Some minority of players reduce it to this single playing style for them personally. That's all.
That's clear since MMO started to be on the market. But some MMOs lack to respect the players time and dont reward it in a meaningful way. I want Ashes to learn from history and experience and do it better. If a solo player invests his time in his challenging content he should get reasonable stuff. Will a raid-group get more? Yeah sure, but that never was the topic or at least never my (!) point in this discussion.
It's confirmed hiere. All playstyles are wanted and needed.
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Playstyles
I don't want to discuss with other persons feeling and thinking that the game is their owpvp-whatsoever-copy from an old, aged or dead game, because it's not.
It's very much an open world game that involves the possibility of pvp. That said, ashes should focus on getting people to organically find guilds and nodes that enjoy content catering to each player.
The real question solo players should ask is not how am I rewarded, but how does ashes help me find a guild.
Just because investing more time makes you more successful doesn't mean you have to invest more time to have fun. You can have fun with the success you and your allies get without reaching "the end," or in this case "the top." Shouldn't you in particular be even more fine with that concept, because you're so content with your real life that you don't need to compete in video games?
You can still get rewards for the challenges you overcome.
So I just don't see the problem with waiting 6 months for a really cool reward, while more ambitious players who invest more time get it earlier, and you get to participate in the economy that makes it possible.
The challenging gameplay itself is the *actual* content you're enjoying after all, right, not the dopamine rush of having high-level equipment? It's also very rewarding to beat someone who has better gear than you.
If your primary concern is a pure measurement of skill, League of Legends and Valorant are just a few clicks away. Or Monster Hunter or whatever, if you prefer PvE. Part of the MMO experience is having diverse power levels in the community, that has always been that way, otherwise it wouldn't need to be its own genre, and that's what personal growth in MMOs is centred around. If everyone who plays for 3 months and knows how to beat a dungeon gets top-tier gear, why have gear tiers at all?
Most of the content will not allow no-lifers to have unlimited progress as far as gear and wealth is concerned. The time-cost-efficient stuff will be limited, so it will still take a substantial amount of time for most of them to get it.
And there will be enough clans to keep the other clans in check, and you should be able to find allies among one of them. Doesn't mean you have to group and play with them, just that they'll be there to counterbalance the other no-lifers with strong gear.
I promised I'd stay out of this thread, but I feel like these final clarifications are innocuous enough.
Not even my kinda unhinged Topic in which i was already gloating about the coming mental breakdowns and Outbursts over Ashes of Creation's Success in a few Years was this cringe however.
( Okay, maybe it was. lol)
How is this Topic here however even a thing ? This Game is the type of Game the FARTHEST AWAY from being any kind of "Solo"-Player Experience. An MMO should never be able to get played Solo. One should always need to have at least Two Friends with themselves - at minimum.
I pray to the Others that Alpha Two comes quickly and be it just a Feeling and Illusion until it is actually here. Everything that will replace this Cringe Festival of a Topic with actual "Gameplay" (Testing) Experience is welcome.
I mean, i see what this Delay does to the Heads of other People. Especially a certain Copium-Addict.
I understand. It sucks. lol
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Kinda starting to look for a Guild right now. (German)
There's stuff for Solo players to do, but Ashes doesn't really cater to Solo play.
Ashes heavily favors Group play.
I'm pretty sure no one here is arguing that Ashes target audience is only L2 players.
But, Intrepid is not really trying to entice PvE EQ/WoW Solo players.
You are not the proof of anything. You have interest in a game that heavily favors Group play over Solo play.
Everyone here understands that. But...
Ashes has a very niche audience.
Ashes is not made for everyone.
---Steven
You can have friends with you in the game and all still be playing Solo.
MMO doesn't mean always joined together in a Group.
Ashes has some Solo content.
But, encounters are balanced for an 8-person Group with one of each Primary Archetype.
And Stevens primary goal/purpose for the game is 500 v 500 PvP battles.
As I've said, it's important, that the invested time is respected from the game, therefore from the developers. If casuals (and/or solo-players) get their rewards, everything ist fine. It's a pointless discussion, except your are in the meaning, that casuals or solo-players shouldn't get something because they are... casuals and solo-players. In this case a discussion is worth it, because I see this completely differet. If a player invests his time, he should get a reward.
This is exactly what I've said - but 6 month are of course way to long.
Artificial example: A pvx open world raid boss (like firebrand) drops a legendary sword (name it like you wish). In Ashes few items, or no items, will be soulbound. So, it's tradeble or the player that gets it can seel it at the auction house. Here meaningfull rewarding solo-content comes in place. The solo player can do stuff to increase his gold/glint/coins/whatsoever, by questing, gathering (and selling it), crafting (and selling crafted items) to be in a position to go to the auction house buying that legendary sword, because he is not attending open world raids that perhaps take 4-5 hours (onyl example) if pvp fights are occuring. This is a reasonable cycle, this Ashes must provide, that also a casual player experiences character progress - here gear-wise. He will of course need more time for that, but in the end, he will have his (gear) reward. That's important, that's the carrot, that's needed, otherwise a lot of players will leave the game soon.
Or, to say in in other words: Like every solid MMO out there is doing it (except GW2, see below, that's a different approach, but some players like it)
Well again, you are wrong, which is again just due to lack of experience. In PvE, you are right. In PvP that's untrue. Only pvp cowards like the fact that they are just stronger because they have better gear, lol. Every serious pvp player knows, that the only real challenge is, to beat somebody which equals in gear and skill. This is right and essential in small scale pvp but also valid in large scale pvp, because overgeared zerg-guilds otherwise will dominate everything to hard and to fast.
Just take Guild Wars 2 as completely different example: There is no hard gear-progression. If you reach max level and invest some time, you are at the top. If you do a break for 3 month, you are still. Nobody else is at better gear or if only with a very small percentage. If you join PvP fights like sPvP in GW2, all players get the same gear at start. There is not gear-difference. So, what to say - I would propose that you collect some experience from the market and the several MMOs out there to get on the same level for our discussion.
That's a good thing, otherwise developers can handle this with mechanics, time-gating for instance. That's also done in other MMOs that the community is not separated too much, because it decreases the overall health of the game. And, it will make the game to easy for no-lifers, because they will roll-over other players by facerolling their keyboard, which is not fun at all, but boring.
They acutally changed nothing.
Steven is obsessed with constant competition, Risk v Reward and massive PvP battles.
And the Ashes target audience is MMORPG fans who love constant competition, Risk v Reward and massive PvP battles.
Players who don't love all that will probably end up playing some other MMO.
Steven used to say that MMORPGs need all player types - when Jeffrey Bard was still Lead Game Designer.
The last two years, as the game design has become more niche with the absence of Jeffrey, Steven has been frequently saying, "We always said that Ashes is not made for everyone. And we're OK with that."
And yes, I also hope there are enough players. I dont care which player type, I only care that its a mature community. Its the most important. Mature, friendly, supporting. This is the most important aspect for a long living MMO. Fun content, progression and no degression, content offer in PvP and PvE for everybody and a mature community.
There is always a choice. Whether you choose to choose a choice that was presented or not is entirely up to you.
Hell choosing to log in or not is a choice.
The fact the flagging system is the was it is was a choice made by Intrepid.
I dunno what you think "mature" means.
This game is targeted at OW PvPers with a heavy focus on Risk v Reward and massive PvP Sieges and Wars.
I would not expect the gameplay to be "mature" especially with all the trash-talking I've seen the devs doing while they play games. I expect the gamers who play Ashes to be ruthless, rather than friendly and supporting.
Outside of the game, the people here mostly tend to be mature, friendly, supporting. Yes.
While playing the game, their player characters will be highly competitive, combative, conniving and ruthless... and mostly focused on PvP, looting and massive PvP Sieges, Wars and Caravan Raids.
What did you just say that should inspire any sort of change in Ashes's design directive or that you think I would disagree with?
Ignoring everything I said about allying with others and supporting others to reach the same strength as those overgeared meanies.
Also ignoring everything I've said about the fact that this is the whole point of the genre. Otherwise, again, why not just go play an arena battle game? Why be interested in a game with any amount of sandbox elements, if you strictly want fully organised, perfectly balanced themepark rides?
Again, then why make players farm equipment at all? That sounds like a completely pointless time sink, if all you do is farm gear to qualify to be able to do other stuff. How is THAT not disrespectful of the player's time?
The whole point of competition for resources is that some people can get more and better resources than others. [Resources here includes crafting materials and rarer, stronger equipment.]
Then you can attempt to still beat those people by outskilling them despite their advantage, or you can ally up with other people who invest as much time and effort as those opponents, so you can keep up with them and use your skill to lead your allies to victory using their resources.
By comparison to that interactive power dynamic with decisionmaking with depth, the Guild Wars game loop seems even more soulless and meaningless than WoW or ESO, which says quite a lot.