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.
Revitalizing Player Engagement Across All Zones
TrooperHX
Member, Alpha Two
Hello,
I wanted to share my feedback after playing Alpha Two for a couple of hours.
I initially played for a day last weekend, but due to real-life obligations, I couldn't continue until shortly before the test concluded. Upon logging back in, I found myself alone in the game world, as most players had already progressed to higher levels and moved on to new zones. At the start, the world felt vibrant and bustling with activity, but just over a day later, the first town seemed empty and lifeless. This stark change diminished the immersive MMO experience I was hoping for.
I understand that the test population is limited, and ideally, there would be a constant influx of new players. However, relying solely on that isn't realistic. What exacerbated the issue was the current difficulty of fighting mobs solo. With most players already in higher-level areas, finding a group became challenging, unlike at the launch when the region was crowded.
One of my favorite MMOs is Guild Wars 2, which excels in creating a sense of community. You frequently encounter other players in stunning armor, ready to help and guide newcomers. The horizontal progression and level-scaling system ensure that all zones remain active and populated. High-level players have incentives to revisit starting zones, whether for resources, achievements, map completion, or simply to assist others and engage socially.
I recognize that Ashes of Creation follows a different philosophy than Guild Wars 2, but the world in Ashes is beautifully crafted, and it would benefit everyone if there were mechanisms to encourage players to spend more time in lower-level areas. It feels like a missed opportunity that players are primarily incentivized to rush through the content to reach end-game zones.
While I don't have a definitive solution or know if the development team shares this vision, I believe that an MMO where players are spread throughout the world provides a richer experience than one where they are clustered in end-game content. Here are a few ideas based on my limited playtime:
Introduce exclusive resources that can only be gathered in lower-level areas or from lower-level mobs.
Provide players with alternative ways to gain experience, so they don't feel pressured to move on to higher-level zones.
Implement area-based level adjustment to keep all regions relevant.
Thank you for considering this feedback. I look forward to seeing how the game evolves!
Congratulations to the team for the hard work so far and valiant effort to fight the DDOS.
I wanted to share my feedback after playing Alpha Two for a couple of hours.
I initially played for a day last weekend, but due to real-life obligations, I couldn't continue until shortly before the test concluded. Upon logging back in, I found myself alone in the game world, as most players had already progressed to higher levels and moved on to new zones. At the start, the world felt vibrant and bustling with activity, but just over a day later, the first town seemed empty and lifeless. This stark change diminished the immersive MMO experience I was hoping for.
I understand that the test population is limited, and ideally, there would be a constant influx of new players. However, relying solely on that isn't realistic. What exacerbated the issue was the current difficulty of fighting mobs solo. With most players already in higher-level areas, finding a group became challenging, unlike at the launch when the region was crowded.
One of my favorite MMOs is Guild Wars 2, which excels in creating a sense of community. You frequently encounter other players in stunning armor, ready to help and guide newcomers. The horizontal progression and level-scaling system ensure that all zones remain active and populated. High-level players have incentives to revisit starting zones, whether for resources, achievements, map completion, or simply to assist others and engage socially.
I recognize that Ashes of Creation follows a different philosophy than Guild Wars 2, but the world in Ashes is beautifully crafted, and it would benefit everyone if there were mechanisms to encourage players to spend more time in lower-level areas. It feels like a missed opportunity that players are primarily incentivized to rush through the content to reach end-game zones.
While I don't have a definitive solution or know if the development team shares this vision, I believe that an MMO where players are spread throughout the world provides a richer experience than one where they are clustered in end-game content. Here are a few ideas based on my limited playtime:
Introduce exclusive resources that can only be gathered in lower-level areas or from lower-level mobs.
Provide players with alternative ways to gain experience, so they don't feel pressured to move on to higher-level zones.
Implement area-based level adjustment to keep all regions relevant.
Thank you for considering this feedback. I look forward to seeing how the game evolves!
Congratulations to the team for the hard work so far and valiant effort to fight the DDOS.
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