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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.
Please Remove the Sit/Rest Mechanic
Lark Wyll
Member, Alpha One, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
In general I dislike the sit/rest mechanic immensely. It ruins all of my interest in the game to test and/or experience currently. It feels like you have to create and play as a Bard or Cleric to simply test and play through the A2 currently.
If you would like to retain the Sit/Rest mechanic please make it so HP/Mana fully regenerates while resting over 5-10 seconds. Having to sit and waste away hours of our IRL life's while our virtual character sits doing nothing on the ground is mind numbing. Please don't make RP'ing as a hobo (sitting on the ground randomly throughout the world and talking to ourselves for entertainment) a core game play mechanic.
Sitting constantly is not interesting, it is not compelling, mobs are constantly spawning around you while you are forced to rest, resting doesn't work, resting takes way too long, resting is a waste of player time, resting adds no value to the game, sitting/resting should be shot into the sun never to return.
Please have our characters regen HP/Mana out of combat like a normal game.
If you would like to retain the Sit/Rest mechanic please make it so HP/Mana fully regenerates while resting over 5-10 seconds. Having to sit and waste away hours of our IRL life's while our virtual character sits doing nothing on the ground is mind numbing. Please don't make RP'ing as a hobo (sitting on the ground randomly throughout the world and talking to ourselves for entertainment) a core game play mechanic.
Sitting constantly is not interesting, it is not compelling, mobs are constantly spawning around you while you are forced to rest, resting doesn't work, resting takes way too long, resting is a waste of player time, resting adds no value to the game, sitting/resting should be shot into the sun never to return.
Please have our characters regen HP/Mana out of combat like a normal game.
5
Comments
Yes, I have some food/rations, but they're also bugged and not working correctly. Also, the food from NPC's are expensive compared to the poor earnings you receive while levelling with the rate at which you need to consume them (basically after every 1-3 mobs when not in a group). Cleric and Bard's won't feel this pain, but the other classes are punished currently to prop up an archaic design of giving unnecessary dependency on support classes to facilitate damage based roles or melee roles in being able to play the game.
Additionally, it provides a nice break during the grind session, for groups to chit-chat, breathe, and then return. You could argue that ppl can do that when they wish to, but that's not how MMO players work. They will do the most efficient route, even if it feels exhausting or boring to them. So you have to create these forced moments.
The problem with that thought process is levelling at the very start of a mmo isn't a group based activity. People log in at different times and go through the grind to level up to group content. Requiring players to find random other players and run around for hours or not log in to play until their group is on is silly, unrealistic, not viable.
Group oriented required gameplay should be contained to POI's, group pvp content, dungeons and open pve poi content. Grouping can't be required to advance from level 7 to 8. That is ridiculous.
What is a player that starts the game a month after it launches on live supposed to do? They have to level as a solo player. This thought that there will always be massive crowds of high player pop at every level for players to group up with and clear past the first couple weeks of live launch is as unrealistic as it gets. It is not tenable. The game will fail if it forces bad experiences like this on players.
Group required for pvp, fine and dandy.
Group required for endgame, cool.
Group required for clearing PVE POI's for rare drops, check makes sense.
Group required at level 2 before you set your key binds? Non-starter failure to launch, DOA (dead on arrival).
It's not required, It's heavily incentivized. You can still level up solo, and there are easier spots and lower-level mobs that you can farm if you want to have a non-stop gameplay grind. You can also, at later stages of the realm (a few months in) buy better food and speed up the process, you can get better gear for cheaper at the market, which will all help in the leveling process early on for people that are going in late and solo.
However, I disagree that leveling is not a group-based activity. From level 7 to 8 that can be a few hours, the game already started mate, it starts at level 1 and not at max level. The entire game should be better if you're in a group. This is not a modern endgame mentality MMO where you will solo 1 to 50 doing MSQ to start playing with friends.
The Sanctus Care Package gives the wrong type of salve, honestly. Should be Mana.
It sounds like you’re eager to streamline gameplay, but I think resting and engaging with resource mechanics adds valuable depth to the experience. Using a combination of healing items, rations, and resting allows players to recover health and mana in just a few ticks—roughly four, in most cases. This system isn’t a barrier; it’s a feature designed to encourage planning, pacing, and immersion.
Now, I do agree that the resting mechanic could be enhanced. Adding player-crafted camps, similar to New World, could provide utility without serving as respawn points. Camps would allow for basic cooking and provide a way to feed and water mounts while traveling in addition to direct feeding, helping players stay prepared for longer journeys. On that note, I’d also love to see mounts with their own health, stamina, food, and water bars, so they require attention and care as we explore.
As for mount sprinting, it would feel much more intuitive if it used the [C] key, just like player sprinting, with stamina management making it more dynamic. This kind of system would make resource management an integral part of the journey rather than a chore, enhancing immersion and adding meaningful gameplay layers.
Worth noting that the current plan is that if anyone in your group differs 3 levels or more from a mob you kill, the entire group receives reduced exp and loot drop chances. A max level player actually cannot help a low level player level up in the current design plan, outside of providing crafted items.
Also i noticed some weapon skills increase mana gen when im fighting like my bow skill tree gives me mana when i use a finisher.
I've never really been a WoW player fyi or ESO or FF14. I've never hit max level in any of those games as I was bored to death. I do play sandbox mmo's a ton like New World since launch (not as sandy anymore for levelling), and Albion Online and have thousands of hours in them.
I'm not advocating for a theme park mmo, I'm comfortable in the sandbox element. I do like Albion Online and New World's balance of solo play and group play a ton though. I appreciate being able to play solo when I feel like it and group when I feel like it. I don't know why for game design it needs to be one or the other. It is unrealistic, and alienates players. Also, I think it is more fun to join a group to do an objective for PVP or PVE content when I've been doing my own thing for a bit.
Not to get political, but I think it comes down to personality types. I'm not a socialist type of person. I like to adventure at my pace, doing my combat style, pulling mobs as I please and blasting through things at the skill level I have and get punished when I fail. Group play being forced pre-level 10 in all practicality, makes it so that I'm not playing my character I'm a boring cog in a group machine. Standing idle for long periods like a dps turret behind a tank not moving and randomly hitting buttons every so often. It is a much more boring and casual play style for me. I don't always find it interesting.
I still sit in discord comms and chat a bit, but I prefer exploring solo and grouping when I feel like it, rather than being forced into grouping to progress so early on. I think a better design is that all playstyles have good progression paths to hit max level, but that group content awards the most desirable drops that motivates players to group to clear that content.
I don't want to group to clear trash mobs to advance and avoid having to sit on my butt for hours waiting for hp/mana to regen. I did switch to Bard yesterday, made it to level 8 playing solo last night. The only thing that kills you is the wonky A1 mob aggro, leashing, elites. If you don't pull a wave on you it is quite easy to sustain solo levelling. As a Ranger also at level 8 I had to quit, mainly because the rest mechanic and food were bugged and not working, as a solo player. I prefer playing the Ranger, but it doesn't have sustain so wasn't viable to level with solo with the way mobs were warping onto you and the bugged rest mechanic.
If I had to provide a model, Albion Online is almost perfect. I know Steven draws from D&D which I'm oblivious to, but from a group and solo dynamics perspective Albion Online is the ideal experience imo. A terrific mix of everything. It has every type of open-world, instanced, solo and/or group content you could want for every player type. And most importantly most of us don't fit just into one box. We like to dabble in different content types. And providing and designing viable and fun options for those different player interests is what maintains a high player population for the game's growth.
Sitting in a mob of people grinding mobs casually with no effort is the wow mmo game design that imo should be avoided as a core pillar for levelling. It should be a come together moment, not we run everywhere together like a bot program where one person controls the full party (multi-boxing? I forget the term for it). Hey guys, I want to check out x,y,z POI anyone want to come join me? Me, me, me, etc. in discord. Sweet. Hey guys, I'm level 4 how to I level as x, y, or z class without getting xp debt as a solo dps/tank? You don't, you have to go find other players that are your level range and run around as a drone pack for hours tethered to one another and never have individual thought. Why is that interesting?
The fun aspect of adventuring for a lot of us is our character is the main character that we adventure with in our story, that will group up when there is need. It isn't as fun to have to be fully dependent on others every step of the way. It's the antithesis of growing up as a child. You're dependent on your parent, then you leave the nest. Why is it fun in gaming to never leave the nest? Its weird, its backwards. And not only are full nesters prioritized, individuality is punished in the game. I get if the game wants to incentivize group play, I'm all for that, but solo play still needs to be viable to level and progress even if not 1-1 speed. As long as it is 75% speed and receives drops but not of the same rarity or named drops or something, that would be fine. To have it not be viable at all though for non-healing classes? It's a non-starter for live launch. They'll have to fix that element of game design at some point. The average player who tries the game down the road isn't as socially inclined to join discord etc. as the backers of the game that have bought in this early to support development.
This is your opinion but I love how the game is centered for group content, solo play is available just have to get really good with your class and maximize items, food and rest. Steven said AoC is a group oriented game and his MMO isn’t for everyone. If you’re not enjoying the experience like a lot of us are like you said there is New World and Albion Online for a more solo casual experience.
... yeah the kinds of normal boring mmos that are a dime a dozen.
I got to level 9 completely solo.. And I still solo at lvl 10. Sure.. its faster to group up and find a good grind spot but you can still solo if you prefer.
Agreed. Soloing can be slower, true... however I solo'd all the way to level 10 just by gathering stuff and doing commissions as a break in between resource spots.
For reference, I am a solo Ranger that made it to Level 9. I did a lot of Lumberjacking (Level 12 but with only starting --> working on Novice gear). I got a Uncommon Wolf Mount. I had almost a complete gear set by random pickups with a Copper Long/Short bow (you have to switch
I agree with the OP's sentiment to a degree, but this is a game where the purpose is to return to the days of original WoW, DaoC, Shadowbane, etc where death is very real and you need to use all the mechanics in the game.
I found getting enough money from just straight-up selling lumber (with large Novice Lumberjack Backpacks) to be reasonable (althought I am sure far from optimal). For items I was missing, I could have bought them from a vendor. It also allowed me to keep everything in repair.
For starting zones and starting later than others, yeah, games have to have starting zone tuned over time. However, there is almost always SOME people available. The quest system is really a placeholder for now, but I get the intent (minimal and no bread crumb). If I joined a Guild early (which I think is an intent), then I am sure for farming resources for a node, they would love to put me in starter gear and get me out there.
As noted, however, I did get kicked out of adhoc groups being out-leveled (one or two oranges) for an area and reducing their XP gains. My intent wasn't to power level them, but when I was removed (as a non-social gamer), it felt really, really bad
So, points heard. This is also Alpha. I think the game is heading in the right direction as I spent 3 days solo'ing from 1-9 and had a good time engaging with the wonky systems.
This game isn't meant to be a solo-friendly game, but it at least makes it possible. For me, that is all I ask.
The sitting mechanic is A BONUS .. you don't have to use it if you don't want, but it is a bonus regen when you are eating and something to help you if you ran out of rations. Things from the vendors, especially food is kinda cheep - if you struggle with currency, then learn how to play and earn more gold.
The only problem at the moment is that rations and other food only regen 25% of your hp/mana, so you will need to use 2-3 of them which means you need to sit for like 20-30s to get to max (the bonus regen from sitting helps you regen more than 25% for the 10s duration of eating rations).
The whole thing sounds like 'can you remove that rock from the ground cuz it makes me have to move 1 pixel to the side every time I pass by' .. Like if you have problems with such things, this game is definitely not for you.
2- There skills in all weapon tree for mana return
3 - learn to manage your stats better im playing a ranger the most mana intensive class atm it seems and you can manage ur skills you use and auto attacks and almost continously pull mobs if you want to using your weapon combo to regain mana and skills to dmg you can manage the pools quite well. At one point i was solo aoe farming 10 mobs at once then pulling a couple single to weapon attack combo for mana back then aoeing the group again as it respawned
The thing is I find grouping up with other players to be the more casual experience. Grouping drastically lowers difficulty. I play solo for the more interesting, compelling, and higher difficulty and also to choose my own path, carve out my own adventure, set my own pace, explore what and where I'm curious about. There is much less skill involved in levelling in a mob of people. That's clearly evident as you can afk and gain xp where as playing solo you cannot. I enjoy group content, but not 100% of the time that I play.
If Ashes tries to force that it will have a very limited player base and will fail. That's the more poignant game design challenge currently. I'm very far from a casual player. I hit max level on New World's re-launch on day 1, and levelled up a 2nd character a week later on a different server. If a player like myself is identifying this (progression path's for solo players) as an issue than the casual gamers that you're referring to that play RPG's like WOW, ESO, FF14 are going to find the experience of Ashes very off-putting. A lot more players play MMO's without utilizing app's like Discord to join communities to game with, than do. I personally do, but from a business perspective Intrepid needs to ultimately have a net that captures those players into the game as well. It can't just be a weekly D&D night game where a group of friends all schedule a day & time to log in and do a concentrated gaming session together. That's what the game currently feels like, and that isn't a viable MMO business model. There has to be solo progression viability to fill in the gaps between the next group scheduled session.
I primarily play New World for its War mode, which is a pvp organized 50v50 fight nightly. Ashes is likely going to be much more casual regarding pvp than NW. I hope to be wrong about that, but likely Ashes will be a zerg based pvp game with less individual skill required.
You can turn auto-attacks on in settings and you don't have to manage them. Idk if it counts as weaving when they automatically occur with target-lock tab-target combat. The combat feels fine as a tab-target mmo goes but its pretty passive.