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.
Comments
As to the character creator in the video - the in game models and other assets are not yet at a place to be able to support it. This information is available if you spent time looking instead of complaining.
But hey, at least you know what is in store. Now your comments should be "I can't wait until we get this", as opposed to complaining about what we have so far.
Better lighting is needed, and no doubt will come in time.
I think the CC that is featured in the video looks very good, and if that is where Intrepid is headed then I am sure it will be fine. And if not, well - then its good that people make their voices heard so that the input comes as early as possible.
That said, Intrepid please dont let hair disappearing when you equip a helmet be a thing during launch. X.x
Unless this video includes the female characters - which seems to be the case right now.
World of Warcraft:
Everquest 2:
Black Desert Online:
Guildwars 2:
What do all of these have in common?
They stand out. The characters themselves are lighted up and are clearly visible.
Now compare this once more with Ashes of Creation:
For one, the character itself is dark. It doesn't deliver a contrast to the landscape, and you can't make out details. You can't zoom in far enough to really see the character well, either. Even though characters right now are ugly and buggy, your character is your avatar in the world and should be perfectly visible at all times.
Another point of critique is how far you can zoom out in Ashes of Creation. Sure, it helps visibility, but it also destroys immersion if you can zoom out so much, your char shrinks to a small clump of pixels. You can't zoom into 1st person view, either, which should definitely be a thing for people who want to immerse themselves in the world.
While I'm sure you are aware of this, I am still going to state it for others that are reading and may not be aware.
The games lighting is absolutely not finished - not even close.
As to your complaint about zoom level - immersion should never trump gameplay. Same with a first persom view option - I am of the opinion that a game developer shouldn't implement a gameplay mode that puts players at a decisive disadvantage.
The claim of "immersion" does not supercede either of these points - though this is far more important in regards to the zoom level than the first person camera option.
What i think what some People here mean -> is that they right now desire female Characters which look like highly curvy, hot - "well" -> Anime-girls, in Comparison to their male Counterparts.
Kinda like in an Asia MMO. Or maybe i am overdoing it with the Comparison, but in any case they want a greatly visible Difference.
I am still satisfied that we can finally test the Game at all ... ...
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Guild is " Balderag's Garde " for now. (German)
I understand that some people prefer the anime-style bodies, but that’s not what I’m after.
I’m strictly talking about proportions in this reply, not the faces or aesthetics.
Currently, there’s a limit on the proportions you can create in the character editor. I’m not sure if this is a deliberate design choice, but it undeniably restricts the variety of body types you can make.
These limits don’t reflect reality. I see better proportions on real people every day.
As someone who enjoys working out and sculpting my physique in real life, I know firsthand the time and effort it takes to achieve what I’d call a “heroic” form.
If the current restrictions in the character creator are intentional, it feels quite disrespectful to those of us who have worked hard on our bodies. It’s also disappointing that in a game where you can embody a hero, you can’t create a heroic physique.
@Andi
The lighting is quite buggy at the moment, and it seems to have gotten a bit worse now that they’ve added environmental fog. I’m not sure if they’ll implement character lighting as you’d like, since it seems they’re planning to use lighting as a gameplay mechanic to navigate caves and dark areas.
You might need to rely on a light spell or be illuminated by the glow of an enchanted weapon.
I understand your concern, but I think there’s a reasonable explanation for the poor lighting in its current state.
This is my personal feedback, shared to help the game thrive in its niche.
If you turn global illumination down the water near you will not be rendered. Your character may be better lit though...
Graphics settings are in a wild state and I have submitted bug reports detailing quite a few things that are messed up.
I could see a small patch fixing the lighting at any time.
This is my personal feedback, shared to help the game thrive in its niche.
This is my personal feedback, shared to help the game thrive in its niche.