Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Phase II testing is currently taking place 5+ days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two Phase II testing is currently taking place 5+ days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Comments
the main big issue i had was visual clarity. with so many people using flashy effects on top of each other it was very difficult to see enemy attacks, or even recognize ally abilities.
one other complaint is the enemy respawn time. it is way too short. i had several situations where a mob respawned on top of me while the group was still clearing out the room. enemy density and variety felt good.
Freeholds pity all gone by the time I found 1
New dungeon looks like a lot of fun and tough
I feel like the boosting could be a bit more organized / planned. Hours wait line in Joeva to then hear its only for people going to dungeon and get your gear there. It really took away from me testing the freehold.
I managed to purchase one, but then after getting gear and running the dungeon real quick to see what its like, die to a bugged out bridge, then went for the freehold stuff.
I tried farming droppings, but took to long. Eventually people got back to me in chat and handed me some so i could craft the balls, just for server to go down as i reached my freehold.
Freehold feedback:
I managed to purchase one, cause we had figured out before hand you had to talk to the well. I saw a lot of frustrated people who didn't know and missed out. Not sure if the purchase way is going to stay the same, but with everyone now being put on one server, i can see the zerg guilds owning every single one of them. From what i understood the mayor was supposed to put them to auction, hope it will be that way in the coming phase. Planting things i can't comment on. Would have been useful if gm's also handed out some of the balls to the players owning freeholds, since it was rough trying to acquire those through in game means in such a short time. Which makes me curious as to the yield of those and if its worth it.
Also monsters should not be spawning on the freeholds.
Forgotton Forge:
The place looks cool, but the bridge at the bottom is really buggy. For some people it was active, for others it was not. But when trying to run across you still died due to lava burns. Mobs seemed to be decent hp sponges though, was kind of hard to judge if its enough to go in with just one party or you need an actual raid.
Amar
I was unable to test the Freehold housing system as all houses had been claimed by the time I figured out that one must talk to the well in order to purchase the plot. I will instead be speaking about the housing system as I have observed it via the Alpha Two Freehold Update and read on the Wiki. As someone who owns Freehold building skins, I have feelings about the current system as it has been presented thus far.
The Freehold housing system in Ashes of Creation is ambitious, offering deep customization and resource integration. However, its current implementation faces several challenges that may hinder accessibility, player satisfaction, and long-term viability. Transitioning to an instanced housing model could address these struggles while preserving the system’s core philosophy of meaningful player choice.
Struggles with the Current Freehold System
Land Scarcity and Competition
High Risk of Loss
Complexity and Upkeep
Isolation from Core Gameplay
Limited Scalability
Transitioning to an instanced housing model could address these challenges while preserving the meaningful player choice AoC is wanting to be known for. Instanced housing would guarantee access for all players, lower risks tied to node de-leveling, and simplify management while fostering social interaction through shared neighborhoods. It would also provide scalability for future content and allow for physical entrances in the world, retaining immersion while ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all playstyles.
For those that want to argue about AoC not being for "RP'ing Andys" or whatever:
1. Inclusivity Enhances Player Retention
- Counterpoint: Even within a niche game, retaining a diverse playerbase is critical to long-term success. Hardcore players may drive initial interest, but casual players or those less focused on specific mechanics (e.g., crafting) contribute to the vibrancy of the game’s economy, social interactions, and community-building.
- Position: By making Freeholds more accessible and rewarding for a broader audience, AoC ensures a steady influx of players who can support the game's ecosystem, even if they do not fully engage with every system.
2. Complexity Doesn't Equal Depth- Counterpoint: Niche MMOs are often praised for their depth and complexity, but excessive micromanagement can alienate players who appreciate layered systems without the tedium of overwhelming mechanics.
- Position: Simplifying aspects of the Freehold system—such as reducing maintenance requirements or providing scalable housing options—would not dilute the complexity but would instead make it more approachable. Depth should feel engaging, not burdensome.
3. Player Freedom and Agency- Counterpoint: A niche game like AoC thrives on player agency. However, the current Freehold system imposes barriers (e.g., node dependency, land scarcity, and PvP risk) that may limit this freedom, even for committed players.
- Position: Improving the Freehold system by addressing its restrictive elements (e.g., allowing for more flexible placement or reducing node-dependent risk) enhances player agency and aligns with the game’s core philosophy of choice and consequence.
4. The Hardcore vs. Casual Dichotomy Is Oversimplified- Counterpoint: Many players do not fall neatly into "hardcore" or "casual" categories. Instead, they have fluctuating play schedules and varying degrees of interest in different gameplay systems.
- Position: A flexible Freehold system that accommodates different levels of engagement allows players to adapt their investment to their available time or interests. For example, hardcore players could still fully optimize their Freeholds, while casual players could enjoy smaller-scale benefits without feeling excluded.
5. Appealing to Niche and Mainstream Audiences- Counterpoint: While AoC aims to be a niche game, it must still attract a critical mass of players to sustain its ambitious development goals and server-based systems. Overly exclusive mechanics risk shrinking its player pool and harming the game’s longevity.
- Position: Balancing the Freehold system to be both rewarding for dedicated players and accessible to less-invested players strengthens the game’s appeal across a wider audience. This ensures the game can thrive financially and maintain healthy server populations.
6. Risk of Alienating Hardcore PlayersConclusion: Enhancing Accessibility Is Not About Catering to Casuals
The argument is not about diluting AoC’s niche appeal but about creating systems that feel rewarding and engaging for all players. By addressing the current limitations of the Freehold system, AoC can strengthen its player experience and maintain its unique identity without alienating casual players or hardcore fans. A robust housing system that caters to varying levels of commitment ultimately supports the game’s longevity, economy, and community—benefiting everyone involved.
Befallen Forge - Explore the dungeon!
Do loot drops feel fair for the amount of effort you have put in?
I saw one green item drop. Ran the dungeon a few times.
What was your experience with environmental hazards?
Felt good. Would like to see more. Like traps you have to navigate.
Does the difficulty, time-to-kill, and density of mobs seem appropriate for the area?
Yes, if the drops were dial up 10x. Currently, no--to high.
The Freehold owner is in the chat. I was able to get the droppings and plant the Flax and Blueberry. I didn't experience any special problems. It is not clear just how long these resources will grow. It would be convenient to have some kind of hint. (And a chair in the house to sit on)
I'm dumb as hell when it comes to those things. It took me a couple of try to figure out what to do. I was focus on the listing yellow triangle icon and never saw the listing option. Also, I think the first time I try I was level 9 and not a node citizen which might have influence what I was able to see - without telling me the reason why I couldn't see it (maybe).
But as I said I'm awful when it comes to those things, the second time I try I was a node citizen and I still focused on the triangle :P It's only when I told myself that I needed to take time figuring it out that I found the listing option. But still - I do feel like this method doesn't work as the other in game feature for selling and buying. Since every time you sell you just right click on the object and start figuring it out from that point, having to enter a listing option was unexpected.
As far as buying, everything is too pricy atm. Will have to wait and see.
Do loot drops feel fair for the amount of effort you have put in?
Yes, loot drop rates feel fair compared to other POIs. Although I'm worried about gear drops from mobs.
What was your experience with environmental hazards?
Environmental hazards, the bridge puzzle, and stuff like that are always interesting. I do feel like it's a good start but undercooked. I think there is only one room where the environmental hazard comes into play while you're killing mobs, and it's a very simple "don't stand there" type of mechanic. I would say more. More mechanics, make them more involved with the hunting spots and part of the mob encounter. The bridge puzzle is very simple and can easily be circumvented by terrain skips. It's also very bugged atm
Does the difficulty, time-to-kill, and density of mobs seem appropriate for the area?
Yes, I think Befallen Forge is the best dungeon in the game so far in terms of all that. The dunir enemies and the administrators feel like they threaten the whole party and not just the tank with their mechanics, which is great progress. The mechanics are still sparse and do too much damage instead of constant pressure with more mechanics at lower damage. The mobs can still be pulled separately and if that's not how the encounter is designed, it can make it trivial.
Market manager needs work. While it works right now it is the equivalent of a post-it on a wall.
Non hard pvp flagged people should not be able to res/heal or assist pos or negative other pvp flagged players. This can and has led to too many problems. The fix is far too complicated and only leads to what is happening now, which is setups and griefing unimplemented game mechanics by bad actors.
The Forge was a mess. There needs to be a "training raid dungeon" to get newcomers settled in as the majority of "pros" cannot take the time to constantly train others, that includes guild parties.
It may be more work but one or two "training" raid dungeons for random groups would help the newer folks and silent the more mouthy players that are experts in the game that cannot be bothered. Watching chat is painful when these groups are trying to setup.
Some type of marker needs to be made so when a player is moused over a quick reference can be made as to raid experience, what it would be is up to the devs
Alpha Two Phase II Feedback
Top 3-5 Most Important Bugs:
1. Mob AI issues, especially in Carphin, they get stuck in walls, in weird spots after they de-aggro after chasing players, Crystal golems and other mobs instantly firing abilities which one shot players without any charge time. Also related "mob training" on pve groups by strangers, due to the lacking aggro mechanics. Mobs not respawning.
2. Serious archetype /combat related bugs which need hot fixing: tanks being able to achieve 95%+ base damage mitigation with buggy Aegis skill, bards with certain builds doing 3k+ damage with wand and book auto-attacks vs single targets
3. Caravans instability, crashes, especially with larger caravan trains, caravan crashes when crossing node borders, being unable to recover caravans on the sea, larger water reservoirs, caravan drivers being teleported to the ember springs on node crossing crash
4. Disappearing equipped gear on crash (rare), trading failing in busy areas, traded items disappearing from both inventories
5.
Top 3-5 Most Important Feedback Topics:
1. Caravans need an ability to join attack / defence as party and raid, from LONGER distances, so players don't have to disband groups to join the caravan event
2. Use of level 10 alts for vote swinging in mayoral elections
3. Combat related issues: Defensive stats on armour meaning nothing due to penetration stacking, enchanted level 10 gear being able to have better stats than rare 20 level gear.
4. Desert biomes need more POIs, dungeons, gatherable resources
5. Management of resources (gatherable, processed goods) is terrible, there is no guild bank, resources do not stack high enough in warehouses, you lose resources if you change citizenship
6. Bard skills could use the ranger's ability to hold the ability button to switch between single target and AoE version of abilities.
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Blown past falling sands…
Buying
- Issue: with searching or finding items, takes a long time and requires people to put good descriptions or manually going through everything.
- Issue: Materials and Items in different tabs - would be good to see both as this adds more time to the search process.
- Idea: Filtered search would be good - specifying rarity and other specifics and item names
Selling
- Issue: The sell screen initially is confusing as List Item is at the bottom (felt like I couldnt sell anything initially)
- Issue: Selling for prices is difficult as what the buyer will pay is different to what you get/select - would be good to be able to select final price for buyer and adjust that
Blown past falling sands…
registering items is fine. it reminds me of the old korean mmo style of selling items by sitting in town spamming what you have to sell all day long in chat, but without the spamming chat part. people still do that anyway, though, to dodge mp taxes, but this is an unsolvable problem [unless you just remove the taxes, which i personally think is the best idea because i don't want to see trade spammers in global at all]. i still would prefer an item-based listing function as opposed to a 'shop.'
the search function is nice, but having the search parameters return only player-stated store contents from descriptions returns a lot of results where they may say they're selling an item you want, but that item is not available. this combined with the lack of any sort of 'average price' being shown in the tooltip for purchaseable items makes the process of buying materials incredibly tedious and unfun. by the time i've scrolled through 12 pages of stores looking for copper to get an idea of the average prices, the affordable ones are already gone by the time i try to remember that it was 'johndarksouls69's epic itemzzzz shop' on page 6 that was selling it for the best price.
i'm not sure what the reasoning is for doing it this way... i'd assume it's a placeholder and better than nothing, in which case it certainly is that. but if this is some kind of immersion reasoning, well... there's immersion and there's annoying. this is annoying.