Biome-Based Resource Placement for Stronger Economy and Player Engagement

Vargos

Hello everyone,

As an active tester of Ashes of Creation, I would like to share my thoughts on improving one of the core systems of the game – resource gathering.

Currently, resources appear randomly, which causes confusion for new players and frustration for experienced ones. I believe Ashes of Creation has the potential to become the gold standard of MMORPGs by combining the best practices from other successful games.

While gathering, I remembered one MMO known for having the best player-driven economy. Its strength lies in the interdependence between gathering, crafting, and trading. Inspired by this, I’d like to propose a biome-based resource placement system that could bring structure and depth to our economy.

Concept Overview:

1. Tier-Based Resources Across All Regions
   Example: Copper Ore could exist in Tier 1 to Tier 5 forms. Higher-tier resources require higher gathering skills. Players could upgrade lower tiers via processing, keeping low-level resources relevant throughout all stages of the game.
   Resource placement could scale with zone levels:
   - Zones 1–10: Tier 1
   - Zones 10–20: Tier 2
   - And so on.
   
2. Starter Area Balance
   The first region should contain small amounts of all Tier 1 resources to introduce players to gathering and crafting systems.
   
3. Biome-Specific Resource Distribution
   Each biome would have primary, secondary, and tertiary resources with different availability rates. Here’s an example with five resource types (Stone, Ore, Wood, Fiber, Hide):
   

   Biome     | Primary   | Secondary | Tertiary
   --------- | --------- | --------- | ---------
   Forest    | Wood      | Hide      | Stone
   Highland  | Stone     | Ore       | Wood
   Mountain  | Ore       | Stone     | Fiber
   Steppe    | Hide      | Fiber     | Ore
   Swamp     | Fiber     | Wood      | Hide
   

4. Balanced Resource Placement
   Avoid placing high-tier resources from multiple biomes too close together to maintain regional balance and avoid making certain zones disproportionately profitable.

Expected Benefits:

• Clear Resource Logic
  Players would naturally align their citizenship with zones that match their specialization, adding meaningful competition between nodes.
  
• Local Economic Identity
  Cities would become resource hubs. For example, cities near forests would have cheaper wood prices, while wood would be more expensive in cities without forests.
  
• Revitalized Caravan System
  Players would be motivated to transport resources between cities, bringing life to caravan content. Whether defending or raiding caravans, this system would boost both risk and reward, encouraging group play.
  
• Future Expansion Potential
  This system could scale with future updates:
  - Lawless zones with high-resource spawn rates but high competition.
  - City wars based on control over critical resources.
  - Node growth tied to local resource utilization.
  - And many other dynamic interactions.

@Vaknar, I hope you’ll have a moment to review this topic. Perhaps these ideas might offer some food for thought and inspire the development team as they continue refining the game’s economy.




I hope this suggestion contributes to the ongoing effort to enhance the economy, trade, and player interaction in Ashes of Creation. I’m looking forward to hearing the perspectives of other testers as well!

What is the most memorable or engaging economy system you’ve experienced in an MMO?
Let’s exchange ideas and help make Ashes of Creation the best it can be!

Best regards,
Vargos

REHOC

Really good post, and I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to lay out your thoughts in such detail.