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Alpha Two testing is currently taking place five days each week. More information about Phase II and Phase III 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.
Low tier nodes
ELWOW
Member, Alpha Two
Hello,
since we are getting closer to vassal system my question is what is the purpose of tier 1 and 2 nodes? Why Intrepid is making quest hubs/quest givers in some random spots instead of making some system to contain quests in these lower level nodes? Currently there is nothing that we get from having node level 2 and there will be tons of them on the map. What is the point of these and what is Intrepid idea to make people actually go there and participate in the smaller node community? Tier 3 nodes have at least some spots for crafting stations and have option to make some node market etc. in tier 2 nodes we got nothing currently. Any info from intrepid was thrown about the nodes?
since we are getting closer to vassal system my question is what is the purpose of tier 1 and 2 nodes? Why Intrepid is making quest hubs/quest givers in some random spots instead of making some system to contain quests in these lower level nodes? Currently there is nothing that we get from having node level 2 and there will be tons of them on the map. What is the point of these and what is Intrepid idea to make people actually go there and participate in the smaller node community? Tier 3 nodes have at least some spots for crafting stations and have option to make some node market etc. in tier 2 nodes we got nothing currently. Any info from intrepid was thrown about the nodes?
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Comments
And in general they are there simply as the potential replacement for any fallen node, cause, I'd imagine, lvl3 nodes will be the most sieged ones, cause that's the cheapest possible node siege in the game and will still impact the overall node cluster structure, which ties back to POI positioning and overall amounts of xp going to the top lvl node in the cluster.
Nodes will be locked quickly. Basically, if your neighbor gets ahead, they’ll block the progression of others. I assume there will be Node Wars once one node reaches level 4 and an adjacent one reaches level 3. From that point on, I imagine nodes will be able to go to war so that the level 3 can surpass the level 4, if it wants to.
To clarify what I mean, I'm sharing an old video where they showcased their node system, along with a screenshot.
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/images/c/c7/NodeSimulation.mp4#t=0,100
When the Node hits L4 those lower than it will become part of the L4 Vassal system and you won't be able to siege it. You'd have to siege other Vassal systems at that point if you want a Node war.
I admit this is the part I’m struggling to fully grasp because in the end, if a node automatically gets vassalized as soon as a neighboring one hits stage 4, then the fastest-growing zone will always stay ahead. The leading node will likely keep its advantage for a long time, especially since, judging by how far apart stage 5 and 6 nodes are, any real opportunity to contest a neighbor won’t come anytime soon.
I would’ve liked to see some kind of influence system maybe wars, direct confrontations, or even cultural pressure where vassalization happens over time. At least in the early stages, it’d be nice if a neighboring city could try to challenge a more advanced node.
So yeah, I’m really curious to see what the studio has planned to make node conflict more dynamic and interesting.
Even though higher-tier nodes naturally offer more services and content, low-tier nodes aren't meant to be throwaway. Their strategic location, unique resources, or even their role in trade routes and caravan networks could give them long-term relevance especially in sparsely populated or politically unstable regions where a big metropolis might not be sustainable.
Also, since node progression is influenced by player activity, some players might prefer maintaining a smaller node to avoid taxes, PvP politics, or big guild dominance. It’d be great if Intrepid leans into that and gives lower-tier nodes distinct advantages, even if situational.
I’d love to see mechanics that reward players who invest in remote or smaller communities. Not every node needs to be a metropolis to matter.
Ye this is this the bit I'm struggling to get my head round. When it's come up in the past people are saying it's more like a Vassal kingdom Vs Vassal Kingdom but I struggle to marry that with the idea that your Node is the most important thing to you. Node loyalty, Steven wants, to be more important than your guild. But if you can't really do anything to advance your Node when it's locked in a Vassal then ye we will have to see how it plays out I suppose but I envisioned more battling within the Vassal system to become the top Node and stay there.