Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Phase III testing has begun! During this phase, our realms will be open every day, and we'll only have downtime for updates and maintenance. We'll keep everyone up-to-date about downtimes in Discord.
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 III testing has begun! During this phase, our realms will be open every day, and we'll only have downtime for updates and maintenance. We'll keep everyone up-to-date about downtimes in Discord.
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.
Please make this game truly PvX and create worldbuilding with micro-events of PvX.
haelin
Member, Alpha Two
This is a suggestion/concern—please take it with a grain of salt.
I just want some closure to know that this game is actually going to be a true PvX experience. Recently, I’ve noticed more PvE and PvP events being separate, which worries me. I’ve played many games in development that advertised themselves as “PvX,” and they almost always conflate PvP with PvE, which usually leads to the game’s demise. These games either cater too heavily to PvE players, turning into a “single-player” experience, or focus too much on PvP, becoming too toxic for casual players. I hope this won’t happen here.
I mention this in light of both recent and past changes.
I originally thought the game would offer a mostly harmless global experience with layers of micro-events that increase risk and reward on an individual basis. I still believe this is essential, but the world needs strong incentives across the map to encourage meaningful player-driven interactions.
Here are some examples of what I mean:
Gathering: PvE gathering is great and widely loved, but it could be made PvX without losing the PvE base. For instance, all gathering could remain PvE by default, but if a player procures an epic or legendary resource, they could become flagged for PvP. This would allow other players to attack and potentially take the rare items, while players could counter this through stealth or evasion skills. This creates a healthy PvX dynamic.
Lawless zones in POIs: These are a promising start for PvX, but incentives need improvement. Currently, about 80% of players in lawless zones simply coexist to gain mutual XP and luck benefits. You could implement systems where killing other players in lawless zones increases XP and loot rewards as long as the player stays in the zone, but loses those bonuses if they leave or die. Multi-layered systems like this would strengthen the PvX experience.
Caravans: Caravans are a perfect example of PvX, offering risk/reward choices that can lead to PvP conflicts. I think allowing caravans to run glint for money was a missed opportunity, as it’s a too-direct incentive. Instead, caravans could yield multiplicative amounts of resources, creating competition for guilds or players without simply being a money sink. This would encourage meaningful world interaction and risk/reward dynamics.
In short, I hope the game maintains its PvX vision, with layered systems that reward player choice, risk-taking, and interaction. Stronger incentives and multi-layered dynamics across gathering, lawless zones, and caravans could make this a truly unique experience.
I just want to preface too that I think Ashes is doing a great job in a player-driven world on a more macro scale with node systems, guild management, sieges, etc. But I think it needs to focus on a more individualistic PvX experience so there are healthy microcosms within the larger scale of macro-worldbuilding within Ashes. Leaderboards, individual conflicts, individual lost/gain, achievements involving players choices within the world for player identity etc. Citizenship can't be too forced so it doesn't feel contrived. Make sure these systems are communicated clearly to players, so they understand the risk/reward potential—otherwise, the mechanics may exist but not engage the community fully.
I just want some closure to know that this game is actually going to be a true PvX experience. Recently, I’ve noticed more PvE and PvP events being separate, which worries me. I’ve played many games in development that advertised themselves as “PvX,” and they almost always conflate PvP with PvE, which usually leads to the game’s demise. These games either cater too heavily to PvE players, turning into a “single-player” experience, or focus too much on PvP, becoming too toxic for casual players. I hope this won’t happen here.
I mention this in light of both recent and past changes.
I originally thought the game would offer a mostly harmless global experience with layers of micro-events that increase risk and reward on an individual basis. I still believe this is essential, but the world needs strong incentives across the map to encourage meaningful player-driven interactions.
Here are some examples of what I mean:
Gathering: PvE gathering is great and widely loved, but it could be made PvX without losing the PvE base. For instance, all gathering could remain PvE by default, but if a player procures an epic or legendary resource, they could become flagged for PvP. This would allow other players to attack and potentially take the rare items, while players could counter this through stealth or evasion skills. This creates a healthy PvX dynamic.
Lawless zones in POIs: These are a promising start for PvX, but incentives need improvement. Currently, about 80% of players in lawless zones simply coexist to gain mutual XP and luck benefits. You could implement systems where killing other players in lawless zones increases XP and loot rewards as long as the player stays in the zone, but loses those bonuses if they leave or die. Multi-layered systems like this would strengthen the PvX experience.
Caravans: Caravans are a perfect example of PvX, offering risk/reward choices that can lead to PvP conflicts. I think allowing caravans to run glint for money was a missed opportunity, as it’s a too-direct incentive. Instead, caravans could yield multiplicative amounts of resources, creating competition for guilds or players without simply being a money sink. This would encourage meaningful world interaction and risk/reward dynamics.
In short, I hope the game maintains its PvX vision, with layered systems that reward player choice, risk-taking, and interaction. Stronger incentives and multi-layered dynamics across gathering, lawless zones, and caravans could make this a truly unique experience.
I just want to preface too that I think Ashes is doing a great job in a player-driven world on a more macro scale with node systems, guild management, sieges, etc. But I think it needs to focus on a more individualistic PvX experience so there are healthy microcosms within the larger scale of macro-worldbuilding within Ashes. Leaderboards, individual conflicts, individual lost/gain, achievements involving players choices within the world for player identity etc. Citizenship can't be too forced so it doesn't feel contrived. Make sure these systems are communicated clearly to players, so they understand the risk/reward potential—otherwise, the mechanics may exist but not engage the community fully.
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