I am an MMO player with nearly 30 years of experience. I grew up playing titles such as Ultima Online, Lineage II, ArcheAge, and many other sandbox-oriented MMORPGs. I am writing this post as a passionate fan of the genre and as someone who genuinely wants Ashes of Creation to succeed, even though I am aware that this feedback may never reach the development team directly.
First, one thing should be stated clearly:
Ashes of Creation has a very clearly defined target audience.
- Players raised on World of Warcraft will most likely not find their place here — these are fundamentally different design philosophies.
- Players familiar with Ultima Online, Lineage II, or ArcheAge, on the other hand, will feel almost at home.
And that is perfectly fine. The issue is that even for this more niche, sandbox-oriented audience, several core systems are currently difficult to accept.
Strengths of the Game
I want to start with the positives, because there are many:
- the world is large, dynamic, and features seasons
- graphics are visually pleasing
- music builds atmosphere well
- the node progression system is a very interesting foundation
- the game is built around crafting and economy
- the world feels reactive and alive
- UI is not mobile-style — sincerely, thank you for that
- events fit well within the sandbox design
- slower leveling suits the game’s philosophy
- fire animations and some environmental effects are very well done
The potential is massive — which is exactly why the criticism below comes from concern, not hostility.
Core Issue: Lack of Satisfaction from Progression
From a player’s perspective, the fundamental question is:
where is the satisfaction in character progression and gameplay activities?
A player should:
- feel rewarded for time invested,
- experience meaningful progression,
- have motivation to keep playing and return to the game.
Currently, many systems feel mechanically correct on paper, but fail to deliver emotional reward, which is critical in modern MMORPGs.
Crafting – The Game’s Foundation That Lacks Enjoyment
Since Ashes of Creation is built around crafting, it should be one of the most polished systems. Unfortunately, in its current state, it feels surprisingly shallow.
For players familiar with Ultima Online or New World, the issue is immediately apparent:
- craft an item → green / blue → done
- missing:
- item quality tiers (poor / normal / exceptional),
- meaningful randomness,
- stat variation tied to the crafting process itself
Crafting is reduced to a single click, without animation, without tension, without a sense of creation.
Worse, after only a few tutorial quests, players are rewarded with better weapons than they can realistically craft for many hours.
The result:
- early crafting levels provide little to no satisfaction
- reaching level 10 or 20 feels like tedious grinding
- the payoff for time invested is extremely low at the beginning
Yes, some players may enjoy this.
But at the end of the day, we play games for enjoyment, not obligation.
Economy and Earning Currency
It is difficult not to notice that:
- the primary income source revolves around caravan package runs,
- players who dislike this activity are heavily penalized,
- crafting is presented as an alternative, yet requires an enormous time investment before becoming profitable — and only until the market becomes saturated
Additionally, placing professions like cooking on the same economic level as armorsmithing raises serious balance concerns.
UI, Readability, and Quality-of-Life Issues
Several usability problems stand out:
- NPCs:
- insufficient color distinction,
- unclear role identification at a glance
- Marketplace:
- one of the least intuitive trading systems I have encountered in an MMO,
- listing items, searching, and navigation are unnecessarily frustrating,
- in many cases, a simple table would be clearer than the current interface
- Gathering:
- loot notifications appear in a corner of the screen and are easy to miss,
- higher-quality drops are often noticed only after opening the inventory,
- missing:
- special feedback or animation for better drops,
- UI customization options (especially important for ultrawide resolutions such as 3440× or 5120×)
- Profession leveling:
- levels 1–9, 10–19, etc., feel almost identical,
- lack of passive bonuses, talents, or meaningful unlocks,
- the system feels flat and lacks depth
- Immersion:
- chopping wood sounds the same regardless of location,
- no environmental audio variation (New World’s echo system is a good reference for immersion done right)
Technical and Design Concerns
- the day/night cycle is still inconsistent (overly bright or excessively dark)
- separate marketplaces in alpha testing with a limited population make little sense from a testing perspective
- exploration feels unrewarding:
- no hidden treasures,
- no discoverables,
- little sense of wonder
Final Thoughts
Ashes of Creation has enormous potential, but currently feels like a game that:
- keeps adding new systems,
- while leaving core mechanics underpolished.
In 2025/2026:
- ideas alone are no longer enough,
- foundational systems must be refined and satisfying,
- players need to feel joy in progression, crafting, and exploration.
At the moment:
- exploration lacks meaningful rewards,
- crafting feels shallow,
- grinding becomes monotonous too quickly,
- at times, the game feels like a “package delivery simulator.”
I sincerely wish the project success and truly hope it fulfills its promise.
However, without significantly more depth and polish, many players — even within the intended target audience — may disengage after a few dozen hours.
