Hey everyone! :-)

Thought it was worth saying 'hi' as I'm a new joiner who recently learnt about Ashes of Creation. For those interested, I'll write a little bit about myself below so that some like-minded people might find me! Otherwise, hello to everyone - this game looks very exciting and I'm really impressed with the quality of the content promised and that which has been realised in Alpha Zero.

About me:

- I've been gaming for about 18 years. MMOs have caught my attention more than any other type of game, and I have about 700 days worth of MMO playtime. 
- I play Dota 2 regularly, and have 5000 hours racked up.
- I am a primary school teacher, so by day I teach children the fundamentals of academia.
- I am 27 years old, from England.
- I'm competitive and I'm creative - I like to strategise, and think about problems and unpick them. 
- My dream job would be to work within the creative sector of a game development team. I'm good at generating ideas, articulating detail and critically engaging with suggestions.

What I look for in an MMO:

- A sprawling world filled with variety, beauty and most importantly - mystery.
- A powerful sense of community, but also where separate communities hold mystery and distance from one another. 
- A varied, flexible, rewarding combat system which feels impactful and demands skill. I think it should take practise to be good at combat.
- Engaging trades that allow me to sink my teeth into them and think carefully about what I'm doing. A sense of adventure underpinning this is a massive bonus.
- Classes that are constantly developing, evolving and learning. I would love to see this game present opportunities for classes to learn from various nodes and explorations and develop related skills. 

What I don't like to see:

- Repetitive, tedious content. If it doesn't offer challenge, I don't see the point in it.
- Overly convenient systems which reduce adventure and mystery.
- Rare items being owned by everyone. Awe and wonder are a big part of MMOs; this is diminished quickly when everyone has everything. Spoiling players only leaves them unsatisfied.

I'm looking forward to following this game's development, and I can't wait to get stuck into some of the conversations presented on this forum.

All good wishes,
-Declan x