Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Comments
Not gonna lie, WoW cartoony graphic style was one of my major turn offs for the game aswell.
Aren't we all sinners?
Until one day the giants name turns red.....
Swapping dimensions, magical flying ships, magically-powered machines, etc should be rare and far-and-few between. It presently feels AoC is on-track for this level. If a server has two Scientific Metropolis Nodes, we'll get to see them connected by a flying machine - but that's about the rarity I'd hope for.
You sure?
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Design_pillars
Inspiration
Ashes of Creation has taken inspiration from various other MMORPG titles.[10]
In terms of what came before, we're trying to figure out who did what best and take inspiration from that: Move the genre forward; keep things updated and bring it into the 21st century.[10] – Jeffrey Bard
Eve Online with its regionalized economy and risk vs reward in transportation.[10]
ArcheAge with its building systems, transportation and naval combat.[10]
Star Wars Galaxies with its crafting systems.[10]
Lineage II with its risk vs reward, castle sieges, flagging, open world PvP and guild progression.[11][12][13][10]
This game is taking inspiration from EQ, L2, AA
you literally quoted Jeffrey bard (aka EQ) but he left the company and we dont know how much impact he had with IS core design. But learning about L2 - seems both game were very alike, so we are good overall.
I feel icky - defending that dude... then again im laughing he mentioned EQ and complaining about being taxed in-game with timesinks and whatnot when he played EQ... during PoP nonetheless which killed EQ
It's also probably way too far along to start changing Art directions at this point. I don't see why you'd want anything different anyways. It takes a lot of time for the artist to create all those assets.
If WOW was made today, it probably wouldn't have the same style it does currently. Very stylized graphics can definitely stand the test of time though, and that's probably one of the reasons why they went that direction. Graphics then weren't exactly the best, so it was a good choice when that game was made.
At least the death throes will be cushioned by the stuffing fluff.
I personally enjoy interacting with a world that can be both serious and whimsical. I also enjoy a story with interesting lore characters. I believe Ashes of Creation will feature all of this! I could see it being both player-driven and game-driven
I am going to make an alt named Sid and make him look like the kid from toy story just so I can hunt people riding that mount.
I myself disliked the cartoony nature of WoW.
I could have really got into that game but the graphics style was a constant irritant. I distinctly remember being annoyed at the rivets/bolts on the air ships. Ridiculous size.
I have a vivid imagination but that art style prevented any kind of willing suspension of disbelief.
I recall some NPC parody characters. Meh. I guess i'm not in the 'for the lulz' crowd.
I don't think Ashes of Creation is going for mass market appeal. It's going to be challenging, time consuming, require familiarity with continually changing server conditions, and demand various forms of co-operation... by it's very design it's already more "serious" than many competitors. I think it's tone should reflect it's game design.
So I'd personally want something more serious, or at least "neutral" rather than leaning towards cartoony/casual. I feel like so many properties are trying to copy the post-Guardian's Marvel-esque style of always being ironic, meta, and self-deprecating. It has it's place, but I'm pretty tired of always seeing it. Seems like audiences are assumed to be incapable of processing a serious scene without a joke to lighten the mood, or that our attention span is so short that character building has become a waste of time. A character cannot do something heroic without making them or the situation into a punchline in the very next scene. Same with game design... so many developers prioritize quick dopamine hits over meaningful progression, rarely achieving a sense of accomplishment that lasts longer than a W in quick match with players you'll never see or hear from again. Ultimately I just hope there's balance, because I've found it's the agony of losing that heightens the thrill of winning.
I want depth, detail, realism, and relatability--not to superficial attributes or arbitrary immutable characteristics, but to universal human experiences with characters and real-world dynamics with game design. Scarcity and abundance, supply and demand, inclusion and exclusion, strategic planning/patience, unnegotiable trade-offs... all should apply not only to a server's economy, but to a server's social marketplace/playerbase as well.