Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Comments
@sunnyravencourt (question), @Aryv (question), @kanersen (question), @Mistiti (question 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), @Killion (question 1, 2), @Beri (question 1, 2), @Kreirian (question), @RisingLight (question 1, 2) - Please only post one question next time as requested, and if you only posted one question, please try to make it more clear and direct if possible - that way it's more likely to be picked!
@Gaul_ (question) - Our current stance on multi-boxing (multi-client) is that players are allowed to own multiple accounts, but may not launch multiple game clients from the same computer. Players may not use any software to automate character actions or mimic keystrokes. This is of course subject to change in the future. You can read more about this here, on the wiki!
@George_Black (question) - Customiation freedom and class identity can be clearer when archetypes and classes have homogenous options. Focus on archetype kits, augments, skill progression, and more are ways to build on class identity while allowing all archetype options such as gear and weapons to be used across archetypes.
@Sorf (question) Our Lead Designer is a fantastic addition to the Intrepid family and has been excited about getting to dive into Ashes of Creation
@Gilgamesh (question), @NyceGaming (question), @Roubi (question), @Rattie (question), @Mag7spy (question), @Barab (question), @s1zzl1n (question), @SkylarckTheBotanist (question), @EmLe (question), @Liniker (question), @Reation (question), @Hope (question), @Saiytama (question), @Ryozo (question), @TopWombat (question) - Margaret addressed these questions on stream
@unkownwon (question) - Players will have a buff on their nameplate that indicates the gear set they are wearing. Other players will be able to see this buff by targeting that player at a distance. This will indicate the type of armor (cloth, leather, plate) that they are predominantly wearing. The border will indicate the level and quality of the tier set. This also indicates if the gear is enchanted, along with visual effects associated with enchanted items. You can learn more about threat assessment here, on the wiki!
@NiKr (question), @RazThemun (question) - Non-corrupt players always respawn at the closest active respawn point (to their death). Corrupt players respawn at random locations in the vicinity of their death, not at regular spawn points. Events in progress may disable certain respawn points in proximity to those events, which might cause players to respawn further away. You can read more about respawn lore here, and respawn points here, on the wiki!
@Voeltz (question) - Good actions, such as participating in civilization building, may result in a character gaining positive node reputation. Bad actions taken, such as failing certain quests, may result in gaining negative reputation. This reputation is gained or lost on a per-node basis. We have not announced any plans for an alignment system at this time
@AshRen (question) - The team is hard at work on the world of Verra, and is excited to showcase new areas you can explore as we progress in development
@SonicXplosion (question) Steven talked on this last year - The team will have more information to share regarding these weapons at a later date
@Doran (question) - While we'd love to have custom music creation in Ashes of Creation, it is currently not planned for release. You can read more about musical instruments here, on the wiki!
@AMValentines (question) - There is a lot of awesome PvE content to talk about, so I'll just highlight a couple key points: The Node system facilitates the generation of new PvE content such as Quests, Dungeons, Raids and Monster coins. PvE content adapts to the development of the world to avoid repetition. I suggest reading about PvE here, on the wiki! There is also the page for Nodes here
@Cimarb (question) - The team is hard at work on all of the playable races of Verra. We're excited to showcase Tulnar as soon as they're ready
@Unaek (question) - We know name reservations are important to those who have them. We'll have more details to share regarding name reservations as we progress further in development
@Tenguru (question) - "One of the great differentiators between mortal divine races and the gods is that aspect of mortality. And one of the ways that the divine races were created in order to interact with the Essence was through the use of a mortal coil, and that mortal coil was malleable. Your soul was malleable. It could change to adopt a greater connection with the Essence around one particular school of magic perhaps, or one type of magic that you might use Essence for. And the more you experienced that, the more adept you became with utilizing that magic. And that's because your coil would start to mold itself to best facilitate that flow of essence: whatever school of magic you were manipulating with it". - Steven Sharif
@Kurushiki (question) - You can use the character creator to define the look of NPCs
@DaddySteve (question) Steven answered this question not long ago
@Rhynedahll (question) - Mayoral commissions can be conducted by both citizens and non-citizens, but only citizen contribution will generate mandates for the node. With that said, it's possible that some PvP interactions could theoretically disrupt the completion of the mayoral commissions some players are progressing. You can learn more about mayoral commissions here, on the wiki!
@Frosty_Thundertrod (question) - We don't currently have any plans for a 'guess the date of Alpha Two' contest that we've shared at this time
@Sorcres (question) Sure! You can find that information on this page: https://support.ashesofcreation.com/hc/en-us/articles/26658550834835-What-are-the-minimum-and-recommend-computer-specifications-for-Alpha-Two
@Azherae (question) - RMT, or Real Money Transactions, are against our TOS. You can read more about our stance on RMT here, on the wik!
@CyBorg (question) - I believe Steven will have addressed this on stream
@hohimp (question) - We'll have more information to share regarding classes as we progress further in development
@Wolves (question) - Bounty hunters can activate their Pathfinding ability to reveal corrupted player locations on their map. This will flag the bounty hunter for combat only to corrupted players for a period of one hour from the time of activation. The pathfinding ability can be toggled on or off. Bounty hunters may be permanently flagged versus corrupted players with the pathfinding ability toggled off. This design change will be decided based on testing. The accuracy of bounty hunter maps is determined by a player's progression in the bounty hunter system. You can read more about this, and much more about Ashes of Creation here, on the wiki!
@Fur (question) - You're in luck! There is a whole page on the Ashes of Creation community wiki on our plans with A.I! You can check that out here
@Tyranthraxus (question) - Mounts and players cannot stop caravans and other vehicles from moving. Nothing can move or block ships. You can hear Steven chat about this here:
@Jacklop (question) - The Bard archetype will be able to play musical instruments, such as flutes and bagpipes. Other archetypes may also be able to play certain musical instruments at some future time. Custom music creation (using the likes of the Music Macro Language) will not be present in the game on release. There may be a specific gear slot for musical instruments. You can read more about musical instruments here, on the wiki!
@Aloxigozal (question) - This may depend on the archetype, secondary class, augments, skill points, weapons, and more, that you choose for your character! The Bard archetype is an example of an archetype that is more support-oriented, while the cleric has more healing spells as you mentioned. I recommend checking out the Ashes of Creation community wiki, where you can read more about the game!
@Hydromance (question) - Augments can change the effect from a ranged to melee ability. This answer, and possibly the answers to many more of your questions can be found here, on the wiki!
@DanMcGahan (question) - Good actions, such as participating in civilization building, may result in a character gaining positive node reputation. Bad actions taken, such as failing certain quests, may result in gaining negative reputation. This reputation is gained or lost on a per-node basis. You can read more about reputation here, on the wiki!
@JusCallMeSyn (question) - The team is currently hard at work on all 8 of the core archetypes for Alpha Two. Once these are all completed, more development resources will go toward fleshing out secondary classes, augments, and more
@MackArrel (question) - This is likely a question about whether this is a design intention, rather than a possibility with Unreal Engine 5. The team will have more information to share regarding utility skills in the future. For now, you can read about utility skills here, on the wiki!
@Happymeal2415 (question) - This is still something we aim to accomplish! Playtesting, both internal and external, makes this goal more tangible. With that said, we look forward to doing more playtesting this year
@FlackJacket (question) - Some players may prefer the look of in-game achievable gear, or wearing what they've earned. Some players may prefer purchasing cosmetics for their character. It's important to remember that "The most grand looking cosmetics will be from in-game achievement only." – Steven Sharif You can read more about cosmetics here, on the wiki!
@RayKing (question) - You can read all about Mayors, and the leadership powers they can have here, on the wiki!
@nanfoodle (question) - Bards are intended to not be purely support focussed. They will be a "jack of all trades", including offensive and defensive combat abilities in addition to support abilities and buffs. You can read more about the Bard archetype here, on the wiki!
@Depraved (question) - You are not going to see the Bard as a "buff bot" that you might have experienced in previous games, where they are only good for their buffs and then you kick them out of party and they sit in a corner and come back in 30 minutes. Those buffs are going to be related to how they perform. – Steven Sharif
@Leonerdo (question) Hehehe... Without spoiling tooooooo much... Yes
@Venacier (question) - I believe you can find the answers, as well as learn a lot about crafting here, on the wiki! We also did a livestream showcase not long ago featuring Artisanship! You can check that out here:
@MissionCreep (question) - We will not share account details with other players. Alts and espionage through them is a legitimate aspect of the game. You can hear Steven chat about that here:
@KillerGermel (question) - Naval Caravans will serve the purpose of transporting goods across the seas. You can learn more about those here, on the wiki!
@Arunteli (question) - You can learn all about node types, including their unique specializations here, on the wiki!
@MetalDad (question) - The team is hard at work on UI, which is a big undertaking for a project of this size
@CrystalBaller (question) - We will be providing combat data for individual players in their chat window, that players can filter and analyze for themselves. The goal is to mitigate and make the practice less prevalent through the ease that DPS meters provide. Also to place actionable enforcement for players who attempt to circumvent the decision by use of 3rd party programs, for which we will be monitoring - Steven Sharif
@ColyPants (question) - You can learn more about Freehold Placement here. Exact numbers are subject to testing, so we'll have more details to share regarding Freeholds as we progress further in development
@Talents (question), @AdAstra224 (question), @PlasticLemons (question), @SnowElf (question), @Daredevil117 (question), @Ace1234 (question), @RowniSciponi (question), @Gizmow (question), @akabear (question), @GrundIe (question) @Imoxator (question), @Fantmx (question), @Heryglenn (question), @SiriusPunk (question), @Castai (question), @RowniSciponi (question), @Cadac (question), @Schmuky (question), @Ace1234 (question), @PavlovDead (question), @CCC_Leo (question) - Your questions were ones we hoped to have gotten to on stream but didn't quite have the time. We'd love it if you come by next month for the next development update livestream to ask them again!
@Talents (question), @AdAstra224 (question), @PlasticLemons (question), @SnowElf (question), @Daredevil117 (question), @Ace1234 (question), @RowniSciponi (question), @Gizmow (question), @akabear (question), @Grundle (question) - Congratulations! Your questions were answered by Steven and Margaret on the livestream! Be sure to check out the VoD on YouTube in case you missed it live!
hey! i just realized you posted this. thanks for answering my question, but thats not what i meant. i wasnt talking about buff bots.
i will clarify. in l2, you cant really do much unless you have buffs (especially party content, one dps and 2 buffers is better than 3 dps or 2 dps and 1 buffer, for example). steven played l2 so he knows this xD so my question was if buffs will be required to get from 1 to 50, or farm gear, kill bosses, etc. are bards and buffs just nice extra power for your character or are they absolutely required to even venture out of town as they were in l2 to the point where you are basically a potato if you dont have them.
❓ Do you think this will help players feel like they are in a reactive and responsive world?
Wow! I had two questions answered in the same video!
Answer: “ Yes. The answer is yes. Nodes will reflect the theming that the node has and that theming can be influenced by things such as the identity of the node from a node type perspective, what social organizations, what religious organizations, even what policies the node has chosen to enact. Those will all be represented in the types of commissions that the note has pool to pull from and so in that way you are solidifying the identity of that node and again the dynamic state of the world that gets represented.” -Steven 1:18:23