Story Arcs vs Node Stage Cycles

So are Story Arcs server wide things that take place in different nodes that players have to travel to in order to do the content? Or does each node have its own Story Arc that coincides with the node stage?

Like if you progress a node to Metropolis and then destroy it, do you start a new story arc path?

I thought the whole point of Ashes of Creation is that when the node stages cycled, you would get a chance to try new content and node progression paths or something, keeping the game fresh for a long period of time

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CROW3

Certain story arcs become available (or disappear) as a node progresses through stages…

https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Story_arc_quests

Xeeg

CROW3 wrote: »

Certain story arcs become available (or disappear) as a node progresses through stages…

https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Story_arc_quests

So do we get new story arcs when the nodes get destroyed and rebuilt?

Azherae

Xeeg wrote: »

CROW3 wrote: »

Certain story arcs become available (or disappear) as a node progresses through stages…

https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Story_arc_quests

So do we get new story arcs when the nodes get destroyed and rebuilt?

Probably it can go either way depending on the arc?

This is more a question of content amount than anything else.

But skotty and co. are probably working hard at all that (/cheers on)

It would depend on the state of the world after the rebuilding of the node.

Dygz

New and different story arcs as Nodes rise and fall.
And as different Races populate the Nodes.
Metros can also influence the content that appears in other Metros - there is some synergy there.
Also, server stories will be impacted by the Events system.

And whatever is available from the Weather and Seasons systems.

Xeeg

I guess what I'm asking is, does each Node get their own batch of potential Story Arcs? Or is the Story Arc system something that occurs with multiple Nodes? If the latter, it would seem difficult to reset or redo a Story Arc.

Dygz

Each Node also dependent upon which Race is dominant.
It's always going to be multiple Nodes interacting with each other and other systems.

I don't think "resetting" or "redoing" story arcs is really a thing.
There could be more than one occurence of a Winter Dragon arriving. Or more than one earthquake. Sure.

Azherae

Xeeg wrote: »

I guess what I'm asking is, does each Node get their own batch of potential Story Arcs? Or is the Story Arc system something that occurs with multiple Nodes? If the latter, it would seem difficult to reset or redo a Story Arc.

It wouldn't really matter.

If there are enough individual story arcs, one wouldn't need to reset or redo a particular one, the same way as it works for things like PvE sieges/large battles or certain 'boss' content or curated ingame events.

I guess some people might be disappointed that they can't experience certain ones, but... that's about it?

I don't know if this question I asked once is an answer to yours, but here (it's also on the Wiki page so I partly assumed you read it, if you did and it doesn't clarify, then maybe the rest of the thread is helpful)

skotty wrote: »

Azherae wrote: »

When you get a chance/it's okay to say, letting us know if different nodes can spawn 'equivalent' or 'the same' events, or even influence something in a different part of the world for some reason, would probably clear up a lot of people's concerns about it.

Most story arcs have multiple ways to unlock them. The Blood Still Due arc in the livestream requires any Riverlands node at level 3, for example, which means there are a lot of options that can enable the arc. It'll also be limited by the number of major arcs happening in the Riverlands, and even if conditions are right for it, it may need to "wait its turn" to start.

There are some exceptions for things that are intentionally rare or special.

Xeeg

Azherae wrote: »

If there are enough individual story arcs, one wouldn't need to reset or redo a particular one, the same way as it works for things like PvE sieges/large battles or certain 'boss' content or curated ingame events.

So then the game will release with X number of story arcs, and once they are done, they can't be redone by new players. So new players entering the game like 6 months down the road or a year after launch could basically be left out of the story arc system altogether and just get to do commissions and side quests?

It's just a mechanic for people who play near launch then?

Azherae

Xeeg wrote: »

Azherae wrote: »

If there are enough individual story arcs, one wouldn't need to reset or redo a particular one, the same way as it works for things like PvE sieges/large battles or certain 'boss' content or curated ingame events.

So then the game will release with X number of story arcs, and once they are done, they can't be redone by new players. So new players entering the game like 6 months down the road or a year after launch could basically be left out of the story arc system altogether and just get to do commissions and side quests?

It's just a mechanic for people who play near launch then?

No, it shouldn't work like that at all.

Skott's explanation is telling us that the Blood Still Due can trigger fairly often based on a Riverlands Node being in the right state.

That means those players should be able to experience that one. But a bigger more complex one might be seasonal or entirely unique.

So for certain veterans, there will be a point where 'they've seen the Blood Still Due happen many times and don't pay attention to it', because the requirements aren't very restrictive. But they'd only have seen "The Lantern on the Last Shore" (my example, not a known Story Arc) happen once, because it, for whatever reason, could only happen once.

So those new players can't experience that content, but there is more content, and probably new content.

Dygz

Uh. What?
Stories continue to change as Nodes rise and fall - and as different Races dominate the Nodes.
And as Castles change hands.
And as Weather and Seasons change.
And as the Events system churns away.

The stories new players experience 6 months from launch will be different than the stories the new players experienced at launch. And each server will experience story arcs in different order.
No one will be left out of story arcs.

Events can repeat. That doesn't mean it will be the same story.

Taleof2Cities

Xeeg wrote: »

Azherae wrote: »

If there are enough individual story arcs, one wouldn't need to reset or redo a particular one, the same way as it works for things like PvE sieges/large battles or certain 'boss' content or curated ingame events.

So then the game will release with X number of story arcs, and once they are done, they can't be redone by new players. So new players entering the game like 6 months down the road or a year after launch could basically be left out of the story arc system altogether and just get to do commissions and side quests?

It's just a mechanic for people who play near launch then?

No.

Using the example in skotty’s quote, there’s a mechanic that closes the “The Blood Still Due” arc too.

Which could be completion of the Arc by players, the node being destroyed by siege, or another mechanic.

Then, when the Riverlands achieves level 3 node status again, new players could start it.

Your example assumes ‘one and done’ story content which I imagine is not a good use of developer time.

Azherae

Another example that might be closer to what you are getting at, @Xeeg, has to do with the difference between Contextual story content and Curated story content.

Contextual content asks you to do mainly the same things, shuffles the order and some parameters to match the scenario, and then inserts the key points such as dialogue and conclusions.

Curated content involves a lot more specifics of things. So, as example, in Elite Dangerous, Community Goals are normally just Contextual Content:
"Hey here's some backstory for why these two factions are fighting, the game will be affected by who wins, go fight for the side you want to support."
or:
"This superpower is holding a celebration of something, bring them lots of rare stuff or destroy pirates to ensure success of this celebration."

Whereas Curated content is more like:
"Here's a whole specific investigative puzzle requiring you to explore and search an entire star sector and do ground recon to check for signs of a hidden facility to free some prisoners or find out what happened to them."

The first kind just requires them to write some story for 'before' and 'after' and change some values. The second is partially that, but it usually involves real design work and direct placement of things. But a player always has a chance of encountering one of the first kind, the details just differ. No player can repeat 'bringing items to celebrate the birth of a new Imperial Family member', but they can 'bring items to help with disaster relief on a stricken planet'.

Xeeg

Azherae wrote: »

Xeeg wrote: »

Azherae wrote: »

If there are enough individual story arcs, one wouldn't need to reset or redo a particular one, the same way as it works for things like PvE sieges/large battles or certain 'boss' content or curated ingame events.

So then the game will release with X number of story arcs, and once they are done, they can't be redone by new players. So new players entering the game like 6 months down the road or a year after launch could basically be left out of the story arc system altogether and just get to do commissions and side quests?

It's just a mechanic for people who play near launch then?

No, it shouldn't work like that at all.

Skott's explanation is telling us that the Blood Still Due can trigger fairly often based on a Riverlands Node being in the right state.

That means those players should be able to experience that one. But a bigger more complex one might be seasonal or entirely unique.

So for certain veterans, there will be a point where 'they've seen the Blood Still Due happen many times and don't pay attention to it', because the requirements aren't very restrictive. But they'd only have seen "The Lantern on the Last Shore" (my example, not a known Story Arc) happen once, because it, for whatever reason, could only happen once.

So those new players can't experience that content, but there is more content, and probably new content.

OK, I think I understand. They CAN be redone and repeated, but it's not on an individual Node level. It's more like a biome or group of nodes that can activate a story arc within their grouping.

I assume that we have to wait for some time after it is completed before the conditions can allow the Story Arc to be triggered again?

Azherae

Xeeg wrote: »

Azherae wrote: »

Xeeg wrote: »

Azherae wrote: »

If there are enough individual story arcs, one wouldn't need to reset or redo a particular one, the same way as it works for things like PvE sieges/large battles or certain 'boss' content or curated ingame events.

So then the game will release with X number of story arcs, and once they are done, they can't be redone by new players. So new players entering the game like 6 months down the road or a year after launch could basically be left out of the story arc system altogether and just get to do commissions and side quests?

It's just a mechanic for people who play near launch then?

No, it shouldn't work like that at all.

Skott's explanation is telling us that the Blood Still Due can trigger fairly often based on a Riverlands Node being in the right state.

That means those players should be able to experience that one. But a bigger more complex one might be seasonal or entirely unique.

So for certain veterans, there will be a point where 'they've seen the Blood Still Due happen many times and don't pay attention to it', because the requirements aren't very restrictive. But they'd only have seen "The Lantern on the Last Shore" (my example, not a known Story Arc) happen once, because it, for whatever reason, could only happen once.

So those new players can't experience that content, but there is more content, and probably new content.

OK, I think I understand. They CAN be redone and repeated, but it's not on an individual Node level. It's more like a biome or group of nodes that can activate a story arc within their grouping.

I assume that we have to wait for some time after it is completed before the conditions can allow the Story Arc to be triggered again?

Yes, that's likely.

The way this is handled in the other games I play which have these functions, it's pretty simple, though. A bar 'fills up' until a certain threshold and triggers the event, usually with at least a bit of a limit on how much it can rise daily, and maybe some counterpressures (I can explain this in more detail if you need it, but won't in this post).

Then, the event triggers and the event itself drains that bar/meter a certain amount per day (if it is an extendable status or event, then players can still contribute to 'keep it from falling as fast'). The event ends when the bar falls back to a very average value.

The 'time limit' before it can retrigger again, therefore, can be handled just by 'having to fill up the bar again'. If you add more specifics to the systems like Seasons and Weather, it can create variance and prevent players from just 'zerging' the requirement repeatedly to retrigger it.

And then, ofc, other aspects like changes to Nodes, or 'players diverting time or supplies used for that purpose, toward some other purpose', changes the speed of the 'bar filling up'.

This gives us, the players, some control, so that people could organize an event to trigger a story arc for the newbies if they wanted to, but also means that it is organic and varies.

Dygz

I'm pretty sure that for Ashes, players do not have active control over which Story Arcs trigger.
Nor will there be a visible bar which players can see as a countdown for when a Story Arc will trigger.

Also...
Certain dungeons and other points of interest across the map will all be affected by the server’s node development. Some dungeons will only be unlocked if nodes are developed to certain stages. The storyline objectives for players inside dungeons will also be dependent on the story arc paths chosen through the node system. The drop tables in area and dungeons will also be tied into the progression of certain areas. For example, let’s say that the humans have developed a node in Region A, and a storyline has opened up that leads players to inspect the ruins (dungeon) of a nearby area. And let’s say that this node was developed in a scientific (crafting) zone… Well before the node developed, this dungeon was accessible… But now the dungeon has propagated new monster assets that include a drop table catering to a crafting emphasis because of the development of that academic node. And perhaps, a new boss appears in different rooms of the dungeon that includes different adventure quest starts, like a mysterious item with a storyline that can only be progressed if a node develops to the metropolis stage in a certain region, across the world. Our system is so vast, when it comes to interconnectivity and how the world reacts to the players.
---Steven MMOGames interview, January 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAG9mS0U4NQ&t=1109s
Mark 18:29
Ashes of Creation Livestream, 17 November 2017

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