Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two testing is currently taking place five days each week. More information about Phase II and Phase III testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two testing is currently taking place five days each week. More information about Phase II and Phase III testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Why Low TTK Hurts PvP Depth and Why Intrepid’s Changes Are the Right Move for Ashes of Creation
Solvryn
Member, Alpha One, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
Why Low TTK Hurts PvP Depth and Why Intrepid’s Changes Are the Right Move for Ashes of Creation
Low Time-to-Kill (TTK) in combat often leads to shallow, reaction-based gameplay, where success is determined by burst damage and reflexes. This type of combat limits strategic depth and player agency, as there is little room for meaningful counterplay or adaptation. Research in game design suggests that extremely low TTK results in a less enjoyable experience because it leads to frustration and minimizes player choice. Too high of a TTK, however, can result in drawn-out combat that feels tedious and less impactful. The ideal TTK is one that allows for quick, intense action, but also offers enough time for players to respond, strategize, and outplay their opponents.
Increasing TTK allows for more strategic depth, providing players with time to react, reposition, and outplay their opponents. It creates a more tactical environment where success hinges on timing, positioning, and mechanical understanding rather than simply burst damage. This approach aligns with game design principles that emphasize player agency and customization, contributing to long-term engagement and satisfaction. Research shows that this balance in TTK leads to a higher skill ceiling, creating a more rewarding experience for players who master their mechanics and class.
Intrepid’s recent changes in Alpha Two, including stat balancing and progression tuning, are steps in the right direction. As Steven Sharif mentioned in his latest update:
“With this week’s patch, we’ve officially kicked off the first phase of stat balancing and progression tuning in Alpha Two. This update brings foundational changes to character leveling, gear stat scaling, mana/health regeneration, enchanting, and TTK (time-to-kill). These systems will continue to receive frequent tuning passes over the coming weeks as we dial in the pacing and feel of progression. AKA Don’t lose your shit, instead help us refine the results! ❤️_ — Steven Sharif_
This reflects Intrepid's commitment to refining TTK and gear progression systems. The goal is to create a balanced, engaging combat experience that fosters strategic and mechanical depth. By reducing gear power and continuing to adjust the value of various stats, the developers are working to ensure that gear is meaningful, but not overpowered, and that player skill plays a larger role in combat outcomes.
As Steven Sharif noted, these changes are part of a multi-patch process, with frequent tuning passes that will continue to adjust how gear progression and combat survivability feel in both PvP and PvE. Balancing waterfall stats—the secondary stats influenced by primary stats—takes time and effort, as it directly impacts build diversity and player customization. The developers are iterating on this balance, and while the alpha may look messy at times, this is a natural part of the testing and development process. Player feedback is a critical part of shaping the final system, and Intrepid’s ongoing efforts will help refine the feel of these systems.
This iterative process will help improve PvP by increasing the skill gap between players. The reduced emphasis on raw gear power, combined with a focus on meaningful progression, means that great players will be those who master their class, not simply those who rely on high damage or overwhelming stats. This also ties into the ongoing feedback loop, where players are encouraged to submit their thoughts through Intrepid's dedicated surveys to shape the future direction of the game.
In conclusion, low TTK results in chaotic and reaction-based combat, whereas increasing TTK allows for a deeper, more engaging tactical experience. Intrepid's changes, including reducing gear power and focusing on fine-tuning progression and combat pacing, will lead to a game that rewards strategic thinking, team coordination, and player skill. This shift will help create a more rewarding, skill-based environment, while maintaining a focus on PvE and PvP balance, ensuring that Ashes of Creation evolves into a game that values both player agency and strategic depth.
Low Time-to-Kill (TTK) in combat often leads to shallow, reaction-based gameplay, where success is determined by burst damage and reflexes. This type of combat limits strategic depth and player agency, as there is little room for meaningful counterplay or adaptation. Research in game design suggests that extremely low TTK results in a less enjoyable experience because it leads to frustration and minimizes player choice. Too high of a TTK, however, can result in drawn-out combat that feels tedious and less impactful. The ideal TTK is one that allows for quick, intense action, but also offers enough time for players to respond, strategize, and outplay their opponents.
Increasing TTK allows for more strategic depth, providing players with time to react, reposition, and outplay their opponents. It creates a more tactical environment where success hinges on timing, positioning, and mechanical understanding rather than simply burst damage. This approach aligns with game design principles that emphasize player agency and customization, contributing to long-term engagement and satisfaction. Research shows that this balance in TTK leads to a higher skill ceiling, creating a more rewarding experience for players who master their mechanics and class.
Intrepid’s recent changes in Alpha Two, including stat balancing and progression tuning, are steps in the right direction. As Steven Sharif mentioned in his latest update:
“With this week’s patch, we’ve officially kicked off the first phase of stat balancing and progression tuning in Alpha Two. This update brings foundational changes to character leveling, gear stat scaling, mana/health regeneration, enchanting, and TTK (time-to-kill). These systems will continue to receive frequent tuning passes over the coming weeks as we dial in the pacing and feel of progression. AKA Don’t lose your shit, instead help us refine the results! ❤️_ — Steven Sharif_
This reflects Intrepid's commitment to refining TTK and gear progression systems. The goal is to create a balanced, engaging combat experience that fosters strategic and mechanical depth. By reducing gear power and continuing to adjust the value of various stats, the developers are working to ensure that gear is meaningful, but not overpowered, and that player skill plays a larger role in combat outcomes.
As Steven Sharif noted, these changes are part of a multi-patch process, with frequent tuning passes that will continue to adjust how gear progression and combat survivability feel in both PvP and PvE. Balancing waterfall stats—the secondary stats influenced by primary stats—takes time and effort, as it directly impacts build diversity and player customization. The developers are iterating on this balance, and while the alpha may look messy at times, this is a natural part of the testing and development process. Player feedback is a critical part of shaping the final system, and Intrepid’s ongoing efforts will help refine the feel of these systems.
This iterative process will help improve PvP by increasing the skill gap between players. The reduced emphasis on raw gear power, combined with a focus on meaningful progression, means that great players will be those who master their class, not simply those who rely on high damage or overwhelming stats. This also ties into the ongoing feedback loop, where players are encouraged to submit their thoughts through Intrepid's dedicated surveys to shape the future direction of the game.
In conclusion, low TTK results in chaotic and reaction-based combat, whereas increasing TTK allows for a deeper, more engaging tactical experience. Intrepid's changes, including reducing gear power and focusing on fine-tuning progression and combat pacing, will lead to a game that rewards strategic thinking, team coordination, and player skill. This shift will help create a more rewarding, skill-based environment, while maintaining a focus on PvE and PvP balance, ensuring that Ashes of Creation evolves into a game that values both player agency and strategic depth.
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Comments
With as many options for 3 entire support archetypes and all the gear involved there needs to be an equal amount of respect for the time invested to make them viable options in any given content.
If you want to reward twitch finger players drop all the gear and leveling and just turn the game into Fortnite.
Also longer TTK will allow Intrepid to allow for some sort of gear power expression without making the whole affair as comical as it was in P1 and P2.
Blown past falling sands…
So.... Like no. There isn't really 'gear expression' even in cases where TTK is longer. If there is a build who can nuke and delete players, and they have enough health they will just build damage. Two can play at the 'I have a healer who has time to react' game and the person who can delete other classes always comes out on top. But then we get to the essence of an RPS balance style PvP game.
When I first heard about Ashes I was always skeptical about it's stated policy that they 'weren't going to balance the classes against every match up' and 'more so balance it for group v group'. This is because it is harder to do than the alternative and it is a game that relies heavily on PvP . I think I have a better idea of what it could look like now, but that is because I played another game that has this 'RPS style approach'.
TTK in Throne and Liberty depends a lot on what class is fighting what class. It can be between a 2 minute long video of a tank absolutely trolling 5 man party, to instant deletion. It really depends on the match up. I think over all this has resulted in tolerable pvp with some highs and lows. However, there is a small rock in the gears so to speak. Ravagers.
The Greatsword/Dagger class has access to some of the highest damage in the game and a fair bit more hp than it's other dps counterparts. This is generally an ok design. However, it has a slight problem, it has a teleport to target gap closer that can silence you and depending on the spec you can teleport right back to where you were before the gap close, a stun, and yet another stun that is also a gap closer. This is mostly balanced by the fact that it takes a considerable amount of your abilities going on fairly high cooldowns to achieve this effect. There is a lot that is tolerable about the Ravager. It's not it's high HP compared to other dps (after all it is a melee class), it's not it's cc, it's not even the fact that it results in instant death even if you burn a bunch of cc cleanse and immunity abilities. It's because the ability to do that big burst of damage doesn't share a cooldown with that teleport cc ability. This is kind of weird as they have nerfed other problematic builds in the past by making certain abilities share cooldown with each other even if they were on different weapons.
There are more people who can do quick kills but they usually have a more obvious weakness. Crossbow classes tend to be squishy. Spear tend to lack as much output and have comparatively higher demands for stats although they can generally be harder to kill. Mana limitations tend to be a big issue but there is skills for healing your teammates mp just like Ashes has generally planned for. The ttk gets longer with experience and smaller gaps in gear score, but due to the Ravager they tend to be dependent on if their hard cc landed or not.
I get it that people might have opinions and valid points about the last patch changes to power / TTK, but P1 and P2 pvp experience was ridiculous, and I'm not even talking about about large groups, but small scale and 1vs1. Previously in extreme cases people would get deleted in a matter of few frames, not even seconds.
The game was advertised initially has having pretty long TTK, recently some dev comments suggested that value is in fact lower, but the top end P1 and P2 pvp experience was a comedy. Your kit or class synergies mattered fu...all. There was no space for melee classes in the world of 400-600 power. Ranged dps archetypes ruled it all. I felt bad for tanks, fighters and clerics, and anyone stuck at the lower power range. Was it fun? For some, sure. Was it MMORPG experience? Hell no.
When it comes to actual gear, stuff like WIS, CON, casting speed, life-leech, block, evasion, mana regen, mitigations, all those stats which were not directly power related were totally worthless. We just might see them used in the future.
I have to admit that I'm surprised how FAR the power dropped across the board, and I expected 300 power to me closer to the new top end marker, but as Intrepid communicated themselves, this is the first step towards further tweaks and adjustments.
Blown past falling sands…
Good grief, this is why I can't get people to post here, how did you get triggered about this of all things?
Not even Steven, in fact especially not Steven/Intrepid has this response to data about people's experiences from other games. They're practically considered vital given that Ashes is nowhere near ready yet.
This wasn't even the point being made, though I'm definitely not going to bother re-making it for just you since you seem to be disqualifying any discussion about anything that isn't the first pass of an Alpha of a game that doesn't have half its playstyle options in it.
Sorry for us muddying your thread, Solvryn... yeesh...
"For what...?"
"Just about everything, really."
We don't need to go any further. You shouldn't have builds that can nuke and delete players, period.
Gear expression comes from the build diversity and meaningful upgrades.
Build diversity comes from diminishing returns built into power that makes players add other things to their build + the longer TTK creating the possibility of defensive stats meaning something instead of being useless because you will die in 2 seconds anyway.
Meaningful upgrades are better on higher TTK because there is room for power disparities. In a game with a 40s average TTK for equal gear, when a guy is twice as strong as the other guy, the TTK is still ~20 seconds, which is a fair amount. For a game with a 10s TTK for equal gear, when the other guy is twice as strong, the fight lasts 5 seconds, and we go back to ridiculously short fights again. There is more room for meaningful power upgrades in longer TTK