Inspiration

Ashes of Creation has taken inspiration from various other MMORPG titles.

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. – Jeffrey Bard

• Eve Online with its regionalized economy and risk vs reward in transportation.
• ArcheAge with its building systems, transportation and naval combat.
• Star Wars Galaxies with its crafting systems.
• Lineage II with its risk vs reward, castle sieges, flagging, open world PvP and guild progression.

A lot of the systems in Lineage 2 were based around a concept that got lost today in mmorpgs, and that's risk versus reward. You know this idea that the more you risk the greater potential reward should be present is a complete paradigm shift away from everyone's a winner, everybody gets a participation reward, and here you go, congratulations you're a player in this game; and that's boring. It gives nothing for a person to aspire to achieve something, or to feel the bite of loss when you fail. Those are the driving forces of why people want to play games and it's a reason why new games when they come out have such a short lifespan, because they are always competing with WOW. You don't have to compete with WOW. You don't have to be a WOW killer. You can focus on something that is different from a philosophical design standpoint; and I think that's just what a lot of studios today don't want to take the risk on. – Steven Sharif

While Ashes of Creation took inspiration from Lineage II (and other games) it has also addressed several flaws in the implementation of those games. The approach of the flagging system in Ashes of Creation is to further disincentivize griefing while still allowing the system to keep risk relevant in the open-world setting.

First and foremost, PvP in Ashes exists in both opt-in systems and events, as well as our open world flagging system. And while it is true that I enjoyed and took much inspiration from games like Lineage 2, we have innovated and adapted our approach to Ashes’ flagging system in order to further disincentivize griefing while still allowing the system to keep risk relevant in the open world setting. The overwhelming majority of player’s experiences with PvP in Ashes will be through consensual systems like caravans, sieges, wars, the open sea and other events. Players will make a choice to participate in those systems or not. And if they choose to participate there will be significant rewards for success. – Steven Sharif

• Pvp in Ashes of Creation exists in both opt-in systems and events as well as open-world PvP with a flagging (and corruption) system.

In the open world, when competing for the scarcity of resources, raids, dungeons and or hunting grounds, an important element of risk vs reward is introduced through our flagging system. Players must be aware of their surroundings and the reputation of other players who may be in proximity. The flagging system is intended to always provide an element of risk in all settings, but also architected to ensure that griefing and PK’ing is almost never worth it. The subtleties of this system are complex, which is of course why it will require considerable testing and feedback. – Steven Sharif

• Corruption gain takes into account level disparity between the attacker and the player that was killed. The greater the disparity the higher the corruption accrued. Corruption penalties occur as the corruption is gained.

These are all things that I've changed in the system that help to safeguard some of those loopholes. Now of course, as we said, we can't and we don't want to 100% remove the ability for that risk to be alive- for that risk to be realized. But what we do want to do is make sure that those occasions are few and infrequent, and are not the majority of a player experience, let's say in the open world; and we do so by incorporating all of those risks and costs into a decision to gain corruption and then PK another player in the open world. It's just not going to be done often and that is my expectation and opinion. It's also the goal of the system is that griefing is not a viable option or play style. And as a result of that desire for the system, we will fine tune it in such a way through testing that that outcome is achieved. And that is the intent and purpose of the design. – Steven Sharif

• Increasing corruption score adds increasing levels of skill dampening for PvP combat.

• Working corruption off through XP grinding takes significantly longer than Lineage II.

• There is also a bounty system that reveals corrupt player locations on the map.

• Abilities with CC effects do not apply to non-combatants. This prevents players from opening attacks that stun unflagged players.

• Players who heal, buff, or otherwise support corrupted players will flag as combatants.

• Corruption score has a scaling impact on skill and stat dampening that will ultimately make them ineffective at PvP. This dampening only affects Pvp combat.

• Non-combatants can attack corrupted players without flagging themselves as combatants.

• There is a 60 second timer to logout while corrupt. Force-disconnecting the client during the cooldown will leave the character in-game.

Design

Ashes of Creation website redesign preview (WIP).

Ashes of Creation takes place within a medieval fantasy setting, blending imagination with cutting-edge graphics. We are putting the word massive back into massively multiplayer with unique and novel mechanics that will bring meaning to player action. Ashes of Creation will incorporate the best parts of traditional MMORPGs with innovative sandbox concepts. You will choose your fate at every opportunity. Questlines will open and close based on the interactions of the players with their world, because this is a world where choice is consequential. Monsters will roam and grow in ferocity as civilization disrupts the natural order of things. From the location of towns to the size of cities, you will determine the landscape of your world. It will be unique in culture, ecology, and economy.

Ashes of Creation is an upcoming MMORPG set in a world of high fantasy where player’s choices will shape and define the world around them.

Ashes of Creation is a unique take on the MMO experience. Our world structure is dynamic and built to react to the actions of our players. Cities will rise and fall, their populations based on the history of the world as the players create it. Quests will unlock as these populations gather, their needs grow, and secrets are unlocked. As the world’s NPC structure is established in real time, players will have the ability to destroy what they’ve created, paving the way for new development, new populations, and real change. Political strife and intrigue will play a very real role in the structure of your world. Gone are the days of static worlds, change is here to stay.

• Ashes of Creation is a PvX game built on the foundational principle of risk versus reward.

We will refine systems, we will iterate on systems, but we will never change the core identity of the intent and philosophical approach to what Ashes of Creation as an MMO brings to the MMO genre space... What we want to do is express that Ashes of Creation is endeavoring to build a risk-versus-reward centric PvX style game. And that intent and purpose will be delivered upon, and it will not change. – Steven Sharif

• The original code-name for Ashes of Creation was The World of Origins.

• The developers are hoping for over a million concurrent users at launch.

Quando se trata de como os MMO's têm sido projetados tradicionalmente, a maioria dos jogadores está familiarizada com dois tipos distintos de loops de jogo: o "Theme park", e o "Sandbox". A grande maioria dos MMO's que todos vimos entrar e sair na indústria de jogos tem sido da variedade de theme parks - estes jogos colocam o jogador em um caminho específico, guiando-o, com muitas vistas bonitas entre os mesmos velhos quest hubs, muito pouco em caminhos divergentes, praticamente sem liberdade na progressão do jogador. Recentemente o gênero MMO tem visto alguns jogos da natureza sandbox entrarem em cena, mas apesar da liberdade final que a sandbox proporciona aos jogadores, muitos ficam querendo mais, pois não há por definição nenhum conteúdo mundial pré-construído, nenhum toque humano, apenas a vastidão da "areia" (sandbox) por falta de um termo melhor. Assim, muitos jogadores de MMO muitas vezes se encontram presos entre a rocha repetitiva do theme park ou os vastos espaços mortos do lugar duro do sandbox. Este abismo entre o estado dos loops de jogo MMO é onde pretendemos injetar o sistema de Nodes do Ashes of Creation.

Para que a mecânica do sandbox tenha algum significado, deve haver um conteúdo curado para acompanhar as escolhas do jogador. O que significa que, como desenvolvedores, devemos criar esse conteúdo no estilo themebox, mas para cada caminho possível que a comunidade possa tomar. – Steven Sharif

Pilares de design

O design de Ashes of Creation adere a cinco Pilares de Design.

1. História imersiva
2. Mundo reativo
3. Interação entre jogadores
4. Agência do Jogador
5. Risco vs Recompensa

Ao projetar o Ashes of Creation, nós aderimos cada detalhe a cinco pilares principais: História Imersiva, um Mundo Reativo, Interação entre Jogadores, Agência do Jogador, e Risco vs Recompensa. Mesmo no ambiente, tudo o que você, como jogador, faz, vai amarrar a estes pilares, enquanto tudo o que sua guilda faz, tudo o que seu servidor faz, no final das contas, vai manter o mundo fresco, sempre em mudança e, o mais importante... excitante.

História envolvente e imersiva

Dillia's diary concept art.

Topics that reflect the past and the present of Verra.

• Classes | Modelos | Papéis
• Raças | Religiões
• Habilidades | Aumenta
• Lore | Story arcs
• Role o jogo | Social animations
• Mapa de mundo | Pontos de interesse | Climate
• Ambientes | Underrealm | Submarino

Mundo reativo

Alpha-0 Kaelar Vilarejo node.

Topics that describe how the world of Verra evolves based on player activity.

• Nodes | Tipos de Base | Estágios de Base | Zona de influência
• Economia | Player businesses | Casas de leilão
• Classes Artesãs | Coleta | Processamento | Fabricação
• Missões | Events | Tarefas
• Naval | Combate naval | Navios
• Chefes mundiais | Moedas do monstro
• Ambientes Destrutíveis

Ashes of Creation will be a living, breathing, reactive world. Your actions will shape the Zones of Influence, leveling Nodes to form massive Cities, and create the story of the world that everyone experiences. – Margaret Krohn

Interação do jogador

Ashes of Creation intro sequence.

Game systems and mechanics that foster player interaction.

• Masmorras | Raids | Combate
• Guildas | Salões da guilda | Fortalezas da guilda | Castelos da guilda
• Dinâmicas de grupo | Saques
• Afiliações
• Organizações sociais
• Jogos de salão

We decided to focus on mechanics that bring the idea of community to the forefront. To get people to interact with each other meaningfully – not just to conquer a raid boss, or to get some coin from a faceless auction house, but to maybe save a city. A city that all the local residents had a stake in. A city that the players had spent weeks or months developing; the defense of that city, the attack on that city! Or building a world together as a community choosing our own fate with our friends. We believe that’s going to be a story far more memorable and far more meaningful to players than just about anything we can come up with.

Agência de jogadores

Kaelar armor 3D renders. Modelled by Keith Kovach and Chris Atkins.

Systems that grow and shape player experiences in the game.

• Armas | Armadura
• Progressão | Nivelamento
• Habitação | Carcaça do nó | Apartamentos | Propriedades
• Montarias | Mulas | Dragões
• Criador de personagens | Gear appearance
• Cosméticos | Skins | Vestuário | Acessórios
• Inventário | Consumables

We will have a lot of content that is available, but those will be behind doors that are accessible through agency on behalf of the community. In a traditional sense, no we are not a theme-park, however we will probably have more content than a theme-park does, traditionally. Just because, in order for those choices to be meaningful, there must be meaningful content behind the door you choose. – Steven Sharif

Risco versus recompensa

Pre-alpha arenas.

Risk is a healthy thing. Risk makes us value reward. Without risk we would not pursue certain achievements, because anybody could achieve them. Risk makes us have a sense of thrill, or have some sense of anxiety; and those are all emotional responses that get elicited when risk is present. So, risk isn't a bad thing. We like risk, not just in PvP but in PvE as well: when you can't always predict the environment or encounter you are part of, risk is something like 'Ah, I've never seen this boss do that before.' or these adds came at an ill-placed time, there's a trap here that I didn't experience before. There's a lot of elements that risk introduces that keep gameplay less stale; that keep it more dynamic; that introduce environments where the unexpected can occur. That is a good thing. – Steven Sharif

Activities that reward daring adventurers and foster meaningful conflict.

• World PvP | Caravanas | Guerras Guild
• Cercos de base | Cercos do castelo
• Player corruption | Caçadores de recompensas
• Arenas
• Conquistas | Leader boards | Parque de Conquistas
• Exploração | Caça ao tesouro
• Stock exchange (sharemarket)

The risk versus reward relationship, when, say for instance, you've dedicated time towards building a node and other players have dedicated that equivalent time towards sieging the node, there's going to be a pitched battle between those players... They spend that time doing this because they care passionately about having access to that content. – Steven Sharif

Ver também

• Pilares de design
• Ashes of Creation