Dungeon difficulty
The difficulty of PvE content, such as raids and dungeons will adapt based on the performance of the raid or group against previous bosses in that encounter.[3]
- Higher performance in earlier phases will increase the difficulty of subsequent phases of the encounter.[3]
- Certain AI behaviors might activate based on progress within an encounter.[2][4]
- Bosses and mobs will not auto-scale based on group size, but AI behaviors may dynamically adapt to the number and types of combatants in proximity to the encounter.[2][5]
- Both in Alpha-2 and when the game launches, there will be monsters whose technical level is above that of the cap; and the intent there is obviously again to provide some level of challenge that exceeds a comparable level challenge rating.{livestream|2023-11-30|1h53m50|V9F_AJl9ozY}} – Steven Sharif
- The higher the difficulty, the better the loot tables will be.[3]
- Q: How challenging will raid boss mechanics be given the given that players may need to simultaneously fight other players while also fighting the boss?
- A: It depends. The great thing about our encounter system is that it has a wide scalability from encounters that some might consider easy given their composition to encounters that some might consider impossible until they get their gear level to a certain stage. The level of interaction with other players is really predicated on the encounter itself. We may have some encounters that are in instances although the predominant portion of those will be in the open world, in which case they do have the potential being contested; and these encounters, especially the big ones that might land in contention, are giving some of the best-in-slot gear you can get in the game. So it's important that they are contested because it is a significant victory point; and one of our core pillars is risk versus reward: and the higher that risk the higher that reward should be. So those two things seem fitting and then in addition we do have the concept of winners and losers. Not everybody in Ashes of Creation is going to be a winner; and that sucks if you're not I guess, but there is opportunity for you to continue to excel and become one. But it gives much more meaning to an achievement when not everybody gets the achievement. That's our philosophy.[7] – Steven Sharif
- Q: So it's the sort of thing where it might be, we're going do a dungeon that's oops, all fire golems, so if everybody straps up with plate armor and fire resistance, you don't have to worry about the magic fire: you've got the fire resistance for. And when you start getting punched around, that's why everyone's come in with plate?
- A: The encounters design team presents a particular type of challenge rating- for those you're familiar with playing DnD or whatever, challenge rating gets informed by a few different vertical power levels, but then there's also the horizontal perspective: That is, what tools does your party have to address the challenge rating of the situation and some of the horizontal progression exists within how you kit your equipment slots. Some of those can be enhancements or stones, as you're discussing with fire resistance. Some of those are base stats that exist on a particular item, such as physical damage mitigation versus magical damage mitigation and what subtype of damage is incoming based on that. These are the ways that we emphasize that more rock-paper-scissors type of interaction with balance to where it's okay to have asymmetric imbalance if there are horizontal methods by which you achieve the challenge rating.[8] – Steven Sharif
Level scaling
Levels, stats, or skills will not be scaled to allow low level players to participate in encounters with higher level players or world bosses.[9][10][11]
- Q: Will world bosses scale when it comes to player levels and is it based on players or the zone itself leveling?
- A: They will not scale based on player level, no.[9] – Steven Sharif
Adaptive content
New points of interest (such as dungeons, world bosses, and corrupted areas) spawn as nodes develop.[13][14] This content adapts to the node progression of the zone it is in.[12][15]
- Additional buildings will spawn.[12]
- Additional mobs will spawn.[12]
- Different antagonists/leaders with different story lines.[12][15]
- Populations will change.[15]
- Content difficulty will change.[15]
- The content may be different altogether.[15]
- Additional quest hooks.[12]
- Dungeon will be unlocked when certain nodes advance to certain stages.[16]
- Drop tables in areas and dungeons will be tied into the progression of certain areas.[16]
- POI events are events that relate to specific points-of-interest (POI).[20]
- The location of points of interest will be the same on each server, but some servers may have limited or no access to them.[21]
- 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.[16]
Dungeon size
The intention is that dungeons are going to be "massive" in scale.[23]
- Massive caverns and open world spaces.[23]
- Places to suit larger and smaller commitments.[23]
- Where people with 30 minutes can participate.
- Dungeons are vast and have room for multiple groups.[24]
Loot tagging
Looting rights (also known as Loot tagging) is based on a blended tag and damage done system.[25][26]
- The first party to obtain a tag (on a mob or boss) will gain an approximately 5-10% edge over competing parties in terms of the total damage done when determining looting rights.[25][26]
- These numbers will be balanced based on testing.[25]
- At the end of the fight, the party with the highest damage done, including first tagging bonus, will be granted looting rights.[25][26]
- We have a blended approach of damage done and a tag benefit. So if you tag the boss first, or you tag the loot- whatever the loot target is first- you're gonna get a benefit in the damage overall determination. So if you need to have 51% of damage done in order to qualify your raid, or the plurality of damage done if there's even three or four raids, then tagging first might give you a five or ten percent edge. We'll play with that number- balance it based on testing, but generally that's our approach in competing loot rights[25] – Steven Sharif
- Q: If looting rights are based on a blended tag and damage done system, will there be any mechanics in place to ensure roles like tanks and healers have an equal shot even when they haven't dealt as much damage?
- A: That's the reason for the blended approach. The reason that we're doing a hybrid system between tag and damage done is for the purposes of those classes who may not be as DPS oriented as other classes. The tag system- all classes are going to have a sprinkling of immediate effects- of instantaneous casts and they can use that to tag a target, and that'll give them a modifier on the looting rights: So plus 10 or plus 15 will balance that, but it'll give them plus 10 to 15 on overall damage done if they tag the target and then their damage will make up the remainder of that percentage completion. So if I do 50 damage to a target but someone else has the tag I'm not going to be able to claim that looting right. They'll have done the other 50 plus 10 or 15.[27] – Steven Sharif
Group sizes
Ashes of Creation is designed for solo players as well as large and small groups.[29][30][31]
- The idea behind an 8-person group is to allow us to really amplify party roles, and to create a need for each of the archetypes in every party.[32]
- Incursioni will have 40 man groups.[33]
- Content will be tailored for 40, 16 and 8 person group sizes.[34]
- Arene will have 1 man, 3 man, 5 man and possibly 20 man Free-For-All (Deathmatch) group sizes.[35]
- Assedi del castello are expected to have at minimum 250x250 players to be on a single battlefield, with the possibility of increasing this to 500x500 over time.[37][38][39][40]
- The minimum goal is 500 players on a single battlefield. I think we will be able to hit 500vs500 but we shall see.[40] – Steven Sharif
Solo players
Ashes of Creation provides gameplay options for solo oriented players.[29]
- For those solo players who don't really care about finding a community to play with but they want to have one when they need it, there's going to be a lot of opportunities from a dialogue perspective, in-game chat options; you can join as part of citizenships: there's a lot of pseudo factions there- social organizations that give you an in to other players without the strong bonds that typically come with guild-oriented organizations; and I think that that's a comfortable medium between the two.[29] – Steven Sharif
- Certain quest lines and hunting grounds are devoted towards solo players.[29][42]
- Node citizenship and social organizations provide the ability to interact without the strong bonds that typically come with guild-oriented organizations.[29][43]
- Mechanics exist within larger conflicts for small groups and solo players to impact the battle.[44]
- This includes systems that will likely focus on single group sized participants while the larger battle is occurring.[44]
Mentor program
There will be a mentorship program where upper-level players are able to benefit from partying and/or helping lower level players; and getting them situated in the game.[11]
- Certain node buildings and organizations offer quests that can be initiated by a mentor to assist new players. Rewards are offered to both the mentor and the mentee upon completion.[45]
- There will be activities that are present for higher level players to mentor lower level players. Let's say you have a friend who joins later on and you still want to do things with them, there will be things to do. Will he be able to enter a dungeon of your level and participate? No, because we don't want to inflate or deflate characters and manipulate that type of skill or power. We want that to be something that makes sense for them in a progression standpoint.[46] – Steven Sharif
- The mentorship program provides individual quests that can be initiated by the mentor based off of what node that they are part of. So these are like quests that are determined by either certain buildings and/or organizations or the mayor; and there are specific ones that are available for mentors to provide mentees; and they can also participate in some of those quest lines as well: Whether that be leading your mentee through a dungeon or providing a location for them to arrive with you at, or escort quests for the NPC caravans. These types of things, when done together with your mentor, will provide benefits both for the mentor and the mentee as well, so you're incentivized to participate with new players.[45] – Steven Sharif
See also
Riferimenti
- ↑ Newsletter - June 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Trasmissione in diretta, 2023-01-27 (1:34:06).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Colloquio, 2020-07-19 (14:51).
- ↑ Colloquio, 2021-06-13 (22:20).
- ↑ Colloquio, 2020-07-19 (17:12).
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2023-11-30 (1:53:50).
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2022-05-27 (1:20:35).
- ↑ Colloquio, 2023-07-09 (1:40:41).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Trasmissione in diretta, 2023-05-31 (43:55).
- ↑ Colloquio, 2021-06-13 (24:14).
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Video, 2018-04-05 (40:08).
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 Trasmissione in diretta, 2021-03-26 (50:33).
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2021-03-26 (22:53).
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2017-11-17 (36:22).
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Trasmissione in diretta, 2017-11-17 (18:29).
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 MMOGames interview, January 2017
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2020-07-25 (46:08).
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2022-04-29 (40:21).
- ↑
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2020-03-28 (1:53:18).
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Trasmissione in diretta, 2017-05-19 (23:00).
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2018-02-09 (45:30).
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Trasmissione in diretta, 2022-03-31 (1:23:06).
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Trasmissione in diretta, 2020-07-25 (1:24:56).
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2022-06-30 (1:16:22).
- ↑ Video, 2024-02-29 (33:57).
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 Trasmissione in diretta, 2022-09-30 (2:40).
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2020-11-30 (1:20:25).
- ↑
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Group dynamics blog.
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2017-05-09 (34:38).
- ↑ February 8, 2019 - Questions and Answers.
- ↑
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2017-05-26 (48:12).
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2021-09-24 (52:48).
- ↑ Colloquio, 2021-07-08 (57:19).
- ↑ Colloquio, 2020-07-19 (44:28).
- ↑ 40.0 40.1
- ↑ Video, 2022-09-30 (23:13).
- ↑ About Ashes of Creation.
- ↑ Trasmissione in diretta, 2017-05-08 (28:48).
- ↑ 44.0 44.1
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 45.4 Trasmissione in diretta, 2020-09-30 (1:07:22).
- ↑ Colloquio, 2018-08-24 (8:52).