ArcheAge Chronicles
Forget everything you know about the original ArcheAge or the early announcements for ArcheAge 2. The name was changed to ArcheAge Chronicles for a reason.
Executive Producer Ham Yongjin officially clarified in a Producer’s Letter on Steam: This is not supposed to be a traditional MMORPG or a simple sequel, but an “exploration-oriented online action RPG”.
The developers are making a radical paradigm shift to escape the mistakes of the past. The story is set 50 years after the original, while the region of Auroria slowly comes back to life.
The gameplay loop completely breaks with the old systems and especially bids farewell to the clunky tab-targeting of its predecessor.
Combat will take place in a highly dynamic action RPG system. The system is supposed to be based on combo mechanics, dodge rolls, active blocking, and weapon-specific skills. According to the creators, clever play and timing will be rewarded, instead of just mindlessly spamming static ability rotations.
A major focus will be on exploration. The game will deliberately do away with glowing quest arrows that lead you mindlessly from point A to B. Forgotten temples, ruins, and secrets of ancient gods should be discovered organically and partially by pure chance while exploring the world.
The classic “holy trinity” (tank, healer, damage dealer) remains for now, but will no longer be utilized in overwhelming massive battles.
The focus will be on content for smaller groups: dungeons are designed for 2 to 5 players, while larger raids accommodate a maximum of 10 players. The game is supposed to be extremely solo-friendly; you should be able to make noticeable progress even in short 30-minute sessions.
Despite the new action focus, the DNA of the series should remain palpable. The legendary “trade pack” system could make a return. In this system, you create trade goods and must transport them. Housing is likely to be channel-based this time, meaning you could have a fixed, instanced neighborhood.
A cool feature here: You should be able to hire NPCs who act like real flatmates and help you farm or trade in your absence. The balancing between PvE and PvP is supposed to be about 60% to 40%. However, the title has undergone extensive development since the last tests. Thus, these numbers could look different at launch.
Small-Scale, Big Impact
If you’re looking for an intimate, story-driven experience in a detailed world that doesn’t hold your hand all the time, and if the combat system has to be crisp and direct for you, ArcheAge Chronicles delivers exactly this approach.
Those who enjoy planning routes in the evening to ship trade packs and manage their own base with useful NPCs will find the old sandbox strengths in a more modern guise.
To finally shake off the pay-to-win stigma of the first game, the title will release as a pure “buy-to-play” game for PC and consoles in the controversial MMO market. You pay once and play, which should provide significantly more trust in the West. Initial focus group tests under NDA have reportedly already been very promising, according to the developers.
The Departure from Hardcore PvP
If you hoped ArcheAge Chronicles would revive the endless “Zerg” mass battles, total gameplay freedom, and uncompromising open-world constant PvP of the first game, you will be bitterly disappointed.
These elements have been drastically toned down. PvP is supposed to feel like a conscious choice and not a punishment for PvE players. It should occur in controlled environments such as arenas, battlegrounds, or during specific zone-based events.
For the hardcore PvP faction, the publisher is planning a completely separate project called ArcheAge Legacy for 2027, which has nothing to do with Chronicles.
Moreover, things are brewing behind the scenes. XLGames founder and MMO icon Jake Song has surprisingly left the studio, followed by rumors of massive financial restructuring at the publisher Kakao Games.
Even though the buy-to-play model is in place, there is always a latent fear at Kakao Games due to their history of hidden, subsequently introduced pay-to-win mechanics or expensive DLC expansions in the in-game shop.
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