The sandbox MMORPG ArcheAge will receive a new expansion called “Garden of the Gods” on June 11. We at MeinMMO have tried the new content and spoke with the developers about it and the general development of the game.
ArcheAge has been very popular here in the west since its release in 2014. The reason for this is the many freedoms that the Korean MMORPG offers, including housing, personal ships, a player-driven economy, and the lack of a rigid class system.
However, there has been and still is criticism regarding Pay2Win in the Free2Play version of the game and the gap between the western and Korean versions in terms of updates.
But where does the MMORPG stand in 2020? Has anything changed regarding Pay2Win? And what is included in the upcoming expansion “Garden of the Gods”? We will get to the bottom of these questions.
ArcheAge – The perfect MMORPG for sandbox fans?
What does ArcheAge offer? The MMORPG offers you a vast game world with two opposing factions: Nuia and Haranya. Both feature 3 playable races and fight for control of fortresses in the game world. However, those who want to break free from the factions can embark on a life as a pirate and become foes of both groups.
ArcheAge does not use a class system. Instead, there are 12 different specializations that you can learn one of at the beginning and two during the course of the game. Specializations can be freely combined and switched, resulting in 220 different combinations.
Another unique feature of the game is the justice system, where players who behave negatively in-game can be brought before a tribunal and sent to prison. There, they must serve a certain amount of time in the game. On the other hand, there are players who serve as jury and judges.
What is Unchained all about? In October 2019, gamigo, the western publisher, released a new version of ArcheAge called “Unchained”, parallel to the Free2Play version of ArcheAge.
This is a Buy2Play version of the game, which must be purchased once. However, from a content perspective, there are no differences, and new updates, like the expansion “Garden of the Gods”, will be released for both versions simultaneously.
It is intended to attract both new and old players who are not interested in Pay2Win.
What about Pay2Win in ArcheAge? In the Free2Play version of ArcheAge, Pay2Win exists. An subscription is almost mandatory if you really want to enjoy work points and housing. In addition, you can convert real money into in-game currency through APEX or shop items, as other players can buy these from you.
ArcheAge Unchained, on the other hand, does not feature Pay2Win through the shop. There is also no subscription, but there are battle passes that only offer cosmetic content.
Only the fact that players are legally allowed to have 3 accounts for ArcheAge Unchained raises some criticism. Some players have access to more work points by “outsourcing” their work to other accounts.
For whom is the game worth it? ArcheAge is mainly aimed at MMORPG players who do not mind PvP and seek their endgame content themselves. This consists primarily of farming, crafting, trading, as well as PvP and the fight for fortresses.
While many daily quests await in the endgame and lore plays a significant role, those looking for a classic theme park MMORPG with instantiated raids, a dungeon finder, and pure arena PvP will not find it in ArcheAge.
Today, June 5, as part of our “Find Your Next Game” project, a livestream for ArcheAge will run. We will show you the game in detail, explain what it’s about, and what the future of the game looks like. This will also include a presentation of the expansion “Garden of the Gods”.
When? The stream runs on June 5 from 7:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Where? You can follow it on our Twitch channel MonstersAndExplosions and on the YouTube channel of GameStar
Who? The stream will be hosted by Julius Busch from Webedia. As guests, Simon from YouTube channel Entenburg and Lars Maaßen as a representative for ArcheAge will be present.
The new expansion “Garden of the Gods” offers
What is included in “Garden of the Gods”? The new expansion will be released on June 11 and mainly brings new endgame content. You can look forward to the following features:
- A new area
- 59 new quests
- New items and treasures
- New tiers for Erenor, Hiram, and the awakened raid armor. At the highest level, the new armor provides up to 27% more stats
- New raids against bosses
- Adjustments to the specializations
The new area can be reached through a door located at the navel of the world in the eastern Hiram Mountains. From there, you enter a lobby, which you can see in the image below.
From here, the new area can be traveled through, divided into different zones that correspond to the seasons. While playing, we explored beautiful autumn trees, lush green spring meadows, and icy winter landscapes.
Additionally, the expansion brings adjustments to the daily quests, as Lars Maaßen, the Product Manager from gamigo, revealed to us.
Some daily quests in Auroria will become weekly quests. This aims to reduce the number of repetitive tasks while also adjusting the rewards of the quests accordingly.
What are the highlights of the expansion? In an interview, the developers from XL Games revealed that they especially emphasized the story in the expansion. In the new area, there will also be numerous hidden treasures and hints about the story.
The story of ArcheAge has long revolved around the legendary garden. Now that there are problems in this garden, you have been chosen as a player to gain access and help there.
Besides the lore, a significant innovation is coming in the Garden of the Gods. It will be the first time that players and factions from different servers can meet and fight each other, as XL Games revealed to us:
The Garden of the Gods features a new technical feature that allows players from different servers to move in one space in the same zone. You will not only encounter your usual enemies in the garden.
It is now possible to meet every faction from any server on the battlefield. The opposing faction will also change regularly. The multiverse aspect of the garden offers a new experience and a new challenge that encompasses the mystery of the garden.
XL Games in conversation with MeinMMO
Additionally, both the developers and Lars Maaßen highlighted the boss fight with Anthalon, which will take place in the southern part of the Delphinad Mirage. Players will need to organize together for this, which is why its appearance will be announced with a server-wide message.
While you already fight this boss in the old world of ArcheAge, the new version of the fight is supposed to be even more challenging. As a reward for the battle, there is also a new boss armor.
The expansion is not free for owners of Unchained
Why does the expansion cost something? The “Garden of the Gods” is completely free for the Free2Play version. However, owners of Unchained must purchase the expansion additionally, which caused confusion and misunderstanding at the announcement since it was previously stated that you only had to buy the new version of ArcheAge once.
In conversation with MeinMMO, gamigo justified this decision with the scope of the expansion and the coverage of costs:
When we announced Unchained, we explained that the game would be accessible with a single purchase. And that is exactly what we have delivered.
The development and maintenance of two different versions of the game require considerable personnel and cost efforts, and the decisions we made in the development of Unchained are respected […].
This is an expansion that is packed with content, and therefore we have decided to add this content in the form of a purchasable content update to provide our player base with a first-class gaming experience. Everything else will remain accessible to anyone who has purchased Unchained.
We are not particularly concerned about creating any imbalance. Historically, in premium MMOs, it is usually the case that expansions are purchasable.
Statements from gamigo in conversation with MeinMMO
What about further updates? Following the expansion, the next content patch is already slated for August, which will relate to the content of “Garden of the Gods”. This will be free for owners of the expansion and is expected to introduce a new dungeon, among other things.
Further updates for ArcheAge are also set to be released in the future partially for free and for everyone. Gamigo and XL Games decide together how to handle each update.
New specialization and back to the sandbox
What happens after the expansion? In conversation with XL Games, we were informed that another class specialization for the MMORPG is planned. This information has already been shared with players in Korea.
Also, the promised graphic adjustments that began with patch 6.0 are not forgotten. These are worked on whenever there is some time between content releases.
Will ArcheAge return more to the sandbox? Comments frequently arise on MeinMMO and in the Reddit community criticizing ArcheAge for moving away from the sandbox. One reason for this is the daily quests. These will be slightly adjusted in the “Garden of the Gods” as well.
However, the developers also want to return to the sandbox concept:
We [XL Games] have given a lot of thought to this feedback. We are confident that we have not fundamentally changed the direction of the game […].
To help new users quickly familiarize themselves with ArcheAge and progress quickly, some aspects of the game have been continuously improved. As a result, the growth model has changed somewhat, and it is true that some sandbox elements were affected by this.
However, we are currently developing content that will address these changes in some way.
XL Games in conversation with MeinMMO
Is it worth (re)entering in 2020?
Although ArcheAge was released a few years ago, the entry is uncomplicated thanks to some adjustments, fast quests, and many hints in-game.
Although the new expansion “Garden of the Gods” mainly targets veterans, newcomers should not be discouraged by it.
The developers recommend following the quests and familiarizing yourself with professions to level up through these and work points. This is the most efficient and best way to get into the MMORPG.
Strengths and weaknesses of ArcheAge
Potential: Positive development
The MMORPG ArcheAge receives regular updates since its release. However, for 2020, the “Garden of the Gods”, adjustments to daily quests, and other updates with new dungeons look promising. The path back to the sandbox concept and a new specialization are planned for the future, along with meaningful adjustments.
The only issue remains that ArcheAge, despite Unchained, does not entirely escape the topic of Pay2Win. However, you can achieve everything in the game without needing multiple accounts, which is a lot when you enjoy the sandbox concept in ArcheAge.
Alexander Leitsch
Editor at Mein-MMO, responsible for MMORPGs
