In the monthly video update from the developers of Ashes of Creation, the new starting area was in focus. Additionally, the team had news about the upcoming alpha testing phase.
What are the news about Alpha Two? The next testing phase of Ashes of Creation is known to start on October 25, 2024. Anyone who wants to participate must have supported the MMORPG via crowdfunding or by purchasing a founder’s package or alpha bundle.
In the new developer update on YouTube, there was now a block lasting more than 30 minutes described as “Alpha Two Guide”. The key insights from this section:
- In Phase 1 and Phase 2 (from December 2024) of Alpha Two, server stability and scalability will be the focus of the developers.
- While the aim in Ashes of Creation is to create villages, towns, and even metropolises through the expansion of nodes, you will already find a first settlement at the beginning with the Lionhold fortress, which serves as an anchor point for the first adventures.
- Moreover, there should be an alternative starting town that you can reach by walking in the opposite direction from the starting point.
- From Lionhold, you can set out to complete quests, gather resources, transport goods, find treasures, level the nodes of the game world, and engage with other players.
- The playable map of Alpha Two includes two outlaw zones where free PvP is possible, and you will not be punished for killing other players. It’s worth a visit as there will be particularly dangerous monsters (with corresponding loot), high-quality resources, and the most worthwhile targets for player caravans.
- Over the course of Alpha Two, the outlaw zones will be settled, causing the boundaries to shift and new outlaw zones to emerge.
- In Alpha Two, you should have access to the skill trees of mace, shortbow, longbow, one-handed sword, two-handed sword, wand, and book.
Here you can view the relevant section with the “Alpha Two Guide”:
Preview of Lionhold
What else have the developers shown? After the “Alpha Two Guide”, a detailed 35-minute presentation of the starting area of Ashes of Creation was on the program (via YouTube). When you finish character creation during the alpha testing phase, you exit a portal and land in the ruins of Aela.
Aela was once the capital of the eponymous kingdom from which your ancestors come. In the ruins, you will meet the first quest givers, marked with a yellow book symbol, who greet you with AI-voiced dialogues. Additionally, weapons are scattered around that you can grab.
The most important things about Ashes of Creation in less than a minute:
The developers use this area to slowly introduce you to the MMORPG with tutorial tasks. You will learn how to open your inventory, equip items, and fight. While exploring the ruins, the developers also encounter hostile goblins and the first small jumping puzzle.
The developers follow one of the paths out of the ruins of Aela, completing a kill goblins quest and eventually reaching Lionhold, a fortified settlement with towers and several timber-framed houses. Here you will first encounter various systems of the MMORPG (crafting for example) and complete tasks that take you through the first level stages.
Since Ashes of Creation uses a sandbox structure, you get to decide how much guidance you want and in what order you approach the city’s tasks. Various assignments will lead you to important locations in this starting region. Some content is only available at certain times of day or year.
In the concluding Q&A session, the developers explained that Ashes of Creation will continue to not have a battle pass. You will not have to buy a game version for Ashes of Creation, but a subscription for approximately 13 Euros a month is planned. More information about the release, roadmap, Alpha 2, classes, gameplay, and payment model of Ashes of Creation can be found here.
