Ashes of Creation is seen by many as a hope because it aims to do many things differently than previous MMORPGs. Now the developers presented gameplay in a livestream, captivating many viewers.
What is Ashes of Creation? Ashes of Creation is a new and very ambitious MMORPG that aims to combine PvE and PvP. The game revolves around the various areas, known as nodes, that can be conquered, expanded, and attacked by players.
For PvE players, there are many quests, dungeons, and raids, while PvP players can enjoy battles over the nodes or the huge fortresses, of which there are 5.
Additionally, there will be PvP events in the open world that players can participate in, but are not required to.
What was shown? In the two-hour livestream, around 90 minutes of gameplay from Ashes of Creation were presented. This is an early impression from Alpha 1.
The developers showcased all the important systems of the game, including:
- The node system, which Ashes of Creation wants to stand out with
- Quests
- Mounts
- The gathering system
- PvE and PvP battles
- A 40-player raid
Much of this is still in an early development stage and caused some bugs and crashes, but overall the MMORPG ran surprisingly well, resulting in many positive reactions.
You can watch the entire livestream in this YouTube video. However, we also included some highlights in separate clips throughout the article.
The node system impresses already in Alpha 1
What was the highlight of the livestream? During the livestream, Game Director Steven Sharif and his two colleagues presented the node system – one of the major features of the MMORPG.
Zones in Ashes of Creation can be conquered and then expanded. A node starts with a small tent city and can then grow into a huge metropolis by players completing quests and earning experience points for the area. However, this is said to take months.
In the livestream, everything went a bit faster. Already short quests allowed for the node to grow, but the system ran smoothly. A total of three of the possible 6 levels were shown in the livestream.
When a node levels up, its structure changes. The “city” expands and new buildings are added. Players are supposed to be teleported aside at that moment, so they don’t get stuck somewhere.
Buildings in the node: A node is led by a mayor who can impose taxes but also expand the city. During the livestream, an Armory was built.
The mayor orders the construction, and then players can contribute materials to complete the building. Especially the animation of the construction garnered positive reactions in the chat.
Moreover, Ashes of Creation offers a housing system in the cities. What’s remarkable is that all your furniture and constructions are saved in a blueprint in case the city is destroyed. So you lose nothing and can rebuild the house identically afterwards.
Hybrid combat system that is not final yet
How does the combat system work? Ashes of Creation relies on a hybrid system of tab-targeting and action combat. Players should be able to decide how they experience the MMORPG.
In the livestream, tab-targeting was primarily shown from the perspective of the cleric. Currently, the combat system is still being worked on, so some action elements are missing.
Who was fought against in the livestream? The developers fought against various monsters in the livestream – including trolls, mushrooms, and different types of animals.
A highlight was the appearance of a giant raid boss. The dragon is designed for 40 players but was defeated by the developers in GM mode.
One feature is that the boss appears in the open world. 80% of raids and dungeons are supposed to be integrated into the world. While this can lead to attacking a boss with more players than expected, it can also lead to PvP developing during such a fight.
If you are at odds with another alliance, they can come by and disrupt you. This is meant to add an extra thrill.
What is the general state of PvP? PVP was also shown in the livestream. The developer team fought against another over a caravan. Caravans are supposed to transport goods from one city to another.
This is a PvP event, as other alliances can raid the caravan and steal the transported goods. If a caravan is destroyed, it’s reminiscent of a piñata bursting with sweets.
Ashes of Creation is in a better state than expected
What are the reactions to the livestream? The livestream was positively received by most viewers. While some complained about the bugs, floating characters, and poor animations, many were able to overlook this since the MMORPG is still in Alpha.
The UI is also not final yet. The developers mentioned that it is “functional” but not “fancy.” The team at Intrepid includes a former UI designer from Blizzard who is supposed to take care of it.
Under the YouTube record of the livestream and also on Reddit, many positive reactions accumulated:
- Greenbuddy831: “The game looks so good already, I am really excited. I’m glad you are taking your time and listening to the gamers.”
- Hoylegu: “I watched the livestream and can now say with certainty: I am excited! I am an early backer and haven’t followed the development too closely over the years. […] My expectations were relatively low for the MMORPG. But now, watching the livestream and seeing Maggie, Jeff, and Steven explore and fight, I can’t wait to play in Alpha 2 myself…”
- Alpha_Soul: “Today’s livestream was a turning point for the game. I am proud of what they have created and can’t wait to see more.”
Why is this so special? After the release of Apocalypse, a PvP standalone to Ashes of Creation, there was a lot of criticism for the developer Intrepid Studios:
- Some found the game itself not successful and criticized it heavily. Especially the battle pass for real money, which contains cosmetic rewards, did not go down well due to its structure and price.
- Others feared that the development of the MMORPG would suffer because of the additional game. This went so far that some suspected a halt to development in favor of the battle royale, similar to Fortnite.
However, the MMORPG itself was criticized because the Alpha was supposed to start in Q2 2019. But it was postponed indefinitely.
One of the most exciting MMORPGs in development? Ashes of Creation is the brainchild of millionaire Steven Sharif, who independently started the studio and hired developers who have previously worked on MMORPGs like EverQuest.
Until 2019, it was a very structured, ambitious AAA MMORPG and sparked great interest in us at MeinMMO. Then it took a turn with Apocalypse, and interest waned somewhat. However, the currently shown content from Alpha 1 brings hope.
Financially, Ashes of Creation is doing well. It benefits from:
- The founder’s money
- Crowdfunding – over 3 million dollars via Kickstarter
- Current backers and buyers in the Apocalypse shop
- Collaboration with the Russian publisher MyGames.
Sharif himself stated that there are currently no layoffs or employee issues, not even due to working from home. According to Intrepid, the game is said to have a budget of over 30 million dollars.
Thus, Ashes of Creation currently belongs to the most promising MMOs and MMORPGs:
Alpha of Ashes of Creation is set to start in 2020
When does Alpha 1 begin? There is currently no exact information on when the first players will be able to try Alpha 1.
It is certain that it should start in 2020 and that there will be no NDA. Players who have purchased one of the occasionally very expensive supporter packages (375$+) will soon be able to show more of the game.
