In Ashes of Creation, Alpha 1 has officially launched. Already over the weekend, the first players showcased gameplay of the MMORPG. One of the backers has now ridden through the entire game world, taking over an hour to do so. However, the map is expected to grow much larger before the release.
What is currently happening in Ashes of Creation? Players who have invested at least 500 dollars or received a special key from the developers can currently try out the MMORPG Ashes of Creation in Alpha 1.
The first showcased gameplay has already been discussed and opinions are divided, also because the MMORPG is in a “true alpha” state. Many fundamental systems are still being tested and developed. Nevertheless, there has already been a lot of positive feedback for the MMORPG.
YouTuber Unno Games has already ventured out and explored the entire world of Ashes of Creation in a video. He took over an hour for this, despite only a fraction of the map being implemented.
Player takes an hour on horseback, with only 17% of the actual map available
What does the video show exactly? Unno Games runs through the entire map of Ashes of Creation in the current alpha. He uses a mount, which makes him a bit faster than if he were walking.
Overall, he takes 1:15 hours for his journey, moving through picturesque landscapes, caves, fortifications, and along the sea. Not all areas are perfectly filled with NPCs and content yet. Additionally, he is sometimes thrown off his mount during a fight.
Riding from north to south across the map is said to take about 30 minutes.
How much of the map is playable in total? According to Steven Sharif, the head of Ashes of Creation, about 17% of the entire map should currently be playable (via Discord). By the time of release, the size of the map is expected to increase almost sixfold.
Overall, Ashes of Creation is expected to offer about 480 km² of water and landmass, plus an additional 100 km² in the so-called underrealm.
Game world already comparable to other MMOs at release in alpha
How large is the map of Ashes of Creation in comparison? The Dutch YouTuber “How Big is the Map” regularly walks through different maps of open-world games. For example, he took 6.5 hours to travel from east to west in Black Desert.
However, he has also walked through other MMORPGs:
- To march just through the base game of Final Fantasy XIV, he needed 1:03 hours
- To march across Rift, he needed about 1:20 hours
- To cross the map in GTA V, he needed about 1:05 hours on foot
Although you cannot directly compare the time on foot with that of on horseback, as there is no exact speed indication for the horse, it should be expected to take around 45 to 60 minutes. This already makes it comparable to the titles mentioned above.
Also, the world of New World seems relatively small compared to Ashes of Creation. Although two new areas have since been announced for release, during testing in the summer of 2020, YouTuber “A Rapskillian Channel” only needed just under an hour to cross the entire map:
Player walks through New World on foot, showing that the map is currently tiny
