In June 2021, the first alpha of Ashes of Creation took place. At that time, many were disillusioned, especially because the combat and animations did not look impressive. However, the developers have now shown a new video of the combat system. This gives many hope.
What was the main criticism of the alpha? In Alpha 1, Ashes of Creation felt very unfinished. However, the developers also emphasized that this is a “real alpha” and not a promotional event for the game. Criticism included the following:
- The combat felt clumsy and the animations were poor. That was the biggest point of criticism, found under every video.
- The quests were described as generic and boring. The quickest leveling was done through mindless grind.
- There were currently only 3 class types: Tank, Cleric, and Mage. 8 classes are planned, which can also have a secondary class.
- There were server issues and rubberbanding – meaning players would snap back to their old position like a rubber band.
- Many gameplay elements were either not present or only rudimentary.
It was clear to the testers and us: There will be no release of Ashes of Creation before 2023/24.
What is new now? In a livestream, the developers presented their latest adjustments to the combat system. They showcased combat with melee weapons, including attacks with a two-handed sword and daggers.
These combats were very well received by the players. Especially the mobility and the improved animations are being praised. However, there is also criticism.
“Finally starting to look good”
What do players say about the combat? Under the video on YouTube, many positive comments are gathering:
- PhilTCasual is excited: “The combat update was exciting! I’m a big fan of the direction this game is taking.”
- Deserteagle writes: “For a while, I was wondering if Ashes of Creation would only be ‘okay’ in combat and have great systems. But after the update, I feel like you all really nailed the combat. So, good job to the team, it looked great overall, especially compared to what came before.”
- Laydra writes: “This is a massive improvement to melee combat from a year ago, it looks really good.”
The user Highlander also praises the changes but already has improvement suggestions: “It’s finally starting to look good. I think when it comes to giving the combat more weight, it’s also important how the target reacts when hit. If the target’s animation does not change or respond on impact, a large part of the ‘combat feeling’ is lost.”
This is also a common point of criticism from other users under the video and on reddit. The attacks still lack some heft.
What do the developers say about the initial reactions? Steven Sharif, the head of Ashes of Creation, already mentioned in a comment on YouTube that this is the first of many major changes to the combat system before the launch of Alpha 2.
Margaret Krohn, the Community Manager, also emphasized under the livestream recording that this will not be the only adjustment to the combat system. She mentions again that the MMORPG relies on a hybrid combat system, where you can switch between action and tab-targeting. This system still needs time to mature completely.
What do you think about the adjustments shown to the combat system? Do you like the adjustments, or does the game still look too unfinished?
For anyone wanting general more information on Ashes of Creation and the current status of the game, everything is summarized here:
What is the current status of Ashes of Creation, the new MMORPG hope from the West in 2022?
