Ashes of Creation's Revamped Gear System Explained
The upcoming Ashes of Creation update introduces a new gear system that promises to address long-standing issues in MMOs. This system replaces the old system with a more dynamic approach to character progression and gear acquisition. Instead of gear becoming obsolete with each expansion, Ashes of Creation aims for a more sustainable system. Let's break down the specifics of the new tiers and grades.
Grades and Tiers: A Two-Tiered Approach
The core of the new system lies in the concept of 'grades' and 'tiers'. There are five grades in total, but currently, only three are accessible: Initiate, Adept, and Radiant. Each grade corresponds to a specific level range. Within each grade, there are three tiers: Low, Mid, and High. This creates a layered progression system.
Low-tier items are the most accessible. They are obtained through quests, drops, and crafting with readily available resources, ensuring players always have adequate equipment. As players progress, mid and high-tier items within the same grade become available. However, crafting these requires more rare resources and often necessitates progressing the world state and building certain structures in-game. This not only provides a path for long-term progression within the existing grade, but also ties player and community progress together.
Material Acquisition and Rarity
Resource gathering plays a pivotal role in crafting. The game differentiates materials based on their rarity and accessibility, making high-tier crafting a more challenging and rewarding activity. The developers stated that common materials like oak and ash trees are plentiful, while rarer materials, such as giant blue bells, are harder to find, impacting the overall crafting complexity and resource management.
Tempering and Ascension: Long-Term Gear Progression
The new system also introduces tempering, which allows players to enhance the stats of their existing gear up to a certain point. While this offers a degree of customization, the high cost of tempering suggests it might not be suitable for frequent use. A future system, called gear ascension, is teased in the roadmap and will likely provide another way to enhance the overall quality of the gear, although exact details are not yet available. As the developers explained during a recent livestream, they are aiming to avoid the issue where previously acquired gear is rendered obsolete by newer expansions, a common problem in many popular MMOs like World of Warcraft.
Balancing Vertical Progression
The developers of Ashes Of Creation are acutely aware of the need to balance vertical progression in the game. They want a system that rewards dedicated players without making the gap between casual and hardcore players insurmountable. The goal is to create a system with diminishing returns, making initial progress relatively fast, but requiring increasingly more time and effort to achieve equivalent gains in power as the player progresses. This approach aims to keep players engaged over a longer period while ensuring both casual and hardcore players can enjoy the progression systems.
Conclusion
Ashes of Creation's new gear system represents a significant departure from traditional MMO approaches. Its focus on tiered progression, resource management, and tempering and ascension offers a more sustainable and engaging experience for players. The interplay between individual player and community progress is a key feature of the system. While the complexity might be initially daunting, its potential for long-term player retention and a more balanced progression system makes it an intriguing element in Ashes of Creation's overall design.
