ArcheAge - a sandbox in HD - The Something Awful Forums

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G Prestige: Jul 11, 2008; What do you want me to say?

Trion has taken control for the North American, European, and Australian launch!
I probably won't update the OP any time soon. When an English beta is released, someone feel free to start a new thread!

Massively Closed Beta 3 Impressions
---------------------------

CBT3 is currently up and running, below are a few links to some new videos

My God, I can't wait for this game...
Starter area questing
Catgirls, scenery, death... and more catgirls
Zoning (or lack thereof)
Suicidal catgirl in a cool city
Airships and World Bosses
Swimming, boarding a ship
Killing helpless NPCs
Traveling via horse, and a seaport town
Scenery and showcasing the sheer size of the world This video REALLY shows off the graphics
---------------------------

It would seem that the next WoW-Killer™ is around the corner, I guess. I didn't see any info about this in the MMO HMO, so I figure I'd get the news out, as the game does look quite interesting. The question is if it can deliver all the promises.

What is ArcheAge?

ArcheAge is a new sandbox MMO that is being developed by XLGames using the CryEngine2 (or CryEngine3, I'm confused now that I saw this video around 2:00 minute mark). It was first introduced in 2010, and is slated for a late 2011/early 2012 release. People who are in the beta claim it has an Ultima Online feel to it. Keep in mind, the information known so far is fairly limited.

Main Website:

English page
Korean page

Is there a beta?

Yes, there is a beta. Currently they are hosting a lottery to win a beta invite, which can be found here (You must have an account registered to apply, and must be Korean, I think - I can't read it).

An English speaking member of ArchAge Source has posted a beta review so check it out.

An interesting bit of info about the game's development and the idea behind it

The game itself is developed as a “Sandbox” – where the player is completely free to chose what to do, and how to live. He doesn’t have to develop in strict boundaries like in World of Warcraft for example. GRB (Game Rating Board) – South Korean organization, that sets a game age rating, set 15+ for ArcheAge. The budget of the game is 25 million dollars. 15 million of investments from GigaMedia and 10 million from the company’s budget. Koreans want players to have a big impact on the world: each server will be unique, due to players developing their world’s history, map themselves.
There are 8 races in the game world, 5 of which are said to be unique.

Races

It would seem like there is a Dwarf race, but no info on it yet.

Ferres (Furries)

Nuians

Elves

Lots of Info

Here I have found most of the info from this page.

Classes

quote:

# Class pick is like in Ultima Online – You choose between Warrior, Priest, Mage, Ranger, and the 5th choice is CUSTOM – you can make yourself. The system of classes works like this:

# You have 10 main combat skill setups. When you start, you can pick only 3 of them. Afterwards, you can deactivate some, activate others, but the maximum activated is set at 3. So overall it makes 120 variations possible.

Each of 10 skill setups (from which you can only have 3 active) can be leveled up to the cap, but the price for changing between them is high. Each skill setup will have dozens of unique skills. For example, there are skills such as Floating Bubble, which traps the selected character in a bubble and makes it float in the air for a certain time, and Psychokinesis, which allows you to lift and throw a character. They are also thinking of making some combos between skills. For example, if Shock Arrow is used after Floating Bubble, the selected character will be sent farther than when struck on ground.

Skills -

* Combat - Close combat
* Witchcraft - Debuffs, Crowd control.
* Invincibility - Tanks skills, all for defense and survivability.
* Will - Magical damage, magic defence, opening portals.
* Necromancy - Necromancer. Period.
* Wild nature - Ranger, taming skills.
* Magic - Magic.
* Assasin - Burst damage pvp build.
* Romance - Buffs (you sing, you play)
* Love - Heal and resurrect allies.

Class post here

World Size

(Yes, this is in-game footage)

quote:

The size of the world exceeds the size of World of Warcraft. In total, there are 3 continents, 1 of which can be conquered by players, and hold sieges like in Lineage 2. The other two have some sort of war going on between them. The world is seamless, you can travel between continents with the help of a boat. The developers don't want to implement teleportation, since it will destroy the feeling of a massive world. There is no information yet, about player controlled boats.
They also plan on letting players travel between continents on ships, without loading zones.

Transportation

PVP

quote:

About mass pvp - yes, it will be included, even in this stage of the project. 100 people can move without lags, interacting with each other. The boy will be target based for most spells and range, melee skills, some of which can be used on territory like in WoW or UO for example. There is also mounted combat. In the fight, you can raise yourself or your enemies in the air, like seen on screenshots. There was some ranger dude floating in the air, shooting people from the sky noticed already. Magic doesnt use reagents.

Their current target is a 50v50 castle siege, but it may change due to technical constraints. There will be three continents, and in the two southern continents, the castellans will be NPCs. In the northern continent, though, users will be able to build castles anywhere, control that zone, and engage in war to conquer the castle in other zones.

Housing

Youtube Video of a group of people building a house.

quote:

There is a house construction system similar to Ultima Online: You will have your yard, your house. However the housing spots will be available to only about 50% of the players at release, because there is simply not enough space. That will be fixed with various updates post release. You can construct different houses, by size and type. You can construct public and private houses, unite them into villages. You can hire a NPC for your house, or to protect your yard, you can grow crops, grapes, make wine out of grapes, and sell, drink it with other players. The house can be used as a house, as a crafting station or as a shelter. Hostile guilds can spoil your yard, as it seems.
We want to let players hire NPC as sellers in front of their houses or gardens. At this moment we are still developing the Auction/Banking systems.
You can also set up a garden or a farm, or both together beside your house. You can build farm territories.

Boats and Naval Warfare

Youtube Video of a ship battle.
Youtube Video of ship construction.

quote:

Ship construction and naval warfare: XL announced that one of the major functions you will experience in the 2nd CBT is about ships, building those and having a battle on the sea.
The building step is like a real world. You build a basic frame at the shipyard, and then deck, outter armors, mast, etc.. Basically, it is silimar to building a house. Buy a structural drawing from NPC and then put required resources by using Labor Points. There will be several kinds of ships which are different in their sizes, number of cannons and masts.

When you drive your ship, you have to to consider tidal current, wind strength, angle of the mast and the law of inertia. That is, you will need to cooperate with one another to drive a ship properly. PPL on the ship may have their own roles, like firing a gun, adjusting a mast, controlling a ship and so on. But the possibility of hand-to-hand fight is not revealed yet.

Naval Battle is expected to be a dynamic one that gets interaction with the environment. To destroy enemy ships, you must control your ship by considering direction of cannons, distance to your enemy and speed of your ship.
Not only firefights, hand-to-hand combat is also available on the open ocean! Many more features are still in development, such as fishing in the middle of the ocean, housing on a deserted island, and hunting sea monsters.
At this moment, a ship is a Inventory item. It is summoned and desummoned. When it sinks, it returns to the inventory as a Broken ship, and is repaired for a rather big price.

Labor Power

Dynamic World

I don't want to break tables and the image wasn't showing properly so here is the link.
http://i.imgur.com/6XyEAl.jpg
Youtube Video of how one can interact with the world.

quote:

Every object in the world can be interacted with, its not just for decoration usually. You can climb a tree, you can get fruits from it, or you can cut it down and use it as a bridge over a river. You can also plant the trees almost anywhere you want, and they will grow overtime. For example you can plant a forest with your friends, and some person that runs by will get a feeling that he is lost, because there was no forest here before.

How are the Koreans targeting North America/Europe?

quote:

When will American and/or European players get a chance to beta test?
From the start of this project, the US and Europe have been key target markets for ArcheAge. We want to make sure that we do everything necessary to ensure the success of ArcheAge in these markets. We do not want to prematurely invite American or European players to the beta test. At the same time, we know how important it is not to delay it too long. So maybe after we have tested it somewhat in the Korean market and the development team has taken a breath.

Screenshots

Links

-At the bottom of one of the First links I posted you will find a lot more images and links to Youtube videos that you can't search up without typing in Korean.

-ArcheAge Source is apparently keeping up with the game in English.

-AA Portal

-Another fansite

-Beta App info in English.

-Many more videos

-Official Twitter

-Official Facebook

Videos
-Combat, questing, grouping and more
-Cinematic gameplay
-Grouping and combat
-Zone flythroughs
-Showing the dynamic world through gardening/harvesting
-Bad quality zone flythrough

I have been looking for something like this for a long time, hopefully it can deliver. As always, I'm a little skeptical when I hear about an MMO that sounds so good.

Updates

March 16 - Q&A posted and translated here
March 24 - Q&A translated here

quote:

Is there really a Leviathan, or other sea monsters, in the ocean?
Yes, there really are sea-monsters in ArcheAge waiting to take a bite out of you or your ship. Some like to stay near the surface while others hide in the depths. A few grow to gigantic sizes. All of them can ruin your day.

Hopefully theres more than just sea creatures

April 15 - A nice new long video with the developers here
April 18 - An interview regarding "overhyping", if ArcheAge can deliver, and comparisons with Darkfall here
April 28 - A new teaser video and CBT3 info here
May 9 - Some info on stuff, thanks to Midrena:

quote:

From Massively:
--------------------------
quote:

New details regarding ArcheAge's extensive non-combat gameplay have emerged, and AAportal.net has a three-part breakdown of the game's labor system, ship-building, and house construction mechanics. The labor system ties ArcheAge's various crafting, gathering, and construction sub-systems together under one umbrella and provides the player with a pool of labor points that power most of the activities. The points accrue at fixed intervals (whether you're online or not). There also appears to be some delineation in the point possibilities afforded to high-level users and their low-level counterparts (AAportal cites "more luxurious activities" like dance parties as possible labor point expenditures for more advanced players).

Ship construction will necessitate a group effort due to the considerable resource requirements. Hull plans are purchased from NPCs and activated at the shipyard, at which point the player will see a basic frame in drydock. After players deposit the requisite resources and set the payment for their NPC workers, enterprising ship captains will be able to view the construction process. Sailing a ship involves factors ranging from tidal currents, to wind strength, to the angle of the mast, as well as managing your player crew (each of whom has a distinct job on the ship).

Housing is similarly involved, with yards, farms, and furniture crafting available. Houses can also be built anywhere in the world and come in various types, sizes, and architectural styles. Head to AAportal.net for all the details.

--------------------------

The labor system: http://aaportal.net/en/archeage-labor-system.html
Ship construction: http://aaportal.net/en/archeage-lab...nstruction.html
House construction: http://aaportal.net/en/archeage-lab...nstruction.html

G Prestige fucked around with this message at Jan 26, 2013 around 04:00

# ? Mar 17, 2011 02:57

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# ? May 27, 2013 02:53

Schubalts: Nov 25, 2007; A beast to kill a beast...

Jesus christ those are amazing graphics.

e: 30GB install size!

Schubalts fucked around with this message at Mar 17, 2011 around 03:07

# ? Mar 17, 2011 03:03

Tanreall: Apr 27, 2004; Did I mention I was gay for Pirates?

Looks great, let's see if they can execute it well.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 03:38

black josh: Oct 5, 2008; I bet my finger monkey can beat up your finger monkey.

Holy christ those graphics

Also I like how they named the furry race "Ferres".

# ? Mar 17, 2011 03:50

Faldoncow: Jun 29, 2007; Munchin' on some steak

After watching MMO's come and go for the last 10 years, I'm extremely hesitant to believe that they can deliver fully on this, but good god those graphics in an MMO would be awesome. That house building video was pretty nifty too. I'll remain cautiously optimistic, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this one.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 04:17

FireWhizzle: Apr 2, 2009

I will no longer have a need for Blu-ray, UO Freeshards, or other mmos. Thanks Korea!

# ? Mar 17, 2011 04:33

Remit: Nov 9, 2007

God damnit, I hope I dont get buttfucked on this game like I did on MO. Dear devs, please dont be lazy stupid pieces of poo poo that have never made a game before.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 04:38

Tomed2000: Jun 24, 2002

Asian games. I vowed never again after Aion... but how can I resist an MMO created in the same vein as UO?

# ? Mar 17, 2011 04:47

AcronymEjr: Oct 21, 2007

Any details on the PvP? Looting? I see something about a conquerable continent, but not much info beyond that.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 05:03

Loving Life Partner: Apr 17, 2003; You want to file a WHAT!?

A sandbox game with gorgeous graphics and player alterable environments?

It's like someone listened to all my crazy ranting about what I want in a game. Please don't let this be horrid like all the other shovelware korean MMOs

# ? Mar 17, 2011 05:18

Red Baron: Mar 9, 2007; Color and shape.

Loving Life Partner posted:

A sandbox game with gorgeous graphics and player alterable environments?

It's like someone listened to all my crazy ranting about what I want in a game. Please don't let this be horrid like all the other shovelware korean MMOs

Pretty much this. This game looks awesome, and sounds great, but so many games also fit this criteria, so I'm a bit cautious. I'll be keeping an eye on it for sure, though.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 07:18

Null1fy: Sep 11, 2001

Loving Life Partner posted:

Please don't let this be horrid like all the other shovelware korean MMOs

Sorry. But it will be this. I guarantee it.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 07:25

Midrena: May 2, 2009

I was hoping someone would do a thread and gather all the available info on this. I got excited when I saw the housing aspect (I loooove housing) and was interested in the crafting. Hopefully it won't be craptacular -- I'll definitely keep half an eye on this. Graphics are amazing.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 07:32

NoneSuch: Jun 5, 2010; oh not this time.
your act of being the
goodguy is over

Remit posted:

God damnit, I hope I dont get buttfucked on this game like I did on MO. Dear devs, please dont be lazy stupid pieces of poo poo that have never made a game before.

Beyond the poo poo bugs, graphics and stuff like that sandbox mmo's seem to be an excuse for developers to just not add any actual content. Instead you end up wandering around empty worlds which are boring as gently caress and impossible to navigate while chopping down a thousand trees.

Mortal online really opened my eyes to the bullshit I just couldn't endure just for open world pvp with loot. My main concern for this game is that it'll be grindy as hell and basically unfun.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 07:36

gucci void main: Jul 2, 2010

Null1fy posted:

Sorry. But it will be this. I guarantee it.

Agreeing with this, because even though it does look gorgeous, the second you see it's Korean and has a race of furries named ferres, you can't have too much hope.

But it does look really pretty.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 07:49

Nidhhogg: Feb 5, 2010

Destructible environments sounds amazing. The grief potential in an MMO would be outstanding.

But they are setting their goals too high. Most likely half the features won't be out at release or one feature, like combat or leveling, will fall incredibly short.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 08:05

Hungry Gerbil: Jun 6, 2009; by angerbot

That looks very, very nice.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 11:36

Le0: Mar 18, 2009; Rotten investigator!

This looks very nice, I'm really interested how they will make this. An MMO using Crysis level graphics? hell yes, can it work? I hope so

# ? Mar 17, 2011 12:27

M4rk: Oct 14, 2006; ArcheAgeSource.com

Woot, finally a ArcheAge thread! I was debating whether or not to make one myself, but kept putting it off.

G Prestige, I administrate ArcheAgeSource.com, so seeing all those links made me rock hard with happiness. If there's anything I can do to help you improve this thread, just let me know.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 15:05

Brace: May 29, 2010; by Ozmaugh

No matter how good it looks, it will be Korean shovelware, mark my words.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 15:30

Farmyard Agency: Apr 3, 2008

Cat girls. A bad omen.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 15:35

Hungry Gerbil: Jun 6, 2009; by angerbot

Farmyard Agency posted:

Cat girls. A bad omen.

No, exactly the opposite.

This game being similar to Ultima Online means it is griefing friendly and cat girls means furries and anime fans will play the game. Both groups are easy to grief.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 15:39

Loving Life Partner: Apr 17, 2003; You want to file a WHAT!?

Hrm, destructible environments, massive potential for griefing, cat people population, yes... yeeessss, it seems as though we can finally carry out some semblance of a furry extermination, if only in a 3D realm.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 16:14

Eonwe: Aug 11, 2008; Disco Lovin' Barney

I've been following ArcheAge for a while. I'm trying not to be excited about it until I see it isn't another Mortal Online. Its definitely prettier at least. Just for the record, I'm pretty hopeful about it.

Eonwe fucked around with this message at Mar 17, 2011 around 16:29

# ? Mar 17, 2011 16:24

vyst: Aug 25, 2009; Hoegaarden and Friendship.

This av/title brought to you by Vyst complaining about his old avatar.

It's like a MMO designed for Goon Squad quality antics.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 19:00

Megabuttes: Feb 8, 2011; Keep rowing little buddy because if dehydration and starvation don't get you first, the horrible things from the depth will.

Elves: Live like a man, and strive to die an HONORABLE DEATH

*looks at elf art*

Oh.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 19:15

G Prestige: Jul 11, 2008; What do you want me to say?

M4rk posted:

Woot, finally a ArcheAge thread! I was debating whether or not to make one myself, but kept putting it off.

G Prestige, I administrate ArcheAgeSource.com, so seeing all those links made me rock hard with happiness. If there's anything I can do to help you improve this thread, just let me know.

It seems you forbid PMs, so I'll just post here. If you find any important info that isn't in the OP yet, just PM me or post here so I can add it to the OP. Such things as in-depth detail on PVP (which a lot of people are surely interested in), and anything you think qualifies. I'll be adding to the OP as I find more info as well.

Also, for those of you who played MO, was it poo poo because the game had the features, they worked, but it wasn't fun? Or was it because the features that were supposed to be fun weren't working? I figure a game like this can be fun (ie you make your own fun) if the features are at least intriguing and working.

Megabuttes posted:

Elves: Live like a man, and strive to die an HONORABLE DEATH

*looks at elf art*

Oh.

Fabio Klingons

edit - I added a beta review I found to the op

G Prestige fucked around with this message at Mar 17, 2011 around 19:30

# ? Mar 17, 2011 19:26

Koojay: Apr 19, 2008; Koojay

G Prestige posted:

edit - I added a beta review I found to the op

I don't wanna get excited for this or anything but holy gently caress.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 19:36

Nidhhogg: Feb 5, 2010

G Prestige posted:

edit - I added a beta review I found to the op

Sounds way too good to be true. Kind of curious on the level scheme though, we all know how badly Korean MMOs have done leveling before.

e: adverb

Nidhhogg fucked around with this message at Mar 17, 2011 around 19:56

# ? Mar 17, 2011 19:53

Bemis: Jan 5, 2010

This looks really good, hoping for the best.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 19:54

fnordcircle: Jul 7, 2004; PTUI

Everything looks great except the combat which looks like the same mechanics as WoW with prettier graphics.

Even something like DCUO's semi-twitchy combat would have been enough but I don't think they have that unless I didn't watch enough of the video or something.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 19:54

Watchlar: Jun 25, 2009; this will never end 'cause I want more

If this is basically multiplayer Oblivion I'm going to play the gently caress out of it. Looks absolutely stunning, though "Korean MMO" sets off a whole slew of alarms in my head.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 19:56

G Prestige: Jul 11, 2008; What do you want me to say?

Watchlar posted:

If this is basically multiplayer Oblivion I'm going to play the gently caress out of it. Looks absolutely stunning, though "Korean MMO" sets off a whole slew of alarms in my head.

Lets just hope that the Koreans learned from the Aion blunder. They specifically stated that when they begun developing the game, the North American and European audiences would be a major focal point. Also, the main guy behind it is the guy who invented Lineage, I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing... but I think that game was quite popular.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 20:00

blackmanjew: Oct 21, 2008; Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm a schizophrenic and so am I

G Prestige posted:

Also, the main guy behind it is the guy who invented Lineage, I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing... but I think that game was quite popular.

It's also a grindfest.

God I hope this game is good, its like Minecraft mixed in with everything thats good about MMO's.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 20:20

Xexre: Jan 26, 2010; Elder Brother, you're so dreamy

Well this just looks cool as all hell. I wonder how modifiable the terrain will be... Will I be able dig a hole? Will that bridge respawn? Can goons dig a hole through the world and drop people in it?

# ? Mar 17, 2011 20:37

Eonwe: Aug 11, 2008; Disco Lovin' Barney

Alright, whatever, I read that beta review and I'm pretty excited about the game. For the OPs question about why MO was bad, well, it wasn't just that the fun features didn't work, but that most of the fun features weren't implemented yet.

Anyway, this looks like a lot of fun. It seems like the standard ruleset will not be full-loot, but that they will include servers with other rulesets like this. I'm just hoping there is enough popularity in NA for a full loot ruleset to come about.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 20:38

M4rk: Oct 14, 2006; ArcheAgeSource.com

G Prestige posted:

It seems you forbid PMs, so I'll just post here. If you find any important info that isn't in the OP yet, just PM me or post here so I can add it to the OP. Such things as in-depth detail on PVP (which a lot of people are surely interested in), and anything you think qualifies. I'll be adding to the OP as I find more info as well.

Also, for those of you who played MO, was it poo poo because the game had the features, they worked, but it wasn't fun? Or was it because the features that were supposed to be fun weren't working? I figure a game like this can be fun (ie you make your own fun) if the features are at least intriguing and working.

Fabio Klingons

edit - I added a beta review I found to the op

I don't forbid PMs, I just haven't bothered paying for the upgrade!

I can post my email if you'd like.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 21:43

LIMBO KING: May 3, 2006

G Prestige posted:

edit - I added a beta review I found to the op

I know I should know better and this will most likely be another Korean crapfest but drat it's looking pretty neat and I'm kinda getting excited.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 21:44

G Prestige: Jul 11, 2008; What do you want me to say?

M4rk posted:

I don't forbid PMs, I just haven't bothered paying for the upgrade! I can post my email if you'd like.

Actually, if you know, would you mind clearing up if this is using CryEngine 2 or 3? I added the link to the OP near the top of the video showing it in the 3 videocase.

# ? Mar 17, 2011 21:44

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# ? May 27, 2013 02:53

M4rk: Oct 14, 2006; ArcheAgeSource.com

G Prestige posted:

Actually, if you know, would you mind clearing up if this is using CryEngine 2 or 3? I added the link to the OP near the top of the video showing it in the 3 videocase.

The first two beta clients were in CryENGINE 2 and I think the video trailer was a mistake on Crytek's behalf. HOWEVER, don't believe the bullshit Crytek has fed everyone: CryENGINE 3 is really just an improved CryENGINE 2. It's not a completely new engine.

CE3 has not been rewritten from the ground up. Going from CryEngine 2 to CE3 isn't like jumping from CryENGINE 1 to CE2. That was an amazing leap and hardly any content other than music could be migrated directly from CE1 to CE2.

Moving content from CryENGINE 2 to CE3 is a breeze. The two engines are extremely compatible. The editor tools are virtually unchanged and CE3 still supports LUA, so all the UI coding that XLGames did for ArcheAge's CBT1/2 would still work with minimal problems if they did choose to upgrade.

In summary: CE2 and 3 are nearly identical, regardless of what you hear form PR flacks or your fellow gamers. CE3 is basically a lot of console optimizations for CE2. As such, it wouldn't really matter which engine XLG used for AA, because AA is only for the PC (atm).

Tl;dr it doesn't really matter and I apologize for any headaches the above paragraphs caused.

M4rk fucked around with this message at Mar 17, 2011 around 22:39

# ? Mar 17, 2011 22:35

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