Alpha-2
Alpha-2 is intending to be obviously a very large chunk of the game's mechanics: a very very big percentage of it.[2] – Steven Sharif
A large percentage of Ashes of Creation's game systems are expected to be in place for Alpha-2.[2]
- Character
- Character creator.[3]
- The aim is to have the character creator in the hands of players before the release of Alpha-2.[9]
- Character progression up to level 35 (subject to change).[10]
- All archetypes will be available.[5][11]
- Some secondary classes and augments.[12][13][14]
- Tulnar race.[15]
- Family summon mechanic.[16]
- Religions.[17]
- Character creator.[3]
- Combat
- Combat revamp.[5][11]
- Active and passive skills will be re-architected.[11]
- Primary skills are expected to be very different to those in Alpha-1.[11][18]
- Weapon skill trees will be present to augment the combo system.[19]
- Actual sieges in the real sense.[2]
- Combat revamp.[5][11]
- Nodes
- Node progression to City (stage 5) and potentially Metropolis (stage 6).[2]
- Relics and the Reliquary node building.[20]
- Freeholds.[2]
- Crop rotations.[2]
- Naval content.[5][2]
- Naval warfare.[2]
- Three ship classes.[2][21]
- Ships will have functioning cannons but the ship building UI may not be complete.[2]
- Economy
- Artisan classes (Gathering, Processing, Crafting).[5][22]
- Artisan gear sets.[23]
- Potential gameplay layers such as surveying and land management are being considered for gathering.[24]
- Auction houses.[2]
- Crates used to transport supplies between storage points and caravans.[25]
- Artisan classes (Gathering, Processing, Crafting).[5][22]
- Other
- Unreal Engine 5.[26][27][28]
- Some of Bear McCreary's music will be in Alpha-2.[29]
- User interface and tutorial systems.[7]
- Emblem, logo and symbol editor (tentatively).[30]
Alpha-1 and Alpha-2 testers may be invited to participate in spot testing prior to the Alpha-2 release.[31]
Alpha-2 is known as the persistent alpha.[32][33]
Contents
Alpha-2 availability
| Phase | Release | Estimated/Actual date |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha-2 | Alpha-2 spot testing.[34] | To be announced.[34] |
| Alpha-2 (No NDA).[32][33] | To be announced.[35] |
Persistent alpha
Alpha-2 is known as the persistent alpha.[32][33] Persistent means that the Alpha-2 servers will be kept up all day and night until launch.[32]
- There will be downtime for patches.[36]
- There may still be character and testing wipes.[37][32]
- Alpha-2 servers will become the public test servers (PTS) post-launch that are used to test patches and updates.[38][37][32]
Alpha-2 will remain even post launch as our public test server.[38] – Steven Sharif
- Beta-1 and Beta-2 will probably not be persistent.[32]
- All servers will be wiped prior to launch.[39]
The ultimate goal for A2 is to be persistent and the PTS, but before we get that far there's gonna be some wipes I would expect.[37] – Steven Sharif
Alpha-2 server wipes
Alpha and Beta servers will be wiped prior to launch.[39]
As a general rule, if the testing phase contains the word Alpha, it is safe to assume there will likely be wipes.[37] – Steven Sharif
Alpha testing system requirements
Funny story; So yesterday as we are stress/density testing with our NDA testers, I accidentally summoned 5k bears around our few hundred players. But hey, it didn’t crash! Can you spot Lt. Toast here?[42] – Steven Sharif
These are fully operational NPCs. They have behavior trees, they have AI blackboards; you know they are functioning as an NPC would; and to my surprise, to everyone's surprise actually, the server handled it quite well: 5000 entities all within a very dense area.[43] – Steven Sharif
Ashes of Creation alpha testing minimum system specification.[44] These system specs have not changed for Unreal Engine 5.[45][46]
- Operating System: Windows 10 64-Bit
- Processor: Intel Core i3-2125 3.3GHz / AMD Phenom II X4 3.3GHz
- Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti or AMD Radeon R9 270
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 50 GB of available space
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Sound Card
Recommended specification.[44]
- Operating System: Windows 10 64-Bit
- Processor: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz / AMD FX-9590 4.7GHz
- Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon R9 Fury with 4GB and DirectX 12
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 50 GB of available space
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Sound Card
Tulnar race
The Tulnar race will be in place before Alpha-2. Concepts and early works are expected at that time.[15]
Naval content will be present in Alpha-2.[48][2]
- Naval warfare.[2]
- Naval raid bosses.[48]
- Three ship classes will be present in Alpha-2.[2][21]
Artisan classes timeline
Artisan classes (Gathering, Processing, Crafting) will come online fully in Alpha-2 and the Betas.[50][22]
- Approximately 10 percent of the artisan system were online in Alpha-1.[51][50][22]
- Crafting honestly will not come online in any sense of its true form until Alpha-2. Alpha-1 has essentially what are intended to be the core gameplay loop of crafting, meaning the collection of materials, the translation of those materials into processed goods, and the use of those processed goods into item acquisition. That's the core gameplay loop that is currently present in Alpha-1. But those are mostly facilitated kind of piggy backing the merchant systems right now and not actually using the real crafting system; and that's because crafting hasn't been completed in a form that can be implemented in Alpha-1, but will be for Alpha-2. What's present in Alpha-1 doesn't even really scratch the surface for crafting.[22] – Steven Sharif
Alpha-2 NDA
Alpha-1, Alpha-2, Beta-1, Beta-2 releases are not covered by NDA (non-disclosure agreement).[52]
- Alpha-1 testing prior to the full release of Alpha-1 was covered by NDA.[53][54]
Participation
- Alpha-0 had over 2,500 participants.[55]
- Alpha-1 testing had approximately 9,600 participants as of August, 2018.[56][57] There were slightly over 13k participants as of May 31, 2021.[56] There were 5,300 unique logins during the 3 day weekend test of May 27, 2021.[56]
- Alpha and Beta participation is expected to grow with the sale of pre-order packs.[58]
- Alpha-2 is expected to have over 100,000 participants.[59][60]
 | This section will be updated as soon as information is made available by the developers. |
Testing phases
![[9]](#cite_note-cc-alpha-2.png-9){kind=link}
![[16]](#cite_note-steven-family-summon-2.png-16){kind=link}
![[29]](#cite_note-steven-bear-a2.png-29){kind=link}
![[33]](#cite_note-alpha_and_beta_phases.png-33){kind=link}
![[35]](#cite_note-release-dates.png-35){kind=link}
![[37]](#cite_note-server-wipes.png-37){kind=link}
![[39]](#cite_note-server_wipe.jpg-39){kind=link}
![[40]](#cite_note-alpha_one_test_scehduleschedule-1000.png-40){kind=link}
![[42]](#cite_note-steven-a1-stress-test.png-42){kind=link}
![[54]](#cite_note-alpha-1-nda-1.png-54){kind=link}
![[56]](#cite_note-steven-a1-participation.png-56){kind=link}
![[59]](#cite_note-a2-participants.png-59){kind=link}
![[61]](#cite_note-kickstarter_packages.jpg-61){kind=link}
Ashes of Creation testing phases.
- Alpha-0 was the invite-only "raffle" friends and family alpha test phase.[62][63]
- Alpha-1, Alpha-2, Beta-1, and Beta-2 were available for purchase during the Kickstarter and Summer crowdfunding campaigns.[61]
- Alpha-1 was available in the Intrepid pre-order pack and the Adventurer pre-order pack.[64][65]
- Alpha-2 and Beta-2 were available during PAX West 2017.[66][67]
- Alpha-2, Beta-1, and Beta-2 are currently available in Pre-order packs on the cosmetic store.[68]
![[63]](#cite_note-beta_0.png-63){kind=link}
![[66]](#cite_note-PAX_West_2017_Alpha_package.png-66){kind=link}
![[67]](#cite_note-PAX_West_2017_Beta_package.png-67){kind=link}
The game will be feature complete before Beta... Beta really is intended to identify last minute bugs to make sure that everything is ready for launch; it's important that all features are complete by Beta-1. Alpha-2 will not be feature complete at the start of Alpha-2. There are going to be updates that are going to be incorporated as part of the Alpha-2 process and there are going to be additional features that come online that get fleshed out between that time and Beta-1. There's going to be regions of the maps that aren't going to be accessible of course during Alpha-2.[36] – Steven Sharif
Alpha-2 videos
- 2022-03-31 Video - Ashes of Creation First Look of the Alpha Two Character Creator in 4K
- 2022-05-27 Video - Ashes of Creation Dynamic Seasons and Weather Developer Chat
- 2022-05-27 Video - Ashes of Creation Seasons in the Riverlands
- 2022-06-30 Livestream
- 2022-06-30 Video - Ashes of Creation Alpha Two Basic Melee Weapon Attack Update
- 2022-07-29 Video - Ashes of Creation Alpha Two Desert Biome Preview
- 2022-09-30 Video - Ashes of Creation Alpha Two Basic Ranged Weapon Attack Update
- 2022-10-28 Video - Ashes of Creation Alpha Two Gathering Updates
- 2022-12-02 Video - Ashes of Creation Alpha Two Night and Day and Other Heavenly Things
- 2022-12-23 Video - Meet the Devs and Year-in-Review
- 2023-01-27 Video - Alpha Two Tank Preview
See also
References
- ↑ Video, March 31, 2022 (34:16).
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 Podcast, September 29, 2021 (59:29).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Video, March 31, 2022 (0:00).
- ↑ Livestream, April 29, 2022 (56:24).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Livestream, October 14, 2022 (6:38).
- ↑ Livestream, April 29, 2022 (32:29).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Blog: Creative Director's Letter, October 16 2020
- ↑
- ↑ Livestream, January 28, 2022 (15:35).
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Podcast, September 29, 2021 (23:00).
- ↑ Livestream, October 14, 2022 (15:44).
- ↑ Interview, October 20, 2018 (12:38).
- ↑ Livestream, March 28, 2020 (1:41:11).
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Livestream, 2018-04-8 (AM) (2:17).
- ↑
- ↑ Interview, October 20, 2018 (0:00).
- ↑ Livestream, September 24, 2021 (1:18:06).
- ↑ Livestream, September 24, 2021 (1:19:17).
- ↑ Livestream, April 29, 2022 (21:00).
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Livestream, September 27, 2018 (54:02).
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Interview, February 7, 2021 (35:30).
- ↑ Livestream, June 30, 2022 (1:17:34).
- ↑ Livestream, April 29, 2022 (25:16).
- ↑ Livestream, February 25, 2022 (1:10:00).
- ↑ Livestream, January 28, 2022 (7:26).
- ↑ Livestream, December 23, 2021 (40:53).
- ↑ Livestream, December 23, 2021 (50:50).
- ↑
- ↑ Livestream, October 31, 2018 (47:44).
- ↑ Livestream, July 30, 2021 (45:11).
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 32.4 32.5 32.6 Livestream, January 18, 2018 (25:22).
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Livestream, October 14, 2022 (17:05).
- ↑
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Livestream, July 29, 2022 (1:08:49).
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 37.4
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 Livestream, July 29, 2022 (1:10:05).
- ↑ 39.0 39.1
- ↑ Alpha one test schedule, Mar 12, 2021.
- ↑ Livestream, November 30, 2020 (7:27).
- ↑ 42.0 42.1
- ↑ Livestream, March 26, 2021 (12:34).
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 What are the minimum requirements for Alpha?
- ↑ Livestream, December 23, 2021 (49:39).
- ↑ Livestream, December 23, 2021 (42:09).
- ↑ Livestream, September 30, 2020 (41:13).
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 Livestream, March 31, 2022 (1:10:43).
- ↑ Livestream, November 30, 2020 (24:51).
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 Livestream, March 26, 2021 (42:28).
- ↑ Livestream, April 30, 2021 (41:18).
- ↑ Livestream, January 18, 2018 (49:26).
- ↑ Livestream, May 29, 2020 (31:37).
- ↑
- ↑ Interview, August 24, 2018 (12:18).
- ↑ 56.0 56.1 56.2
- ↑ Livestream, August 17, 2018 (24:07).
- ↑ 58.0 58.1 58.2 Livestream, November 17, 2017 (28:50).
- ↑
- ↑ Livestream, January 27, 2023 (11:05).
- ↑ 61.0 61.1 Kickstarter packages.
- ↑ MMOGAMES Interview, 2017-09-8.
- ↑
- ↑ Intrepid pre-order pack.
- ↑ Adventurer pre-order pack.
- ↑ PAX West 2017 Alpha package.
- ↑ PAX West 2017 Beta package.
- ↑ Ashes of Creation cosmetic store.
