Coastal nodes
There will be nodes along the coast and on islands.[3]
- These nodes will have specific water oriented influences, services, and questlines, that relate to the seas.[3]
- The open sea does not contribute to the advancement of coastal nodes, even if it falls within the ZOI of the node. This is subject to change during Alpha-2 testing.[4]
- Coastal nodes change the spawn tables of the nearby water content and can also trigger specific events.[5]
- Coastal nodes are not directly siegeable by sea. Instead, harbors offer objective-based naval gameplay during node sieges.[6][7][8]
- We've gone back and forth a little bit on whether or not the design intent for sieging of nodes is intended to include, for certain nodes, the naval component. The concern there was that it would be a difficult thing to balance around that particular node having accessibility from the water for those types of defenses. So what we've presented as an opportunity where harbors are the focal point of those naval interactions; and during sieges you are aware that nodes have certain objectives, which have ramifications and can influence the outcome and/or the ongoings of a particular against a node. And if one of those objectives is a naval objective, because that node might own a harbor, which is a point of interest that gets adopted by a node which advances far enough around it. So you might have one harbor and five nodes that can own that harbor. And the first to hit the village stage adopts the harbor. Then that can become an objective point during a siege that has naval interaction. So that's the direction we've moved towards, rather than allowing the naval component to interact directly with sieging the node itself as opposed to being a part of the objective-based gameplay that exists for a node siege.[6] – Steven Sharif
- Island chains are part of Ashes of Creation naval content.[9][10]
Harbors
Harbors are initially dilapidated points of interest that appear in coastal areas.[13] Harbors have a significant amount of influence over the waters.[14]
- Harbors are where ships get built and launched and harbors are essentially dilapidated points of interest that progress when a node nearby, coastal or not, adopts that point of interest or that harbor. Then the node can contribute towards building up the harbor; and players who may not be citizens of that node can still go to that harbor and access its services.[13] – Steven Sharif
- A nearby node, coastal or not, will adopt the harbor point of interest and will contribute to its progression.[13]
- Ship building, ship upgrades, and other services offered by the harbor can be utilized by citizens and non-citizens of the node.[13]
- Previously it was stated that harbors would be controlled by a nearby Village (stage 3) (or higher) coastal node.[6][14][15][16] It was also stated that ship workstations are only unlocked by the advancement of that coastal node.[17][15][16][18]
- Harbors have a disembarkation zone that merchant ships can cross to be guided into the harbor.[12]
- Merchant ships can only be launched and received at harbors in a similar way that land caravans can only be launched and received at a caravansary.[12]
- Harbors will grant quests that are related to naval content.[14][5][16]
- Coastal nodes are not directly siegeable by sea. Instead, harbors offer objective-based naval gameplay during node sieges.[6][7][8]
Summoning ships
Ships (excluding raft caravans) can only be summoned from a port or harbor.[19][20][21][22]
- You can summon your ships up but you'll need to summon them from land, which means that if something happens to your armada out at sea you won't have backups to just summon immediately in the middle of the fight... They'll have to do so from shore somewhere from some port or harbor.[22] – Steven Sharif
- Rivers can only be used by caravan rafts. Ships that are intended for the ocean cannot travel upstream in a river. It is too shallow.[19] – Steven Sharif
- Rivers can only be used by raft caravans.[24] Previously it was stated that ships may be able to be summoned in rivers (or other bodies of water) depending on the depth of the water.[25]
- Raft caravans are capable of transitioning to and from land caravans at the point of intersection of land and water.[26][27][28][29][30]
Ships
Ships are vehicles in Ashes of Creation. Ships are owned by the player who has the ship item in their inventory. Only that player can summon the ship.[33][23]
- Ship creation is generally delegated to players. There won't be many non-player-owned ships.[34]
- For the most part all ship creation will be delegated to the player. You have to build up a ship or find somebody who has one if you want to get across the seas.[34] – Steven Sharif
- Ship owners are able to grant permissions to allow other players to navigate their ships and access certain ship functions.[36][23]
- Ship navigators receive a significant defensive buff while they are navigating the ship. This reduces CC effects and increases damage mitigation significantly.[36]
- If the ship navigator is killed or otherwise removed from the ship then any player will be able to navigate the ship for a period of 15 to 20 minutes before the ship despawns and becomes a wreckage.[36]
- Other ship permissions may include operating weapons, anchors, and utility items.[23]
- Players will have quests that lead set them on a path toward creating a personal vessel at around level 10-15.[37]
- Player merchants will not be able to be placed on ships.[38]
- Nothing can move or or block ships, apart from other ships. Ships collisions come with the risk of significant damage to the vessels involved.[39][33]
- We adhere to some semblance of real physics feelings with regards to these vehicles; and so ships do have the potential to be pushed in different directions and out of the way for each other. That is an intended collision experience that we want ships to have. But it should come with significant risk and potential damage to the vessels themselves.[39] – Steven Sharif
Trade ships
Raft caravans (also referred to as Naval caravans) allow the transportation of cargo over the water.[40][27][41][30]
- Unlike merchant ships, raft caravans are capable of transitioning to and from land caravans at the point of intersection of land and water.[27][41][28][29][30]
- Raft caravans may only be used in rivers.[24]
- Currently the stats of the raft are informed by the components of the caravan. This may be changed based on testing.[42][29]
- By default, raft caravans have a racial appearance. Players will be able to apply caravan skins to change this appearance.[29]
Naval content refers to content above and below the sea.[14][9]
- Aquatic mounts.[9]
- Coastal nodes.[14][3]
- Fortresses.[14]
- Harbors.[15][16][14]
- Island chains.[9]
- Raft caravans.[45]
- Naval NPCs.[14]
- Naval PvP.[45]
- Quests.[14]
- Raids.[14][45]
- Ships.[14][9]
- Trade routes.[9]
- Treasure hunting.[14][9]
- Underwater dungeons.[45]
Enhanced naval content was unlocked as part of the $1,500,000 Kickstarter stretch goal.[10]
There will not initially be naval content (such as a Dark Lake) in the Underrealm, but this may be something that gets added in future expansions.[46]
There won't be class abilities that are specific to naval content, but some utility skills (such as underwater breathing) may be of some benefit.[47]
Artwork
See also
References
- ↑ Livestream, August 17, 2018 (58:53).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Livestream, 2018-04-8 (PM) (1:01:28).
- ↑ Livestream, March 29, 2024 (2:26:40).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Interview, July 19, 2020 (48:05).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Interview, July 9, 2023 (1:18:49).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Livestream, October 14, 2022 (58:46).
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Livestream, May 19, 2017 (37:51).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Livestream, May 17, 2017 (30:53).
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Kickstarter - We Just Broke $1,500,000!
- ↑ Livestream, March 26, 2021 (48:42).
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Livestream, August 26, 2022 (1:26:58).
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Livestream, March 29, 2024 (2:36:06).
- ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 Podcast, April 11, 2021 (36:43).
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Livestream, July 25, 2020 (1:59:09).
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Livestream, July 9, 2018 (30:35).
- ↑ Interview, July 9, 2023 (1:20:33).
- ↑
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Livestream, January 31, 2024 (1:07:57).
- ↑ Livestream, April 29, 2022 (1:08:27).
- ↑ Livestream, May 29, 2020 (1:28:38).
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Podcast, May 11, 2018 (11:51).
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Livestream, May 28, 2021 (1:52:15).
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Livestream, January 31, 2024 (1:07:587).
- ↑
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Video, January 31, 2024 (15:35).
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Video, October 31, 2023 (28:06).
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Livestream, May 29, 2020 (1:28:38).
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 Livestream, April 30, 2020 (58:05).
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 Livestream, 2018-04-8 (AM) (15:46).
- ↑ Ashes of Creation Store: Tea transport.
- ↑ Livestream, October 31, 2018 (54:21).
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Livestream, October 31, 2023 (1:30:52).
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 Livestream, September 24, 2021 (1:26:46).
- ↑ Livestream, January 27, 2023 (1:32:00).
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Livestream, October 31, 2023 (1:27:50).
- ↑ Livestream, July 30, 2021 (1:14:04).
- ↑
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Livestream, March 29, 2024 (2:33:50).
- ↑ Video, January 31, 2024 (15:27).
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 Livestream, August 26, 2022 (1:20:17).
- ↑ Livestream, January 31, 2024 (1:08:47).
- ↑ Livestream, September 30, 2020 (40:52).
- ↑ Video, November 9, 2017 (0:01).
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 Livestream, August 23, 2017 (28:22).
- ↑ Livestream, January 28, 2022 (1:09:00).
- ↑ Livestream, February 25, 2022 (1:04:29).