Environments

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Volcano area concept art by Ricky Ho.[1] [2]

We are a high fantasy game... That means that outside of the traditional sorts of environments you're going to start seeing some pretty crazy and wild stuff that will also change based on seasons.[3] – Jeffrey Bard

Verran environments video.[4]
Alpha-1 Oasis environment preview.[5]

This is a second one of two of the large water oasis areas that we incorporated into the tropics biome.[6] – Michael Bacon

There are approximately 18 biomes (environments) in Ashes of Creation.[6]

We just wanted to represent just about every biome type under the sun really and just have enough diversity over the world that like when you went from area to area , you really just got a contrast of different biome types.[7] – Michael Bacon

Ren'Kai architecture concept art.[8]

Part of the biome that the Ren'Kai are accustomed to is a more swamp or marsh oriented, so they have these almost stilt-like foundations on some of the assets because they're intended to sit above that marsh.[8] – Steven Sharif

Ashes of Creation will have a higher graphical fidelity than most western games. It will not be too stylized or "cartoony".[9]

We can push the limits a little bit on the graphical fidelity, especially using Unreal Engine 4... My desire was not to see very cartoony games. I'm not a big fan of highly stylized art.[9] – Steven Sharif
It's not to say that people can't do steampunk well. I've enjoyed some steampunk stuff. I'm a very high fantasy oriented type of storyteller; and the inspiration for Ashes obviously comes from my pathfinder campaigns that I ran long ago; and those are always set in a high fantasy world. So it just compromises what I believe is the perspective of the storytelling in the environment.[10] – Steven Sharif
We do not use AI for production, except in unique internal cases when communicating fast reference material.[11] – Steven Sharif

Climate

Alpha-2 dynamic weather change caused by the Beneath the Stone Shadows event.[12]

Since you instigated this event, which changed the weather, that will also now influence spawns nearby. You could potentially be spawning- well you are spawning side quests that relate to the rain, changes in enemies that relate to the rain, and that's driven on player action. So it is like a feedback loop.[13] – Skott B

Some environments (Biomes) have fixed climates and others are variable.[14][15][3] Dynamic weather of varying intensity can triggered by certain events.[13][14][16][17]

During those weather events, the area of effect that the event is occurring in will likely have its climate descriptor overridden by whatever the event is specifically. So tornadoes might be windy, blizzards might be cold. And if an arctic dragon comes into a temperate climate it brings the cold weather with it; and that can be interacting with skills and abilities or other functions like farms.[18] – Steven Sharif
There are climate effects that occur from a buff standpoint. They can also affect skills like, let's say you're using a frost bolt in a winter climate. There's the ability for those effects to be enhanced and/or stronger in those climates.[21] – Steven Sharif
They affect crops and gatherables, vehicles, and mounts, ships, creatures; and loot tables change: their behaviors might change. Resistances and weaknesses or synergies might be relevant in certain seasons or weather systems. Targeting might change the AoE radius might grow for a fire effect if you're in the middle of summer, or it might shrink if you're in the middle of a storm.[22] – Steven Sharif
  • Some weather conditions can be hazardous to mobs and players.[12]
Weather events and encounters themselves can include hazards that can appear and shake things up. They can also help too, if you can kite enemies into the lightning strikes or whatever.[12] – Skott B

Seasons

Ashes of Creation Seasons in the Riverlands.[14]

Part of the triggers that can create seasonal change is not just time related for each of our biomes, but they are also indicated by events that occur on the server. Whether that be certain raid bosses forming, or a relic being acquired by a particular node and being activated to change potentially the weather out of a winter state into a spring state: and the reason why a node might have interest in doing that of course is because weather and the seasons also affect skills and abilities.[22] – Steven Sharif

Seasonal change teaser.[23]

Seasons affect different zones (environments/biomes) based on their location in the world.[23][24]

  • A majority of environments will experience either two or four seasons, excluding corrupted areas, which is considered a "season" itself.[25]
  • Some biomes will have seasons that are less (or more) temperate. For example: Northern, Southern and Tropical regions.[26] Other biomes will have fixed climates.[15]
    • Biomes that are affected by seasonal cycles may experience drastic visual differences between seasons.[23]
  • Events may radically change the current season a zone is in, or elongate it.[16][27] This includes weather changes.[24]
  • There will also be magical seasons where you might be in a tropical zone and suddenly it's snowing.[26]
  • Items, crop cycles, buildings, and crafting mechanics might gain certain buffs or debuffs in certain seasons.[16][28][24]
  • Ocean and underwater areas will not have seasonal changes.[29]
Winter might have a spawner that activates on a road that spawns at large fallen tree and players who see that will have an opportunity to go up and exert some type of one-time action that helps in removing that tree and it might require X number of people to do that before the tree gets removed; and that as an example is not beneficial for the transit of goods because as caravans require- well they don't require but they move better on roads and if that tree were present let's say blocking a road that led to a bridge per-se that they would have to off-road.[24] – Steven Sharif
  • Different seasons may affect access to various roads.[16][27][24]
    • Pathways that are open during summer may be closed during winter.[24]
    • Seasonal affects may cause obstacles or blockages to the transit of goods via caravan.[16][27][30]
    • Water turning to ice in winter, enabling players to walk over the water but blocking access to what is underneath.[24]
      • Ice will make roads bumpy and slippery.[31]
    • Seasonal flooding is something the developers are talking about internally, but will not be present in Alpha-2.[32]

Day and night cycle

Alpha-2 day/night cycle.[33]

Day and night cycles in Ashes of Creation are actually over the course of a few hours.[34] – Steven Sharif

There is a day/night cycle in Ashes of Creation.[35][36]

  • Day and night cycles occur over the course of a few hours.[37][34]
    • Fifteen IRL minutes may equate to one hour in game time but this is subject to change.[38][39]
    • Day and night cycle tied to server time will be tested in Alpha-2.[40]
The day night cycle is tied to server time, yes. So there is a number of hours that exist between each of the cycles. That's something that we'll be fine-tuning of course during Alpha 2 as well, but it is intended for players to interact with certain systems even based on in-game time as well.[40] – Steven Sharif
  • The developers requested feedback on the intensity of illumination and darkness that will be present in Alpha-2.[41][42]
    • Based on feedback the developers increased the nighttime darkness.[37]
Certain creatures will react differently. Certain spawns react differently during night times and different day/night cycles. Those might also influence things like abilities and/or buff/debuff vulnerabilities. You'll have to find out based on the type of creature you're experiencing.[44] – Steven Sharif

Darkness

Alpha-2 Winstead node at night.[37]

You guys will probably notice that the nighttime is significantly darker than when you guys last saw our nighttime update. We saw feedback from the community that bringing in the field of vision through the lighting in the environment was something you guys wanted to see; and that's what we have adjusted a bit.[37] – Steven Sharif

Darkness as an environmental obstacle is being considered as part of the game mechanics.[42][48]

  • The developers are requesting feedback on the intensity of illumination and darkness that will be present in Alpha-2.[37][41][42]
In more survival oriented games you're expected to have really dark night times because you utilize instruments like torches and lights that can be present, but when you think about an MMORPG and you think about the types of player numbers and player count you're expected to have in certain locations and dungeons, you need to be able to accommodate those types of visibility lines and those mechanics around that large multiplayer environment. So when you guys are giving feedback think about whether or not you want the outside night time to really be very dark, or if you want that to be reserved for specific locations in game, like certain dungeons and towers where we can utilize mechanics like different types of lighting mechanisms in order to facilitate that more dark feel.[42] – Steven Sharif

Elements

There are elements (such as Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Electrical) in Ashes of Creation each with their own resistances.[49][50][50][51][52][53]

  • There may be ley lines and strong magical places in the world that change or alter the way spells work.[56]
We've discussed a little bit about how the seasons and biomes will react with different types of skills. Like if you have a fireball and it's summer it might be a little bit different. If it's winter and you have a frost ability it might be different.[55] – Steven Sharif

Landmarks

200 foot tall Pyrian statues in Alpha-1.[57]

Landmarks are scattered throughout the world, allowing players to judge their position on the map.[57]

From a lore perspective these statues have been around for a long time; and they are representative of the civilizations that existed once on this world before.[57] – Steven Sharif

Major visual landmarks. You can look all the way across the horizon have an idea where you're going or where to meet friends or where to meet just based on these huge landmarks in the world.[57] – Mat Broome

Underrealm

Underrealm node concept art.[58]

One of the aspects of the Lore behind the Tulnar was that in the pantheon of gods that exist- having foretold the future through the Goddess of Fate to the Goddess of Creation- these areas in the Underrealm were created in to allow for refuge for which the gods knew would be left behind that couldn't make it to Sanctus. So that was a pre-thought there in the creation of the Underrealm to facilitate that realm where refugees could seek.[59] – Steven Sharif

Alpha-0 Underrealm Sharptooth cat mob concept art.[60]

We plan to have the Underrealm really pervasive throughout the game itself, a part of the open world. It will introduce some unique elements such as the type of monsters you see, the type of crops you can grow and houses you can have.[61] – Steven Sharif

The Underrealm is a rich environment where bio-luminescence abounds in the fauna and flora that exist here. These deep caverns and underground valleys provide new destinations for civilization to develop. Bringing the node system into the depths of the world may awaken darker creatures than the surface.[62]

  • The Underrealm is estimated to be not too much bigger than 100 km2 in area.[63][64] It is not contiguous space across the entire map. There will be areas that are obstructed by chasms or other features.[65][66]
The expansiveness of the Underrealm itself is quite large. It does persist across across a lot of the playable game area that's above ground. So there are alternatives in the Underrealm for passages and traversal throughout the world.[67] – Steven Sharif
  • The location of Underrealm entrances throughout the world is focused around natural geographic choke-points that exist above ground. This provides alternate subterranean routes that can be used by caravans, raids, and other player activities.[63][65][66]
The Underrealm is intending to be bespoke segments of Underrealm territory that are available around areas of choke-point in the world map that are above ground, which are provided for caravan transit across the world. So those caravans as they're approaching these choke-points on land, they will have alternate route options to go down into the Underrealm and to try to traverse that space, as opposed to the choke-points.[65] – Steven Sharif
  • Not all entrances to the Underrealm will be open at the same time. This can shift dynamically (based on node states) that cause different routes to open up, which may be more or less advantageous than other routes.[66]
  • There will be bodies of water such as rivers and lakes in the Underrealm that house unique species of fish.[68][69]
    • There won't be boats and other water vehicles in the Underrealm.[68]
There will absolutely be Underrealm lakes and rivers. Those will be locations and very important ones for unique material goods like certain types of fish that players will be able to go down and fish with. But there will not be the use of boats and vehicles within the water- water vehicles of the Underrealm, at least not for launch.[68] – Steven Sharif

Environment

Alpha-0 Underrealm environment.[60]

Underrealm environments are vast.[70]

  • Caravans should be able to operate as they do above ground.[70]
  • If there's insufficient room for Dragons, another mount type may be utilized.[70]
  • Burrowing mounts are being considered as an alternative to flying mounts in the Underrealm.[71]

One of the important aspects of color play is going to be the distinguishing factor between different Underrealms and the regions that exist in the world: Their color influences set them apart from different regions.[72] – Steven Sharif

Seasons above ground will affect the Underrealm.[70]

  • This will not be a one-to-one correlation: for example, it won't snow in the Underrealm.
  • Tunnel flooding and other effects will be related to the weather above ground.

The seasons above ground will inform what happens underneath. I mean, it's not going to be a direct one-to-one correlation right, not like it's going to be raining in the underworld, but you will see the effects from above happen down below: You might find tunnels being flooded.[70] – Jeffrey Bard

Coastal and island nodes

Pre-alpha naval concept.[73]

There will be healthy amounts of sea content within the coastlines of the continents that does not fall into the "open sea" area.[74] – Steven Sharif

There will be nodes along the coast and on islands.[75]

  • These nodes will have specific water oriented influences, services, and questlines, that relate to the seas.[75]
    • There is a healthy amount of sea content within the coastlines of the continents that does not fall into the open sea area.[74]
  • 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.[76]
  • Coastal nodes change the spawn tables of the nearby water content and can also trigger specific events.[77]
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.[78] – Steven Sharif

Underwater

Alpha-1 swimming.[83]
Tidesnapper early Alpha-1 water animations.[84]

Underwater content will be accessible, not cumbersome.[85]

Treasures may be obtained through fishing and by exploring naval content.[88][89]

Underwater nodes

Underwater points of interest that have NPC structures may appear to be like cities, but they will not be nodes.[90]

  • There won't be nodes underwater or in the water.[75]

Foliage

Foliage 3D renders.[91]

Biomes really need to have a fairly eclectic selection of plant life, of vegetation, of foliage. These help to create the atmosphere that you are really immersed in this different climate zone and that that's obviously something that we as players enjoy when we get to see a significant diversity of plant life, because it does lend itself to the immersive nature of the world.[92] – Steven Sharif

Bloomeria 3D turntable.[93]

Foul and ravenous spirits have been bound to these stinking flowers[93]

  • There will be player collision with foliage.[94]
    As you move through a plant you're not just gonna go straight through the plant. It will move around on the client for you: you'll see that plant move because you intersected with it and passed through it. So there's collision with foliage there; but I'm not sure if it's going to be as granular on blades of grass. We do have footprints and footsteps... you can see them on the dirt surfaces; you can see them on the snow surfaces.[94] – Steven Sharif
    • Different growth states will have different collision profiles.[95]
    For example as for trees, sapling stage requires no collision, but the young stage will have a collision that you can no longer go through.[95] – Alex Khudoliy
  • Later stages of game polish will address quality-of-life issues, such as foliage blocking the player's camera.[98]
Q: Folks were wondering about foliage as it seems like it could hide your character from your own camera. Can it do something like turn transparent to you, so you... don't lose yourself in the grass?
A: Absolutely. Those are literal higher fidelity types of polish that we get around to when we're out of guts of building core systems and abilities and archetypes. So, part of watching our game in development is understanding that a lot of the quality-of-life or polish-oriented features that you would typically see in a launched game are not yet worked on from our perspective. We're very much still on the core aspects of our feature development.[98] – Steven Sharif

Destructible environments

Alpha-2 Destructible props at the Remains of Oakenbane Keep.[99]

Destructible environments is a core element of how players interact with the world, in Ashes of Creation.[100][101]

  • Buildings, siege weapons and other structures (such as walls and gates) during events, such as sieges that have been damaged or destroyed will be able to be repaired or re-crafted.[102][103]
  • Destructible props in the open-world will typically respawn after 10 minutes.[104]
  • The terrain itself is not destructible.[102]

Artwork

Videos

See also

References

  1. ↑ Livestream, September 24, 2021 (1:08:43).
  2. ↑ steven-volcano-guy-quote.png
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Livestream, June 1, 2017 (29:33).
  4. ↑ verran-environments.png
  5. ↑ Livestream, June 25, 2021 (55:39).
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Livestream, January 29, 2021 (21:55).
  7. ↑ Livestream, June 25, 2021 (53:15).
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Livestream, February 25, 2022 (46:17).
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Interview, October 20, 2018 (2:17:43).
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Livestream, March 31, 2023 (1:17:42).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 steven-AI-artwork.png
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Video, February 29, 2024 (16:34).
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Video, February 29, 2024 (16:09).
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Video, May 27, 2022 (2:21).
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Livestream, July 18, 2017 (36:47).
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Podcast, April 11, 2021 (23:36).
  17. ↑ Livestream, July 28, 2017 (41:25).
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Livestream, February 25, 2022 (1:05:37).
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Livestream, February 29, 2024 (55:34).
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Livestream, May 27, 2022 (1:14:46).
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Livestream, September 30, 2020 (1:04:56).
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Video, May 27, 2022 (9:34).
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Livestream, April 29, 2022 (56:24).
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 24.6 Livestream, May 8, 2017 (20:27).
  25. ↑ Livestream, March 31, 2023 (58:27).
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Livestream, September 27, 2018 (41:33).
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Livestream, June 26, 2020 (1:29:06).
  28. ↑ Livestream, July 26, 2019 (1:32:40).
  29. ↑ Livestream, September 30, 2022 (1:25:56).
  30. ↑ Our immersive world - Environments.
  31. ↑ frosty-roads.png
  32. ↑ Livestream, June 30, 2022 (1:10:19).
  33. ↑ Livestream, November 30, 2020 (41:49).
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Video, December 2, 2022 (11:11).
  35. ↑ Livestream, June 25, 2021 (29:58).
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Livestream, May 12, 2017 (57:41).
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 37.4 Video, November 30, 2023 (35:28).
  38. ↑ Livestream, May 27, 2022 (1:13:39).
  39. ↑ time.jpg
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Livestream, December 2, 2022 (1:07:29).
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 Livestream, December 2, 2022 (1:08:06).
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 Livestream, December 2, 2022 (53:01).
  43. ↑ Video, November 30, 2023 (34:36).
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 Livestream, December 2, 2022 (1:10:14).
  45. ↑ Podcast, April 11, 2021 (15:55).
  46. ↑ day cycle.jpg
  47. ↑ Livestream, December 2, 2022 (1:09:42).
  48. ↑ Interview: Ashes of Creation on Building Their Virtual World, 2017-04-13.
  49. ↑ Fissure Description.png
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Livestream, April 7, 2023 (1:11:14).
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Interview, July 18, 2020 (1:05:04).
  52. ↑ Livestream, May 24, 2017 (27:47).
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 Livestream, 2018-04-8 (PM) (26:19).
  54. ↑ Video, September 30, 2022 (15:28).
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 Livestream, June 1, 2017 (20:23).
  56. ↑ Livestream, June 26, 2020 (1:32:16).
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 57.3 Livestream, August 17, 2018 (10:01).
  58. ↑ Forums: Dev Discussion - Dream Nodes.
  59. ↑ Interview, October 31, 2018 (6:00).
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 Ashes of Creation - The visuals.
  61. ↑ A chat with Ashes of Creation's Steven Sharif, 2017-06-7.
  62. ↑ Kickstarter $1,750,000 Stretch Goal Unlocked, 13 May 2017.
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 Livestream, April 7, 2023 (22:48).
  64. ↑ Interview, August 17, 2018 (10:43).
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 Livestream, August 26, 2022 (53:26).
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 Livestream, October 30, 2020 (1:19:13).
  67. ↑ Interview, October 31, 2018 (5:43).
  68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 68.2 Livestream, April 7, 2023 (27:30).
  69. ↑ Transcript, November 5, 2022 (10:46:47).
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 70.2 70.3 70.4 Livestream, June 1, 2017 (24:30).
  71. ↑ Interview, August 17, 2018 (8:57).
  72. ↑ Livestream, January 18, 2018 (14:00).
  73. ↑ Livestream, August 17, 2018 (58:53).
  74. ↑ 74.0 74.1 steven-stream-clarifications-august-2022.png
  75. ↑ 75.0 75.1 75.2 Livestream, 2018-04-8 (PM) (1:01:28).
  76. ↑ Livestream, March 29, 2024 (2:26:40).
  77. ↑ Interview, July 19, 2020 (48:05).
  78. ↑ 78.0 78.1 Interview, July 9, 2023 (1:18:49).
  79. ↑ Livestream, October 14, 2022 (58:46).
  80. ↑ Livestream, May 19, 2017 (37:51).
  81. ↑ Livestream, May 17, 2017 (30:53).
  82. ↑ Kickstarter - We Just Broke $1,500,000!
  83. ↑ 83.0 83.1 Livestream, July 31, 2020 (1:42:41).
  84. ↑ Livestream, January 29, 2021 (1:00:57).
  85. ↑ Livestream, May 19, 2017 (38:46).
  86. ↑ Livestream, September 30, 2020 (55:39).
  87. ↑ Livestream, October 14, 2022 (30:12).
  88. ↑ Podcast, April 11, 2021 (36:43).
  89. ↑ fishing.jpg
  90. ↑ Livestream, 2018-04-8 (AM) (18:29).
  91. ↑ Livestream, July 31, 2020 (1:39:00).
  92. ↑ Livestream, October 30, 2020 (43:01).
  93. ↑ 93.0 93.1 Twitter: Foul and ravenous spirits have been bound to these stinking flowers!
  94. ↑ 94.0 94.1 Livestream, May 27, 2022 (1:01:45).
  95. ↑ 95.0 95.1 Video, October 28, 2022 (3:49).
  96. ↑ Video, October 28, 2022 (19:10).
  97. ↑ Livestream, May 27, 2022 (54:49).
  98. ↑ 98.0 98.1 Livestream, April 28, 2023 (53:09).
  99. ↑ Video, March 29, 2024 (1:09:52).
  100. ↑ Livestream, March 31, 2022 (1:13:00).
  101. ↑ Livestream, June 28, 2019 (31:15).
  102. ↑ 102.0 102.1 Livestream, March 31, 2023 (1:33:05).
  103. ↑ Livestream, May 28, 2021 (1:04:29).
  104. ↑ Livestream, March 29, 2024 (2:04:00).
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