Node types

Pre-alpha Metropolis node.

Nodes exist all throughout the world and the location of said node will determine its type; but this type will be... seen at the first stage of development when the first stage when a node propagates real-time assets in the world; is basically these NPCs, these merchants that come into an area and they offer services and/or of stores or whatever the deal may be. You will see the flavor of the node from those merchants. So if it's a military node you'll see military people. If it's... an economic node you'll see merchants. If it's a scientific one you'll see scholars; and if it's a divine one you'll see priests and clerics. So players will have a very firm understanding of which node is which type in order to know how they want to progress. – Steven Sharif

Nodes are assigned one of four (4) node types, each of which contain unique specializations.

• Node types are predetermined and are the same across all server realms.
• Players will be able to identify the type of a node at its first stage of development (Expedition) based on its NPC population.

Node type.	Specialization.	NPCs.	Currency.
Divine nodes	Faith and skill/equipment augment focuses	Priests	Favor
Economic nodes	Trade and merchant focuses	Merchants	-
Military nodes	Combat and class training focuses	Guards	Honor
Academic nodes	Artisan and construction focuses	Scholars	-

• A node’s type is static. It does not change based on the node's advancement or destruction.

For example, if a level 4 Scientific Node is destroyed, it will become a Level 0 Scientific Node. It will never be any other Node Type other than a Scientific Node. The location of these Types relates to the influences of the area around the Node. – Margaret Krohn

• Node types affect various services and systems at each level of node advancement.
  • Node elections.
  • Narrative.
  • NPCs.
  • Node buildings.

• Node types will be definitive during the Beta testing stages.

Beta testing will require that the node types be definitive; and that's because of how node types are integrated into the relating and corresponding neighboring points of interest and those quest lines. So it's not something we can swap very easily. – Steven Sharif

Node benefits

Kaelar node concept art.

Each node type has a superpower (ultimate ability) that becomes unlocked when the node reaches Metropolis (stage 6).

• Superpowers apply to the vassal nodes of each Metropolis.

The superpower is meant to be additive, meaning that if multiple Metropolises are stood up with with a particular node type, that superpower, which would have been just delegated to the vassal structure of one Metropolis, now can incorporate an entirely second vassal structure, or multiple vassal structures, which influences a majority of the world. – Steven Sharif

• Other benefits are conferred to node citizens and vassal nodes as a result of node policies, node buildings, and relationships initiated by the node's leadership.

These strong powerful interactions that a Metropolis can exert over the world: they're not just housed within the superpower ability. They're also housed within policies. They're also housed within types of building types like all of these are node specializations that influence the world and players interact with the world. – Steven Sharif

Divine node benefits

Divine nodes at Metropolis (stage 6) may unlock a procedurally built "mega catacomb" dungeon beneath it that connects to its divine vassal nodes. These may house unique bosses with unique drop tables.

Economic node benefits

Economic nodes that have reached the metropolis stage unlock the linked economy superpower. Economic nodes with this superpower share their Auction house listings with all others.

• Up to two economic metropolises may be linked in this manner.
• Metropolis level economic nodes enable worldwide sale prices for auction houses across Verra.
• Items listed in one linked economic node can be bid on from any other linked economic node.
• Linked economies also connect the economic metropolis and its vassal economic nodes.

Economic Nodes that have reached the Metropolis Stage unlock the Superpower “Linked Economy”. Any Economic Node with this Superpower unlocked shares Auction House listings with all the others, meaning that the items listed in one Linked Economy Node can be bid on from any other Linked Economy Node. Linked Economies also connect a Metropolis and any Vassal Economic Nodes belonging to that Metropolis.

The Linked Economy Superpower has the potential to create a massive market that spans the world. This will allow players to attain and sell goods with ease, providing those who have access to these Economic Nodes a faster path to fortune in the lands of Ashes of Creation.

Military node benefits

Military nodes enable Bounty hunters and (potentially) reduced duration of corruption.

Academic node benefits

Academic nodes that have reached Metropolis (stage 6) unlock teleportation within their vassal network, which can extend across seas, and also include islands.

• If there are multiple scientific metropolises, then an airship will provide faster travel between those scientific metropolises for citizens of those nodes and their vassal nodes, so long as the metropolises are not at war.

• Previously this was stated to be limited to citizens of metropolis academic nodes regardless of the stage of the vassal node, so long as the vassal node is not at war.

This will allow Citizens and Vassals of Scientific Metropolises to do things more quickly than others, as fast travel is limited in the world of Ashes of Creation. They’ll be able to exchange goods and information with ease and get to locations in the world at a quicker speed in order to gather crafting materials to create recipes, as well as participate in limited-time events.

Node election types

Node election types.

Mayors are chosen through different methods according to the node's type.

• Academic node mayors are elected via ranked choice popular vote.
  • This was previously a single popular vote system. Records of who voted for who are not published.
• Divine node mayors are elected based on the citizen who earns the most PvE favor by completing religious quests.
  • Most of the devotion-oriented tasks are going to be on an individual basis and won't utilize outside support.
• Economic node mayors are elected via a blind-bid auction where the citizen bidding the most money wins. This is a gold sink.
  • The developers are in favor of a public accounting of campaign funds and contributions for mayoral candidates.
• Military node mayors are elected based on trial by combat. During the election week the node will enter an open-PvP battleground state for hour-long periods where candidates (and their citizen supporters) compete to gain points by killing opposing supporters and securing objectives. The highest point winner at the end of the week will win.
  • Previously the developers were considering champions that fought in a last-man-standing arena.

Unique node buildings

Alpha-1 Node buildings.

Each node type has a unique service building associated with it that can be activated at Village (stage 3) of node advancement. The unique building plays a central role in the progress of civilization for a server realm.

Node locations

Node	Thumbnail	Type	Location
Aithanahr		Economic	Sandsquall Desert
Azmaran		Divine	Sandsquall Desert
Brinebarrel		Lawless	Vandagar Tropics
Djinna		Divine	Sandsquall Desert
Halcyon		Divine	Riverlands
Joeva		Academic	Riverlands
Korrin		Lawless	Vandagar Tropics
Miraleth		Academic	Riverlands
New Aela		Economic	Riverlands
Seahook		Lawless	Vandagar Tropics
Shorefoot		Lawless	Vandagar Tropics
Squall's End		Academic	Sandsquall Desert
Sunhaven		Military	Sandsquall Desert
Turquoise Sea Trading Post		Lawless	The Turquoise Sea
Windansea		Inactive	Vandagar Tropics
Winstead		Military	Riverlands

See also

• Nodes
• Mayors