Seasons
We want to really make the environment immersive and actually affect gameplay.[2] – Steven Sharif
Zones (environments/biomes) change season on a weekly basis during scheduled downtime. Each month in real-life will effectively be a full seasonal rotation in the game.[5]
- Environmental seasons are not to be confused with PvP seasons, which last for six months.[6]
In Ashes of Creation the world will change on a regular basis. Zones will progress in a seasonal cycle, which will alter the very nature of the environment around you. Snow may block pathways that are accessible in warmer months, spring may encourage creatures otherwise unseen to come to the surface, and fall might be the only time that certain crops thrive. This cycle can then take in the state of the world’s Nodes and shift depending on their progression.[7]
Environments (Zones/biomes) experience different seasons based on their location in the world.[2]
- There will be regions of the map with seasons that are less (or more) temperate.[8]
- For example: Northern, Southern and Tropical regions.[8]
- There will also be magical seasons where you might be in a tropical zone and suddenly it's snowing.[8]
- Different crop cycles.[2]
- Different seasons may present obstacles that make the transit of goods via caravan more challenging.[9]
- Pathways that are open during summer and closed during winter.[2]
- Water turning to ice in winter, enabling players to walk over the water but blocking access to what is underneath.[2]
- Ice will make roads bumpy and slippery.[10]
- Events may radically change the current season a zone is in, or elongate it.[9]
- Items, crops, buildings, and crafting mechanics might gain certain buffs or debuffs in certain seasons.[11]
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 you know X number of people to do that before the tree gets removed; and that you know as an example is not beneficial for the transit of goods because as you know caravans require- well they don't require but they move better on roads and if that tree were present let's say blocking you know a road that led to a bridge per-se that they would have to off-road.[2] – Steven Sharif
Contents
Seasonal events
Seasonal events (holidays) in Ashes of Creation are not a direct parallel with real world events. Instead, there will be in-game lore behind seasonal events that can relate to the real-world in some way.[13][14]
For example, this upcoming cosmetic bundle that's going to be available during the time of Halloween won't necessarily be pumpkins and candy corn type of cosmetics, but instead will be a bit darker. That way it can still be relevant to real world. And then additionally it may be possible as we localize and culturalize for other territories that we have the same philosophy with region-specific events.[13] – Steven Sharif
Events may bring seasonal change.[2]
- A winter dragon may appear because a node has developed to stage 4. That dragon may bring eternal winter until it is killed.
Seasonal resources
Seasons affect the crops (resources) available for planting as well as how crop rotation is managed.[2][15]
Climate
Some environments (Biomes) have fixed climates and others are variable.[17]
- Weather conditions change with the Seasons.[17][18] – Jeffrey Bard
- There will be dynamic weather that varies in intensity.[19]
- For example: Drizzle to/from storm, or Blizzard to/from snow.
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.[20] – Steven Sharif
Elements
There will be elements (such as Air, Fire, Water, Lightning) in Ashes of Creation each with their own resistances.[21][22][23]
- Other elemental influences may include Darkness, Light and Planar.[23]
- The Mage archetype offers four elemental schools as augments to a character's primary skills.[21]
- Elements may have more influence in certain seasons and climates. For example, frost abilities may be stronger in winter. This affects both PvE and PvP.[20][24]
- There may be ley lines and strong magical places in the world that change or alter the way spells work.[25]
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.[24] – Steven Sharif
We want to get a nice spread of abilities that that are influenced by what's going on your zone.[24] – Jeffrey Bard
Elemental skills
The idea behind magic is you're manipulating the elements. They don't just have to be fire, ice, water and air. They can be darkness, they can be light, they can be planar; a lot of different types of "elemental influences".[23] – Steven Sharif
Skill | Icon | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Apocalypse:Chain Lightning | ![]() |
Activate to charge your next attack with lightning - lightning will arc between foes, dealing damage to each one.[26]
|
Activate to charge your next attack with lightning - lightning will arc between foes, dealing damage to each one.[27]
|
Activate to charge your next attack with lightning - lightning will arc between foes, dealing damage to each one.[28]
|
Apocalypse:Fire Potion | Generates a fire explosion.[29] | - | - | |
Apocalypse:Frost Potion | ![]() |
Swap your explosive potion for a potion of frost. It will burst on the first bounce, leaving an area of bitter cold that slows your enemies.[30]
|
- | - |
Fireball | ![]() |
Throws a fireball at your target. Deals instant damage.[31] | Becomes a burn (damage over time).[32][33][34] | Area of effect around the target.[32][33] |
Flame line | ![]() |
Shoot an arrow that leaves behind a trail of flames.[35] | Arrow explodes upon reaching the end of its distance.[35] | Enemies take burning damage for entering the flames.[35] |
Lava Storm | ![]() |
Creates a field of lava at the selected location. Deals additional damage in the center of the ability. Deals area damage around the caster upon cast.[36][37] | Increased damage. Increased duration.[36][32] | Increased damage. Increased duration.[36][32] |
Lightning Bolt | ![]() |
Shoots forward a beam of lightning that damages enemies in a line in front of you.[38] | Adds damage over time to targets hit.[39] | Chains to nearby enemies that are not hit. Anyone who is outside the line has a chance to get a bolt jump to them.[39] |
Meteor Storm | ![]() |
Summons forth a Meteor Storm, dropping 3 meteors in the target location. Each meteor deals large area damage upon impact.[40] | Increase damage and number of impacts. Stun enemies as they are hit.[32] | Increase damage and number of impacts. Stun enemies as they are hit.[32] |
Underrealm environment
Underrealm environments are vast.[42]
- Caravans should be able to operate as they do above ground.[42]
- If there's insufficient room for Dragons, another mount type may be utilized.[42]
- Burrowing mounts are being considered as an alternative to flying mounts in the Underrealm.[43]
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.[44] – Steven Sharif
Seasons above ground will affect the Underrealm.[42]
- 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 kind of 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.[42] – Jeffrey Bard
Videos
- 2016-12-25 Video - Seasons greetings
- 2017-01-22 Video - Seasons - first look
- 2017-05-30 Video - Winter wonderland
Artwork
2020-05-01 2020-03-19
See also
References
- ↑ Video, 22 January 2017 (0:02).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Livestream, 8 May 2017 (20:27).
- ↑ Ashes of Creation Instagram. May 1, 2020.
- ↑ Ashes of Creation Facebook. March 19, 2020.
- ↑
- ↑ Interview, 18 July 2020 (16:34).
- ↑ Our immersive world - Environments.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Livestream, 27 September 2018 (41:33).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Livestream, 26 June 2020 (1:29:06).
- ↑
- ↑ Livestream, 26 July 2019 (1:32:40).
- ↑
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Interview, 20 October 2018 (7:31).
- ↑ Livestream, 5 May 2017 (40:36).
- ↑
- ↑ Video, 30 May 2017 (0:01).
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Livestream, 18 July 2017 (36:47).
- ↑ Livestream, 1 June 2017 (29:33).
- ↑ Livestream, 28 July 2017 (41:25).
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Livestream, 30 September 2020 (1:04:56).
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Interview, 18 July 2020 (1:05:04).
- ↑ Livestream, 24 May 2017 (27:47).
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Livestream, 8 April 2018 (PM) (26:19).
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Livestream, 1 June 2017 (20:23).
- ↑ Livestream, 26 June 2020 (1:32:16).
- ↑ Chain Lightning rank 1.
- ↑ Chain Lightning rank 2.
- ↑ Chain Lightning rank 3.
- ↑ Livestream, 17 August 2018 (7:49).
- ↑ Frost Potion rank 1.
- ↑ Video, 23 December 2020 (0:31).
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 32.4 32.5 Blog: Blazing the way - Mage Alpha One Preview.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Livestream, 16 October 2017 (38:35).
- ↑ PAX West 2017 Mage poster.
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Livestream, 16 October 2017 (46:52).
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Video, 22 December 2020 (7:36).
- ↑ Video, 23 December 2020 (1:29).
- ↑ Video, 23 December 2020 (0:40).
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Livestream, 16 October 2017 (39:15).
- ↑ Video, 23 December 2020 (1:46).
- ↑ Ashes of Creation - The visuals.
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 42.4 Livestream, 1 June 2017 (24:30).
- ↑ Interview, 17 August 2018 (8:57).
- ↑ Livestream, 18 January 2018 (14:00).