Alpha-2

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Alpha-2 launcher teaser video.[1]

Alpha-2 is really the testing grounds for a lot of the more minute details of how a particular system works; and you can change a lot of those details without actually needing to change the feature that's been developed. These are variables that exist within the code that we have control over so that when we want to iterate upon it it's easy to do iterations: and some of those iterations can feel very impactful to the system overall. So Alpha-2 really is meant to gauge this initial approach and then we're afforded the ability to change that drastically by tuning and changing some of the aspects of the specifics of the system.[2]Steven Sharif

Alpha-2 character creator user interface (first pass).[3]

When we talk about Alpha-2's perspective, it's really focused around core systems and their ancillary counterparts. When we talk about what those core systems are, it's the siege systems; it's the guild war systems; it's the node advancements; it's the story arcs; it's the character class progression; it's the augments; it's our artisanship loops and the gathering, processing and crafting cycles; it's homeownership; it's vehicles and mounts; and any number of professions that exist there; and then also a big chunk of Alpha-2 is obviously content: The ability to ensure that the hooks for these quest hubs within the nodes; the points-of-interest are stood up and reflective of the content necessary to facilitate that those story arcs; and commissions and buy orders. That's really the CORE of what we need to achieve in order to demonstrate the loops, collect feedback from those loops and the players who are play testing them; and then make iteration as necessary based off of the feedback we've received.[4]Steven Sharif

Ashes of Creation's core game systems are expected to be in place at the start of Alpha-2.[4][5] By the end of Alpha-2, the game is expected to be feature complete, but it will not be content complete until launch.[6][7] Alpha-2 will last until launch and will run in parallel with Beta-1 and Beta-2.[6][8]

Alpha-2 is intended to be a true functional representation of all the core systems and features.[9]Steven Sharif

Alpha-1 and Alpha-2 testers may be invited to participate in spot testing prior to the Alpha-2 release.[50][51]

Alpha-2 is known as the persistent alpha.[8][52]

Q: What systems are still needed to be rolled out before Alpha two?
A: I don't think it's at a core level that there's a particular system that has yet to be feature developed. Right now, it's more along the lines of expanding on those features, getting UI support for those features... UI, VFX, audio effects: Those are all big bottlenecks because they tend to occur at the end of the pipeline of content development; and then also ensuring that the interactions are polished and working. So from a large feature perspective- let me think about that, what large feature endeavor is still outstanding on the Alpha-2 front? A lot of it is content. I'm not sure that it's a feature one. I can't think of any large system features that haven't been stood up from a core functional perspective that don't just need expanding on, slash content development on.[53]Steven Sharif
Q: And when you say content, that's like art and implementation and so on?
A: Narrative quests, the assets, the modelling, the particular types of buildings, the armor sets, the creatures, the visual effects, audibility systems. Those are all content that accompany what the code is creating from a mechanical perspective.[54]Steven Sharif

Alpha-2 core features list.[4]

Alpha-2 is known as the persistent alpha.[8][52] Persistent means that the Alpha-2 servers will be kept up all day and night until launch.[6][8]

  • There will be downtime for patches.[6][7]
  • Alpha-2 servers will become the public test servers (PTS) post-launch that are used to test patches and updates.[57][55][8]
Alpha-2 will remain even post launch as our public test server.[57]Steven Sharif
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.[55]Steven Sharif

Alpha-2 availability

Phase Release Estimated/Actual date
Alpha-2 Alpha-2 spot testing (NDA).[58][59][50][60] November 2023.[61]
Alpha-2 (No NDA).[58][50][8][52] Q3 2024.[62][58][63]

Read more...

Alpha testing system requirements

Alpha-1 stress testing, March 17, 2021.[64]

These are fully operational NPCs. They have behavior trees, they have AI blackboards; 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.[65]Steven Sharif

Minimum and recommended computer specifications for Alpha-2.[66]

Minimum Specs - 1080p
  • Processor: Intel i5 8400 | AMD Ryzen 5 2600
  • Memory: 12GB
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1070 or equivalent
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 100GB SSD Storage
  • Windows 10/11
Recommend Specs - 1440p
  • Processor: Intel i7 8700 | AMD Ryzen 5 3600
  • Memory: 16GB
  • Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 3070 or equivalent
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 100GB SSD Storage
  • Windows 10/11
Please note that these requirements will change throughout our testing phases.[66]

Tulnar race

The Tulnar race is expected to be in place for Alpha-2.[30]

Naval schedule

Naval content will be introduced into Alpha-2 as an update.[38][69][5]

Naval will be an Alpha-2 in the sense that at after we launch Alpha-2, at some point in Alpha-2, naval will be implemented as an update; and that naval will be the ability to acquire components, construct those components, acquire recipes, construct certain types of ships, navigate those ships on the water, and engage in certain ship-to-ship interactions and ship-to-player interactions and ship-to-content interactions. Now, it won't be the aspect of that, meaning all ships won't be present: all types of those ships, all attachments of those ships. And it will be maybe a little bit janky to start because it's going to be an alpha version of it. But the intent there is to provide the loop where players get to go and interact with content in the ocean. That won't be at the start of Alpha-2, but it will be in Alpha-2.[38]Steven Sharif

Artisan classes timeline

Artisan classes (Gathering, Processing, Crafting) is expected to come online fully in Alpha-2 and the Betas.[72][40]

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 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.[40]Steven Sharif

Emblem, logo and symbol editor

The user interface will allow emblems, logos and symbols to be designed in-game.[75][76][49]

Q: Do nodes provide their citizens some kind of clothes or ornaments, capes, tabards, or something that they can basically represent their node?
A: I mean technically the node does have a sigil or insignia and there will be certain armors that you can customize insignia and/or symbols on, so yes you could probably achieve that.[77]Steven Sharif

Alpha-2 NDA

Alpha-1, Alpha-2, Beta-1, Beta-2 releases are not covered by NDA (non-disclosure agreement).[81]

We may not always announce when the NDA testing is, because we're not definitive how that testing is going to influence the future testing schedule; and we don't want to set the wrong expectation from a broader audience perspective on what they should be expecting with regards to testing.[59]Steven Sharif

Early access

Ashes of Creation testing phases.

Ashes of Creation's core game systems are expected to be in place at the start of Alpha-2.[4][5] By the end of Alpha-2, the game is expected to be feature complete, but it will not be content complete until launch.[6][7]

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.[7]Steven Sharif
Alpha-2 is intended to exist up until launch. There's going to be different testing periods that we will be releasing either new content locations or zones or systems that we want to have players focus in on. In those situations, if we're having participation drought because of the length of Alpha-2, we can set them up in a more focused setting. We can even incentivize that. We can offer unique testing to potentially new testers as well.[6]Steven Sharif
  • The developers will not necessarily announce NDA testing periods.[59]

Pre-order packs

Pre-order packs were available from the Cosmetic store up until they ended on January 17, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific.[91][92]

We offer cosmetics for players who wish to support the project early. The exclusive nature of the limited availability is something I think collectors value. If you buy cosmetics as an MMO player, I know I enjoyed if the cosmetic is rare and not every girl at the party is wearing the same dress. In addition, these cosmetics are used to populate the world through NPC variants and color/texture changes so their offering aligns with our production schedule. The good thing about these packs is they contain no P2W advantages and there is no box cost, so from a mechanics standpoint you do not need to buy them to excel in the game on launch. And also, there are comparable and subjectively more grand cosmetics achievable in game as well.[94]Steven Sharif

Participation

  • Alpha-0 had over 2,500 participants.[95]
  • Alpha-1 testing had approximately 9,600 participants as of August, 2018.[96][97] There were slightly over 13k participants as of May 31, 2021.[96] There were 5,300 unique logins during the 3 day weekend test of May 27, 2021.[96]
info-orange.pngThis section will be updated as soon as information is made available by the developers.

Server wipes

Alpha and Beta servers will be wiped prior to launch.[56]

As a general rule, if the testing phase contains the word Alpha, it is safe to assume there will likely be wipes.[55]Steven Sharif

Milestones

December 2015 First team members were hired.[103]
February 2016 Ashes of Creation design documentation and prototyping.[104][103]
December 10, 2016 Official website was launched and project announced.[103]
January 18, 2017 Official discord was launched.[105]
May 2, 2017 Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign launched with $750,000 funding goal.[106]
June 3, 2017 Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign completed with 19,576 backers raising $3,271,809.[107]
June 2017 Game production began with a team size of 15-20.[104]
June 21, 2017 Summer crowdfunding campaign launched.[108]
July 22, 2017 Summer crowdfunding campaign completed with 2,485 backers.[109]
September 1, 2017 PAX West 2017.[110][111]
November 4, 2017 Raised $16,500 for Extra Life children's hospitals.[112]
December 15, 2017 Alpha-0 released on schedule.[113]
March 19-23, 2018 Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2018.[114]
April 5, 2018 PAX East 2018.[115]
August 15, 2018 Last day for purchases of Alpha-1 through Intrepid pre-order packs.[14]
August 20, 2018 At Gamescom with My.com.[116]
August 27, 2018 100 developers working on Ashes of Creation.[117]
September 1, 2018 PAX West 2018 panel.[118]
October 19, 2018 Ashes of Creation Apocalypse battle royale (previously called Alpha-1 phase 1 battlegrounds).[119]
November 4, 2018 Raised $20,518 for Rady Children's hospital with Extra Life.[120]
April 15, 2019 60 developers working on Ashes of Creation at San Diego offices (following disengagement with Malaysian art team).[121]
November 3, 2019 Raised $20,901 for Rady Children's hospital with Extra Life.[122]
August 21, 2020 Announced a mutual parting of ways with publisher My.games.[123]
October 17, 2020 Almost 3,000,000 registered accounts for Ashes of Creation.[124]
October 17, 2020 ~87 developers working on Ashes of Creation.[125]
November 8, 2020 Raised $88,546 for Rady Children's hospital with Extra Life.[126]
February 26, 2021 Official ashesofcreation.com website redesign.[127]
May 5, 2021 Alpha-1 sales resumed with the announcement of the Adventurer pre-order pack.[128]
May 17, 2021 Verbal NDA was lifted from Alpha-1 testing.[129]
July 9, 2021 Alpha-1 no-NDA preview weekend began on schedule.[130]
July 11, 2021 Alpha-1 no-NDA preview weekend completed on schedule.[131]
July 14, 2021 Alpha-1 no-NDA month long test began on schedule.[132][133]
August 15, 2021 Alpha-1 no-NDA month long test completed on schedule.[134]
November 7, 2021 Raised $34,485 for Rady Children's hospital with Extra Life.[135]
December 23, 2021 Announced that Ashes of Creation is moving to Unreal Engine 5.[136][137]
January 14, 2022 Over 120 people working on Ashes of Creation.[138]
November 5, 2022 Raised $77,939 for Rady Children's hospital with Extra Life.[139]
August 31, 2023 Over 150 people working on Ashes of Creation.[140]
November 5, 2023 Raised $76,964 for Rady Children's hospital with Extra Life.[141]
December 19, 2023 Over 170 people working full-time on Ashes of Creation.[142][143]
March 1, 2024 188 employees working on Ashes of Creation.[144]

Accomplishments

  • Kickstarter's most funded MMORPG.[145]
  • Kickstarter's #7 most funded video game.[146]
  • Most anticipated MMO – MMORPG.com's Best of 2017 Awards.[147]
  • Most anticipated early access hands-on MMORPG – MMOs World.[148]
  • Gamescom 2018: Best Independent game.[149]
  • Gamescom 2018: Best Online game.[149]
  • Best indie MMO of 2020 – massivelyop.com reader's poll.[150]
  • Most anticipated MMO of 2021 and beyond – massivelyop.com reader's poll.[151]
  • Top 10 Best Upcoming New MMORPGs For 2021 And Beyond – Forbes.[152]
  • 2022 Best MMO Studio – MMOGames.[153]

See also

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