Ascension is coming to ArcheAge on May 31st, and that’s a pretty big deal. Why? Well not only is it adding the much-anticipated Player Nation System, but it’s adding a whole slew of new features as well. The Castle Upgrade system is coming, Obsidian Tier 7 Weapons and Armor are being added, the Mistsong Summit is getting a new boss and a difficulty tuning, combat skills are getting an overhaul, there’s a new equipment encyclopedia, and a whole lot more.
So what will Ascension bring to the game? Let’s take a look.
We started off our tour with Amanda Fry and Merv Lee Kwai chatting about a system that ArcheAge’s faithful guilds have long been clamoring for… the Player Nation System. It’s easily patch 2.9’s most epic new feature, and while yes it’s mostly geared towards PVP, but even the folks who try to remain PVE focused will find reason to step into the Player Nations.
For top tier guilds or guild alliances, this is the penultimate goal of the Ascension update: The chance to form and rule a player-run faction that can compete or ally with the Nuia, Haranya or Pirate NPC factions. An embedded political system is put into place with a single player taking on the role of ‘Sovereign’ and several others joining the council of player faction heroes. These two come together to create and enforce the nation’s laws and any other attendant partnerships. Lastly, the nation’s Sovereign may, through diligence and not just a bit of luck, be able to hatch and ride a Wyvern Mount. This is no easy task though, and actually hatching the Wyvern is just the first step. It’s then a baby in your castle for a long while as you and your guild amass tons of cows to feed the fledgling aerial terror. After a few weeks of hard work, Guild Leaders of the Player Nations (called Sovereigns) will be able to ride and wreak havoc on what’s essentially a dragon the size of a 16x16 house.
Speaking of guilds, Castles in 2.9 are getting a huge upgrade, and they’re about to become a whole lot more useful. Guild Lords owning castles on Auroria in any one of several zones will be able to take part in a new progression system that allows a partnership between guilds and the citizens in the immediate vicinity. Castles will take on new visuals and functionality as a result of the strategic alliance between Lords and citizens. By carrying out tasks on behalf of the Lord, citizens will play an integral role in the furtherance of the castle’s structures and systems including the Auroria specialty tradepack production, silo storage, diplomacy and more. Citizens can also work to undermine neighboring guild castles through treachery, betrayal and sabotage.
The much sought out Obsidian weapons are bumping up to Tier 7, along with the armor. Players looking for the best-of-the-best in armors and weapons will look no further than the arrival of Obsidian Tier 7 for both. These powerhouse items are tough to find but worth it in the end with a slightly higher power level than Ayanad weapons and armor. When weapons are crafted and unsealed, players will be able to choose any one of four variants of the Tier 7 weapons and ensures that players receive the best weapon type for their chosen class specialization. All of this is capped off by the Gear Encyclopedia: essentially an in-game tool that lists all weapons, their stats, levels, and how to obtain or make them. It’s something that should prove useful for new and veteran players.
THE BEST OF THE REST
Mistsong Summit Saga – Taris has invaded Mistsong Summit and a portal to his lair becomes available after Aria, Dochul and Sojung are defeated. The dungeon has been overhauled for higher level players with a 5k equipment point rating.
Combat Skill Adjustments – Over forty active and passive skills have been reworked spanning all ten combat classes. Power level decreases have been applied to Battlerage, Witchcraft and Defense; while improvements will be noted in Auramancy, Occultism, Archery, Sorcery, Shadowplay, Songcraft and Vitalism.
Arena Matchmaking System – Players will be as closely matched to others of a similar equipment point score as possible with search parameters only expanding if a suitable match is not found quickly.
Siege Improvements – A new blind bidding system for weekly siege scrolls will take the place of the current auction-house based system. It will be accessible to guild leaders only via the Diamond Shores faction base and via a new ballot machine.
Mistmerrow Co-op Boss – After the daily PvP event, Kadum, a new boss, will spawn for all players to work together to bring down. Successful defeat of Kadum allows quests to open up as well as rewards players for their participation.
8v8 Storage Tower – Players can build this new tower for extra room for storage chests and tradepacks.
New Housing Furniture – Tons of new items have been added including partitions, grand partitions with doors, ladders, round carpets and more. Artistry proficient players can place and paint picture frames as well.
But Wait! That’s Not All!
· 15 New Emotes
· 64 Exploration Locations
· Proven Warrior Items
Last But Not Least – Path to Ascension Event & Contest
Beginning with Ascension’s release on May 31st, guilds will be in a race against one another to become the first to form a player nation. Big prizes are at stake for the first three guilds in each region to climb the ladder to ‘nationhood’:
- First Place – Enoan Galleon Design + 500 Lord Coins
- Second Place – Enoan Galleon Design
- Third Place – 500 Lord Coins
The event will continue as long as it takes to crown the first three guilds to ascend. You can find out all about the Path to Ascension in our recent (Sponsored) article from Friday.
