I've been looking forward to this for quite a while - and though I'm trying not to hype myself and staying realistic, I have to say I'm still quite excited about it.

But it worries me that I'm hearing the two (out of three) continents available in beta are quite small? I've heard that the world was supposed to be bigger than WoW with expansions and other such claims. I guess that's completely false?

How big are the individual zones - and how long does it takes to finish them on average?

If you had to compare overall world size (with the third continent presumably about the same size as the other two) to a single game, what game would you say matches it best?

Thank you for your attention.

ArcheAge is NOT small..... I spent many HOURS in CB5 just exploring things I saw in the distance. In CB5 the 3rd continent wasnt closed...you simply had to get on a boat and sail there. I rowed my little rowboat there.....it took like an hour.

http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp183/Wizardcomputers/ScreenShot0030.jpg

http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp183/Wizardcomputers/ScreenShot0022.jpg

Thanks for your answer :)

Rowing a small boat to the third continent is not really the kind of feedback I was looking for though. I'd expect that to take a while - and the sea is not a terribly interesting thing to explore.

How about the zones? Have you spent many hours in each of them? Do they have secrets?

Originally posted by Zierrity
I'd say Guild Wars 2 zones are larger. but I've only been to zones up to level 25 in ArcheAge, about 3 or 4 zones, if I remember correctly.

How many zones did you explore while leveling? any idea on how many zones in total? Mebbe the zones are abit smaller, but they have 20 more or something :D

Originally posted by Zierrity
ArcheAge is by no means small, while zones tend to feel a bit tiny at times (IMO) the world in itself is huge.

Ok, thanks ;)

Tiny zones but huge world? Isn't it divided into zones?

I don't mean to be deliberately obtuse - it's just that I really want the game to be pretty big. So, when people are saying the zones are kinda tiny/small and it takes 10-15 minutes to cross an entire continent - it worries me.

I'd say it'd take almost an hour or so to cross a continent in WoW on a land-based mount.

Actually the sea was fun. Ran into a bunch of little islands not on the map. Also random monsters as well as the occasional dolphin pod that swam along with me for a while(yes really). :) I only pointed out the boat thing because I suspect the third continent wasnt "closed" in OB....whoever said that simply didnt know how to get there.

For size reference.... in those screenshots I posted all that you see in the distance is one 'area' on the map. The map in game is seperated into these areas like zones in older games like EQ. But its all seamless and there arent walls/cliffs/barriers funneling you into small accessways between them like many games. The way the maps and envrionments are laid out you can truely explore and find places that others may never be aware of. It all feels very open and inspiring.

Originally posted by Mawnee

Actually the sea was fun. Ran into a bunch of little islands not on the map. Also random monsters as well as the occasional dolphin pod that swam along with me for a while(yes really). :) I only pointed out the boat thing because I suspect the third continent wasnt "closed" in OB....whoever said that simply didnt know how to get there.

For size reference.... in those screenshots I posted all that you see in the distance is one 'area' on the map. The map in game is seperated into these areas like zones in older games like EQ. But its all seamless and there arent walls/cliffs/barriers funneling you into small accessways between them like many games. The way the maps and envrionments are laid out you can truely explore and find places that others may never be aware of. It all feels very open and inspiring.

 

Sounds good

Originally posted by Mawnee

Actually the sea was fun. Ran into a bunch of little islands not on the map. Also random monsters as well as the occasional dolphin pod that swam along with me for a while(yes really). :) I only pointed out the boat thing because I suspect the third continent wasnt "closed" in OB....whoever said that simply didnt know how to get there.

For size reference.... in those screenshots I posted all that you see in the distance is one 'area' on the map. The map in game is seperated into these areas like zones in older games like EQ. But its all seamless and there arent walls/cliffs/barriers funneling you into small accessways between them like many games. The way the maps and envrionments are laid out you can truely explore and find places that others may never be aware of. It all feels very open and inspiring.

 

Oh, sounds pretty cool. I've always felt these artificial zone separations to be quite awkward. I especially hated the implementation in Age of Conan.

I was also disappointed when playing GW2 - to face these weird loading portals. It really takes me out of the immersive experience.

So, great stuff - thanks! ;)

How about the combat? How responsive would you say it is? I don't have a problem with tab-targeting - but I don't like when it's too slow paced. I found LOTRO combat to be quite awkward, for instance - but AoC and WoW both have fast and responsive systems.

All I can say is yes, I find the world to be huge, it is divided by zones, but there is no loading between the zones. 

And I dont really know how many zones in total, but keep in mind I've only been to the first zone on the Nuian continent, and about 4 on the hariharan continent. Then we got a third continent which was closed in open beta, which is for end game pvp and sand box stuff only.

So yeah, I'd say the world is huge and I don't think you'll be disappointed :) And exploring the sea is actually quite fun in ArcheAge, When you get bigger boats which takes more people to handle. Quite fun indeed ^^,

Originally posted by DKLond

Originally posted by Mawnee

Actually the sea was fun. Ran into a bunch of little islands not on the map. Also random monsters as well as the occasional dolphin pod that swam along with me for a while(yes really). :) I only pointed out the boat thing because I suspect the third continent wasnt "closed" in OB....whoever said that simply didnt know how to get there.

For size reference.... in those screenshots I posted all that you see in the distance is one 'area' on the map. The map in game is seperated into these areas like zones in older games like EQ. But its all seamless and there arent walls/cliffs/barriers funneling you into small accessways between them like many games. The way the maps and envrionments are laid out you can truely explore and find places that others may never be aware of. It all feels very open and inspiring.

 

Oh, sounds pretty cool. I've always felt these artificial zone separations to be quite awkward. I especially hated the implementation in Age of Conan.

I was also disappointed when playing GW2 - to face these weird loading portals. It really takes me out of the immersive experience.

So, great stuff - thanks! ;)

How about the combat? How responsive would you say it is? I don't have a problem with tab-targeting - but I don't like when it's too slow paced. I found LOTRO combat to be quite awkward, for instance - but AoC and WoW both have fast and responsive systems.

I thought the combat worked very well. I would compare it to vanguards combat. While its tab based it is very slick and fluid. And some of the innovations like spells that work differently on friend/foe are neat. For instance I had a spell that if cast on myself or a friend would heal, If I used it on something red it would do damage. It allowed me to adapt that spell to the situation while streamlining the interface, eliminating an extra hotkey.

Originally posted by DKLond

But it worries me that I'm hearing the two (out of three) continents available in beta are quite small? I've heard that the world was supposed to be bigger than WoW with expansions and other such claims. I guess that's completely false?

How big are the individual zones - and how long does it takes to finish them on average?

If you had to compare overall world size (with the third continent presumably about the same size as the other two) to a single game, what game would you say matches it best?

Again the size depends on individual perception, what is small for some person can be huge to others.

The world in AA is huge compared to any other MMO, there are about 40 zones released, takes 10-15 minutes to go from edge to edge of a zone on a mount. You don't see where one zone ends and the next starts, they blend to each other nicely and theres no lodaing screen when passing from one to another.

I would say that the size of the starting contients is ok, but for me the 3rd contient (for territory wars) seems way to small.

Couldn't compare it to a single player games world, but i would say that its 10+ times bigger than Skyrim.

Originally posted by Mawnee

I thought the combat worked very well. I would compare it to vanguards combat. While its tab based it is very slick and fluid. And some of the innovations like spells that work differently on friend/foe are neat. For instance I had a spell that if cast on myself or a friend would heal, If I used it on something red it would do damage. It allowed me to adapt that spell to the situation while streamlining the interface, eliminating an extra hotkey.

That's pretty cool, ty for that bit of info.

Originally posted by LlexX

Originally posted by DKLond

But it worries me that I'm hearing the two (out of three) continents available in beta are quite small? I've heard that the world was supposed to be bigger than WoW with expansions and other such claims. I guess that's completely false?

How big are the individual zones - and how long does it takes to finish them on average?

If you had to compare overall world size (with the third continent presumably about the same size as the other two) to a single game, what game would you say matches it best?

Again the size depends on individual perception, what is small for some person can be huge to others.

The world in AA is huge compared to any other MMO, there are about 40 zones released, takes 10-15 minutes to go from edge to edge of a zone on a mount. You don't see where one zone ends and the next starts, they blend to each other nicely and theres no lodaing screen when passing from one to another.

I would say that the size of the starting contients is ok, but for me the 3rd contient (for territory wars) seems way to small.

Couldn't compare it to a single player games world, but i would say that its 10+ times bigger than Skyrim.

How about compared to say a starting zone in World of Warcraft. Compared to Elwynn Forest for starting area or Stranglethorn Vale as mid level?

Originally posted by Mawnee

Originally posted by DKLond

Originally posted by Mawnee

Actually the sea was fun. Ran into a bunch of little islands not on the map. Also random monsters as well as the occasional dolphin pod that swam along with me for a while(yes really). :) I only pointed out the boat thing because I suspect the third continent wasnt "closed" in OB....whoever said that simply didnt know how to get there.

For size reference.... in those screenshots I posted all that you see in the distance is one 'area' on the map. The map in game is seperated into these areas like zones in older games like EQ. But its all seamless and there arent walls/cliffs/barriers funneling you into small accessways between them like many games. The way the maps and envrionments are laid out you can truely explore and find places that others may never be aware of. It all feels very open and inspiring.

 

Oh, sounds pretty cool. I've always felt these artificial zone separations to be quite awkward. I especially hated the implementation in Age of Conan.

I was also disappointed when playing GW2 - to face these weird loading portals. It really takes me out of the immersive experience.

So, great stuff - thanks! ;)

How about the combat? How responsive would you say it is? I don't have a problem with tab-targeting - but I don't like when it's too slow paced. I found LOTRO combat to be quite awkward, for instance - but AoC and WoW both have fast and responsive systems.

I thought the combat worked very well. I would compare it to vanguards combat. While its tab based it is very slick and fluid. And some of the innovations like spells that work differently on friend/foe are neat. For instance I had a spell that if cast on myself or a friend would heal, If I used it on something red it would do damage. It allowed me to adapt that spell to the situation while streamlining the interface, eliminating an extra hotkey.

Like Vanguard combat? Pretty good. I always liked Vanguard combat - even if it was a bit on the slow side. But they managed to make it feel quite fluid and responsive.

As for the spells doing different things - I believe that's not a first, but it is definitely a positive.

Almost everything about the game sounds great to me.

I'm not expecting a revolution - but I've been waiting for a proper sandbox/themepark hybrid ever since sandboxes stopped being profitable.

ArcheAge looks to be the first game to really pull it off. I can only hope it becomes available in Europe before I die of old age :)

Originally posted by LlexX

Originally posted by DKLond

But it worries me that I'm hearing the two (out of three) continents available in beta are quite small? I've heard that the world was supposed to be bigger than WoW with expansions and other such claims. I guess that's completely false?

How big are the individual zones - and how long does it takes to finish them on average?

If you had to compare overall world size (with the third continent presumably about the same size as the other two) to a single game, what game would you say matches it best?

Again the size depends on individual perception, what is small for some person can be huge to others.

The world in AA is huge compared to any other MMO, there are about 40 zones released, takes 10-15 minutes to go from edge to edge of a zone on a mount. You don't see where one zone ends and the next starts, they blend to each other nicely and theres no lodaing screen when passing from one to another.

I would say that the size of the starting contients is ok, but for me the 3rd contient (for territory wars) seems way to small.

Couldn't compare it to a single player games world, but i would say that its 10+ times bigger than Skyrim.

10-15 minutes to cross a single zone? Wow, that's very different.

I thought people were saying it was 10-15 minutes to cross a continent.

I guess I don't have to worry, then :)

Originally posted by Zierrity

All I can say is yes, I find the world to be huge, it is divided by zones, but there is no loading between the zones. 

And I dont really know how many zones in total, but keep in mind I've only been to the first zone on the Nuian continent, and about 4 on the hariharan continent. Then we got a third continent which was closed in open beta, which is for end game pvp and sand box stuff only.

So yeah, I'd say the world is huge and I don't think you'll be disappointed :) And exploring the sea is actually quite fun in ArcheAge, When you get bigger boats which takes more people to handle. Quite fun indeed ^^,

Hehe, I just found out it's 10-15 minutes pr. zone which is completely different. That's a very decent amount of time, actually.

My mistake, sorry.

How about exploration? Would you say there are worthwhile secrets to be found - or something that stands out and isn't just terrain?

Originally posted by DKLond

How about exploration? Would you say there are worthwhile secrets to be found - or something that stands out and isn't just terrain?

There are secret locations, hidden quest NPCs. When discovering a sescret spot, you will be rewarded with 1x tears (currency).

Video showing some hidden spots:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKWSpjM4X10