There is no denying if you ever experienced this hybrid MMORPG Themepark Sandbox at maximum level for more than a few months that you fell in love with this game whether you liked it or not. Alpha ArcheAge remains the best version of AA a lot of us ever enjoyed because it was fresh, vibrant and full of promise.
From the land grabs to vivid skyscapes and everything in between, the level of stunning beauty in this game was new to many of us followed by the trepidation of losing demolitions to bots, or trades to other players out to purposely scam the community. Maybe you started falling out of love after regrade failures while others continued to succeed or you missed paying taxes to find your land in your mailbox, had your hard-earned packs stolen from you crossing the ocean or experienced too many guild collapses? ArcheAge consequences are often treacherous and even more often unforgettable - for better or for worse.
I’ve experienced all of that along with every merge, public test shard update, and fresh start. Made mistakes, annoyed people, killed plenty and been killed by many more.
SO, WHY GO THROUGH ANOTHER FRESH START?
It’s the chase, seeing if I can achieve what I enjoy most in this pixel land and maybe this time a little differently. It’s curiosity of who's in chats and Mistmerrows, which guilds dominate the mythic regrades and whether East will rule. Yes, a part of me was hoping for subscription this time but I also know me well enough to non-ashamedly admit I have no interest in being able to not get items via loyalty, gilda or the store that I have owned before so it wasn’t a game breaker for me that sub server did not happen.
That is perhaps the only difference between myself and many others especially those foaming at the keyboard ready to strike every time this game is mentioned but mention it I shall because the main drawcard for me to leave behind Vengeance and take up stakes in Nui is that it was level 50 again where I loved ArcheAge the most. I just had to experience it with everyone else and I am loving it!
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WELCOME TO PHASE TWO
Phase One is done.
Land grabs were different this time not only because all land was inaccessible for two days but also because costs for Thatch farmhouses went from 50 to 300 gilda while scarecrow quests are completely different (Level 30 for 8x8 - Level 50 for 16x16 - completely different quests, the latter being long.)
Leveling was fairly straightforward as many have ArcheAge Master already while the usual mining and illegal tree spots were constantly hunted as banter from EU Apex farmers filed into chats again making their presence known in between BAKAREGRADE salutes.
Trials are a little different this time around as jurors are now anonymously adding a new dynamic to the justice vibe while we no longer have Faction chat just Nation and Trade. It took a little getting used to but as always with change, it makes sense after a while tidying up scrolling chats often filled with toxicity which has really been at a minimum.
Meanwhile, my land plans are getting where I want them but I admit I still haven’t done the 16x16 scarecrow quest because it involves making my farm cart and quite frankly I’m not about that life this time around wanting to head straight to car ownership. I wonder what phase these will arrive? I’m guessing Phase 4 but time will tell.
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In Phase Two Nuimari, Marcala, Heedmar, and Calmlands in Auroria open though castles remain unavailable while Epherium and Hiram gear unlock. Those all about farm cart life get to upgrade to wagons. Upgrading crafted gliders is here along with a host of many other bug fixes and adjustments.
Preparing to craft Epherium seems like a grand plan and although this fresh start seems quieter population wise there is a pace that is making gathering resources very enjoyable. The AA edge I’ve been on most of the time before when playing earlier stages of ArcheAge just isn’t there so for those who want to enjoy this game at its fullest - now would be a good time to start on Nui (NA) or Ezy (EU.)
Sure, you’ll have to hunt for land and take up homestead somewhere that might not be your first choice but give it time, be patient and dominate this land I am still proud to call my favorite MMORPG home. If I could review score this fresh start alone it would be 8.4 as first-day queues were not very entertaining and the scarecrow system is something I wouldn’t miss if it was accidentally taken away.
Trion Worlds is going back to the start in three of their games this year. I’ve played them all and this one so far is the most enjoyable though all of them have their place among the needs and wants of different life and play styles.
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Back in ArcheAge: no AA server salute would be complete from me without a traditional picture of the Villanelle lighthouse. Happy Auroria hunting and thanks for all the great picture stops Nui!
