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First announced in 2016 and originally slated for a 2020 launch, it’s fair to say that Ashes of Creation is a game many have been waiting a long time to get their hands on. The ambitious sandbox MMORPG from Intrepid Studios is currently shaping up for its first phase of the much anticipated Ashes of Creation Alpha 2, and the team now delivers us a lengthy look at an eight-person encounter, along with a large-scale dragon raid boss featuring 40 players at once.
We’ve been waiting to see more from Ashes of Creation since its next phase of testing was announced to arrive in October. The project’s ongoing development makes it a tough game to predict, but there’s no denying that it’s one of the most ambitious MMORPGs on the cards right now. In a new 47-minute video, seen below, the dev team takes us into the Citadel of the Steel Bloom, before we get a look at a full fight against Firebrand, the Devouring Flame.
The demonstration begins in a wasteland zone called the Harrower’s March, where numerous Steel Bloom warriors were slain attempting to defend the nearby Citadel. As the team gathers together, an event kicks off involving the Forsaken Blades, the group currently inhabiting the Citadel. This faction, which holds a relic we’re seeking, has been working alongside cultists to boost its power, giving them a flame-ridden disposition.
The mobs being tackled are elite two-star and three-star enemies, the devs explain, saying that it’s normal to expect a few deaths as things progress. One player in the tank role takes the lead and brings some of the group together, but ranged opponents keep at bay and individual players have to go out of their way to pick them off. Our perspective is that of a healer, meanwhile, who periodically keeps the tank and other players topped up with a range of skills.
Eventually, the squad works their way to the center of the Citadel and claims the relic, the Orb of Ultimate Essence. As they attempt to leave, however, giant dragon Firebrand approaches. “We definitely need some friends if we’re going to actually defeat this guy, this is a full-fledged raid boss.” Fortunately, an army of other players is here to help – 32 more of them, by my count. There’s even a helpful UI element for the fight, showing all five groups of eight and their current health values.
You can see the group tackle Firebrand from the 31-minute mark. The team explains that it wants a mix of mechanics players expect and some that they don’t when designing fights. With a dragon, for example, the likes of fire breaths, tail swipes, and claw slashes are pretty much what you’d expect. “We could definitely make a good fight with only these concepts, but it will always be a little bit disappointing, a bit too generic – so the dragons will definitely have some other mechanics that you don’t typically see in other dragon fights.”
The team focuses on keeping him out in the open, and repeats the age-old MMORPG mantra: “Don’t stand in the fire.” Later in the fight, Firebrand places a number of Flame Minions across the battlefield, which it seems the team needs to destroy before the dragon begins absorbing power from them. I won’t spoil the full fight, other than to say that it ends up running for about 12 minutes in total.
If you’re curious to get in on the action, there are Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 keys on sale – but they start at $100, and don’t include access to the full game, only the alpha tests. Creative director Steven J Sharif reminds potential buyers that this should not be considered the same as buying a finished game. If you’re curious to learn more, you can do so via the official website.
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