[Interview] ArcheAge: Pre-GDC Interview Reveals Trion's Plan

SBFord

Trion has been ramping up information dissemination about ArcheAge over the last few weeks. We managed to catch up to Scott Hartsman to find out more about Trion's plan and vision for the NA/EU version of the game. See what we discovered before heading to the comments to chat!

Read more of Bill Murphy's ArcheAge: Pre-GDC Interview Reveals Trion's Plan.

ReaperJoda

Yaya. . Still no dates

Karteli

Cool! It seems like AA releasing after other countries will work out good, since Scott mentions watching other releases closely, to make their own version even better.

 

It's also very warming that the very best stuff like mounts / gliders can't just be bought in the cash-shop.  It needs to be earned (in-game)... imagine that, in todays MMORPG world.  People will need to play to compete again, horray!

 

Oh, and thanks MMORPG.com for asking questions about patch 1.0.  It's nice to hear that sandbox stuff is what Trion is still pushing for.

 

Looking forward to hearing the beta announcement this week =D

ReaperJoda

Beta? They said in this post ALPHA is next.

Karteli

Originally posted by ReaperJoda
Beta? They said in this post ALPHA is next.

It wasn't talked about here, but they mentioned the impending beta announcement would happen during GDC this week.

 

As we continue ramping up, we’ll be kicking off by meeting up with the press at the Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco in March, which will officially begin the drumbeat to beta and beyond.

We’re also really excited to be able to offer some special sneak peeks to long-time fans who might be in town for GDC! If you’ll be here, please drop us a line at communications at trionworlds.com. We’d love to be able to pick two or three great fans for a visit and a behind the scenes look. It’s nice to be able to demo for press, but talking with real players who are passionate about the game is where the real fun always is.

 

src: https://www.archeagegame.com/en/news/2014/02/to-seoul-and-back-again/

DocBrody

dammit why is EVERY game I want at least one year away-

 

2014 sucks, it sucks so much. What a sucky year for MMO releases.

Mavolence

Thanks for asking direct important questions mmorpg.com

Its what i have wanted answered for a long time

SpottyGekko

Yeah, Trion have announced that there is an upcoming announcement about "when the beta will start", which is not the same as "announcing the start of the beta", lol

 

Very careful semantics there, what they might be announcing in March is the start of closed-beta signups, with actual closed beta starting a month or two later (quote: "...beginning the drumbeat to beta...").

 

I'm sure Trion will aim for a launch window somewhere between Wildstar and WoD (next WoW expansion, not World of Darkness).

handlewithcare

I want to see how mush they want for this game if its free with a cash sop I am in.

I played the beta there is no way ill buy this,nice game but no AAA definitely AA

Alalala

2014 has been strange so far, with no worthwhile AAA titles on the horizon - maybe ArcheAge is it?

ReaperJoda

Start the drumbeat....which means anything

Karteli

Originally posted by SpottyGekko

Yeah, Trion have announced that there is an upcoming announcement about "when the beta will start", which is not the same as "announcing the start of the beta", lol

 

Very careful semantics there, what they might be announcing in March is the start of closed-beta signups, with actual closed beta starting a month or two later (quote: "...beginning the drumbeat to beta...").

 

I'm sure Trion will aim for a launch window somewhere between Wildstar and WoD (next WoW expansion, not World of Darkness).

Very true.  Yet any sort of commitment to a schedule would be highly welcome!  Even though the beta won't start for awhile still.

 

Looking deeper it seems that as of this past weekend, Trion plans to expand alpha following GDC, to last "the coming weeks" and have an announcement for pre-purchase, which guarantees access to CBT.  The announcement sounds like it will be this week from the other post linked earlier.  But who knows, I hope it's not an announcement for an upcoming announcement to announce beta launch. LOL!

 

Also of interest, Trion says ArcheAge will launch this year (2014).

 

Quotes:

http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/16/trion-cm-confirms-f2p-archeage-says-earned-and-crafted-items-a/

Trion community manager Evan "Scapes" Berman has announced that ArcheAge's western alpha will expand in the weeks following GDC. In a post on AA's early-adopter fansite ArcheAge Source, Berman explained that pre-launch beta packages will be offered which grant closed beta access, and he confirmed that the fantasy sandbox will feature a free-to-play business model and launch "in the Americas and Europe this year, 2014."

 

original long post by AA community manager for Trion, Evan "Scapes" Berman:

http://archeagesource.com/topic/3088-hello-from-community-manager-scapes/

 

ps:  The wording for the CBT access via pre-launch supporter packages could be interpreted differently if you read the original source.  Tricky wording, again.

 

 

flizzer

I disagree. 2014 has been a banner year so far.  We can expect Wildstar, ESO, and Everquest  Landmark/Next  some time this year.  This is shaping up to be one of the best years for MMOs actually. 

Necroma

What about labor points, and premium thing? Did they said anything about it? Since without premium in Russian Archeage, you wont feel the game, wont be able to play it properly, have to wait for weeks or spend lot of gold do buy Labor potions, asking in same, what about those "labor potions" which is nonsense, but for F2P players only one way to play/craft/gather/harvest things..

davc123

Originally posted by Necroma
What about labor points, and premium thing? Did they said anything about it? Since without premium in Russian Archeage, you wont feel the game, wont be able to play it properly, have to wait for weeks or spend lot of gold do buy Labor potions, asking in same, what about those "labor potions" which is nonsense, but for F2P players only one way to play/craft/gather/harvest things..

hope they make premium  same RU i like

IKShadow

Originally posted by davc123

Originally posted by Necroma
What about labor points, and premium thing? Did they said anything about it? Since without premium in Russian Archeage, you wont feel the game, wont be able to play it properly, have to wait for weeks or spend lot of gold do buy Labor potions, asking in same, what about those "labor potions" which is nonsense, but for F2P players only one way to play/craft/gather/harvest things..

hope they make premium  same RU i like

 

Yes I hope that too + they should be immediately ready with server transfer option and server locks so there are no huge ques.

daemon

So too very late.

Alalala

Originally posted by flizzer
I disagree. 2014 has been a banner year so far.  We can expect Wildstar, ESO, and Everquest  Landmark/Next  some time this year.  This is shaping up to be one of the best years for MMOs actually. 

 

I hope Everquest Landmark & Next live up to expectations.

Astor1977

So, Apha, CBT, then OBT, and finally launch... Unless they rush it, going to be a tight fit to get decent testing in and a polished release this year.  I do hope they deviate from the russian pay wall.  Having to have premium to experience much of the core gameplay rather sucks.  Not as bad at Turbine with DDO and LotRO, but surely there are otherways to encourage players to spend money without a glaring pay wall.

syriinx

Originally posted by Necroma
What about labor points, and premium thing? Did they said anything about it? Since without premium in Russian Archeage, you wont feel the game, wont be able to play it properly, have to wait for weeks or spend lot of gold do buy Labor potions, asking in same, what about those "labor potions" which is nonsense, but for F2P players only one way to play/craft/gather/harvest things..

If they want any chance of ArcheAge being the first Korean game to succeed in the west they have to get rid of labor points.  The mechanic exists solely for monetization purposes.  It definitely does not mesh with trions supposed 'no tricks, no traps' philosophy.

Its a sandbox where you can only play with a few buckets of sand per day unless you buy more buckets.

hulgar

Russian beta is ok for noe..premium for 6 euros is cheap as hell..and im having fun even if its a bit hard to find groups and get your bearings as the map and some other things are in cirilic.
Cant wait

Kumapon

---

Originally posted by syriinx
Originally posted by Necroma What about labor points, and premium thing? Did they said anything about it? Since without premium in Russian Archeage, you wont feel the game, wont be able to play it properly, have to wait for weeks or spend lot of gold do buy Labor potions, asking in same, what about those "labor potions" which is nonsense, but for F2P players only one way to play/craft/gather/harvest things..

If they want any chance of ArcheAge being the first Korean game to succeed in the west they have to get rid of labor points.  The mechanic exists solely for monetization purposes.  It definitely does not mesh with trions supposed 'no tricks, no traps' philosophy.

Its a sandbox where you can only play with a few buckets of sand per day unless you buy more buckets.

---

Eve also has a limiters. Limited number of manufacturing/research slot per character and build time of products, and that game seems to be doing ok for itself.

Maquiame

EQN drops next year. Best mmos this year are Destiny and The Division. WS and TESO? Yeah right.

loulaki

Originally posted by Maquiame
EQN drops next year. Best mmos this year are Destiny and The Division. WS and TESO? Yeah right.

confirmed true innovative MMORPG looks the Destiny and TheDivision ... ArcheAge came too late ...

d_20

Talk about GRIND...what about Storm Legion? That feels like grind to me. I'm not sure Trion and a lot of people are on the same page about how long it takes to kill mobs and what feels grindy and how to optimize the fun factor.

 

Storm Legion pretty much killed the fun I was having in Rift after level 50.

itchmon

great to hear that trion sees that the cash shop as it's setup in korea would not work here, and that they're going to have to change it. 

 

that more than anything makes me happy.  good on trion for that.  they will retain their spot in the "fairest freemium" top three IMHO