Umair
Intrepid Studios has just unleashed a major update for its bold, sprawling MMORPG Ashes of Creation, with a new class now available to all alpha two players alongside the introduction of an early naval system with dramatic ship combat. The game’s ongoing test period is the latest step in a project that began back in 2016, and creative director Steven Sharif is quick to remind the community that AoC alpha two is still very much an in-development build, but the latest patch is another good reason to check in and see what’s changed.
This week’s Ashes of Creation alpha two update includes two major additions, although there are even more tweaks and changes to be found if you’re in the know. The most exciting upgrade is the release of the Rogue class, which was previously only available to a smaller group of early preview testers. Now, one of the most notorious classes across all MMORPGs has stepped out of the shadows and onto public servers. As you’d expect, the Rogue is a master of stealth and ambushes, bringing high mobility, evasion, and burst-damage abilities to play. They’ve also got a bag of tricks to help them secure their advantage.
At the core of the Rogue is the ability to enter stealth, which can be done both in and out of combat but requires you to be far enough away from all non-allies. Once in stealth, you are invisible to enemies, but can appear as a shadowy form if you are spotted – the chance of this happening is affected by line of sight, so approaching from behind will make it far less likely that you’re seen than if you try to run straight at someone face-on.
Being a Rogue opens the door to plenty of abilities. Get in close and deliver a Backstab for massive piercing damage, use Lacerate to inflict a bleeding effect that causes damage over time, or employ Acrobatic Strike to flip deftly over your opponent while dealing burst damage with mid-air slashes. Alternatively, remaining hidden is a great way for you to scout out dangerous areas for your squad and gather valuable intel on rival movements.
Using certain Rogue skills will grant you up to two stacks of Advantage, which are displayed as glowing effects on each of your hands and can be spent for bonuses such as increased damage on some attacks, or to apply a silence on your target. Rounding out the toolkit are lots of additional tricks such as sleep darts, caltrops, smoke bombs, and poisons to truly capture the fantasy of becoming a deadly assassin.
Also introduced with this week’s update are ships and naval combat. You can take an extended look at this in the video below – Sharif notes that this is a “very initial, early version,” but you’ll be able to head out into the Turquoise Sea with a crew and engage in some full-on battles using ‘potion launchers’ that look a lot like, but are definitely not, cannons.
There are two harbors to be found across the Turquoise Sea, one to the north-east side and one towards the south-west, and you’ll have to launch your ships from these once they’ve been built (which will require “a good amount of gold and a specific type of component”). The region is an archipelago with several islands to discover, including a few pocket dungeons tied to the history of the Dwarfs and Aelans. You’ll also encounter old shipwrecks, mines, and lava vents as you traverse the zone.
Brave the lawless territories and you might even encounter some more advanced commodities that tie into endgame gear and crafting options, Sharif teases. Or simply bring them back to port and you can look to turn in some of your more valuable loot. This update is available now to alpha two players – note that you’ll need to buy a second wave key bundle to join, which is priced at $110 and will also include beta access, one month of game time, and $15 of Embers, the in-game marketplace credits.
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