Combat
Ashes of Creation uses a hybrid combat system that allows players to freely swap between action combat and tab targeting. Giving players the ability to play the game in the manner that they most prefer. Both methods have strengths and weaknesses, however, the intention is that by having both systems in-game, players will be able to switch modes to overcome their inherent weaknesses.
Action Combat
The action combat system utilizes a targeting reticle for the player to dictate where their weapon attacks and non-AOE abilities will be directed. Action combat is similar in its nature to that of a third-person action game. Whenever the player targets a hostile enemy that is within range of their weapon, their reticle will turn red, indicating to the player that they will be able to damage that enemy.
Action combat will not have an auto lock-on feature, however, pressing “Q” will allow the player’s non-skill shot abilities to auto-track the current enemy that the players are targeting. Players can cycle between enemies by pressing “TAB” so that players will be able to cycle through all nearby visible enemies.
Tab-Target Combat
The tab-targeting system requires that the players have a selected enemy targeted for them to be able to use both their Non-AoE abilities and weapon attacks. Unlike most MMORPGs Ashes of Creation will not have an auto-attack feature, instead, players will have to hit “Q” to attack with their weapon. Players may cycle through the list of all nearby visible enemies by pressing the “TAB” button.
Abilities
Primary Abilities
Primary abilities are determined by a player’s archetype, players will be able to augment the abilities with aspects of their secondary archetype to create a class specialization. Each secondary archetype offers four different schools of augmentation to a character’s primary abilities. As an example choosing a primary archetype of a fighter and a secondary archetype of a mage may change the fighter’s charge ability so that the character no longer runs toward their target, and instead blinks towards them.
Skill Points
As a player increases their character’s level they will receive skill points, these skill points may be used to upgrade their passive skills, active skills, or weapon skills. It will not be possible for a player to max out all of their skill trees, however, this does not mean that a player is limited to only one tree, players are free to go as wide or as deep as they feel with their skill points.
Active Skills
Players may use their skill points to purchase active skills, these abilities are skills that the player will be able to place onto their hot bars. It is planned that there will be more active skills than there will be hot bar space for players, currently, the plan is to allow the player to have up to 30 hot bar slots. While it is anticipated that players will have access to 30-40 skills only 15-20 may be active at a time. Through the use of active skills, players will be able to tailor their game experience to the combat system that they most prefer, be that tab targeting or action combat.
Passive Skills
Passive skills are skills that improve the attributes of a player, such as an increase in mana regeneration, or an increased chance to critically hit with offensive spells. They are meant to enhance a player’s personal play style and not force players to pursue a “flavor of the month” build.
Character Death
Whenever a player’s character dies, they will disintegrate into ash. The pile of ash will contain any items lost by the player due to the relevant death penalties. The player’s ashes will be lootable immediately by the first player to come across the ashes, be that friend or foe.
Death Penalty
A players death penalty is dependent on their flag status. If a player is flagged green (noncombatant) then upon death they will receive the following death penalties:
- An experience debt (an amount of experience required to be earned back before players can progress once more)
- Durability loss to gear.
- A percentage of all carried gatherables and processed goods will be dropped.
If a player is flagged Purple (Combatant) then they will suffer the same overall death penalties as a Green (Noncombatant) player, however, the effects of these penalties will be halved.
If a player is flagged Red (Corrupted) they will suffer the same overall death penalty as a Green (Noncombatant) player, however, they will suffer the effects of the penalties at four times the rate. Additionally, they shall suffer from several additional penalties.
- Dropping equipped weapons and gear. (the amount depends on the corruption level)
- Respawn at a random location within the vicinity of their death, not at the closest spawn point.
- Diminished effectiveness against other players.
Objectives
Death penalties do not apply to players participating in activities with objectives. Such as Castle sieges, node sieges, guild wars, caravanning.
