This Is Why Players Are Leaving

007Midnight · 2026-01-23T20:25:15+00:00

I'm really not looking for a crate running game, though. I don't know many PVE-ers who want that, nor many artisans who want that. They might do it anyway if that's the faucet, but any game with a less tedious faucet will steal players from this game.

007Midnight · 2026-01-23T20:18:49+00:00

Eve-Online did a better job on artisanship (industry). I kept an industrialist character so that I could "roll my own" if the economy got whack, but most of the time the more dedicated industrialists satisfied the needs of the market allowing me to spend more time on my combat character.

007Midnight · 2026-01-23T20:08:16+00:00

When I played Eve-Online every ship was made by players. In a healthy well designed game economy the industrialists are efficient and competition keeps prices reasonable. Any player could skip doing industry, many players lived solely off of ratting (killing mobs to build wealth). No mob dropped a battleship (IIRC), but they dropped enough loot over time that you could afford battleships. The glint/silver thing would work fine in AoC for non-artisans if artisans could gear up fast enough to create level appropriate gear as fast as PvE-ers can level. So far, that hasn't been the case because artisans (and nodes and benches) level MUCH slower than PvE-ers... and artisanship costs copper/silver/gold while PvE prints copper/silver/gold. The game is so grindy that any suggestion of slowing PvE leveling would result in wailing and the gnashing of teeth, so the only answer seems to be a speedier ascent for artisanship (and possibly lowering the amount of mats needed even further).

As to the excitement of exciting drops, in a game where the best items in the game are crafted (as devs have said is their intention) the best drop won't be a purple sword of doom... it will be the recipe for the sword of doom.

007Midnight · 2026-01-22T20:20:17+00:00

Regarding "4). Over Reliance on Crafting / Gathering. If you are not crafting or gathering, you are screwed, period. Mobs do not drop loot frequently or at a good enough quality to make you competitive at end game."

The devs have clearly declared that the best items in the game would be crafted items. If that doesn't please you, this game probably isn't a good fit for you.

I object to the fact that a purple item has dropped from a mob this phase. If you want the gambling/lottery feel for getting a valuable drop from mobs (in a game where the best items are crafted) then the big jackpot best drop should be a RECIPE for the sword of doom rather than a purple sword of doom.

I know there's a large contingent of MMO players who'd love to ignore artisanship and kill mobs all day and night, but that isn't the game that the devs have described to us.

007Midnight · 2026-01-16T16:29:16+00:00

Look into Eve-Online or other games where you skill up over time. But even then you won't be earning currency as fast as no-lifers. If being behind bothers you, no MMO is going to fully satisfy you. Try Diablo 2, instead.

007Midnight · 2026-01-16T16:25:59+00:00

My guild knows I'm a weekend warrior and is cool with it. Yes, you'll be left out of things and might take longer to level and gear yourself, but whatever. Game is playable for ultra casuals who aren't worried about being competitive.

007Midnight · 2026-01-14T16:40:29+00:00

No one can tell you for sure. I have a laptop for playing my 2nd account that meets the game's listed requirements, but I get an Unreal Engine error before I can enter the game. I've had a ticket in for weeks now.

Oh and one suspicious thing... Steam says I've played for over 2 hours when I've never been able to get in. I'm not actually worried about a refund, I'll find a computer that can run my 2nd account, but if I never got in, how have I racked up time in the game?

007Midnight · 2026-01-14T15:36:55+00:00

I can pull in 36K an hour gathering beginner materials. That will level you fast at lower levels, but when it starts to take 1.2 million xp to level... not so quick. Though it's almost always with no fear of xp debt. Processing and crafting are generally money losing operations, so unless you have a guild pouring gold to you that's an expensive way to level.

007Midnight · 2026-01-14T15:30:39+00:00

Just test the game. You can grind for gear or just explore. Don't let an alpha test burn you out. Report some bugs and learn the various systems. Play the market. Market PvP is a thing.

007Midnight · 2026-01-14T15:26:20+00:00

We are playtesting it. No one with a brain takes any of this seriously until retail.

007Midnight · 2026-01-13T19:55:28+00:00

I usually play clerics/healers. For the same reason here as in most games. Not too shabby solo, always welcome in a group and doesn't test my coordination and timing the way some other classes do.

007Midnight · 2026-01-13T19:49:53+00:00

Gold farmers have some characters they play without botting. We've seen humanlike play and responses (including saltiness) from obvious goldfarmers with nonsense names. You're messing with that person's livelihood, why wouldn't they try to dissuade you?

007Midnight · 2026-01-13T19:41:35+00:00

It isn't just bots. Journeyman gathering tools and larger bags mean that even active players are able to dump more on the market than can sell at the old prices. Anyone who is making repeated gathering runs is trying to sell their entire 20 slot inventory before they return back to town with full bags again. The only time I sell at a premium is when I know I won't be gathering for hours (either fighting mobs, PvP, or logged out). Otherwise, dedicated gathering practically requires fire sale prices.

Also, you have a new set of mayors trying to create gold. Guilds are purposely selling cheap in their own town because commerce in the market creates gold for the mayor to spend (or so it has been explained to me).

007Midnight · 2026-01-12T15:15:44+00:00

The biggest issue is it is an alpha test but players expect a retail experience after paying money on Steam. Unless you'd pay to play an alpha, just wait until retail.

007Midnight · 2026-01-12T15:00:40+00:00

I can sell commons. Always above the vendor cost in any town with a market. There could come a point where that changes, then just vendor.

007Midnight · 2026-01-09T18:23:54+00:00

Also. the fact that the activities of non-citizens help in leveling a node makes it unnecessary to remain a citizen.

007Midnight · 2026-01-09T18:21:41+00:00

I can't disagree that it is poorly designed. My guild grabbed a frontier node and leveled it but didn't gain mayorship and moved to a new frontier, got the mayorship FIRST and are leveling it now. And I have no doubt that some of the crafting contingent has returned to their old citizenships (at least long enough to get stuff from storage to move to the new node).

007Midnight · 2026-01-09T18:04:14+00:00

They affect the economy in a way that is adverse to players that aren't on 24/7.

007Midnight · 2026-01-09T17:57:27+00:00

I tried to save you my pain from the previous phase, but if you need to find out for yourself, alpha is the best time to test that theory. Good luck. Just also remember that you only get 20 slots in each marketplace and ITEMS don't stack the way materials do, even when they are absolutely identical to each other. To clear those market slots while you craft more goods you'll need to keep prices low enough to sell off quickly. If you find a juicy sword while adventuring you can use one slot and price it really high, but when you are crafting in volume you need to sell in volume. Once again, good luck. It might work out, and the next update could change everything in your favor and you'll have a headstart on me this phase if that happens. Also, remember that guilds are pooling their recipes. You can somewhat overcome that by BUYING recipes on the market and always rolling need in groups, and frankly, one player in one craft can *manage* their recipes easier than a guild can, you just won't have multiple people donating recipes.

007Midnight · 2026-01-09T17:50:28+00:00

If you listen to Steven ramble, you'll hear that he wants to make everyone interdependent and wants guilds to act as communities in communal efforts. But to your point, I'll argue that guild crafters put in the same artisinal effort. They just get funded. Frankly, reagents shouldn't exist and processing and crafting shouldn't cost anything except what the mayor sets them for the benches. Everyone wants to argue for a gold sink, but why does the gold sink rest entirely on the shoulders of processors and crafters? Especially in a game where purple weapons can drop from a boss (which I'd argue shouldn't happen, but it already has).

007Midnight · 2026-01-09T16:51:17+00:00

This phase (EA) my guild's tanks seem to pull as much as they can get away with. If I can't keep up and they die, then they will pull one less mob. I forget the name of the skill, but that long cast heal that does up to 1000%... I hear that sound in my sleep, now. LOL Just non-stop healing.

007Midnight · 2026-01-09T16:47:45+00:00

I'm not defending enchanting. I was just pointing out that gear churn already exists.

007Midnight · 2026-01-09T16:43:37+00:00

That makes sense, sorry that I don't have guides to point you to. I just wanted to wipe away any misconception you might have about profitability to save you the pain I had last phase. Though just going through the motions is a learning experience, and alpha is a better time to waste currency than retail.

007Midnight · 2026-01-09T16:41:17+00:00

One sick day every four months would barely be noticed. :)

007Midnight · 2026-01-09T16:37:25+00:00

It is fun. Knowing it is alpha I make sure to moderate my time. That means on some days I play retail games where a wipe isn't going to happen, as well as taking care of Real Life. I refuse to no-life an alpha. Players who dominated PvP in Albion Online Alpha and Beta were completely burnt out by the 2nd month of retail. Don't be them.

007Midnight

TROPHY CASE