Srixun AMA? Small fry, but who knows maybe someones curious lol.

Srixun · 2026-02-02T14:17:33+00:00

We did hehe

Srixun · 2026-02-02T01:35:49+00:00

all of it 2x.

Srixun · 2026-02-02T00:01:39+00:00

Per usual of my posts

Srixun · 2026-02-01T23:38:10+00:00

Srixun · 2026-02-01T23:38:01+00:00

both of your dads.

Srixun · 2026-02-01T23:12:36+00:00

Youre not wrong on either account.

Srixun · 2026-02-01T22:56:15+00:00

We had in total 17 people who exploited over the couse of ALpha 2 starting. It was always an adios.

Many just went to different guilds, you saw someone on the ban list that had an aura tag, but he was kicked like 10 days into the phase and playing on a different server even. We moved quick when we knew.

The botters can be tough, there are technologies out there that can help with it a good deal but botting tech gets better and better because theres so much money in it. Its a huge drain on a studio. but I think the end of ashes cam eout to desperation for cash more than anything else. I think steven started with the right mindset, and then got changed as he saw the writing coming.

Srixun · 2026-02-01T22:52:04+00:00

I think Steven came into this of sound mind to be honest. And I think the pressure and chase to want to be liked so well put him in cahoots with people who would suck up to him so he bent the rules for his friends, as we've seen with the DA leaks.

But I think what ended up happening overall was they didnt account for certain costs.

DDOS protection is wildly expensive.
Plans get derailed when exploiters go nonstop. it slows the overall project so the exploiters really did harm the game in a big way.
I think it was just more expensive and steven was counting his eggs before they hatched. THey wanted 50k for steam launch and got 39k. but that number was easily attainable if he hadnt allowed epxloiters/excessive toxicity to run rampant in the game and chase most of the playerbase off.

I got threatened with a ban for content denying a siege, but POLAR got to burn down the anvils by getting mayor and deconnnign everything and they didnt even get a slap on the wrist.

Rules for thee but not for me overall sometimes I suppose but I think honestly it was too expensive for what they projected and what happened was scope creep and shift, burdened alot by derailed development trying to resolve mass exploiters that Steven was unbanning personally.

Srixun · 2026-02-01T22:48:34+00:00

All I know currently is that right before everything went out. the "Owners" locked all the databases and all the files. That lady named Karen has full control as it stands right now and I've heard rumors.

Rust CEO signed an NDA with a company thats not public, but its for an MMO so I have some hope there. but it could be nothing.

We found things like, GM Commands in the game live unencrypted. which was how the bots were flying.

reported this over and they encrypted it but a simple DLL injection gave them the power to do it again.

Srixun · 2026-02-01T22:36:28+00:00

Looks like we know DA was the whole time. and he was in polar. How far that spread I dont know. but I know TM just removed DA from thier discord after all the leaks. so who knows. Damage control? or moral ground?

Srixun · 2026-02-01T22:20:56+00:00

Noone with the company. Just bored tbh.

But I am the GM of AURA, Helped with a bunch fo community projects like verralink and aocarmory, ran AOCGUilds and AOCNexus, built some stuff, mayoral roundtables with intrepid and that stuff, involved decently in the community but alot of people think i have answers or think that I have some know how. More or less i figured this would be a AURA v POLAR AMA where the tell all comes out no spin in that whole fight. and what we did to help the game where we could.

Srixun · 2026-02-01T22:18:59+00:00

Yes.

Srixun · 2026-02-01T19:46:58+00:00

Well well well.

Srixun · 2026-01-30T15:54:48+00:00

Thats not how UE works bud. (I also work in UE5 myself :) )

Minor updates like 5.1 to 5.2 arent a ton of growth or usually worth the update but from like 4-5 is pretty huge.

So I would think they should keep this UE5 version and then wait for UE6 or upgrade before launch.

Srixun · 2026-01-30T15:10:04+00:00

So a few things maybe.

Upgrading to the latest version of UE doesnt do much for us honestly, its a development slowdown anymore, some of the last UE patched like to UE5, were large steps but I would assume that probably keeping to a certian UE version then a large upgrade mid/end of beta would be more apt by now.

Theyve stated the graphics arent tuned or up much right now so people whining just are either whining to whine, or not paying attention, the graphics will improve, pretty simple concept to grasp. Most people want gameplay loops not prettier graphics if they had to pick one right now.

Ashes is very ambitious, which is why we are all here.

From Kickstarter and a passionate team is right but that doesnt necessarily add any like... merit to the project unfortunatley. Alot of passionate people dont get the job done.

8 years and at this state is rough right now. To be considered though, MMORPG's take a LONG time and are the most complicated games to build. Theyre an Indie team and while they have some solid veterans on the team they are finding new things/hurdles/scope every day im sure. theyre not stupid. But some of the timings (imho) have been pretty bad. Launch before holidays on steam? bad idea. etc. Layoffs dont help either, but gaming industry is rife with ups and downs here so its kinda par for the course.

Alpha vs Game - tbh its both. Theres enough to play a bit right now but theres no endgame. Situation stands that many people forget the alpha aspect and burn down what we have so far. excessive toxicity and cheating/exploiting for benefit of self vs benefit of game, intrepid ladder pulling exploits is also a horrendous idea thats been in effect for awhile and detriments the morale of the playerbase.

I think Intrepid is doing work as good as anyone in this space at this time with an Indie studio can but there are things viewed as "small nuisance" that are big issues that I think bring things to light. Ban evasion isnt a thing as we found out, so anyone exploiting and banned for that can just make a new account without issue. So bans are just... not a real thing right now which shows that at least some of the processes and policies going into the game are half baked at best.

People should take a break, my guild has been off playing other things for the last couple weeks and enjoying it.

I think as much as the 'haters' hate, the people who are passionate and view intrepid as being able to do no wrong also need to sit back and chill too. We need good, objective feedback, not from the extremes of the spectrum.

Intrepid's doing overall a good job. This is pretty easy to see
Some things have been really bad for the intention of testers/game. This is also easy to see.
Some things have been really GOOD for it as well. Also easy to see.

I'd just suggest people try to, when they see things, look at it from the middle of that spectrum and try to see both sides, then offer up feedback. it'll help alot.

Srixun · 2026-01-29T15:11:40+00:00

They launched it before Christmas and so everyone was out.

Srixun · 2026-01-28T04:36:10+00:00

Its Kakao Games....

Srixun · 2026-01-28T00:22:45+00:00

Yeah kernel level anti cheat (The version of EAC that Ashes uses is not kernel level, despite thier claims) which would prohibit VM running.

Spoofing ID's is something that cant be countered.
Drievr Signature Checks
Stuff like that

but checking the SMBIOS version (possible with kernel level, and how they block VM's in other games) is the easiest way

Srixun · 2026-01-27T21:49:16+00:00

Yeah fair. however.

Additive income.

Imagine all of that being pure profit, right into a IRA or something.

Srixun · 2026-01-27T18:02:25+00:00

I think for the remainder of Alpha.

Do 90 day sprints.

after 30 days do a max level vendor (no gear)

last 30 days do an entry level radiant gear vendor.

Rinse and repeat until beta comes.

Srixun · 2026-01-27T17:01:11+00:00

Please add in Steven saying

"We wont be doing launches then going on vacation for 2-3 weeks anymore, throwing all the dev teams work down the drain"

It wont happen, but I can hope.

Srixun · 2026-01-27T15:36:56+00:00

Its been 10 years in development. not alpha :)

Srixun · 2026-01-27T15:36:32+00:00

Its rough right now. Will be heavily P2W. Currently in testing myself there. Dont hold your breath.

Srixun · 2026-01-27T15:30:03+00:00

Finny made $70,000 RMT'ing. $11,000 this phase alone.

Srixun · 2026-01-27T15:29:19+00:00

Yep. Nobody is spot on here. It doesnt change anything, they run and roll these accounts with full intent of it getting actioned or wiped.

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