Archeage: A new kind of MMO

This week we will be taking a look at a marvelous MMO which has just had its one year anniversary. Archeage is a free to play MMO model that was released on September 16, 2014 here in the west. It was designed by a Korean developer named Jake Song whose goal was to combine sandbox and themepark game types to create the first “Third generation” MMORPG. In this article we will be exploring what makes this MMO truly unique and enjoyable.

The World

The world in Archeage is massive and satisfying to explore. It is a full open overworld experience with no loading screens. All the land that is player owned can be seen and interacted with by every player. We will be breaking the world down into the primary halves to put it into perspective.

1. The Continents

The open world of Archeage is made up primarily of three large continents, one for each of the two factions and a third that is neutral territory. The two primary continents are Nuia and Haranya. Both continents are immense are very satisfying to explore with one modeled after medieval Europe and the other after ancient China. These continents feature several different temperature zones ranging from tropical to subarctic, all of which have an effect on the growth and health of your farms and crops. The last notable feature of these continents is the unique nature of the different regions. Certain areas are protected by the Nuian or Haranyan alliances on either continent, where others are open for PvP combat and can be sent into full scale wars if there is a high enough player threat. Depending on how safe the area is, the price of land can be double or triple that of more dangerous zones. In addition certain regions have specialty trade packs that can be crafted and sold for high amounts of gold in other regions where that specialty does not exist.

2. The Ocean

Arguably one of the most unique aspects of this game goes hand in hand with the open overworld. The ocean in Archeage is massive and beautifully designed, along with all of the ships you can build to traverse it. From small personal clippers to immense galleons equipped with full canon decks and several functional sales, there are several options at the player’s disposal for use as a vessel. The ocean itself is truly massive and you really do get that feeling by sailing from continent to continent. Every sea voyage really does feel like an adventure. Aside from the actual size, depth, and aesthetic of the ocean, the creatures which inhabit it just add more to the charm (and danger) of it. From natural threats like jellyfish, seabugs, krakens, and the legendary leviathan to bands of player pirates, it really has a deliciously in-depth feel. Whether you are sailing just for travel, hunting the leviathan, raiding the trade routes, or scouring undersea ruins, the high seas are always exciting.

Craft. Claim. Conquer

This is the catchphrase associated with Archeage, and we will be looking into just how relevant and accurate it actually is. Seeing as this is what the game prides itself on, let's investigate how much it actually pertains to the in-game experience.

1. Craft

The first word of the catchphrase is craft, and after several hours of doing just that, its superiority becomes clear. There are 22 different proficiencies in Archeage from metalwork, farming, and fishing, to larceny, construction, and exploration. For each of these proficiencies there are more than 10 levels to achieve through mastery of the vocation, with each level increasing the experience gain and production speed of your chosen craft. Although you have access to all of the proficiencies to a basic level, the game limits how many of them you can truly master and level to the highest degree. This system really makes you feel important when someone specializes in a certain vocation. It is very rewarding, say if you focus on smelting ores and making armor and someone needs a skilled metalworker to do a high level crafting job, not just anyone can do.

2. Claim

Now this is the most vague part of the catchphrase at first glance, however it is by far the most fun in my opinion. In Archeage, as previously mentioned, players are allowed to own land on the massive overworld to do with what they please, whether their intention is to build homes from small little cottages to grand mansions or to maintain farms for growing crops and raising various types of animals. Players are allowed to build in specified housing locations around the world both on and off the major continents, and can even have offshore beach bungalows to have underwater coral crops! One of the cooler parts of this is whenever new land is released with content updates or expansions, powerful guilds will often coordinate for weeks beforehand and organize landing parties to claim the new territory for the various guilds of the world. There is something very special about being able to claim your own land which you can share with friends or keep for yourself, which exists without a loading screen on the overworld.

From Cottages, to Manors to Mansions.

3. Conquer

The PvP element of this game is hinted at in the third part of the catchphrase. Now this aspect of the game felt somewhat lackluster before the most recent expansion. Before the latest expansion called, “Heroes Awakening”, the aspect of conquest was limited to the option to siege player-owned castles once a week, of which there were only around 2, and engage in occasional faction vs faction battles. However, since this article is being written after the release of Heroes Awakening, this issue has been very well rectified. Since the release of the expansion, the addition of an enhanced guild system has come with the ability to declare war on any other guild, regardless of alliance. This war feature sets a period of one hour in which none of the normal safe zones apply to the conflicting guilds. After the duration, the kills are tallied and a victor is determined, giving both guilds a significant amount of EXP. War can be declared multiple times in one day in succession, however each time it is declared, it costs the aggressor more and more money. Overall with the release of the latest expansion, this aspect of the game is finally up to par with the expectation.

Conclusion

This game really has turned out to be something special. The sandbox elements of this game really do shine through in more ways than one, and it all does come together to create a satisfying experience. Whether or not you are brand new to the MMO genre or you have been playing since the beginning, this free to play game is really worth your time! Thanks for reading folks, now enjoy this photo of me riding my griffin over the sunlit ocean waves.

Grant Johnson