Archeage

[Morreion]

Archeage official site

Archeage Online (English fan site)

Archeage (Wikipedia)

ArcheAge is a medieval fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) in development by Korean game developer XL Games.

The developers promise a community like that of Ultima Online, PvE comparable to World of Warcraft and PvP taken from Lineage 2. The game itself is developed as a “sandbox” – where the player is completely free to chose what to do and how to live. Expanding on this, characters won't be subject to strict limitations on growth, such as is the case in other MMOs. The GRB (Game Rating Board), a South Korean organization that sets game age ratings, gave ArcheAge a 15+ rating. The budget of the game is said to be $25 million dollars; $15 million of an investment from GigaMedia and another $10 million from the company’s budget. The game's designers want players to have a big impact on the world; each server will be unique due to players developing their world’s history and exploring the map in different directions. There are 8 races in the game, 5 of which are said to be unique to ArcheAge.
Features

* Huge world map
* Dynamic environment
* Mass PvP (100+ people)
* Player housing
* Crafting & production
* Adjustable interface
* Mounts (eg. horses)
* Naval warfare
* Persistent World


ArcheAge beta video highlights naval battles (Massively)

The brief clip features some rather jaw-dropping footage of player ships and an in-game naval battle. While player ships have been done before (notably in Vanguard and Darkfall), you've never seen them like this. Aside from the impressive visuals, the video shows player characters in different crew positions (including the crow's nest) as well as recoiling cannons and a host of other interesting details.











Massively Exclusive: Jake Song talks ArcheAge

Last weekend we hinted at an XL Games interview during our coverage of the newest ArcheAge video. Today we're happy to bring you an exclusive chat with lead developer Jake Song. Song is the man behind the original Lineage, and he also worked at NCsoft on Tabula Rasa and a Lineage sequel that eventually became Aion.

Several years ago he started his own development house, XL Games, and the studio's first project is a sprawling sandbox called ArcheAge, which is currently undergoing a closed beta test in the Korean market. Join us after the cut as Song talks about the game's unique skill system, castle sieges, multiplayer mounts (and mounted combat), and more.

New ArcheAge Q&A translated on official site (Massively)

While ArcheAge news is scarce in America and Europe, the game is undergoing extensive beta testing in its native Korea, and a recent developer Q&A has popped up on the title's official website. Though brief, the blurb contains a couple of nifty insights, chief among them the existence of 10 skill trees as well as confirmation of the game's seamless open-world design.

ArcheAge dev diary talks housing, questing, and spreading diseases (Massively)

"If you wander into a town that's full of infected characters, you'll probably catch something yourself! Then again, you could get sick on purpose and then pay a visit to someone you don't really like, but that's risky in it's own way," the dev diary explains.

[Morreion]

New ArcheAge trailer released, Jake Song talks player content (Massively)

"The third generation online games use the previous two generations as the basics, further improving content and visuals. More importantly, players themselves can now create content and playing styles themselves, permanently reshaping the in-game world. When players log into the same place after some time, the place might look totally different," Song says.



ArcheAge's Jake Song says balance doesn't mean equality (Massively)

"Those balance issues concern us as well. We will test and balance classes constantly. However, we don't think that all the combinations should be equivalent. There will be a class that is far more difficult than others," Song says.

ArcheAge is also setting the hearts of sandbox fans aflame courtesy of its deep non-combat gameplay, which purportedly includes an extensive crafting and economic system.

OPG: ArcheAge Q&A (Outpost Gamez)

Players can obtain land, provide it to other players for housing and collect taxes in return. The land will be a part of a certain zone that will have unique resource, enabling the ruler of that land to control those resources. Additional features like hiring NPCs as vendors will help to create a city-like atmosphere.

Guilds or groups can take someone else’s estate through castle siege. If such take-over happens, the residents, who have lived there before the war, may be able to stay there as is or need to pay higher tax rates depending on the new lord’s decisions.

ArcheAge housing, ship construction, labor system detailed (Massively)

Ship construction will necessitate a group effort due to the considerable resource requirements. Hull plans are purchased from NPCs and activated at the shipyard, at which point the player will see a basic frame in drydock. After players deposit the requisite resources and set the payment for their NPC workers, enterprising ship captains will be able to view the construction process. Sailing a ship involves factors ranging from tidal currents, to wind strength, to the angle of the mast, as well as managing your player crew (each member of which has a distinct job on the ship).

The Labor System in ArcheAge (AAportal.net)

The Labor system defines the way crafting, construction and gathering works. You will need labor points for most activities in ArcheAge, so this system entangles the whole game-play process, and offers unique possibilities for an ArcheAge player. You accumulate the points regularly at fixed intervals, whether you are on-line or off-line. The reason of such design is for equilibrium between the users who stay on-line a lot and users that play more casually. However, there is a limit to such accumulation, so that if users play often enough, they will be use this system optimally, while people, that play too often will have a shortage of these points, and people that play too rarely will have an excess of them. But still, users that cannot play the game each day, can log in occasionally, like every 2 days and spend all accumulated labor power at once.

House Construction in ArcheAge (AAportal.net)

Houses can be built almost everywhere, but you might want to situate it next to points of interest such as nearby roads, cities, gathering points. Once you've decided where you want to situate it, you buy a plan from an NPC. The housing design plan of ArcheAge is kind of a blueprint. You can buy the blueprint from an architecture merchant and confirm the needed materials you can purchase merchants or gather yourself. XLGames are going to add special racial houses, which differ by their appearance, depending on the race by the Open beta test in November. You start out by activating it and choosing a place for your house. You will have a wireframe of your future home following your cursor, until you select a place. Then you can select which direction it faces, and lay the foundation. To proceed constructing, you will need many labor points and resources. But you can speed it up by setting a payment for people that will use their labor points to help you build it. Then, after a few visual stages, your house will be complete.

New ArcheAge fly-through video released, planting system profiled (Massively)

While plants are an unlikely MMORPG topic (unless you're talking about a gathering quest), they play a unique role in ArcheAge thanks to the game's gardening and harvesting systems. Whether your interest lies in cultivating grapes or in seeding a grove of apple trees and (eventually) selling the harvest to expand your farm, it's all doable. Trees are also a source of timber, which is required for the aforementioned ship-building as well as house and furniture construction.



Archeage Plants (AAportal.net)

Many plants that are planted by you grow little by little as the time goes and days and nights change. Player's attention is required to raise those plants healthy!

I have bought seeds from a merchant to plant grape and apple trees and then diligently raised them. While looking at the trees gradually grow up as the time goes, I have dreamt about selling the harvest for alot of money to get a bigger farm. I have also cultivated well grown fruits and cut down some of the trees to have a pleasure of building a ship later.

[Morreion]

New ArcheAge video shows off skills and combos (Massively)

It also comes with quite a bit of ambiguity, as we're not sure how exactly these abilities work in the context of ArcheAge's sandpark skill system. One thing we do know is that they all look mighty interesting, and the two-minute clip is an exercise in spot-the-MMO-archetype for long-time genre fans. There's the caster, a ranger type, some melee DPS (but not a tank, obviously), and some sort of Bard analog.



ArcheAge closed beta three kicks off, gameplay videos abound (Massively)

While the character creation clip is pretty spiffy in its own right, it pales in comparison to the nifty swimming animations and underwater effects on display in the second clip. Exploration is the order of the day here, as we don't get to see any combat or crafting. There's plenty of eye candy though, and you check out both clips after the cut.



















ArcheAge: Closed Beta 3 Impressions
MMORPG.com Lead Writer Bill Murphy has been spending the wee hours of the morning playing in the Korean closed beta of ArcheAge. He's got some closed beta impressions to share as the game nears release in Korea. Check out Bill's thoughts on ArcheAge Closed Beta 3. Leave us a comment or two when you're finished.
Previews By William Murphy on May 27, 2011

Then there’s the horses. Very few MMOs give you a horse early on, and even fewer allow you to use it for anything but running places. ArcheAge does both. Your horse has levels, gains new skills, and can be equipped. It also has health, can be used in combat to boot enemies, you can swipe down at people from it and cast spells on its back, and oh yeah… it can die too. But fear not, you just visit a local stable and resurrect the poor beast for a fee. Not enough games give this must attention to mounts, and I’m glad to see that players will be able to become attached to their transportation as well as ride into battle upon them. One other person can even hitch a ride with you on your horse, which is pretty handy at times when you find someone who might have killed theirs and you feel like being a good Samaritan.

ArcheAge CBT3 review talks crafting, labor points, and nautical exploration (Massively)

The piece has a detailed breakdown on the game's labor point system (a third point pool, if you will, much like more traditional health and mana pools). Labor points are somewhat scarce despite regenerating over time, and most of the game's non-combat activities require them (harvesting apples from apple trees, chopping down said trees, building furniture and boats, etc.). It's a unique system, and ArcheAge-Online goes into the nitty gritty of the mechanics and offers up plenty of opinion as well.

ArcheAge: Jake Song Interview
ArcheAge is one of the most highly-rated and highly-anticipated games capturing our readers' attention here at MMORPG.com. Our own Garrett Fuller had the privilege to interview XLGames' CEO and President Jake Song to talk about ArcheAge. They covered a wide variety of topics and it's definitely a must-read for eager fans of ArcheAge.

MMORPG.com:
How will PvP work in the game? Is it an open system?

Jake Song:
The answer is half yes and half no. In ArheAge, players can attack another player if they wish and can steal crops that the other user raised. Such sandbox features can give fun, but it can create conflict and disputes between players, and might damage the game play. Especially free PvP is favored by some but hated by some others. So in ArcheAge there is the trial and jail system. Players who kill another player will be put under a trial by the other players and be judged whether the activity was reasonable or not.

ArcheAge parkour video shows off city architecture (Massively)



ArcheAge Lillet Meadows location previewed (Massively)

Despite the tranquil setting, enemies abound in the area, most of them variations on undead that include wraiths, ghosts, and a new type of zombie that apparently features broken weapon fragments instead of limbs.

ArcheAge mage review + video (AAportal)

Feign Death: You fall down dead. While this effect operates, health and mana get restored 30% faster. The effect is reset when you move. (Instant cast, cooldown 180 seconds)

Archeage Scenery Video (AAportal)

[Loendal]

I want one of those Ferre things! Gimme Gimme!

[Morreion]

Archeage Online fan site

New ArcheAge trailer and mobile app at ChinaJoy; Song charts MMO generations (Massively)

The fan site also has an interesting look at XL founder Jake Song's ChinaJoy speech which outlines the differences between first-, second-, and third-generation MMORPGs. Song charts the evolution of MMO gameplay from the "unorganized freedom" of early titles to the passive playground style popularized by World of Warcraft, and says that third-gen titles like ArcheAge will provide the best of both worlds by re-introducting player creativity and removing restrictions while maintaining a high degree of polish.









Choose your abilities with ArcheAge's custom class creator (Massively)

The page features a charted list of abilities that, when combined in groups of three, result in a particular class name being displayed. We're assuming that the resulting class will then get to select specific skills from each ability tree. For example, selecting the artistry, calling, and wild abilities results in a class called a Plainsrunner, and reading between the lines on each ability description indicates a Ranger-like class with a pet, stealth, support buffs, and ranged attacks.

XL Games details three ArcheAge races (Massively)

XL Games has added to the trickle of ArcheAge information making its way to the West with a new race-related reveal this morning. The fantasy sandpark will feature eight distinct races, and though we've known their names for some time now, the new info drop is the first opportunity we've had to look at the Hariharans, Dwarves, and Warborn.

Massively Exclusive: ArcheAge's Jake Song on consensual PvP, inflation, and more

I know that some players like PvP and some don't. ArcheAge features a half-open PvP system. If a player kills another player of the same faction, he/she will get penalty points. If a player's penalty points (blood prints that appear after killing a player work as evidence of a crime which leads to penalty points) reach a certain level, he/she will be summoned to court, will receive a trial, and might be imprisoned. Though ArcheAge is half-open PvP, it is not the main fun feature. It will be developed as a game that PvE-lovers could enjoy too, while also enjoying the PvP system.

XL Games teases new ArcheAge screenshots (Massively)

[Morreion]

New ArcheAge video shows off combat moves, giant mobs (Massively)



ArcheAge CBT4 will feature new continent, playable race (Massively)

ArcheAge's fourth Korean closed beta phase is less than a month away, and the testing window is shaping up to be both longer (80 days) and more far-reaching than any of the previous three periods.

New Archeage CBT4 clip shows expanded character options (Massively)



New ArcheAge videos show off PvP, dancing gameplay (Massively)

First up is an over-the-shoulder clip featuring some five vs. five PvP gameplay. The action takes place on an instanced map known as the Siege Warfare Training Camp, and MMO Culture points out a couple of lingering bugs relating to character movement (as well as some interesting weapon combinations).

ArcheAge fan translates interview, analyzes new video to reveal siege details (Massively)

It's worth noting that two of the game's three continents will still feature housing and PvE, but if you're looking to PvP or contribute to a castle, you'll need to brave the FFA continent and coordinate with your buddies to control the akium long enough to stake your claim.

ArcheAge CBT4 vids offer a closer look at hang-gliding (Massively)

First up are a couple of clips that feature the game's unique hang-gliding mechanics, and if you're anything like us, you'll marvel not only at the slick flight model but also at some of the locations the player soars over, around, and through.

ArcheAge Special Preview of Sailing (Separu.com)

Ever wondered what kind of adventures lies ahead when you explore the oceans of ArcheAge Online? Look no further as Yukey and I venture out into the deep sea and explore the vast oceans of ArcheAge Online! I've recorded all of our adventures uncut right from the start, so that you will also be able to experience and grasp at how long it takes to travel from one continent to another using the speed boat.

Videos document player battle with ArcheAge's Kraken (Massively)



ArcheAge CBT4 Boss Hunting (Separu.com)

It's about time Yukey and I engaged ourselves into a few CBT4 ArcheAge Online end game experience. The world of ArcheAge is enormous so there are bound to be some bosses that we could take on with just the two of us or random pick up groups. Interested in learning more about some of the different kinds of bosses that awaits you in ArcheAge? Then continue to read on and enjoy another informative article on ArcheAge Online! Just like all the other previous coverage on Steparu.com, enjoy the new batch of 1080p videos.

New ArcheAge video shows off 34 minutes of housing gameplay (Massively)

[Rakul]

I'm still looking forward to the release of this. It seems like a vast world with a detailed and diverse crafting component.

[Morreion]

Agreed, Kul- this looks like a solid attempt at a AAA sandbox style of game- that doesn't happen a lot!

[Morreion]

Massively Exclusive: The sweet and sour of ArcheAge's third closed beta (Massively)

Horses have their own character sheets, stats, and gear (and I got one at level 4!). They carry multiple riders too and have a mean hind leg kick that -- when timed properly -- makes mincemeat out of your average boar mob. Steeds don't disappear into thin air when you dismount but instead stay put and come dutifully to your side when you press the whistle button.

Getting back on your mount is fun as well and involves a decision as to whether you want to grab the scruff of his neck and swing yourself up from the side or do that cowboy/Zorro move and spring onto his back from the rear. Fluff? Maybe, but this is the part where I tell you that fluff is what makes an MMORPG an MMORPG as opposed to a mere multiplayer combat lobby. Thankfully XL Games seems to be one of the few dev outfits that agrees with me.

ArcheAge Online Review (Steparu)

Once you've created your own custom class, you can get started on those quests. I suggest that you do a bunch of quests first and get to at least level 15 before you start working on your life skills. It's a good idea to create multiple mules at the beginning of the game. Why? Because of the stamina system for life skills. There is a limit on how much you can harvest, mine, dig, build, and etc. Having multiple mules will help you farm materials faster especially if you want to make your house and ship early. There are multiple life skill jobs like Smithing, Miner, Leather, Cloth, Woodworking, Harvester, and etc. I didn't really pay attention much into those since I was too busy making houses and boats! There are a lot of things you can craft in the game obviously, like furniture for your house, equipment for you to wear, and almost everything in the game.

ArcheAge Online Pirate Island (Steparu)

Wandering around the pirate island for the first time, I stumbled across a pub with a lot of jolly piratey npcs around. It won't be the same without a bar right? Hopefully there will be more hidden pirate islands in the future. If you're one daring adventurer, you can also build your house on this island. I would be weary of that idea though, this area might be the future hangout place for griefers and trolls. Out for more exploration I decided to climb up and see what's on top of tower, eventually I found myself an pirate NPC that aggro'ed me instantly. I decided to take him down for fun which took really long time.

ArcheAge CBT4 Review and Extensive Game Info (Archeage Source)

Going by foot takes forever and you have to be careful to avoid monsters if you're going to an area that is higher level than you. A mount is essential for getting around anywhere in ArcheAge, and if you level them up they get skills! Your mount starts off at level 5 with two skills. The first allows your mount to kick its back legs at an opponent and of course you have to face your horse in the right direction to do this. The second skill allows you to slash at your enemy while on the mount. At level 6, you can shoot an arrow while on your mount. At level 8, your mount gets a sprint skill to increase its speed for about 10 seconds. This increases your speed by 50% but it also doesn't allow you to turn until its worn off so you better aim your mount in the right direction or you'll go off a cliff/into a wall. At level 10, your mount gets a temporary buff that increases its defenses. Your mount levels up by having it out while hunting, but you have to keep a close eye on it as it will die relatively quickly. You can purchase armor for your mount to make it live longer, but even with armor and having your mount at a decent level, a character at your level will still be able to kill it in a few of their most powerful shots. With quick reactions you can unsummon it before too much harm is done. When you resummon it, the health will be at the level it was when you unsummoned. If you're out hunting and your mount dies, you can resummon it and it'll fall over on the ground. You can temporarily resurrect it but it has only 1 hp and runs 30% slower. In order to fix up your horse, you can bring it to the stables and resurrect it for a fee (increases with your level, not the mount's). Stables are only on the starting continents. They recently included a new item that you can purchase from the stable that lets you fix up your mount anywhere but it costs more than what you'll pay at the stable.

Yarr! ArcheAge CBT4 video shows player piracy (Massively)

A new player-made video shows off the game's naval combat potential, and the clip is basically three minutes of jaw-dropping PvP action. There's plenty of carnage courtesy of player-manned ship cannons and destructible hulls, and we can also see combatants crossing swords on the decks of enemy ships (if you look closely you'll catch a glimpse of a player using a hang-glider to travel from one ship to the next).



XL lowers the curtain on ArcheAge CBT4, releases stats (Massively)

The test began on December 8th (that's a whopping 95 days ago if you're counting at home) and saw the creation of 173 guilds, the building of 3,400 houses, and the planting of 2,200,000 trees.

Archeage continues to look awesome despite being a mystery (Keen & Graev)

In the past I have written that this game looks too good to be true. Honestly, my opinion hasn’t changed. How can one game accomplish such dynamism and complete player ownership of the world like they’re telling and even showing. I’m waiting for the catch to be revealed or the big revelation that it’s all one massive joke. Technically, until this game releases somewhere it may as well be one cruel tease.

ArcheAge to feature Chinese-themed city, additional content (Massively)

Additional Chinese-themed content is coming in the "near future," according to MMO Culture, and it will include costumes, dungeons, maps, and events. ArcheAge recently closed the book on its fourth Korean closed beta test; XL's upcoming CBT5 phase will coincide with the first Chinese beta.

ArcheAge evaluates CBT4 and revs up for CBT5 (Massively)

ArcheAge's fourth closed beta test expanded the game significantly. Three land regions, four sea zones, siege warfare, pirates, an auction house, the Kraken, and the new Hariharan race were added for players to try out. The team also improved the look of the Ferre race and clarity during character creation. During the event, XLGAMES incorporated a Footprint system into the game that would "mark" a trespasser who attempted to steal another player's resources, such as cutting down trees.

One new feature was removed, however. The team had a combustible liquor barrel in the game but yanked it when griefers threw it into the middle of a wedding ceremony and killed everyone.

[Morreion]

E3 2012: XL COO on ArcheAge, CBT4, and coming to America (Massively)

What I ultimately took away from the interview was the sense that XL is very aware of Western interest in its flagship product, and it's also intent on hitting both its core sandpark audience as well as a broader subset of casual gamers who may not normally consider a sprawling, non-linear game.

ArcheAge seeks info on Western demographics with survey (Massively)

ArcheAge's fifth Korean closed beta coming in August (Massively)

XLGAMES is calling CBT5 a "grand rehearsal for the open beta"; the open beta is currently planned for the end of the year. The company is looking forward to hearing testers' feedback on housing, marine content, and updated quests in this beta session.

XLGAMES reveals first ArcheAge story teaser trailer (Massively)

ArcheAge CBT5 emphasizes use of the sea with new features (Massively)

From Kraken hunts to deck-side skirmishes, previously released videos have shown that combat on (and under) the high seas is a given in the upcoming sandbox ArcheAge. At this year's Chinajoy convention, XLGAMES revealed that the seas will play an even bigger role than just a pirate's playground; resources acquired from the sea will be an important part of the game. Players will be exposed to PvE and PvP battles organically while trying to gain control of these resources and battleships will become more vital. And players who prefer a life at sea can forgo living on the mainland as aqua farms and houses at sea can be built in a designated area.

ArcheAge trailer shows off new houses and more (Massively)

The video shows players testing out mounts, looking at fancy clothes, and inspecting houses. The island allows players to try out items and see what suits their fancy, with everything from adorable pets (which can grow up to be big, strong mounts!) to miniaturized towers lined up side-by-side for comparison.

ArcheAge's fifth closed beta to feature XP loss, trial system, and more (Massively)

...For one, there seems to be a form of XP loss on death (though not for avatars below level 10). CBT5 also marks the introduction of the game's trial system, so all you naughty-by-nature folks will likely find out what sort of crime and punishment await you in XL's fantasy sandbox. Finally, there are bits about crop growth and how climate affects it as well as some verbiage about certain regional tradeskill specialties.

Lots of people in the comments section that like the exp loss after PvE deaths- I remember that well from DAoC. It makes for more thoughtful play and let's face it, most MMOs are about facerolling these days. So I'm fine with the exp loss. I'm rarely in a hurry in these games anyway

Some Assembly Required: Four sandboxes we need right now (Massively)

From crafting and combat to player housing and undersea exploration, ArcheAge is making all other MMOs look positively inferior by comparison. That said, there are major sandbox features still up in the air, chief among them the game's tradeskill implementation and player economy. When I spoke to XL at E3 a few weeks ago, I got a sense that these systems are still very much in flux, and that could be either good or bad.

Auction houses, ugh. Have to temper expectations!