Kakao Games Europe posted the translated version of the message that XLGAME’s ArcheAge producer (Hae-nyung Lee) had posted regarding the games 11th year anniversary (in South Korea) as well as the 2024 roadmap (VISION) for the game.
It’s definitely NOT a whole lot of actual new content since it comprises reworking of existing systems (including further attempts at making some of these end game instances, global). They tried this before with a less than serious battle arena (one that didn’t really require a huge emphasis on reducing latency). However, it’s going to be way more challenging to do that with something like the Battle for the Golden Plain (aka Halcyon Wars) in a game that doesn’t have the best netcode (since like most KMMO’s, that was never a priority given the narrow/heterogenous region which also has relatively low latency infrastructure). There’s just no way around the actual laws of physics with this one.
I do see the selectable gift reward (what are normally difficult to get since they rely on completing achievement collections) as a step in the right direction. Sure, some players did dedicate a lot of effort/time and gold to complete them, but this is also a game heading into it’s 11th year (10th year in NA/EU). Players that worked on completing these a long time ago, have also had the benefit of using them over that time (if anything, it does suck for those who may have recently completed them). As it stands, the game has long failed at attracting new players and has long failed in decent player retention. Might as well throw a few carrots out to keep existing engagements content versus becoming disengaged which does the game little good going forward.
UPDATE: Kakao Games and XLGAMES noted that anyone who completed these collections prior to their most recent maintenance, would receive 1 year of Patron (which IMHO, is fair since they could’ve given nothing at all).
Furthermore, the roadmap specifies an “awakening collection” for the Drakora, Ellam, and Sky Emperor. I remember during the dead space during the Gamigo to Kakao Games transition when Gamigo gave out a Sky Emperor and Dragon mount (this was after the data transfer took place when none of the stuff they gave would transfer over; it was merely to have fun stuff to play around with); it’s one of the best gliders in the game (speed and maneuverability) and is the reward I will be taking since I enjoy gliding around a lot. But just knowing there is a going to be a “T2” style awakening for some of these, sort of telegraphs there is a money-making scheme behind this (I’m expecting them to cash grab the game during whatever remaining time they plan to keep it in service).
The fact they are keeping the long awaited “new” Fairy race as the final part of this 2024 roadmap, isn’t surprising. The main purpose of this roadmap is to try and keep the player base that is currently engaged with the post-service merged game, to remain sticking around for this year. So you throw in a selectable gift from the achievement collections (with a chase element to some of them with an awakening collection), you increase the achievable gear score (I presume there will be more catchup gear mechanics involved) to 30K along with “new” growth systems (again, giving a chase element for those who enjoy gear score e-peening), you try to rework the long flawed exile system (in a sense, de-emphasizing factions in the process by removing the reliance on faction points given how it has long been manipulated by the decreasing player population) while re-emphasizing guild related competition, and end the 4th quarter of 2024 with the new Fairy race and gear transcendence system. And within all of this, they’ll throw in new decor and some different housing designs to keep the RP’ers happy.
The final part of the roadmap however is meant to hold ArcheAge over until ArcheAge 2’s launch window becomes more solidified (which realistically looks to be a 2nd half of 2025 release). Myself, I’ve long expressed doubts about the designed longevity of ArcheAge 2. For sure it will be up there in terms of graphics fidelity (since that is the easiest way to sucker the gaming demographic who are all too easily wowed by slick visuals and cinematic trailers). Game systems wise, I just think that a lot of it will be designed with an emphasis on metrics and cash shop monetization mechanics. Even the new race itself has potential cash shop implications depending on how its faction is handled.
In one of the older interviews from several years ago, Song mentioned this race is supposed to be faction neutral. This was during a period when player nation factions was an alternative to Haranya, Nuia, or Pirate. As expected, it was also a system that was gamed by huge guilds (coalescing around the strongest players). Systems like this work when the player population is large (to promote the needed competition given the size limits of a player nation). At least during the Trion days, it was essentially the same big guilds that became player nations and held control over content (with all of the drama that still exists today). If the Fairy race can simply choose Haranya or Nuia, then I don’t see the non-permanent race change elixir being heavily monetized (like how it currently is). If it remains neutral or if the emphasis becomes (trying to) reinvigorating player nations, then there will be cash shop implications (since existing factions would require using race change potions to utilize the Fairy appearance).
I guess we will see this summer when they unveil more details along with actual game play demonstrations (at Gamescom).
