This roadmap (part 1) for the first couple of months for Lost Ark, pretty much highlights why I don’t see myself returning to it anytime soon (if at all). This content update is pretty much just a reaffirming of the item level treadmill that consumes the bulk of the end game. The product manager did at least confirm that over 100K players resumed playing when the jump start server was introduced back in September (which falls in-line with the daily average CCU’s on a percentage basis).
The prior roadmap that highlighted both Pleccia and Voldis, is also responsible for the the bump in botting activity where the higher November average is likely due to the increase in bot accounts (which occurs when there is a demand for gold by those who engage in RMT, a whack-a-mole issue that AGS has been treading water with where these botting operations now have a roadmap for ramping up that activity for the next few months). While these numbers are still good, it still represents a downward trend over time (click the “All” button on the Steamcharts page to see this where even this recent bump, is barely a blip). The point is that it highlights a player retention issue (furthermore, the game really isn’t new player friendly; the “catch-up mechanics” are mostly utilized by veteran players when a new class comes out).
The longer-term issue with this retention (over time), is going to continue to be this slow bleeding since this is turning out to be the typical KMMO, one that it is primarily veteran player churn. I also don’t see Smilegate RPG pivoting away from this fixation with pushing item levels where it even locks out the ability to experience the story quests for newly introduced continents until appropriate catch-up gear is provided (or really casual players who return to see the next part of the story, find they need to engage in the end game raids and item level chase first). As it currently stands, you need to do raids (even for story progression) to get the mats to craft ancient gear in order to get to 1520 item level (to do the Voldis main story quest). The power pass that was provided as part of the Souleater class release, only gave relic gear as the catch-up gear (which gets you to 1490 where the expectation is to do the Brelshaza raid in order to craft ancient gear; you gear transfer your +15 relic to this ancient gear in order to continue honing it with the cost reductions from the express pass).
Since I refuse to go down this honing rabbit hole/raids, I know that I would get hard stuck at 1490 once I got to +15 on this relic gear unless I forced pushed a few of those pieces to +18 to get to 1520. From a gold, fusion material, and honing shard perspective though, that would be costly. Unless the next power pass gives ancient gear in the catch-up box, even the main story quest progression will be gated behind higher item levels that the more casual players, will find off putting. But Smilegate RPG/Gold River (temporarily serving in this interim director role) never really cared about catering to this demographic anyway, and the entire Lost Ark development team is in-line with Gold River’s vision (which is this item level treadmill design). So even though a new director is slated to be selected, the design objectives won’t vary that greatly for a while. So, it is what it is.
December 20th UPDATE: and this new elixir system (new power creep) really seals the deal for me. Since it requires ancient gear (that is at least 1525 item level) from the Akkan raid, that at least tells me that a future catch-up box will contain ancient gear from the Brelshaza raid (but you’ll be power limited w/o the elixir imbuement until getting the Akkan ancient gear and doing all of the tasks for elixirs). Hard pass on all of this.
