We’ve teased upcoming Ashes of Creation for its “nodes,” and apparently Intrepid Studios agrees that they’re confusing, as the MMORPG has released a dev blog this afternoon explaining just what they are, again.
“Nodes are a pre-set location, wrapped in a zone of influence, in our world that can form into towns of different sizes. These sizes range from a small camp to a sprawling metropolis. The size of the towns depends on the contribution by players and how far they’ve advanced the Node. Players do not create the footprint of a Node, but within that footprint they do have the ability to own land. Players who are part of the government for a specific Node will have the ability to modify building types and services further, but for the most part, a Node will grow along its own specific path (think about this more as NPCs building these towns out, rather than PCs individually putting buildings and walls up). A Node’s contribution area is larger than the actual town itself, allowing for players to adventure while building upon the town. We call the contribution area the Node’s ‘Zone of Influence,’ and it’s the area where players help to advance the Node they are in.”
Nodes can grow into towns, and players who perform activities within their boundaries contribute back to the node (and vice versa), but the size of the municipalities is limited; there can be only so many huge, sprawling metropoleis at a time, after all. Nodes will also have a determined type — military, divine, economic, and scientific — which will provide benefits to the associated activities.
The rest of the world, Intrepid says, will form around the nodes. “Where towns form will dictate which raid boss appears, which dungeons are available, which quest lines become unlocked, and how the tale of the server unfolds,” the devs say.
