It's 2024, not 2004

I feel this needs to be said: Intrepid is heavily influenced by a vocal minority on social media, and it's steering the game toward the same pitfalls that have plagued past PvP-focused MMOs—a toxic community and a severe lack of content for non-PvP players. Unfortunately, Ashes of Creation already seems primed to suffer from both.

Yes, I understand Steven’s vision, and yes, I’m aware the game hasn’t launched yet. But none of that changes the reality: it’s not 2004 anymore. Casual players won’t tolerate the kinds of behavior being encouraged here, nor will they stick around if they’re harassed out of content or if there’s simply nothing meaningful for them to do. Do you want a target rich environment for PVP? Congrats, you need casual players, but that requires making adjustments for the good of the game.

The game is already heavily gated behind large zerg communities, which discourages smaller groups from even trying. Contrary to popular belief, small communities aren’t going to band together—they’ll just leave. Like it or not, Ashes of Creation needs casual players to sustain itself, especially with its subscription model. Do you honestly think casuals will keep paying for a game that enables toxic behavior and prioritizes a select few over the majority? They won’t. After 30–90 days, they’ll move on.

I’ve been playing MMOs since 1997 and love PvP, but if you believe the next generation of gamers will tolerate this kind of environment, you’re mistaken. Nobody—outside of a loud minority—wants another Lineage 2 or ArcheAge.

Steven, I’ll address you directly here: the sentiment that “this game may not be for you” is a dangerous attitude. It’s how you end up with a dead game. We don’t need Ashes to be World of Warcraft, but it also doesn’t need to repeat the mistakes of L2 or ArcheAge. Even the next ArcheAge iteration has admitted its past failures and is changing course. Steven players tend to steer clear of politics and drama—do you know why? Because real life is already full of that stuff. Games, especially MMOs, are meant to be an escape from all that chaos. With all due respect, it seems like you're caught up in a bubble, listening to people romanticize the "good old days" that, honestly, probably didn’t play out the way they claim. None of your responses during the PirateSoftware interview actually addressed these issues; in fact, they only reinforced these concerns even further.

It’s time to adapt. This game needs to ensure that all players—casuals, hardcore, PvP enthusiasts, PvE enthusiasts and smaller communities—can find enjoyment and meaningful content. Catering exclusively to zerg communities is not the way forward. People have their own lives and priorities. You’re free to dislike this post, but it doesn’t change the track record of PvP-focused MMOs since 1997 which is public knowledge. Rose colored glasses don't fix issues.

It's not 2004 anymore. Fight me.