ArcheAge S is hype, but if they don't fix the power gap, it’s DOA. (A blueprint for the devs)
Look, like a lot of you, I was there for the magic of the 2013 ArcheAge launch. Hearing that Kim Kyung-tae is bringing the team back for ArcheAge S: Strait of Freedom as a PC-exclusive, true openworld sandbox is exactly what we've been begging for.
But lets be real If they dont address vertical power scaling and the predatory cash shop it's going to fail just like every other modern MMO that tries to do a sandbox
Here’s what I honestly think needs to happen if they want casuals, solo pirates, and hardcore guilds to actually coexist
1. Cap the gear advantage at 20% We’ve all seen what happens in games like Albion Online when massive vertical tiers (like 8.4 gear) exist A whale swipes their card, gets a 60% to 100% mathematical advantage, and just auto-deletes under-geared players without a single ounce of skill It completely ruins the sandbox and drives casuals away from trade routes.
If they cap the difference between a standard F2P endgame player and a maxed out whale , it gives hardcore players a noticeable edge, but keeps it tight enough that a coordinated 3 man casual crew running a trade pack can still outplay and kill a solo whale.
2. Give us true action combat and physical hitboxes Tab target always favors the guy with the bigger spreadsheet numbers. If we want that tight 20% gear gap to actually work, we need a crosshair based action combat system like we had in TERA.
Think about it if you have to physically aim skillshots and rely on active i-frame dodges (honestly, anyone who has sunk thousands of hours into games like Monster Hunter Freedom Unite or Iceborne knows exactly how much a well timed dodge levels the playing field a missed swing does zero damage, no matter how much the weapon cost. Imagine high-seas boarding parties where you’re physically Dodging attacks and reacting to the battle instead of just mashing your AOEs and using the ship’s mast to break line of sight.
3. Monetize cosmetics, not stats Publishers love stat bloat because its an easy cash grab But games like League and Mobile Legends prove you can make billions on cosmetics alone if the core loop is fair. Since ArcheAge is a physical sandbox, they should just go all in on visual flexes:
- Ships: Sell custom sails, glowing hulls, and figureheads that don't change the ship's speed or HP.
- Housing: Premium blueprints (cozy cottages, gothic mansions), animated furniture, unique lighting. People will pay just to flex on their neighbors passing by.
- Mounts & Gliders: Keep the baseline speeds uniform, but sell sick visual skins (spectral horses, steampunk glider wings).
If XLGames lets whales buy insurmountable stats again, this game is going to bleed out just like the post-Hiram era. But if they enforce a tight gear gap, add fluid action combat, and stick to cosmetic monetization, we might actually get the golden era of sandbox MMOs back.
TL;DR: Keep gear gaps to a fair amount, use TERA style action combat with proper i-frames and only sell cosmetics like ship sails and housing items. Let skill dictate who survives the ocean.
What do you think would a strict cosmetic only shop be enough to keep a modern MMO afloat, or are publishers too addicted to P2W mechanics to even try?