Greetings! Fellow citizens of Verra, the most anticipated Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 Freehold update was released days ago through their youtube channel video below. The video contains a preview of the new immersive gameplay mechanics of the Freehold system such as mounts, new resources, farming, rearing animals, crafting, inventory management and housing.
Mounts
The gameplay preview of the new Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 Freehold update showcased two majestic mounts that you can use for traveling: Drake of the Canopy and a Lightfoot Leverit.
Drake of the Canopy
Lightfoot Leverit
New Resources
Halcyonite (Special Blue Rocks)
The new Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 Freehold update included an interesting new resource called Halcyonite, which is a valuable mid-tier gem that can be used for weapons, jewelry, decorations, and many more crafting options. Take note that Halcyonites can only be found in specific locations throughout the open world. Therefore, selecting the places where you will build your Freehold is important when it comes to having easy access to resources.
Farming (Crops and Livestock)
The new update on the Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 Freehold included open spaces within the Freehold that are highly customizable, where you can plant and grow crops such as tomatoes, corn and wheat. The seeds needed to cultivate those crops may be acquired from vendors and locations around the open world. You can also dedicate a space within the Freehold for rearing livestock such as pigs, cows, sheep, and chickens.
A unique aspect of farming and animal husbandry is that you can breed your animals to have specialized attributes such as more movement speed, health, and other stats. Furthermore, you can also breed them for better harvest yield, fertility rate and increased yield from butchering livestock.
You can also obtain various byproducts from the animals after raising them for a set amount of time. Cows produce milk and beef; chickens produce eggs; sheep produce wool; and many more unique by-products.
Processing Materials
Another unique feature of the Freehold system is crafting, where you can process goods or materials. In the youtube video, the devs introduce an Artisan building that can give you access to creating workstations that can produce unique materials. For example, metals can only be processed and produced by a metalworking station. The artisan building can also benefit the Freehold in processing proficiency depending on what buildings or workstations you have; for instance, you can grow crops a little bit faster and produce more refined crop rotations.
This Artisan building mechanic within the Freehold allows players to create materials that are unique in the open world and can be traded with other players. In other words, players have the freedom to build businesses on specific materials that they can supply to other players, creating more immersive and complex gameplay.
Artisan Building
Metalworking Station
Inventory Mechanics
In the gameplay video, the devs showed how you can store resources inside your inventory using different types of bags, such as the Sanctus Resource Bag. You can also store resources inside the Freehold chests located within your house. The unique aspect of managing your inventory is the Tetris-like mechanic where resources will have different shapes and sizes that will affect how you use your available storage space. Therefore, from time to time, you will need to strategize on what resources you will bring inside your bag and what items you will drop in your Freehold chests.
Sanctus Resource Bag
Freehold Chests
Housing
Last but not least are the houses you can build within your Freehold! You can customize, decorate and design the interior of your house. An awesome feature of the houses is the functional furniture, where your character could interact with a variety of prop items. For example, you can sleep on your bed to get some rest experience, or your character could also sit on the chairs. The housing system encourages you to be creative and is a great opportunity to express yourself in the world of Verra.
The impressive and enigmatic world of Ashes of Creation continues to evolve and instill a sense of awe in all of us, and we can’t wait to unravel the mysteries and conquer the challenges that await us within its realms. For now, we can only immerse ourselves in its fascinating development and envision the glorious ways to play the game. Therefore, be emboldened by the power of your ambition and be ready to leave a mark in the lands of Verra.
