First, a short introduction. I need to apologize that this is my first formal introduction. My name is Brandon, and I joined the Citadel Studios team in late February as a game designer. I’m a gamer with a history of playing games like Ultima Online, Darkfall, and countless other MMOs. I have a passion for the sandbox genre, and a love for PvP. I can’t express how privileged I feel to work on Legends of Aria and am excited for how the game will evolve as our team grows. Without further ado, here is a taste of what to expect from the Allegiance system in the near future.

Goals

There are two major goals that we feel need to be met concerning Allegiances. The first is that they should incentivize players to participate. Allegiances are an opt-in system, and currently we think we can do better to encourage more activity. I will go into more detail about that below. The second goal is to provide more opportunity and incentive for players to engage in consensual, challenging, and rewarding combat. We know that this has been an issue for a while now, and we don’t want PvP to be exclusive to murderers. This is a system that we hope continues to evolve and be added onto.

Rankings Rework

Some changes have been made to the Allegiance ranking system under the hood. Players are now ranked, in order, against the rest of their own Allegiance. Players now earn a percentile of where they place, a rank (1-7), and a standing which represents your numerical order on the pecking list. In addition, your favor/rank points will no longer disappear when leaving an Allegiance or switching sides. We want players to mix things up, and for there to be incentive to join less dominant Allegiances. Allegiances now have seasons which will periodically reset rankings, allowing players a fresh start and a new landscape of competition.

All Hail Lord Ebris!

A third Allegiance team is being added, based in Eldeir! The thinking behind this is to create more dynamic balances of power between enemy Allegiances, and give players more ways to organize themselves with and against each other.

Events

The next update includes the introduction of our first Allegiance events. These are localized, periodic scenarios which pit Allegiances against each other to fight over a goal. The first event is a very free form objective that rewards participants for roaming while winning fights and staying alive. Performance is rewarded on an individual basis, and players earn Allegiance currency as the event plays out. I will leave the rest for you all to explore on your own. Once the update is live, just sign up for an Allegiance and you will be notified in game when an event starts!

Rewards

Finally: sweet loot and bragging rights for the best fighters of Celador. With Allegiance currency earned from events, combined with rank requirements, players will now have access to vendor-purchasable rewards including everything from decorations and cosmetics to items which will prove to be valuable on the battlefield. These rewards should feel meaningful and useful without negatively impacting the balance of combat. Yes, there will be mounts.

What’s Next?

The Allegiance system is an important part of our game and we have more ideas in store. We are excited for more event types, more things to fight over, and ways to make players feel invested in the conflict. Expect the Allegiance update to hit the experimental server soon; don’t forget to test! I can’t wait to see you out there fighting.

– Brandon

Discover a world forged by players, where your choices write the story. What role will you play?

Key Features:

• • A Living, Breathing MMORPG: Explore a true open world without limitation. Build, explore and adventure with thousands of players in a living breathing world defined by you.
  • Skill-Based World: Legends of Aria returns to a true skill based system. Build your character your way, be you a crafter, adventurer, merchant or humble fisherman. Hone your skills through use and play your way with a choice of over 32 unique skills.
  • Return to a True Sandbox: Legends of Aria is inspired by the original sandbox MMORPGs. Experience a world that does not hold your hand. A world that is driven by you and shaped by our community. A world of dangers, where friendships, enemies made and your actions written into legend.
  • Community Servers and Modding: The first MMORPG to fully support player run servers. Legends of Aria is designed to be modded from top to bottom including custom gameplay rules, custom content and even entirely custom created worlds.