March Development Live Stream showcasing Naval Warfare, the Rogue and Jundark!

Something the team at the Codex are excited for is the addition of ships to Ashes of Creation and in this Live stream we got a really good look into the Naval systems coming into the game! In this article we take a look at what happened during the March Development Live Stream.

TTK and PTR: Patience and Progress

First up, Time-to-Kill (TTK) changes are still on the radar, but don’t hold your breath for an ETA just yet. Intrepid acknowledges the community’s feedback on combat pacing and has slotted TTK tweaks onto their ever-growing “To Do” list. Meanwhile, the Public Test Realm (PTR) is expanding, with Alpha 2 pack holders starting to receive invites. It’s a sign that testing is ramping up, giving more players a chance to dive in and help refine the game.

Bug Reports: The Unsung Heroes of Development

Margaret Krohn, Intrepid’s Communications Director, took a moment to remind everyone how vital in-game bug reports are. These reports aren’t just busywork—they’re the backbone of the development process, helping the team squash issues and polish systems. With eight new employees joining Intrepid over the next two weeks, the studio’s growing workforce will have even more hands on deck to tackle those pesky bugs and push the game forward.

Stealth and Sieges

Combat’s getting sneakier with the direction-based stealth system. Picture this: you’re more cloaked behind an enemy than in front, adding a layer of strategy to your sneaky shenanigans. Take a look at the Rogue Skill Tree on our Build Planner which you can see here.

On the siege front, things are heating up. To craft a Node Siege Banner, you’ll need to hit level 15+ and fork over 1,000 gold plus extra resources. Only nodes at level 3 or higher can be sieged, and there’s a three-day cooldown between attempts—plenty of time to lick your wounds or plot revenge.

Sieges are exclusive affairs, too. Only players who sign up can enter the siege area, and anyone caught loitering gets the boot once the chaos kicks off. Interestingly, you don’t need to be a citizen of the node to join the fray, opening the door for mercenaries and opportunists. Intrepid’s rolling out large systems like sieges and naval combat in stages, so expect a gradual buildup rather than an all-at-once explosion of features.

When a siege is declared, resources in node storage get locked until the dust settles—plan accordingly! This adds a strategic twist, forcing players to prep ahead or risk losing access to their stockpiles mid-battle.

Relics

Relics are shaping up to be a game-changer. Ranging from Common to Legendary, these treasures offer active and passive benefits that mayors can activate to boost their nodes. Some relics are easy pickings, while others demand serious effort—and the high-tier ones? They’ll be as rare as a unicorn in Verra. If your node falls in a successful siege, those relics can be snatched, adding stakes to every battle. Down the line, a Reliquary building will let citizens admire their node’s hard-won collection, turning relics into a point of pride.

Naval

The naval system is sailing into view, and while Caravels aren’t meant for the Riverlands yet, they’re already stealing the show. These ships will be customizable, with options to swap out potion launchers (80-90m range) for other attachments like water-breathing packs, sail upgrades, or hull enhancements. Spot a Caravel from 350m away or a caravan raft from 200m, but beware—when they’re destroyed, they’re gone for good, just like land caravans.

Harbors are getting an update in the 0.8 update, with commodity loading for Caravels and tweaks to the caravan system. Merchant ships will have cargo holds, dockable only at specific harbors, while ramming attachments and cosmetic sail emblems are in the works (though the latter’s a ways off). Out on the seas, NPC factions and PvE worldbosses like the Kraken promise epic encounters, and Intrepid’s mulling over resurrection or repair systems for lost vessels. Steven Sharif even hinted at tweaking ship prices to encourage testing—losing a ship should sting, but not break the bank just yet.

Jundark

Next month, the Jundark biome drops, and it’s set to be a dense, jungle-themed wonderland—thicker than the Tropics and linking the Turquoise Sea to the Desert and Riverlands. You can even sail around the southwestern cape for a scenic route. It’s a fresh playground for explorers, and with the 0.8 update on the horizon, Verra’s world keeps expanding.

Feedback: Your Voice Matters

Throughout the stream, Intrepid hammered home the importance of community feedback via the forums. Whether it’s ship costs, siege mechanics, or that stealthy rogue lurking behind you, they want to hear it. Steven’s take on ship pricing—“The repercussions of losing a ship and how that impacts gameplay”—shows they’re testing not just systems, but the feel of the game itself.