Posted by PrintsKaspian (Source)

Accessibility to high-level content is one of the cornerstones of the upcoming Into the Fray update, both in terms of the open-world experience and Albion’s 5v5 play. In this Dev Talk, Game Director Robin Henkys takes an in-depth look at some of the ways this will be addressed - with new Portal Towns, a Journey Back ability, new Arena and Crystal League modes, and more.

Read on for a summary of the video, and watch our previous Dev Talk on Magic Staffs here.

Portal Towns

• Replace the existing Outlands portal regions
• Each Royal City has a corresponding Portal Town in the Outlands
• Each Portal Town shares a Bank and Marketplace with its corresponding Royal City, allowing Outlands-based players a more convenient access point for these
• Each Portal Town features a number of exits into the Outlands
• Invisibility Shrines are now more prominent, and their Invisibility effect lasts longer

Journey Back Ability

• Designed to encourage players to venture deeper into the open world
• Journey Back is an ability on all mounts except for battle mounts
• Transports the player to their last-visited City or Hideout, after a medium-length channel
• Using this ability costs a Silver fee, determined by the distance traveled and the value of goods and equipment carried
• Cannot be used in the following cases:
  • After trading with another player
  • After taking items from a Bank or player-placed chest
  • When returning from a trade mission
  • When positioned within a large group of players
  • When subject to the Disarray or Outlaw penalties

Other Convenience Improvements

• New on-death tutorials and survival tips
• Lost Equipment Loadout saves the last equipment you wore before death into a loadout, for quick regearing
• Training Dummies for combat practice added to Player Islands (from Level 1) and Guild Islands (from Level 3)
• UI improvements like tooltips for region exits, a Muted Players UI, searching and filtering in crafting UIs, and an improved Party UI

Crystal Arena

• A new competitive, non-full-loot, 5v5 Arena mode
• Players can sign up solo or as a group, and will be auto-matched with an opposing team of a similar skill level
• Winning matches earns Rank Points, which determines a player’s Arena Rank
• Rewards for winning a match scale up as a player’s rank increases, and players also earn rewards when they reach a new level (once per season for each level)
• Rewards include a new gladiator-themed wardrobe set, exclusively given for Arena participation

Non-Lethal Crystal League

• Will run parallel to the existing, full-loot Crystal League
• Provides an additional pathway to the Crystal League Championship
• Offers rewards, though less than the full-loot League

Other Changes

• Rewards for both Crystal League modes now include the new Crystal Gladiator wardrobe set
  • This is exclusive to the Crystal Leagues and is non-tradable
• Adjustments made to the Crystal League map
• New Double Healer Penalty debuff in the Crystal League
• New Custom Matches UI allows you to challenge another party with a specific map and set of rules
• General Arena rewards have been improved

With these accessibility improvements to high-level action in the Outlands, Crystal League and Crystal Arena, we can’t wait to see both new and experienced players try them out when Into the Fray launches on June 8. Stay tuned for our next Dev Talk, where we’ll discuss Victory Emotes, Dynamic Events and all the changes and improvements coming to Castles. See you then!