ArcheAge's Maelstrom Expansion -- And Better Communication With XLGames -- On The Horizon

Get wet and wild in Maelstrom, the next expansion for ArcheAge, which will add the game's first PvP naval arena, a new open-world raid finder, and changes to the Gem system -- as well as promises of better communication between Trion Worlds and XLGames.

First lets talk about gameplay. Bloodsalt Bay is a new naval battleground that sends four crews of five players each into a massive free-for-all "against monsters and terrors of the deep." In PvE-land, the Raid Recruitment Board will help players organize for bigger raiding takedowns, and the Lunagem system has been greatly simplified to reduce random chance when upgrading. Who could have ever predicted randomness in crafting would be unpopular?

Along with the news, the ArcheAge Team has posted an update letter that makes some interesting promises to players. In it, Trion says it will offer players more direct contact with XLGames' Korean developers, including "Korean developer diaries" and "North American and European involvement in upcoming tests." The reference there is to the big Battle Balance tests that both Korean and US/EU gamers will participate in.

If that isn't enough, Trion also offers up probably the understatement of the century:

If there’s one thing we have heard you very loud and clear on, it’s that we need to reconsider how items are sold in the North American and European regions.

To that end, Trion is putting every option on the table ("no stone is being left unturned here"), including revising how supply crates work and how their contents are communicated. Over the summer, Trion began letting players know the rarity of drops in those crates, and this month they'll be taking T3 Honor Gems out of the crates altogether.

Maelstrom arrives in ArcheAge Dec. 6. There's a lot more in the letter, including word on potential new Fresh Start servers and a teaser for next year's first content drop. If you're still holding out hope for ArcheAge, make sure to give it a read.