ArcheAge Closed Beta Code Giveaways

http://www.archeagegame.com/en/news/2014/07/archeage-closed-beta-code-giveaways/

The other way to get into closed beta is, of course, to buy a founder's pack.  Unless you really want goodies from the two expensive founder's packs (primarily cosmetic, otherwise money you can spend later on the game for subscription/cash shop),  I'd recommend the cheapest one.  (Some of the founder "bonuses" -- evenstones, hereafter stones, pet healing -- are SUPER cheap in game.   It's rather deceptive to list these in the founder packs as if they are actually worth something!)  And IMO alpha access isn't worth it at this point -- beta will give you a much better experience as a new player.

I think there are 3 main differences between the Founder's packs, how much value you put into the differences versus the real life money spent is probably subjective.

1> Alpha/Beta/Closed Beta Access.  Alpha gives you 24/7 servers available to  you.  So if you either want to play this game all the time or don't have the time to devote certain weekends for the beta event then there's that for you.  I'm assuming the middle pack means that there will be a permanent closed beta server at some point but I have no information on that.

2> The Patron status duration.  The game is F2P but like Rift, LotRO, and countless other F2P games there is a subscription like option that gives you some more bang for your buck if you decide to play this game a lot and intend to spend some money in the in game item shop.  It's 90/60/30 days. 

3> Extra coins to spend in the in-game money shop and the glider.  I have no clue what the money shop will include since it's not active currently in Alpha but I can tell you that it's kind of a hassle to put together a half way decent glider in game at the moment lol.  Now the basic glider you with lowest Founder's pack is no big deal because you get a basic one at like level 12 in the game too.  But the nicer glider takes a bit more time to put together.

I agree with Laskmi that if you're only casually interested in the game, then subscribing for the basic Founder's pack is good enough since you can play the game during the closed beta weekends.  Then again, if you decide you love the game and want more access, I am not sure if you can upgrade your Founder's pack afterwards. 

It IS a fun game.  There is a lot to do and I think it has broad general appeal due to the sandbox nature of the game.  I think most people will find something to amuse themselves with, at least for a little while.  I've wasted so much time doing non-typical MMO things in this game lol.  Part of it is that it's Alpha and I feel no rush to level but part of it is that there are lots of almost minigame like things to do.  My latest thing was purposefully stealing something so I could go to jail and then attempt to break out of it.  Sure it wasn't as fun as I thought it might be but it's still amusing to have this available to you in a video game lol.

I agree it's a very fun game.  The depth and breadth are amazing, and with teamwork you can achieve some exciting and exceptional things.  I like the combat too. :)  No "dodge" per se, but you can certainly choose skills in your build that let you move and avoid damage.  Like most PVP games there's a meta and FOTM, but (like FFXIV) a single character can (with work) master all of the component classes for some insurance when the meta changes.

Plus, sailing is a lot of fun. :)

Re your #1 point, I've had fun on the Alpha servers but also the frustrations of a lowbie in a PvP world where almost everyone else is at the level cap and geared.  Before Omega opened it took days~ to find an open place to build a house and when I did it turned out to be not only in a contested region but in the very housing area that is home to the largest same-faction PK guild in the East.  As you can imagine I got a an in-depth education in same-faction PK, at the cost of days of gathering effort.

Re your money points #2 and #3, I dunno.  We don't really know that this is a discount compared to just buying patron status and cash shop currency when the game launches.  

That's also my largest concern going forward when this game goes live.  I realize that Asian MMO's tend to be a bit more 'hardcore' when it comes to PvP (I got ganked so many damn times in the first Lineage lol) but I'm afraid the combination of the harsher PvP rules and the less savory elements of the F2P crowd will make this game somewhat of a gankfest.

And I like the combat too.  With all the action RPG type MMO's of late, I have missed the more traditional tab targeting unlimited hotbar combat style.  I do still reflexively try to dodge every attack and sometimes I forget to actually click on the mob before I attack, but I like the familiarity of the combat system.  Also, in my own personal opinion, a game that does not restrict the number of abilities available to you with a limited hotbar allows for far more choices and customization when it comes to playstyle and play specs.  In other words, I like having lots of hotbars lol.

Actually I think on the real servers the ganking of PVErs will be a lot less, 'cause most of the farming and homesteading will be in safe zones.  (In Alpha folks were forced to homestead in contested zones due to a large population will 100% patron status.  In live, I expect real estate in safe zones to be more available.)

The main lesson I learned, however, is that even contested zones go into a state of peace for a couple hours after the War state expires, and gankers of either faction can't touch you then.   Peace comes, and suddenly there's a mass migration of trade packs through the zone. :-)

I've been playing the alpha for about a month now and I absolutely love it. The combat is superb, the landscapes are amazing, the castles are incredible, the gliders are wonderful, everything about it is exactly what I want in an MMO.

But I'm not going to play it. It's such a beautifully crafted and thoroughly thought through game that is going to be swiftly and aggressively destroyed by morons. Breaks my heart.

I wish they'd let those of us who have Alpha access and may not have a lot of free time to participate in the closed beta tests some way to transfer the beta access to another person.  That way other people can experience the game also.  I know for security reasons it's probably impossible to do, but I feel like I'm wasting a closed beta slot that someone else could put to better use.

Vana, I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or serious lol.