Albion Online

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Albion Online
Albion Online.jpg
Developer(s) Sandbox Interactive
Publisher(s) Sandbox Interactive
Designer(s) Robin Henkys
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
ReleaseWindows, macOS, Linux
  • WW: July 17, 2017
iOS, Android
  • WW: June 9, 2021
Genre(s) MMORPG
Mode(s) Multiplayer

Albion Online (AO) is a free medieval fantasy MMORPG by Sandbox Interactive, a company under the Stillfront Group since January 2021.

Contents

Set in a medieval world, Albion Online is a medieval fantasy game based on the Arthurian legends, with militaristic strategy aspects to it. Albion Online has been translated into 11 languages and has over 5 million registered users.

Gameplay

Albion Online's gameplay centers itself around a classless system, in which the equipment a player chooses to wear defines their abilities and the way they can play. Players can go out and do activities in Albion's world in order to gain "Fame", similar to "experience" in other MMORPGs. Through this Fame players can get access to other weapon and armor types, with stronger equipment requiring more Fame to use. Stronger gear can be used as players progress throughout the game.

The game has a large open-world map that players can travel through. Different PVP zones offer different levels of risk and reward, including Yellow, Red, and Black zones; Red and Black zones feature full loot drop upon death.

The game has a fully player driven economy. All equipment and items are made by other players. The game offers both PVE and PVP experience.

Another aspect of the game is guilds. Players can join under the same banner with up to 300 players and fight over territories, castles and other objectives. These large-scale battles are called ZvZ, short for Zerg vs Zerg.

Development

The game was developed and published by Berlin-based studio Sandbox Interactive. [1] During the beta stages of development, players were able to purchase "Founder's Packs" to gain access to the closed beta play-tests which were run intermittently by Sandbox Interactive, typically after an interval of a few months of development. After the release of the game, these founder's packs were made unavailable for purchase. Albion Online removed its free-to-play model for various reasons in December 2015 (which was then made free again at a later date). [2]

When it was initially released on July 17, 2017, [3] Albion Online offered a selection of "Starter Packs" which granted players access to the game and offered a varying amount of gold (in-game currency) to get started. [4] Once a player purchased any of the starter packs, they would be granted open-ended access to the game with no extra mandatory fees. Players could also purchase membership for a limited amount of time without the benefits of the starter packs. By April 2019, Albion Online went free to play. [5] Players can also buy premium with in-game currency (gold & silver).

A second server based in Singapore named "the east server" was opened to the public in March 2023. [6] [7]

The game released its latest update called "Crystal Raiders" in January 2024. [8] Two months later, a new server was announced for the Europe, Middle East and North Africa regions. [9] This announcement sparked controversies within the community, with some users claiming it will negatively affect activity on the existing North American server and calling the decision a cash grab.

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References

  1. ↑ "Careers at Sandbox Interactive". www.albiononline.com. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "Road to Release - Albion Online Forum". Albion Online Forum. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "Albion Online- The Journey Starts NOW!". www.albiononline.com. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  4. ↑ "Albion Online:Become a Founder". www.albiononline.com. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  5. ↑ "Albion Online is Now Free-to-Play". Albion Online Forum. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  6. ↑ "Albion Online | the Fantasy Sandbox MMORPG".
  7. ↑ "Albion Online's Albion East server is officially live today for F2P players with no region locking | Massively Overpowered". 20 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "Crystal Raiders Arrives January 8". Albion Online. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  9. ↑ "Albion Online is coming to Europe!". www.albiononline.com. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
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