X Marx the Spot - ArcheAge Announces Expansion Focused on Housing

Every MMO goes through its own growing (or shrinking) pains, so it is no surprise to see that five months following its release, talk of server merges in Trion's MMO ArcheAge have dominated the forums. While many players feel that consolidating servers would breathe new life into the game, there are many questions that need to be answered due to the way the game goes about many of its core mechanics, namely player housing.

The biggest worry for most players is how server merges will affect the housing system since it currently operates under a  "first come, first served" policy. For those who are forced to move to a new server, all of the prime housing locations would already be claimed making it impossible for new arrivals to experience one of the game's biggest draws. Thus, Trion has recently announced an upcoming housing-focused expansion that will address these concerns.

Dubbed the "Social-IST (Social Intervention for Server Transfers) Expansion", Trion will be utilizing a portion of Patron Pass income to fund the creation of developer-subsidized housing in Erenor. These shelters will be free to all players who are homeless upon arriving on a new server in order to attempt to level the playing field with those who have been on the server since launch. "Since we can't provide equity of opportunity," stated one developer who worked on the expansion, "we felt it was our responsibility to try to provide equity in other ways. Creating developer-subsidized housing seemed like the ethical choice."

Not all players are pleased with the news. Karl McEwin took the the forums and wrote, "My older brother gave me my plot when he quit playing last month. He stayed up all night one night to make sure he was there when the servers first opened to get it. Many a Mtn Dews were drank and Hot Pockets consumed that night and I can only assume he took at least a few days off his life to lay claim to our gorgeous beachfront property. Why should I be punished despite all the hard work my brother put in? Anyone new to the server needs a lesson in hard work. If they just try harder, they will get what they want!"

Another controversial feature of the Social-IST expansion will be a new 10% tax on all transactions that include gold, including loot drops and quest rewards, that will be distributed to all players who have been on the server one month or less. "We know what's best for our players," said the Trion dev. "Sure, there are a few players who own premium housing locations and have made stacks on stacks of gold, but they've never lived a day in a server transfer's shoes." In order to be eligible to receive this benefit, all a player has to do it login and "/w ObamaDev: goldz pls".

The Social-IST Expansion is slated for late summer 2015.