‘Assassin’s Creed: Empire’ Release Date Set, But Developer Wants Input On Game Economy

The Assassin’s Creed: Empire release date has been cited for 2017 as Ubisoft attempts to overhaul that series once more. For now, they’re working on the in-game economy and asking gamers for their opinions about what worked and what didn’t in past games. They also want suggestions about how to keep it balanced and fun.

Arguably, Black Flag and Rogue were the last good games in many gamers’ opinion, while other felt AC3 was the best game in the series so far. It all boils down to personal opinion.

However, a popular opinion is that Unity was where the series failed hardest. When it launched, there were game-breaking glitches where Arno (the game’s protagonist) would literally fall through the ground. Of course, the most famous glitch was the one where cut-scene characters would appear without a face, bringing back memories of the film Mars Attacks‘ aliens.

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Allegedly, the Assassin’s Creed: Empire release date will have the game set in Egypt during a time period mostly known for the building of the pyramids and brutal slave labor conditions. Of course, it could all be misdirection just like Ubisoft did with Unity. In Black Flag, the announcements on the walls at Abstergo stated how ninjas and cowboys were bad ideas for future releases. Rumors ran wild, from ancient Japan to Civil War-era United States, and even Russia, before Ubisoft revealed that the game would take place during the French Revolution.

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— george welford (@LongEaredFox) July 25, 2016

One thing AC2 introduced, which became a mainstay of the series, was a perpetual income. It worked offline but required Ezio to travel to his family’s city to collect it, something which you couldn’t do in some parts of the game.

AC3 began the trend of hunting, which barely made any difference other than to ward off predators and sell their hides for money. Later in the game, there was an option to maintain and repair a home base for an income much like AC2, but it came late enough in the game that some early quitters never saw it.

Black Flag began a more ongoing and proactive version of income, but it required an internet connection to make it work, an idea that was carried over into Rogue. It was enjoyable even though it carried over into your next gaming session due to being connected to your Uplay account and not your game save.

Unity let you upgrade the Cafe Theater, and Syndicate gave you an income based on your progress, accessible through the Rooks’ train hideout.

The Assassin’s Creed: Empire release date could feature yet another style of in-game economy, though if it’s set in Ancient Egypt, it might be based on gold bars or types of gems you can use to upgrade sphinxes and such.

Community manager Grace Orlady (Ubi_Banshee) posted the following on Reddit, seeking ideas for the economy in Assassin’s Creed: Empire before its release date hits.

“We know that the economy is really important part of the gameplay experience, and having a satisfying economy makes doing missions, resource grinds, rewards, upgrades, etc. all the more exciting when done in a balanced way.”

If you have a favorite type of economy from the past games in the franchise, and you have a Reddit account, let her know in a comment.

It would probably be a good idea to eliminate micro-transaction upgrades and focus on an offline form of income from a location you can access from anywhere at any time.

There might be gifts from followers left inside a pyramid based on how colorful the sphinxes are, as one suggestion. How do you want to earn in-game currency when the Assassin’s Creed: Empire release date hits?

[Image via Ubisoft]