I’ve already written an introduction to Albion Online, a free-to-play sandbox MMO. I’ve been following the game with fascination since just before its release. But every time I’ve gotten into it, I’ve quit again after just a few weeks. Why? I have no idea.
Of course, one reason is surely the limited time I can invest in my hobby. Destiny 2 has had me hooked for months, leaving little time for other games. On the other hand, I’m also on the go a lot, and Albion Online is ideal for that. It runs on my iPhone and can be controlled with the Backbone controller. It’s unusual, but that’s true for all games except racing games. So, perfect for on the go? Probably, aside from PvP, although many players, especially in Asia, also play competitively on their smartphones.
So why this post now? Sandbox Interactive, the developers of Albion, threw their long-standing slogan “One world, one server” overboard last year. They launched a separate server for the Asian region. That seems to have worked out well, at least financially. So well, in fact, that starting in April, there will also be a dedicated server for Europe. This means our data packets no longer have to travel all the way to the US. A 20-30ms ping instead of 150ms. A blessing, especially for mobile gaming, which can add another 50ms in the worst-case scenario.
So, a good reason to get back into the game? Into a completely untouched world, since you can’t transfer your characters from other worlds. Sounds tempting. Unfortunately, so do the founder’s packs, priced from a bargain €20 to €200. And since you want both the year of premium and the cool stuff, it’ll be the €200 set, if anything. And that’s where the doubts creep in.
Will I really play the game enough to get my €200 worth? Will it grab me this time, or will I just end up hanging around alone in the safe zones again, grinding the rather dull PvE content due to a lack of group integration (which requires free time)? Unlike Destiny 2, Albion offers little instant action. Everything requires planning and lead time, with a potentially frustrating outcome in the worst case. It reminds me of Eve Online, which I no longer play for a reason.
I don’t know. The FOMO countdown on the founder’s pack page gives me seven more days. Currently, my opinion changes from week to week. And Destiny 2 is also releasing new content right when Albion EU goes live…