How Settlement Progression Works in Ashes of Creation
How Do Settlement Stages Work in Ashes of Creation?
In Ashes of Creation, settlements are not pre-built cities that players simply discover. Instead, they grow over time based on what players actually do in the surrounding area. Most players interact with this system without even realizing how much their daily activity affects settlement growth.
Settlement stages represent the level of development of a node. As a settlement gains experience, it moves through a series of stages, unlocking more buildings, services, and player options along the way.
In general, a settlement only grows because players are active nearby. If people stop playing in an area, progress slows or even stalls.
How Many Settlement Stages Are There?
Currently, settlements have six stages of advancement:
Each stage requires a certain amount of experience to reach, and the time it takes depends entirely on player behavior in that area.
How Does a Settlement Gain Experience?
Settlement experience comes from player activity inside the Zone of Influence around a node. This includes:
In general, the more players active in an area, the faster the settlement advances.
Can Events or Bonuses Affect Settlement Growth?
Yes. Settlement experience is not always a flat number.
Certain events, achievements, and accomplishments can modify how much experience a settlement receives. For example:
Are There Situations Where a Settlement Cannot Advance?
Yes, and this is something many players overlook.
Even if a settlement has enough experience, it may not be allowed to advance due to system rules. The most common case involves vassal settlements.
If a settlement is a vassal of a parent settlement, it cannot advance to the same stage as its parent. For example, if the parent settlement is already a Town, the vassal settlement cannot also become a Town until the parent advances further.
In practice, this often creates competition and political tension between nearby nodes.
What Is the Wilderness Stage?
The Wilderness stage is stage 0. At this point, there is no settlement at all.
Most players don’t think about this stage because it represents untouched land. Once players begin interacting with content in the area, the node starts progressing toward the first visible settlement stage.
There is no housing or infrastructure here.
What Happens at the Expedition (Crossroads) Stage?
The Expedition stage is the first visible form of a settlement.
At this stage, players usually don’t settle down long-term. It’s more of a temporary hub.
How Does the Encampment Stage Change Things?
The Encampment stage represents a more established foothold.
However, it is still not a place where most players invest heavily.
Why Is the Village Stage So Important?
The Village stage is where settlements start to feel permanent.
Most players see Village as the “make or break” stage. If activity drops here, a node may stagnate. If activity continues, growth can accelerate quickly.
What Changes When a Settlement Becomes a Town?
The Town stage represents long-term commitment.
In practice, Towns often become regional hubs, especially if nearby nodes fail to compete.
What Does the City (Metropolis) Stage Represent?
The City, also called the Metropolis, is the final settlement stage.
Most players understand that Cities are not meant to be common. They represent the dominant nodes shaped by sustained player activity, organization, and political strategy.
Why Did the Developers Merge City and Metropolis?
During Alpha-2 testing, developers realized that the City stage did not meaningfully differ from Metropolis.
In practice, both stages served the same purpose, and the extra level added unnecessary complexity. As a result, the progression was simplified so that Town now advances directly into Metropolis.
For most players, this change made the system easier to understand and more consistent.
How Do Most Players Interact With Settlement Progression?
Most players do not actively “plan” settlement growth.
Usually, they:
Some players may try to optimize progression or prepare resources early. Others may focus on personal goals like gearing, crafting, or even looking for ways to buy AoC gold from a trusted site like U4N to save time, though this does not directly affect settlement experience.
What Should Players Keep in Mind About Settlement Stages?
In general:
In Ashes of Creation, settlements are not pre-built cities that players simply discover. Instead, they grow over time based on what players actually do in the surrounding area. Most players interact with this system without even realizing how much their daily activity affects settlement growth.
Settlement stages represent the level of development of a node. As a settlement gains experience, it moves through a series of stages, unlocking more buildings, services, and player options along the way.
In general, a settlement only grows because players are active nearby. If people stop playing in an area, progress slows or even stalls.
How Many Settlement Stages Are There?
Currently, settlements have six stages of advancement:
- Wilderness
- Expedition (also called Crossroads)
- Encampment (also called Camp)
- Village
- Town
- City (also known as Metropolis)
Each stage requires a certain amount of experience to reach, and the time it takes depends entirely on player behavior in that area.
How Does a Settlement Gain Experience?
Settlement experience comes from player activity inside the Zone of Influence around a node. This includes:
- Completing quests
- Killing mobs
- Gathering resources
- Crafting
- Participating in events
- Exploring and progressing content
In general, the more players active in an area, the faster the settlement advances.
Can Events or Bonuses Affect Settlement Growth?
Yes. Settlement experience is not always a flat number.
Certain events, achievements, and accomplishments can modify how much experience a settlement receives. For example:
- Successful node-related events may boost experience gains
- Major accomplishments can temporarily speed up progress
- Some failures or conflicts may slow growth
Are There Situations Where a Settlement Cannot Advance?
Yes, and this is something many players overlook.
Even if a settlement has enough experience, it may not be allowed to advance due to system rules. The most common case involves vassal settlements.
If a settlement is a vassal of a parent settlement, it cannot advance to the same stage as its parent. For example, if the parent settlement is already a Town, the vassal settlement cannot also become a Town until the parent advances further.
In practice, this often creates competition and political tension between nearby nodes.
What Is the Wilderness Stage?
The Wilderness stage is stage 0. At this point, there is no settlement at all.
Most players don’t think about this stage because it represents untouched land. Once players begin interacting with content in the area, the node starts progressing toward the first visible settlement stage.
There is no housing or infrastructure here.
What Happens at the Expedition (Crossroads) Stage?
The Expedition stage is the first visible form of a settlement.
- Estimated time to reach: a few hours
- Housing: none
- Purpose: basic presence and early services
At this stage, players usually don’t settle down long-term. It’s more of a temporary hub.
How Does the Encampment Stage Change Things?
The Encampment stage represents a more established foothold.
- Estimated time to reach: many hours
- Housing: none
- Focus: stability and preparation
However, it is still not a place where most players invest heavily.
Why Is the Village Stage So Important?
The Village stage is where settlements start to feel permanent.
- Estimated time to reach: a few days
- Static housing: around 8 units
Most players see Village as the “make or break” stage. If activity drops here, a node may stagnate. If activity continues, growth can accelerate quickly.
What Changes When a Settlement Becomes a Town?
The Town stage represents long-term commitment.
- Estimated time to reach: many days
- Housing: expands significantly
- Systems: deeper crafting, governance, and services
In practice, Towns often become regional hubs, especially if nearby nodes fail to compete.
What Does the City (Metropolis) Stage Represent?
The City, also called the Metropolis, is the final settlement stage.
- Estimated time to reach: many weeks
- Static housing: approximately 55 units
- Role: major regional power
Most players understand that Cities are not meant to be common. They represent the dominant nodes shaped by sustained player activity, organization, and political strategy.
Why Did the Developers Merge City and Metropolis?
During Alpha-2 testing, developers realized that the City stage did not meaningfully differ from Metropolis.
In practice, both stages served the same purpose, and the extra level added unnecessary complexity. As a result, the progression was simplified so that Town now advances directly into Metropolis.
For most players, this change made the system easier to understand and more consistent.
How Do Most Players Interact With Settlement Progression?
Most players do not actively “plan” settlement growth.
Usually, they:
- Play content they enjoy
- Stay near convenient hubs
- Follow population trends
- Join successful nodes rather than struggling ones
Some players may try to optimize progression or prepare resources early. Others may focus on personal goals like gearing, crafting, or even looking for ways to buy AoC gold from a trusted site like U4N to save time, though this does not directly affect settlement experience.
What Should Players Keep in Mind About Settlement Stages?
In general:
- Settlement growth depends on consistent player activity
- Early stages move fast, later stages take much longer
- Political relationships matter more over time
- Not every node is meant to reach Metropolis
