Lost Ark: An All-Round Introduction To This ARPG - Game Mechanics, Storyline & Sound

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• Lost Ark: Smilegate and Amazon Games Have a Big Plan!

  According to recent plans from Smilegate and Amazon Games, Lost Ark's second year will involve less monotonous and repetitive gameplay and more frequent introduction of new content.

  The developers aim to prevent players from becoming fatigued by endgame and daily grinding by reducing their reliance on it, while still keeping up the pace of interesting additions to the game.

  Despite the presence of bots and server issues, Lost Ark had a successful first year following its worldwide release. The focus for last year was on improving the game's quality-of-life and adding new content to Arkesia while combating bots, and the same philosophy will continue in the second year with a greater emphasis on player enjoyment and engagement.

  Also Read: Lost Ark: 2023 April Update Patch Notes

  Lost Ark's developer Smilegate and publisher Amazon Games recently announced plans to reduce the grind involved in the game's endgame content and daily activities in order to introduce new content at a faster pace.

  The team acknowledged that activities like Chaos Dungeons, Guardian Raids, and Una's Tasks can become repetitive and tedious for players to get new equipment and Lost Ark Gold, leading to burnout. While such activities are important to keep hardcore players engaged, the plan is to ultimately reduce the daily grind while introducing new content.

  To help with this, the Ebony Cube activity, combining Boss Rush and Dimension Cube elements, will arrive in May to cut down on necessary grind. The team plans to continue introducing quality-of-life updates like this as fast as possible until more significant overhauls can be implemented.

  Lost Ark Year Two Plans

  Lost Ark's developer Smilegate and publisher Amazon Games are aiming to introduce new content as fast as possible without causing problems for players.

  Some of these problems include issues with localisation timelines for Korean endgame content and concerns about burnout from an overwhelming flood of content or demands to hit item level requirements in a short period. The good news is that Lost Ark's classes are not restricted by the narrative of new continents or Legion Raids, so new classes will be added as soon as possible.

  The team plans to share a four-month roadmap next week that will probably include details on when the remaining classes will be added. The team is prioritising reducing the grind in endgame content and daily activities with the introduction of the Ebony Cube activity, while implementing quality-of-life updates to further mitigate the need for grinding.

  

  It has planed to increase the frequency of events and ensure that more events take place simultaneously across different versions of the game. Instead of simply bringing over older events that have already taken place on Korean servers, new events will be introduced, including western-exclusive ones.

  These events are expected to be scheduled across Korean and western servers simultaneously to provide a fair experience for all players.

  Improving The Lost Ark New Player Experience

  To help newer players get started and catch up to the rest of the player base , Lost Ark's developer are making sweeping changes that include halving the number of gear tiers, introducing additional runes to early progression, and making certain set items easier to obtain.

  This will reduce the amount of time that players need to spend honing their gear through multiple repetitive stages. The Silver Honing mechanic, which was recently introduced, will be expanded upon in the game's next class but will require less silver and honour shards to speed up progression further.

  Teleport spots are now roster-bound for Triport activation, so players won't have to unlock them on multiple characters. Plans are also underway to make the quest-skipping Knowledge Transfer function easier to use for alt characters. These changes are expected to enhance the gaming experience and help newer players better enjoy the game.

  Lost Ark want to make the game less stressful and more accessible for new players. They plan to achieve this by making battle items free for early Guardian Raids and providing players with a guide to help them learn how to use these items effectively.

  Additionally, the Argos Abyss Raid has been made easier by streamlining certain mechanics so that players have more wiggle room to make mistakes. Similar changes may be made to early Legion Raids, but only to some mechanics since they are top-tier endgame content. Ultimately, these changes should help new players get into Lost Ark more easily and make the game more appealing.

  Lost Ark's War With The Robots

  Lost Ark is gearing up for a big year ahead as it faces competition from other similar games, such as the upcoming Diablo 4 release and the Path of Exile Crucible league.

  In response to this, Lost Ark is taking strong actions against RMT (real-money transaction) participants and investing in further anti-bot measures, although specific tactics cannot be revealed for security reasons. While it acknowledges that completely removing bots from Lost Ark will be difficult, the team continues to work towards that goal.

  To express gratitude to its players, Lost Ark is offering a thank-you gift to all players who log in for the first time until May 19. This package includes various rewards, such as Silver, selection chests for Mokoko Skin, Moko Pet, and Mokoboard, Collective Battle Item chests, Relic Rapport selection chests, and Phoeons.

  They are also reducing the grind and making sweeping changes to improve the game's accessibility and enjoyment for players. New players can expect less stress in their early dips into harder content, with certain mechanics toned down in the Argos Abyss Raid to instead deal heavy damage and an introduction of a guide on how to use free battle items introduced for Guardian Raids.

  The team is also considering making similar adjustments to early Legion Raids, but notes that not every wipe mechanic will be adjusted. These changes demonstrate the team's commitment to enhancing the appeal of Lost Ark as a top-tier MMO in 2023.

• Lost Ark: A Letter to The Community for Future

  Amazon Games and Smilegate have recently held discussions about the future plans for Lost Ark and addressed players' feedback in the Western market. While expressing gratitude for players' commitment and excitement towards recent updates, the team also recognized existing issues and pain points.

  To address these concerns, they released an official letter to the community outlining measures aimed at improving the gameplay experience and Lost Ark Gold.

  The team has taken substantial measures to combat the exploitation of the system by bot accounts in Lost Ark, including the banning of millions of bot accounts resulting in a 99% decrease in bot interaction with the economy.

  Additionally, they have removed 55 billion bot gold from the economy, resulting in a significant reduction in the impact on gameplay and the overall economy.

  Amazon Games and Smilegate for Lost Ark are working on plans to support new players by introducing quality of life updates, such as low-tier enhancements, horizontal content improvements, and alt progression.

  These updates are expected to roll out by the end of summer or early fall as soon as they are completed.

  

  The teams have also recognized player exhaustion and learning difficulties and focused on making several improvements to end-game raids like the Argos Abyss Raid and other earlier Legion Raids. Their aim is to make the gaming experience more enjoyable and stress-free for players by reducing repetitive daily content.

  In addition, they are researching ways to further enhance the game experience and will introduce the Ebony Cube activity in May.

  The developers of Lost Ark aim to introduce new content rapidly while avoiding player burnout and localization issues.

  They plan to add new classes promptly and introduce multiple in-game events simultaneously across all versions. Some events will be exclusive to the Western region, while others will coincide with those in Korea.

  To show their appreciation to the community, Amazon Games and Smilegate RPG are offering a special gift to all players who log in before May 19. This includes a range of in-game items such as Mokoko Skin, Moko Pet, Mokoboard Selection Chests, and more.

  Also Read: How To Build Your Punisher Slayer In Lost Ark? - Class Engraving, Skill & Preference

  They are dedicated to enhancing the Lost Ark experience and strengthening their relationship with players. They have announced that part 2 of their letter, which will cover the roadmap of updates for 2023, will be released next week. Keep an eye out for more information on the game's future direction.

  April update

  The upcoming April update for Lost Ark in Arkesia includes new content such as a Guardian Raid featuring Hanumatan, a wrath-filled Solar Guardian, and upgrades to Ancient quality gear with bigger bonuses.

  Along with the new Phantom Legion Commander, players can also expect new raids, higher-level South Vern Chaos Dungeons, Inferno Boss Rush, new quests, Sidereal Weapons, and cosmetics. Downtime for the update will start on April 12 at 12 AM PDT (8 AM UTC) and is expected to last for six hours.

  In the April update, Lost Ark introduced a lot of new content and improvements, providing a better gaming experience.

  It is a challenging area where players can explore new storylines and cutscenes. Players can now create their own teams and use cooperative features to level up each person in the team.

  Furthermore, Lost Ark developers also improved the game's UI and usability, including adding new interactive elements to the interface and enhancing gameplay flow.

  They also listened to community feedback and made a series of balancing adjustments and major changes to improve the game's fairness and appeal and to avoid player frustration. The update also includes new events, prizes, and other game content.

  In conclusion, the April update provided players with a lot of new features and content that can enhance the overall gaming experience. With the promise of ongoing improvements and updates from the developers, we look forward to the future development and progress of Lost Ark.

• Lost Ark: Artist - Master of Phantasm Gate

  Today, we’re going to talk about Phantasm Gate. It’s a portal that Artist class can use. It can purify allies, fill great amount of identity and the most important someone can teleport. Interesting, right?

  Because of this teleportation ability, the potential is limitless. It can even save many players in dramatic situations. Or, it can make your raid more convenient. Of course, if you can use Lost Ark Gold early to improve your Artist, it will be easier to use this ability to assist your party members. We brought some cases from Valtan Legion Raid, so let’s get into it.

  Notice

  Notice: do not try if your fresh Mokoko. We’re just stepping into the fire for fun to test if it really can save someone. I repeat only use in dramatic situations. Don’t make your situation dramatic.

  Before we enter Gate 1, you can bring some full specialization turtles if you see them.

  

  Gate 1

  In Gate 1, there are three cases you need to know.

  Case 1

  Delivering DPS classes. As the boss teleports to the middle, bring your party members to nine o’clock, using your portal. If there is a back-attack class in your party, place the portal at 9 o’clock and head 12. The boss appears again and that class can use a portal to reach the back easily.

  Case 2

  Six o’clock safe. After the second marble pattern, the boss prepares a giant explosion. Create a portal near the boss and head six already. One of them can serve, obviously.

  Case 3

  Bombs. Boss throws three types of bombs on the ground. Place a portal for those who gave up to escape.

  Related: Lost Ark: 2023 April Update Patch Notes

  Gate 2

  In gate 2, there are a total of eight cases.

  Case 1

  Rush. If you’re not the aggro player, create a portal and stay away from the boss. One of them can easily dodge the rush by just pressing

  Case 2

  Falling spears. When spears fall from the sky, some players run clockwise, some run counterclockwise, some run straight to the safe zone, and some lose control. Create a portal center and run to the safe zone at the end. Players who lost their control can enter the portal for easy survival.

  

  Case 3

  First imposter pattern. During the imposter pattern, you can help slow turtles to quickly hop behind the stone using the portal. After the explosion, get behind the boss and place the portal in front of the boss to help their aggro player safely get out.

  Case 4

  Land collapse. At 88 and 30, Valtan slams the ground and land collapses. Create a portal near the center and run opposite. Players who did not notice the land collapse will use the portal, not to get hit by the whirlwind.

  Case 5

  Second imposter pattern. Options are the same. You can help some players hide behind the stone or create a portal near the boss to help them easily dodge exploding stones. Of course, you need to pass a safe zone if you want to save someone.

  Case 6

  Third imposter pattern. At third imposter pattern, you don’t need to help them hide behind stones. There are no walls, so just use your Phantasm Gate to help them avoid exploding stones.

  Case 7

  The last exploding stone. Let’s pretend that there is no Balthorr buff. Party members must survive by themselves. At the end, stones explode. Use the portal to prevent mistakes.

  Case 8

  Finding Ghost Mode Valtan. There is only one case you need to know, Grab Pattern. The boss tries to grab and prepares a powerful roar at the front. Create a portal in front of Valtan to enjoy the thrill.

• Lost Ark: Fastest Way To Get 20 Island Souls In 2023

  In this article, we will introduce the fastest way to get 20 Island Souls. If you want additional skill points, just do what I say and it won’t take more than 5 hours.

  Arthetine

  Race begins at Arthetine. Head to nine o’clock of Sterns and accept “The Perfect Gateway” quest from NPC. Then sail out to head Golden Wave Island.

  

  Golden Wave Island

  At Golden Wave Island, accept the island quest and repeat opening boxes. Island Soul randomly drops from boxes you open. Keep doing it until you get one.

  Slime Island

  At Slime Island, you need to find the Golden Slime to get Island Soul. These are locations of the Golden Slime. They spawn in six to eight minutes, so kill the Golden Slime until the Island Soul drops.

  

  Also, you can do it on your own, but it’s better to create a party to farm Island Soul.

  Crescent Isle

  At Crescent Isle, you need to get 60 Crystallized Scale to exchange Island Seoul. Srystallized Scalel randomly drops from small rabbits you hunt. Hant small rabbits to exchange the Island Soul.

  Fortuna Island

  Break as many pots as possible, Island Soul randomly draws from those pots.

  Peyto

  Before we move on to the next island, head to Peyto. Clear the purple roster quest. Then, talk to the Bartender until you accept “Island of Dreams” quest. You did? Sail out to Astella. 

  Astella

  At Astella, collect comets to get Island Soul. While you collect comets, accept the yellow quest for more rewards.

  Giant Mushroom Island

  At Giant Mushroom Island, accept yellow quest and purchase Red Cashew Juice to enter. Then cut mushrooms down until you get the Island Soul. It drops in random. You got it? Great!

  Now, save Biyfrost Points in front of Tortoyk and repair your boats by using your Lost Ark Gold.

  Related: Lost Ark Five Estoque Crew Members: Which One Is Better?

  Aiwana Island

  At Aiwana Island, accept the quest from NPC Ronald and continue, you can get your Island Soul. Before you leave Aiwana Island, accept the quest from Ronald, which recommends you to visit Club Avenue.

  Little Luck Island

  Sailing to Club Avenue, visit Little Luck Island to check if there is an Island Soul merchant. If there is no merchant, head straight to Club Avenue.

  Club Avenue (=Revelry Row)

  Clear the quest you got from Ronald and accept “The Ultimate Cacation” quest.

  Fomona Island

  At Fomona Island, continue the purple quest. “The Lyre Of Love” you should be looking for is at 12 o’clock. Deliver it and you can get from Fomona Island Soul. 

  

  If you’re done, repair your boat in front of East Luterra and head to Serenity Isle.

  Serenity Isle (1)

  At Serenity Isle, accept the purple quest as you enter. During the “Stone Of Power” quest, you need to visit Tortoyk. 

  Tortoyk

  Use Bifrost we saved and enter Tortoyk’s Heart Dungeon. You don’t need to clear the dungeon. Kill small pebblings to reach the goal and use Song of Escape to get out.

  Lost City

  Lost City island quest takes time, so the island quest is not a must. Inside the island, there are fishing spots. You can get keys by fishing, so open up chests that appear around the map using keys. Island Soul drops in random.

  Reminiscence Isle

  Don’t go straight to Reminiscence Isle bypass the dangerous sea. 

  Move on. If it’s your first time visiting the Isle, follow the drawing collecting my Mokoko Seeds. At the end, the dungeon appears. Interact first, second and third and the quest is done. Get out of the dungeon and you can get Island Soul as a reward.

  Island of Time

  At Island of Time, there are fishing spots. You can get two types of pots by fishing. One of them can be used to summon creature at a specific location. Creature randomly drops Island Soul, so repeat the work until you get one.

  

  Serenity Isle (2) 

  Now, head to East Luterra and defeat Thanatos and Morai Dungeon. Then, go back to Serenity Isle. Continue the quest to earn the Island Soul and additional skill points. We’re done here.

  Use ocean liner to Punica or Southern Vern.

  Gravis

  At Gravis, all you need to do is clear the simple quest. We already accepted the quest “The Ultimate Vacation”, so that’s it.

  Naruni Island

  At Naruni Island, you need to interact with a 100 Narunis to clear the island quest. There is a spot at the center where three Narunis gather. Wait Narunis to come and clear the quest. 

  Distorted Island (1) 

  Next island is Distorted Island. If you don’t have Cube Entrance Tickets, just skip it. If you have more than one Cube Entrance Ticket, find NPC for three times and accept “Secret of Cube” mission. We’re going to finish the quest later, so let’s move on to the next island.

  Island of Mist

  At Island of Mist, you need to find a total of six letters. Three letters can be obtained from the fields and another three can be obtained by defeating specific mods. These are locations of letters.

  

  If you collected all six letters, purple island quest appears. Clear the island quest to get the Island Soul.

  Promise Isle

  Follow the road and there’s a shining object you can interact. Accept the quest and play Song of Reminiscence to obtain Island Soul. 

  Repair Boat

  Before I move on, we need to repair our boat if it’s not upgraded yet. Head to Ripple Support Ship or continent nearby to repair a boat and then head to Goblin Island.

  Goblin Island (1)

  As you arrive, use expressions to NPC to reach neutral level 2. Then, it will give you a rapport quest. 

  Vern

  Sail to Vern to solve the mission. Also, clear the cube once as you need Distorted Island Soul.

  Goblin Island (2) 

  You did? Go back to Goblin Island and you can get “To Hope Island” quest at the end.

  

  Before you leave the Goblin Island, exchange gocha boxes from the NPC. You can get Island Soul from gacha boxes, but 9 out of 10 will fail. Get rid of gacha, we’re moving on to Hope Island.

  Hope Island

  At Hope Island, continue the island quest. It takes time a bit, but that’s all you need to do.

  Distorted Island (2)

  We cleared the cube mission, so go back and continue the quest. It won’t be difficult.

  Extra Islands

  For those who do not have cube tickets are run out of life energy. These are islands you can get extra Island Souls: Little Luck Island, Turtle Island, Shadow Island and Outlaw Isle. 

• Lost Ark: Rookie’s Guide To Azure Wind Island

  There is a very important open world in Lost Ark, and there are many beautiful and unique places here. Even if players explore it for a few days and nights, they may not be able to browse all the unique places in Lost Ark. This is also an important reason why the popularity of old players and the constant stream of new players has continued since it released Lost Ark.

  However, it is worth noting that, in the process of exploring the map, players still have to give priority to enter places such as Azure Wind Island. This will have a great impact on the player’s next exploration process.

  Players can learn how to complete Azure Wind Island quest in Lost Ark by studying the guide below in detail. This guide also outlines in detail how players can find it, how to complete that Azure Wind Island mission, and what rewards they will receive after completing the mission, helping players have a clear direction during the game.

  

  Location Of Azure Wind Island

  In fact, Azure Wind Island is very inconspicuous on Lost Ark, its footprint is tiny, so many players usually don’t notice this place when they play the game.

  Azure Wind Island is in the lower left corner of the map, on the verge of Yorn continent. Because, before players go to Azure Wind Island, they often pass through Yorn continent.

  After the player reaches Yorn continent, they can try their best to make the ship go to the northeast corner, which is also the fastest way for the player to reach Azure Wind Island. Although this process is very long, its results will definitely satisfy players.

  It is very important that not all players can successfully enter Azure Wind Island. Players need to reach at least item Level 840 to be allowed to enter. Therefore, it is often difficult for players to quickly land on Azure Wind Island in the early stages of the game.

  Of course, if you are very urgent to experience this task, you can also use enough Lost Ark Gold to help you quickly upgrade to item Level 840.

  

  Azure Wind Island Tasks

  In addition to the beautiful scenery and unique story line on this Azure Wind Island, there are also some challenging tasks. Here are all the questlines that players need to complete here:

  Quest	Quest-Giving NPC
  Dying Horse	Sanar
  The Mane of the Azure Wind	High Priest Steppekeeper
  Once filled with Flowers	Manarim
  The Meadow Fairy	Arone

  In addition to these mainline tasks, there are 15 Sprint Tasks, 7 Puzzle Tasks, 6 Riddle Tasks, and 7 Music/Emote Tasks on Azure Wind Island. There are many tasks on the island, and players have a wealth of content to explore, and they will hardly get bored.

  Among them, the last task that players need to complete on Azure Wind Island is “Returning the Flowers.” Although this task may not bring enough rewards to the player, only when the player ensures 100% completion of this side task can the task be brought to a successful conclusion.

  Also Read: Lost Ark Five Estoque Crew Members: Which One Is Better?

  Rewards For Azure Wind Island

  After completing all tasks, players can receive all rewards, which is also one of the most concerned things for players here. The following are the contingent rewards that players can get on Azure Wind Island:

  • 139 Splendid Guardian Stone Chests
  • 98 Splendid Destruction Stone Chests
  • 51040 Silver
  • Mount: Cloud Steed
  • Courage Potion
  • Kindness Potion
  • Wisdom Potion
  • Charisma Potion
  • 2 Crates with Leapstones
  • Horse Mount

  These rewards can help players quickly upgrade their character levels and have a better gaming experience. If you also want to experience it, don’t hesitate to come and try it!

• Lost Ark: When & How To Use Esther In Valtan Legion Raid?

  We’re going to learn when to use Esther skills in Valtan Legion Raid. We know some players are afraid to become the party leader, but it’s a lot easier than you think.

  Furthermore, someone has to be a party leader and what if the party leader dies during the raid? Someone has to take it over. Or, what if you’re the last survivor? That’s why we think it’s better for everyone to know when to use Esther skills.

  During Valtan Legion Raid, the timing in which you should use Esther skills differs depending on party DPS.

  

  Gate 1 - Party DPS Is High/Average

  When party DPS is high or average in Gate 1, you can only use it once when party DPS is above average. You have two choices: Thirain or Wei.

  Thirain

  Normally, first Esther bar charges as you solve the first marble pattern. The boss falls into groggy for a few seconds and teleports to a random position. Watch the mini map and use Thirain toward the direction and clean Hit.

  Wei

  Second, Wei. Don’t use Esther skill and use it as soon as the second marble pattern begins. In this way, party members do not have to worry about staggering the boss because Wei staggers most of them.

  

  Gate 1 - Party DPS Is Low

  If Esther bar charges before the first marble pattern, it means that party DPS is low. There are two choices:

  Wei/Wei

  First, Wei/Wei. It’s a mechanic based method. Use Wei for both marble patterns. Benefit of this method is the difficulty of solving main mechanics reduces. Commonly used in tryout parties.

  However, players must survive from basic patterns the boss uses.

  Thirain/Thirain

  Second, Thirain/Thirain. It’s a survival based method. Use Thirain/Thirain on the boss as soon as it charges and quickly move on to the main mechanic.

  Timing can be difficult to decide. Wait for basic patterns that the boss uses for a long period of time. If you really cannot decide when, just keep it and use as the boss teleports.

  

  Advanced Version: Thirain/Wei

  Let’s pretend that you use Thirain on the boss, but half of your party members are dead before the second marble pattern.

  Then you should use Wei instead of Thirain to solve the mechanic.

  Gate 2 - Party DPS Is High/Average

  When party DPS is high or average, use Balthorr twice.

  Balthorr/Balthorr

  At 130, the mechanic comes out. Use the first Balthorr right before 130.

  At 15, Valtan teleports to center and attacks four directions. Use the second Balthorr as the pattern begins. Watch the boss to create a beautiful circle.

  

  Gate 2 - Party DPS Is Low

  If you cannot enter ghost mode, using Balthorr twice. It means that party DPS is low. And then you need to consider using Thirain.

  Balthorr/Thirain

  At 130, the same as before, use Balthorr. From second Esther skill, use Thirain.

  Just like Gate 1, wait for basic patterns that consume a long period of time. Benefit of this method is that you can finally enter Ghost Mode Valtan even though some players died.

  Related: Lost Ark: 2023 April Update Patch Notes

  However, the drawback is that party members cannot get Balthorr buff at 15. Players must use Time Stop Potion or solve the mechanic by themselves without Balthorr. By the way, you can easily get any kind of Time Stop Potion you want by using Lost Ark Gold.

  There is a difficult way using only Thirain during Gate 2, but we decided not to introduce it as it’s only used in solo bus.

  We learned when to use Esther skills at an appropriate moment in Valtan Legion Raid. Now, we can proudly become the leader of your party.