4/11 Official Blog: Character Contest and some more AC info

[Mike]

Today the official blog was updated with info on the character creator contest and some more info on character creation related Arks Cash info.

The character creator contest official site is up. You can get to it by clicking here. Entries will be accepted from today to 11:59 pm on April 20th. All the entries will then be examined by the Sega staff. A select number will then be available for the public to vote on them between April 27th and May 7th. Entrants will need to put their best creation forward because only one entry is allowed per person and there is no editing an entry once it has been submitted. There are a few prizes for those lucky enough to win one:

• Grand Prize (1 person): Your character becomes an NPC in-game.
• Producer's Award (1 person): You receive a 3D figure of your character.
• Arks Award (1 person): You will receive a drawing of your character done by the art staff.
• Rappy Award (5 people): A RAcaseal figure! (This one)

I haven't see anything restricting participants to residents of Japan but I wouldn't be surprised if your entry was suspended because of it in the case of a prize needed to be sent.


One of the things people have been saying is that costumes lack variation. Luckily for you, there will be many more costume variations in the closed beta. There will be more hairstyles too! Of course, as many of you have predicted, these will be available with Arks Cash! Hooray!

The closed beta will also serve to demo a few new costumes. They won't be attainable yet but some NPCs will be wearing them so you can check them out in the lobby. The blog doesn't say how these costumes will be available but it's very likely that some will be AC.

Finally, the blog stats that you will only be able to make one character unless you purchase additional character slots with AC. The maximum number of characters across all ships (servers) is limited to 12. The purchasing of character slots is something that will be present in the closed beta so you'll have to use some of your alloted AC to make an alt.

[Xaeris]

I'm confused. Are they giving us AC to buy stuff with for testing purposes, or is the cash shop seriously going to be open through a beta?

[Mitz]

Thank you for the info Mike.

Personally, I'd rather shoot for Producer's Award, but I'd settle for any of the prizes really. Wonder how they'll judge. Sillyness? Quality? Mix of both?

I'm confused. Are they giving us AC to buy stuff with for testing purposes, or is the cash shop seriously going to be open through a beta?

They're giving us AC for us to buy things with in the closed beta for testing purposes.

[Skyly]

I'm confused. Are they giving us AC to buy stuff with for testing purposes, or is the cash shop seriously going to be open through a beta?

Don't quote me but I remember reading in a thread here that everyone in the closed beta would be allotted 10k AC.

[Vashyron]

Only 1 character slot is free eh?

I'm fine with this myself as I know I would only end up using extra characters if I filled my main character with max EXP, but I know some other people will be upset depending on the price.


On the contest personally depending on what this player NPC does, I would also actually prefer the Producer's award.
Pssh, players will end up voting? Chances of some moe blob character winning increased ten fold.

[Angelo]

I hope later on you'll be able to buy your character as a figure for a cash price.

Great way to immortalize your adventures after the servers go down.

[BIG OLAF]

Well, I think I entered correctly.

EDIT: Also, only one character slot being free kind of blows. It seems almost too restrictive, in my opinion. I hope that's not a sign of things to come. Oh, and I highly doubt that any non-JP entries will even be considered for any of the prizes. But hey, can't win unless you try.

[Mracless]

The producer's award seems a lot better than the grand prize, to be honest. Always funny when the second prize is better than the first. I'd really love to win it, but too bad they probably wouldn't send anything outside of Japan.
Not that I'd be able to win, especially since I can't write an overview of my character in Japanese.

Hardly a surprise that they'll be selling character slots. I hope it'll just be a one off payment and not a monthly payment. As long as I can get what I consider to be essential, like 4 character slots, decent storage space, my shop, etc... for $60 or less, I'll be happy enough.

[Vashyron]

The maximum number of characters across all ships (servers) is limited to 12.

Can you clarify if this means you can have 12 characters per ship, or 12 characters max on all ships combined?

[Spellbinder]

Can you clarify if this means you can have 12 characters per ship, or 12 characters max on all ships combined?

Looks like 12 characters max among all the ships.