[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//32445805/991787deca773a83abb631a2d1bdc5a883a87e22.png[/img] The [b]Queen update[/b] arrives on January 20, bringing a huge number of new features. One of the biggest and most anticipated of these is [b]Hideouts[/b]. In our newest Dev Talk, Game Director Robin Henkys covers what Hideouts are, how they work, and the range of new opportunities they open up for Albion's guilds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTWYIXPgtLI No time to watch the video, or prefer a written summary? Read on for more info. For specifics of placement, upgrading, and attacking Hideouts, see [url=https://forum.albiononline.com/index.php/Thread/122511-Hideouts-A-Detailed-Guide/][b]this forum post[/b][/url]. [h3]I. What are Hideouts?[/h3] Hideouts are structures that guilds can place in the Outlands. Members of the guild (and those they grant access to) can enter it and use its facilities. Hideouts offer guilds a home away from the crowds of the big cities and allow them to live in the wilds of Albion. Placing a Hideout requires a [b]Hideout Construction Kit[/b]. These are crafted at the Toolmaker and cost [b]10 million Silver[/b], plus significant [b]stone and wood[/b] and [b]siphoned energy[/b]. They are quite heavy, so transporting them requires a sturdy mount. The construction kit must then be transported to wherever you want to place it. There are various [b]rules about placement[/b]: for example, Hideouts cannot be placed too close to other Hideouts or to entrances of major dungeons. Think about your guild's needs: if you do a lot of crafting, you'll want to consider the new [b]regional crafting bonuses[/b] based on biome and proximity to the center of the Outlands. Alternately, it may be more important for you to be in a particular spot for strategic reasons. Finally, keep in mind that Hideouts can [b]only be placed during the cluster's battle time[/b] displayed on the cluster map. If all these criteria are met, you can simply place the Hideout, which only takes a moment. After 24 hours, your Hideout will become fully operational. From there you can [b]upgrade [/b]for additional silver and resources if you desire additional building space or features like a guild marketplace. Whatever your Hideout level, remember to regularly [b]supply it with food[/b] so it remains operational. [h3]II. Risks[/h3] Building a Hideout is fairly straightforward. However, everything in Albion comes with a risk - in this case, other players. Successfully building and maintaining a Hideout requires defending it from attacks. Hideouts are only susceptible to attack at certain times. During construction, it will be vulnerable twice: once [b]immediately after placement for 20 minutes[/b] and a second time during [b]the last 20 minutes of construction[/b]. Make sure your guild is ready to protect the Hideout at these times, as any attacker determined enough will be able to attack the structure with siege hammers. Once construction is finished, it will be even more secure. A completed Hideout can only be attacked [b]during the first 20 minutes of the cluster's battle time[/b], and only [b]by the owner of the territory within the same cluster[/b] after paying the required [b]attack cost[/b]. During this period, the Hideout can be attacked with siege hammers but slowly regains durability. Should its durability be reduced to zero, all is not lost: Hideouts have a number of [b]defense points[/b], and as long as any remain, the Hideout will not be destroyed. A maximum of 1 defense point can be lost per battle, and if the defenders manage to prevent their Hideout from losing a defense point in any given battle, [b]all defense points are restored[/b] and any would-be attacker will have to start over the next day. Though Hideouts are hard to take down, you may still face an aggressor you'd prefer not to fight. In that case, you can try convincing them to tolerate your Hideout by [b]paying a tribute[/b]. The tribute system allows you to set a silver sum that will be transferred daily to the guild controlling the local watchtower. Territory owners will think hard about whether to go through the arduous process of destroying Hideouts versus simply collecting taxes. Should diplomacy fail and all your defense points be lost, your Hideout will be destroyed. All contents of the Hideout are lost, except items in players' personal banks, which are transferred to the closest public bank. It takes 4 weeks for these items to become claimable and claiming them requires paying a fee, but this is much better than losing a prized collectible permanently! [h3]III. In Summary[/h3] Hideouts allow your guild to build a permanent home in the Outlands, which can be upgraded from a small base to a massive underground operation. Your crafters can benefit from regional crafting bonuses, and your fighters can use it to store gear and respawn. You can build a flourishing guild economy with your own guild marketplace, and use your Hideout to access Crystal Realm Battles and Expeditions. You can even open your Hideout to other players and establish your own trading post! Whether you use your Hideout for conquest or to build up an economic powerhouse, we're really excited to see what you do with this feature. That's all for today - stay tuned for more Dev Talks, and we'll see you ingame when Queen goes live on January 20!