What Is a Zone of Influence (ZOI) in Ashes of Creation?
In Ashes of Creation, every settlement controls more than just the buildings you see on the map. Each one is tied to a Zone of Influence, usually shortened to ZOI. This system is one of the core mechanics that decides how the world grows and changes over time.
In simple terms, a Zone of Influence is the area where player activity counts toward the growth of a specific settlement. Most players interact with ZOIs without actively thinking about them, but they affect nearly everything related to node progression.
Understanding how ZOIs work helps you make better decisions about where to quest, gather, and invest your time.
How Does a Zone of Influence Work in Practice?
Every settlement is assigned a predefined geographic area. That area is its Zone of Influence. When players do things inside that zone, the settlement connected to it gains experience.
Activities that usually count include:
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Killing monsters
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Completing quests
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Gathering resources
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Crafting
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Participating in raids
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Contributing to settlement construction projects
In general, you don’t need to interact with a menu or system to “choose” a settlement. If you are inside a ZOI, your actions automatically feed experience into that settlement.
This means that even casual play contributes to shaping the world. Most players just play normally, but over time, their combined activity determines which settlements advance and which ones stay small.
Why ZOIs Matter More Than Individual Quests
Unlike traditional MMOs where quests are mostly isolated content, Ashes of Creation links everyday gameplay to world progression.
Settlements “listen” to what players do in their ZOI. As players gain experience, the settlement also gains experience. Once enough experience is collected, the settlement levels up and begins to attract NPCs, unlock services, and expand its influence.
In practice, this means:
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Grinding mobs near a settlement helps that settlement grow
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Popular gathering routes naturally feed nearby nodes
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High-traffic dungeons can accelerate settlement development
Most players will end up contributing to the same few settlements early on, simply because those areas have more content or easier access.
How ZOIs Affect Settlement Growth and Limits
Settlements don’t grow in isolation. As one settlement advances, it starts to limit the growth of nearby settlements.
Higher-level settlements require more “space.” As they grow, they can absorb or lock out the Zones of Influence of neighboring settlements. This creates scarcity and competition.
In general:
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Only a limited number of settlements can exist at each stage
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Advanced settlements prevent nearby nodes from progressing
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Smaller settlements may become vassals under a parent settlement
This system is intentional. It forces choices and conflict instead of allowing every settlement to reach maximum level.
What Are Vassal Settlements and ZOIs?
Vassal settlements always exist within the Zone of Influence of a parent settlement.
If a settlement becomes strong enough, it can dominate surrounding nodes, turning them into vassals. These vassals still have their own local identity, but their growth and influence are tied to the parent.
From a player perspective:
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Activities in a vassal settlement still support the parent settlement
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Vassal zones expand the overall reach of the parent ZOI
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Political and economic power usually flows upward
Most players don’t directly choose to live in a vassal settlement early on, but over time, many will end up in one as stronger nodes emerge.
Why Some Zones Feel More “Active” Than Others
One common question is why some Zones of Influence seem packed with content while others feel empty.
The short answer is that not all ZOIs are perfectly equal.
Some zones naturally include:
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More dungeons
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Better gathering routes
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Major quest hubs
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Starting areas with heavy early traffic
Because of this, certain settlements have a higher chance of advancing faster, especially early in a server’s life. This doesn’t mean other settlements are doomed, but they usually require more organized effort to compete.
In practice, most players follow convenience. They go where quests are dense and travel is easy. This naturally feeds experience into certain ZOIs more than others.
How Split Zones of Influence Help Balance the World
To prevent a few locations from dominating every server, Ashes of Creation uses split Zones of Influence in some areas.
A split ZOI means that player activity in a specific area contributes experience to multiple settlements instead of just one.
This is usually applied to:
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Major dungeons
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Starting areas
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High-traffic points of interest
For example, experience gained in a shared dungeon might be divided evenly among three nearby settlements. This helps maintain some balance while still allowing organic player behavior to shape the world.
Most players won’t notice this directly, but it helps prevent extreme snowballing.
Can Players Influence Which Settlement Grows?
Yes, but it usually requires coordination.
While natural traffic tends to favor certain zones, organized groups can funnel effort into less popular settlements. Systems like crate deliveries and focused contribution projects allow players to push experience toward a specific node.
In general:
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Solo players mostly follow natural traffic
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Guilds and alliances can redirect growth
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Focused effort can overcome natural imbalance
This is why different servers can look very different even with the same map. Player decisions, community focus, and playstyle matter a lot.
How ZOIs Create Server Identity Over Time
Zones of Influence are designed to be recycled. Settlements rise, fall, and change hands over the life of a server.
A rapidly growing settlement can become a valuable target:
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It may hold more relics
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It may offer more services
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It may control better resources
This creates a push-and-pull dynamic where dominant settlements attract attention, conflict, and eventually decline. In general, no settlement is meant to stay on top forever.
Because of this, each server develops its own “map history” based on how players interacted with ZOIs over time.
Practical Advice for Players Dealing With ZOIs
For most players, the best approach is simple:
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Play where you enjoy the content
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Be aware that your actions feed a settlement
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If you care about node growth, coordinate with others
If you’re part of a guild, understanding ZOIs helps with long-term planning. Choosing where to quest, gather, or build can shape political and economic outcomes.
Some players even plan their routes carefully, especially when managing resources or gold. Discussions around efficiency sometimes include references to services or economies tied to specific settlements, and you may occasionally see mentions of a trusted U4N shop for Ashes of Creation gold when players talk about server-specific economies. These conversations usually reflect how tightly ZOIs, player behavior, and settlement value are connected.
Why ZOIs Are Central to Ashes of Creation’s Design
The Zone of Influence system is what makes Ashes of Creation feel reactive instead of static.
Settlements don’t grow because a quest says so. They grow because players spend time there. Over weeks and months, this creates real differences between servers and regions.
In general, ZOIs reward awareness, cooperation, and long-term thinking. You don’t need to micromanage them to enjoy the game, but understanding how they work gives you more control over your impact on the world.
