What Does Citizenship Provide in a Settlement?

Citizenship is essentially a status within a settlement that grants you access to special privileges. Most players aim to secure citizenship in nodes that align with their gameplay style because it can make daily activities more efficient and rewarding. The benefits are both practical and strategic:

• Reduced Fees and Taxes: One of the most noticeable advantages is the reduced cost of settlement services. Citizens pay lower taxes and almost zero fees for using crafting stations and other service buildings. This can save a lot of resources over time, especially if you frequently craft, trade, or engage in settlement-related activities. Non-citizens, by contrast, must pay a premium to access many of these services.

• Access to the Reliquary and Crafting Benefits: Citizens can use the settlement’s reliquary, which often contains rare or high-tier materials. There may also be specific crafting benches and enhancements that only citizens can access. In practice, this means that upper-tier crafting or certain stat migrations are only available to those with citizenship, giving them a distinct advantage in gear progression.

• Exclusive Vendors and Merchants: Certain vendors in the settlement provide items exclusively to citizens. This could include enhancement stones, stat migration services, or unique materials tied to the settlement type. For players looking to optimize their characters or craft specialized gear, these vendors are often essential.

• Event Buffs and Resource Access: Some events within a settlement offer buffs or rewards that are only available to citizens. Additionally, citizens may receive a weekly allotment of specific core materials from the reliquary, ensuring a steady supply for crafting or other activities. For example, a raid boss kill in a nearby area might grant rewards that only citizens can claim, making coordinated group content more valuable for those with citizenship.

• Participation in Governance: Citizenship also allows players to participate in the settlement’s political system. This includes voting on node progression, running for office, and gaining access to title structures that affect both gameplay and social standing. Most players find this appealing because it gives them a tangible impact on how the settlement develops.

• Titles, Reputation, and Affiliations: Citizens gain access to titles, reputation, honor, loyalty, and merit systems tied to the settlement. They can also join organizations or religions that operate primarily within the node. These social and mechanical benefits can enhance your character’s identity and standing in the community.

How Do These Benefits Work in Practice?

In general, most players treat citizenship as a strategic advantage rather than just a status symbol. For example:

• Crafting Efficiency: Being a citizen drastically reduces the cost of using upper-tier crafting benches. This allows regular access to high-end crafting without burning through resources, which is especially useful if you plan to craft in large quantities or produce valuable items for trade.

• Event Participation: Buffs from events or limited-time bonuses are more accessible to citizens, making them more likely to succeed in group activities such as raids or node-related challenges. Citizens can also participate in certain procedures and title structures that affect gameplay in ongoing events.

• Quest Rewards: While non-citizens can generally complete the same quests, the reward tables for citizens are often superior. This includes extra resources, rare crafting materials, or additional achievement points. Players who prioritize progression usually aim for citizenship in nodes that provide the best resource access or event participation.

• Economic and Social Advantages: Citizens have priority access to vendors, relics, and materials that are otherwise restricted. This can create a competitive edge in crafting, trading, and other economic systems. In some cases, players may even buy Ashes of Creation gold from U4N to accelerate their access to these citizen-exclusive resources, making certain in-game goals easier to reach.

• Strategic Positioning: Being part of a node’s governance allows you to influence settlement policies, taxation, and development paths. This isn’t just a cosmetic benefit; it can affect resource availability, NPC behavior, and the economic landscape for everyone in the area. Experienced players often consider which nodes to invest in based on the potential influence they can gain as citizens.

Are There Limits for Non-Citizens?

Non-citizens are not completely locked out of settlement content, but they do face certain restrictions. Most quest lines, crafting stations, and merchants are still accessible, but often at a higher cost or with reduced rewards. Non-citizens generally:

• Pay higher fees for services and crafting.

• Cannot access exclusive vendors or upper-tier crafting benches.

• Are excluded from certain event buffs or weekly material allotments.

• Cannot participate in settlement governance or claim citizen-only titles.

This system is designed to balance accessibility while rewarding players who commit to a settlement.

Choosing Where to Become a Citizen

In practice, deciding where to become a citizen depends on your goals:

• If you focus on crafting or resource gathering, pick a node with strong material access and upper-tier crafting benches.

• For PvE or event participation, nodes with active citizen events or rare bosses may be more beneficial.

• For political influence, select a node where you can actively participate in governance and community decisions.

Most players consider both short-term rewards and long-term strategic advantages when choosing a settlement for citizenship.

Citizenship in Ashes of Creation is more than a title; it provides tangible advantages that affect crafting, resource access, event participation, and political influence. While non-citizens can interact with most content, the benefits of citizenship are substantial for players looking to optimize their gameplay. From lower fees and exclusive vendors to governance participation and event buffs, becoming a citizen is usually worth the effort for those who want to gain a competitive and strategic edge within a settlement.