API for web support coming to the west?

General Discussion General Discussion
1

I’m not sure if there is any interest in the western community for the Lost Ark web API.

Personally, I use Korean sites to get ideas for builds, e.g. https://loawa.com/rank. This is not manually entered data, it is directly obtained from the Lost Ark servers via web API.

The translation often doesn’t match our in-game terms, but the images/symbols are good to work with as they are identical. The rest of the language barrier can be solved by any modern browser with more or less understandable translations. However, the real problem is that our version is way too different from the Korean one, so the information gain is small.

I’ve also seen on Korean streams that they are able to use e.g. the auction house completely via the official Lost Ark website. Once you see how players there can search and buy items, you wonder why we don’t have those kind of features… that already exist in other version of the game.

The fact that an API already must exists in the West (at least a version of it) is proven by the LA streamer addons for Twitch. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to see the players current class, skills, iLvl, equipment, …

Is this something you would like to see in our version?

Actual builds from real players that haven’t been out of date for months. Participate in auctions via cell phone or on your 2nd screen… I’m sure our community here can think of more things that could be implemented with this kind of stuff.

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2

They’re probably holding back on it to combat bots. I̶ ̶b̶e̶l̶i̶e̶v̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶K̶R̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶b̶r̶o̶w̶s̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶b̶u̶y̶(̶m̶a̶y̶b̶e̶ ̶s̶e̶l̶l̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶w̶e̶l̶l̶)̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶A̶H̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶e̶b̶ ̶i̶n̶s̶t̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶l̶o̶g̶g̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶.̶ Edit: I just saw you mentioned this. I heard there is a player made spreadsheet for AH, I think for mats or select items that uses the API.

Hopefully they decide to release it soon.

3

From what I’ve read around, loawa scrapes it’s data from the Stove site in KR, there isn’t an actual API they use.

I would build something similar for NA, but I really cbf to go through the trouble without a proper API.

4

Yeah, that’s possible that they get the data from there. The point is that the API is already there, including the web frontend, authentication methods, etc. to give access to game content via the browser (my second point). Similar possibilities exist in other MMOs and SMG has already completed the implementation. I assume that they didn’t put any priority on this during the localization.

If I slap on my tinfoil hat this could also be due to the fact that generally accessible data would create a transparency that is not wanted. :wink:

5

There is interest but its not something they are currently working on. It would definitely be nice to have some QOL apps available.

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6

Being “already there” for internal use only and a public-facing API are two TOTALLY different things.

7

I just want a wandering merchant tracker that tells me what’s on the vendor without having to triport to 4 zones.

8

Do you even google?

https://lostmerchants.com/

9

Uh these are just timers based on the established spawn times, server time and item list. These aren’t being pulled from the game (via API)

10

That’s done by player input, not data pulled from the servers.

I input the past 2 times Yorn had Legendary Rapport items.

11

I totally don’t see them making public API which cost big money (programmers, compliance, security) to publish it for free (spent big $ to get nothing? Every PM will say NOPE). Those tools are best we’re gonna get.

12

Yeah maybe not public, but I believe some people in KR are able to leverage the web interface to create additional tools that use data straight from the game.

13

That’s called website data crawling and has nothing to do with any API. Writing and maintaining such a crawler is tedious and boring work, just like grinding for mats is…

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14

Ah ok.

15

The fact that an API already must exists in the West (at least a version of it) is proven by the LA streamer addons for Twitch. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to see the players current class, skills, iLvl, equipment, …

I think the addon fetches all the data via account linking. Streamers have their amazon account linked and the addon reads ur account/character details.

16

you literally just explained how an API pull works…