Arcana Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Apparently there's been an early release of Aion already and the general game is opening in a couple of days. I currently play WoW but a lot of people are talking about this game and I'm wondering if anyone has tried it yet. I would like to know if it's worth putting effort into a different variety of game like this one. I've read a few reviews already but I'm more interested in factors like the community and so forth. Regards, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgeCrusher Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 My wife preordered it before the closed beta started, and has been playing it since then, and got her CE version at gamestop yesterday. It looks like a decent game I guess. Unforunately just about any thread about it on any forum turns into WoW fags saying that WoW is better/ripping off ideas/etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vilecat Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 My wife preordered it before the closed beta started, and has been playing it since then, and got her CE version at gamestop yesterday. It looks like a decent game I guess. Unforunately just about any thread about it on any forum turns into WoW fags saying that WoW is better/ripping off ideas/etc. Nah. The only thing I'm wondering though is if it'll be another of those games people will quit WoW for during a few weeks to a few months then come back because it wasn't all that great or something along those lines. Just like when Age of Conan came out. I just find it silly. You can't really compare WoW to most MMO coming out. I mean, the game already had a very solid lore/story because of the 3 RTS and the game itself has been out for 5 years now. Blizzard had plenty of time balancing things out or improving them (there's still work to be done ofc). They have a rather big team working on it too compared to a good amount of the MMO out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skummel Maske Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Almost here? My neighbour has been playing it religiously for at least one day already. Are there different launch dates in Europe and the US? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcana Posted September 22, 2009 Author Share Posted September 22, 2009 The official date of release was the 22nd I believe, but I think there was a two-day preopening and they opened up the servers early. Predictably, there was no way they could handle the burst demand and the launch was pretty crowded. I'm a WoW player. What I want to know is if this game is worth putting some time into. I'd have to do more work than most to get it running (I'm on a Mac and I haven't installed Windows yet) so I want to know if it has some lasting power and is relatively solid coming out of the gate. I can't rename this thread myself unfortunately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atmuh Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 after someones played it for a week id appreciate a DETAILED breakdown of the game because im seriously not gonna throw down $50 and then pay monthly unless this game is REALLY GOOD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleck Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 after someones played it for a week id appreciate a DETAILED breakdown of the game grind grind grind look that guy has pink hair grind grind grind idle idle idle idle raid or something idle idle idle idle ALL THIS FOR THE LOW LOW COST OF FIFTY DOLLARS A MONTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Hyral Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Okay.. been wondering if anyone would start a topic like this.. been playing Aion since Open beta.. and played it religiously during headstart.. I must say I'm rather impressed with it so far.. Interesting storyline.. played both Elyos and Asmodean.. currently and Asmodean on the Nezekal server. But I guess I can give a breakdown... Graphics are gorgeous, Not even on it's highest settings it's looking great.. very fluid animations and such.. environments suit the setting of the game very well. Music.. is fantastic.. you get your standard orchestrated fanfare.. at times you get something that belongs in a Tim Burton movie... Think Edward Scissor Hands or Batman. The battle themes change on zone.. Asmodean get more of a rock themed battle theme.. then more a techno style from what I've heard thus far.. Elyos are a bit more.. tribal I suppose is the word I'm looking for.. Definately something I won't turn off for awhile. Game mechanics.. It's standard MMO fanfare here. Done the same in EQ.. WoW... Lineage.. etc.. You set up your hotkeys similar to WoW... the game introduces you to a combo system.. which you end up starting with one skill.. leading into another.. then another. It's easy to learn.. and the best part about it.. It's free for experimentation.. my damage rotation might turn out far differently than yours.. and work just as well for me as yours does for you.. not making mine.. or your superior or inferior to the other.. It's about skill in this game and I love it. Balance was something I was worried about at first.. But class balance is extremely well in this game.. You start out picking one of four classes.. Warrior, Scout, Mage, and Priest. At level 10 you choose 1 of 2 classes available to your base class.. For more information on classes feel free to check the wiki page for it. Each class has strengths and weaknesses making all viable.. but not overpowered. The standard story is pretty much you wake up from a dream of a huge battle in a mercenary unit.. From there you piece together who you are bit by bit. Won't go into detail but I enjoyed it. It being a Korean MMO it honestly surprised me with a healthy balance of questing for exp.. or grinding similar to Ragnarok. Grinding for equipment isn't a bad pace as if say an enemy has a .01% drop chance.. every kill increases the drop chance slowly till said item drops.. Granted it's both a blessing and curse as I've spent hours farming for a side quest giving item... however it was a reward in itself as again.. grinding for leveling is 100% okay to do in this game. Where the game really shines... Castle Siege.. If you've played Ragnarok's War of Emperium... well.. you're in for a treat. The PvP in this game is heavy.. and a blast. You fight in the abyss for castles that give benefits to those who own it in the abyss. Fight through the keep taking objectives leading to a Keep Lord.. beat him down and the castle is yours.. fighting the other faction ofcourse.. However to balance it out, NCsoft added in the third faction the computer controlled Baluar to come rocking in and attacking the faction with the greater numbers making it a bit more fair.. not to say the other faction is safe, but it does help even out the odds. Overall my gripes with this game are few and far between. Cleric for example rock as healers.. but offensively bug me as 98% of the time my smites are resisted making it a slow work killing enemies.. but with my mana pool that never runs dry.. not like I die anyway. A break down of the common stuff I guess would be.. Max level is 50.. getting to 20 is easy enough.. however 20 to 50 it grows tedious like any Korean MMO.. Ofcourse the levels you gain feel more rewarding as everything about you grows a bit.. Even the skill set is pretty nifty as a mage you get a standard fireball that you chuck like Mario does.. But as you become a sorcerer you get a rank 2 that when thrown you hurl two spheres that collide into each other at the enemy and explode on impact..giving you a feel of progression of skill and development. Opposite of WoW this game sits as more competitive PvP base than raiding.. Not to say there is no raiding.. but if you're looking for another WoW.. This is and isn't it. They have their similarities and differences.. the big differences are the PvE content vs PvP.. WoW is a PvE game with PvP.. Aion a PvP game with PvE.. so the gaming experiences as such are different. If you are competitive and in the mood for a challenge in PvP with a long grind that rewards dedication.. go for it. If you're into something more basic and casual go WoW.. I mean as Cataclysm is proving.. they're taking away everything to make it complex and promoting the basics so everyone can play.. If you consider yourself a gamer who has longed for a challenge in gaming.. Aion is all you. Should anyone pick it up.. again Nezekan is my server.. Asmodean.. my characters are: Nick Samantha Shawna Those are it currently. Send me an ingame message sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcana Posted September 22, 2009 Author Share Posted September 22, 2009 If I played this I'd play it with my girlfriend and she doesn't like playing PVP. Hmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulinEther Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 How does it compare to Lineage 2? Nick, you're saying it's got its fair share of grinding. Can you quest to gain levels? Or is questing more about getting gear/money? How well can you solo this game? Do you run out of mana fast as a mage? Can you recover health quickly as a fighter? I'm usually playing support - you're saying clerics have a smite nuke that often fails: does it work well against undead or does it flat out suck? Do you level skills individually, or do you level up attributes that power up skills (like Guild Wars)? Do you get stat points to distribute upon leveling, or do your stats just increase automatically every time you level? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Hyral Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Well to answer all this... The game is PvP based.. sadly it's something you can't avoid. At 20 you can enter the abyss.. which is the PvP zone.. however you get a choice to stay to more friendly areas.. It's just the opposing faction can find a rift in the abyss to enter your zones.. So you aren't 100% safe. NCsoft made it so you don't get any kind of reputation gain from killing outside the abyss.. leaving little reason to go to other zones.. but in the end.. More PvP than PvE content.. however NCsoft plans on broadening the PvE aspect of the game. As for leveling.. It's up to you how you wish to go about it. I do a healthy bit of grinding on occassion. The game, like WoW is soloable fairly well.. You get elite quests starting in the second zone near the end of it where you need to group.. and they have instances. As for lineage II.. well.. seeing as NCsoft made it also.. they borrow alot of mechanics.. the class system is quite a bit the same.. the combat is more revamped.. Questing is perfectly viable to level.. as well as giving you decent gear and cash.. Mix it up.. raw quest.. or just plain grind.. there is no wrong way to go about leveling. Parameters level at a fixed rate. So all cleric will end up with the same base stats and such. Gear is customizable to your style, and skills are learned from tomes at certain levels. Once purchased your skills level up as you level. At certain points where it seems like you're "improving" You learn new versions that are more graceful and such.. showing your character refining their skills. Classes are set up more lineage 2 based than WoW as there is no talent system, your class does what it says.. Clerics heal with some buffs and minor offensive skills.. Chanters, their counterpart are more about buffs with a weaker balance of fighting and healing. As for Smite.. it's earth.. and it seems most enemies are strong to earth.. Good skill, just frustrates me. @ Bleck I love you too man <3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleck Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Well to answer all this... stop doing this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 ALL THIS FOR THE LOW LOW COST OF FIFTY DOLLARS A MONTH 15, not 50. I will be playing Aion but I haven't rolled a character yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleck Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 fifteen dollars a month is still too much to ask for if the gameplay is shitty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgeCrusher Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Why do you even post in MMO threads Bleck? You hate them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Hyral Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 fifteen dollars a month is still too much to ask for if the gameplay is shitty Eh... it's all in the eye of the beholder, Bleck. I'm one of those people who loved Vanilla WoW more than I like what Blizzard has done, and is doing to WoW to make it too "casual". I'm the same way with all games.. I miss the difficulty of past gaming vs some of the newer stuff.. while my friend hails everything Blizzard is doing to make WoW more casual as the way gaming should be, and enjoys how easy most games are now compared to then. To me and others the gameplay is to our pace and liking.. To you.. well.. it and everything else may suck. But hey.. play what you like ya know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcana Posted September 23, 2009 Author Share Posted September 23, 2009 fifteen dollars a month is still too much to ask for if the gameplay is shitty Of course it is which is why I'm asking for opinions in this thread, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulinEther Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 I'm still not likely to play it, but now I have a slightly better idea of what it's like. One of my friends has been doing beta for a while, looking for all the exploits to use for himself (lol), but he hasn't told me much about the game itself. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleck Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Why do you even post in MMO threads Bleck? You hate them all. because internet WoW to make it too "casual". MMOs in general have always and will always be for 'casual' gamers they are designed for gamers who lack the reflexes to play FPSes, the mental capacity to play RTSes and the motor skills to play anything else it is for people who do not like having to do much while playing a video game other than clicking on something and possibly mashing a button until it is dead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 It's pretty fun actually. The combat is nice; it's not just click-auto-attack and go. There's skill-chaining; you fulfill an initial condition like using a certain skill or getting a parry, and that opens up a small window of opportunity (a second or two) to use a skill that's not normally available. You also get offense and defense buffs based on your location relative to the enemy, so it behooves you to actually move around. When I played as a scout I had a great chain set up where I'd wait for the enemy to charge a special attack, initiate a skill that would parry the next attack; then I had a skill that could stun the enemy, but it only worked by chaining it off a parry. After stunning I'd quickly strafe around and use my backstab skill (which only does damage from behind, obviously), and then finish with a special slashing strike, which had another chained slash available after it. Once you get further into the game, you get different skills that chain off the same condition, so it adds on the fly decision making to how you want to fight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleck Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 see now that sounds a lot better than the standard mmo fare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZealPath Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 I have quite a few friends clamoring to try to get me to play this. It may very well be time to put FFXI down, but this game looks very... simple. Doesn't mean it won't be fun though, I'd say there's a fighting chance I'll give it a shot, but at the same time, I want to know if it's just going to be another one of those MMOs that everyone raves about for a month or two then gets forgotten so quickly you almost don't remember it ever came out (VG, AoC, etc). Skillchain system does sound good, flying sounds very cool, it's a maybe at this point, though it certainly would be nice to play with some friends that I haven't played with for months and in some cases years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan The Politician Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 There have been efforts to make this game more palatable to western gamers. For example, there were a good amount of quests added in. However, I still find myself grinding a little to get to those next levels. I don't find myself hating the process, honestly. It's like knitting for some people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulinEther Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 There have been efforts to make this game more palatable to western gamers. For example, there were a good amount of quests added in. However, I still find myself grinding a little to get to those next levels. I don't find myself hating the process, honestly. It's like knitting for some people. Except knitting gives you a physical product that, spared from the lacerations caused by a violent washing machine, should be something you can take with you wherever you go for years, keeping you warm, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcana Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 Except knitting gives you a physical product that, spared from the lacerations caused by a violent washing machine, should be something you can take with you wherever you go for years, keeping you warm, etc... Then, playing MMORPGs is like watching TV for some people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.