Well played Aion, well played

Even though I don't play Aion anymore, I like to keep up with what's going on in the game.  Recently they had a new patch, 1.5.1, which was interesting. CAPTCHA's in game, really Aion?  Then today they released a new video of Aion's future.  I must say, it is nothing short of amazing.

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Farewell Aion

If you have been reading my recent articles about Aion, it should be no surprise that I have canceled my subscription.  Since well before launch I have been cynical towards Aion, but the game at least deserved a try.  Much to my surprise it was not as bad as I thought.  In the end though, it just wasn't the game for me.

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What Aion can learn from WAR

Last week, I made a post discussing what WAR can learn from Aion.  Performance, Crafting, PvP and the economy were all included.  That doesn't mean Aion is perfect in those areas.  There is always room for improvement and WAR does have some good ideas.

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What WAR can learn from Aion

Soon my time in Aion will come to an end.  As I expected, the game is just not for me.  It isn't a bad game and I did have some fun while playing.  Even though I won't be playing it, there are some things that WAR can learn and hopefully be an even better game.

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Rifts

One of the more interesting concepts in Aion are the Rifts.  These portals allow for limited PvP in zones outside of the Abyss.  Over the last couple days I've had a chance to play with them.  They provide a bit of spice to an otherwise bland PvE experience.

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Blood in the Water

Most of my weekend gametime was spent playing Aion. Yes, I can now actually play! I have been pushing through the PvE content at a pretty good pace. Due to the smoothness of the engine, it actually isn't too painful. Although, I'm not sure I'll be able to do it a second time with an alt.

Sunday morning I reached rank 19 but had completed most of the quests in the zone. The final campaign quest required defeating a boss. I just didn't have a block of time big enough to get it done with a group. That left me with two options: grind it out or head to a level 20+ zone. I chose the latter.

There are two zones that have level 20 quests. Brusthonin is a PvE only zone and Morheim which has some rift based PvP. Morheim was the obvious choice for me. It turns out each side has a quest that takes them very close to the enemy starting point. The result is that there is PvP right next to the base.

It wasn't long before I had my first Aion PvP experience. One of my guildmate's (a Templar) engaged him and I hung back and healed. As this Elyos was alone, he did not have much of a chance. We won easily and I got my first Abyss points.



One nice touch about Aion PvP is that you cannot see the level of the opposing player. They all show ?? in their level circle. So you may want to choose who you attack more carefully, as they could be a higher level. I should mention that later on I also experienced my first PvP loss. It was my fault and I let a Ranger get to me while I was healing another player.

Much like LoTRO and WAR, I'm finding it tough to do PvE now that I have a taste of PvP. I spent the rest of my game time just hanging out and looking for Elyos. It would have been better spent getting to level 20, but not nearly as fun.

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Aion, the first 11 levels

While I still can't play Aion, I may as well give my impressions of it up to this point. Don't worry, it is not too colored by my current predicament ;) I've actually played through the first part of the game twice, due to the server move. The good news is the second time goes much quicker.

Let's start with the positive side. It sure does feel polished. Is that like saying someone has a lot of personality? The graphics are good and combat is very smooth. It feels like it has been released for a year already.... which is has. That about covers the positive.

On to what makes Aion meh to me. The gameplay is very derivative. Seriously, this is the same game we've been playing for years. I find it completely uninspired. That's ok though, as I'm not playing Aion for the PvE.

I must be a glutton for punishment to put myself through 25 levels of this just to get to the Abyss. The wings are a neat touch, although a jetpack would be better. It would also be nice to be able to use them more.

I should be able to play again tonight, but I have my doubts. Some issue will arise which will prevent it from happening.

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NCsoft does not want me to play Aion

First, we have the huge queues that eliminated any kind of head start for many players. Then those who chose to move to lower population servers were met with "Can't create a character" messages due to balance concerns. I have been effected by both issues and really got no head start.

Then today things were finally looking good. I had a character on my guilds new server and no queue issues. Everything was going well, that should have been my first clue.

It turns out NCsoft just froze my account because my boxed order has not arrived. Appears they had a 24 hour grace period to enter the retail key. So again, I cannot play Aion. My order should be here in a day or two.

Why do you hate your customers NCsoft? You probably don't, but it sure feels like it.

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Aion's Perfect Storm

As you have no doubt heard, the login queues during the Aion Head Start are crazy. Anywhere close to prime-time and you are looking at a multi-hour wait. Besides the obvious reasons, too many people and too little servers, there are other factors.

One of Aion's features is the private store. You basically turn yourself into a stationary vendor selling your wares. When in store mode, the activity timer is disabled. So unless a networking hiccup disconnects you, you'll stay logged in.

As broadband is the norm and most do not have hourly charges... a lot of people have the ability to leave Aion running. Combined with no activity timer you can guess what happens. There are loads of people using the private store to stay logged in around the clock. This is legitimate but it just contributes to the large queues we have been seeing.

So far, I am not a fan of the private store. Due to the benefit of never logging off, they are everywhere. Most just use a default text or come right and say they are AFK. They must be contributing to the lag too. The concept sounds interesting, but at this point in the games life it is pretty annoying.

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Aion and the Wizard of Oz

What do Aion and the Wizard of Oz have in common? They both seem to have a lot of little people in them. The height slider in character creation allows for a wide variety of heights. Normally I would support more options in character creation, but when PvP is a big part of the game is presents some issues.

Smaller Hitbox. It's been shown that smaller characters have a smaller hitbox in Aion. Since Aion's combat does not have any FPS elements, it isn't a huge deal. You can also use tab to select them. It does make them harder to click on, which is still an advantage.

Lost in a crowd. Smaller characters are also easier to hide in the crowd. There really isn't much that can be done about this, but it is also another small advantage.

Fallen Earth had this problem earlier in its life. Since it uses a FPS-type system for combat it was a bigger issue. In the end, they ended up lowering the height range a player could choose. Otherwise everyone would have been quite little in PvP. In WAR, everyone has the same size hitbox.

In Aion's case, smaller characters will have a slight advantage. Many of the PvP video's already show a plethora of small characters being used. The hitbox issue is just silly, everyone should have the same hitbox size. The only exception is if being smaller results in some disadvantage.

It isn't a big deal, but PvPers will take any advantage they can get. Be prepared for the onslaught of Aion Gnomes ;)

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And the winner is...

September has been the month of MMO's. With three major launches it has been an exciting time. So far I have been sitting on the sidelines and not committing to any of them. That time is over. A winner in the "What MMO will Werit play in September" contest has been chosen! Lets take a quick look at the contestants.

Champions Online

• + Non-fantasy setting
• + Amazing character customization
• - Brand new with the associated issues
  
• - Felt small

Fallen Earth

• + Non-fantasy setting
• + Crafting is a core part of the game
• + Skill based
• - Brand new with the associated issues
• - Unsure of its future direction

Aion

• + Highly anticipated, will be popular at least initially
• + PvP based endgame
• + Polished as it has been released for over a year in Eastern markets
• + Many people I play WAR with will be trying it out
  
• - Anime influenced art style
• - Wings
• - Same old quest leveling scheme
  

And the winner is... Aion.

While there are quite a few things I do not like about Aion, the sheer amount of people that will be giving it a try makes it worth the cost. I will have no shortage of folks to play with as many CoWs will be giving it a shot. My pre-order is in, so next week I will be playing.

There are really no losers here. I will also be jumping into Fallen Earth and Champions at some point, just not at launch. It has actually taken quite a bit of self control not to buy into those already. I can thank a free DDO for providing a distraction.

Aion will be joining WAR as my 2 MMO's that I will subscribe to. Will I get beyond the free month of play? We shall see.

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Is Abyss Point loss bad for Aion's PvP?

Abyss Points are Aion's PvP currency. They are gained through PvP and PvE activities within the Abyss Zone. They are used to purchase equipment and gain rankings. For a list of rankings and a great Abyss overview, check this out. When you die to a player or Baldur NPC, you will lose Abyss Points. The amount depends on your rank.

On the plus side, point loss gives PvP some meaning. Not only do you gain points, you basically take them from your enemy. Players will be a bit more careful about PvP and not just throw themselves into the meat grinder.

There is also a downside that comes with this point loss system. The higher rank players get, the less they will engage in PvP. Here is an interesting post to illustrate the point. As you work through the ranks, the amount of Abyss Points you lose when killed increases. For example, if you are a 3 Star Officer and die, you lose 2,184 points. If you kill a Grade 8 Soldier, you gain 168 points.

The risk/reward ratio gets more imbalanced the higher your rank. Lord of the Rings Online had a similar system in their PvMP using stars and battle rating. Many players despised the system because it encouraged players not to fight most of the time. It was only worth fighting when you were sure you would win. The LoTRO stars were totally cosmetic and it had a noticeable effect. Turbine eventually removed/hid the stars.

Contributing to the problem is the amount of PvE alternatives in the zone. The player in the post mentions he just does PvE quests to gain his Abyss Points. Why wouldn't he? It is less risk and more reward.

Overall, I think some risk is good in a PvP game. I do wonder if Aion's system is the right way to go about it, as it encourages PvE in the higher rankings. It will be interesting to see how the mass market NA audience does with the point loss system.

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One thing Aion has on WAR

While nothing I have read or seen leads me to believe Aion will be a better large scale PvP game than WAR, there is one area it seems to be superior. It isn't very surprising, as players have been clamoring for it in WAR since before launch.

Small Group Content.

The Abyss is a large zone filled with PvE content. There are npc's to farm and repeatable quests to be run. All of which reward you with PvP points. WAR has the Land of the Dead, which is also a PvE zone. However it is gated, so you will never find a lot of enemies there. Also, most of the content is group (or more) oriented.

The PvE content in the abyss can be run by one or two players, which is sometimes what players like to do. This also enables the small group gankers, which is a larger population that I thought, to go out and find them. When they meet, PvP will happen.... sometimes.

While Aion suffers from zergs, it does offer this small group alternative. Right now that option is missing in WAR.

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The Great Pre-Order Debate

September is fast approaching. Three MMO's will be launching during the month: Champions Online, Fallen Earth and Aion. CO and Aion are probably the top two contenders for the month though. I've played both of them and would gauge my interest in them to be about equal.

That brings me to the big question, which game should I pre-order? And yes, I must pre-order one... just 'cause :)

Aion has the Abyss which may provide some fun PvP. It is also a polished MMO with a lot of content. However it is Eastern themed and has wings.

Champions Online has a lot of customization options and is about super-heroes. I can also get into the Star Trek Online Beta. However it is a new MMO and will likely have all of the problems a new MMO usually does. Next week, when the NDA drops I can talk more about it.

As for Fallen Earth, I just don't know enough about the game to consider it. They are holding an open beta next week, hopefully I will get a chance to check it out.

Are you pre-ordering one, both or Fallen Earth?

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I'll have the PvP, hold the PvE

With Aion's release in North America approaching, there have been some interesting discussions on the nature of PvP. It can come in many different forms, but I am only really interested in two general implementations. Things like Arena based PvP don't really do it for me. Instead I like open world PvP, which can be separated into two basic schools of thought.

The first would be PvP-focused. This is the path Mythic took with their RvR in WAR. The RvR areas (lakes) do not contain much except for PvP objectives. In fact, it is a mostly dead area containing no npc's except for guards. This means that if you are in the lake, you are here for PvP, as there is no other reason to be there.

On the plus side, you get opponents that generally want to PvP. Motivation is very important in a game. If players don't want to PvP but have to (or would be stupid not to be in the area), then it can cause trouble and dissatisfaction. Whereas if both parties want to fight you can end up with a pretty good time for all.

There is a downside though. There is really no point to being in these areas unless PvP is going on. One common complaint levied against WAR is the lack of small group PvP. This can be traced to the PvP focused zones. Without npc's and other things to do for the solo/small group players these small group pvpers don't have much to do. Battlefield Objectives are for smaller groups, but still require a certain class makeup and usually a full group.

The second school of thought is to have a PvE area that has PvP elements as well. This , for the most part, describes the Ettermoors in Lord of the Rings Online and Aion's Abyss. You get a big zone, fill it with PvE content and also add in PvP objectives.

The PvE content in this area, which is usually some of the more rewarding content in the game, attracts all types of players. It also gives them plenty to do (PvE wise). They are known as the sheep. PvP players are the wolves. This is a broad generalization of course and players can and do fall somewhere in between.

Since there is a lot of PvE content which can be done solo and group, you tend to see a lot of small groups out in the zone. Many are engaging in PvE content while others are looking to gank them. For the purposes of this post, ganking means attacking a player while they are fighting an npc.

Ganking can lead to actual PvP in some cases. Eventually, as word spreads, it will grow into an all out large scale battle. Many other times, those who are ganked just go somewhere else to do their PvE and the gankers look for new targets. It isn't all bad though as sometimes your gank group comes across an opponents and you get some real PvP. In LoTRO I have sat around stealthed in my Warg just waiting for someone to try and gank some bait. It can be fun and exciting.

This kind of zone is also good for people who like PvE and PvP. WAR's Land of the Dead is similar in concept, but seems to feature less PvP and more PvE. Options are a great thing and I fully support them in MMOs.

You know what also bugs me about these zones? All the aggro you pick up from the plethora of NPC's. I just want to get to the fight, leave me alone! :)

How do you like your PvP?

I prefer my PvP without the PvE. It isn't a big surprise as I tend to avoid PvE content these days. In the Ettermoors, I never really touched the PvE content. I also am not a fan of ganking or being ganked. Attacking an opponent who is fighting an npc is weak and not much of a challenge. Ganking a ganker is fun but generally a small part of the game.

PvP is fun for me when I know my opponent is there to fight. It was very frustrating when WAR launched because people were actively avoiding the fight. In LoTRO it is also frustrating when people come to the zone just looking for the crafting materials or to farm npcs. The minute you attack they go elsewhere or hide. That is my fear for Aion's Abyss as well. Many players will be there for PvE. Some will discover they like PvP and seek it out, many will not.

In any case, I'm glad we have so many MMO's to choose from that offer different options. It is a great time to be a MMO gamer.

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Werit Gets Around

It's true, I can be rather easy when it comes to games. I just cant help myself, I'm not a one game kinda guy. This last week I played around quite a bit.

Warhammer Online. Yep, I still play!
Aion. Street Fighter called and wants its annoying sound back.
Ghostbusters. I came, I saw, I'm still playing.
Fallout 3. I think the apocalypse will actually come before I manage to finish.
Star Wars Galaxies. I am very close to resubscribing.
Punch-Out for Wii. Glass Joe was getting uppity.
NHL Hockey. Greatest hockey game ever?
Ice Hockey. The soviets beat me down. Needed more fat guys.
Light of Altair. More on this later.
Eve Online. Just to train, my subscription will be ending soon.

My posts last week were pretty varied. That is the nice thing about a general blog, you can switch it up when you feel like it. I had been doing WAR posts almost non-stop for several weeks, so I need a break to talk about other games. Do not fear WAR fans, I have a piece of paper filled with WAR topics!

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Werit Visits Aion

I was able to play Aion a bit yesterday. I can't say too much about the game though as I am still in the starter area. It is pretty much what you would expect in a MMO starter area. Combat is pretty smooth, gameplay is what you've seen before (so far).

I tried to make my character look like a Dwarf. Might have better luck on the good side of things though.

Below is some video I took. It includes combat, scenery, the personal store, skills and more. I suggest watching it on Full Screen so you can read the text.



Direct Link.

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Aion Video Requests?

I happen to have an Aion Beta Key, so I will be checking out the game a bit this weekend. While I am not too excited about the game, it does look like it is worth trying out. This beta event does not include the Abyss, which is what I am interested in. But I'll putt around and explore a bit of what Aion has to offer.

I'll have Fraps handy, so if there is anything you would like to see let me know.

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Aion: Fighting in the Abyss

As a fan of PvP and RvR, I can't help but keep an eye on Aion. Today I did some reading and watching about life in the Abyss. It has similarities with other games like WAR, but is also different.

Keep Sieges. The keep siege system looks very similar to WAR. The door is the main line of the defense. Attackers must break down the door using their abilities or siege weapons. The door is healed through a device inside the keep. Flying into the keep is generally a bad idea as there is a damaging field. This field can be turned off once you break through the doors. Once in you kill a boss and the castle is yours. To watch the tutorial video's, check out this thread.

I've also read that there are no incentives for holding a keep, so keep trading is rampant on existing servers. If it is true, that would be a real shame.

Artifacts. There are a number of area effecting artifacts in the game. They are captured from special npc-guarded locations throughout the abyss. It almost sounds like some of them are 1-time use, tough to tell right now. They don't seemed to be tied to keeps/forts at all.

Mobile Rez. You can carry a kisk (mobile obelisk) around with you that will act as a respawn point. Only a limited amount of players can bind to it and it can be destroyed. No more long walks back to the fight, but it could also mean perpetual life in a way. I'd have to see it in practice, but it is interesting.

Hero System. A select amount of players on each side will be able to become Guardians/Heroes. This turns them into a raid boss with special skills (and some restrictions). Only the top tier of players will be able to turn into these of course. These players will be worth more Abyss Points, but will be able to take on many players by themselves as well. I don't know how well this will work out but it's something different. See this thread for more info.

For a video of a Cleric as a Hero/Guardian, check this out. They get a powerful heal... so you can imagine what happens.

Zerg On. One of the biggest complains about WAR is that it is all about the Zerg. Nevermind the fact that all PvP, except those who activly choose not to, degenerates into a zerg. Aion's engine seems to allow Zerg on a scale yet unseen. See this video. Names are still on, but characters are not visible. We'll have to wait and see what it will be like in game.

Collision. Aion doesn't appear to have any player collision detection. It probably helps their engine, but I liked it in WAR. It gives tanks a good purpose in keep defense.

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Aion, Not feeling it

Recently, Aion buzz has taken hold of many blogs and gaming sites. I did not play during their preview weekend but was curious about the game so I did some research. It was not an easy task, as it seems different Aion patch versions are run in different countries. AionSource turned out to be a decent resource though.

The Basics. Aion is a traditional Diku-style MMO. You quest/grind to gain experience, loot and level up to 50. It has its own combat style, but it is fundamentally the same as other MMOs, using abilities, a hotbar and a global cooldown.

Graphics. It's graphics look to be top notch (for a MMO) and it seems to perform very well.

Raids. There are no raids currently in the game. There are a few Level 50 dungeons for small groups, and world bosses but no raid encounters. Word has it one is coming, see below.

The Abyss. This is one of the features that piques my interest in Aion. The Abyss is a PvP zone with no population cap and has siegable castles and a fortress. This zone is only for Level 25 and above. There is no bolster effect, so you may face much higher level characters. There is also a relic system that can give your side a buff in a certain area. While there is no population cap, there is a NPC 3rd party that will help the outnumbered side.

If your faction captures a fortress, it may unlock future raid content. This is similar to The Ettermoors and Delving in LoTRO,WAR's new Land of the Dead and WoW's Lake Wintersgrasp. At this time it doesn't look like any of that raid content is in the game.

Abyss Points. When fighting in the abyss you gain special points. These points are a currency. You can spend them to buy new gear, then you have to earn them back. You gain points by killing players and NPC's. If you die, you lose abyss points. There is also a ranking system that depends on how many points you have.

Crafting. Aion has a relatively simple crafting system. There is a single gathering skill for all materials and multiple crafting skills (i.e. Armorsmith). You can craft using recipes or NPC work orders. There is no mini-game like EQ2 has or anything as complex as SWG.

Style. It's an Asian/Anime styled MMO.

Wings. Flying is one of the more original features of Aion. In the Abyss, flying is a big part. However, in the rest of the world there seems to be a lot of invisible walls and no fly zones.

That is pretty much what I found in my research. Some of the details may be off but I believe it to be mostly accurate.

Personally, I do not like the Anime style, so that is an immediate turn off for me. Also, while flying is nice, the wings just are not my style. Give me a jetpack or even a gyrocopter and we'll talk. This is just superficial stuff though.

While the Abyss looks interesting, you have to PvE through the first 25 levels before you can gain access. My interest in PvE, especially for 25 levels, is nil right now. Once you reach 25, you will still be at a large disadvantage since there is no bolster mechanic.

The abyss points also worry me. They seem to reward PvE in the abyss by having npc kills give points. Add in the fact you can lose points when you die and you'll have a lot of people avoiding PvP. I play WAR, so I know about people avoiding PvP ;)

I may try Aion someday, but right now it isn't really something I am looking forward to. This is surprising considering how much press the game is getting. There just isn't much that draws me to the game.

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