Aion ftw?

[David]

This game is great fun so far.. IF you manage to get online after 5hours of waiting in line. Do the US servers have the same issues? In EU all servers are flooded and there is a line of 2hours atleast on every single server.

Besides that AION is good stuff :D

[Boxor]

I had the two day head start since I pre-purchased the Collector's Edition. So far I haven't been able to logon. Oh, it's a great game all right.

[Slayde]

I think Aion is a decent mmo, but not one that makes it stand out as one I'd personally play long term. Here are a few things I liked and didn't like about it based on playing the beta.

Pros:

Fairly polished
Nice graphics and textures
character models are nice and detailed
Character Creation is very flexible
Cool lore for the game world and races
Solid graphics engine (good performance on highest settings)
good pvp mechanic with the abyss and artifacts to control for those who prefer pvp
most appealing asian mmo to be released in the western world yet
nice game for those looking for something new to last them a few weeks
decent quest system
nice clean UI (minus the limited camera control options)
Cons:

only 2 races to choose from with only 1 starting zone each
questing and level progression seems very linear and limited
very small quest zones (looks bigger than what they are)
boring gathering system (hate having to wait to see if I randomly succeed or fail)
very tedious crafting system (huge money sink just to randomly have a chance to gain a skill pt)
annoying voices and sound effects while fighting. (most of the special attack sounds are lame)
flying is a gimic outside of the abyss (worthless for travel and very limited use)
limited character progression (almost no choice to customize your class as you level outside of stigmas)
very little replay value (can't imagine leveling more than 1 char per faction after beta testing several)
doubtful pve will be a strong suit in this game since pvp is the main focus
All in all, it is a decent game, and is the first asian mmo I've actually been interested in. I think they are still missing the mark in a lot of areas when it comes to keeping western gamers subscribed long term. Hopefully, they will listen to the fan base and improve the game overtime based on feedback and requests.

Hope you guys enjoy the game and get some good playing time and fun out of it.

[mmcookies]

The CryEngine label really got my hopes up for the graphics, which turned out to be fairly average.

[David]

annoying voices and sound effects while fighting. (most of the special attack sounds are lame)
turn them off

Thing with me is. I like the game, it plays well and pvp seems to be good. Tho I`m lvl16 so I wouldn`t know pvp yet.

But I`m not getting the VIBE I`m looking for if you know what I mean. Wow addons allways gave something like a fuck yea feeling and a addictive playstyle. Same goes for boxing.

I`m just not getting it with aion. I want to play but I have no problems not to.

[mmcookies]

turn them off
But I`m not getting the VIBE I`m looking for if you know what I mean. Wow addons allways gave something like a fuck yea feeling and a addictive playstyle. Same goes for boxing.

I`m just not getting it with aion. I want to play but I have no problems not to.

I hear ya. The game's design and all are fairly solid in its own right, but the game feels like it has no "soul."

The entirety comes off as very vanilla (similar to the feel of vanilla WoW in fact).

[Moorea]

[QUOTE=mmcookies;229587]The CryEngine label really got my hopes up for the graphics, which turned out to be fairly average.
Do you have settings maxed out ? I think it looks pretty awesome; in particular characters and water effects (like AOC) - and if you try it in 3d (with nvision glasses) you'll be floored

[mmcookies]

Yup, playing at max settings. There's nothing wrong with the technology.

Unfortunately, Aion's graphical weakness have more to do with the artists who don't seem to know how to utilize the tools available to them.

Just look at the trees. That's not how you build a tree in CryEngine (so says one of my friends).

Edit:

My friend just corrected me. Aion is only using CryEngine 1, which is more than 5 years old, so it's natural to look a bit dated.

She and I both thought Aion would be using at least CryEngine 2.

[Niley]

only 2 races to choose from with only 1 starting zone each
questing and level progression seems very linear and limited
very small quest zones (looks bigger than what they are)
boring gathering system (hate having to wait to see if I randomly succeed or fail)
very tedious crafting system (huge money sink just to randomly have a chance to gain a skill pt)
annoying voices and sound effects while fighting. (most of the special attack sounds are lame)
flying is a gimic outside of the abyss (worthless for travel and very limited use)
limited character progression (almost no choice to customize your class as you level outside of stigmas)
very little replay value (can't imagine leveling more than 1 char per faction after beta testing several)
doubtful pve will be a strong suit in this game since pvp is the main focus

.
I don't want to come out as an aion fanboy, but this is what i learned so far



I agree on the 2 races, which actually is one race.
Questing in the starting zone, was ok, same as wow, kill x mobs etc. it gets better above 20, much more interesting, On top of that you have campaign quests, which are all about You and your story line development
Zones are huge, except the starting zone....one i reached 20+ zone i went exploring ran around ONE zone for over an hour and explored about 75%
I like the gathering system, its a bit different and well if you're not good enough you can fail, gives you a chance to gather higher level mats at lower level....or not.
Crafting system was re done, and it works on work orders now, meaning you don't have to spend much gold at all, all mats other than basics that can be purchased from a vendor are supplied to you by npc.
yes, i have sound switched off
Flying is great once you learn how to glide, which isn't that easy in the begging, now that i know how on a flat terrain i can use my whole fly gauge easily
I agree, but than again wow doesn't have a whole lot going for it either you're either good spec, or you're a bad player that has no clue how to spec well.


last 2 points are debatable, in the begging of WoW pvp was terrible, and by terrible i mean there was no pvp, no battlegrounds, nothing, and that last for a long time. PvE wasn't that great either.....not bashing wow just saying.

Biggest advantage that aion has over wow for me is the combat system, i love there is not one spammable ability, and you have to think about two moves ahead.

[Redbeard]

Pros:

Fairly polished
Nice graphics and textures
character models are nice and detailed
Character Creation is very flexible
Cool lore for the game world and races
Solid graphics engine (good performance on highest settings)
good pvp mechanic with the abyss and artifacts to control for those who prefer pvp
most appealing asian mmo to be released in the western world yet
nice game for those looking for something new to last them a few weeks
decent quest system
nice clean UI (minus the limited camera control options)





Man, I have been searching this board for info about Aion and your post caught me as funny. 5 of your pros are graphics related... 2 are backhanded compliments.

For me, I am content / having fun in WoW so Aion really would need to BRING IT in order for me to consider it. My brother bought me a copy and im like level 6 so im giving it a shot but so far...........

[Mokoi]

If I had to play Vanilla WoW again, I wouldn't because I have been spoiled because of what the xpacs have brought, but being that what they brought was an end to boxing as I love it, I see no reason to stay Loyal to the game.

Let's ve honest, we can all afford the lifestyle of boxing fairly comfortably. I now have 2 computers, and I am going to give quadboxing Aion a shot. I love PvP.. I detest PvE raiding, and so for me, Aion seems at least, directed more towards me. My friend has been playing for a year over here in Korea, and she loves it and says that the PvP is quite good.

I am going to give it a try. if i dont like it, what have I wasted, a couple hundred bucks? worth it to me, even if I hate it, to at least say I tried to replace WoW, which is stagnant and boring, with possibly a year before the next xpac, which I am not excited about, either XD

ok, my 2c over =)

[Drizzit]

Con
- asmodian have the worse grinding past lvl 19 (20% quest 80% grind)

[Gunmetal]

Why is "grinding" such a taboo thing in mmo's these days?

The reality is, that questing is the same thing as grinding but with some fancy "story telling" associated with it. So now you're quest grinding instead of grinding on mobs until you're 80. After that, you get to grind those instances and arenas for gear and don't tell me that crafting isn't a grind too in WoW. The way I see it, WoW just took the xp you'd normally get on mobs, and moved it to a quest reward.

And isn't Multi-boxing more conducive to grinding than a questing?

That said, I'm really enjoying myself in Aion. I love the art style and overall feel of the game. It doesn't try to be innovative and for that I'm grateful.

[Moorea]

one more time... I'm level 21.5 and I now have 20 quests in my quest log just collecting the quests in the first 20+hub (eltnen fort); I didn't even step out... I have yet to grind anything (unless you consider leveling your gathering skill for instance, grinding)... I even abandoned several low level quests from previous zones and never had to kill mobs that weren't part of a quest or in the way to get there... all that again with 1/2 the kill xp as I'm dual boxing/grouped... so please stop about the grinding and go back get the quests you missed...

[Mevlock]

one more time... I'm level 21.5 and I now have 20 quests in my quest log just collecting the quests in the first 20+hub (eltnen fort); I didn't even step out... I have yet to grind anything (unless you consider leveling your gathering skill for instance, grinding)... I even abandoned several low level quests from previous zones and never had to kill mobs that weren't part of a quest or in the way to get there... all that again with 1/2 the kill xp as I'm dual boxing/grouped... so please stop about the grinding and go back get the quests you missed...


Level 21.5 still puts you in the newbie zones ;) Well not quite it's still very early in the game. I played in the betas and on a chinese server. Wait till you hit 25 plus. Then it gets very grindy and gets progressively worse the higher you get. It's why my CE is still sitting unopened on my shelf. A few people I know have already quit since they are in their 30's and it's just too much of a grind.

Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with a grind it just won't appeal to many in the western hemisphere. And yeah quest grinding is still grinding but it's just a hell of alot more fun than killing mob after mob after mob repeatedy.

[Fat Tire]

Level 21.5 still puts you in the newbie zones ;) Well not quite it's still very early in the game. I played in the betas and on a chinese server. Wait till you hit 25 plus. Then it gets very grindy and gets progressively worse the higher you get. It's why my CE is still sitting unopened on my shelf. A few people I know have already quit since they are in their 30's and it's just too much of a grind.

Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with a grind it just won't appeal to many in the western hemisphere. And yeah quest grinding is still grinding but it's just a hell of alot more fun than killing mob after mob after mob repeatedy.

First post Mevlock. Welcome!


Bit of advice. Dont mess with the fanbois, you will always lose.

[Moorea]

ahah fat tire, or don't mess with the trolls who read "grind fest" from the KR or CN versions and keep and keep repeating it not based on actual US server release play...

It's funny how earlier it was "oh it's all grind from 16 onward" then "oh it's all grind from 19 onward" and now it's from 25 plus... well we'll see if the same lies applies to 25 as they did to the previous 2 - I'll be happy to report the truth when/if I hit a spot where I run out of quests (it may well happen - I don't know, I haven't played past 21.5 so far)