Aion - The Tower of Eternity

[Draegan]

Originally Posted by Zehn - Vhex

I meant exactly what I said. The default UI is laid out almost exactly like EQ2 (granted it's been awhile since I played). The graphics are very similar although Aion is very much prettier. Character generation feels about the same. The quests are very similar and the "single starting point" feel is there as well. The skills are doled out in the same manner as well.

The 'class split' feature and sub-combine upon sub-combine and pass/fail system for tradeskills are also reminiscent of early EQ2.

So you can chill out D. It's like I offended your girlfriend or something. Playing Aion I get a very EQ2 vibe from it. It's like they took a normal korean dev team, sat them down and forced them to play EQ2 and WoW and said, "this is what Western people like!"

I'm not offended at all bro. I just didn't see your point of view. I thought you were talking about the gameplay from 1-10 not the whole character creation etc. So I can see your point, but I don't know what the default UI is in EQ2. Looks very standard MMOGish to me.

Though I have to disagree on the graphics. EQ2 looks like everything has a mirror surface.

@Pyros:
It's not technically exp loss since you can't lose a level and you can buy some of it back.

If I had to use an analogy .. and I will ..

EQ is to WOW as Lineage is to Aion.

and

WOW is to Aion as EQ is to Lineage.

I think that makes sense.

[TwiNCannoN]

Warning to anyone planning on preordering to try the beta out... I did this from Gamestop's website, and it's not giving me any option to cancel the preorder. Emailed their support.

The game is total shit anyway, not worth wasting your time on.

[nu_11]

Well it's not TOTAL shit... the only thing I REALLY dislike is the linear first 20 levels.

(By the way, I was just emailed the preorder key from Amazon.)

[Draegan]

Crafting seems to be less grindy.

You do work orders, they give you mats for it and you have to buy shit like cooling water from a nearby vender and then craft it. Gives you all the points you need to level up your skill.

Doing weaponcrafting now. I can't use anything yet anyway. But it's interesting.

[TwiNCannoN]

Well, it's definitely not total shit, especially compared to the usual Eastern style MMO affair. It just misses out on a lot of core concepts and ends up making it such a chore to do the most simple things.

One of my friends says warrior sucks to level so I might give it another shot as scout/mage I suppose.

[Seig]

Rangers are the hardest class to level up they're terrible until level 25. I have to call BS on warriors leveling slowly. Early on they don't kill as fast as mages do, but once you do your class change and get your level 10 spear/great sword you start mowing mobs down.

Playing solo my gladiator leveled up pretty quickly with very little down time until level 30+. It was pretty easy to keep constantly killing once I got my 400 hp heal/buff stigma skill.

[Roa]

Kill stealing in 2009? What the fuck is this?

[Clug]

If you think warrior sucks to level, wait till you try scout.

[CnCGOD]

I had no problem with scout, just used bandages a lot more than other classes.

[Draegan]

I just leveled my scout up to 10. Easy enough. Priest is the easiest, then Mage then Scout. I have yet to do warrior though.

Not sure what things are a chore Twin. Only thing I don't like is running around the city, but Asmodian is so much better than Elyos. Everything else is typical MMOG fair.

[Seig]

Hmm cool there will be a little more class distinction and customization with the 1.3 stigma changes.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

High Grade Stigma
There’s a massive update over the horizon for this summer.
One of them is the new stigma system.
The stigma slots will be changed and include couple more slots for the upcoming new grade stigmas.
While these high grade stigmas will have steep requirements, they will be powerful enough to worth the cost. Combined with the existing stigmas, they’ll make the game more dynamic.
Let’s learn about these high grade stigmas.


Introduction
High grade stigmas are special stigmas only socketable in separate slots.


For example, in order to equip ‘A’ high grade stigma, you’ll have to have ‘B’ and ‘C’ regular stigmas already equipped.
The devs said there will also be high grade stigmas that require other high grade stigmas already equipped in order to be used.
Ultimately, this update will give u 3 more stigma sockets. Since you can still socket regular stigmas in these ‘special’ slots, you’ll be able to equip a total of 8 stigmas, even if you never get to have one of those high grade stigmas.
How to get them
Around 10 new stigmas will be added for each class (not just high grade, some new regulars as well)
There are two ways of acquiring these stigmas.

1. Low chance world drop
2. abyss points

Most of you will be looking at the 2nd option. Unfortunately, it is unknown who will be selling them and how you’d be using the points to get them
You also have to complete a quest to unlock the 3 extra sockets for the high grade sitgmas. The details regarding the quest have not been revealed.
New Stigmas, New play styles
Every class wil be able to enjoy two distinctive play depending on what stigmas they choose. For example Templars can either go for maximum aggro / high defense or improved attack ower.
Therefore, each player will have to carefully choose what stigmas that they want to go for, as your gameplay and strategies will change accordingly.
Gladiator

1. Improved skill use and damage for spears
2. Improveed skill use and damage for dual wield

Templar

1. Improved defense/threat generation- maximizing your tanking abilities
2. Debuff / offensive spells – PvP specialization

Assassin

1. Improved burst damage – now you can literally 1 shot people
2. Improved burst with several debuffs!

Ranger

1. Improved movement – guerilla style!
2. Improved long range attacks / damage – Sniper!

Sorcerer

1. Improved CCs and more defensive spells – improve your survivability in mass pvp
2. Improved burst spell damage

Spiritmaster

1. More PvP skills for your Spirit
2. Stronger debuffs and dots

Cleric

1. More aoe healing spells and improved threat reducing abilities
2. Improved offensive spells/quick recovery heals

Chanter

1. Improved melee skills for improved PvE and PvP
2. Improved buffs and aoe recovery spells

[Draegan]

Some Screens:

Aion Screens

[TwiNCannoN]

just played for another few hours on this game, got my warrior/gladiator to 10 and then ragequit

Draegan: the whole UI/interaction system is just a giant chore due mostly to lack of polish. Things like picking quest items up often requiring 3+ clicks (right click to open the thing, loot all, are you sure you wish to pick this up...). It's the type of UI/interaction system where if you even move a centimeter with a quest dialogue open, it closes. If you're doing anything, you can't do another action until the animation (which is usually really long and arduous) is done. When stuff like slotting an item or even binding a item to you (yes, the "are you sure you wish to bind this" dialogue is a 7 second animation in this game) are like this, it becomes a chore for sure. Not to mention the fact that combat kept refusing to drop so I ended up having to go into my active skill menu and drag "toggle combat" to my bar because you can't do ANYTHING while in combat. That kind of shit. It's plagued with it, really wore thin on my patience.

Not to mention how slow the movement is and how it's constantly having you walk back and forth between quest hubs with nothing to do in between, between that and the quest rewards being useless (never found anything better than the items that dropped from mobs) there is basically no reason not to just grind mobs. They don't even have a minimap tracker for quests (I noticed the "locate" thing for the quest hyperlinks, but that was another patience-wearing aspect, having to locate one thing, commit the area to memory, locate the next quest, try and remember that too... why isn't this just on the minimap by default?!).

That whole "manufactured" feel that every Asian MMO out there has, this one has just as much... no invert mouse option that I could find, really terrible camera system (completely rigid so it feels like you're using a 3d modeling program rather than playing a game). Instead of the camera itself moving position when zooming in/out, it just changes it's FOV on your character, giving it that weird "I'm looking at my character through binoculars" feel.

Finally got to the point where my friends said they liked a lot - the pvp arena (which is ffa apparently) - and the arena entrance is being spawn camped by about 20 people in the same guild. Awesome. /quit

really a testament to how bored western mmo players must be if they can seriously say they're enjoying this game.

[Naj]

In all honesty they should just get rid of the level 10-24 areas and start you in the Abyss as soon as you choose your class because the newbie portion of the game is so dull compared to 25+.

[possible]

Originally Posted by TwiNCannoN

just played for another few hours on this game, got my warrior/gladiator to 10 and then ragequit

Draegan: the whole UI/interaction system is just a giant chore due mostly to lack of polish. Things like picking quest items up often requiring 3+ clicks (right click to open the thing, loot all, are you sure you wish to pick this up...). It's the type of UI/interaction system where if you even move a centimeter with a quest dialogue open, it closes. If you're doing anything, you can't do another action until the animation (which is usually really long and arduous) is done. When stuff like slotting an item or even binding a item to you (yes, the "are you sure you wish to bind this" dialogue is a 7 second animation in this game) are like this, it becomes a chore for sure. Not to mention the fact that combat kept refusing to drop so I ended up having to go into my active skill menu and drag "toggle combat" to my bar because you can't do ANYTHING while in combat. That kind of shit. It's plagued with it, really wore thin on my patience.

Not to mention how slow the movement is and how it's constantly having you walk back and forth between quest hubs with nothing to do in between, between that and the quest rewards being useless (never found anything better than the items that dropped from mobs) there is basically no reason not to just grind mobs. They don't even have a minimap tracker for quests (I noticed the "locate" thing for the quest hyperlinks, but that was another patience-wearing aspect, having to locate one thing, commit the area to memory, locate the next quest, try and remember that too... why isn't this just on the minimap by default?!).

That whole "manufactured" feel that every Asian MMO out there has, this one has just as much... no invert mouse option that I could find, really terrible camera system (completely rigid so it feels like you're using a 3d modeling program rather than playing a game). Instead of the camera itself moving position when zooming in/out, it just changes it's FOV on your character, giving it that weird "I'm looking at my character through binoculars" feel.

Finally got to the point where my friends said they liked a lot - the pvp arena (which is ffa apparently) - and the arena entrance is being spawn camped by about 20 people in the same guild. Awesome. /quit

really a testament to how bored western mmo players must be if they can seriously say they're enjoying this game.

It honestly just sounds like you're dumb to me. Pressing X makes you drop combat to equip items, etc. Hitting N bings up a map overlay and shows quest locations/turnins, yes you have to remember where mobs are for quests despite hitting location but what other MMO has the quest locations shown to you? The camera I don't really have problems at all, though they definitely need to let you choose the bindings for camera control.

Yes the game has flaws, but what game didn't in beta. I think if they improve on it and actually use the suggestions on the forum, it can be an awesome game.


Edit: Totally forgot, the overlay will actually place a purple X on the last locations you looked for, so yes it does mark quests on the map (one at a time).