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What do you think of Aion?
For the past 5 months i've been hunting for a new MMO. I played WoW for 4 years, i went through wrath but i felt like endgame is just a totally updated BC, with some interesting odds and ends but i grew bored with it with a thirst for something a little different and new.
The first new mmo i bought was Warhammer, i had high expectations for it.. but overall it was a complete failure. The only thing i really enjoyed was the PVP, and they had some great ideas in the game all in all. But i simply cant stand playing a dieing game that needs alot of work from the start.
A week ago i bought aion, ended up spending 105 dollars on it after buying the collectors edition and having to buy that 1 month that they request to activate your account. (did it through amazon..went with the 1 day shipping because i had the week off) Anyways, from the start i did alot of research about the game and the game itself seemed rock solid, and once it develops it has the potential to battle to the top with WoW. With all due respect, it isnt better than WoW. In the end its a pretty long grindfest from what ive heard but to me that isnt a problem, the graphics and gameplay is fantastic and i can only see it getting better. This week i leveld a 21 sorcerer and a 21 gladiator, in WoW i was a ret paladin from the start and i MADE it work, i was a handful that could. Then of course blizzard overbuffed them in WotLK and everyones playing them, which is a part that turned me off of WoW. Anyways the Glad has that ret paladin feel to it, unwanted in groups, feels a bit underpowered but has the resources to be just as good as anyone else if played with the right player. That kinda drew me into Aion a bit more. The game itself isn't what im questioning.
The thing i didnt research when i first started the game was Ncsoft itself. I see other players expirenceing poor customer service. There are bots and gold spammers at an out of hand rate and many users expirence difficulty with their software running on their computers. I understand the game has just released and needs years to develop but the thing thats getting to me is on the fourms and the website i hardly see any support from admins at all. Espessually on the fourms, go to the website and click fourms and just browse the technical and the general fourms and you will see what i mean. It's evident that no one is monitering them. Also Ncsoft said they would send GM's to the servers to ban the gold spammers, this hasnt been done. I see the same spammers through out the day and even the next day. It seems like a total lack of support to the U.S. playerbase..
I know in the eastern areas this game is HUGE. I read theres something like 9 million players in the east, so i was thinking all their attention is probably drawn over there, leaveing us in the west to pay them a pretty penny and move on. Thats the vibe i get from it anyways.
So i dont know what i should do. In the winter i like to get involved in an mmo and WoW has given that to me all these years. Aion is a great game but the lack of support to the game itself is turning me off. I feel like im playing a lost cause, like i fell for giveing them money that they just pocket and spend supporting the east. This is all my opinion, i hope its not true. I know many of you have played more mmo's than i have so maybe its a major time situation that im in.
If this game seems like its going to fail, anyone have a reccomindation for another great mmo thats successful? If not, i may try to play WoW again and see if i can reinterest myself in it.
Comments
Aion won't fail.
NCSoft have seemingly designed it to compete with WoW and appeal specifically to the eastern market in terms of gameplay and visual appeal. I doubt that it will be doing very well in the western markets a year from now, but I would imagine that it will continue to thrive in the east, where "subscription" means a very different thing.
If you're looking for alternatives to WoW/Aion then there isn't a lot out there at the moment. AoC and WAR aren't in great shape, but LOTRO is an old faithful of a game and might be worth a look. If you're willing to venture away from the fantasy genre, Champions Online provides a month or two of entertainment. Vanguard might be worth a try; it's had a long time to recover from the problems of launch.
On the (distant) horizon we have TOR and there is always the next WoW expansion.
Playing: EVE, Final Fantasy 13, Uncharted 2, Need for Speed: Shift
why the hell did you drop $105 for a collectors edition when it only cost $79? and WHY did you pay for a month ahead of time? i STILL haven't been charged for my first month cause the first 30 days are FREE.
and ffs, why did you buy this game at all before playing the pre order beta to get a feel to see if you would like it in the first place, or at least do some research on it before dropping the cash into it? As far as it being better then that other game (we dare don't speak it's name) that is a matter of personal opinion. If you like a game on easy mode, then that game is for you, if you like a game that you have to actually go into and grind a bit and work a bit harder for your stuff, then by all means, keep playing Aion. One of the thing that draws me to this game is that it doesn't spoon feed you content, and yeah omg, it actually takes a while to level once you get past 25....maybe hello kitty online is better for you?
You're a black mage in red robes. Or are you a cartoon Jawa?
Edit: To Ilvaldyr.
I am looking forward to TOR.
Lots.
Playing: EVE, Final Fantasy 13, Uncharted 2, Need for Speed: Shift
I am looking forward to TOR.
Lots.
Me too. I'm extremely excited for that game. No matter how old I'm going to be when it comes out.
Aion simply cannot fail because it has nothing new in it. Everything is familiar to the standard MMO player and why shouldn't they like it?
Only game in development that I'm really waiting for is Guild Wars 2 which will be hopefully released some time around 2010. Arenanet (the dev) simply states that "when it's ready" so we can't really be sure. There's a lot of games to try in the meantime however: Mortal Online, SW:TOR, Global Agenda...
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
Good call, I forgot about GW2.
OP might consider looking at FFXIV too; from what I hear it is moving away from the group-centric gameplay and incorporating more solo elements.
Playing: EVE, Final Fantasy 13, Uncharted 2, Need for Speed: Shift
Don't worry about NCsoft giving all their love to the east. Every patch they get we get. All the attention they get we get. Its just for once your not playing a western developed game. Normally the west gets the patches first then a few weeks later they are out in other parts of the world. This time around the east gets all the patches first and we receive them a few weeks later.
I personally prefer this deal as we get less buggy content.
Oh Noes Its The Forum Police
I think Aion is the most unoriginal crap to come out in years. Crap like it does nothing but hurt the genre as a whole by encouraging cut-paste EQ grind clones. By giving NCSoft money for this you are encouraging future devs to create even more mindlessly shallow themepark games rather than once again creating virtual worlds where players control the environment.
You asked =/
-------------------------
I wish you would of actually read my post. The reason it came out to be $105 is because where i live it costs 7 dollars to ship, so i went ahead and put in 3 more to get it earlier. I went ahead and put that extra month on there to motivate me to give the game a longer shot, and for me money wasnt a problem i was just pointing that out.
I've done a ton of research on the game as ive previously stated. I also said that the thing that draws me into the game was it gave me the challenge that i felt i had before WotLK. I have not once said that the game itself is drawing me away at all. It's simply customer support that im concerned about.
First off, the Mod didn't "edit" anything, and he gave his opinion on something, not exactly rushing to defense. If anybody is setting up a line of defense, it's you. Every thread, it's the same deal. "mm ya I haz xfire hear n it suys u gais are like not az good az wow
)()()()()()()" Please go back to the WoW forums.
Also please be aware I actually stopped playing AION, not my cup of tea. But I actually like the IDEA of people enjoying it, unlike you. Where everything has to be compaired to WoW, or has to reach a certain number of hours on xfire to be worthy of being a decent title.
Zorn you're not sharp enough to burst anybodies bubble. Your gripe is with a game you probably don't play and probably never will. You are so caught up in which is better, blah blah blah. Seriously, games get hyped, Cataclysm is getting hyped, I don't think it is all that great, and please don't start rambling on about what it has, I don't care.
To be honest if I ran an MMO and somebody said it had 3.5m players, hell, I wouldn't deny it, or confirm it. It would keep people guessing, and just that number alone will cause hype.
Edit, mods play games to. They support their games, and they will discuss them. You're just mad a blue likes AION : (
Dear Zorn.
I neither Hate or Like Aion I'm very non-bias when it comes to mmo's and I respect Aion for what it is and what it does. I don't play Aion and I did not defend Aion. The OP was concerned that because the game has a larger following in the East they would get all the content and the west would get nothing. I pointed out that the game will receive the same amount of content and receive the same love just it would come a few weeks after the official eastern launch. I also pointed out that when the west gets the update it wont be as buggy as when it was first launched in the East.
Please do not create wild assumptions
Oh Noes Its The Forum Police
To the OP: What do you like in a MMO and what genres interest you? Once we know that we can maybe give you some qualified answers.
"You are the hero our legends have foretold will save our tribe, therefore please go kill 10 pigs."
I appreciate the kindness. Anything that seems well developed, has a large player base, and has a great team working on the game and listening to the community wins it for me. I have a 9 year total mmo expirence, but only with 2 games. I'm willing to try something new if aion doesnt work, although im gonna give it a good try
Jesus, you ppl still answer to the guy?
He's been so lost lately about the loss of market wow had that the only thing he does is insult and try to raise suspicions on ppl integrity. Everyone that actually speaks a single word about Aion or trys to explain anything about it.
Fortunately for everyone in doubt of trying Aion this may be the best excuse to do it, if a guy like him spends so much time speaking about it it must worth something right?
Trimmed the post down a bit, and highlighted specific portions that I'll hit on. The rest that's left is still relevant.
You're enjoying the game, right? The first highlight says so. Gold spam has been all but squashed for the time being. For the first few weeks I had to play anonymously to avoid gold spam tells, and keep a vigilant watch on my block list for the occasion I chose to use the LFG channel, but now I play without /anon and never get bothered by gold spam. I blocked a total of one person today who was running his message through channels that was complete gibberish. I expect the same for the bots. Only time for now will tell how they'll handle them.
The second portion has already been explained, but to reiterate, NCWest is a completely separate division of NCSoft. The game is developed in the East, meaning the content is created there, then translated and modified for use in the version we play. That said, NCWest is in control of what actions are taken to suit the game to our needs here. That includes exp rates, drop rates, bots, spammers, and the list goes on. We aren't getting a blind eye here.
Finally, your entire post seems a hair sketchy to me. You're enjoying yourself and aren't seemingly having issues personally, but a trip to the forums and you're up in arms over whether the game will survive? For starters, forums aren't generally the place for technical support. There are sometimes things that people will be helped with in that medium (particularly widespread issues), but on the whole a person should only expect help from other players in such places. More to the point, the people who are playing and enjoying the game won't be posting on the forums for the most part. Understand, forums are always the home for the vocal minority. That includes both players that are happy, and far far more often, those who are not. Of course you're going to get a poor view by checking forums.
In all, the game has been out a very short time so far. Server issues seem to be all but gone, gold spam is down to a bare minimum, and while bots still seem a bit rampant, it's clear there have been actions taken against some. I'm perfectly content to cope with the bots for now so long as a long-term solution is in the works to get rid of them. Patience is key, and it's clear that attention is being given where needed to this point. For anyone who's enjoying themselves, these things should be easily ignored for the time being, though we should all expect things to be resolved in time.
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it."
George Bernard Shaw
What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Oscar Wilde
well Aion is sort of a 'safe bet'.
you buy a nice looking, well optimised, almost bugless... generic mmo.
if thats what you are looking for - its great.
if not - wait for something that isnt just packed in a nice new box.
I have been playing Aion since CB4.
Aion is a great game that people either love or hate. It doesnt do anything new and it doesnt cater for every single playstyle, but it does offer some pretty fun and stable PvPvE content I wouldnt call Aion a failure by any stretch. It DOES have millions of players Worldwide and it will be around for a while. Aion is perhaps the most competitive PvP/PvPvE MMO out on the market at the moment, and it doesnt look like any MMOs in the near future will try to compete with that. I also find comments such as "NCSoft is not listening to their Western Audience" to be pretty funny, as they are increasing the quest exp in next patch by around 500% for quests over level 30 (which is some of the game more grindy content, or should i say was?) Thats some pretty Western friendly changes right there.
A lot of people bash Aion because it doesnt do anything new. But big MMOs coming out soon are not doing anything new either.
OP: If you are looking for something that is similar and easy to get into, but also fun and competitive in terms of PvP and PvPvE content, then i think Aion is worth a try. If you are looking for a MMO that will do something new and provide a different experience, then i recommend waiting for FFXIV (i am too, for a PvE MMO) because Square makes some amazing and polished games and what they have planned is the only unique content i see coming for any MMO in the near future.
Aion has time to improve
Just a simple question for the pro Aion posters. What do you plan to do at end game? Besides pvping there is little else to do. True more content can be added to alleviate this problem, but I doubt it will be significant to keep you attention long.
That is always a concern with any "new" mmo, hopefully we will see end game content come in a reasonable amount of time, but if they keep the endgame all pvp, I will certainly not stick with it, then again, this is just a game to hold me over till FFXIV.....
The problems raised in the original post are never concerns for me.
Customer service? It sucks in all MMORPGs, and the only thing I need them to do really is cancel my account if I quit playing, and not double bill me while I am playing. Just about everything else I'll deal with myself.
Gold spammers? They infest every MMORPG, hardly a reason to complain about a particular title.
Aion doesn't appeal to me. I don't really like the artwork, although I know it's very popular, and the flying thing didn't seem to add anything to the MMORPG genre, at least for me.
I'm sure it will do well, and be around for a good long while, making lots of money, just not my sort of game.
I am looking forward to TOR. I like the artwork, like Star Wars, want to see what the HEro Engine can do, and the dialog based on party participation feature looks like fun. Might not be, but I want to try it.
You're being a bit silly here.
I can't think of one major MMO title in the past 10 years that has withheld patches internationally. WoW comes to mind, but it's been well publicized that the delay in releasing WotLK in China was due to their slightly odd laws rather than being the choice of the developer.
No, I'm sure that any patches and/or expansions that Aion gets will come to the NA/EU markets too.
The OPs concerns seemed to be more in regards to the lack of customer service and NCSoft's seeming inability to adequately deal with the problem of spammers and botters on the NA servers and provide technical support via websites/forums, etc.
That's a pretty valid concern, imo.
Playing: EVE, Final Fantasy 13, Uncharted 2, Need for Speed: Shift
I agree 100% with you. It's a sad-sack "copy 'n paste" game thrown together using someone else's graphics engine. It is everything people have bitterly complained about for years on these forums, but which they are now desperately defending - antiquated, uninspiring quests, pointless running around that has nothing to do with exploration, simplistic levelling system, ONE quest chain per race, ONE starting area per race, headache-inducing combat effects and stilted animations, and a world so linear you could drive a train down it.
Basically everything that's bad you see in a F2P Korean grinder, except they've actually, unbelievably, induced people to pay for it!