Aion F2P in Februray: who is going to revisit?

konungsmatur · December 2011

Hi all!

I used to play Aion a while back, but after reaching end-game decided to move on to new pastures. However, after hearing that is going free-to-play in February, I thought that it would make a nice diversion from my main sub-based MMO. I definitely have some fond (and frustrating!) memories of my time there.

Who else is planing on popping in again come February? Also, has anyone worked out how much you would need to spend in the cash shop to outfit your gear? I think I remember hearing that there will be something that you can use so manastones don't break or something like that.

BB, KM.

Sector13 · December 2011

If NA people can join then I will.

skyexile · December 2011

not touching that game, even if they paid me. [Mod Edit]

konungsmatur · December 2011

Originally posted by Sector13
If NA people can join then I will.

I found this on their website, so yeah, I think the US servers will still be there then:

Will there be new servers?

Yes, there will be a new server in Germany, the UK and France. In addition, all of the present servers will remain intact.

Wolfenpride · December 2011

If the f2p goes in effect for NA users, then absolutely I will.

Dewm · December 2011

If they paid me i sure would.

free2play · December 2011

It's still a misguided trainwreck.

Grind PvE in a PvP world to get really nice looking PvP armor you can't see because it reduces frame rates and makes you PvP gimp.

Was sub is now F2P but only some places. They need to decide who the hell they are marketing to.

Dibdabs · December 2011

Aion was a wreck, and there's no way I would even bother to play it now. It's F2P because that reflects its true worth - nothing.

i thought Star Trek Online was a simplistic piece of crap, but Aion was even WORSE, which you can rest assured is really saying something.

Sephros · December 2011

Think its eu only. If it was na is play. That link you posted only mentions eu servers. All of the present eu servers plus three new ones.

Phelcher · December 2011

No one is going to re-visit the game. It's already a flop and making it free 2 play illustrates this fact. Just because it's free doesn't mean people will like it any better. The game is not enjoyable at any level compared to previous MMO..

The only reason it's still afloat is the newbies playing havn't graduated to anything better.

Purutzil · December 2011

Psst, just fyi to all people saying the game is terrible or a 'flop', its staying p2p in korea and remains one of the most popular MMOs in Asia. Its simply put, 'to hardcore' for western gamers. Just because its 'hardcore' doesn't mean its bad. All the little ones here just can't take it, they need their bib and bottle from all the big western games to give them everything rather then having to spend time on getting things.

Trolling aside, its still a extremely popular game. While it wasn't as big with its western audience (damn us for needing things handed to us so much), it is sure to recieve plenty of big content updates. Even as f2p its sure to get tons of big updates. The F2P model doesn't seem too bad, but its something I really would need to see after release for how it goes. I'll likely play the game against for the skae it was fun to me while I played it.

Oh and Aion is a good example why companies "Westernize" games today.

Madimorga · December 2011

I think it's staying pay to play in the US as well, no word otherwise. Sad to say. I'm going to check it out for the housing when 3.0 hits if GW2 or TSW isn't released by then. I'm bored.

konungsmatur · December 2011

Well I really enjoyed Aion at least, lol

As something to play along side my main MMO, and pop into every now and then, I think it will be great. Although how the cash shop works would be a bit of a worry. I think I read somewhere that Allods Online costs thousands of dollars to fully gear up a character from the cash shop (don't know if that is true though), and if Aion goes the same way, well I guess I'll be looking for something else to fill in those spare moments! Does anyone have any more info about that?

I wonder if US players could just join an EU server, but perhaps the latency would be too great, I've not tried that before.

Don't some people play on Korean servers from the US?

Phelcher · December 2011

Originally posted by Purutzil
Psst, just fyi to all people saying the game is terrible or a 'flop', its staying p2p in korea and remains one of the most popular MMOs in Asia. Its simply put, 'to hardcore' for western gamers. Just because its 'hardcore' doesn't mean its bad. All the little ones here just can't take it, they need their bib and bottle from all the big western games to give them everything rather then having to spend time on getting things.

Trolling aside, its still a extremely popular game. While it wasn't as big with its western audience (damn us for needing things handed to us so much), it is sure to recieve plenty of big content updates. Even as f2p its sure to get tons of big updates. The F2P model doesn't seem too bad, but its something I really would need to see after release for how it goes. I'll likely play the game against for the skae it was fun to me while I played it.

Oh and Aion is a good example why companies "Westernize" games today.

That^^ doesn't matter...

When a game is released it has every oppertunity to show the world what it offers. If it sucks and 2 years later has to drop to FREE. Then that alone already signales the death of that community. Because since the game is FREE... all you get are drifters trying the game out.

Drifters who typically just want to greif other players because it is a FREE game.

The business model didn't hold out... it flopped on it's back. (Just because it is on life support doesn't make it a good game.)

Maddrox181 · January 2012

Aion truely is one of the best games currently out in terms of content and fun factor , The only reason its dying is because its simply too challenging for the casual player.

Since WoW's release gamers have gotten spoiled with ease of leveling and gearing , when coming from a game that practically dumbs everything down to simply being effortless to playing a game that was made for koreans that like being challenged its hard to get into.

* Fortunatly for me I didn't like wow so i never got into it , I was never fond of games I didn't have to work at to be good at so naturally I liked Aion being that it was a bit harder and grindy which meant I would be able to feel a sense of achievement when I reached end game and crapped on people that were bad ( in other words ex wow players ) *

joking aside .. Free 2 play and some tweaks to exp , pvp grind would revive this game and hopefully bring numbers back up. I would jump back into it in a heartbeat if it went F2P.

The Only reason I actually quit was due to race imbalances ( everyone I know / played with quit for the same reasons ) and that was largely due to the fact that one race was so much easier to play at launch that it became heavily overpopulated though I would be willing to bet F2P would fix that now that things are equal amongst both races. But there isn't a day gone by I don't have withdrawls from playing this game and have to force myself not to resub until it goes F2P in US.

** Oh and As for playing from US on europe's new f2p servers once they open in Febuary I'm sure it will be possible and there are several Proxy services to help with ping issues that are relatively cheap. I used a proxy service to play on Korean test servers every once in a while and avg ping was around 150-250ms . should be less if your connecting to Europe servers.

CujoSWAoA · January 2012

I liked the character creator. Spent like an hour in it.

3 minutes into the actual game? I was gones-ville.

Bad bad game.

Alders · January 2012

Originally posted by Purutzil
Psst, just fyi to all people saying the game is terrible or a 'flop', its staying p2p in korea and remains one of the most popular MMOs in Asia. Its simply put, 'to hardcore' for western gamers. Just because its 'hardcore' doesn't mean its bad. All the little ones here just can't take it, they need their bib and bottle from all the big western games to give them everything rather then having to spend time on getting things.

Trolling aside, its still a extremely popular game. While it wasn't as big with its western audience (damn us for needing things handed to us so much), it is sure to recieve plenty of big content updates. Even as f2p its sure to get tons of big updates. The F2P model doesn't seem too bad, but its something I really would need to see after release for how it goes. I'll likely play the game against for the skae it was fun to me while I played it.

Oh and Aion is a good example why companies "Westernize" games today.

It's not hardcore. Mindless grind and horrible RNG is not hardcore. Grinding the same fucking area from 45-50 is not hardcore. A 2 faction PVP game just doesn't work regardless if it's FTP or not.

Mysk · January 2012

Originally posted by Alders

Originally posted by Purutzil

Psst, just fyi to all people saying the game is terrible or a 'flop', its staying p2p in korea and remains one of the most popular MMOs in Asia. Its simply put, 'to hardcore' for western gamers. Just because its 'hardcore' doesn't mean its bad. All the little ones here just can't take it, they need their bib and bottle from all the big western games to give them everything rather then having to spend time on getting things.

Trolling aside, its still a extremely popular game. While it wasn't as big with its western audience (damn us for needing things handed to us so much), it is sure to recieve plenty of big content updates. Even as f2p its sure to get tons of big updates. The F2P model doesn't seem too bad, but its something I really would need to see after release for how it goes. I'll likely play the game against for the skae it was fun to me while I played it.

Oh and Aion is a good example why companies "Westernize" games today.

It's not hardcore. Mindless grind and horrible RNG is not hardcore. Grinding the same fucking area from 45-50 is not hardcore. A 2 faction PVP game just doesn't work regardless if it's FTP or not.

^ This. Why would I waste my time with that again, plus deal with the bots. Free or not, it's just not worth it.

Tyvolus3 · January 2012

Originally posted by Mysk

Originally posted by Alders

Originally posted by Purutzil

Psst, just fyi to all people saying the game is terrible or a 'flop', its staying p2p in korea and remains one of the most popular MMOs in Asia. Its simply put, 'to hardcore' for western gamers. Just because its 'hardcore' doesn't mean its bad. All the little ones here just can't take it, they need their bib and bottle from all the big western games to give them everything rather then having to spend time on getting things.

Trolling aside, its still a extremely popular game. While it wasn't as big with its western audience (damn us for needing things handed to us so much), it is sure to recieve plenty of big content updates. Even as f2p its sure to get tons of big updates. The F2P model doesn't seem too bad, but its something I really would need to see after release for how it goes. I'll likely play the game against for the skae it was fun to me while I played it.

Oh and Aion is a good example why companies "Westernize" games today.

It's not hardcore. Mindless grind and horrible RNG is not hardcore. Grinding the same fucking area from 45-50 is not hardcore. A 2 faction PVP game just doesn't work regardless if it's FTP or not.

^ This. Why would I waste my time with that again, plus deal with the bots. Free or not, it's just not worth it.

thanks for stopping by then. You can go back to wow in space now and continue to pay a $15 sub fee for a single player game with some multi-player/co-op capabilities. ttyl.

Tyvolus3 · January 2012

Originally posted by Phelcher
No one is going to re-visit the game. It's already a flop and making it free 2 play illustrates this fact. Just because it's free doesn't mean people will like it any better. The game is not enjoyable at any level compared to previous MMO..

The only reason it's still afloat is the newbies playing havn't graduated to anything better.

Please tell me what you consider "better." this should be good for some lawlz..

Asheram · January 2012

Originally posted by Phelcher
I am not going to re-visit the game. It's already a flop and making it free 2 play illustrates this fact. Just because it's free doesn't mean people will like it any better. The game is not enjoyable at any level compared to previous MMO..

The only reason it's still afloat is the newbies playing havn't graduated to anything better.

I will be re-visiting the game when it goes f2p and is accessible for NA players.

dreamsofwar · January 2012

I may stop in on my travels through MMO time and space. I played Aion at launch, it was a beautiful game with fantastic music (the title theme is still one of my favourite pieces in any mmo) but unfortunately it didn't have the kind of gameplay that could hold my attention.

It will be nice to see how its changed and if i find it appealing the second time around.

xenogias · January 2012

Originally posted by Sukiyaki
I like how haters whom mostly and some evidently have not played this game for months/since free beta/at all despite obviously insisting otherwise, call this game "still" anything bad, when they have no fucking clue and just pretend to as excuse to keep bitching about a game their have zero interest into other than some premature backstabbing for revenge,

now pretent Aion went F2P because it "had to go" and try to put it into the same pot as the failures of games they switched to months ago and even hailed to as "certain death for Aion" "all the Aionplayer will flee to" which all flopped hard and fast and got brushed behind the shadow of the year old stil popular Aion already weeks and months after their dissapointing release.

Star Treck, Rift, Allods etc. all this trash and unimaginative copy paste results failed to hold a candle to Aion in the long run, some not even that. Now the jaded fanbois/ragequitter with their delusion crushed, try to grasp for the F2P move of NCSoft to put Aion in the same bowl as their failures that tainted the name F2P model in first place... these games all went or will switch to F2P as a last straw of survival. Aion not even close to the failure of these games, is going for F2P the same reason as L2 did with huge success before and will certainly improve the view of F2P games as did L2 before: To raise profits and tap on a more profitable proven and growing market that is just waiting to play a P2P quality game with the F2P model rather than failures trying to exploit the cashshops and selling out their game for some last bucks.

The clueless hater who advocate the game will be going to change into "P2Win" like the past failures who went F2P because they had to are both hilarious and saddening however. They have no fucking clue this game will still continue to produce P2P quality content and still get developed with a P2P in mind, and the fact its still running with P2P(PPH/PPM) models elsewhere is just one reason for it. Most likely they dont even care about this fact.

The decission whether to switch to the F2P version will in my case solely rely on how gameforge will be able to handle the game. Its cheaper and easier for them to localize the game internally hence localization process should and must be an nonissue. CS and security should be the same or better. What matters is how good they suppervise the game and if they are capable to clean out the mess of boters and RMT at the same rate as before. For 5$ less I get the same game as before with minor boni, For free all that is limited are some dungeon cooldowntimer yet still can access the game whenever I want. Its a win win sitation even if they are "just" as good due to the "flatrate" concept of their services.

Just highlited the red parts to show how uninformed this post is. Subscription wise Aion doesnt "hold a candle" to Rift.

To the OP. No, I will not even be checking out Aion for the first time when its f2p. I dont give my money to P2W models and Aion already showed it will be pay2win when it had a subscription (which is the worst form of greedyness an MMO could ever do imo).

Oh back to the guy I quoted. L2 went F2P because it was dieing. Its a great game but that doesnt change facts. Maybe next time you rage post you should sit back and try to think rationally before you press post. We are all guilty of rage posts. But rage posts always look better when a person cant look at the post and say "wow that opinion is factually false".

Raven · January 2012

Originally posted by xenogias

Originally posted by Sukiyaki

I like how haters whom mostly and some evidently have not played this game for months/since free beta/at all despite obviously insisting otherwise, call this game "still" anything bad, when they have no fucking clue and just pretend to as excuse to keep bitching about a game their have zero interest into other than some premature backstabbing for revenge,

now pretent Aion went F2P because it "had to go" and try to put it into the same pot as the failures of games they switched to months ago and even hailed to as "certain death for Aion" "all the Aionplayer will flee to" which all flopped hard and fast and got brushed behind the shadow of the year old stil popular Aion already weeks and months after their dissapointing release.

Star Treck, Rift, Allods etc. all this trash and unimaginative copy paste results failed to hold a candle to Aion in the long run, some not even that. Now the jaded fanbois/ragequitter with their delusion crushed, try to grasp for the F2P move of NCSoft to put Aion in the same bowl as their failures that tainted the name F2P model in first place... these games all went or will switch to F2P as a last straw of survival. Aion not even close to the failure of these games, is going for F2P the same reason as L2 did with huge success before and will certainly improve the view of F2P games as did L2 before: To raise profits and tap on a more profitable proven and growing market that is just waiting to play a P2P quality game with the F2P model rather than failures trying to exploit the cashshops and selling out their game for some last bucks.

The clueless hater who advocate the game will be going to change into "P2Win" like the past failures who went F2P because they had to are both hilarious and saddening however. They have no fucking clue this game will still continue to produce P2P quality content and still get developed with a P2P in mind, and the fact its still running with P2P(PPH/PPM) models elsewhere is just one reason for it. Most likely they dont even care about this fact.

The decission whether to switch to the F2P version will in my case solely rely on how gameforge will be able to handle the game. Its cheaper and easier for them to localize the game internally hence localization process should and must be an nonissue. CS and security should be the same or better. What matters is how good they suppervise the game and if they are capable to clean out the mess of boters and RMT at the same rate as before. For 5$ less I get the same game as before with minor boni, For free all that is limited are some dungeon cooldowntimer yet still can access the game whenever I want. Its a win win sitation even if they are "just" as good due to the "flatrate" concept of their services.

Just highlited the red parts to show how uninformed this post is. Subscription wise Aion doesnt "hold a candle" to Rift.

To the OP. No, I will not even be checking out Aion for the first time when its f2p. I dont give my money to P2W models and Aion already showed it will be pay2win when it had a subscription (which is the worst form of greedyness an MMO could ever do imo).

Oh back to the guy I quoted. L2 went F2P because it was dieing. Its a great game but that doesnt change facts. Maybe next time you rage post you should sit back and try to think rationally before you press post. We are all guilty of rage posts. But rage posts always look better when a person cant look at the post and say "wow that opinion is factually false".

Aion is actually the second most subscribed MMO in the world its doing pretty damn well in Asia. I might revisit this later on when it goes F2P.

lokitrixter · January 2012

For NA players who are thinking of rejoining Aion when it goes free:

visit http://uk.aiononline.com/ and select FREE TRIAL (you get 10 days) It will then send you to the NCSoft website where you will set up your TRIAL account. Once done head back to the NCSoft main page and make sure to opt in for the transfer to the GameForge servers. Go to the NCSoft Launcher. Change region to UK. Restart the Launcher and accept the ToS. You may have to reinstall Aion as it is for the UK server. Log in using your new TRIAL account and pick a server. I chose Perento (or however it is spelled). Play your character for 10 days or to Level 20 whichever comes first. I decided to level 3 chars to around 15 piece so as to get away from the main starter areas. ENJOY.

With that said, YES I will be rejoining Aion. It will be something to do in between playing my current sub MMO. I actually missed the game and had alwasy said that if it went free I would return. My only real reason for leaving was the fact that they killed PVP with the debuff for rifting to opposing faction zones. I hope that there are a few tweaks to gear drops (Kromede I'm looking at you) and other aspects. But all in all I know I will enjoy it all over again.

Thanks Sector13 for the correction

Sector13 · January 2012

Originally posted by lokitrixter
For NA players who are thinking of rejoining Aion when it goes free:

visit (http://www.uk.aiononline.com) and select FREE TRIAL (you get 10 days) It will then send you to the NCSoft website where you will set up your TRIAL account. Once done head back to the NCSoft main page and make sure to opt in for the transfer to the GameForge servers. Go to the NCSoft Launcher. Change region to UK. Restart the Launcher and accept the ToS. You may have to reinstall Aion as it is for the UK server. Log in using your new TRIAL account and pick a server. I chose Perento (or however it is spelled). Play your character for 10 days or to Level 20 whichever comes first. I decided to level 3 chars to around 15 piece so as to get away from the main starter areas. ENJOY.

With that said, YES I will be rejoining Aion. It will be something to do in between playing my current sub MMO. I actually missed the game and had alwasy said that if it went free I would return. My only real reason for leaving was the fact that they killed PVP with the debuff for rifting to opposing faction zones. I hope that there are a few tweaks to gear drops (Kromede I'm looking at you) and other aspects. But all in all I know I will enjoy it all over again.

Thanks for the heads up, though remove the www in the link cause it gives no server found with it.

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Aion F2P in Februray: who is going to revisit?

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Will there be new servers?

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Aion F2P in Februray: who is going to revisit?

Comments

Will there be new servers?