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is AION worth playing?
Hi MMORPG forum,
I am looking for a game to get lost into, loved games like Ragnarok Online and Everquest but want to try something more modern as it has been years since I have tried those games.
I recently got a copy of The Secret World but it didn't keep me entangled for longer than a few days, I'd like to find something that is subscription free and not too heavily reliant on Freemium upgrades to make it playable.
A game with a little bit of balance to solo and grouping, ie: id like to be able to log in and play by my own for an hour or two and i'd like the option of also being able to group / guild up and play hardcore for 8+ hour sessions.
Anyone playing AION able to comment on if it able to fulfil these needs?
Thanks in advance
Leida
Comments
I'm currently playing Aion atm. I personally think it fits your needs very well. Currently i'm level 18 and I haven't grouped up once lol. So i've gone quite a few days soloing. Granted the first instance opens up at 16 and it's considered a solo instance (being as only 1 person's allowed to be in it) and it's quite easy as long as you don't over pull.
Looking at the dungeon list some require only 1 person and others require many more. PvP is in the game but I have yet to experience any of it yet. Player housing, crafting, mounts, pets, etc all readil available to you. Even on the web site there's the Atreian Atlas so once you complete certain milestones you can get special items.
So far I am not dissappointed. Runs a little rocky on my laptop but even on low settings, it's still a beautiful game. Definately worth checking out. And as far as most F2P games being Pay to win. This one however, from what i've seen anyways, is not. The store has fluff items such as mounts, maybe a few booster packs to make you a littel more powerful for a short amount of time, but nothing game breaking.
Hey,
I've played Aion since start and quitted shortly after the 3.0 launch.
This game does require on some sort of premium content, which is in the form of a goldpack. This being though, purchaseable with ingame gold from other players and in my experience there never was a lack of supply. (generally becoming affordable once you are lvl 25~30 without compromising the rest too much.)
Leveling wise this game gets quite repetetive overall, no special quests to keep you pre-occupied, some might even be highly annoying with the group requirements. (Note; this might have changed a little bit or you're lucky enough to find other people in the same level zone to play with...but people looking to complete certain campaign quests could take days to find a group.) The dungeons (instances) are straight forward and untill lvl 50 offer a mediocre reward for the effort required, after that it's mostly repeating them over and over again to get the required gear for your class.
With 3.0 the solo content did get updated, but it's all still group orientated to really advance in gear. Group wise there's now a variation of instances to do, but generally when you've hit max level you'll find people only playing the top tier instance. Which has if I remember correctly a 22 hour cooldown with goldpack. There's some raid instances as well but they have an even larger cooldown. As well as the problem of dumbing the instances down over time, before the 3.0 update a healer class could duo the hardest instance in the game with any other class without any problems.
Some other issues that people generally had, the enchanting and socketing system is based on luck and therefore at times highly frustrating. Lack of real pvp content, there's a 6-man group instance which combines pve with pvp that in my opinion was entertaining and next to that there's the solo arena's (1vs1 and 10ffa) although these solo arenas can only be done once a day. The open world pvp is generally the highest crowd wins, people tend to group up to atleast 20+ before stepping out of safe zones...eliminating most of the solo/duo/group pvp.
Overal this game has a great combat system and decent class customization options, (not too big..but nice enough to change the playstyle.) just not the content to keep you occupied for a longer time.
AION is hands down the best f2p implementation I've seen yet. They mean it when they say "truly free". Nothing ingame is offlimits to free players, and certainly no locked UI bars:P Most of the fluff stuff in the cash shop can be bought ingame for ingame cash. It has some convenience items like temporary housing furniture, but you can buy real furniture ingame. Dungeons used to have cooldowns before it went f2p, so adding cooldown scrolls wasn't a lockout move against free players. Also you can get them ingame as well.
It does have the old quest hub themepark feel to it, but the crafting is better than the average MMO. It has a task system that DAOC users would recognize that keeps you from losing much cash. Also tradeskills give xp, and is one favored method of leveling an alt to 30:)
As to PVP open areas, you are allowed to go to the realm pvp zone at either 20 or 30, I don't remember. I do remember having a blast with it, even as a solo person. Every person counts, and not everything in the zone is a player. It is heavily arial combat.
Several zones allow you to fly (your character has wings which can be upgraded). There is nothing gearwise that is offlimits to free players, either. You can wear whatever you earn.
No reason not to try it. Its f2p, financed by the large korean playerbase.
The game has obviously not been well recieved in the NA/EU region, but because of the fact that its funded elsewhere they can have the least restrictive f2p model in existence and its not like its poor quality.
Hi there,
I have downloaded Aion its 15GB+ so it took awhile, just noticed that there is a chat restriction on characters under lvl 20. Thanks for all your replies, I hope I get some quality time with Aion.
Maybe I will see you all in-game
Thanks
Leida
This imo, is what Runescape was made for.
Is AION worth playing? Definitely!
Will you like it? Depends.
If you liked old-school MMO grinding, then you'll like AION. I actually enjoyed grinding out mobs and dungeons in EQ and DAoC, so AION was a bit of a nostalgic throwback for me. Leveling takes a rather long time, as does gearing. Gear is a very important part of the game, so in PvP you will be at an extreme disadvantage until you get properly kitted out. Sieges are somewhat remeniscent of DAoC style RvR, though it changes depending on the server.
They have recently added a multiserver, PvP Free leveling mode. You basically just port to a shared version of the game world where you can group with others with no Open World PvP risk, and get double xp until level 50. It makes it so you don't get ganked over and over while you're still a lowbie. After level 50 you have to play normally, and getting ganked happens occasionaly.
The crafting system is the best I've ever seen in an MMO, not because it's so much fun but because it's actually somewhat difficult. Some of the best gear is crafted gear, but it requires critical successes when you craft it to make the item. No crit, no epic item, wasted components. This makes top end gear expensive to craft, and expensive to buy. It helps craft skills retain a bit of their value. It also makes crafting a bit of a grind too.
PvP gear, however, is purchased through AP (Abyss Points). You get abyss points through PvPing or killing Abyss mobs, and the gear is usually expensive. It will be something of a grind to get the best gear, and then more grind to get enchant stones to upgrade it to the top level.
The Cash Shop is very solid. Most of the stuff sold there is cute clothes, but there's also XP boosts or healing potions, and occasionally there are items which make it easier to enchant gear. A dash of PTW on the last bit, but not serious enough for most people to care.
TL-DR; Open World PvP. Sieges. Ganking. Gorgeous graphics. Lots of spells/abilities to manage. Lots of grind and RNG to do everything. If you like that stuff, then you'll LOVE Aion. If you hate it, then Aion will leave you cold.
Also, I recommend making a new toon and hanging out in the main city of your chosen faction for a while. Just read chat, and pay attention to which faction controls which keeps. If there's nothing but whining and trolling, then swap servers/factions. If there's people organizing stuff, and putting together sieges/raids then it's a keeper.
I bought at release and like it enough to play for a couple of weeks, then it just made me miss WoW, after I noticed it literally lifted a lot of the textures from that game (one zone is carbon copy of Feralas as far as visuals go, for example).
Tried it again when it went f2p and I couldn't stand to look at it for more than a few seconds. Don't exactly remember why.
http://lyrics.iztok.org/verse/Lynyrd_Skynyrd/Simple_Man/80615
One of the reasons its not been well received in many of the western markets, is due to NCsoft not understanding the difference between Asian and Western markets (or not careing. given NCsofts past history).
One of those differences is PvP. There is MUCH less toleration (market) for forced PvP games, in the west, than there is in asia. Aion, no matter how its spun, simply does not have real PvE servers. That fact has cost them quite a large number of players in the western markets. I love the games graphics, and its combat system (while not as good as TERA or RaiderZ) is still acceptable.
What is NOT acceptable is the lack of a real PvE server. If I wanted PvP I would play any number of games that either specialize in it, or have it as a major element. The fact is I have no interest in PvP. Period. Its too bad, as Aion without that element would be quite worth playing.
I'd have recommended TERA myself, but the game is down to three servers (PvE, RP, PvP) right now, and there is no telling when EM or BHS may decide to simply pull the plug.
Its too bad, as I really like their combat system, and the eye candy graphics are great. But given its uncertain future, I'd not wish to invest any more time into it (I have a level 60 lancer, slayer, and warrior) with a zerker and archer in the 30's.
Thanks again for all your replies, I have had a couple of days playing AION now and I have reached lvl 16.
The game has gotten extremely difficult to solo now and with the chat restrictions below lvl 20 I haven't made any friends to group with yet so im at a bit of a stand still.
Reading your posts, looks like I might have to camp some mobs and grind out a level or 2 to gain an edge over my current set of quests.
Someone posted something about a server that had double xp til lvl 50?
Not played it for a few months now, Didn't get to end game. Stunning graphics, if only the questing was a but more interesting.
Loved the combat system, Shame the game didn't catch on.