Aion

[Rostum]

Anyone heard of this upcoming MMORPG? NCSoft are making it, they also did Lineage, Lineage II and Guild Wars. It's using the Crytec Engine -- so it's not quite into the DirectX10 scene.

Still, the graphics are fairly amazing, including free flight (air combat, and cities in the air also). As well as stunning environments and character/equipment models. Though there's not much known about the game system itself, from what has been shown and told NCSoft are trying out completley new things for this MMORPG.

Hopefully they can deliver when they say that!

Anyways, some videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1LeEpB52o8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqGpb9HTFZg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMlcbSCQXpo

Here are some website links:

http://www.plaync.com/us/games/aion/
http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm?s...eID=253&bhcp=1

Anyways, I think it looks very promising. It probably won't be out til the end of the year though.

[Omni]

Re: Aion

Looks pretty cool but I guess we'll have to find out about gameplay later. Lineage II's gameplay I didnt really like. Hopefully they didnt go the same route.

[justamemory]

Re: Aion

Some cool vids:
Xhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1LeEpB52o8
Xhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMKX2Td3vEs

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Some recent info:
Xhttp://nihilum.mousesports.com/en/article/33,aion_preview/
Xhttp://nihilum.mousesports.com/en/article/34,aion__the_tower_of_eternity__preview__2nd_part/

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According to the German Aion Community Manager, Aion US and European Beta will be out in Quarter 1 and 2 this year:
Xhttp://nihilum.mousesports.com/en/news/252,aion_us_and_european_beta_in_q1_and_q2/

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Press Release regarding classes:
Xhttp://www.aionsource.com/forum/news/3421-another-press-release-read-s-about-classes.html

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Amazon.com's entry has release date set @ April 30, 2008 + available for pre-order ($50): Xhttp://www.amazon.com/Aion-The-Tower-of-Eternity/dp/B000VL4J9Q/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1200085553&sr=8-4

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Interview with Aion's Dev Team ( from December '07 -> Xhttp://www.aionglobal.com/ )

Q: Hallo, could you please introduce yourself to our audience? What’s your job in the development of “Aion: The Tower of Eternity” and what keeps you busy all day?

A: Hello. I am the team leader of Aion’s planning department as well as the Lead Designer, Main Designer and Director of game elements (excluding Art). Also, I am in charge of providing our employees with food and coffee when they are tired. Recently, we have been having a lot of meetings, which has become one of the most important parts of my daily work.

Q: For some readers the name “Aion” will not be familiar. If you had to describe what sets Aion apart from the competition, what would you say?

A: Although Aion has many unique features including flying, one of the most important features is PvPvE which consists of 2 PC factions and 1 NPC faction. It is common now in many games that you can attack a PC who is fighting with a monster or play PvP by using surrounding monsters; however, only in Aion can you team up with a Raid-level NPC to fight with the enemy PCs and even modify these features to create various playing styles.

Q: The Closed Beta Test has been up and running in Korea for a few weeks now. What is your main focus during this stage of testing and what kind of feedback do you get from the players?

A: The main goal of the test is to improve the quality of the game. In order to do this, a new test project is assigned every week, and the testers are responsible for providing feedback regarding their assignments.

Q: Which features are the favourite ones among your beta testers? Is there a clear pattern or do you get very different reactions from the players?

A: The favourite features among the testers vary depending on each tester’s taste. For flying, for example, most testers love the flying ability itself, but some of them are not too happy with the current restrictions. Also, many of them love Skill Chains and Quests, but we are still getting feedback from the users so that we can make improvements.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the races and classes in „Aion“? What are their names and backgrounds and what sets them apart from each other?

A: For PC races, there are the Elyos and Asmodians, and the Balaur are the NPC faction. Elyos and Asmodians were originally one race against the Balaur, but they eventually became two different races because their values are different. The Elyos tend to be moderate and conservative while the Asmodians tend to be vigorous and progressive. The Balaur actually ruled the world before the Elyos and Asmodians came, and now they are trying to destroy both the Elyos and Asmodians and take over the world again.

Q: Will we see mounts, airships (like the Balaur ones) and portals? If yes, will they be fixed or will players be able to create / craft them?

A: Certain classes can use portals as one of their skills, but that is more a supplement to travel than actual transportation from one place to another. Because PC races can actually fly, we are not considering any vehicle or aircraft. Usually, the main means of transportation will be via NPC teleporters or flying.

Q: What will a castle attack look like? Will players be able to destroy walls? When will a castle be overtaken? Will there be siege and defense weapons to prevent players from just flying over the walls?

A: In a castle siege, rather than destroying the castle itself, players will use special skills to attack both objects and the NPC castle commander. Therefore, if there are no defending players, the fortress attack will be like a Raid, and if defending PCs join, they can utilize NPCs in their strategies. Although the attacking side cannot get any help from NPCs, they can actually utilize objects such as siege weapons. Regarding flying, a castle has an Aetheric Field (magic force field) around it as a default setting, and it restricts flight around the castle. However, because they can still infiltrate the castle, players can use the Field strategically.

Q: How can a character become a hero and how can a hero lose his status? What are the advantages of being one and what’s the reward if someone manages to kill a hero?

A: Heroes have several levels, according to the Abyss points they have earned over a certain period of time. Once you become a hero, you can obtain exclusive skills according to each level, and you will be able to fight against enemy players ranging in number from 2 or 3 to scores by using those skills. Of course, there are some restrictions on using these skills, and you will become the same as a normal PC while these restrictions are applied. On the other hand, the PvP reward for players who catch these heroes will be greater than normal, just like the rewards for catching Party Monsters or Raid Monsters, and it does not matter whether the hero has lost his status or not. However, if the hero enters a zone while the restrictions are applied, everyone in the zone will be notified. That hero must get help from the members of his faction to defend against the enemy.

Q: What will endgame content in Aion look like? Will you focus on PvP in endgame or can we expect other elements like instanced raid dungeons?

A: Although we have RvR and Raid taking place in Instanced areas and Persistent areas, it is not true to say only one of them is Aion’s endgame content. Playing in the Abyss, which incorporates both, will be Aion’s endgame content.

Q: Can you give us a rough time schedule for the next months? When do you expect the release of the final game in Korea, and when do you plan to make Aion available to the public in North Amercia and Europe?

A: We are going to continue to make various changes regarding the game, especially improving Hitting Sensitivity during combat and supplementing Collection/Crafting on a large scale. Aion will be available in the first half of next year in Korea, with an anticipated launch in Europe and North America later in the year.

Interview by Gamona.