Everything Aion: Five things you need to know about surviving in Atreia

With NCsoft's release of Aion coming up on the 22nd and 25th September in North America and Europe, we thought we had better give you the basics on the land of Atreia ahead of the open beta which begins today. So, we're going to give you all the info you need to dive into their beautifully detailed world. After the jump, we're going to look at the five things you need to know if you've never played Aion before.

Money

The currency of Atreia is Kinah and you use it for everything from teleportation to getting your soul healed. Kinah is awarded for quests and also drops from mobs (though the reason why continues to elude many of us). Aion comes with quite a gold sink though, with teleportation from Sanctum or Pandemonium costing on average between 800-1400 Kinah, depending on where you want to go. Fortunately the average mob drop is around 200-400 Kinah, depending on levels. Our advice is simply this: Save, save, save and save some more.

Soul Binding and Soul Healing

Everyone has a soul, your avatar included. Souls can be bound to special Obelisks which serve both as a bind and resurrection point within the game. These magnificent statues will have an NPC called a Soul Healer next to them who will be able to offer Soul Healing, post level six, that will restore lost XP after you die. The catch is you can only bind to one Obelisk at a time (it also costs money) and Soul Healing gets more expensive each time you use it. So make sure you bind at the town nearest to where you are questing and try not to die!

Legions

Legions are basically guilds but with a levelling aspect. You can pay money to level the Legion up and get benefits like a snazzy cloak and logo. They also come with banks – called warehouses – where you can stash loot and, of course, there are the other perks of playing with people, instant groups and social fun. Join one if you can!

Making money

Since Kinah is all important, you'll want to make as much of it as you can. So start gathering herbs at level one and sell whatever trash or drops you don't need. You can also set up your own store if you want and advertise money. By the time you Ascend, you should have around 10,000 Kinah saved up. You should spend some of this on expanding your Cube though as it makes questing much easier and means you can carry more.

Surviving in Atreia

Always pack the following essentials: potions to restore mana and health, buff food and Manastones (which increase your stats). Don't forget to change your title depending on your class and spec. Also bind often or you'll face a long run and use potions and bandages during and after a fight. The less you die, the cheaper it will be in the long run.

	Want to know more about Aion? NCsoft invites you into the world of Atreia where the Elyos and the Asmodians fight each other and the evil Balaur for control of the shattered planet. Check out out all our coverage of this must-play MMO!