Sean-Orlikowski
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Wings Over Atreia: Aion entices returning players, removes reviled manastone mechanic
If you haven't checked back into Aion in a while, now might be the time to start plotting your return. Next week on January 28th NCsoft is introducing a special new experience for those who have been away from the game for more than 30 days; it includes special zones called Abbeys that provide exclusive bonuses as well as quests and gear upgrades. Even better, if one of the reasons you left was the frustration involved in losing all your equipment's manastones when you failed to socket a final stone, you'll be even happier to learn that that particular mechanic is being removed from the game! That's right: Aion players will no longer risk losing already successfully socketed manastones when trying to put another one in (a much needed change that I championed years ago!). We've got the scoop on these new changes from Associate Product Manager Sean Orlikowski -- along with news of an upcoming Shugo event instance and the breakthrough system that raises enchantment levels -- in this special return of Wings Over Atreia.
Wings Over Atreia: The spoils of Aion's fifth anniversary
Another year has flown by! Aion is turning five years old, and that means it's time for Daevas to enjoy cake and presents during the nearly month-long birthday bash. What goodies are in store during this year's North American festivities? Associate Product Manager Sean Orlikowski has shared with us the schedule of events that span from today until October 8th; it includes contests, buffs, double drop rates, and a special anniversary-day GM hosted event. There's also a special new Daevonian armor set for only 1 NCoin (which is practically free) that even new players can use.
Wings Over Atreia: Return of the Aion Easy Button, starring Sauro Supply Base and Steel Rose
First there was Easy Button. Then came Easy Button Strikes Back. And now we have Return of the Easy Button. Yes Daevas, the next thrilling adventure of the easy button is on its way to an Aion dungeon near you! Well, two actually -- so it's a double feature. And we think you might just like this show. The stars of the show? Sauro Supply Base and Steel Rose, two of the new dungeons introduced in 4.0. Unlike my previous reports on the easy button invasion that were post-production reviews, this one is a sneak preview. And joining us to reveal this new Aion blockbuster is Associate Product Manager Sean Orlikowski, who provided a coming soon trailer filled with highlights to help get you ready for the main attraction. Return of the Easy Button releases next Wednesday, November 6th, on a game client near you.
Wings Over Atreia: Aion's birthday bash delivers daily presents
If you had the opportunity to celebrate your birthday for an entire month, you would, wouldn't you? I mean, what reason could you possibly have not to stretch out the festivities for four weeks... as long as you don't have to foot the whole bill, that is! Well that's exactly what Aion is doing in the weeks leading up to its fourth birthday later this month -- it's throwing a multifaceted bash with a variety of activities for Daevas to participate in. So was can party-goes expect first? How about daily presents and the return of the Wheel of Fortunerk! You heard me right: You join the party and you get the gift! And while you might have missed part of Aion's recent summer block party event, there's no reason to this time. The Alchemy Event runs until maintenance on September 18th, so you have plenty of time to get in and start hoarding your goody bags. While there's more a-comin' as the week's wear on, keep reading for all the details about these first festivities (and maybe a hint or two about the next ones).
Wings Over Atreia: Shugo Kingdom returns to Aion
Who says we can't get what we want? I wanted the Shugo Kingdom Adventure event to return to Aion, and I'm getting my wish. Booyah! No, really, it's true: Starting after maintenance on May 22nd, Daevas who've flown over level 50 will again be able to journey for a limited time to the long lost vaults of the Shugo Kingdom in search of great and glorious treasure. And by treasure, I mean a trove of chests filled with AP items, Stormwing armor pieces and weapons, or even rare sets of wings. Of course what you get depends on how many keys you have and a little luck, so there's no harm in starting your sacrifices to Aion's RNG gods now. Did you miss out on the event last time but are looking forward to it this go around? Or maybe you need a refresher because the trauma of not getting that one item caused you to block all knowledge of the zone from your mind? Either way, this edition of Wings Over Atreia will give you a heads up on what to expect. And as an added bonus, Associate Producer Sean Orlikowski shared his tips and tricks for making the most of your Shugo Kingdom Adventures.
Wings Over Atreia Exclusive: Aion 4.0 launches in June!
Good news! (Well, at least for my police record.) As it turns out, I didn't have to resort to kidnapping to convince someone from NCsoft to talk to me about Aion at this year's GDC. I swear, Sean Orlikowski, the game's associate producer, came willingly. It does, however, appear that in the fine print of the meeting proposal, I agreed to be outfitted with a special electronic device that would send massive jolts of electricity through my system if I tried to speak about something I shouldn't. So let's see how much I can share with you before this apparatus leaves me unconscious. Can I tell you that Aion has a special celebration planned for the first anniversary of the Truly Free conversion? So far, so good, folks. Hmm... can I add that the next big expansion has a North American launch date planned without going unconscious... oh, appears so! OK, let's push this a little further: How about if I happened to mention that 4.0 will hit servers in June 2013 -- would I be zapped? Nope! So there you have it, folks: 4.0 is indeed going live in just two short months!
Wings Over Atreia: Aion 3.5 comes alive this October!
I'd promised a continuation of my report on the goodies headed our way in the upcoming Aion 3.5 patch, but fortunately, I've got something even better! Instead of just delving into the new features today, I get to inform you all that 3.5 will go live in October! That's right: The next Aion update is coming to North America a lot sooner than anyone had thought. Not only that, but I was able to sit down with Associate Producer Sean Orlikowski to talk about some of these great new features, like housing changes, legion quests, and Dimensional Vortexes. We discussed the epic conclusion of the Dragon Lord's saga, the underlying story that has been playing out since the game launched. Then he shared some details about the Anniversary events starting on September 19th. Trust me -- a lot of stuff is coming our way. So what do Daevas have to look forward to next month? Where to begin...%Gallery-165495%
Wings Over Atreia's Aion 2.7 sneak-peek: Dev death match
You all just better be grateful that NCsoft is working out the kinks by using me as a guinea pig so you can have a smooth launch! Even if by launch I only mean the PTS, which is set to go live today with Aion's newest patch. Yes folks, I -- your intrepid Wings Over Atreia correspondent -- was invited to a media sneak-peek to check out the Crucible 3 arenas coming very soon to a live server near you. Who am I to pass up a few practice runs through the new arenas before the rest of the masses? So I touch-down mid-week for some additional Atreian coverage. And come on, no one could pass up the chance to stealth up behind a dev and unleash a flurry of dagger blows into his/her back! Unfortunately, logistical and technical difficulties stretching for days plagued this endeavor. Yours truly was especially cursed. However, just when it seemed like the event wouldn't happen, there we were, standing in Kaisinel Academy in spiffy new duds and queued to enter what is arguably the highlight of 2.7: the PvP arenas. At this point, I forgave all previous problems because I got to commence some slaughter on a few NCsoft employees. What?!? You all know you want to! I tested my dagger and sword against Scott Hannus, producer of the game guide; two members of the game guide team, Sean Orlikowski and Ryan Compton; Adam Christensen, Associate Producer; Dom Wai, Brand Manager; and two members of the community management team, Felicia Johnson (Nyx) and Curtis Grooms (Anhtoo). Oh, and I learned some pretty neat things about the upcoming patch as well. So how was the experience? And just exactly how tasty are Aion's forthcoming goodies? Whet your appetite past the cut with my impressions of the two instances and the new PvP gear as well as check out a video. Then join in on the PTS server to experience for yourself.%Gallery-136333%
Wings Over Atreia: 2.5 -- Going live on 25!
The wait is nearly over! Before long, we... oh... pardon me a moment while I grab the door... Ah, it was just the grammar police. Yes, I know that technically it should be the 25th, but that really doesn't have the catchy ring to it. And who doesn't want a catchy title? Luckily, I was let off with just a warning this time. So back to our topic at hand! This past week, before Aion's public test server reopened its doors to the masses, Massively had the opportunity to explore patch 2.5 right at NCsoft's PR offices in San Francisco (*cries for having moved to the East Coast*) -- diving into the new content, enjoying the graphical upgrades, and even asking a few questions about what's still to come. Our very own Bree Royce donned some leather, grabbed a bow, and descended upon the new instances -- Esoterrace and Empyrean Crucible -- to get a taste and share some hints about these new fights. Catch a windstream past the break to check out her impressions as well as some other interesting tidbits about what is in store for Daevas in Aion's upcoming patch, Empyrean Calling.
