Wings Over Atreia: A newb's guide to Poeta
With the big news around the Aionosphere this week pertaining to the long-awaited 1.9 patch nearing release, it's not a stretch to figure that many folks will be either returning to Aion to see what's new, or checking out the game for the first time when the update goes live in May.
Given the fact that I've been dabbling with alts over the last couple of weeks, it seemed a great time to do Wings Over Atreia's first proper guide. This week we'll focus on Poeta, the Elyos starting zone, and we'll branch out from there in future editions of the column. Why Elyos? Well because I play one of course, and because I despise back hair.
Hit the jump to check out our guide to Poeta.
Poeta is a great primer for the PvE aspects of Aion proper, as it's a medium-sized zone that offers an ideal blend of explorable areas and focused quest-based progression. There's plenty to do here, and new players will probably spend anywhere from five to ten hours toodling around in the idyllic fields and forests. I actually found the zone quite small and linear on my initial playthrough (your mileage may vary) but the game world does open up considerably once you're past level ten.
Akarios Plains
After you exit the character creation screen and enjoy the opening cinematic, you're transported to the Akarios Plains and promptly enlisted to help fight off hordes of Kerubs, grain thieves, snufflers, and other assorted low-level mobs. You'll also be able to view Aion's in-game video tutorials, and, though MMORPG vets won't learn anything they don't already know, the vids are quite helpful if this is your first time inside a theme-park style game.
Essential Quests:
Sleeping on the Job
Kerubar Hunt
Grain Thieves
Report to Polina
The Snuffler Headache
Helping Kales
In addition to the quests, feel free to explore and whack a few random mobs for extra experience. Also be sure and gather Aria (you'll want to get the skill up to around 20 or so). It's not the end of the world if you level your character into the next area and find quests that require higher gathering skills, but it is inefficient.
Akarios Village
Head on down the road once you've completed all the Akarios Plains quests and you'll find yourself in Akarios Village. Look around for your trainer and make a mental note of his or her location, as you'll be returning here a couple of times over the next few hours to buy new skill books. Enjoy the scenery around the outskirts of the village as well as the breathtaking Cliona Lake, and be sure to grab all the quests you can.
Essential Quests:
A New Skill
Uno's Ingredients
Abandoned Goods
Collecting Aria
The Kerub Threat
To Fish in Peace
Pernos's Robe
A Book for Namus
Light up the Night
By the time you finish all these, you should be well on your way to level 5, perhaps higher if you explore and do any mob grinding. Don't forget to continue gathering as well.
Daminu Forest
Past Akarios Village is the Daminu Forest, in which you'll start to encounter mobs that aggro as well as several new quest-giving NPCs. Make sure you return to Akarios Village and your skill trainer once you ding level 7. You'll need to pick up skill books and you'll also find a couple of new quests available as your level increases.
Essential Quests:
Insomnia Medicine
The Elim's Message
Mushroom Thieves
Request of the Elim
The Nymph's Gown (quest starter item Namus' Diary drops from Grove Abex mobs)
Polinia's Ointment
A Taste of Namus's Medicine
Thinning out Worgs
Agaric Spore Road and the Kabarah Strip Mine
As you head down the road from Daminu Forest, you'll come to Malponeh's Campsite -- a handy spot from which to sell your loot, fly back to Akarios Village, and pick up a few more quests. Many of these will send you into the nearby strip mine, a large area with packs of aggro mobs that make it an ideal spot to learn how to effectively solo your chosen class. Grouping at this stage is optional; you can certainly do it, but the experience degradation is considerable. Any properly played class should be able to solo through the whole of Poeta without dying.
Further up the road from the mine you'll run across Pernos, a crusty old NPC who will help on the road to your ascension quest and ultimate destiny as a Daeva.
Essential Quests:
Delivering Pernos's Robe
Illegal Logging
Oz's Prayer Beads
Where's Tutty
Avenging Tutty
Ancient Cube
Neutralizing Odium
Mushroom Research
Tula's Music Box
Ascension
Timolia Mine
Continue traveling up the Spore Road past Pernos and you'll eventually find Poa, an NPC who will ask you to investigate the Timolia Mine. Venture past the mobs guarding the entrance, and stay alert for the patrols walking the mining tunnels, and you'll figure out what the nefarious Krall are doing in the mine as well as what you can do to stop them and save Poeta. Once you're through with Poa's last mission, finish up anything else you want to do in Poeta (really the only thing to do at this point is farm a few rare armor/weapon drops if you fancy them for any alts) and return to Pernos. He'll set you on the road to Sanctum and your ascension to the ranks of the immortals, and you can scratch Poeta off your Aion 'to do' list.
Essential Quests:
Suspicious Ore
Scouting Timolia Mine
Barring the Gate
Ascension
So there you have the long and short of Poeta. Whether you're brand new to the game, or joining me in taking an alt-sponsored vacation from the high level grind, you'll likely enjoy the streamlined polish of Aion's accessible starter zone. Unless it's your second or third run through, take the time to read the quests and watch the full cutscenes, as the Aion storyline is a fun one and presented via very high production values. Few games have done the early levels better.
Look! Up in the air! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a snarky Daeva! Join Jef Reahard every Monday for news and views from the world of Aion. Whether he's soaring over the battlefield or hunkered down in the trenches, Jef is your combat correspondent in the world of Atreia.
