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Wings Over Atreia: A quick guide to Aion 4.0 dungeons
Last time, when sharing my initial impressions of Aion Dark Betrayal, I mentioned how the expansion was so big that there was no way one Wings Over Atreia could cover it all. Well, that's putting it mildly; there's no way two or ten can, either! in fact, I am still finding gems tucked away both in game and in the patch notes, so we'll definitely have plenty to discuss for a while. This week, we're going to try to make a dent in that pile of topics by grabbing one and just running with it. Up this week: 4.0 dungeons. Now, this guide is not going to delve deeply into tips, tricks, or strategies for Aion's newest dungeons. Instead, it's concerned with the who, the where, and the why, offering a synopsis of each new instance and a look at the lore behind it. Heck, with 12 new dungeons, that's about all we could fit in -- and only half of them at that! Check out six of these new dungeons now, and stay tuned for the second half of our guide next time.
Wings Over Atreia: From Shugos to splitting up, Aion's instances are evolving
Today I was all set to focus my energies and words on cajoling NCsoft to not do certain things to Aion. I was poised to carefully blend pleading, ranting, and even some common sense into the perfect concoction to convince the studio to avoid introducing various trappings to Atreia. Then, surely as a means to distract me from said designs, the studio released news about the new instances coming after 4.0. Wait -- after?! A ha! Yet more fodder to add to my nonononono rant; after all, who wants to be teased about things coming after an expansion we don't even have a date for yet? However, after a bit more reflection I decided that -- for today at least -- I'd rather applaud the company for looking at new ways to approach instances instead of rail on it for sharing the info so darned early. Perhaps it's the whole "you can catch more sparkies with honey than vinegar" approach, but the truth of the matter is I am happy with the direction this latest announcement portends. Aion is integrating variety into the dungeon-diving sphere, and that's a move that can only be good for the game. Even better, you don't actually have to wait until after 4.0 to experience the first rumblings of this shift. Thanks to the Shugo Kingdom Adventure event going on now, Daevas can try their hands/claws at a new (though temporary) dungeon experience, What about these new dungeons has me hopeful for the future of Aion? Let's dive right in and take a look.
Future Aion dungeons revealed
If you'd rather not hear any more news about Aion 4.0 until it includes a release date, we've got good news! No, it isn't the release date. Instead, we've got details about content coming in the patch after the 4.0 update, namely five new dungeons. Some of these instances sport unique new features or twists on old ones. Ophidan Bridge is a timed-group instance where Daevas must simultaneously occupy all key points. In Danuar Shelter, groups must split up and take three different paths to the final boss, one of which involves jumping. On a more familiar note, Sauro Logistic Base allows players to choose the difficulty of the final boss (which must be killed within six-and-a-half minutes) and Impenetrable Bastion is a once-a-week 24-man raid instance where loot depends on the final rank the alliance achieves. The final instance, Kamar Battlefield, is a 12v12 battle between two teams on an upgraded Dredgion. Although NCsoft notes that names and details are subject to change through updates and localization, Daevas can look forward to venturing into these instances after the dust of 4.0 settles.
