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Wings Over Atreia: Mira, mira, on the wall...
Who is the happiest to be done with it all? If not me (I will certainly defer to those who endured 10+ attempts at the hot heart of magic craft), then I surely rank right up near the top! Yes folks, there is a Santa Cl... I mean an end to the Miragent/Fenris questline in Aion, and I have found it. To those naysayers, those unbelievers who think otherwise, I say I am living proof that Mira does not stand for mirage! I admit, I am indeed grateful to be looking back on the experience, instead of ahead to it. Between the grinding, the spawn camping, and the curse of the RNG, to say that the journey to obtain Miragent or Fenris armor is a rough road is putting it mildly. I spent a fair share of time just being grateful the questline doesn't include belts and hats; I think there would be a mass exodus if NCsoft introduced Miragent/Fenris jewelry. Although each leg of this race has had rough patches, I still believe it has been worth it. Make a final dash past the cut to experience the end of an era: the completion of the quest for Miragent armor.
Aion free account reactivations, double XP incoming
Dust off your wings and brush up on your flying technique, as NCsoft is picking up the tab for your return to the world of Atreia (at least for a weekend). Beginning Friday, July 30th at 11:00 a.m. EDT, all inactive Aion accounts will be reactivated free of charge. If that's not enough to excite the daeva in you, double XP will be in effect as well. Both promotions conclude Monday, August 2nd at 6:00 p.m. EDT. Whether you're coming back to check out the game revisions included in the 1.9 patch, grabbing a few levels in preparation for 2.0, or just looking to kill time and catch up with some old friends, it's hard to beat the price and faster advancement to boot. Read the full announcement at the official Aion website.
Wings Over Atreia: It's the end of the world as we know it...
Do you feel fine? In the final days of the countdown to server merges in Aion this Wednesday, a mixture of emotions are on display on both sides of the battle. While some are feeling excitement, others are cautious, yet bridled with apprehension, and others still are simmering with discontent about the upcoming changes in Atreia. Some apathy has even reared up, as participation in fortress battles wane and the Balaur slowly re-establish their grip of power. Many simply feel a mixture of different emotions at different times (depending which side of the most recent ganking they came out on). Although the physical make-up of the land is not going to change like it will when patch 2.0 goes live and the Balaur homeland is introduced, the landscape will still be changed. The player base -- the very atmosphere -- of each new server will be markedly different. The population explosion, the economy, abyss rankings, and even tracking reputations will all be affected by the merges. No question about it, life in Aion is going to be altered for every player -- though for better or for worse may be more at the discretion of each individual player, their own attitudes, and preparation. Take a moment of silence then wander past the cut to see what the last days look like, and prepare yourself for a smoother transition into the morning after.
Wings Over Atreia: Rent-a-gear
Wondering what to wear when you get an invite to an extra spiffy affair -- perhaps a cruise on the Steel Rake? Are you stuck strutting around in your ragged greens and whites? What about preparing to duel to protect the honor of your legion? Are you going to show up in that pathetic mismatched outfit with that embarrassing weapon? Afraid to brave the wilds of Beluslan for fear of the snickers you will receive from the white-winged enemies that descend upon you as you gather once they get a gander at your gear? Never fear, we have rent-a-gear! For times just such as these -- and any other battle needs -- your friendly neighborhood Shugos come through again, with an extra special offer for you, just for you! Ack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack. So might go an advertisement for one of the new features brought to Aion in the 1.9 patch -- the chance to deck yourself out in high-level, albeit temporary, gear. While jewelry is not offered, you can get weapons of every kind, shields, and full sets of armor -- definitely a plus for anyone seeking instant gearing-up satisfaction, but is it a good deal? How practical is this gear, and do players really take advantage of it? Suit up and march past the cut to explore some pros and cons, and see whether this new feature makes the grade with players.
Wings Over Atreia: The ties that bind
Flaws. Bugs. Annoyances -- like a level 45 slaughtering you while your little level 18 self is quietly going about gathering Lumesia. Moments that just make you want to find a dev and toss him off the nearest high rise; all games have them, no one denies this -- not even Aion players (although they usually don't feel the need to discuss them with those who don't play). So why is it we stay in games that, at times, make us want to rip our hair out by the fistfuls? With such a plethora of games catering to a wide variety of play styles, how do we stay faithful to a particular one over the long haul, even when we know it isn't perfect? No, it isn't because we are all secretly masochistic. Or because we detest our barber/hairdresser. Looking around me in games both past and present, watching those who could be considered die-hards stay in (and enjoy) games long after the masses have fled, I found themes that mirrored some of my own reasons -- because, alternately, there are the moments that make it worth it. Not the art, the features, or the wittiness of the quest dialog. Rather, the ties that bind us: Friendships, epic memories, and just plain stubbornness. Charge across the bridge and we'll delve into my top reasons for sticking with a title, even in the face of the raging malcontents.
Wings Over Atreia: Conquering the level grind
So what's a girl like you doing in a grind like this? I can't tell you how many times a variation of this line has been lobbed my way regarding Aion. Hi everyone! I'm MJ and I have taken the Aion torch from Jef as he has moved over to cover EQII. I am looking forward to soaring through the Aionosphere with you. If you haven't heard about the loudest gripe ringing out over Atreia, please let me know what rock you've been hiding under lately so I can join you; even people who can't distinguish Aion from linguine seem to have this answer down pat! OK, all together now -- THE GRIND. We all know it, we all live it, and some have lost their remaining scraps of sanity due to it. Those who made it to level 35 still have the brick prints on their foreheads from slamming into that wall. Those who braved to 40+? Well, their foreheads are a bit squishy from repeated slamming. But no more! I am here to tell you that Aion has effectively taken a stick of dynamite to that wall by implementing the new repeatable quests. In fact, this noted anti-grinder was eagerly diving into them, in a dizzying comma of "just a few more." Earlier, we told you about a guide available for the "who" and the "where," but I am going to share the "why" and the "how," with tips to best maximize these juicy treasures of experience-hoarding goodness. Revel again in the feeling of progress! Don't believe me? Glide past the cut to see how you, too, can thumb your nose at the charred remains of the leveling brick wall.
Aion guide to Daily Quests available
New (or newly returned) to Aion and curious about the recently added daily quests? Well you're not alone, as your humble correspondent has been playing for awhile now and was having trouble unearthing any definitive information regarding the system just added in the 1.9 patch. Happily, NCsoft has updated its PowerWiki with a lengthy entry devoted to answering all of your daily quest needs. Everything from where to get to them, to what kind of rewards they offer, to how to join the requisite NPC factions, is available in the new article. "Every morning at 9 o'clock, the organization will send a new Quest notice that can be found at the bottom of your screen. Once you click on the icon, you can choose to either accept or decline the Daily Quest. If you accidentally decline the Quest, you can quit and then re-join the organization to get it again," the article says. Check out all the details over at the official Aion PowerWiki.
Five things content writers learned while westernizing Aion
In a developer journal over at MMORPG.com, NCsoft Content Writer David Noonan waxes on five things he and the "Aion Westernization Army" learned while stripping Aion down to its narrative essence and building it back up again. It was no easy task taking what was basically a fully-fledged successful Korean MMO and repackaging it for a totally different audience.It seems as though the writing team took the task seriously. In a game populated by over 2,500 quests, there's bound to be some repetitiion and uncreative storytelling going on but Aion's writers aren't simply giving in to the status quo. Your character's primary campaign quests may deliver the bulk of the narrative, but tons of other pieces are strewn about for players to discover that will be picked up by chatting with various NPCs. Based on this article, they seem to have taken a strategic approach to storytelling in the game. Story isn't shoved down your throat, but it is there if you are perceptive and take the time to actually read it. While many will surely plough ahead to reach the level cap as fast as possible, many others will stop to smell the roses. NCsoft wants to reward those flower-sniffers with a rich story experience.
Aion prologue videos to serve as character intro sequences?
Update: These prologue videos WERE enabled this past beta weekend. I guess our assumption was correct! Thanks Zhiril!As you might have gathered from our past Aion closed beta coverage, your first steps into the world of Atreia are a bit confusing. Currently, new characters are unceremoniously dumped into the world with a nasty bout of amnesia, with no idea of who they are or why they are there. The first ten levels of the game are all about regaining your memories and getting your destiny back on track.NCsoft just released two new prologue videos and it seems like they would make perfect game introduction sequences. The Elyos prologue introduces players to the nasty Balaur creature featured later on in their destiny quests. The Asmodian prologue shows off the gray-haired Elyos warrior players do battle with in their destiny quests.It appears that both videos take place in the Abyss and culminate in a severe bump to your character's noggin, which sends him or her crashing back down to either Elysea or Asmodae (depending on your faction). When you awaken, you no longer remember your past nor do you possess the powers of a full-fledged daeva.Check out the videos after the cut!
Aion's first video podcast is packing lore and stunning visuals
Just a couple months ago a friend told me that Aion was the biggest and baddest upcoming MMORPG that no-one in North America knew about. It broke records and won awards when it launched in Korea last year, yet hardly anyone over here was talking about it. Well, things can change quickly.As the September launch date approaches, NCsoft has been kicking Aion promotion into high gear. Their latest marketing effort is a four-part series of video podcasts hosted by IGN. The first part came out on Friday and serves as a crash course on the lore behind Aion, Atreia, and the three main factions called the Asmodians, Elyos, and Balaur (the NPC dragon race that sets up the PvPvE system).The video really gives you a good look at Aion's very own fourth pillar (sorry BioWare, you might have some competition here) and is full of stunning in-game footage, cinematics, and staff interviews. Closed beta is currently in full swing and we're keeping tabs on it for you.
An introduction to the Daeva
MMORPG.com have a new developer journal for Aion, NCSoft's new MMO which is due to make it to the west later this year. Aion launched in Korea last year and has already proved highly popular. This journal introduces us to the Daeva, humans who have undertaken a sudden mystical evolution.Daevas are revered by the people of Atreia and are created when the invisible lifeblood of Aion, Aether, infuses a human. This often happens to somebody who is undergoing trauma or pain. The human will then sprout feathery wings, break free from the bonds of gravity and mortality and become the first line of defense against the invasions from the Balaur and incursions from Daevas from the other side of the world.You can read the full developer journal at mmorpg.com.
GDC09: Hands-on with Aion
To understand the game Aion, you first need a bit of background on its setting. Aion has many of the trappings you would expect to find in a typical fantasy MMO, but it is a completely original IP with some unique elements. As a player, you are a resident of Atreia, created by the deity Aion, and torn asunder by ancient war between the human races and the Aion's former servants, the Balaur. After millennia of struggle, the Balaur succeeded in destroying the Tower of Eternity, Aion's embodiment on Atreia, splitting the planet in half. In the game's present day, the Asmodians live in the harsh, frigid climates on the upper half of Atreia, far from the sun; while the Elyos live in the sun-drenched, tropical lower half of Atreia. Neither recall the details of the cataclysm that split the world and both blame the other for the destruction that befell Atreia.Today, fragments of the shattered tower have begun to drift through the heavens and mysterious portals have opened in the world, transporting the Asmodians and Elyos to the Abyss that lays between the two halves of Atreia. Here, they meet one another and their old, neigh-forgotten enemies, the Balaur.Unsurprisingly, war is at hand. In Aion's "PvPvE" system, you'll fight against both the opposing faction and the NPC Balaur at every turn as you seek to unlock the mysteries of the world around you. %Gallery-48588%
Aion: The Tower of Eternity lore moves forward in a world divided
The fantasy setting of NCsoft's Aion: The Tower of Eternity, known as Atreia, is a world largely divided between the upper world dwellers called Asmodians and the lower world denizens, the Elyos. Once a single united people, the game's lore has been expanding, telling the story of how the rifts between Atreia's people formed. In the wake of the Epic Cataclysm, the Elyos and Asmodians have their own tales to tell. This is the focus of Chapter VII of the Atreia story. The Elyos tale continues with "The Abyss and The Storm Legion" while the Asmodian story is told through "Retribution". Both tales are accounts of the same event, told from opposed perspectives. Check out how Aion's lore is advancing through the dual perspectives of the Elyos and Asmodians in Chapter VII.
