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Wings Over Atreia: AP bakery
Get yer hot, fresh, AP cookies folks, right here! MMmm mm. For those who are not as familiar with Aion or haven't participated in much PvP combat, AP (Abyss Points) are the currency by which special gear and items can be bought. AP can be gathered a number of ways, through both PvP and PvE. This week, Wings Over Atreia takes a stroll through the AP bakery to share with you many of the tasty morsels available. While I had already planned on discussing AP this week, NCsoft's introduction of two new events (For War and Glory and Behind Enemy Lines) brought a new angle to it -- specifically, more enthusiasm and enjoyment! I've got to say that of all the recent events that have been held, these two more fully capture the essence of Aion and encourage participation in core elements of the game; small-scale skirmishes are cropping up all over. This is what the game is about -- clashes of light and dark wings throughout all of Atreia. I haven't had more fun in PvP in a very long time, and I am not even a PvPer! How can you, too, take advantage of these great events and fill up your AP coffers? Grab a plate, join me past the cut to check out the selection, and prepare to gorge on some yummy AP goodness!
Wings Over Atreia: Miragent -- the saga continues
In past weeks, we delved into the world of max-level armor in NCsoft's Aion, weighing some pros and cons of the different sets, and you have trotted along with me as I began a mad dash for Miragent armor. Well, it began as a dash (yay for the first quest!), but it was interrupted by stops and starts (the second quest). I have successfully acquired the first two pieces of this set. Now, the question is -- can I make it any further? The ultimate grind is the next step, followed by the craft from which nightmares are formed. This week, we chronicle the next lap of the race, our pace slowing to a steady gait during quest number three, then finally picking up speed near the end and sprinting onward toward the fourth. As many players from both factions can attest, just about the single most frustrating thing about Aion has got to be the Miragent/Fenris armor quest-lines. While it is hard to ignore the bonuses and stats on these two sets, can the end really justify the means for most Daeva? Is it truly worth it? Any time I pop into the Dredgion, the answer is clear -- it is. Nothing makes the team groan more than a full-Fenris group. Well, save for half being all +10 enchanted! So with an eye on that ultimate prize, I -- like many Daeva before, and many Daeva to come -- continue forward with determination and the hope of ultimate glory. OK, so we would settle for the matching set and just being finished! Jog past the cut to follow the next step in our journey towards a complete set of Miragent armor.
Aion: Assault on Balaurea zone trailer -- Gelkmaros
Last week, NCsoft gave us a peek at one of the new zones in Aion's upcoming Assault on Balaurea expansion; today, we tour the Asmodian occupied land -- Gelkmaros. With fissures ripped in the very land itself and areas devastated by ancient battles (including the ancient city of Maravas), the Asmodians will find their stronghold treacherous, but not without surprising new allies. Stranded in Balaurea since before the Cataclysm, the Reian tribe knew nothing of the war between the Asmodians and the Elyos until recently. These Daevas who stand watch over Subterranea, home of the evil Dragonbound, enter into a tentative alliance with their lost brothers and sisters from Asmodae. As hostile as the land and creatures may be, the Asmodians must be ever vigilant to defend both the Vorgaltem Citadel and Crimson Temple against the assaults of the Balaur and Elyos forces, lest they lose the ability to travel with in their enemy's stronghold. Once again, Massively asked Chris Hager, Producer of Aion, NCsoft West, a few questions about this new area. Fly past the cut and through a video tour of Gelkmaros, then check out Chris' answers.
Waging WAR: RvR packs, the "wait and see" edition
This week Waging WAR rides the double rainbow of gameplay customization via downloadable content and takes a cursory glance at the RvR packs being teased by the folks behind the development of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Let's follow along and see what Greg can unleash this time. It is difficult to talk about the future of WAR right now. Not because it doesn't have a future, but because the availability of information regarding it is not exactly easy to find. Actually, information on the future of WAR is all but non-existent, surrounded by controversy on all sides, and steeped in rumor, speculation, assumption and misinformation. The best I can put together is that we, as players, can look forward to some sort of set of three different "RvR Packs" allowing us to "customize" our gameplay experience moving forward. The packs have been called "Power," "Progression," and "Personality." What exactly each contains is a mystery, although the few talking points I was able to find regarding these RvR packs are speculatively disappointing at best. Although Carrie, Andy, and anyone else involved with the Mythic development team have said time and time again that they are not discussing moving toward the free-to-play business model, what they're proposing with these customization packs looks suspiciously like the item shop established by Turbine, implemented in Dungeons & Dragons Online and soon in Lord of the Rings Online as well. V.I.P. membership, anyone? Although concrete information is scarce and difficult to find, let's take a look at the most commonly referenced points of interest after the break.
Aion: Assault on Balaurea zone trailer -- Inggison
Today, NCsoft unveils a video tour of Inggison, a new zone introduced in Aion's upcoming expansion, Assault on Balaurea. No longer confined to Atreia on the interior of the planet, players will venture forth to the lands on the outside. Filled with a variety of new plant and wildlife, Inggison is the Elyos foothold in Balaurea. Even as they bask in direct sunlight (a treat not possible in the sundered lands of Asmodae and Elysea), Daevas in Aion will encounter new foes -- such as the Balaur-worshippers of Undirborg -- and fight old ones, as the Asmodians try to claim the Temple of Scales and Altar of Avarice Fortresses. After watching the video, Massively asked Chris Hager, Producer of Aion, NCsoft West, a few questions about this new area. Check out the video after the cut, as well as Chris' comments.
Wings Over Atreia: Going for the gold -- crafting
Last week, we first dipped into the realm of max-level gold armor in Aion by exploring Anuhart and PvP armor sets. This week, we will look at what is available on the crafted market, as well as prepare to begin the journey of the Miragent quest line (sorry folks, but it will be quite a while before my new little Asmodian can follow along and chronicle the Fenris quest line). If you have the (mis)fortune to need or want one of these two sets more than anything – and we really do mean anything -- you could be in for a long, arduous, and expensive journey. But no pain, no gain... right? Trust me, now is the time to take advantage of any extremely wealthy and generous friends who are begging you to take their kinah. Or, find and cultivate a kinah tree somewhere in Atreia. Short of that -- save, save, and save! Then save some more, and cross your fingers for some good drops to sell. Hold on to your kinah while you can, then join me past the break to see where it will soon be going should you desire crafted gold gear.
Exclusive: Aion's Chris Hager talks 2.0
Aion news is coming fast and furious of late, as Massively brings you another exclusive interview with Lead Producer Chris "Kinslon" Hager. Last week we spoke about the 1.9 update, currently slated to hit the live servers in early June, as well as the general state of the game. This week we chat about the monstrous 2.0 patch due in the Fall, as well as take the wraps off the new teaser trailer direct from Korea. Finally, we've got some exclusive screenshots of the new content in action. Whew. Got all that? Good. Check out the screenshot gallery below, and fly on over to page two for the interview and video. %Gallery-93517% Page 2 of 3 >>
Lengthy Aion 2.0 patch notes translated
Aion's near-mythical 2.0 update went live on the Korean test servers last week, and the lengthy English translation is finally available for your reading enjoyment at the official site. Despite the fact that it will likely be months before the update makes its way to America, it's exciting to see some of the upcoming tweaks. Additions include the Balaur homeland zone featuring new fortresses and artifacts for both Elyos and Asmodians, as well as new flight/gliding options including windstreams, updrafts, and geysers. Six new dungeon instances have also been introduced, and the level cap has been raised to 55. Additionally, a plethora of new and upgraded skills have been added to each class. Crafting now features a Mastery level (549), and harvesting vitality in certain areas of the new Balaur zone may result in the acquisition of a unique weapon. Finally, several quests have been tweaked for difficulty, and many new quests have been added, along with a robust pet system. Whew. Check out all the details at the official site.
Wings Over Atreia: Greed is Good
The world of Atreia can be a bit unforgiving to the uninitiated, particularly when it comes to providing for your Daeva's economic well-being. Gear costs kinah, Aion's currency, and new skills cost even more kinah. Attaining level 40 last week set my sorcerer back over 800 thousand smackers. Granted, I got some nifty new death-dealing skills for my trouble, but I also parted with nearly all my net worth. What's that you say? You want to advance your crafting and gathering skills beyond the newb tier? Yep, you guessed it, get ready to shell out some more kinah. In fact, skilling up a single crafting discipline to the mastery level will cost you between 2 and 2.5 million kinah, not including the cost of the materials needed to craft the work orders. Gathering is similarly expensive, though it doesn't require materials like crafting, only level tier purchases. Finally, there is the Soul Healer, that bank account black hole that has sucked many millions of mah money into the nether regions of NCSoft's server nebula, for, every time I die in PvE, it's off to see the Soul Healer to regain a bit of lost experience. As of level 40, my average trip to this big-hat buffoon costs between 40 and 50 thousand kinah. Last week, after a particularly unfortunate pickup group, I wracked up a 300 thousand kinah Soul Healing bill. Fly past the cut for some Aion kinah-making strategies.
Exclusive interview with Aion Producer Brian Knox
We submitted a few questions to NCsoft back when players were taking their first baby steps into the strange and lush world of Atreia. Things have obviously been a bit hectic these past couple weeks but Aion Producer Brian Knox took some time out today to answer them for us. Thanks Brian!We've heard a lot about "westernizing" or "culturalizing" Aion for North American and European audiences. Can you please explain the full breadth of this term? Are we talking about language translation, story rewrites, and lowered experience curves here? Westernizing Aion is about making the game culturally relevant to our market. This includes going above and beyond basic translation and delving into the story behind the text and making sure that it is presented in a way our players will understand. For us it isn't so much about changing things with Aion but shining the spotlight on the area that is most appealing to our audience. Aion is a huge game with a ton choices and features for users all over the world to enjoy; making sure we point those parts out is a huge part of the culturalization
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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.
NCsoft dev discusses the genesis of Aion at GDC Europe
Aion dev Yongchan Jee spilled the beans on the game's origins as part of a GDC Europe Q and A session. Gamasutra were on hand to find out what exactly makes the game stand out in Korea. This included addressing a gap in the market for 'AAA' titles after the release of Lineage II and World of Warcraft, as well as focusing on a faction warfare angle which sees the two player-controlled races of the Elyos and the Asmodians fighting against each other and the terrifying Balaur. Jee also discussed how the game was rebooted in 2006 and while this did affect the moral of the developers, it ultimately allowed them to start from scratch and create a truly memorable game.Lee also focused on the character customisation, discussing the concepts of beautiful and ugly characters in MMOs like World of Warcraft, where Korean players often favour the Alliance over the Horde. He also explained why the devs chose to create Aion as a zone-based MMO over a seamless world. Aion fans should definitely check out Gamasutra's write up for even more hints at Aion's gestation and conception.
NCsoft release Korean trailer for Aion patch 1.5
For us here in the west, the launch of Aion might still be on the horizon. However, having had the game for the better part of a year, gamers in Korea have already turned their attention to patch 1.5. Indeed this is something we should also be excited about as the localized version of Aion aimed at Europe and the US will include this newest content patch. With this in mind, NCsoft over in Korea has revealed a trailer touting the new patch, catchily nicknamed The Shadow of the Balaur. According to translated patch notes from the official Korean site, 1.5 will include new instances that will see players visiting a twisted Balaur-infested version of the Elyos starter zone known as Dark Poeta. There's also a flying ship crewed by the adorable ferret-like Shugo and a new battleground. On top of that are plenty of minor changes including the ability to zoom in on the minimap, four new face presets, new armour sets and, my personal favourite, in-game clothing in the form of kimono and the imperial uniforms of China and Taiwan. Check out the video after the jump for a taste of what's to come.
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 concept art features ominous Abyss, winged Balaur
We don't spend too much time covering NCsoft's Aion here at Massively -- partly because news is sparse -- but that doesn't mean we're not interested. In fact, we're intrigued by the game's art direction. It has an eerie, fragmented, dream-like vibe that reminds us of the oldschool roleplaying-oriented game Underlight. It also features lots and lots of wings, since all players and many NPCs can fly.NCsoft has released four new works of concept art. Check them out and you'll see what we mean. One of the items -- pictured above -- depicts one of the Balaur. The Balaur are fallen angels responsible for the sundering of the world. The other three items depict the Abyss, the setting for Aion's endgame PvP encounters. Those have a bit of an Outland vibe, what with the shattered earth floating in space and all.
