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We hope this article will shed some light on Aion and help you decide whether or not it pleases your taste buds. Aion is undoubtedly a unique game but it also offers enough familiarity to make things feel homey. It all comes down to player preference really, but based on the anticipation leading up to release, we are sure the game will have a successful launch.
Here are five reasons we think you should play Aion:
1) Polish and performance
It's really difficult to predict what will happen on launch day, but Aion is probably going to be a candidate for one of the smoothest MMO launches ever based on their track record of polish and performance throughout all the beta phases. It really comes down to two things: the graphics engine and launching in Korea nearly a year ago. We should also mention the recent removal of GameGuard from the launch client will assist things greatly.
Aion uses Crytek's CryEngine, which truly delivers a stunning and scalable gaming experience. High end computers are able to run the game with few issues at maximum settings and even older computers can expect a smooth and stylish client.
Most importantly, Aion released in Korea nearly a year ago and the North American and European clients have benefited from all the trials and tribulations over the past year. Basically, the major kinks have already been worked out and we're getting to play a more finished product.
2) Something old and something new
Aion doesn't come remotely close to reinventing the wheel when it comes to MMOs. It has taken more of the World of Warcraft approach to game design: Take what already works and make it even better. Anyone with at least one MMO under their belt will find Aion remarkably familiar even if the environments are different. Aion is a class-based MMO featuring all your favorite medieval archetypes. It features PvE, PvP, and even PvPvE. There are quests, raids, fortresses, crafting professions, merchants, auction houses, and a number of other fan favorite MMO components.
That said, the game also offers a breath of fresh air. Grouping isn't necessarily forced but it is highly encouraged, which is a departure from many post-WoW MMOs. The game also features a deep and rich storyline for your character to follow. There are many mysteries to be uncovered in your campaign quests. Then there's the novel approach to PvPvE.
3) Player vs Player vs Environment (PvPvE)
The Abyss is a giant PvP-enabled zone, but it also includes the very best PvE rewards in the game. Aion's third faction, the Balaur, may be NPCs but they will generally attack the more dominant side, hoping to bring relative balance to PvP. Finally, players are encouraged to raid their enemy's PvE lands by traveling through rifts (aka portals) to complete quests and generally cause havoc.
Players gain Abyss Points (AP) by participating in PvPvE, which raises their Abyss Rank. These points lead to new titles and can be used as currency to purchase better gear and even buffs. The best explanation we've heard is that Aion's PvP is roughly in the middle between the RvR you'll find in Warhammer Online (relatively low impact with a positive sum) and Darkfall (relatively high impact with risk and loss). You gain AP by killing players and NPCs in the Abyss but you also lose them when you die. That said, it isn't so harsh that someone can fully loot your corpse like they can in DF.
4) Character customization
Character customization reveals itself in numerous ways in Aion. First there's character creation. Next there's modifying your character's stats, weapon procs, and abilities. Finally, there's additional visual customization beyond the creation process in the form of armor skins and dyes.
Aion's character creator is only slightly behind Champions Online and City of Heroes in terms of visual diversity. You are presented with a number of basic models, but once you unleash the power of the various physical attribute sliders, the options are nearly endless. Any character can be made to look like a halfling, dwarf, human, or half-giant. Heck, someone even managed to make a reasonable facsimile of President Obama.
Once your character is made, you can boost your various attributes through manastones, godstones, and stigma stones. Manastones can be socketed into gear to adjust your base stats. Godstones can be applied to weapons and add various procs like chance to sleep, stun, or do additional damage. Stigma stones can be applied to your character in various combos, adding powerful abilities that will likely surprise your enemies.
Lastly we have armor skins and dyes. Don't you hate it when you finally get that set of gear you've been striving for and then you look just like everyone else? Aion addresses this by allowing you to re-skin any piece of your gear to look like something else. We've heard you can even make chain look like cloth. Adding to that, you can dye your armor in a variety of different colors to spice things up even more.
5) Flight and gliding
If "It gives you wings!" wasn't already already trademarked by another brand, Aion would have surely scooped it up. Flight and gliding are probably the most unique features of the game. The controls can be difficult to master, but once you do, a whole new level of game play opens up to you.
Every character gains wings once they achieve daevahood (level 10) and your flight timer increases as you raise in level (or add boosters). This basically means that everyone has a swift form of travel, but they must use it strategically. Your wings may be clipped in some areas, which can be annoying, but the entire Abyss zone is unlocked for flight. This leads to aerial combat that you won't find in any other MMO.
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For anyone interested in having fun in-game and questing and pvp'ing together jsut start the US server "Siel" I got about 4-5 people playing with me some complete noob's other's annoying detailed about mmorpg's. Whichever you are we always got room for you!
