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Hype or not ?
I've been actively reading about this game for a while now, and there's only one thing keeping me from preordering this one : past experience...
I've been playing WAR from beta to about 5 months after release. I really loved this game : the scenarios, public quests, ORVR.. but after a couple of months the world felt empty and couldn't find groups, so the game went boring kinda fast..
I got AoC at launch. Played this one for 2-3 months before realizing the instances were kinda lame, same for the PvP... Everything felt buggy and laggy.. And when my guildmates left, I did the same...
The more I read about Aion, the more it looks great, but so did the other two as well ... And since there's a lot of great games coming out on the X360 in the next couple of months, the gaming budget is kinda thin.
So anyone want to help me get a clear idea about Aion ? What part of what we read here belongs to the hype ? Do you guys think this game will still be interesting in 3-6 months.. a year ? Kinda bored of switching games, I'd like to find a new home...
Thanks !
Comments
"Hype or not?"
simple: the answer is yes.
Hype? Yes, by animes fans pretty much.
Ultimately the only person who is going to decide if a game is fun or not is you. I'm sure that isn't what you wanted to hear though.
Aion has been out in Korea for a year already though. It is coming to a western audience with 3 full content patches (1.1, 1.2, 1.5) which add a load of content to the main game. The game has been quite successful over in the east (MMOData.net places it at 3.5 million subscribers currently) so obviously something is right about it.
The reaction certainly has been positive so far during these beta events and from players who have actually played the Chinese/Korean version of the game already. Of course like I said it all really comes up to what do you think. You can always just pre order the game from a place like EB or Gamestop, get into the beta events and try it out. If you dislike the game feel free to just cancel the pre order.
84 days /played in WoW? lol.
best way to find out is to play it yourself. its not some magic MMO that will keep you entertained forever. Some people may enjoy Aion for years, but like any MMO, you just need to give it a chance. I'd say level 21-22 is a good goal, by then you've gotten most of the class mechanics and PvE basics down, then you can try out some rift PvP and by then you should have a good grip on if you'll enjoy the game.
Everything creates huge amounts of negativity on the internet, that's what the internet is for: Negativity, porn and lolcats.
I'm enjoying the game and may still purchase it, but it is a good bit of hype. Hype doesn't make it a bad game. Aion is everything it claims to be, but the hype is derived from the starving MMO players seeking to sink their teeth into the "next big thing."
For the time Aion is the next big thing. It's more polished then WAR & AoC were. It's down fall is the fact that it feels like you've changed landscape, textures, and voices . . . but it's a game you've played before.
[(T+G=W)=Gr*Nf]-S=FoF
T=Time G=Gear W=Win Gr=Grind Nf=NoFun S=Skill FoF=FullofFail
"Hey, I'll tell you what. You can get a good look at a butcher's azz by sticking your head up there. But, wouldn't you rather to take his word for it?" - Tommy Boy
84 days /played in WoW? lol.
Too bad almost half of that was boting battlegrounds
Once I got into more PvP and RvR it didn't really feel that way to me. Sure, it does have a lot of things which is borrows from games such as World of Warcraft, Lineage II and DAoC but it all feels right together and somewhat new. I'll agree that the PvE certainly feels "normal".
I do think at this point though a lot of us just want a stable, enjoyable game.
Yup I totally agree with Majinash, you have to check by yourself, lvl 21-22 are good lvls to decide if you like the game or not, I made it to lvl 24 in last beta and spend tons of time doing PvP on the rifts and I enjoy it so much, I made new friends, I team up with this Random Gladiator to Kill some Asmodians, it was alot of fun.
well, yes, some hype. i just hope this game will entertein me for some time,, intil SWTor comes out. then il be happy.
just buy the beta code, and try it out, 5euro:)
I WANT A SCI-FI MMO!! (NOT EVE, or Fom, or FE)
About this anime comment, I wrote a thread on it yesterday about the common misconception about graphic design. This is what I am talking about. You implied that because the game chose to use idealist model of graphic design, for some reason it is immediately surrounded by hype because it looks "anime" -ish. However, all the games are animate-ish except those that choose to follow the realism model of graphic design. Which the difference is really only the fact that whether the game design include imitating realism (I.E Realistic looking skin mesh, emulating real life terrain through close imitation instead of form representation.)
Simply put, graphic design is just a different art style. Not only does it have little to do with graphic quality, it is also unrelated to how successful a game will be. Berating it does not help anyone, nor does it make you more knowledgable on the subject.,
i'm lvl 33 right now and i'm having a good time. theres aspect of aion i'm not too happy about...but overall its better than the last 2 mmorpgs i've tried....
pvp really starts at lvl 25 when u can enter the abyss. can pvp b4 that, but u rely on random portals (and one certain quest) to take you to the enemy, or for them to come to you. i have been ganked a handful of times (and gone ganking), while thinking i'm safe pveing on my side's land. not enuff to piss you off, but enuff to add a lvl of fun. the abyss is pretty cool too.
pve is not bad either. i'm currently in a lvl 30-35 6man dungeon called the fire temple. its typical -which isn't a bad thing if you like dungeons/instances to begin with.
i've read ppl complain about the lack of quests around the late teens to early 20mark? Theobomos is great for early 20s. you have to look at the map to realize it's there, and have to port there on your own accord. the amount of money it costs to port there tells you approximately what lvl the area is compaired with all the other areas of the map *ding*
the abyss has a good amount of pvp and pve quests for 25 plus. 30's havent been much of a problem either so far.
About this anime comment, I wrote a thread on it yesterday about the common misconception about graphic design. This is what I am talking about. You implied that because the game chose to use idealist model of graphic design, for some reason it is immediately surrounded by hype because it looks "anime" -ish. However, all the games are animate-ish except those that choose to follow the realism model of graphic design. Which the difference is really only the fact that whether the game design include imitating realism (I.E Realistic looking skin mesh, emulating real life terrain through close imitation instead of form representation.)
Simply put, graphic design is just a different art style. Not only does it have little to do with graphic quality, it is also unrelated to how successful a game will be. Berating it does not help anyone, nor does it make you more knowledgable on the subject.,
Just because its an asian game doesnt make the art style anime. Ether Saga has an anime artstyle and if you compare it to Aion you can see a lot of difference. Personally i like the artstyle, its about time something different was offered.
Ill put it like this for you, just like you Ive played every MMO out there
Aion is finally a new MMO with a SOLID engine, not no buggy ass bullshit glitchy AoC or WAR laggy shi
Aion has the Crytek engine (the same engine that made the Crysis game of the year), and after playing all these garbage MMO's recently, when you play this game you realize...wow this is what a good game engine feels like...it really makes a huge difference
It has large PVE raids, large PVP battles, good graphics, challenging gameplay, solid game engine....thats why I play
I personally hate Anime & 99% of its fanboi's..thats the only thing that slightly turns me off about Aion is some of the young fans...however the good thing is you dont have to make your toon look anime, you can make him look pretty kick ass...there is that asian anime feeling of the game though, but beyond that the game is outstanding, highly recommended
To grandpgamer (the person 2 slots above)
It is nice to meet a person that understand what I am talking about. Graphic design is a style, and it is based on preference. There is no good or bad here, it is just each player's taste in the art style.
To jamisz (the person above)
Well I do understand some people might not like anime style, however, Aion is actually not very anime.
Anime is an idealism representation of the form. It is not focused on the detail of the realism. It is focus on expressing object as a form, as long as you see something and can recognize what it is that is good enough. Which is almost all fantasy based game pretty much have to follow to a degree. Very few MMO out on the market follows the rule of realism to the letter, since the game is considered an art that is created from imagination and not real life.
So, yes, Aion might not look realistic. However, it is much closer to realism than most in terms of character model. Background however that is entirely another issue all together.
Hello there Neosai, yes i know what your talking about and so do the ones who claim Aion art is anime. They know the difference its just a way to flame the game. That may be all they have left as they cant say the game will be buggy and unfinished at release as for all intents and purposes the game is finished now with only more content to come before release. The only problem i have with Aion is deciding which single player game to play until next beta
I agree with you, Aion looks great, I love the graphics and my toon...but it is drawing in that anime crowd heavy which was what I was trying to say...that is a turn off for an old RPGer like myself.
The question is ENTIRELY subjective.
For me? I haven't seen a single thing advertised about Aion that isn't actually in the game as I thought it would be, more or less. So from the company? No, I haven't seen any "hype".
I have seen plenty of people on both sides blow things way out of proportion though. I don't remember -NCSOFT- actually saying they were doing anything super new and fantastic. So, take it for what it is.
To the OP:
I was in a similar situation to you until last week, when I heard on these forums about the aion preorder deal (getting into beta events, free extra week, etc). I researched all I could about it, got impressions on both sides and was still unsure.
Several very big titles coming up that I'm also interested in, and I'm in a situation where I can't really afford too much of an entertainment budget. I currently only have a WoW sub, but have played it for about 2.5 years and am finding it difficult to even make myself log on anymore. So I started searching desperately for a new mmo.
After looking at Aion, it seemed pretty cool, but I've been through a lot of mmos, and at face value, I first wrote it off as Lineage 3. Still, facing a long weekend of boredom, and hearing about the beta event, I decided to take the gamble and throw down the money for a preorder.
I'm very happy with my decision, I could go on about all it's nice features, or even draw a lot of comparisons with other games I've played, but no amount of information you can learn through media like this can substitute for actually picking it up yourself.
Of course, as we've all learned, going into something with lofty expectations will only leave you with dissapointment. Aion doesn't claim to change everything. What it offers is a very solid and polished experience, with the quality of graphics and soundtrack along with server stability that you should expect from a game of the current MMO generation (which ends up being head and shoulders above a lot of recent entries in the genre imo). As those who've played it can attest, the community has also been stellar thus far. I was personally relieved to come to these forums are playing the beta event and see that the popular reactions to it seem to be positive, like my own.
Let me weed out some of the hype though:
-"You can fly!" While true, there are limitations to it. There are whole zones that you cannot fly freely in (though you can glide in any zone). There are also walls (I wouldn't quite call them invisible because there's an animation that looks like you're hitting a forcefield), barring certain chunks of zones from exploration, including a height ceiling. You have a gauge which runs down as you fly, and lasts about a minute of free flight, longer while gliding. This increases over the course of the game, but is always limited.
-"You can choose to avoid pvp if you want!" -Not really; as paragus mentioned in his write up, there comes a point in leveling (about 20) where you'll have a good chance of being subjected to it whether you like it or not. You can technically level mostly in non pvp zones, but it's probably not worth the extra time needed. Enemy faction players can also enter you instances, so you aren't even safe there lol. If you absolutely can't stand the thought of being ganked a few times, this may not be the game for you (on the flip side, you can't see enemy levels, so you might even be able to turn the tables on a would-be ganker who underestimated you).
-"It's revolutionary!" -This game takes features from past games in the genre, and innovates on some of them. Anyone who expects it to be something completely outlandishly original is deluding themselves. Any artist in any craft will tell you that if a certain technique works well and fits your style, you should incorporate it into your works. That's what Aion does: takes a lot of features that players liked in a variety of past mmos, and then expands upon them. You will still have levels, you will still kill mobs and complete quests for xp. You'll still have tanks, healers, and dps in raid groups.
But no game is for everyone, plain and simple. If you plan on trying it at all I recommend preordering before the next beta event (July 31st). If you aren't curious enough to give it a shot, then don't (but really if you made a thread about it that tells me you probably are lol).
Actually, the engine used is CryEngine 1, which is the original Farcry engine, not Crysis. Farcry was released in 2004. Back to topic..
Honestly, maybe it was lack of information on my part, but I really expected Aion to be a different approach to MMO's. The more I read about the beta reviews, the more I'm convinced it is nothing but a re-skinned standard MMO. Now of course, thats not necessarily a bad thing if you (still) like that formula, but if you were expecting something more you'll be sorely disappointed.
If AoC and WAR has taught us one thing, it is the importance of polish, stability and content. If Aion brings these under acceptable terms, I can guarantee you it will be a financial success. I think this is why NCSoft delayed the Western launch (among other things), Eastern players are a lot less picky about content or stability.
I am derailing the thread again. Back to original question. Is it hyped? Very much so. Even now, I can hear the whines about not being able to fly anywhere you want.
Actually, the engine used is CryEngine 1, which is the original Farcry engine, not Crysis. Farcry was released in 2004. Back to topic..
Honestly, maybe it was lack of information on my part, but I really expected Aion to be a different approach to MMO's. The more I read about the beta reviews, the more I'm convinced it is nothing but a reskinned standard MMO. Now of course, thats not necessarily a bad thing if you (still) like that formula, but if you were expecting something more you'll be sorely disappointed.
If AoC and WAR has teached us one thing, it is the importance of polish, stability and content. If Aion brings these under acceptable terms, I can guarantee you it will be a financial success. I think this is why NCSoft delayed the Western launch (among other things), Eastern players are a lot less picky about content or stability.
I am derailing the thread again. Is it hyped? Very much so. Even now, I can hear the whines about not being able to fly anywhere you want.
I never expected Aion to be revolutionary, but it is an improvement in certain areas. Aion have pretty much turned out as I expected and some area did better Aion is about as polished can be, game company knows NA players are second rate players who like to complain alot anyways. (BTW, I am a NA player too, so I am no exception here)
Yes it is very much hyped, but I didn't get caught in the flow this time.
P.S More info on the CryEngine 1 is that NCsoft heavily modified it for use in Aion. If Aion used Crysis engine, the system requirement would probably make alot of people "cry".
"P.S More info on the CryEngine 1 is that NCsoft heavily modified it for use in Aion. If Aion used Crysis engine, the system requirement would probably make alot of people "cry"."
cry with happyness you mean, the way the world is textured is a real let down.
Not only would they cry because lots of people dont meet those requirements, it would also turn into a large lagfest
I am actually fine with the way things are textured. I don't need my game to look like real life. If i need real life texture, I just look out a window. Some people are too absorbed in the concept about virtual reality, but the technology is not there yet.
I suppose each person have their preference about the graphic art style. However, just to correct you. CryEngine is actually capable of producing realistic textures. It is the devs who determine which art style to use, and in this case they choose the idealist model instead of realist. It is not really the engine, it is a choice of both practicality and artistic design.
Edit: On a related note, some of the MMORPG that is based on realistic textures are actually the ones that have some of the worst gameplay design, I think they spent most of their funds on the realistic graphics. *chuckles*.
High res textures =/= Realistic Graphics
Low res textures =/= Art Style
They are just preferences to make the game available to a wider audience.
Also, recommended system reqs for the game has NVIDIA 6800 on it. That card was also released in 2004 (same time as Far Cry). If engine was modified, it was modified to decrease the details on screen, because honestly, Farcry looks much better than Aion in many ways.
There's nothing wrong with targeting a wider audience of course. WoW did it, and it was a success, EQ2 didn't, and you know where EQ2 is right now (of course, this isn't the only measure for EQ2's situation, but it's still a large one).
Edit: Cryengine 2 is just an unoptimized shit (yes, as in, crap). Cryengine 3 will look more or less same as Cryengine 2, but it will require much less raw power.
This is the first game I've played since WOW that hasn't been mostly hype. It's a tried and tested product (thank you Asia).
The reviews I read about Aion have perfectly matched my playing experience.
It's not revolutionary - but there is a touch of evolution on the EQ style mmo. The PvP has a bit more substance and they give you a refreshing degree of control over your character's appearance.
I've enjoyed every minute of my time in the closed beta.