Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Aion: Associate Producer Interview
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
MMORPG.com's Jon Wood recently had the chance to ask five questions of Aion's Associate Producer Lani Blazier about the game's overall appeal as it approaches launch.
)
MMORPG.com:
Aion™ has quite a bit of positive hype surrounding it. Is there any concern that, as has happened to other recent MMO launches, the hype will get too high for the game and that players will be disappointed when the game finally launches?
Lani Blazier:
I think we've done a good job at managing expectations about Aion, especially since the game has already launched in Korea and China. Players know that we're delivering them a polished, top quality game with server stability, interesting content, social features on the web, and future updates. Yes, the pressure is definitely on for us, though! We want to make sure Aion delivers the best MMO experience possible for gamers. It's a goal we're committed to.
Read the Associate Producer Interview
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
Sounds like they know what they are doing
plus I love the idea of being able to pvp or pve, and even do both at the same time when I choose to.
I love Aion, but I don't like the interview very much.
I didn't like when she mentions NCSoft being known for character creation and then mentioning City of Heroes, since they weren't responsible for development until way late in the game.
It's really generalized information overall.
Well learned something new about Aion i didn't know about, fog of war on the mini map, a feature i have not seen on any MMO i have played so far. Otherwise i have to agree about the interview, a little bland there.
Geez nice work with this selection of questions Jon!
There's a large dose of cynicism and skepticism with every one of them, which is a little sad, but a very sobre reflection of where the jaded and jilted mmorpg gamer's head is at right now. I almost feel sorry for the respondents having to remain upbeat in light of them.
Kudos to Blazier then for setting the pitch right; enthusiastic while not hysterically bleating out promises or expectations they won't be able to meet.
Most reading this article will have already made up their minds about whether or not to try out this game, but this is a good feeler none-the-less.
It is suprisingly uncommon for a MMO to have a FOW. Though suprisingly, WoW had it. Apparently it's a feature noone really realized until now. I think it's a good feature too because just like playing a RTS, it makes everything more of a suprise.
I have seen 19 jillion questions on Aion character creation so I think asking another one is beyond ridiculous We still have not found anyone with the guts to ask about their past problems with bots. Another question session with zero difficult questions.
Heaven forbid you have to ask a question that makes the inviewee think.
Actually his questions were good, at least when compared with the majority of game 'journalists' who throw vague softball questions at producers and then refuse to call them on the fact that they give canned PR-speak non-answers. There's nothing jaded or jilted about asking pertinent questions and not allowing a producer to use your interview as a PR puff piece and free advertising for your game.
Blazier is no different than any other talking head salesman. Case in point:
"Aion does an excellent job of introducing players to the wide variety of activities and systems in game, and the game encourages players to explore these features fully without handholding," she says.
What? When you break it down, what does that even mean?
Hmm, I don't know whether to laugh at the wide variety of activities bit (yeah fedex quests, kill quests, non-consequential pvp, truly wonderous variety), or the rest of it.
How exactly does it encourage players to explore these features without handholding? Oh that's right, it doesn't, but if you throw enough verbiage at a question, stupid people might think you actually answered it.
Great questions, terrible answers. I like how the question regarding sandbox elements was basically a sugar coated "There are none 8D" and regarding the last question their response was essentially "When they run out of levels, they get to gear grind Exciting and different I know 8D"!
Bans a perma, but so are sigs in necro posts.
EAT ME MMORPG.com!
This is already a decent MMO, so it promises well for launch. But ‘Sandbox Style’? I have read a lot about Aion and there is nothing to make me think this is a sandbox style game. Surely the reviewer knew this, before he asked the question?
It just sounded like a pre launch 'all things to all men' soundbite from the PR department.
so far, the only thing i don't like about Aion is all the "personal" stores. It makes me feel like I am playing Silkroad. We have brokers...isn't that enough?
Well you have both just like in FFXI, just ignore them or adapt to them.
Nothing wrong with options I suppose. As an ex-L2 player, I hated the player shops only option although I can see the usefulness.
Just because you don't like them doesn't mean others don't, maybe it's not enough for some players.
lots of aion new articles now days.... not even going to bother play CBT6 myself, can't stand the grind and getting ganked... later versions help with the grind and I only ever feel like grinding if it gets me somewhere.
anyway, im hoping open beta will be 1.5
also hoping for more characterisation, because atm you can mostly only get different kinds of Asians, while there's nothing wrong with that (and you can make many Western-styled faces, just FAR FAR from what most would like to think they could make)... it is pretty limiting for a Western audience esp with no other races to fill the gap... cant make my perfect Iraqi-styled sorc, nor my native American ranger, which sucks considering I'd think with that engine that they would be able to do it.
so anyway, my point, the customisation is perfect for the Chinese/Korean/Japanese audience, but anyone outside of that part of the world is extremely limited. esp with the females, it seem illegal for females in that area of the world to have larger noses without looking freaky from using the customisation
either way, just a preference, wouldnt really mind if they didnt, but would like the options
CB6 has exposed the ugly side of AION. Asmodians on the Siel server were pinned down in their fort by Elyos for hours on Friday. I was ganked and killed by two Asmodians who ran away cursing at me. The level of gameplay was pretty close to as low as it can get. AION has such huge potential, but a lot of people will just walk away after experiences like tonight leaving just hard core pvper's around to play the game.
I'll agree, the CBT didn't convince anyone of playing. If anything it turned many off the game. It is hard to even blame anyone for QQing in some forums about the game considering that fact. And the simple fact is that CBT is pretty much purely for advertising reasons a part from maybe testing server stability, and it just doesn't work esp in a situation like this.
Well you have both just like in FFXI, just ignore them or adapt to them.
Nothing wrong with options I suppose. As an ex-L2 player, I hated the player shops only option although I can see the usefulness.
Just because you don't like them doesn't mean others don't, maybe it's not enough for some players.
not a game breaker for me. just annoying is all.
I don't. They are selling a product. It is our right as consumers to know as much as possible about what they are trying to sell us.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Most likely, those sort of questions were banned prior to the 'interview'. Commericial game sites aren't about journalism, they are about advertising. It's too bad that the sites don't realize how much the companies need the advertising, and start digging deeper.
Electronic gaming is huge business now. No reason there shouldn't be people asking tough questions.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Essentially, yes. I was somewhat annoyed as well. This will be a good, perhaps great, PvP game. It will not be a sandbox. It will not have roleplaying. It will probably end up much like Guild Wars with flying. It just is not engaging enough to be a full, vibrant world, though it is very pretty.
"There are two great powers, and they've been fighting since time began. Every advance in human life, every scrap of knowledge and wisdom and decency we have has been torn by one side from the teeth of the other. Every little increase in human freedom has been fought over ferociously between those who want us to know more and be wiser and stronger, and those who want us to obey and be humble and submit."
John Parry, to his son Will; "The Subtle Knife," by Phillip Pullman
Right, because people from the last beta are already level capped and bored. I don't see why they didn't add a "chicken" concept (ala WAR) for people above a certain level limit and in the opposing faction's zone.
Another option, "PvE" servers, has to have one of the most active threads on the beta boards. I can see where they're coming from. Aion has too much PvE grind for a pure PvP game (the first 20 levels are all PvE). Yet all the servers have unlimited (via rift) world PvP after level 20. The dichotomy is really weird. Maybe it's something that's fine to an eastern audience (and the eastern devs). To me (western), it seems like the first 20 levels will turn off hardcore PvPers, and the sudden introduction to open world PvP at level 20 will turn off the people who enjoyed the first 20 levels.
A question along these lines would be nice.
On a different topic, I'm surprised that nothing was asked about how they plan to handle the large number of conflicts between GameGuard and common gaming/anti-virus software. Maybe NCSoft didn't allow it. Even an answer like, "The devs are looking into it" would be telling because both the GameGuard(nprotect) devs and the Aion devs are in Korea. Is the conflicting software more common among western gamers? If so, is it less likely to be handled quickly? Will the conflicts ever be handled, or are they "working as intended?" (etc.)
Man, I was so pissed when I found out about the Chicken thing, pissed me off.
Either way, the guy you quoted's point is invalid since endgame-wise there WILL be a third faction as well as faction limits on servers (a.k.a. won't be able to create Elyos if there are too many already).
So avalon1000, you have no point is saying 'this is showing Aion's true side' since Aion's true side will be totally different then what it currently is at level 30. Don't be moronic, think about what you are saying in context of Aion's endgame next time instead of assume that level 30 PVP is Aion's true side (lol).
I agree, gaming journalism is completely pathetic atm, just look at websites like IGN, purposely payed to promote certain games above standards.
Does it have twitch-skill based game play? No.
It is just another wow clone and if you play Darkfall you will understand how real aiming is more fun than point and click sticky targeting.
JGE will be the king of twitch-skill based mmo's.
Aion and wow are good mmo's to start with but the combat is what really matters in an mmo and wow clones fail at fun combat. You will get board of this game as soon as you realize you really don't like the non interactive combat, like I did. Try shooting and arrow in DFO or Oblivion and you will know what I mean.
Its the typical corporate marketing speak that should be expected. It was likely velted by the PR and marketing departments before it was allowed out. Many of these people should seek public office, as they have the same type of vague, generalized, read what you want in to it speech patterns as politicians do.
What concerns me is some of the post 20 activities. From what I've heard from others, post 20 it turns into a gankfest. Which is really not my type of game. The graphics look great though.
Holy Moly. What a fanboyish unrelevant post. Comparing level based "everquest" style games to twitch combat games is similar to comparing Arcade Fighter to First Person Shooter (which is fairly accurate). There is still skill in games like Street Fighter and it requires some twitch movement... like Aion. Aion feels more like an Arcade Fighter MMO than anything else when you have to describe the combat and it's fun! Aion isn't even close to the same as WoW, why does everyone compare? Have you played the game? I can't even level a toon above 30 these days in WoW and I found it fun and exilerating to level to 30 in a Closed Beta in Aion.
About the sandbox MMO question, was that even needed? Aion is definently not a sandbox MMO and no developer is going to answer "our game provides nothing for the sandbox player". Don't hate on the developer, hate on MMORPG.com for asking such a rediculous question. Of course there are obvious answers like Fog of War, exploring zones and that crap but what sandbox players want is something that they can have an impact and say "because of me there is a quarry on the east side of that mountain". The only thing Aion has to hold a candle to those types of players is the ability to capture fortresses and the promise of player housing next expansion.
I think there will be more interviews about Aion when it comes closer to release and it will be really easy for skeptical players to try it in the near future with Open Beta coming up. I recommend anyone sitting on the fence to download the western Aion client anticipating Open Beta in September and try the game up to 20~ and judge for yourselves.
I agree. Try the beta before buying if possible. If nothing else, it lets you verify that:
Then you don't pay $50-$60, only to find out that you can't play because it crashes your anti-virus system and turns your $50 mouse into a 3-button paperweight. Seriously, I don't see how they plan to launch this in NA with much success when there are so many conflicts with GameGuard. That's going to add up to a lot of angry people in Sep.
For the last months ive heard the word Pollished all the time.
BUT just one question , why do i imidently drown and sink like a stone when i go in the water ?
That is to me one of the basic things you have fix, and its not very pollished.
Anyhows im going to enjoy the game , when it arrive in the mailbox. but i dont like the word Pollished , since it has sevral major bugs.
System Specc
Intel I7 4770K 3,5 ghz
16Gb RAM 1600 mhz
Nvidia GTX 780