Aion Wrap-up

I've been working very hard these past weeks to develop my character in Aion, and even though it is horrendously slow going I am enjoying the process. Unfortunately for Harmonia, my little chanter character, I have decided to cancel my account. I am still enjoying the game, and the changes that NCSoft is looking to implement interest me greatly - I ADORE a game with player housing, and many of the other soon to be added features. Unfortunately, most of my friends have quit playing and I feel I should move on now since I have just begun the process of purchasing my own home.

So it's farewell to the world of Daevas and hello to the world of boxes and packing tape.

Resume Function!

Holidays are over, and several weeks have passed since I finally hit the golden 50 max-level mark in Aion. With fewer hours a week spent grinding experience and farming for coin, I hope to return to a more active posting habit, beginning with a review of my newest (ok, so I am a bit behind the times) DS game: Scribblenauts.

Future Visions

Wow. NCSoft has a history of releasing beautiful and action packed CGI videos in advance of expansion content for their MMORPG games, but they have shocked the AION community by unexpectedly releasing an incredible preview of the Aion of the future. It's important to recognize that this is a concept video, and it illustrates where the developers and artists hope to see the game. There is no telling which features are actually in production and which are still, literally, on the drawing board.

Much of the discussion following the video's release hinged upon unbridled excitement - how this or that feature/update looks amazing, is unexpected, is exactly what a player was hoping for. Much of the discussion also focused on pragmatic analysis (or cynical doubt) of what features were most likely to actually reach the game, and which were unlikely to ever be delivered. Regardless, the sheer volume of excitement generated by this one video is, in my experience, unprecedented. People who were stuck in the endless cycle of the slow XP grind have come alive again with a passion for the game.

The general impression from most people is that if NCSoft is able to deliver even half of these upgrades and updates, the game will be completely reinvigorated. I am personally ecstatic about the inclusion of player housing, as it allows for a player to truly become a part of the world, to shape its landscape and become a part of the structure. I am shocked at the aparent inclusion of world defense PvP of these housing zones - this is unprecendented in my experience, and has me really excited. The idea of defending my own home, in addition to my homeland, from invasion and destruction, is fascinating and exciting.

From my own personal experience with NCSoft and their occasional underdelivering, I was able to identify a few points in the video that seem a bit far-fetched, but then again - it's possible that they've learned from their past mistakes and are looking to remedy unfulfilled promises from Linaege II in Aion.