Posted by Spooner | 14 Comments

What do you think of the English voice pack for Aion?

So I found these videos on the series of tubes and figured what better place to show it than here. I submit the following for your judgment oh readers of Spooncraft.

At this point I might end up clicking the option to MUTE combat vocals unless I want to get my rocks off when I fight next to female characters. Seriously, I’ve heard hardcore porn that’s more tame than this shit.

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Posted by Spooner | 6 Comments

Five questions for Aion’s Associate Producer Lani Blazier

Saw this over at MMORPG.com and though I’d share it here as well. I like the fact that it’s a polished experience with a history of growth and support already set in stone.

• 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?

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.

• How do the Aion developers plan to prevent the mass exodus of players after the first month that has plagued so many other recent MMO launches?

The MMO gaming space has many terrific games it, and we realize players have options when it comes to MMOs. That’s why the best thing our team can do right now is focus on making Aion the best MMORPG we possibly can. We’re launching an extremely polished game with a ton of content, and we’re committed to listening to our player feedback and providing our players with the updates to prove it. For example, Aion launched in South Korea in November 2008, and since then, there have already been three large content updates to the game.

Overall, we are very happy with the game, and we are convinced that players will see Aion’s uniqueness, its breadth, and its intriguing and lasting gameplay.

• What, in your opinion, sets Aion apart from other recent MMOs both in specific game mechanics and in overall approach?

I’ve been asked this question a lot, and it’s a really good one. As I mentioned above, we know players have choices, so it’s important to us that we offer them game mechanics and experiences that they’re not necessarily going to find in any other MMO. In Aion, we’ve added tactical flight, which introduces three-dimensional combat and is going to change the way players and Legions think about combat strategies. We’ve combined PvP and PvE so players no longer have to commit to one or the other; PvPvE allows them to play both while also giving them the option to focus on one over the other. NCsoft has also always been known for its robust character creator systems (City of Heroes, Guild Wars), and we’ve definitely taken character creation to the next level with Aion. Not only can players create a truly unique character look, but they can also customize the way they play the game with that character. An example of gameplay customization is the use of Stigma stones. By using different combinations of Stigma stones, players can enhance and change their character’s class so that the character is distinctive.

• What, if anything, is being done to appeal to Sandbox style players who are looking for something beyond a simple, handholding, guided experience?

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. The beginning zones in Aion do a good job of teaching players the game while at the same time not throwing new players more than they can handle. In the higher level zones, the game is a more open experience for players. The maps have fog of war, which encourages exploration, as well as a gathering-dependent crafting system that challenges players to go find rare materials and hunt specific monsters for items that they need. The storylines of the game have side quests separate from the game’s main campaign quests. Players can have fun unearthing and completing these additional stories that enrich the depth of the game world. We also have a very active broker system if playing economies is more to your liking. Aion is so detailed in so many different systems that the game has no single, linear, shallow way to play.

• What does Aion do to appeal to the gamers who want more to their MMO design than simple leveling mechanics?

Leveling in Aion is a way to venture through all the content and provide a means of introducing the different game mechanics. At level 10, players are introduced to the crafting and collection system so that they can explore all six different professions. At level 20, players then explore the Stigma system, which allows them to tinker with different class builds. Throughout the game, you can modify and enhance armor in a multitude of ways to get the exact look and stats you want for your character. All of these systems will continue to expand as your character levels up. The game lets you grow your character both in breadth as well as power.

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Posted by Spooner | 13 Comments

Spooner’s Aion Q&A 1

So I get asked a lot of the same questions pretty regularly both here and on my YouTube channel, I figured a good idea (God help me) would be to do a short Q&A video (more like straight up audio but whatever).

I’m in the process of rendering chunks of the session and such but I want to take more questions to see if I can fit them in or include them in the next session. I’ll be updating this list with any new questions I have, please leave your questions in the comments section and quit spamming my YouTube inbox!

• How do you record videos?
• Are Sorcerers really over powered?
• What are the minimum system requirements?
• What’s the difference between the two races?
• Isn’t Aion just a WoW clone?
• Is Aion another Korean grind-fest?
• How do channels work?
• Do you have to group in this game or can you play solo?
• What’s with the crazy Asian yelling during combat?
• Do I have to PvP?
• Is there any PvE content?
• Will this game bomb like AoC and WAR?

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Posted by Spooner | 11 Comments

Details on the Sixth Aion Closed Beta Event Announced

This latest news break was posted on the official Aion NA website today. It eludes to a special in game series of story driven quests that will give testers a little sneak peek at the upcoming release of the game. This will be the final closed beta and all characters will be wiped. Stay tuned as usual for more of my videos and commentary.

Following five successful and productive beta events, we now have in front of us the pinnacle of closed beta mountain. We now cast our eyes toward the promising horizon, revealing the approaching open beta and the much-anticipated release of Aion.

This upcoming sixth and final closed beta event marks the end of an era. As such, we have decided to make the most out of it. We will not be raising the level limit from that of the previous event. The maximum level will be level 30 for Elyos and Asmodians alike, encouraging you to spend some time to catch up with your friends or explore the vast lands of Atreia.

We want to conclude closed beta testing on a high note, so we are arranging a series of story-driven in-game events, in part hinting at some of the much-anticipated content forthcoming in with our massive release day patch. Keep that F5 key handy, since more information on these live events is headed your way later this week!

Closed beta 6 is primed to rocket onto the servers on Friday, August 14, 2009, noon PT (8 p.m. BST, 9 p.m. CEST). Our beta forums open their gates two hours earlier, and access to them will be ongoing throughout the weekend until Monday.

Keep in mind that you will need either an exclusive Aion closed beta 6 access key, a full-access key acquired through fansite program competitions, or have preordered the game in order to partake in the event. A limited number of closed beta 6 access keys will be given away by a few selected gaming web sites over the coming week, so keep those eagle eyes open if you are looking to grab one.

Look for more information on this upcoming sixth closed beta event shortly. Until then, fly safe!

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Posted by Spooner | 8 Comments

New Aion Cinematic Intro

I like. We’ve seen tons of CG footage with the factions fighting each other and then at the end there’s a bunch of Balaur that come out of nowhere and HAY GUIAZ they stomp on people. Unless you read the lore pages you typically don’t have a clue (without playing the game) as to why everybody is up in arms and what the deal is with the two halves of the world. This intro pretty much delivers an extremely shortened version of the story.

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