Recently, Aion buzz has taken hold of many blogs and gaming sites. I did not play during their preview weekend but was curious about the game so I did some research. It was not an easy task, as it seems different Aion patch versions are run in different countries. AionSource turned out to be a decent resource though.
The Basics. Aion is a traditional Diku-style MMO. You quest/grind to gain experience, loot and level up to 50. It has its own combat style, but it is fundamentally the same as other MMOs, using abilities, a hotbar and a global cooldown.
Graphics. It's graphics look to be top notch (for a MMO) and it seems to perform very well.
Raids. There are no raids currently in the game. There are a few Level 50 dungeons for small groups, and world bosses but no raid encounters. Word has it one is coming, see below.
The Abyss. This is one of the features that piques my interest in Aion. The Abyss is a PvP zone with no population cap and has siegable castles and a fortress. This zone is only for Level 25 and above. There is no bolster effect, so you may face much higher level characters. There is also a relic system that can give your side a buff in a certain area. While there is no population cap, there is a NPC 3rd party that will help the outnumbered side.
If your faction captures a fortress, it may unlock future raid content. This is similar to The Ettermoors and Delving in LoTRO,WAR's new Land of the Dead and WoW's Lake Wintersgrasp. At this time it doesn't look like any of that raid content is in the game.
Abyss Points. When fighting in the abyss you gain special points. These points are a currency. You can spend them to buy new gear, then you have to earn them back. You gain points by killing players and NPC's. If you die, you lose abyss points. There is also a ranking system that depends on how many points you have.
Crafting. Aion has a relatively simple crafting system. There is a single gathering skill for all materials and multiple crafting skills (i.e. Armorsmith). You can craft using recipes or NPC work orders. There is no mini-game like EQ2 has or anything as complex as SWG.
Style. It's an Asian/Anime styled MMO.
Wings. Flying is one of the more original features of Aion. In the Abyss, flying is a big part. However, in the rest of the world there seems to be a lot of invisible walls and no fly zones.
That is pretty much what I found in my research. Some of the details may be off but I believe it to be mostly accurate.
Personally, I do not like the Anime style, so that is an immediate turn off for me. Also, while flying is nice, the wings just are not my style. Give me a jetpack or even a gyrocopter and we'll talk. This is just superficial stuff though.
While the Abyss looks interesting, you have to PvE through the first 25 levels before you can gain access. My interest in PvE, especially for 25 levels, is nil right now. Once you reach 25, you will still be at a large disadvantage since there is no bolster mechanic.
The abyss points also worry me. They seem to reward PvE in the abyss by having npc kills give points. Add in the fact you can lose points when you die and you'll have a lot of people avoiding PvP. I play WAR, so I know about people avoiding PvP ;)
I may try Aion someday, but right now it isn't really something I am looking forward to. This is surprising considering how much press the game is getting. There just isn't much that draws me to the game.
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