Saph
04-11-2011, 01:13 PM
Hello fellow gamers and wonderful review readers!
8)8)8)8)8)8)8)8)8)8)8)8)
Saph here, who brought you the painfully brief review of Amnesia: The Dark Descent! And today, we're gonna talk about a game that was thought to be the next WoW, but failed to get up there!
I am talking about....
http://www.gamershotlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Aion-PC-Cover.jpg
Aion Online is an MMORPG created by NCsoft, who also gave us the Lineage series! It is a game that takes some getting used to, as it uses very unique controls, buffs, and combat UIs. The most unique, is the aerial combat, where you can be attacked from any direction, back, front, left right, UP and DOWN!
http://images.mmosite.com/photo/2007/12/05/aion04LKF4N14767.jpg
This is nothing compared to most of the game. This is actually low setting as far as I know!
When you first begin playing, the first thing you notice, is the splendid graphics! The graphics are absolutely amazing, and makes your eyes sparkle like a cheesy japanese anime series! Given the ability to fly through some, but not all, of this splendid looking world adds to the thrill! And to add to the awesomeness. It takes very little computer power to run the graphics. Lag is VERY rare in Aion, which makes it a great game to play if your computer is on the slow side!
The graphics are indeed amazing, but the sound is not exactly something to cheer for. The sound is very looped and the same noises are used on multiple occasions! The sound of an assassins attack is the exact same as that of a ranger shooting an arrow. That is just not right.
The game play is quite unique with movement buffs. Yeah, movement buffs. They work like this:
For movement buffs to work you need to be combat ready and have your weapon drawn!
When you move forward: forwards motion puts you into offense. Your defense is decreased but your attacks are greatly improved in damage! Key for assassins and gladiators!
When you move backward: backwards motion puts you into defense. Your defense is increased but your attacks are greatly diminished in damage! Key for templars!
When you strafe left/right: sideways motion puts you into evasion. Your defense and offense are ever so slightly diminished, but your chance of evading damage all together is increased 10 fold. This is VERY useful for scouts and assassins!
And of course there's flight!
http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae161/Lollerscates/Aion0055.jpg
My level 42 Asmodian Sorcerer, Sahirra, flying through a tunnel in the Abyss
Flight is a key feature in Aion, since your wings is what marks your personality!(well...when you're high enough level and rich enough, they are!), and also marks you as being an immortal daeva!
Wings come in many variations, but the standard are black feather wings for asmodians, and white for Elyos. As you increase your level, you can gain either by buying, claiming with a code, or gaining from combat prowess, a new set of wings which are much more majestic, and give additional flight related buffs, such as flight speed, or increased flight time!
Oh yeah, flight has a limit to it, lame as that is for a game where flight is essential in almost every situation! The starting point is 1 minute, and as you gain new wings and new gear, you can increase that 1 minute to a whole lot more! Just make sure you're not too high up when your minute runs out, or you'll fall to your death.>:D
Aion is very PvP based, meaning that little dungeonering is done. And this is where my praise for Aion Online ends. Aion Online is based HIGHLY on PvP. You get most of your good gear and the most reputation as a gamer from PvP. PvE is almost none existant except for the occasional dungeon to get some gear early on. After you reach the top level, you are pretty much too high for all dungeons, and only PvP in the Abyss remains. Which would be awesome if the PvP in Aion wasn't so crappy and poorly structured.
For example...Your good old Legolas class, the Ranger, is the most powerful PvP class in the game, only sorcerers truely stand a 1v1 chance against them. A level 28 ranger can easily kick the snot out of a level 35 assassin.
And Templars? Templars are tanks, thats it. Their use almost fades completely after they reach level 50. They have almost no PvP based abilities, and fare VERY well in PvE, but in PvP they lack the attributes to be successful. Sure they have a ton of health and armor and take forever to kill, but the sad fact is that ANY templar will eventually die if put into a kite match(meaning a ranged player running in circles around the templar slowing him down and damaging him until the slow wears off, then running from him until his slowing effect is ready again). This means that very few people choose templars as their character, which then in turn means that everyone else cant get into the dungeons that are so important for leveling! Which means everyone must grind. Grind...Grind...GRIND!
GRIND!!!
The BANE of MMORPGs!
Grinding is a HUUUUGE must in Aion. EVERYTHING depends on grinding. To level, to get gear, to get money. EVERYTHING! It is even pondered if NCsoft has a deal with Kinah(money, gold) sellers, which goes as follows:
For example, there's a VERY beautiful set of clothing in the game, with NO buffs, NO combat benefit at all, it just looks cool. It costs 11 million Kinah(I only ever owned 4 million at the very most, and that was after 3 months of continuous grinding). NCsoft makes it hard to get the good stuff. Gold Sellers make bank on lazy people who want the good stuff NOW, and NCsoft gets a cut of the profits. A solid scam for everyone to win from, except the players, who get their accounts stolen and NCsoft turns a blind eye. It's obvious to most, and NCsoft has been lieing on multiple occasions about people getting banned when they start being too out spoken of it. But if you keep your head down and just do your own thing, you're okay in everyones book.
The game is decent, and it is fun, but once you put alot of time into it and realize how straight forward it is, it loses its flare as an MMORPG. When it first came out, it had a HUGE hype, but as people started playing, reached the top level, grinded for MONTHS only to waste it all on 1 good gear piece, and then having to do it all over again, then buying Kinah, then getting banned for doing so. Many people left the game in FLOCKS when this was realized, and today very few people remain in the game.
I remained in the game for 5 months, and managed to collect 5 million Kinah and level 42 before I stopped, my characters name is Sahirra on Siel.
But for the gamer who likes an easy, uninterrupted, and straight forward MMORPG where the goal is set and your track is laid out? Then Aion is deffinately a no brainer!:)
A little more info on PvP:
There're 2 kinds of PvP in Aion Online.
There's Rifting, and there's the Abyss.
Rifting:
http://images.mmosite.com/aion/rift/rift.jpg
Rifting is the initial PvP action, designed to hone a newbies skills and teach them to get around on their own. Rifts reappear and disappear constantly, which is an irritating detail, but I guess it adds some difficulty to an already easy Grind n' Win game. Once a player has discovered a rift in an area, going through the rift will transport say an Elyos to the Asmodian version of the area he just came from(all areas in both worlds have similarities, some are for newbies, some for advanced, and in between. If you use a rift in a lvl 20 zone, you'll be transported to the opposite sides lvl 20 zone and so on). One there, an Elyos is on his own, unless he brought a party with him! They can now roam the Asmodian world and kill anyone they see! If they die however, they'll be returned to their own lands at once, leaving them with the options of doing something else, or finding a new rift if the old one has vanished. Each rift only lasts for 1 hour!
Rifting can be tricky, but those that get the hang of it commonly become twinks. They stop leveling their characters, and remain at say level 39, the max level of the mediocre zone! They get the best gear they can for their level range, and do NOTHING with that specific character but rifting in their level designated zone! There're reports of level 39 twinks kicking the ass of freshly leveled 50s, so you can see how difficult it is to keep twinks at bay! Rifting is fun, but a hard hobby to maintain. A better choice is to simply bite the bullet and go level to the 50s, where the true PvP begins.
Abyss:
http://aionicthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/aion_abyss_concept_4.jpg
The Abyss is essentially the core in between the two halves of the tower of eternity. It is where higher leveled players go to win fame and glory in PvP, and where lower levels get their butts kicked and fall to their death into a bottomless pit cause they forget to look at their flight timer!
The Abyss is a zone with 3 layers.
Lower half: This part is for lower level characters, and a good spot to grind some levels in!
Middle: The core, this is a rare place to go, and very dangerous, its a huge flaming orb which shoots meteors out from it(if you get hit by one, needless to say, you die!). It is mainly the seat of the Balaur, but in some cases when an Abyss fight begins, it can be flagged for conquering!
Upper half: This is the high level zone, where lvl 40-50s go to hunt eachother and gain some Abyss points before and after an Abyss match!
To explain matches and points:
Abyss Points: The 2nd currency in Aion Online! Essentially it is payment for killing enemy players! You gain Abyss points when you:
Slay enemy players at or higher level than you.
Conquer a fortress
Complete pvp related quests
With Abyss points you can buy the best of the best gear, but it takes ALOT of blood on your hands to even get 1, so go out there and start smacking ass!!
Abyss Matches: Capturing a fort is not random! 3 times a day an Abyss match begins, which is a random selection of 2-3 fortresses which become 'flagged'(I.E marked for available capture!). When this happens, players from both sides flock to the marked forts, attempting to gain control of them! There's an NPC player as well, the Balaur, which can also end up controlling forts! If the Elyos control a fort, The Asmodians would have to assault the fort, and kill the main general inside, to gain control of it from the Elyos!
The more you aid in a fort capture(body counts, destroying portable obelisks etc. the more Abyss points you get once the match ends!
To explain Obelisks:
http://static.na.aiononline.com/powerbook/aion/68/68/814a6a90cf1717871a743fab.jpg
An Asmodian Obelisk
Obelisks is the grave stone of Daeva(players)It works as a storage unit for your soul, and when you die, you will return to this obelisk upon soul release! In some cases you can gain or buy portable obelisks, which you can then place ANYWHERE you want, and bind your soul to it. It will then remain there for you to return to, until an enemy player finds and destroys it, or the set timer on it runs out. This is why you have to be very strategic with where you put your obelisk! A Daeva is only powerful as long as he has a well hidden, well guarded obelisk!
Story:
Note that Atreia is an inside out world! Meaning that instead of living on the outside of the globe, they live on the INSIDE!
A diety named Aion creates the world of Atreia, and created with it, the humans to live on it. In the middle of the world is a massive spire which connects the top and bottom of the world. This tower eminates powerful energies which allows plants to grow, light to flourish, and air to breathe! and he also created a race of lizardlike creatures, which were named the Balaur. he had created the Balaur to watch over this new world, and left the immortal plane to do as it pleased. However, the Balaur soon realized that they had been left with superior power, and quickly wanted more. 5 Balaurs rose to command the rest, and took on the title of the Dragon Kings. The Dragon Kings demanded that Aion give them more power, power enough to rival his own. When he refused, the Balaur revolted, and waged war on Aion and the humans, their first objective, was to destroy that which held everything together, the Tower of Eternity. With Aion being forced to take up arms, he created the 12 Empyrean Lords, blessed with divine power to protect the humans and the tower of eternity!
As time past, humans began to ascend, and became known as Daevas! Daevas are divine soldiers, blessed with self propelled flight, immense power, and forever immortal life, necersarry blessings in order to fight the relentless balaur! Since Daevas are immortal, it did not take long for a massive army of ascended humans to be mustered! The 12 Empyrean Lords became Brigadier Generals, and commanded the vast army of Daevas to battle the Balaur, and protect the tower at all costs!
However, the fighting was turning in the Balaurs favor! The Daevas were slain faster than they could return to the battlefield, and soon all that was left of the human plain was a small area at the base of the tower of eternity, protected by a magical barrier that only daevas and humans could pass through. The Balaur banged on the barrier relentlessly, but couldnt manage to get through...yet. It would only be a matter of time before the Daeva sorcerers could no longer hold back the onslaught!
However, one of the Empyrean Lords, Siel, managed to get the idea of peace into the mind of the Balaur, and a Balaur Dragon King entered with a following of Balaur soldiers. They had a discussion of peace in the tower, and things were going well. The Daeva were gaining the Balaurs favor!
However, fate has it that an unknown assailant attacked one of the Dragon Kings escorts. The Dragon King flew into a rage, and commanded all Balaurs to resume the attack. The few Balaur that had followed him through the barrier went on a rampage, killing anyone in their path. In the chaos, no one could muster the control to keep the barrier up, and the barrier broke. Balaur swarmed the tower, and managed to destroy it, snapping the entire world of Atreia in half!
Siel and Israphel commanded that 6 Empyrean Lords remained on the bottom half of the planet to attempt to fix the tower, while the other 6 left for the upper half through a portal to keep it in one place there. Sadly, however, even their combined forces were not enough to hold the tower together. Siel and Israphel decided to give their own lives in 1 massive spell, which banished all Balaurs to the Abyss, and created a powerful divine liquid called Aether. This Aether is blessed by Aion, and is the blood of Atreia, its magical properties holding the world from drifting apart into space, and dieing in the cold darkness.
http://www.spooncraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/atreia.jpg
Atreia after the Great Sundering
Now, there was no connection between the two worlds, and the power of the tower was gone, leaving the upper half of the world in eternal darkness, while the bottom was forever bathed in brilliant sunlight!
http://www.spooncraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/elyos-draconic-leather-female.jpg
A female Elyos
The 6 Empyrean Lords who were left on the eluminated bottom half became known as the Seraphim Lords, rulers of Elysea, and the human and Daevas who remained there with them become the Elyos, the Eluminated ones.
http://www.deviantart.com/download/126985839/AION_Asmodian_wallpaper_by_K0t0ri.jpg
A female Asmodian
And on the cold, darkness envelopped upper half, the 6 Empyrean Lords there became known as the Shedim Lords, rulers of Asmodae, and the humans and Daevas left there with them became known as the Asmodians, the dark ones!
Due to the powerful sunlight on Elysea, the Elyos became beautiful, tanned, smooth skinned humans, a beautiful sight to the eye.
While due to the eternal darkness on Asmodae, the Asmodians became twisted, husks of themselves. Their eyes adjusted to the darkness, enabling them to see. Their skin turned a sickly pale, or even blue or purple, and they developped claws on hands and feet, to better survive in the dead land, allowing them to hunt and eat more efficiently. They also grew a thick mane on their backs, helping them keep warm in the cold darkness!
Over the course of hundreds of years, the Elyos and Asmodians were unaware of the others' existence, thinking that they had perished. But something was about to change the world forever!
A rift between the two halves of the tower had appeared, and from that rift, Aether was bleeding like blood from a wound! The rift apparently created sub rifts all over the world, and the first appeared on Elysea! A group of Elyos entered the rift to investigate, and found themselves in a dark, cold land, with a glorious glowing sphere above them.
They were in Asmodae! And as soon as they discovered this, a group of Asmodians slaughtered them, leaving only the commander to return to talk about the Asmodians.
Later on several rifts appeared in key locations in both worlds, and they led to the Abyss, a plane where time and space are warped, with rocks floating in mid air! This land is now the homeland of the Balaur, and it is where the main part of the war between the daeva of atreia take place!
Phew, that was a long story to write :-/ glad thats over with! Okay, now to the characters!
Characters:
There are 4 types of starting classes, which are:
Warriors: Warriors are the standard melee unit best equipped with a sword and a shield, and wear chain armor. They have few abilities, and do have some issues with HP(Health Points) while leveling up. They rely on Parry and Blocking to avoid damage, but unlike evasion and spells, Parry and Block only take some of the damage away, though a large chunk of it! Warriors, at level 10, ascend(Upgrade, if you will), into Gladiators, or Templars, which I will explain further down. This is the most straight forward class, since it is not that important to move while in combat, and widely considered the best choice for 'true' starters(I.E never played an MMO before). They deal mediocre damage.
Mage: Mages are the standard magic unit, best equipped with a spell book, and wear cloth armor. They have a few abilities, and do have some issues with staying alive while leveling up. They rely on distance from their enemy, and magic protective spells to avoid damage, and, if used properly, are the most effecient defenses in the game. Mages, at level 10, ascend into Sorcerers, or Spiritmasters, which I will explain further down. This is, argueably, the class most difficult to master, as it combines movement with what spells to use at what time. I advice those who want a challenge from the start to try out mages, as the reward at later levels is that you're argueably among some of the most powerful classes. They deal high damage.
Scout: Scouts are the standard stealth/suprise attack unit, best equipped with 2 swords, 2 daggers, or a mix of both(I.E Dual wielding, 2 weapons at once). They have few abilities, and do have some issues with HP. They rely on evasion, and stuns(tempoarily immobilizing their opponent). Scouts also rely greatly on movement while in combat. I will explain why further down. Scouts, at level 10, ascend into Assassins, or Rangers, which I will explain further down. This class is, like mages, a challenge, but you're rewarded at later levels with being quite powerful. They are the only class that get the ability to hide, which means turn completely invisible, though for a limited period of time(30-50 seconds). They deal low damage, but very quickly, which could make them fall under the high damage category.
Priest: Priests are the standard healing unit, best equipped with a mace. They have more abilities then the other 3, but most of those abilities are healing spells, meant to increase your own, or your allies' health. They rely on their healing spells to stay alive, and if played correctly can be not only incredibly entertaining, but also very giving and rewarded(Everyone loves a good healer!). Their damage comes from some melee, but mostly magic spells, but lack alittle in magic accuracy, which could argueably make their melee attacks more powerful on the shere basis of chance to hit. Priests, at level 10, ascend into Clerics, or Chanters, which I will explain further down. This class is pretty balanced in its difficulty to master, and is a good choice for those who want a basic and difficult but not too difficult start to the game. They deal mediocre damage, but their spells are nice little power bursts. Above average in my opinion.
That's the basic starting classes covered, now lets move on to the advanced classes(level 10 and up)(ALSO, NOTE that at level 10, you will gain your own personal wings, and be allowed to fly wherever you wish, though only in areas that allow continuous flight. HOWEVER, you are allowed to glide whenever you want, where ever you want! Press space bar to glide. Press page up, to fly continuously, press page down to sieze flight...yes, you CAN die from falling, and quite easily! You start out with 1 minute of total flight time before your wings disappear and, if you're unlucky, you fall to your death. As you gain levels, you'll gain access to gear, and other ways, to increase your flight time!)
Each of the 4 starting classes will ascend and be able to choose themselves which path to choose to specialize their abilities. 2 choices per starting class. The choices are:
/Warrior\
http://static.na.aiononline.com/powerbook/aion/91/24/000e01c9f29fdf77923f6568.jpg
Gladiator(Glad): Gladiator is the main melee damage unit. They are best equipped with 2 handed weapons(1 weapon, held with both arms). Pole Arms, or Greatswords are a favored choice amongst most Gladiators, though pole arms take the cake as the best choice. They rely on their shere strength, and HP pool(amount of Health points), to beat their enemy with their endurance, and ability to deal damage. They're very good in groups for their ability to take care of themselves for much longer, giving healers time to keep them alive. Very good in PvP, though since they need to be close to their target, ranged classes have a small edge over them.
http://cdn1.iconfinder.com/data/icons/water_gaming_pack/256/aion_templar.png
Templar(Temp): Templars are the main tank class. As explained above, that means they're the best class at taking damage, and still staying on their feet. Templars are in the front of any group, and their main role is to keep their allies safe from harm. They are best equipped with a sword and a shield, to maximize their defenses. They have the highest HP count in the game, but have low damage. Templars are argueably the weakest PvP class, though if they gain good equipment at level 50, they are able to compete with the other classes alittle more efficiently, though other classes still have an edge. A templar is only as strong and resilient, as the healer behind him!
/Mage\
http://www.epictoon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/aion_sorcerer.jpg
Sorcerer(Sorc): Sorcerers are the main 'wizard' class, and deal the highest numbers of damage in the game. They do however, have the lowest HP, and defense, which makes them VERY vulnerable to attacks. They rely on the distance they can keep between them and their enemy, and their protective spells(Magic shields)to keep them alive. A sorcerer is the main CC(Crowd Controller), in a group, and their role is to keep additional creatures immobilized, so the tank only needs to worry about 1-2 creatures at a time. A good sorcerer is always ontop of their CC abilities, and will always keep a eye on their CC'd creatures themselves. A sorcerer that can't keep track on their CC, is doomed to fail in a group. Sorcerers are argueably the 2nd most powerful PvP class, due to their ability to destroy an opponent incredibly quickly with the most devastatingly powerful abilities in the game. An unseen sorcerer is a bear trap on legs, it'll move under your foot for you if it has to. Other classes beware! Look over your shoulders for enemy sorcs!
http://images.mmosite.com/news/2009/10/19/aion/aion_spiritmaster.jpg
Spiritmaster(SM): Spiritmasters are the main...well they're not really the MAIN of anything. They fall under the wizard category, though they have some tricks up their sleeve! Spiritmasters rely on their 'pet' an elemental companion which acts as a bodyguard for the spiritmaster. They have a slightly easier time leveling up then others since they have a completely loyal, remote controlled tank at all times, a creature which can take the damage for them, while they do their thing with their slightly less powerful then Sorcs, but still very much powerful spells. Spiritmasters have what is considered the most annoying CC in the game when it comes to PvP, FEAR(DUN DUN DUN DUNNNN!). Fear is an ability which turns the opponent into a purple elemental creature which runs around aimlessly. It is basically a very degrading CC ability =P It is also the most powerful CC, since it is the only CC ability which will keep going even while taking damage! Spiritmasters are potentially powerful foes, and should be nonetheless feared, as they add the aspect of confusion to a fight...attack their pet, or them? Good question!
/Scout\
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIIjhehRcBE/TNjBgtEGHGI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/l9jGuIR1L_o/s1600/709px-Aion-asmodian-assassin.jpg
Assassin(Sin): Assassins are the main melee stealth unit! And the most annoying PvP class in the game! They are masters at stealth and hiding, and are widely known to house the games most patient players. An Assassin with patience, is even more dangerous then a skilled sorcerer, since its always paramount to be able to SEE your enemy. An assassin waits for the perfect moment, and once their enemy has let their guard down, they strike, ferociously, in quick sequences, mixed with stuns, which leaves they enemy completely immobilized. A skilled assassin who knows their game, can take out an enemy player much higher level then themselves, without breaking a sweat, and without losing a single point of HP(IF they can remain undetected). Due to their lower HP then say gladiators, an Assassin is a sitting duck when not in stealth, and an easy target if the tables get turned and THEY'RE the target getting jumped from behind. They also use poisons to make their attacks even more powerful. Assassins are most powerful when striking from behind!!!
http://www.spooncraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/asmodian-ranger.jpg
Ranger(Rang/RNG, or simply ranger): Rangers are the archers of Aion, and the only class truely skilled with a bow(Gather up Legolas fans!). They are also argueably the #1 most powerful PvP class in the game, since they can fire silencing arrows(Make Sorcs, SMs, chanters, and Clerics unable to cast spells tempoarily), sleep arrows(CC), stun arrows(CC), snare arrows(CC, slows down your movement speed)and very high damage attacks, all in very rapid sequences. An unseen ranger can overwhelm an enemy with the rain of arrows comming down on them, with a silence, stun, snare, and sleep arrow mixed into the volley. They're also valued in Groups since they can do quite decent damage very quickly, and unlike assassins, don't need to be in melee range!
/Priest\
http://theaionwiki.com/images/thumb/0/03/Aion-asmodian-cleric.jpg/709px-Aion-asmodian-cleric.jpg
Cleric(Cler): Cleric is the only true healing class in the game, with the most powerful healing spells in the game. They rely, like priests, on their healing spells to stay alive, and a powerful cleric can potential heal themselves as quickly as their opponent deals damage to them, which could then mean the fight can last for as long as their mana pool allows...add mana potions, and their averagely powerful magic spells to the pot, and they could potentially burn down their enemy, while they pointlessly try their best to them. Clerics are, next to tank, the most valued member of a group, since no group will get very far without someone to heal them.
http://fantasyartdesign.com/free-wallpapers/imgs/mid/aion-chanter_wide-m.jpg
Chanter(Chant): Chanter is the most diverse of all the classes. They even have a class motto, which 75% of the 16 chanters I've met, knew about.
"I'm Jack of all, Ace of none"
Chanters can do anything...Since they can wield a shield and a mace, they can tank, though not as effectively as a templar.
Chanters can heal, since they have healing spells that are averagely powerful, though not as powerful, nor as many of them, as a cleric.
Chanters can DPS, and to do so, they need staves. Chanters use staves to DPS, think the purple masked Ninja Turtle =PPP. They have decent melee DPS, as well as a few Magic spells which deal sufficient damage to be considered DPS, however not nearly as much as a ranger, gladiator, and not even REMOTELY close to the Master of DPS, Sorcs.
Chanters are capable of doing anything, but as the motto indicates, they can do it, but not as effeciently...Chanters are very good at being a substitute if DPS, healer, or Tank is not available!
Now to the ratings:
Storyline: 8/10 The storyline is solid and well structured, and have little or no holes in it! Everything is well explained, and makes perfect sense. They storyline is deffinately a strong point!
Graphics: 10/10 Absolutely amazing graphics. Top notch, state of the art! Top score on this one!
Gameplay/character balance: 2/10: Horrible. With the extreme neccesity for grinding in EVERY aspect of the game, as well as the horrible balance in pvp between the characters, this game has an unusually low score on gameplay! I consider gameplay the most important aspect in a game. If playing the game isn't fun, then why do you play? Brutal, but righteous I am.
Customer Service: 4/10: mediocre, but quite poor. If you have an issue you'll get little or no help, and maybe you're lucky and you get the occasional nice guy who'd help spoonfeed you your cereal every morning, but those are few and far in between. Customer Service is terrible, you're better off doing it yourself.
Gaming Experience: 3/10 - 8/10: Not so good, but in the right circumstance? AWESOME! The main reason for the low score is the abundance of people trying to phish your account info to hack your account, both by Email, and in the game, even on the forums! The people you play with are of course a wild card, and might actually make the game VERY fun to play, hense the possible high score! Gaming experience is a difficult one here, and you'll just have to play and find out yourself. For me, it was poor, since I was affiliated with some pretty pathetic kids fancying themselves as pro gamers cause they can kick level 20s' asses as a level 50. No wonder I only lasted 5 months huh?
Overall score:
5/10
There is ALOT to be desired, the simply no one cared to fix. The yet unspoken fact that the Asmodian sides quests and areas were unfinished upon game release due to fan pressure on NCsoft is another one! The Asmodian side is an unfinished side, giving the Elyos an unfair edge in almost every fight! The Elyos paths are easy to follow and simple, the Asmodians are wild, rugged, and difficult to maneuver around in!
The game is fun, and probably perfect for some, but atleast in my opinion, the game is utter crap, and I left the game no regrets, and never looked back.
If you REALLY wanna play an MMORPG, I go with the cliche, and say go try WoW, it is simply better in every aspect(except for awesome graphics and self propelled flight of course).
But if you REALLY want your own opinion? Give it a shot! But if you don't like it, save yourself some agonizing grinds for no purpose. Just put the game back on the shelf and go find something else!
8)8)8)8)8)8)8)8)8)8)8)8)
Saph here, who brought you the painfully brief review of Amnesia: The Dark Descent! And today, we're gonna talk about a game that was thought to be the next WoW, but failed to get up there!
I am talking about....
http://www.gamershotlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Aion-PC-Cover.jpg
Aion Online is an MMORPG created by NCsoft, who also gave us the Lineage series! It is a game that takes some getting used to, as it uses very unique controls, buffs, and combat UIs. The most unique, is the aerial combat, where you can be attacked from any direction, back, front, left right, UP and DOWN!
http://images.mmosite.com/photo/2007/12/05/aion04LKF4N14767.jpg
This is nothing compared to most of the game. This is actually low setting as far as I know!
When you first begin playing, the first thing you notice, is the splendid graphics! The graphics are absolutely amazing, and makes your eyes sparkle like a cheesy japanese anime series! Given the ability to fly through some, but not all, of this splendid looking world adds to the thrill! And to add to the awesomeness. It takes very little computer power to run the graphics. Lag is VERY rare in Aion, which makes it a great game to play if your computer is on the slow side!
The graphics are indeed amazing, but the sound is not exactly something to cheer for. The sound is very looped and the same noises are used on multiple occasions! The sound of an assassins attack is the exact same as that of a ranger shooting an arrow. That is just not right.
The game play is quite unique with movement buffs. Yeah, movement buffs. They work like this:
For movement buffs to work you need to be combat ready and have your weapon drawn!
When you move forward: forwards motion puts you into offense. Your defense is decreased but your attacks are greatly improved in damage! Key for assassins and gladiators!
When you move backward: backwards motion puts you into defense. Your defense is increased but your attacks are greatly diminished in damage! Key for templars!
When you strafe left/right: sideways motion puts you into evasion. Your defense and offense are ever so slightly diminished, but your chance of evading damage all together is increased 10 fold. This is VERY useful for scouts and assassins!
And of course there's flight!
http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae161/Lollerscates/Aion0055.jpg
My level 42 Asmodian Sorcerer, Sahirra, flying through a tunnel in the Abyss
Flight is a key feature in Aion, since your wings is what marks your personality!(well...when you're high enough level and rich enough, they are!), and also marks you as being an immortal daeva!
Wings come in many variations, but the standard are black feather wings for asmodians, and white for Elyos. As you increase your level, you can gain either by buying, claiming with a code, or gaining from combat prowess, a new set of wings which are much more majestic, and give additional flight related buffs, such as flight speed, or increased flight time!
Oh yeah, flight has a limit to it, lame as that is for a game where flight is essential in almost every situation! The starting point is 1 minute, and as you gain new wings and new gear, you can increase that 1 minute to a whole lot more! Just make sure you're not too high up when your minute runs out, or you'll fall to your death.>:D
Aion is very PvP based, meaning that little dungeonering is done. And this is where my praise for Aion Online ends. Aion Online is based HIGHLY on PvP. You get most of your good gear and the most reputation as a gamer from PvP. PvE is almost none existant except for the occasional dungeon to get some gear early on. After you reach the top level, you are pretty much too high for all dungeons, and only PvP in the Abyss remains. Which would be awesome if the PvP in Aion wasn't so crappy and poorly structured.
For example...Your good old Legolas class, the Ranger, is the most powerful PvP class in the game, only sorcerers truely stand a 1v1 chance against them. A level 28 ranger can easily kick the snot out of a level 35 assassin.
And Templars? Templars are tanks, thats it. Their use almost fades completely after they reach level 50. They have almost no PvP based abilities, and fare VERY well in PvE, but in PvP they lack the attributes to be successful. Sure they have a ton of health and armor and take forever to kill, but the sad fact is that ANY templar will eventually die if put into a kite match(meaning a ranged player running in circles around the templar slowing him down and damaging him until the slow wears off, then running from him until his slowing effect is ready again). This means that very few people choose templars as their character, which then in turn means that everyone else cant get into the dungeons that are so important for leveling! Which means everyone must grind. Grind...Grind...GRIND!
GRIND!!!
The BANE of MMORPGs!
Grinding is a HUUUUGE must in Aion. EVERYTHING depends on grinding. To level, to get gear, to get money. EVERYTHING! It is even pondered if NCsoft has a deal with Kinah(money, gold) sellers, which goes as follows:
For example, there's a VERY beautiful set of clothing in the game, with NO buffs, NO combat benefit at all, it just looks cool. It costs 11 million Kinah(I only ever owned 4 million at the very most, and that was after 3 months of continuous grinding). NCsoft makes it hard to get the good stuff. Gold Sellers make bank on lazy people who want the good stuff NOW, and NCsoft gets a cut of the profits. A solid scam for everyone to win from, except the players, who get their accounts stolen and NCsoft turns a blind eye. It's obvious to most, and NCsoft has been lieing on multiple occasions about people getting banned when they start being too out spoken of it. But if you keep your head down and just do your own thing, you're okay in everyones book.
The game is decent, and it is fun, but once you put alot of time into it and realize how straight forward it is, it loses its flare as an MMORPG. When it first came out, it had a HUGE hype, but as people started playing, reached the top level, grinded for MONTHS only to waste it all on 1 good gear piece, and then having to do it all over again, then buying Kinah, then getting banned for doing so. Many people left the game in FLOCKS when this was realized, and today very few people remain in the game.
I remained in the game for 5 months, and managed to collect 5 million Kinah and level 42 before I stopped, my characters name is Sahirra on Siel.
But for the gamer who likes an easy, uninterrupted, and straight forward MMORPG where the goal is set and your track is laid out? Then Aion is deffinately a no brainer!:)
A little more info on PvP:
There're 2 kinds of PvP in Aion Online.
There's Rifting, and there's the Abyss.
Rifting:
http://images.mmosite.com/aion/rift/rift.jpg
Rifting is the initial PvP action, designed to hone a newbies skills and teach them to get around on their own. Rifts reappear and disappear constantly, which is an irritating detail, but I guess it adds some difficulty to an already easy Grind n' Win game. Once a player has discovered a rift in an area, going through the rift will transport say an Elyos to the Asmodian version of the area he just came from(all areas in both worlds have similarities, some are for newbies, some for advanced, and in between. If you use a rift in a lvl 20 zone, you'll be transported to the opposite sides lvl 20 zone and so on). One there, an Elyos is on his own, unless he brought a party with him! They can now roam the Asmodian world and kill anyone they see! If they die however, they'll be returned to their own lands at once, leaving them with the options of doing something else, or finding a new rift if the old one has vanished. Each rift only lasts for 1 hour!
Rifting can be tricky, but those that get the hang of it commonly become twinks. They stop leveling their characters, and remain at say level 39, the max level of the mediocre zone! They get the best gear they can for their level range, and do NOTHING with that specific character but rifting in their level designated zone! There're reports of level 39 twinks kicking the ass of freshly leveled 50s, so you can see how difficult it is to keep twinks at bay! Rifting is fun, but a hard hobby to maintain. A better choice is to simply bite the bullet and go level to the 50s, where the true PvP begins.
Abyss:
http://aionicthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/aion_abyss_concept_4.jpg
The Abyss is essentially the core in between the two halves of the tower of eternity. It is where higher leveled players go to win fame and glory in PvP, and where lower levels get their butts kicked and fall to their death into a bottomless pit cause they forget to look at their flight timer!
The Abyss is a zone with 3 layers.
Lower half: This part is for lower level characters, and a good spot to grind some levels in!
Middle: The core, this is a rare place to go, and very dangerous, its a huge flaming orb which shoots meteors out from it(if you get hit by one, needless to say, you die!). It is mainly the seat of the Balaur, but in some cases when an Abyss fight begins, it can be flagged for conquering!
Upper half: This is the high level zone, where lvl 40-50s go to hunt eachother and gain some Abyss points before and after an Abyss match!
To explain matches and points:
Abyss Points: The 2nd currency in Aion Online! Essentially it is payment for killing enemy players! You gain Abyss points when you:
Slay enemy players at or higher level than you.
Conquer a fortress
Complete pvp related quests
With Abyss points you can buy the best of the best gear, but it takes ALOT of blood on your hands to even get 1, so go out there and start smacking ass!!
Abyss Matches: Capturing a fort is not random! 3 times a day an Abyss match begins, which is a random selection of 2-3 fortresses which become 'flagged'(I.E marked for available capture!). When this happens, players from both sides flock to the marked forts, attempting to gain control of them! There's an NPC player as well, the Balaur, which can also end up controlling forts! If the Elyos control a fort, The Asmodians would have to assault the fort, and kill the main general inside, to gain control of it from the Elyos!
The more you aid in a fort capture(body counts, destroying portable obelisks etc. the more Abyss points you get once the match ends!
To explain Obelisks:
http://static.na.aiononline.com/powerbook/aion/68/68/814a6a90cf1717871a743fab.jpg
An Asmodian Obelisk
Obelisks is the grave stone of Daeva(players)It works as a storage unit for your soul, and when you die, you will return to this obelisk upon soul release! In some cases you can gain or buy portable obelisks, which you can then place ANYWHERE you want, and bind your soul to it. It will then remain there for you to return to, until an enemy player finds and destroys it, or the set timer on it runs out. This is why you have to be very strategic with where you put your obelisk! A Daeva is only powerful as long as he has a well hidden, well guarded obelisk!
Story:
Note that Atreia is an inside out world! Meaning that instead of living on the outside of the globe, they live on the INSIDE!
A diety named Aion creates the world of Atreia, and created with it, the humans to live on it. In the middle of the world is a massive spire which connects the top and bottom of the world. This tower eminates powerful energies which allows plants to grow, light to flourish, and air to breathe! and he also created a race of lizardlike creatures, which were named the Balaur. he had created the Balaur to watch over this new world, and left the immortal plane to do as it pleased. However, the Balaur soon realized that they had been left with superior power, and quickly wanted more. 5 Balaurs rose to command the rest, and took on the title of the Dragon Kings. The Dragon Kings demanded that Aion give them more power, power enough to rival his own. When he refused, the Balaur revolted, and waged war on Aion and the humans, their first objective, was to destroy that which held everything together, the Tower of Eternity. With Aion being forced to take up arms, he created the 12 Empyrean Lords, blessed with divine power to protect the humans and the tower of eternity!
As time past, humans began to ascend, and became known as Daevas! Daevas are divine soldiers, blessed with self propelled flight, immense power, and forever immortal life, necersarry blessings in order to fight the relentless balaur! Since Daevas are immortal, it did not take long for a massive army of ascended humans to be mustered! The 12 Empyrean Lords became Brigadier Generals, and commanded the vast army of Daevas to battle the Balaur, and protect the tower at all costs!
However, the fighting was turning in the Balaurs favor! The Daevas were slain faster than they could return to the battlefield, and soon all that was left of the human plain was a small area at the base of the tower of eternity, protected by a magical barrier that only daevas and humans could pass through. The Balaur banged on the barrier relentlessly, but couldnt manage to get through...yet. It would only be a matter of time before the Daeva sorcerers could no longer hold back the onslaught!
However, one of the Empyrean Lords, Siel, managed to get the idea of peace into the mind of the Balaur, and a Balaur Dragon King entered with a following of Balaur soldiers. They had a discussion of peace in the tower, and things were going well. The Daeva were gaining the Balaurs favor!
However, fate has it that an unknown assailant attacked one of the Dragon Kings escorts. The Dragon King flew into a rage, and commanded all Balaurs to resume the attack. The few Balaur that had followed him through the barrier went on a rampage, killing anyone in their path. In the chaos, no one could muster the control to keep the barrier up, and the barrier broke. Balaur swarmed the tower, and managed to destroy it, snapping the entire world of Atreia in half!
Siel and Israphel commanded that 6 Empyrean Lords remained on the bottom half of the planet to attempt to fix the tower, while the other 6 left for the upper half through a portal to keep it in one place there. Sadly, however, even their combined forces were not enough to hold the tower together. Siel and Israphel decided to give their own lives in 1 massive spell, which banished all Balaurs to the Abyss, and created a powerful divine liquid called Aether. This Aether is blessed by Aion, and is the blood of Atreia, its magical properties holding the world from drifting apart into space, and dieing in the cold darkness.
http://www.spooncraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/atreia.jpg
Atreia after the Great Sundering
Now, there was no connection between the two worlds, and the power of the tower was gone, leaving the upper half of the world in eternal darkness, while the bottom was forever bathed in brilliant sunlight!
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A female Elyos
The 6 Empyrean Lords who were left on the eluminated bottom half became known as the Seraphim Lords, rulers of Elysea, and the human and Daevas who remained there with them become the Elyos, the Eluminated ones.
http://www.deviantart.com/download/126985839/AION_Asmodian_wallpaper_by_K0t0ri.jpg
A female Asmodian
And on the cold, darkness envelopped upper half, the 6 Empyrean Lords there became known as the Shedim Lords, rulers of Asmodae, and the humans and Daevas left there with them became known as the Asmodians, the dark ones!
Due to the powerful sunlight on Elysea, the Elyos became beautiful, tanned, smooth skinned humans, a beautiful sight to the eye.
While due to the eternal darkness on Asmodae, the Asmodians became twisted, husks of themselves. Their eyes adjusted to the darkness, enabling them to see. Their skin turned a sickly pale, or even blue or purple, and they developped claws on hands and feet, to better survive in the dead land, allowing them to hunt and eat more efficiently. They also grew a thick mane on their backs, helping them keep warm in the cold darkness!
Over the course of hundreds of years, the Elyos and Asmodians were unaware of the others' existence, thinking that they had perished. But something was about to change the world forever!
A rift between the two halves of the tower had appeared, and from that rift, Aether was bleeding like blood from a wound! The rift apparently created sub rifts all over the world, and the first appeared on Elysea! A group of Elyos entered the rift to investigate, and found themselves in a dark, cold land, with a glorious glowing sphere above them.
They were in Asmodae! And as soon as they discovered this, a group of Asmodians slaughtered them, leaving only the commander to return to talk about the Asmodians.
Later on several rifts appeared in key locations in both worlds, and they led to the Abyss, a plane where time and space are warped, with rocks floating in mid air! This land is now the homeland of the Balaur, and it is where the main part of the war between the daeva of atreia take place!
Phew, that was a long story to write :-/ glad thats over with! Okay, now to the characters!
Characters:
There are 4 types of starting classes, which are:
Warriors: Warriors are the standard melee unit best equipped with a sword and a shield, and wear chain armor. They have few abilities, and do have some issues with HP(Health Points) while leveling up. They rely on Parry and Blocking to avoid damage, but unlike evasion and spells, Parry and Block only take some of the damage away, though a large chunk of it! Warriors, at level 10, ascend(Upgrade, if you will), into Gladiators, or Templars, which I will explain further down. This is the most straight forward class, since it is not that important to move while in combat, and widely considered the best choice for 'true' starters(I.E never played an MMO before). They deal mediocre damage.
Mage: Mages are the standard magic unit, best equipped with a spell book, and wear cloth armor. They have a few abilities, and do have some issues with staying alive while leveling up. They rely on distance from their enemy, and magic protective spells to avoid damage, and, if used properly, are the most effecient defenses in the game. Mages, at level 10, ascend into Sorcerers, or Spiritmasters, which I will explain further down. This is, argueably, the class most difficult to master, as it combines movement with what spells to use at what time. I advice those who want a challenge from the start to try out mages, as the reward at later levels is that you're argueably among some of the most powerful classes. They deal high damage.
Scout: Scouts are the standard stealth/suprise attack unit, best equipped with 2 swords, 2 daggers, or a mix of both(I.E Dual wielding, 2 weapons at once). They have few abilities, and do have some issues with HP. They rely on evasion, and stuns(tempoarily immobilizing their opponent). Scouts also rely greatly on movement while in combat. I will explain why further down. Scouts, at level 10, ascend into Assassins, or Rangers, which I will explain further down. This class is, like mages, a challenge, but you're rewarded at later levels with being quite powerful. They are the only class that get the ability to hide, which means turn completely invisible, though for a limited period of time(30-50 seconds). They deal low damage, but very quickly, which could make them fall under the high damage category.
Priest: Priests are the standard healing unit, best equipped with a mace. They have more abilities then the other 3, but most of those abilities are healing spells, meant to increase your own, or your allies' health. They rely on their healing spells to stay alive, and if played correctly can be not only incredibly entertaining, but also very giving and rewarded(Everyone loves a good healer!). Their damage comes from some melee, but mostly magic spells, but lack alittle in magic accuracy, which could argueably make their melee attacks more powerful on the shere basis of chance to hit. Priests, at level 10, ascend into Clerics, or Chanters, which I will explain further down. This class is pretty balanced in its difficulty to master, and is a good choice for those who want a basic and difficult but not too difficult start to the game. They deal mediocre damage, but their spells are nice little power bursts. Above average in my opinion.
That's the basic starting classes covered, now lets move on to the advanced classes(level 10 and up)(ALSO, NOTE that at level 10, you will gain your own personal wings, and be allowed to fly wherever you wish, though only in areas that allow continuous flight. HOWEVER, you are allowed to glide whenever you want, where ever you want! Press space bar to glide. Press page up, to fly continuously, press page down to sieze flight...yes, you CAN die from falling, and quite easily! You start out with 1 minute of total flight time before your wings disappear and, if you're unlucky, you fall to your death. As you gain levels, you'll gain access to gear, and other ways, to increase your flight time!)
Each of the 4 starting classes will ascend and be able to choose themselves which path to choose to specialize their abilities. 2 choices per starting class. The choices are:
/Warrior\
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Gladiator(Glad): Gladiator is the main melee damage unit. They are best equipped with 2 handed weapons(1 weapon, held with both arms). Pole Arms, or Greatswords are a favored choice amongst most Gladiators, though pole arms take the cake as the best choice. They rely on their shere strength, and HP pool(amount of Health points), to beat their enemy with their endurance, and ability to deal damage. They're very good in groups for their ability to take care of themselves for much longer, giving healers time to keep them alive. Very good in PvP, though since they need to be close to their target, ranged classes have a small edge over them.
http://cdn1.iconfinder.com/data/icons/water_gaming_pack/256/aion_templar.png
Templar(Temp): Templars are the main tank class. As explained above, that means they're the best class at taking damage, and still staying on their feet. Templars are in the front of any group, and their main role is to keep their allies safe from harm. They are best equipped with a sword and a shield, to maximize their defenses. They have the highest HP count in the game, but have low damage. Templars are argueably the weakest PvP class, though if they gain good equipment at level 50, they are able to compete with the other classes alittle more efficiently, though other classes still have an edge. A templar is only as strong and resilient, as the healer behind him!
/Mage\
http://www.epictoon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/aion_sorcerer.jpg
Sorcerer(Sorc): Sorcerers are the main 'wizard' class, and deal the highest numbers of damage in the game. They do however, have the lowest HP, and defense, which makes them VERY vulnerable to attacks. They rely on the distance they can keep between them and their enemy, and their protective spells(Magic shields)to keep them alive. A sorcerer is the main CC(Crowd Controller), in a group, and their role is to keep additional creatures immobilized, so the tank only needs to worry about 1-2 creatures at a time. A good sorcerer is always ontop of their CC abilities, and will always keep a eye on their CC'd creatures themselves. A sorcerer that can't keep track on their CC, is doomed to fail in a group. Sorcerers are argueably the 2nd most powerful PvP class, due to their ability to destroy an opponent incredibly quickly with the most devastatingly powerful abilities in the game. An unseen sorcerer is a bear trap on legs, it'll move under your foot for you if it has to. Other classes beware! Look over your shoulders for enemy sorcs!
http://images.mmosite.com/news/2009/10/19/aion/aion_spiritmaster.jpg
Spiritmaster(SM): Spiritmasters are the main...well they're not really the MAIN of anything. They fall under the wizard category, though they have some tricks up their sleeve! Spiritmasters rely on their 'pet' an elemental companion which acts as a bodyguard for the spiritmaster. They have a slightly easier time leveling up then others since they have a completely loyal, remote controlled tank at all times, a creature which can take the damage for them, while they do their thing with their slightly less powerful then Sorcs, but still very much powerful spells. Spiritmasters have what is considered the most annoying CC in the game when it comes to PvP, FEAR(DUN DUN DUN DUNNNN!). Fear is an ability which turns the opponent into a purple elemental creature which runs around aimlessly. It is basically a very degrading CC ability =P It is also the most powerful CC, since it is the only CC ability which will keep going even while taking damage! Spiritmasters are potentially powerful foes, and should be nonetheless feared, as they add the aspect of confusion to a fight...attack their pet, or them? Good question!
/Scout\
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIIjhehRcBE/TNjBgtEGHGI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/l9jGuIR1L_o/s1600/709px-Aion-asmodian-assassin.jpg
Assassin(Sin): Assassins are the main melee stealth unit! And the most annoying PvP class in the game! They are masters at stealth and hiding, and are widely known to house the games most patient players. An Assassin with patience, is even more dangerous then a skilled sorcerer, since its always paramount to be able to SEE your enemy. An assassin waits for the perfect moment, and once their enemy has let their guard down, they strike, ferociously, in quick sequences, mixed with stuns, which leaves they enemy completely immobilized. A skilled assassin who knows their game, can take out an enemy player much higher level then themselves, without breaking a sweat, and without losing a single point of HP(IF they can remain undetected). Due to their lower HP then say gladiators, an Assassin is a sitting duck when not in stealth, and an easy target if the tables get turned and THEY'RE the target getting jumped from behind. They also use poisons to make their attacks even more powerful. Assassins are most powerful when striking from behind!!!
http://www.spooncraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/asmodian-ranger.jpg
Ranger(Rang/RNG, or simply ranger): Rangers are the archers of Aion, and the only class truely skilled with a bow(Gather up Legolas fans!). They are also argueably the #1 most powerful PvP class in the game, since they can fire silencing arrows(Make Sorcs, SMs, chanters, and Clerics unable to cast spells tempoarily), sleep arrows(CC), stun arrows(CC), snare arrows(CC, slows down your movement speed)and very high damage attacks, all in very rapid sequences. An unseen ranger can overwhelm an enemy with the rain of arrows comming down on them, with a silence, stun, snare, and sleep arrow mixed into the volley. They're also valued in Groups since they can do quite decent damage very quickly, and unlike assassins, don't need to be in melee range!
/Priest\
http://theaionwiki.com/images/thumb/0/03/Aion-asmodian-cleric.jpg/709px-Aion-asmodian-cleric.jpg
Cleric(Cler): Cleric is the only true healing class in the game, with the most powerful healing spells in the game. They rely, like priests, on their healing spells to stay alive, and a powerful cleric can potential heal themselves as quickly as their opponent deals damage to them, which could then mean the fight can last for as long as their mana pool allows...add mana potions, and their averagely powerful magic spells to the pot, and they could potentially burn down their enemy, while they pointlessly try their best to them. Clerics are, next to tank, the most valued member of a group, since no group will get very far without someone to heal them.
http://fantasyartdesign.com/free-wallpapers/imgs/mid/aion-chanter_wide-m.jpg
Chanter(Chant): Chanter is the most diverse of all the classes. They even have a class motto, which 75% of the 16 chanters I've met, knew about.
"I'm Jack of all, Ace of none"
Chanters can do anything...Since they can wield a shield and a mace, they can tank, though not as effectively as a templar.
Chanters can heal, since they have healing spells that are averagely powerful, though not as powerful, nor as many of them, as a cleric.
Chanters can DPS, and to do so, they need staves. Chanters use staves to DPS, think the purple masked Ninja Turtle =PPP. They have decent melee DPS, as well as a few Magic spells which deal sufficient damage to be considered DPS, however not nearly as much as a ranger, gladiator, and not even REMOTELY close to the Master of DPS, Sorcs.
Chanters are capable of doing anything, but as the motto indicates, they can do it, but not as effeciently...Chanters are very good at being a substitute if DPS, healer, or Tank is not available!
Now to the ratings:
Storyline: 8/10 The storyline is solid and well structured, and have little or no holes in it! Everything is well explained, and makes perfect sense. They storyline is deffinately a strong point!
Graphics: 10/10 Absolutely amazing graphics. Top notch, state of the art! Top score on this one!
Gameplay/character balance: 2/10: Horrible. With the extreme neccesity for grinding in EVERY aspect of the game, as well as the horrible balance in pvp between the characters, this game has an unusually low score on gameplay! I consider gameplay the most important aspect in a game. If playing the game isn't fun, then why do you play? Brutal, but righteous I am.
Customer Service: 4/10: mediocre, but quite poor. If you have an issue you'll get little or no help, and maybe you're lucky and you get the occasional nice guy who'd help spoonfeed you your cereal every morning, but those are few and far in between. Customer Service is terrible, you're better off doing it yourself.
Gaming Experience: 3/10 - 8/10: Not so good, but in the right circumstance? AWESOME! The main reason for the low score is the abundance of people trying to phish your account info to hack your account, both by Email, and in the game, even on the forums! The people you play with are of course a wild card, and might actually make the game VERY fun to play, hense the possible high score! Gaming experience is a difficult one here, and you'll just have to play and find out yourself. For me, it was poor, since I was affiliated with some pretty pathetic kids fancying themselves as pro gamers cause they can kick level 20s' asses as a level 50. No wonder I only lasted 5 months huh?
Overall score:
5/10
There is ALOT to be desired, the simply no one cared to fix. The yet unspoken fact that the Asmodian sides quests and areas were unfinished upon game release due to fan pressure on NCsoft is another one! The Asmodian side is an unfinished side, giving the Elyos an unfair edge in almost every fight! The Elyos paths are easy to follow and simple, the Asmodians are wild, rugged, and difficult to maneuver around in!
The game is fun, and probably perfect for some, but atleast in my opinion, the game is utter crap, and I left the game no regrets, and never looked back.
If you REALLY wanna play an MMORPG, I go with the cliche, and say go try WoW, it is simply better in every aspect(except for awesome graphics and self propelled flight of course).
But if you REALLY want your own opinion? Give it a shot! But if you don't like it, save yourself some agonizing grinds for no purpose. Just put the game back on the shelf and go find something else!