Aion and GW

Hi all,

I've seen many videos and read a few articles about Aion, the new NCsoft stunningly beautiful flagship (open beta has started in Korea). In many aspects, Aion struck me by its similarities with GW, just to name a few:

- great "realistic" graphics based on nice artwork
http://eu.aiononline.com/en/conceptart

- nice music http://eu.aiononline.com/en/music

- storyline-driven, with voice cut-scenes and button for locating the goal of a quest

- an "ascension" as in Prophecies (this is when you get your wings)

- very similar classes: Ranger, Assassin, Cleric (monk), chanter (paragon), spiritmaster (ritualist), sorcerer (elementalist), gladiator (warrior), templar (dervish?)

- factions that battle for controlling outposts and territories

- PvEvP à la AB/FA/JQ (the Abyss reminds me of the Mist mentioned in GW)

- skillbar-based gameplay

- second class skills through stones

...and more...

Of course, there are other numerous differences (character customisation, combo chain, crafting, non-instanced world?, likely monthly fee), Aion is its own game and I have no real idea how the gameplay compare. But I'm wondering whether there's something from Anet behind it... (NOTE NOTE NOTE: this is me asking a question, it's in NO WAY a subliminal suggestion that Anet or GW2 are behind Aion, let's not start or propagate rumors...) What do you think?

P.S.: I don't know if I'm having visions, but I've been looking at The Chronicles of Spellborn lately, and I can also find a lot of commonalities...

:O looks quite nice imo

no, it's NC soft behind both games NC soft is making Aion and was part of GW project (publisher i think). Aion has great potential and i'm really looking forward to try it, but it's only coming to Europe in like 6-8months - still before GW2

Guild Wars repackaged for Asia maybe? (Yes there were some Korean pros, but the game seemed a flop outside of that.) Or else the first "GW Clone".

The first Aion screenshots came out just when GW was originally released. Or close to that date anyway. It's been in Beta for agess now. It most certainly has nothing to with GW2. It was around WAY before GW2 was even a glint in the dev's eyes.

It does look very impressive though. And if it weren't pay to play i would definitely give it a go.

Combat is really different from what I saw during Games Convention. Sure, you simply stand in front of the enemy and exchange blows. There was no layer of the game that made you react to what the enemy was doing (i.e. no active blocking). If you got Level +1, then you should win. The main feature of combat was a combo system. The Gladiator had a skill tree and if you clicked on the first skill, then it branched off and you had to choose what to use as secondary attack. That affected your choice of the third attack and so on and so on, deeper into the tree we go.

Different recharge times prevented you from simply executing one combo over and over. It's a great system if you think of bringing an MMO to a console and speak to a more action oriented crowd coming from PSO or even Too Human. It remains to be seen how the PC crowd will respond to that.

Yeah, I was like - woo-hoo!
And then I was like:
And then I was like - girlfriend, no.
So now - I don't follow it anymore.

Same here! I really wish more and more games offered the same type of payment as GW did where you pay for the game and then that's it. Even if they had to throw in an item shop. (which Anet kinda did but it's more unlock packs and character slots than anything)

Well, here's hoping for a private server or something I guess or until then, I'll just stick with Atlantica Online. (Similar graphics to GW but better crafting among other things)

I've been playing the closed Beta on Spellborn and there are really very few similarities. The skilldeck is probably the only thing that is Guild Wars-like at all, and it isn't very GW like. Spellborn is more cartoon like graphics (although they look good), active manual combat (with aiming -- like an FPS), no quest markers (if you want to find the subject of your quest you look for it). It's fun, and I'm enjoying it, but it is nothing like GW.

NCSoft also announced "Blade & Soul" back in late July...nothing to go on but a video, basic description and a shell of a website...Character design is very similar to Aion. I'm hoping that we will see similar quality in character and environmental design in GW2. Looking at Spellborn, I'd say it's more Dungeon Runners meets WoW by the looks of it (actual gameplay, dunno...but the design has similar visual qualities).

I'm pretty big on free-to-play games, so Aion may just have to go on without me. At the same time, I'm not holding my breath for GW2. I've moved on to Requium and Perfect World Int. for the time being...I figure if I'm going to grind, it isn't going to be for a title that may or may not be worthless in a game that may or may not come out in the next 2-3 years. I've got better things to do than farm for titles, like actually PLAY a game for FUN!

Personally, I hope it`s pay-for-play. It will help keep out the riffraff.

I don't mind the riff, but the raff pisses me right off!

Paying a monthly fee is no guarantee of a good game, unfortunately...Aion might change my mind, but then if GW2 is true to the business model and comes out shortly after, I might not be paying for long...if GW2 proves to be worth the wait.

this has been in such long development. GIVE IT TO US ALREADY.

I'm not a fan of the Japanese Animie style that is apparent in Aion.

But if you are into that art style, yeah it looks like it could be fun.

Guys, there is one problem with a GW style payment system: they are limited in what they can go back and fix and when it can be fixed. Why else do you think it has taken them this long to make a single NPC run faster or make the wisdom/treasure hunter titles account based?

No mesmer = QQ.

Although the graphics are nice. It's been over 3 years since GW came out and I've yet to see an MMO with all-around better graphics... (WAR did not deliver)

Because ArenaNet is a small company that discusses about a lot of stuff and likes to think about the effects on the player base/game and has always been split in two with another project (a chapter/expansion/new game)?

You do realize that ArenaNet is financially backed by NCSoft and that their actual profit doesn't hinder them much at all, yes? It's even mentioned on their website! While the profit is indeed important, it isn't something that affects how much they can fix, really.

QFT lol.

12chars

After having read even wikipedia, no the classes don't particularly line up with GW. The spiritmaster for example has much more in common with 'pet' classes like warlocks in typical MMOs. Combat in "neutral zones", controlling a city etc is also done in countless other games (and better than GW). The only thing GW's really done that the WoW clones have not caught on to, is equipping a limited number of skills.

Aion will have to be some thing VERY special to pull me away from EvE and War

but hell, its an NCSoft game, it will get added to my PlayNC account and I have every other anyway

but I believe we maybe getting some GW2info soon anyway, then subscriptions to other games are going to drop massively