Aion (Open Beta, Launch Day Info too!)

[Ghambit]

(sigh)
<trudges to Gamestop for a beta key>

Might as well get this over with now.  Beta servers open tomorrow yes?

[tmp]

Beside the fact I don't think the auto-attack combat turd can be polished anymore

They actually broke the auto-attack thing in a way, it tends to turn off on itself a lot so you basically have to mash it together with other skills to ensure it does its part... i guess it turns it from "auto-attack turd" into a "no manual aiming turd" or smth.

(unsurprisingly a few old time MMO players have voiced their displeasure at such difference in functionality)

[Draegan]

(sigh)
<trudges to Gamestop for a beta key>

Might as well get this over with now.  Beta servers open tomorrow yes?

Closed Beta Schedule and News

The second Aion closed beta event kicks off this weekend Friday, June 19th (12:00 PM PT, 9:00 PM CEST, 8:00 PM BST) and ends Monday, June 22nd (12:00 PM PT, 9:00 PM CEST, 8:00 PM BST).

For this event, enthusiastic testers will focus on the beginning player experience for the Asmodians as well as testing server stability and live launch simulation. Take the time to read the story of your quests, pay close attention to the words of the NPCs sharing their knowledge with you, and explore the first ten levels in the shadowy world of Asmodae during this weekend's exciting beta event.

If you're a part of this weekend's closed beta event, drop by the official beta forums beginning on June 18 to share your reports and experiences.

Thanks to the diligence and reporting from the first closed beta event, this weekend's event also features several updates and changes in the game content:

    - Updated with culturalized content for Asmodian levels 1-10
    - Updated UI at login screen
    - Localization fixes for various in game maps
    - Fixed various NPC messages
    - Initial zone channels increased from 4 to 10
    - Server queue added

Coming Soon!

    - Localized voice overs for cut scenes
    - Localized tutorial videos
    - In game pre-rendered movies
    - More culturalized content for Asmodae
    - Culturalized content for Elyos
    - Community Events

Participants in the closed beta events will also be excited to hear that the NDA has been lifted. Chat, blog, post, and tweet about your experiences in Aion!

Wondering about even more upcoming beta events? Check out the current closed beta schedule below and plan now for your fun-filled summer in Atreia.

Upcoming Closed Beta Events

Closed Beta Event #3 - July 2-July 6
Focus: Asmodian levels 1-20

Closed Beta Event #4 - July 17-July 20
Focus: Elyos and Asmodian levels 1-25

Closed Beta Event #5 - July 31-August 3
Focus: TBD

Closed Beta Event #6 - August 14-August 17
Focus: TBD

As always, stay tuned to the official web site and the Aion team Twitters (@aion_ayase, @aion_amboss, @aion_liv, and @aion_xaen) for more news and your chance to be a part of the closed beta.

They actually broke the auto-attack thing in a way, it tends to turn off on itself a lot so you basically have to mash it together with other skills to ensure it does its part... i guess it turns it from "auto-attack turd" into a "no manual aiming turd" or smth.

(unsurprisingly a few old time MMO players have voiced their displeasure at such difference in functionality)

I think, though I'm not sure, some of the abilities that turn off autoattack on purpose so you don't break an effect or something.  Though I couldn't puzzle it out on my own when I was playing.  I just chaulked it up to NA to China lag when I played.

[tmp]

I think, though I'm not sure, some of the abilities that turn off autoattack on purpose so you don't break an effect or something.  Though I couldn't puzzle it out on my own when I was playing.  I just chaulked it up to NA to China lag when I played.

I thought it's combination of turning it off after certain attacks yup, and also when the auto-attack was attempted while the mob was out of sight and/or out of range. Though the lag was noticeably adding to it, too.

[Segoris]

The auto-attacking really felt random and broken. It may have been some lag, but considering there was almost no lag at all during off-hours of the Chinese OB I really didn't think that is what it was. Although that is the most likely reason seeing I was connecting from NA to China.

It could have been after certain abilities, but even that would need some polishing if that was the intent. I say that because the auto-attack turned off using abilities that would damage and/or stun the target. If it was turning off because of a pacify ability that would be great (even better if able to toggle that option), but it wasn't the case.

Overall, I only had some small complaints with Aion. The auto-attack turning off, having to unsheathe your weapon to cast a spell (resulting in just always keeping my weapons unsheathed), and any turning of character (not taking steps, just turning to keep focus on moving targets) cancelling casts. I can see how some would say those are features, but to me that is annoying as fuck. The only other real complaint I had was the slow quest mob spawn rates in small areas (making them incredibly overcrowded even in off-hours) such as some of the level 6-10 starting areas.

Even with those problems, I still enjoyed this game during the China OB and I'll be picking. Hopefully the PVP really is fun.

[Falconeer]

What's culturalized content?

[Numtini]

What's culturalized content?

Supposedly they're not just translating material, but are taking things and trying to make them culturally relevent in terms of folklore, cultural references, etc.

I'll be interested to see if it works out. While they did a crappy job, K2 spent a lot of their development time to make Grenado Espada more acceptable to the US market and then spent the first year taking all of that out so they could keep up with patches coming over from Korea.

[Falconeer]

Ugh, sounds horrible and just plain wrong. Whoever needs content culturalized to enjoy a game should be imprisoned in some international college to have his or her mind opened with a crowbar if nothing else works.

[tmp]

What's culturalized content?

They gave example of a quest which involves something like going in the woods in search for axe for a lumberjack, and then encountering a stranger who gives the players two choices concerning that axe. This quest was apparently based on Korean folk tale, and being familiar with that tale would allow the player to know consequences of either choice they'd take. A player unfamiliar with it would be instead picking blindly.

[Draegan]

I'd rather play the game sooner with.  Just give me a game without Engrish.

[Nebu]

The biggest problem I see with this game, aside from the obvious Lineage-esque stuff, is that it will act as a repository for disgruntled WAR and Darkfall fanbois. 

[March]

Just give me the entire Korean Folk tale in the quest text so I can be enculturated *and* make a good game decision.  No need for crowbars, my dear sir.

[Draegan]

The biggest problem I see with this game, aside from the obvious Lineage-esque stuff, is that it will act as a repository for disgruntled WAR and Darkfall fanbois. 

You're still getting it wrong.  This game has more in common with WOW than it does Lineage imo.

[Nebu]

The biggest problem I see with this game, aside from the obvious Lineage-esque stuff, is that it will act as a repository for disgruntled WAR and Darkfall fanbois. 

You're still getting it wrong.  This game has more in common with WOW than it does Lineage imo.

Yeah, but the second half of my statement is oh, so right!

[Hawkbit]

Let's start predicting then.  Draegan's taking too much flak here. 

I predict 600,000 launch and 1.2mil six months from launch here in NA. 

I also predict that for a long period of time it will be #2 MMO in NA, for exactly the reason posted in the second half of that statement.  DF/WAR are going to collapse entirely when Aion launches, and I wager it'll stay that way. 

[Draegan]

The biggest problem I see with this game, aside from the obvious Lineage-esque stuff, is that it will act as a repository for disgruntled WAR and Darkfall fanbois.  

You're still getting it wrong.  This game has more in common with WOW than it does Lineage imo.

Yeah, but the second half of my statement is oh, so right!

Sure... but any game that has PVP will get disgruntled players from any game that was PVP focused.  Don't play PVP MMOGs then?

Predictions?

I would say you will get at least the average between AOC and WAR boxes sold in the first month... what's that 900k? 1mil?

Depending on which version NA gets at release I will say at least a 65% retention rate at the bottom, 75% on the high end and then after a few months of Steam and other marketing they will see a small rise.  I see their ceiling and pie in the sky prediction at like 2 million, but more realistically I see anywhere from 700k through 1 mil after 7 months or so.

Here's the catch though for initial retention, the version of the game NA/EU gets.  In the most recent patches and the upcoming 1.3 patch there is more filling in areas with quests later on so there is a more smooth of a transition.  If we get the version where there are more quests then I will go with my above prediction, if it starts off with 1.0 then I will guess the game will sell high initially and settle around 500k or so.

[Ghambit]

Draegan, are your numbers assuming Aion releases before JGE/ChampO or after?
A lot depends on this as well as how well those 2 games are received.  There aint enough market room in the Fall no matter what the genre is.  I've got money and even I dont plan on playing all three.  It'll be the best game that gets my sub after I've betaed them all.

speaking of which, my Aion download now ceases to exist (the floodgates have apparently opened)

[funcro]

I haven't seen any compelling reasons why Aion would buck recent trends, so for my first prediction around these parts I'll say 750k boxes out of the gates, 250k subs at 3 months, 100k subs at 1 year.  Pop, whimper.

[Draegan]

Draegan, are your numbers assuming Aion releases before JGE/ChampO or after?
A lot depends on this as well as how well those 2 games are received.  There aint enough market room in the Fall no matter what the genre is.  I've got money and even I dont plan on playing all three.  It'll be the best game that gets my sub after I've betaed them all.

speaking of which, my Aion download now ceases to exist (the floodgates have apparently opened)

ChampO, JGE and Aion are all different sets of players.  I don't think any will effect each other.  I think ChampO will do the worse of the three, JGE might hit 500k at the start and become a 200-400k player game, while my prediction for Aion will stand.

[Nebu]

400k boxes in NA.  250k subs after a month.  100k after 3 months.

It's not new or innovative enough to keep the WoW crowd entertained beyond a month or 3. 

[UnSub]

Ugh, sounds horrible and just plain wrong. Whoever needs content culturalized to enjoy a game should be imprisoned in some international college to have his or her mind opened with a crowbar if nothing else works.

The issue here is that the 'right' solution to some quests in Aion are the antithesis to what the NA player might consider the 'right' choice. Cultural differences need to be reflected for each player group in order for the game to have the best chance of success.

[Lantyssa]

Oh, it'll get a million boxes.  There's still demand for a new MMO.  500k at six months.  I'm giving them credit for subscribers WAR and AoC lost due to bugginess or lack of content.

Depending on how it is, it could go up or down from there.  Expecting more than 50% retention is too optimistic, and even if it is good enough to grow, it will take some time for word of mouth to drag sufficient numbers in.

[DLRiley]

400k boxes in NA.  250k subs after a month.  100k after 3 months.

It's not new or innovative enough to keep the WoW crowd entertained beyond a month or 3.  

But people will learn that new and innovative isn't as important as "does it work".

Draegan, are your numbers assuming Aion releases before JGE/ChampO or after?
A lot depends on this as well as how well those 2 games are received.  There aint enough market room in the Fall no matter what the genre is.  I've got money and even I dont plan on playing all three.  It'll be the best game that gets my sub after I've betaed them all.

speaking of which, my Aion download now ceases to exist (the floodgates have apparently opened)

ChampO, JGE and Aion are all different sets of players.  I don't think any will effect each other.  I think ChampO will do the worse of the three, JGE might hit 500k at the start and become a 200-400k player game, while my prediction for Aion will stand.

I think you might want to flip the results of ChampO and JGE. Nothing about JGE indicates that the game is going to pull 500k. If anything having to compete for pvp status is going to hurt JGE a lot and it defiantly won't draw in the pve crowd like ChampO will.

[Ard]

I think you might want to flip the results of ChampO and JGE. Nothing about JGE indicates that the game is going to pull 500k. If anything having to compete for pvp status is going to hurt JGE a lot and it defiantly won't draw in the pve crowd like ChampO will.

I hate to do this, but for once I agree with you, strictly from the standpoint that I hang out here, yet I had to google JGE to figure out what game it was being discussed.

[kondratti]

300k boxes in NA, 150k at 1 month, 50k after 6, close down in 12

[Koyasha]

What's culturalized content?

They gave example of a quest which involves something like going in the woods in search for axe for a lumberjack, and then encountering a stranger who gives the players two choices concerning that axe. This quest was apparently based on Korean folk tale, and being familiar with that tale would allow the player to know consequences of either choice they'd take. A player unfamiliar with it would be instead picking blindly.

If that was supposed to be an example of content that only makes sense in Korean culture it's a bad one considering that quest is based on the Aesop's Fable known as the Golden Axe or the Woodsman and the Axe.  I ran into it in the chinese beta and it was pretty much the same story I'd heard years ago in an Aesop's fables book.

Since I played Asmodian a lot during the chinese beta, I'll be able to compare and see what the differences are, if any.  But I didn't see anything during my time from 1-12 or so that confused me in some 'I don't get it cause I've never been exposed to this background' sense.

[Nebu]

It's not new or innovative enough to keep the WoW crowd entertained beyond a month or 3.  

But people will learn that new and innovative isn't as important as "does it work".

People leaving WoW to play something just like WoW will either quit from boredom or quit to return to the better version of WoW.  

Innovation matters if you want to get and maintain solid sub numbers beyond 6 months.  

[DLRiley]

People will quite a badly made WoW. Aion will simply be seen as an alternative to WoW. If innovation is the only way for an mmo to keep players why aren't FF11, LoTR, and EQ2 not on life support? Why do we have countless successful f2p mmo, free realms a soe game being one of them and maple story being one of the most successful korean grinder (and boy is that game grindy) to date yet people are seriously arguing how much better it is then Wow not withstanding the small fact that there is nothing special about maple story. There is more than enough room for generic crap. I mean are you expecting serious critical thinking skills from a playerbase that happily spends 15 dollars a month to be a hamster in a shared wheel?

[kondratti]

People will quite a badly made WoW. Aion will simply be seen as an alternative to WoW. If innovation is the only way for an mmo to keep players why aren't FF11, LoTR, and EQ2 not on life support? Why do we have countless successful f2p mmo, free realms a soe game being one of them and maple story being one of the most successful korean grinder (and boy is that game grindy) to date yet people are seriously arguing how much better it is then Wow not withstanding the small fact that there is nothing special about maple story. There is more than enough room for generic crap. I mean are you expecting serious critical thinking skills from a playerbase that happily spends 15 dollars a month to be a hamster in a shared wheel?

I have no idea what point you are trying to make...

[Nebu]

If innovation is the only way for an mmo to keep players why aren't FF11, LoTR, and EQ2 not on life support?

Who said ONLY innovation?  Innovation is just one of many important factors.  Noone is stupid enough to think it's the only important factor.  

[Malakili]

People leaving WoW to play something just like WoW will either quit from boredom or quit to return to the better version of WoW.  

Innovation matters if you want to get and maintain solid sub numbers beyond 6 months.  

Its not only that.  Its really hard to throw away literally hundreds of days /played in one game to go to another, unless that new game has something REALLY great to offer me.  Even if AION was every bit as polished, high quality and content rich as WoW, it sucks to throw multiple max level characters, the ability to easily level up new characters, thousands and thousands of gold spent away on a game that is really just the same thing but a little different, so you can start over with no high level support system and a little warrior with a stick to hit people with.

[Numtini]

The stupid thing is still downloading, but I don't expect initial sales to be high. I'm very much looking forward to it and I've heard nothing but good things about the game really. About the worst thing I've heard is "eh... it's another diku" But I've mentioned preordering it to some friends and there's just no recognition at all. I've seen a couple of boards asking people what they're planning to play and its barely a blip. The hype isn't there. If people have heard about it, the only thing they know is it's some Korean thing.

[DLRiley]

People will quite a badly made WoW. Aion will simply be seen as an alternative to WoW. If innovation is the only way for an mmo to keep players why aren't FF11, LoTR, and EQ2 not on life support? Why do we have countless successful f2p mmo, free realms a soe game being one of them and maple story being one of the most successful korean grinder (and boy is that game grindy) to date yet people are seriously arguing how much better it is then Wow not withstanding the small fact that there is nothing special about maple story. There is more than enough room for generic crap. I mean are you expecting serious critical thinking skills from a playerbase that happily spends 15 dollars a month to be a hamster in a shared wheel?

I have no idea what point you are trying to make...

The point being generic grinding pieces of shit will continue to make money because the mmo playerbase likes their hamster wheels shiny.

On another note Numtini is right, this game going to have a problem if the only buzz is when people are playing it free. I think the initial sales won't be as impressive but it will probably build steam then temper off.

[UnSub]

What's culturalized content?

They gave example of a quest which involves something like going in the woods in search for axe for a lumberjack, and then encountering a stranger who gives the players two choices concerning that axe. This quest was apparently based on Korean folk tale, and being familiar with that tale would allow the player to know consequences of either choice they'd take. A player unfamiliar with it would be instead picking blindly.

If that was supposed to be an example of content that only makes sense in Korean culture it's a bad one considering that quest is based on the Aesop's Fable known as the Golden Axe or the Woodsman and the Axe.  I ran into it in the chinese beta and it was pretty much the same story I'd heard years ago in an Aesop's fables book.

So the correct choice is to kill Death=Adder? 

Without knowing the specifics of the quest, if you are looking for something and are offered a choice between that item and a better version of the same item, the RPG-trained player will probably pick the better item. Why would they take the Wooden Axe when they can get the Axe +1? Most RPGs have item progression as a major feature.

The other example I've heard of is a quest where familial respect for one's father is the correct choice in Korea; good luck translating that to the NA market.

[Triforcer]

Does anyone have any actual information on the game to report, as opposed to meta-complaints about how its a diku?